What's your favorite pony episodes? (Episode Ratings Thread)

[penguindf12]

I thought I'd classify my favorite episodes in general categories, to show what qualities I value in the show so far. Feel free to respond with your own ideas, ratings, and responses!

INCREDIBLE
Griffon the Brush-Off - The development of friendship between Pinkie Pie & Rainbow Dash really shines, and Gilda stands out as an understandable villain. The pacing is like music.
Bridle Gossip - Here a shifting spotlight of character focus, character-driven comedy, and a steadily paced view of Twilight's increasing doubts about Zecora combine to make this a beautiful demonstration of what the show can do if it tries.
Suited for Success - This is the episode that really made me like Rarity's character. Artistic qualities & generosity are shown, not told. The peripheral characters' reactions feel genuine and understandable.
Feeling Pinkie Keen - Despite the disarming moral (which makes sense after a bit of logical interpretation), the 'classic' cartoon-y quality & the various peripheral character reactions to 'Pinkie Sense' make this a personal favorite.
Green Isn't Your Color - Perhaps my favorite episode, this one moves swiftly along with a cosmic giddiness unmitigated by the very palpable tension balanced between Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rarity, and wonderfully present in all of Pinkie's memorably off-the-wall appearances. Each scene is a gem.
Party of One - Can you tell I'm a Pinkie fan? This episode was perfect for me -- Pinkie is at once empathetic & hilarious. The supporting cast shine as well, and the opening song is one of my favorites; the pacing is immaculate, and the final breakdown feels authentic despite its intrinsic bizarreness.

GREAT
The Ticket Master - This is the first episode that really inspired me to become a fan -- it set the bar high, but later episodes are even better. The first insight we get into actual Ponyville life, we really feel Twilight's struggle develop, and we are genuinely happy when it works out in the end.
Applebuck Season - In this first "character episode," we see not only Applejack's story but the way it affects her friends; each pony feels important to the motion, and the jokes aren't half-bad either, based as they are in a feeling of empathy with characters.
Swarm of the Century - For me a quasi-'sequel' to Bridle Gossip, this episode demonstrates excellent balance between characters. The main characters' attempts to solve the problem are spiced up nicely with Pinkie's intermittent appearances.
Sonic Rainboom - With a very casual pace, and excellent Fluttershy & Rainbow Dash moments -- not to mention Rarity -- this one easily ranks quite high for me. Seeing Clousdale is also a treat!
Stare Master - The first 'CMC' episode with all three in action, it is successful largely because of the addition of Fluttershy to the equation, balancing the Cutie Mark Crusader's jiggery-pokery. There are some great moments throughout this one, perfectly presenting the situation.
The Best Night Ever - One couldn't ask for a better or more fitting season finale; heck, it's so strong it could even be a SERIES finale! Each pony's story arc feels just as fresh and sympathetic as the beginning of the series, and a brilliant counterpoint to the equally good bookend that is "The Ticket Master." Celestia has another great role to play here as well. And of course, Fluttershy's performance steals the show.
Luna Eclipsed - The only Season 2 episode to reach this status for me 'feels' like it was written very early in the process, ie, in a 'Season 1' vein. For instance, despite Twilight's deposition as 'main character' in "Lesson Zero" (an act that understandably frees the writers up, but which ultimately resulted in carelessness), she still stars here like nothing has happened. Luna's character is wonderfully balanced, and Twilight's character regains her interest. Pip is initially irritating, but eventually fulfills his cutesy roll quite admirably. Other possible negative qualities (such as Zecora's slightly embarrassing return and a lack of 'classic' ensemble moments) are nicely mitigated by positive performances in the focus cast.

