How bizarre, I'm completely the opposite to you. I thought it was a great homage to all the FimFic writers out there and bringing the popular background ponies to life. I would write more, but it's gone midnight, time for sleeps. ;)

Maybe I watched it a bad day. :)
I read the reviews and reception online and the audience/fan base is split. Some love it, some disliked it. I think I would have liked the episode better if it had a better story. There was a lot of negative feelings/attitudes in the episode, Matilda whining and questioning the wedding, Cranky whining, Derpy sad about the mess she made, Octavia just cared about herself and the music and how she can't make it with a monster in town, even Celestia and Luna were fighting over a gift, and Whooves just cared about math and his jacket, and then there was the Sweetie Bon Bon friendship mess.. On top, to exclude the main characters seemed wrong to me for an anniversary episode. So.. It was just a wrong angle for me. More happiness, and less worrying thoughts and dilemmas would get thumbs up from me. :)

Yeah, I think you need to read some FIMFIC, otherwise this episode makes no sense at all.

Got anything to recommend? I am not a fan of "wasting time" on reading bad fiction glorified by naive fans.

I will get my other half to find some good links for you. She tells me what's good, and then I read it. I know what you mean about reading bad fic, but there are some good authors out there.
I guess the episode was highlighting the things that go on with the background characters, when the mane six are otherwise engaged. I personally loved Celestia and Lunas sisterly squabbling. It makes their relationship with each other more normal and kinda cute. Whooves, well he is supposed to be the Doctor and I thought they carried him quite well, especially with the 4th Doctors scarf being honoured.
The whole episode was full of little nods to certain genres, fanfiction, and fans favourite background characters. The mane six can't control every characters daily life and that is what A Slice Of Life was all about.

Have you been on FimFic.com

I get your point about everyday life and so on. Great interpretation, but I still find the episode too messy and chaotic. Plus, as a Doctor Who fan.. If Doctor Who had an anniversary episode and it featured every other character than the Doctor, and it wasn't about the Doctor at all... I would have disliked that as well. ;P Even if it celebrated the universe, the background characters and paid tribute to fan fiction.


But that's just my personal preference. I get why so many other fans enjoyed such anniversary episodes.

I have never been a hardcore fan, I have actually watched the original MLP show more than MLP:FIM. But my boyfriend has probably been to the site you mentioned, and he has also written fiction. :)