So after some thought, I think I've concluded that S2E3 leaves me feeling like the new team doesn't have a firm grip on the personalities of the characters, so they're
flanderizing the writing and relying on sight gags rather than the characterization that made the show in the first place.
Celestia
* Is visibly angry at Twilight to the point of scolding her. Celestia, angry? At Twilight? Since when does Celestia get angry about anything?
Pinkie Pie
* Is suspiciously scarce in the episode, but in nearly half her scenes she's shown sad or worried. She gets downright pouty and sad towards the end.
Spike
* Blatantly steals Pinkie's eating style when whirlwind licks up the cupcake frosting. At Pinkie Pie's house, no less.
* Steals Pinkie's fourth wall and medium awareness antics. For example, when Twilight is hallucinating, Spike visibly reaches his hand into her hallucinations and pokes it to make it go away. Until now, Pinkie Pie is the only character to interact with the medium. Spike does it three times in this episode.
Fluttershy
* Kungfu Fluttershy? Seriously? Sure, it was played as a joke, but we're now three episodes into season 2, and Fluttershy has seen more out-of-character time than in-character time. Imagine somepony who starts with season 2, sees Flutterbitch in episodes one and two, then kungfu chiropractor in episode three. They'd probably be surprised to realize that she's supposed to be gentle and shy.
Applejack
* It's difficult to reconcile the Applejack for whom an entire episode was devoted to insisting that she do her own work on the orchard, the Applejack who got angry at Twilight for using magic during Winter Wrap Up...with the Applejack who sat around in a trench while Rainbow Dash dismantled a barn for her.
Rarity
* In season 1 Rarity was charming, elegant and dignified. In the season premier she cuts off her own tail to give the river dragon a new mustache, and dismisses Twilight's sympathy over the loss. When the CMC destroyed her botique, she remained calm and collected. When Fluttershy gets to be a model, leaving Rarity in the unfortunate position of watching her friend live the life she wanted for herself, she's obviously distressed but goes out of her way to not make a scene. Even when she's
kidnapped into slavery by diamond dogs, she remains sufficiently in control of herself that she's able to stare down a dog with a spear and insist that she's a lady and that must treat her as one. Rarity is consistently portrayed as a pony able to bear hardship and misfortune while maintaining a sense of personal dignity. She's occasionally been shown angry or indignant, but never as she's presented in S2E3, where she's become a helpless, whiny drama queen who literally
cries over being unable to find things in plain view in her own house.
Big Mac
* He's been badly flanderized. When he was introduced in the first season, he was fluently expressing concern over Applejack picking up all his farmwork due to an injury. Now, apparently, his character is defined by saying "eeyup." So much so, that they even make a joke out of him saying "nope" instead. Because apparently it's supposed to come as a surprise that he would say anything other than eeyup.