Author’s Note: This is Part 3 (#2-1) of DQ's list of best and worst FIM episodes. Click here for Part 1 (#10-7). Click here for Part 2 (#6-3).

Second-worst: Bridle Gossip

Good Gravy Marie, did so much go wrong.

1. Nearly everyone (minus Zecora and Spike) was out of character. None of the Mane Six had any likeable traits, all falling for stereotypes or stupidity beyond what they were capable of, even then.
    
   Applejack: The most grounded of the Mane Six suddenly turns extremely irrational and judgmental, reinforcing an element from Boast Busters that barely missed out of the bottom ten.
    
   Rarity: In what would later become one of the most thoroughly dimensional characters in the whole show, she has the gall to insult Zecora’s stripes. By doing that, she not only reinforces the “stuck-up bitch” stereotype typically found in background archetypes she holds, but also inflicts subtle racism by not liking her based on what she looks like.
    
   I know many bronies will say season three was her worst, partially because she was a background pony for the most part. Yet they couldn’t be any more wrong. Suited for Success, A Dog & Pony Show, Green Isn’t Your Color, and The Best Night Ever made her look really good. Unfortunately, Look Before You Sleep, Boast Busters, Owl’s Well, Sonic Rainboom (although was actually justified here and isn’t here for other reasons), and especially this one brought out some of her worst portrayals in the entire show. That’s why season one was her worst season.
    
   Pinkie Pie: A complete disregard of continuity up to that point. She welcomed Twilight in the pilot and tried to approach Gilda to make her a friend. Then in BG, she’s so easily influenced by racist gossip, she believes Zecora’s an evil enchantress who does evil dances. And this doesn’t happen in the prologue only; she hammers that inane concept in throughout.
    
   Rainbow Dash: A reinforcement of one of her most unlikeable traits: barge in first and ask questions later.
    
   Fluttershy: A background pony who was basically there to take part of the Flutterguy joke (which is quite hilarious).
    
   Twilight Sparkle: She was the most unlikeable of the six, and it’s this episode where her character took the most damage. I’ll get to this part later.
    
   Apple Bloom: Well, she was in character for the most part… But that ended when she left Applejack for dead in the middle of the Everfree Forest. That was stupid of her at least and criminal at worst. It wasn’t cool and certainly not funny.
    
   But let’s just say they weren’t out of character. The ReMane Five were unlikeable from the moment they showed up, and behaved worse and worse. When Twilight Sparkle slowly and later believed the gossip the ReMane-ing Five spewed despite hammering in the opposition prior, the credibility of her character and word was nullified. Because FIM’s about making (the main) characters likeable, BG’s integrity is shot down. It also doesn’t help when you were supposed to laugh WITH the Mane Six and feel sorry for whatever predicaments they were in once affected by the Poison Joke.
    
   Ironically, the atrocious characterization wasn’t the worst part of BG.
   
2. The moral (along with the storytelling leading up to it) was terribly written.
    
   Firstly, remember what I wrote earlier when I posted TMMDW as the eighth-worst episode:
    

   
   Like Mare Do Well, three others told the moral directly to the audience. All of them have F grades, and two of them are on this list. Equestria Games is one of them. Guess the other.

   This is the “other.” The Mane Six were so stupid and incompetent, Zecora had to tell them to their faces in the final three minutes. To repeat myself, one of the best ways to help people learn is to be involved in the conflict and then use their brain power to work their way out of it. Having the lesson be uttered bluntly to them when they no clue prior is a terrible way to teach. Considering the base demographic, it makes the episode look worse because of how impressionable kids can be. In itself, that’s terrible teaching, and the story talks down to the audience.
    
   Secondly, there’s ZERO subtlety. When the camera showed the audience the Poison Joke in many ways (the close-ups, Zecora’s cryptic rhyme, and the Mane Six blindly crossing it), it was dang obvious they were about to be a major contributor to the plot. You didn’t need the script to “twist” it and tell us it was the Poison Joke’s fault. Because this episode follows the clichéd racism plot of misunderstanding one another, it’s so obvious to the point of painful.
    
   But the lazy storytelling doesn’t end there. The second Spike handed Twilight the library copy of Supernaturals, it was quite obvious what the moral was going to be: Don’t Judge the Book By Its Cover. This is where AKR’s hideous writing of Twilight bites her hard on the ass: When the supposedly intelligent unicorn blatantly shoos the cover and shortened title, TS becomes a complete moron and makes the viewer suspicious that she might believe the gossip.
    
