diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index ccc8eb320e54..6c3479d74741 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 - [ ] Is [Flake 8](https://flake8.pycqa.org/en/latest/) compliant (run `flake8` on changed files to check).
 - [ ] New features are documented, with examples if plot related.
 - [ ] Documentation is sphinx and numpydoc compliant (the docs should [build](https://matplotlib.org/devel/documenting_mpl.html#building-the-docs) without error).
-- [ ] Conforms to Matplotlib style conventions (install `flake8-docstrings` and `pydocstyle<4` and run `flake8 --docstring-convention=all`).
+- [ ] Conforms to Matplotlib style conventions (install `flake8-docstrings` and run `flake8 --docstring-convention=all`).
 - [ ] New features have an entry in `doc/users/next_whats_new/` (follow instructions in README.rst there).
 - [ ] API changes documented in `doc/api/next_api_changes/` (follow instructions in README.rst there).
 
diff --git a/examples/style_sheets/plot_solarizedlight2.py b/examples/style_sheets/plot_solarizedlight2.py
index 0051a5cf69dc..530e4027cdc6 100644
--- a/examples/style_sheets/plot_solarizedlight2.py
+++ b/examples/style_sheets/plot_solarizedlight2.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 
 using all 8 accents of the color palette - starting with blue
 
-ToDo:
+Still TODO:
 
 - Create alpha values for bar and stacked charts. .33 or .5
 - Apply Layout Rules
diff --git a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/rainbow_text.py b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/rainbow_text.py
index 4eea8479891c..e66bef4b54af 100644
--- a/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/rainbow_text.py
+++ b/examples/text_labels_and_annotations/rainbow_text.py
@@ -10,15 +10,15 @@
 On the matplotlib-users list back in February 2012, Gökhan Sever asked the
 following question:
 
-    Is there a way in matplotlib to partially specify the color of a string?
-
-    Example:
-
-    plt.ylabel("Today is cloudy.")
-
-    How can I show "today" as red, "is" as green and "cloudy." as blue?
-
-    Thanks.
+  | Is there a way in matplotlib to partially specify the color of a string?
+  |
+  | Example:
+  |
+  | plt.ylabel("Today is cloudy.")
+  |
+  | How can I show "today" as red, "is" as green and "cloudy." as blue?
+  |
+  | Thanks.
 
 The solution below is modified from Paul Ivanov's original answer.
 """
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
index b9bde4d783e5..09f16afa2131 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backends/backend_agg.py
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 """
-An agg_ backend.
-
-.. _agg: http://antigrain.com/
+An `Anti-Grain Geometry <http://antigrain.com>`_ (AGG) backend.
 
 Features that are implemented:
 
@@ -16,7 +14,7 @@
 * draw polygon
 * freetype2 w/ ft2font
 
-TODO:
+Still TODO:
 
 * integrate screen dpi w/ ppi and text
 """
diff --git a/requirements/testing/flake8.txt b/requirements/testing/flake8.txt
index b5277c656632..f98708973072 100644
--- a/requirements/testing/flake8.txt
+++ b/requirements/testing/flake8.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # Extra pip requirements for the GitHub Actions flake8 build
 
 flake8>=3.8
-pydocstyle<4.0
-flake8-docstrings
+# versions less than 5.1.0 raise on some interp'd docstrings
+pydocstyle>=5.1.0
+# 1.4.0 adds docstring-convention=all
+flake8-docstrings>=1.4.0
diff --git a/tutorials/text/mathtext.py b/tutorials/text/mathtext.py
index 709f1df4956b..8c67142e1dc5 100644
--- a/tutorials/text/mathtext.py
+++ b/tutorials/text/mathtext.py
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 r"""
 Writing mathematical expressions
 ================================
-
 An introduction to writing mathematical expressions in Matplotlib.
 
 You can use a subset TeX markup in any matplotlib text string by placing it
@@ -56,7 +55,6 @@
 
 Subscripts and superscripts
 ---------------------------
-
 To make subscripts and superscripts, use the ``'_'`` and ``'^'`` symbols::
 
     r'$\alpha_i > \beta_i$'
@@ -86,7 +84,6 @@
 
 Fractions, binomials, and stacked numbers
 -----------------------------------------
-
 Fractions, binomials, and stacked numbers can be created with the
 ``\frac{}{}``, ``\binom{}{}`` and ``\genfrac{}{}{}{}{}{}`` commands,
 respectively::
@@ -130,7 +127,6 @@
 
 Radicals
 --------
-
 Radicals can be produced with the ``\sqrt[]{}`` command.  For example::
 
     r'$\sqrt{2}$'
@@ -153,7 +149,6 @@
 
 Fonts
 -----
-
 The default font is *italics* for mathematical symbols.
 
 .. note::
@@ -270,7 +265,6 @@
 
 Custom fonts
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~
-
 mathtext also provides a way to use custom fonts for math.  This method is
 fairly tricky to use, and should be considered an experimental feature for
 patient users only.  By setting :rc:`mathtext.fontset` to ``custom``,
@@ -306,7 +300,6 @@
 
 Accents
 -------
-
 An accent command may precede any symbol to add an accent above it.  There are
 long and short forms for some of them.
 
@@ -346,7 +339,6 @@
 
 Symbols
 -------
-
 You can also use a large number of the TeX symbols, as in ``\infty``,
 ``\leftarrow``, ``\sum``, ``\int``.
 
@@ -359,7 +351,6 @@
 
 Example
 -------
-
 Here is an example illustrating many of these features in context.
 
 .. figure:: ../../gallery/pyplots/images/sphx_glr_pyplot_mathtext_001.png