GOOD
Friendship is Magic Part One - As the first episode in the series & the first one I ever watched, I was understandably skeptical. But the character introductions establish things in a nicely endearing way, and you can really feel the sense of discovery; Twilight's character was instantly empathetic for me, and that real feeling is what kept me watching.
Friendship is Magic Part Two - A truly nice resolution, if a bit stuffy in structure -- these first two episodes feel like a lovingly-constructed bridge between older MLP tradition and Faust's new realizations.
Boast Busters - A very well-done episode, but it never really did a whole lot for me. Trixie is a fun character, while Snips & Snails are (intentionally) irritating. Wonderfully structured, it misses for me a special "something" to make it great. But the feel of care remains woven into its creation, and so feels 'classic.'
Look Before You Sleep - An excellent tri-character study, Twilight's doofy demeanor nicely plays off of Rarity and Applejack's personality conflict. Fun in an endearing way, for me, and the entertainment is mostly generated from subtle gestures that make the characters identifiable and relevant.
Dragonshy - A great 'adventure' episode with an all-star cast. Fluttershy's moment at the end remains a watershed. Classic in every sense, with a fine sense of balance.
Winter Wrap-Up - The song in the center was initially off-putting for me, but eventually became a highlight after re-watching. This episode seems to embody "the norm" for FIM, seeming very central in many different ways for the first season at large.
Call of the Cutie - As the first 'CMC' episode, I really enjoy this. The plot motion is paced just right, and the writing is confident with nothing to prove; it's a solid episode, and a refreshing change of scenery.
Fall Weather Friends - Another solid episode, with great peripheral character motion surrounding the essential Rainbow Dash / Applejack dynamic.
Over a Barrel - A somewhat problematic ending & stereotyped racial portrayals don't stop this from being a very fun episode. The conversation in the train at the beginning remains one of my favorite scenes of the series.
A Bird in the Hoof - A very fun Fluttershy episode (it's very difficult to write bad Fluttershy dialogue, just as it's very difficult to write GOOD Pinkie Pie dialogue... and Pinkie's my favorite pony!). Celestia's character really stands out here, cheerfully reminding me of Dumbledore, and feeling that all's right with the world. Fluttershy's moments with Philomena are in a wonderful 'classic' cartoon-y style, though the chase scene could be a bit much.
The Cutie Mark Chronicles - The CMC grate a bit here, but they are more than well-met with the rest of the cast's fun flashback stories, each of which is endearing in its own way. A sickeningly cheese ending is saved by the Scootaloo.
Owl's Well that Ends Well - Despite my distaste for the Owl, Spike's performance is quite nice, and the hilltop meteor shower is magical. Not a personal favorite, but there are no real problems beyond that.
The Return of Harmony Part One - The pacing is pretty compressed, but that's understandable. Celestia is pretty uptight, but that's understandable. The ponies each have their moments, but there's a real feeling of 'cramming it in', and some characters -- especially Pinkie & Applejack -- are shortchanged. Despite this, Discord is a masterful villain, the best in the series so far.
The Return of Harmony Part Two - Things improve quite a bit here, but portions still feel hurried and unnatural. Pros include the truly affecting negative performance of the greyed-out ponies, Twilight's starring role, the goofy Star Wars ending, and the incredible zaniness of Discord's vision. A real blemish, however, is the heavy-handed volte-face Twilight undergoes when she re-reads her old Friendship Reports; while this is a wonderful & fitting concept, the execution left me feeling a tad alienated.
May the Best Pet Win - Tragically following in the tradition of a largely 'rubber' supporting cast in season 2, this episode is saved by some fun Rainbow Dash moments, a fun song, and some endearing Fluttershy commentary. Entertaining, but most of the three-dimensional magic 'interactions between friends' of the first season seems largely absent.