   Yeah, one of the biggest things to note when critiquing stories is to not judge the destination, but the journey. But if the journey is so obvious, DHX is treating the audience like idiots, especially children and newcomers of all ages. You rob the episode of tension and make the whole conflict both anticlimactic and contrived whenever the writing becomes so predictable. This is the very first episode to follow such an academically hurtful method of learning, and four others followed it, two of them — Equestria Games, MDW — on this list. (The others, Spike at Your Service and Somepony to Watch Over Me, didn’t qualify.)
   
3. Typically, predictability hurts the episode when it’s this down to the letter, but when there is very sensitive subject like racism, you must show better care for the storytelling.
    
   Because of its sensitivity, it’s VERY important to show and not tell. It’s ESPECIALLY important when you’re addressing racism for a product whose base demographic is children (who typically have their guardians watching beside them). There’s so much exposition and the moral’s so forced, its validity of its sensitivity is reduced, if not moot. Season one had a lot of blunt exposition in its crappy episodes. Bridle Gossip is the worst of the worst here, expositing as much as possible and keeping its storytelling of it safe, altogether cheapening the quality of the story.
   
4. The subject of racism was used as a cheap gimmick for the moral. Whether anyone likes it or not, Bridle Gossip’s biggest theme is critiquing the dangers of racism. Back when I read the history of the fandom, BG was one of its first controversies. After observing the episode critically, there’s a very good reason why.
    
   Worldwide, racism has a very long, complicated, gory history. Europe’s history of tolerating racism has been on the news for decades now, especially when the racists boast their bigotry in soccer stadiums. Although the voice against the racism has gotten louder, it hasn’t dissipated thanks to its tolerance.
    
   North America is no exception. Christopher Columbus and his settlers slaughtered thousands of Native Americans and committed genocide. Needless to say, Christopher Columbus’s crimes are equal to that of Hitler’s; and the fact there’s a holiday under his name is both embarrassing and disgusting! Racism hasn’t gone away despite long, winding roads to equality, and the racism is much less overt now. If you want to know what I mean, check the Voting ID laws, redistricting of voting territories in states like Florida, and why there’s such an outcry against them.
    
   When anyone becomes racist, it’s because they hate the other race(s), not because they’re afraid of them. Bridle Gossip oversimplifies its long and complicated history to shunning Zecora because she’s scary. In other words, it follows the old tale of white folk (the ponies) shunning the black folk (Zecora) out of fright. Because the conclusion of the episode revolves around a misunderstanding and learning to not be afraid of difference, this parallel absolves the white folk (ponies) of being at fault for their racism towards the black folk (Zecora) and makes the subject — and episode’s conflict — extremely hollow. When the episode delivers a one-size-fit-all conclusion to racism, the episode becomes very deceptive and lies to the audience in the process.
   

Because of the subject matter, you need to handle it VERY carefully. If you’re tackling racism, tackle it head on and do it well without tagging a moral that can complicate things. Bridle Gossip really screws up this subject, thus making it not just the worst episode in season one, but also the second-worst in the entire show.

Second-best: Sisterhooves Social

Whenever an FIM episode gets an A+, it must do about everything right. The writing. The sound. The voice acting. The production. The comedy (if applicable). The implications. The payoff. EVERYthing! Little to no huge hiccups ought to break the immersion of the episode. Only two episodes earned this grade. Sisterhooves Social is one of them.

One very common cliché in entertainment today is portraying siblings as rivals if not enemies in their episodes. Why that’s the case? I don’t know. Perhaps because shows like Dexter’s Laboratory used the sibling rivalry trope to their advantage, and other shows tend to copy it. But that’s just assuming, so don’t quote me on that. Sisterhooves Social — the best episode of season two — bucks the trend and portrays it realistically.

And this is where it succeeds. The portrayal of siblings isn’t clichéd in the slightest. In fact, it spits the cliché in the face. Sweetie Belle’s and Rarity’s personalities are fantastic and human. Unlike Toils, there’s an actual excuse for Sweetie to stay in Rarity’s house: Their parents will be away, so Rarity’s responsible for taking care of SB while they’re gone.

(BTW, on a headcanon level, you can tell their parents hugely influence Rarity’s goals, as they’re very casual.)

The conflict is extremely real. You can tell how much Sweetie Belle and Rarity care for each other, but because they see and think so differently, there’s plenty of friction. Sweetie Belle does whatever she can to help Rarity, but when she does, it always goes wrong, so Rarity sees her help as a nuisance.

