What episodes are the least hated/negatively criticised?

[GuillermoGage 246]

Let's try and think of some episodes that have the smallest negative reputation, ones that are the closest to being unanimously loved:

Here are the ones that I came up with:

The Best Night Ever
Hurricane Fluttershy
Sleepless in Ponyville
Pinkie Pride
For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils

Those episodes have hardly any critics.

There are also some very popular episodes among the fans, such as A Dog and Pony Show, Party of One, Lesson Zero, and Luna Eclipsed, which are basically popular for having crazy or dramatic ponies, but still get neagative criticism for having certain characters being either insensitive, mentally unstable, or incompetent.

It seems that the most untouchable episodes are the ones with relationship issues and dealing with insecurity/ disappointment in oneself.

If it weren't for Twilight being strangely bossed around by Pinkie Pie to keep the secret and maintain the unhealthy misunderstanding between Fluttershy and Rarity... then Green Isn't Your Color could be that kind of emotionally resonant episode as well.

Okay, you people go talk now! 

[Sugar Pea 2,682]

Return Of Harmony. XD

It was a really good two partner, to be frank.

[Megas 27,915]

Suited for Success, which even Lauren Faust considers her favorite episode

[Shanks 10,816]

Return of Harmony two parter

 

Tirek two parter

 

Pinkie Apple Pie

 

Rarity Takes Manehattan

 

Sleepless in Ponyville

[PoisonClaw 8,166]

 I think it goes without saying that any episode that features Luna as a main character is bound to be liked. Luna Eclipsed, Sleepless in Ponyville and For Whom The Sweetie Belle (which still has the best title of any episode yet in my opinion).

 

Dragonshy seems to be a near unanimously liked episode from what I've heard. Many people (myself included) have said that this episode was the point they truly became a fan of the show. Cutie Mark Chronicles is another good one I rarely hear anyone complain about. The two key episodes Rarity Takes Manehattan and Pinkie Pride are also well loved.

 

Two I can't really place though would be the episodes Bats! and Maud Pie. I don't often hear people remark on the episodes themselves, good or bad, but even now you can't throw a stone and not hit a bat pony and a lot of people really seemed to love Maud.  

[Obsidian Sky 14,004]

All Rarity episodes are the most hated because they have Rarity in it. The fandom hates Rarity, so they hate her epsiodes.

[Stellafera 3,836]

 I think it goes without saying that any episode that features Luna as a main character is bound to be liked. Luna Eclipsed, Sleepless in Ponyville and For Whom The Sweetie Belle (which still has the best title of any episode yet in my opinion).

 

Dragonshy seems to be a near unanimously liked episode from what I've heard. 

 

Well, now they aren't universally liked. 

 

I think I literally only saw one person ever dislike Suited for Success and Rarity Takes Manehatten and they were immediately hounded by other bronies. Rares tends to have good ones.

[Hovershy 3,815]

I can think of a few

 

Twilight's Castle

Pinkie Pride

Return of Harmony

Party of One

Luna Eclipsed

Lesson Zero

Mare- Do- Well 

 

[Conred 274]

Return of Harmony and Pinkie Pride seem to be the most praised one

[GuillermoGage 246]

I can think of a few

 

Twilight's Castle

Pinkie Pride

Return of Harmony

Party of One

Luna Eclipsed

Lesson Zero

Mare- Do- Well 

 

 

I think that people don't understand the point of this thread. I am looking for episodes that are utterly devoid of dislike, not episodes that "most of the fandom really liked"

Generally, every single episode with a "crazy pony", while generally popular, still has a sizable amount of critics. Lesson Zero and Party of One are known for people who, after a while, come to the conclusion that the ponies were not only being stupid/irrational/insensitive, or needlessly withholding open communication with other ponies, but that the miscommunication was not even excuseable. Any decent episode of a cartoon or sitcom with a misunderstanding plot at least tries to justifiy the circumstances of how the miscommunication can continue. Episodes such as LZ, POO, and Luna Eclipsed are just a step above superior to Games Ponies Play in that regard.

 

Yes, people adored Luna as a character in LE, and generally regard it as Tabitha St. Germain's best work in her known career, but that doesn't change the fact that it doesn't make any sense that the ponies are still afraid of Princess Luna, when the whole world should know that she was changed back to good quite a while ago.

All Rarity episodes are the most hated because they have Rarity in it. The fandom hates Rarity, so they hate her epsiodes.

Then I guess this fandom is not a fandom. What kind of fandom-as-a-whole hates a main character? That would be like the Hunger Games fandom mostly hating Gale Hawthorne or Peeta Mellark. Rarity is one of my favorite fictional characters, period.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

Sleepless in Ponyville

Actually, I've ripped that one to shreds a few times. I can't stand that episode It's pretty far from universally liked, but it is certainly popular - can't really help but feel that's because of RD and Scootaloo's relationship and the Luna cameo and nothing else. Kind of shallow, if you ask me, because there was a lot of other things wrong with that episode, like mischaracterization and broken continuity, as well as frustratingly sappy dialogue and so many attempts to force feels from the viewer, as well as obnoxious behavior from Scootaloo throughout the majority of the episode, RD totally lacking any empathy or enough intelligence to notice an obviously scared Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle's sudden inability to sing, even though it was implied a few times that it was her talent and what she'd achieve her cutie mark in, Applejack suddenly lacking the common sense and deciding it'd be a good idea to sleep in a dark cave when she's generally level-headed and would likely know the dangers that would pose, and making Rarity a bad enough sister to become an uncaring slave driver all of a sudden.