OKAY
The Show Stoppers - The first episode that I really didn't like, for a few reasons: the Cutie Mark Crusaders don't have any real balancing force to distribute the focus; any appearances of the main cast feel hollow & rubber; and the ending song is truly cringe-worthy. I've since come to terms with most of these factors, since the song is actually kind of fun, and the scene with the Crusaders preparing their act is pretty classic. The hollowness of the supporting cast remains a problem for me.
A Dog and Pony Show - Again, the supporting cast doesn't have much to contribute to this Spike-and-Rarity story. The Diamond Dogs are entertaining, and Rarity's scenes are genuinely funny, but the ending moral remains a small issue -- and Spike's romantic fantasy didn't do much for me. The most damage, however, results from the complete thoughtlessness in the writing for the peripheral cast.
Sisterhooves Social - The first Twilight-less episode, this was a pretty ambivalent experience for me; there's nothing really WRONG with it, but throughout it feels like something important is missing. Applejack's performance is feebly one-dimensional, and other characters don't fare a whole lot better. Granny Smith's goofy monologue is a highlight, but the comedy is cheap & mitigated by a lack of inspired character-driven writing. Probably the worst thing about this one is that it is neither GOOD nor BAD; it's just not very interesting at all, despite some 'touching' moments towards the end. Tabitha St. Germain's voice acting saves this from being absolutely pedestrian.
The Cutie Pox - More engaging than the last episode, it suffers nonetheless from a one-dimensional character focus (solely on Apple Bloom), a lack of inspired peripheral roles -- the adult ponies again feel rather 'rubber' -- and yet another grating return of Zecora, whose presence feels less like a real character and more like a cheap plot device than ever. It's okay, but it's missing any of the qualities that keep me watching the show.
The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well - Another single-pony plot with virtually no subsidiary character focus. Rainbow Dash's experience is not anything I can identify with; it feels like she's being 'forced' into her role; basically the writing is not smooth, and the performances don't make me care. Despite this, the visuals are more engaging & fluid than ever, with a variety of locations explored (some rather dubious and ill-fitting with earlier depictions of Ponyville). Ashleigh Ball's voice acting becomes positively grating by the end, sounding like she's worn out her voice, and understandably so -- barely any pony other than Rainbow has anything to say!

AWFUL
Lesson Zero - Rarely have I been so depressed by a single 20-minute television spot. Sympathetic characters go out the window -- Twilight, who I empathized with so strongly 28 episodes prior, is a grotesque caricature of her most basic surface qualities; the other ponies feel utterly inorganic and one-dimensional, like rubber dolls. The pacing is offensively scattered, and even the jokes -- the undeniable focus of the whole production -- just don't cut it, being based in cheap visual gags rather than identifiable character-driven humor. (Possibly on the plus side, the visual style and cinematic presentation are much more 'advanced', with a wider variety of angles & nuanced animation... although this could be something further alienating. And the 'new' intro is downright nauseating, the 'update' rather cruelly pointless.)

----

For me a good MLP episode is like music: a foreground, a middleground, and a background, with audience attention shifting smoothly between. In music, this is developed by focal melodies, counterpoint, harmonic cushions, rhythmic underpinning, and so on; in MLP, this is achieved by playing characters off each other, with strong leading roles supported by an interesting supplementary cast (not to mention pacing, visuals, audio, etc.). The most successful episodes for me form a believable flow from character to character, empathy forming the most important factor in any individual character's appeal, with humor derived from an affecting 'relationship' between the viewer and the character -- in this way, jokes appear unique and meaningful, rather than coarse, cheaply global, and context-irrelevant.

[BlackElectric]

I'm glad to see "Feeling Pinkie Keen" and "Party of One" in the top spot.

[catmilly]

party of one pinkie is top tier relatable
lesson zero twilight is bottom tier horrible

but these are the exact same episode?

[penguindf12]

party of one pinkie is top tier relatable
lesson zero twilight is bottom tier horrible

but these are the exact same episode?

It ain't what you're using, it's how you use it! Given the superficial similarities between these two episodes, these would make a great study for a creative writing seminar. Y'know, compare/contrast, "tone", intended audience, manner of presentation, subtexts generated by the writer's attitude toward the material, etc.