It has some of the best instances of “show” in season two, particularly when Sweetie Belle had enough of Rarity’s criticisms. In a few seconds, an array of emotions was spilled to the audience, adding layers of depth to her character. Those little extras carried through for the rest of ShS.

When analyzing season one, one of its biggest weaknesses was not giving the Cutie Mark Crusaders much personality beyond the archetypes. Season two really explored their characters (although Scootaloo didn’t have her moment until Sleepless), and Sweetie’s is the one to really be developed. You can see, hear, and feel her way of thinking.

How she wants to help.

How hurt she felt when Rarity gets upset with her.

How she wants Rarity to join the Social.

How thoroughly bitter and angry she was when Rarity bashed the Social.

How much Sweetie just wants Rarity to be a sister and have a great time being with Rarity.

It’s also Rarity’s best episode, but in a way that eventually showed her to not be in a completely positive light. Was she right to be upset? Yes. But that doesn’t excuse her actions. The episode doesn’t excuse Rarity’s behavior (which was in character), and Morrow’s narrative punishes her in each corner. After Sweetie sees AJ and Apple Bloom team up, Rarity gets hit with the karma stick. It’s one of the few episodes in this series where the most obvious story contrivances helped the story rather than hurt it.

What’s even better is how it tells the audience saying sorry isn’t always good enough. Episodes like Suited for Success demonstrated this really well when the ReMane-ing Five had to prove their remorse by finishing Rarity’s Gala dress, teaming up with Opal to lure Rarity out of the Carousel Boutique, and bringing back fashion critic Hoity Toity. Sisterhooves Social is another when Sweetie Belle dismissed the remorseful Rarity. In real life, anger and injured emotions don't subside simply by saying sorry. SB wanted her to know she was still furious with her and never to pull hurtful shit like that again. Through the context of the episode, Rarity was punished, and the punishment fit the crime.

The perfect way to heal the wounds was to disguise as Applejack — with AJ's help — for the Social. They didn't win, but they got something more important: a closer bond and fantastic, in-character character development for each. Sweetie Belle and Rarity re-bonded, and the episode ended.

Sweetie had every reason to be mad at Rarity, and Rarity deserved the consequences she received for her attitude. But none of it approached out of characterization or unlikability. It was realistic and beautifully executed, and both became better characters as a result.

Despite being a secondary character, ShS is also the best episode starring Applejack. Like what Batbrony said in his review, she’s the perfect role model for Rarity as far as being a good older sister is concerned. Obviously, both of them grew since Look Before You Sleep, and their similarities and differences bounce on one another. Despite being rather quirky, the “apple pie formula” metaphor is one joke that really works because it cleverly simplifies how being a sister is about both trial and error and giving and taking rather than peering through tunnel vision. Applejack gave Rarity the necessary clues to learning her lesson, and Rarity used it in practice by selflessly disguising herself as a dirty Applejack to complete the race.

If there’s one really noticeable flaw, it’s how the change in eye color never got a mention. Applejack’s eyes are green; Rarity’s are blue. Sweetie never identified Rarity at all by that, only her horn and cutie mark. While it’s very possible for a horse to hold his or her breath for some time, I’m not sure Morrow, Renzetti, or anyone truly researched it. If there were either technology enough for Rarity to wear green contacts or Sweetie lampshading it via an explanation such as being in a competitive mood to not realize it sooner, then it would’ve cleared it.

Nevertheless, the rest of the episode holds so well, it doesn’t actually matter. In what is the first episode to not star Twilight, it’s also the best season two episode (and the best one Morrow wrote). There aren’t many jokes, instead focusing on the emotional tug between Rarity and Sweetie Belle. That direction really strengthened Sisterhooves Social and enforced Morrow’s capability to capture the feels of a scene.

Well, that’s all for numbers two through ten. I called out the episodes that were both the best as well as the worst, what makes them qualify for those spots, and why they’re placed where they are.

The number-one best episode is not a long shot; you pretty much know what it is. You just don’t know why.

The number-one worst episode? If you followed my comments on here and Equestria Daily, you have a clue why. If not, you’ll know by now.

So to begin on a sour note, the worst episode of the show!

Worst: One Bad Apple

Cindy Morrow, the same writer who wrote some of the best episodes in season two (including Sisterhooves Social), doesn’t exactly have a very good track record. Three of her episodes are on the worst list. Owl’s Well and Putting Your Hoof Down (which she didn't write) are arguably horrible equally, and you can flip-flop them at a dime…something I did while writing this list.