Anyway, I usually think of myself as being pretty "student-y" and Twilight is definitely the character I identify with best. But the whole "tardy" thing just seemed manufactured. "Hm, what do nerds hate? Ah! Being tardy!" It made sense for a while, but when she started torturing people for fun, it got really hard to watch. Twilight's personality seemed totally contorted, so they could have creepy faces & cheap laughs. It really felt like I was just watching some random cartoon character on screen. I'm all for Brechtian alienation and all, but in this case it was pretty obviously unintentional and in the service of easy entertainment.

In Pinkie's case, feeling left out by your friends makes sense, emotionally speaking. The motives of the characters seemed clear and intrinsically motivated, ie, I didn't see the writer's puppet strings dangling. They felt more organic; for instance, Pinkie didn't just start flipping out -- she progressed through a series of increasingly distressed stages before going totally bonkers, and it was really funny, but also sad in a genuine way.

[Squeak]

I didn't think Lesson Zero was horrible. Twilight's character was exaggerated to an extreme, but I think that this was the purpose of the episode, and I hope they have an episode for each element of harmony pony going crazy. I liked how crazy and over the top things got in that episode. It was different, but I think the only reason you thought that it was horrible as it was is because it was the first episode of the second season and you probably came in with bad expectations because of Lauren Faust's leaving.

HOWEVER, this is only my opinion! Your opinion is valid and you feel how you feel! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It makes me want to make an episode ratings guide too! When I have time.

[Makkon]

I'll come out of my cave of obscurity and perpetuating stress to state that Lesson Zero was one of my favorite episodes in the series. I'm sorry you guys didn't like it. In contrast I thought Luna Eclipsed was good but not great.

It has more to do with personal taste than anything, this is after all a cartoon intended to be exaggerated. Since Lesson Zero I've loved Twilight as a character more than ever.

[penguindf12]

I didn't think Lesson Zero was horrible. Twilight's character was exaggerated to an extreme, but I think that this was the purpose of the episode, and I hope they have an episode for each element of harmony pony going crazy. I liked how crazy and over the top things got in that episode. It was different, but I think the only reason you thought that it was horrible as it was is because it was the first episode of the second season and you probably came in with bad expectations because of Lauren Faust's leaving.

I'll come out of my cave of obscurity and perpetuating stress to state that Lesson Zero was one of my favorite episodes in the series. I'm sorry you guys didn't like it. In contrast I thought Luna Eclipsed was good but not great.

It has more to do with personal taste than anything, this is after all a cartoon intended to be exaggerated. Since Lesson Zero I've loved Twilight as a character more than ever.

Both points duly taken. What -I- like about the show is definitely not the only way. A lot of people really like "Lesson Zero," I don't think I'm in the majority. As far as having initial bad expectations, I was pretty upbeat about the episode, primed as I was for an experience like "Party of One." I watched the episode 3 times that afternoon, just to clarify how I felt.

Anyway, everyone's got their likes & dislikes. The qualities I outlined above are mine, of course. It's interesting to see what tastes everyone else has -- And if people share my tastes, it's interesting to see how people disagree on other points. For instance, if you agree that identifying with the character is important, you could definitely argue that Twilight in "Lesson Zero" isn't alienating at all; I just may not have the experiences needed to identify with her.

And I WOULD like to see other people's episode guides!

[penguindf12]

Also, hello Squeak, welcome to MLR!!

[Circuitfry]

WOW WHAT SQUEAK IS HERE YES OKAY YEAH THIS MADE MY DAY LEMME COME BACK AND BLOW AROUND MY OPINION ABOUT WHICH EPISODES SUCKED LATER RIGHT NOW JUST GIVING SQUEAK A BIG HUG YUP

[Lethaargic]

Boast Busters Is most certainly the Greatest and most Powerful episode in MLP. Pshh, was there ever any doubt

[Freewave]

That was one of the most disappointing episodes tbh (i saw it only a month or so ago) after all the hype i saw regarding Trixie. Having those retarded colts (comic fodder) occupy so much screen time was really quite painfull. That an having Trixie show up and boast but not really do an amazing act (other then "battling" another pony) was kind of a weird initial setup. Gad the second half saved the episode a bit.