But OBA is the worst of them all, and it’s a shame because there’s so much potential.

So what did it do correctly?

1. “Babs Seed.” The song, not the character. Possibly the best song in season three.
   
2. Many funny references, including A-Team and Dr. Who.
   
3. As “Babs Seed” played in the background, Babs Seed, DT, and SS stalk the CMCs, who want nothing to do with Babs. This is one correct way to show the consequences of bullying.
   
4. The CMCs are in character.
   

But that’s where it ends. This episode goes beyond a train wreck. It’s one so horrendous, it needs to be put back on the drawing board, revised, and republished with a much better approach to bullying. Some idiots believe the pre-censored Derpy is offensive when it really isn’t, but OBA is objectively way more offensive than the pre-edited version of The Last Roundup.

So…what went wrong?

1. It’s also the main reason why Flight to the Finish isn’t on either list: Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon are flanderized as flat, one-dimensional bullies, nullifying the character growth from past seasons. If you’re going to make the context convincing, don’t hammer in caricatures to get the message across. It cheapens the whole presentation and risks becoming insulting.
   
2. Applejack and the rest of the Apple family are incompetent because the bullying resulted in AB sleeping on the floor. To have Apple Bloom sleep on an unkempt pile of hay in the far corner of the room instead of next to it with only a magazine or newspaper to cover herself would raise eyebrows to anyone, much less her peers. They know Apple Bloom very well and wouldn’t ignore peculiar situations surrounding her for no good reason. Chances are they could've shown up at some point to see how both of them were doing in Apple Bloom’s room, and in the morning interrogate them. If not, they would’ve shown up in her room when they’re not home, witness the chaos, and then converse with them.
    
   If any one of Apple Bloom’s guardians had a Celestia-given brain, they would’ve investigated the matter immediately. Does it mean they’ll find anything? No. But not getting involved is irresponsible of them and really hurts the Apple elders’ credibility, especially Applejack, whom AB’s so close with. To say it’s out of character of them is a gross understatement.
   
3. The pace in itself is sloppy, going way too fast. Take the time to address the issue of bullying. Don’t rush it to finish the plot.
   
4. Pinkie Pie’s characterization is painful, and she was only there for a couple of minutes. Blatantly ignoring the CMCs’ urgency and then crying out, “VEGGIE SALAD”!? Really?
   
5. Babs Seed is a flat dud. With no personality beyond being a bully as a response to being bullied, she’s as much of a vehicle as the out-of-character Disasterly Duo. Her shown motive by glancing at them and the CMCs before joining them isn’t convincing because she becomes a bully way too quickly. There’s no true conflict. Morrow and the rest of DHX tell the audience there is one without proving it.
    
   Throughout, Babs retains a very sadistic smirk. In fact, a moment midway shows Babs remaining self-conscious despite bullying the Cutie Mark Crusaders, but it doesn’t work at all. For the majority of OBA, she retains a smug smile like duct tape plastered on a racecar. Another episode where facial expressions influence an episode, Sisterhooves Social, really contrasts Babs’s for one big reason.
    
   In one of SS’s scenes where Sweetie Belle goes through multiple expressions, they accentuated the scene’s already tense mood and made the dialogue much more powerful. In a few short seconds, Sweetie’s pain over Rarity’s yelling cycled itself.
    
   One Bad Apple relied on Babs’s smirk throughout. By haphazardly switching it up into being an “I’m-regretful” bully, she looks eviler instead.
   
6. Far too often, the script excuses Babs’s bullying. Using a lazy writing technique by having Babs hide her bare flank is one.
    

   
   Applejack: Well, I didn’t say nothin’ ‘cause I didn’t want her to feel singled out, but there’s been some bullies back in Manehattan just been teasin’ her to pieces for her blank flank.

   The script scapegoats Babs’s physical sadism on her situation back in Manehattan. Well, that’s no excuse. If anything, her actions only look WORSE, since Babs knows how being bullied affects her and wants other innocents to feel it, too. Instead of solving the problem, she contributes to the problem.
    
   Plus, what Applejack said above emphasizes how incompetent she was in the episode. Because the only reason Babs is in Ponyville is to get away from the bullying, it would've been very important for Applejack to tell Apple Bloom, Sweetie, and Scootaloo about it. Basically, watch what they do and say around her because the bullying may’ve hurt her psyche. Make her feel welcome and not uneasy. After all, if she didn’t tell them ahead of time, then One Bad Apple’s original script collapses.
    

   
   Scootaloo: So that’s why she jumped in when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon started giving us a hard time.
    
   Apple Bloom: She didn’t want to be bullied like at home, so she decided to be a bully instead!
    
   Sweetie Belle: And now we’ve turned into bullies too!
    
   Cutie Mark Crusaders: What do we do?!

   
   Apple Bloom: Y'see Babs, we were tryin' to get you back for bein' a big bully...
    
   Scootaloo: But then Applejack told us about how you were being bullied back in Manehattan.
    
   Sweetie Belle: And we figured out you were just doing it to avoid getting picked on in Ponyville. But, by then... we were the ones being bullies. And... Oh, why does life have to be so ironic?!

   In both exchanges, the Cutie Mark Crusaders excused Babs’s bullying. They didn’t want to tell Applejack because they feared to be tattletales (despite Sweetie suggesting multiple times), which is understandable. Her pushing them around all week ate them up. Feeling they had nowhere to go, they wanted to fight back because they were absolutely sick and tired of it. So they decided to defend themselves without thinking ahead.
    
   Now, the method the CMCs chose — how they fought back — wasn’t correct. But there’s a difference between explaining and justifying those actions. The booby-trapping wasn’t an excuse, but they had a good reason to defend themselves against Babs and tell her to not bully them ever again. The lack of justification was the method. There’s a really big difference between a previously bullied kid bullying innocent kids and the bullied kid taking a stand against their tormentor in response to being constantly stalked, harassed, and assaulted up to this point.
    
   One Bad Apple falls for the cliché of “defending yourself and fighting back against a bully turns you into a bully.” Even worse is how the cliché is played straight. Morrow’s writing is thoroughly lazy in this episode, and she doesn’t hide its laziness and disregard for plausibility.
    
   There are many episodes where characters don't suffer adequate consequences for very poor behavior. One Bad Apple is one of them. Babs Seed tormented the Cutie Mark Crusaders by wrecking their float, having them run away each time, stalking them throughout town, physically assaulting them, evicting Apple Bloom from her bed, controlling the clubhouse, and forcing them to hide out in Sweetie Belle's house. Pretty much all of it without the one-dimensional Disasterly Duo aiding her. While she got the scare of her life via the tampered float, it's downright asinine to say Babs shouldn’t have been punished as a result. She landed the best possible outcome everywhere she went, while the CMCs were left worse for wear. It’s an episode where she definitely needed to be punished, but she didn’t.
   
7. The two biggest morals are also the worst in the entire show because they’re not just wrong, but also dangerous.
    
   The secondary moral is already what I described: The CMCs said that because they wanted to take a stand against a bully and prove they’re not afraid, they were being bullies, too. Sometimes you must fight back because sometimes fleeing doesn’t save you from injury or death. For example, if an armed bully puts a kid in a corner, what the moral is saying that by fighting back, you’re as big a bully as the armed bully. If you see an armed bully, then you should tell an adult…but if an armed bully is attacking you, then you may need to fight.
    
   So what if the kid must fight? What if the bully brandishes a weapon like a knife, gun, screwdriver, mace, or closed fist? Well, because his well-being and life are on the line, he may have no choice but to fight. But wait! The secondary moral says, “If you defend yourself against a violent bully, you're just as bad him.” So, out of embarrassment and shame, this'll make some him not want to fight the bully; if and when he does, he’ll feel incredibly guilty because the episode explicitly states it’s a bad idea. Anyone who comprehends the implications of bullying and has done whatever they can to curb it (including standing up to him so he doesn’t hurt you again) should feel disgusted that this moral, much less its implications, exists.
    
   As for the main moral?
    

   
   Applejack: Y’know, this all could’ve been avoided if y’all just came to me in the very beginning.

   Pay attention to the bold. What Applejack (and the script) said is, “Come to an adult, and your bullying problem will permanently go away. You won’t have to worry about him or her bullying you anymore.”
    
   One big problem: Applejack was INCOMPETENT! How could you solve the situation when she does nothing to curb Babs’s assault? Do I need to beat the dead background pony once more?
    