[BassRabbit]

The Last Roundup-Pinkie Pie being absolutely hilarious in every minute of screentime she has? Check. Action-packed chase scene that feels almost out of place in a children's' cartoon? Check. Amazing shout-outs to shows like Bonanza (or was it Gunsmoke?) and I Love Lucy? Check. Rainbow Dash actually using the word 'gun'? Check. Derpy's first speaking role? CHECK-A-LECK-A-DING-DONG.

Lesson Zero-I really related to Twilight in this episode, as I suffer from some pretty bad OCD myself. Everything about this episode was utterly hilarious, and it shows that even a children's cartoon can have some pretty disturbing moments a'la 40's Disney.

Suited For Success-Gave us DJ P0N-3. It rules for that reason and that reason alone.

Applebuck Season-Watching a sleep-deprived Applejack never ceases to be funny. And again, Pinkie Pie can make anything funny, "CHOCCCOLLAAATE CHIIIIIPPPPSSS." XD

It's About Time-Blatant Metal Gear Solid References? Madame Pinkie? Accurate Greek Mythology references? This one gets an A++.

Putting Your Hoof Down-Iron Will is quite possibly one of the funniest characters I've seen in a cartoon in a long time. Oh, and he's voiced by Hercule. It doesn't get any better than that.

Family Appreciation Day-Say what you will, but I love kooky old Granny Smith. Seeing her interact with Apple Bloom was just all kinds of heartwarming. Seeing her figure out how to make Zap Apple Jam (probably through years of careful watch and study) was all kinds of awesome. We see that Silver Spoon isn't a total jerk (being the first one to cheer Granny Smith). We see that Diamond Tiara's father isn't the tired cliche "rich a-hole" too many cartoons are guilty of having (seeing him genuinely upset with DT's behavior was particularly satisfying) And there's AppleBloom in a bunny suit.

Griffon The Brush-Off-Seeing Pinkie and Rainbow Dash finally bonding for the first time as real friends (and not just by extension with the other four) was nice. And Gilda is one of my favorite characters. I really hope she returns (Trixie too.)

Luna Eclipsed-We all expected Luna to return as sort of an apologetic crybaby desperate for forgiveness after the whole Nightmare Moon incident. Instead we got a large ham who's one-half Dr.Robotnik and one-half Zapp Branigan. Needless to say, it was more awesome than anything we could've expected.

Secret Of My Excess-It's about time Spike got his own story. I loved seeing him fleshed out with a full character flaw (his greed). Plus, it sort of connected him and Rarity on some weird level, with his greediness and her...erm, materialism? Oh, and the doctor pony's head was shaped like a muffin.

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000-The Flim Flam brothers are my absolute favorite male characters. It's a shame they had to be total d*uchebags. At least they gave us the show's best song ever!

[StellaRbRoNyBeaTz]

This is a tough one, but Ill just lay down some of my favorites with some short and sweet reasons why they're my favs:

"The Last Round-up"- Applejack being one of my favorite characters I was pretty extatic to see an episode based on her, I think for the first time since "Applebuck season," or "Fall weather friends" if you would count it, not sure I would. The humor in this episode was just the best I've seen so far, to me anyway, the interaction between all of them was on point.

"Applebuck Season"- Seems alot of people like this one and pretty much already covered all the same reasons it is in my top 5 as well, so all I'll say is I agree

"Briddle Gossip"- What can I say about this work of genius, even my sister who constantly hates on the show laughed her ass off watching this one. I'll admit at first I was kind of like "Why everyone gotta be scared of the Zebra from Africa?" xD But by the end it gave that great time old message of not judging a book by it's cover, always a valuable leason to learn.

"Party of one"- The element of laughter going crazy under the belief that her friends don't like her anymore, no way no how this wouldn't be in my top favs.