   It gets worse: One Bad Apple paints the egregious lie about how there’s one definite solution to all your bullying problems to children and parents of. Yes, telling a grownup is the first thing to do when bullied, but bullying and drama thereof almost never end there. Like a person’s fingerprint, no two situations of bullying are ever the same, and none of them are solved identically. Even if telling a grownup about being bullied does solve it, you could have your friends and other adults shun you or perhaps become just as bad as the bullies if they side with the bully instead of the bullied.
    
   There’s no extreme case of bullying, either. So many stories of people who have or had suffered from the effects of bullying are out there, and the adults in their lives couldn’t or wouldn’t do anything to curb the problem. Hell, some have been driven to suicide due to their peers being unable or doing nothing to stop the bullies.
   
8. If you want to disguise the dangerous moral as effective, then have Applejack tell off Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon for insulting the Cutie Mark Crusaders right in front of her. Instead, she just stares them down angrily while Babs protests herself.
   

Bullying is a very complex issue, and what helps makes this episode so vile is how kids (and parents) are told otherwise. One Bad Apple deserves to be bashed and censored because the concept is contrived, lackadaisical, and alarming. Morrow tells a very flawed, convenient, and transparent narrative with extremely broken logic and morals. It’s an insult to the bullied and bullycide victims out there.

If you want to communicate the subject of bullying, research it and then show it while treating your audience (and its complexities) with respect. OBA spits in the face of the bullied and families of those who killed themselves from bullycide. This is a tricky subject, and OBA factually fails! Miserably!

What’s very unfortunate is this was Morrow’s first aired episode since Hurricane Fluttershy, which also dealt with the consequences of bullying (and a factually great episode, unlike this piece of garbage). Unlike OBA, HF showed how dangerous they can be: The fillies’ constant taunting broke her psyche and gave her stage fright. Fluttershy’s shyness evolves into something much deeper, and she worked hard to confront those demons and helped the pegasi create the tornado.

So with all that anger out of the way, without much fanfare, here is the best episode of FIM!

Best: The Best Night Ever

To repeat what I said before, in order for an episode to achieve the highest grade I can offer, it must be so well executed. Sisterhooves Social is one of two to earn the A+. This is the other.

So before I explain why, let’s bring up the one main flaw of this episode: It doesn’t feel like a definitive season finale. As the script told the story, it felt like it wanted to tell more. When the credits rolled, it makes the audience want more. And that’s true, ’cause season two’s opener, The Return of Harmony, was supposed to be the season one finale, only to be pushed back. But that doesn’t truly affect TBNE to such a degree, and it’s so miniscule, you can overlook it.

Aside from that, everything went right!

1. Of all the writers FIM has or had, the one who can really pen the best pacing is Merriwether Williams. No matter how good, average, bad, or terrible the episode can be, the pacing will usually be in the “strengths” portion of the sandwich.
    
   As far as individual episodes are concerned, TBNE has the best pacing of them all. Each sequence is appropriately timed and flows from one scene to another flawlessly. If you take a look at another ensemble episode later in the series, Trade Ya!, there’s much more focus on the FlutterDash dynamic than TwiPie and Rarijack combined. TBNE gave each of the Mane Six enough screentime to see their dreams prepare to come true, only to get crushed because they got something else in return.
    
   In short, this episode has by far the most solid plot, and its impeccable pacing is one key reason why.
   
2. Each of the characters reacted very well and were all both in character and likable entirely. The setting was pretty obvious.
    
   Spike’s wish to be with Twilight and the others.
    
   Twilight’s desire to be with Celestia (as a big Twilestia brony, TBNE is ship bait for me ).
    
   Rainbow Dash breaking away from her tomcolt façade whenever she sees the Wonderbolts.
    
   Applejack’s cart of apples in order to help Granny Smith (now where did that canon bit go after this? >__>).
    
   Pinkie’s desire to make others happy by recreating the party.
    
   Rarity finding Prince Blueblood Douche (I’ll get to him later).
    
   Fluttershy wanting to spend quality time with the animals at the Canterlot mall.
    
   As you watched the episode, you had a feeling things were going to go wrong. Why? Early in the episode, there were three hilarious subversions: the Cinderella parody, Applejack telling Rarity none of the mares wore clothes, and Spike being left behind after At the Gala. The only question was when. At first, things went well, but that changed when the atmosphere started to become very ironic and expectations slowly crashed down. As the Mane Six try to resurrect their dream for the best night ever, their nightmares worsened.
    
   Their crushed dreams weren’t rushed, either. Each scene took enough time to flow and establish the conflict. It wasn’t exposited to the audience. AKR, Faust, and crew took their twenty-minute running time and ran with it! The audience saw their dreams “come true” in one scene and later devolve little by little into a hilarious nightmare.
   