"Dragonshy"- My top favs would be a lie without this one in it, I can't get enough of Fluttershy's timid nature xD But going from being scared of her own shadow to making a full grown dragon cry like a baby, yep definately one of my favs.

"Lesson Zero"- I personally loved crazy Twilight, she just always seemed to be the one who had the answers to everything and never had a real problem, I feel this episode brought to light that even she has hidden issues, reinforced in the newest episode as well. Ask for it being a bit over the top, I wouldn't say so, I think I've seen worst in other cartoons.

Alright this is getting a bit more long winded than I intended so I'll just finishing by saying "Luna Eclipsed" and "Pinkie Keen" are also two of my favorites.

[MiuMiuChuu]

I might be a terrible person for this, but I find insanity as comedy is hilarious. (I'm so sorry if this is offending ;^; -- Doesn't mean I practice this in real life, strictly for fiction, specifically cartoon or comic)
Party of One and Lesson Zero is instant favorite. The Best Night Ever follows this category.

Most of the season one episodes are enjoyable and I love to keep watching them. For season two, either it's good but not impressing enough or I really really fond of it.
The Cutie Pox and Read It and Weep are one of the episodes I can watch over and over again.

But generally I enjoy all episodes so... Yeah.

[Freewave]

I love the consistency of Season 1 but Season 2 has also had many that are just about equally as entertaining if a little more hit and miss. My top ones are:

"Green Isn't Your Color" While Rarity may often come off vain and shallow in groups eps her individual ones where she has to deal with difficulty really make her a fun character to watch when she has the spotlight. Old school Hollywood drama and over-acting are great, Fluttershy being forced into the spotlight, Photofinish as a hliarious guest star, and Pinkie Pie emphasizing the importance of a Pinkie Promise are also great moments that add up.

"The Cutie Mark Chronicles" I just adore as the first 2 episodes of the season while introducing the friends aren't quite as solid as the other eps (well part 1 isn't, part 2 is certainly up there). So having an origins story for the mane 6 AND uniting their past through RD's sonic rainboom is just a stroke of genius. Showing Pinkie as depressed in her former life is key to showing her as more than just a ditz and as happiness and kindness as a choice to who she is.

"Party of One" Pinkie's breakdown is also another key ep for her and having her go cupcakes is key to all the grimdark fanfics that have come since. While she doesn't go full psycho in here i agree that their individual breakdown have been hilarious fodder and allow people to see that flaws (as well as their strengths)

"The Best Night Ever" A great finish to season 1 , having the charcters all united and having to deal with the built up expectations and the hilariously lame reality is awesome. In particular Fluttershy's breakdown is awesome. While its wrapped up a bit quick its a great ep and luckily lets each character shine.

"The Return of Harmony - Part 1 +2 " Lets face it that Discord is THE best bad guy they ever had (although I didn't recognize Q as the voice for months which i feel so stupid for). For those who like the quests which are very absent from the series this pays off and seeing the charcters go evil and Discord briefly triumph is pretty awesome.

"Lesson Zero" - I can see where this is a love it or hate it ep as its mostly Twilight freaking out about nothing but its also the most anything goes, targeted to bronies humor we've ever had and seeing TS lose her sh*t is rather hilarious.

"Secret of My Excess" - Spike really gets to shine here and seeing him get epicly big and tear up the town is great tv. But what really makes the episode is Rarity and Spike's freefall moment which is one of the best 5 seconds of the show.

"Hearts and Hooves Day" - CMC have never been cuter than in this episode and having Cherilee and Big Mac as main charcter (although annoying in the last 1/3) made for some hilarious situations and so many great individual moments.

[Gray Ham]

My two favourites are the Cutie Mark Chronicles and Family Appreciation day. They both gave us all insight into the history of the ponies we all know and love. Family Appreciation Day is at the top of my list because of the amazing composition work of William Anderson during Granny Smith's flashback.
Hearth's Warming Eve is third on my list for much the same reason; insight into the creation of Equestria.