3. Canterlot’s castle received a lot of worldbuilding. Like Sweet & Elite in season two, the episode expanded the formal approach to the Gala. The elite from various populations in Equestria rendezvoused to the annual event. Like Ponyville, it’s very social, but very upper class with severe expectations to behave professionally.
    
   The Mane Six in Ponyville come from another setting. Sure, Twilight and Spike relocated from Canterlot to Ponyville, but they spent one season learning lessons up to this point, and they adapted to Ponyville’s way of life. Unlike S&E, the collective elite aren’t treated as one-dimensional stereotypes, but rather ponies who wish to have as much a good time as anypony else. The only difference is they know what to expect out of the Gala, unlike the Mane Six.
   
4. You can’t make an episode the best of them all without some really great production, and one of them is the sound. Will Anderson was in top form. Each score he orchestrated fits the scenes so well. You saw the dreams start, and the score reflected that. You saw the dreams wear off, and the score reflected that. DHX cooperated with each segment, and there was a hell of a lot of effort to get it all done correctly.
    
   Along with the sound are the songs. The big one, At the Gala, reflects the Mane Six’s ambitions for the best night ever, hence the episode title. Stephen Sondeim’s Ever After clearly inspired Ingram and Steffan Andrews to orchestrate the song and foreshadow the clever irony that commenced the second it concluded, and AKR’s genius lyrics helped formulate the conflict.
    
   On its own, At the Gala is a work of art and one of the best songs in season one. Not once did the meters clash with the music. Each flowed to the next. The presentation of both the song and choreography was very, very solid. You got the fantastic animation presenting the grandiose realization of the Gala, and everypony else responded in kind. Despite the Mane Six being the prominent singers, the background stallions and mares shared their roles equally by anchoring their own dreams and emphasizing the Mane Six’s. More cleverly, the transitions to introduce each Mane Six are creative and represent each character’s archetypes. The most prominent are Rarity’s (the raising of the horns as if becoming a future princess) and Twilight’s (Celestia cloud-hopping to create a star arch, a clear reference to the modern Walt Disney Pictures intro).
   
5. Over the season, the animation improved. To repeat from earlier, it initially looked pretty decent with some questionable utilization and lack of polish. But the last half refined the animation much better with less glitches and better cooperation with the script (the lone exception Owl’s Well, which fails for its terrible writing more than anything).
    
   This episode’s animation is among the best in the entire show and easily competes with the likes of seasons three and four. With the exception being the constant reusing of character puppets to fill in space, to say it’s well done is an understatement. The mechanics are polished. The scenery is pornographic. The atmosphere correlates perfectly with how each character moves, acts, and responds. On a technical level, it’s among the best in the entire series.
   
6. The comedy is phenomenal, and each joke works SO well. And it’s especially great when it subverts antifeminist tropes.
    
   The mousey horses? Hilariously ugly, and it works depending on whom. The characters find it uglier than us. Someone finds it uglier than the characters. Or both the audience and the characters find them equally ugly.
    
   Opal clawing the mice? You knew this was coming. And what helped was how much it foreshadowed the tumult at the Gala.
    
   The plausible, yet exaggerated wishes from the Mane Six during At the Gala? A more hidden piece of comedy and not entirely one to laugh, but it’s a contextual joke that fits. Especially when they leave Spike behind.
    
   But the best jokes come during the Gala and when they feel miserable. Fluttershy has an awesome angry face, and her Wizard of Oz reference and evil laugh work brilliantly. Pinkie’s Hokey Pokey parody is so Pinkie and magificent both narratively and on its own.
    
   Of course, there’s the star “couple” of Rarity and Prince Blueblood. The supposed Prince Charming is actually a vain jerk, and his behavior around Rarity is so over the top, it’s funny. It’s even funnier when Rarity tolerates it and only gets angrier and angrier during the episode.
    
   Lastly, who can forget these moments?
    
   
   
    
   
   
   
7. When you analyze all four season finales, The Best Night Ever is the tamest. There’s no emergency, real-life danger, bombastic brawls with so much at stake, or end-of-the-world plot. FIM was supposed to follow the original G1’s roots and contain adventure-centric plots, but Hasbro altered it to slice of life (similar to G3). Magical Mystery Cure is slice of life, too, but has the feel of an epic plot, only to be squished down into a rushed self-container.
    
   The Best Night Ever stays true to the slice of life foundation that made so many other S1 episodes memorable. It’s not epic, but it doesn’t try to be. It makes you think it’ll be epic, but it’s quelled bluntly and hilariously by satirizing the classic fairytales that plagued feminine products. TBNE plays along with those expectations to its advantage and brings the audience along with the ride by making the whole setting explicitly character-driven.
    
   One of the show’s biggest problems is how the premieres and finales shifted from Friendship Is Magic to Twilight Is Magic. There’s more to FIM than Twilight. The others matter just as much as Twilight, and each person has varying opinions of the characters. One big reason why some bronies really despise Magical Mystery Cure (and one big reason why it’s a bad episode regardless of how much any of you enjoy it) is how Twilight’s placed on a much higher pedestal than her friends. The other characters had worked just as hard as her and remained proverbial sidekicks.
    
   Yes, TCE, A Canterlot Wedding, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Twilight’s Kingdom have them doing something. But there’s a very big difference between doing something and DOING SOMETHING! Each of the Mane Six is equal, and one of the biggest subversions of FIM — especially early on — is the context of one character overshadowing others. Episodes/films such as MMC, Twilight’s Kingdom, and Equestria Girls don’t subvert the context of making one character more important than the others. They embrace it, and none of the openers and finales after Return of Harmony masks it, Twilight’s Kingdom being somewhat of an exception.
    
   Unlike the other three finales, this is FIM in its purest form. The concept of Twilight or another of the Mane Six overshadowing the others is spat on. Not once did a character steal another’s spotlight. Each of their conflicts carries equal weight. There’s no pedestal for Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, or whoever. They were all very important, and none of them were above anyone else. This subversion was implicit throughout season one despite Twilight being shoved in to have her write the lesson; TBNE explicitly communicated this memo by its equal amount of time developing the encompassing parodies.
    
   TBNE doesn’t tell you Friendship Is Magic. TBNE IS Friendship Is Magic.
    
   Because it’s so tame, the Mane Six equally share the spotlight, and it doesn’t follow the traditional bombastic roots of openers and finales, TBNE is, to tell you the truth, the boldest of all four finales.
   

My Little Pony has a history, some good, most really terrible. Friendship Is Magic’s challenge is to deliver quality entertainment that not only meets the expectations of good TV, but also surpasses them. To prove there’s more variety for people young and old to watch, namely parents of young girls.

Does it succeed? Absolutely. Like what I wrote to a commentator in one of my more recent rants, as a feminist, this is the most important pro-feminist cartoon since The Powerpuff Girls. Unfortunately, no show is perfect, and some episodes are less polished than others. Many episodes are very good if not great, but many range from bad to awful. DHX has a track record to write great stories, but they can publish as many good ones as possible to improve FIM’s track record and invite more bronies along the ride.

P.S.: If you notice, Equestria Girls (which I hate more than Rainbow Falls and even G3/3.5) isn’t anywhere on this list. I left it off because it’s a movie and not an episode. This list is about episodes only.

But if I did include it, where would I place it in the worst-of list? Honestly, I’m not sure. Because it’s more broken than Rainbow Falls, it’d be fifth at least. Currently, it wouldn’t be any worse than third (below Bridle Gossip and One Bad Apple and above Dragon Quest).

To complete the guessing game, here are the lists, starting with the F episodes from worst (One Bad Apple) to best:

1. One Bad Apple
   
2. Bridle Gossip
   
3. Dragon Quest
   
4. The Crystal Empire
   
5. Rainbow Falls
   
6. Putting Your Hoof Down
   
7. Owl’s Well That Ends Well
   
8. The Mysterious Mare Do Well
   
9. The Show Stoppers
   
10. Equestria Games
    
11. Boast Busters
    
12. Daring Don’t
    
13. May the Best Pet Win!
    
14. Somepony to Watch Over Me
    
15. Games Ponies Play
    
16. Spike at Your Service
    

Finally, the best episodes, starting from The Best Night Ever to the worst A- episode (the A- episodes are in italics):

1. The Best Night Ever
   
2. Sisterhooves Social
   
3. Party of One
   
4. Pinkie Pride
   
5. Testing Testing 1, 2, 3
   
6. Lesson Zero
   
7. Suited for Success
   
8. Sleepless in Ponyville
   
9. For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils
   
10. The Return of Harmony
    
11. The Cutie Mark Chronicles
    
12. Wonderbolts Academy
    
13. Winter Wrap Up