 

Yeahh, that episode was total bullshit outside of pretty much every part other than Luna or the end, and I don't like how the fandom likes it, but hey, what can I do?

[GuillermoGage 246]

Actually, I've ripped that one to shreds a few times. I can't stand that episode It's pretty far from universally liked, but it is certainly popular - can't really help but feel that's because of RD and Scootaloo's relationship and the Luna cameo and nothing else. Kind of shallow, if you ask me, because there was a lot of other things wrong with that episode, like mischaracterization and broken continuity, as well as frustratingly sappy dialogue and so many attempts to force feels from the viewer, as well as obnoxious behavior from Scootaloo throughout the majority of the episode, RD totally lacking any empathy or enough intelligence to notice an obviously scared Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle's sudden inability to sing, even though it was implied a few times that it was her talent and what she'd achieve her cutie mark in, Applejack suddenly lacking the common sense and deciding it'd be a good idea to sleep in a dark cave when she's generally level-headed and would likely know the dangers that would pose, and making Rarity a bad enough sister to become an uncaring slave driver all of a sudden.

 

Yeahh, that episode was total bullshit outside of pretty much every part other than Luna or the end, and I don't like how the fandom likes it, but hey, what can I do?

... I do admit it that I was kind of pushing this topic by saying that Sleepless in Ponyville did not have it's critics.

 

I think that it is a positive sign that, for some fans, the more they watch this show, the more critical of episodes they become after rewatching them. But generally speaking, this show takes more story risks than a lot of other cartoons intended for the age-appropriateness group. A show that usually has some moral in every episode is bound to have episodes that can be, as you say "torn to shreds".

so, Ghostfacekiller39, I've seen you around before! Are there any episodes, that you can't find any story bullcrap/other sorts of bullcrap in?

 

"Hurricane Fluttershy" and "The Best Night Ever" are, from what I can tell, as untouchably perfect moments in this series as "Band Geeks" is to SpongeBob SquarePants.

[ghostfacekiller39 23,860]

... I do admit it that I was kind of pushing this topic by saying that Sleepless in Ponyville did not have it's critics.

 

I think that it is a positive sign that, for some fans, the more they watch this show, the more critical of episodes they become after rewatching them. But generally speaking, this show takes more story risks than a lot of other cartoons intended for the age-appropriateness group. A show that usually has some moral in every episode is bound to have episodes that can be, as you say "torn to shreds".

so, Ghostfacekiller39, I've seen you around before! Are there any episodes, that you can't find any story bullcrap/other sorts of bullcrap in?

 

"Hurricane Fluttershy" and "The Best Night Ever" are, from what I can tell, as untouchably perfect moments in this series as "Band Geeks" is to SpongeBob SquarePants.

"The Best Night Ever." I'm not overly-critical, and there's only 3 episodes I dislike in the series (and 5 I'm "meh" on - meaning I like every single other episode ) but I gotta say, if I were to nitpick that one with all of my might, I couldn't find anything wrong with it at all. It's a wonderful episode. 

 

A few more great ones are "Magic Duel," "Suited for Success," and "Rarity Takes Manehattan" - those were all met with overwhelming praise, from my experience, and for good reason

 

If I were to try to call everything partially, it'd probably be my favorite - but I gotta admit, I call it mostly based on what matters most to me, and that's whether or not I enjoyed watching it. While Equestria Girls had a lot of flaws, I really liked it and I'd watch it over and over again if I could. Why? Simply because I enjoyed watching it

 

So yeahh. I'm not that picky, as long as I enjoy what I watch. Which is why I despise "Sonic Rainboom," "Sleepless in Ponyville," and "The Cutie Mark Chronicles" - I just didn't enjoy watching them.

[Guest90210 3,569]

Pinkie Pride and Hurricane Fluttershy are the most liked MLP episodes, from what I've seen.

[Jammo 986]

Mysterious Mare-do-well

Feeling Pinkie Keen

Owl's Well and Ends Well

Spike at your Service

Putting your Hoof Down

Somepony to Watch Over Me

It's not Easy being Breezies

[hip-indeed 304]

Wouldn't a better title for this thread be "which episodes are the most universally adored" or something?  But alas...

 

Off the top of my head, the episodes people seem to have the most good to say about and the last bad to say about in the history of the fandom would be something like;

 

 - Dragonshy

 - Sonic Rainboom

 - Winter Wrap-Up

 - Suited for Success

 - Cutie Mark Chronicles

 - Party of One

 - Best Night Ever (if you ignore some flak it got when it was brand new for not being as 'epic a finale to the season' as people wanted)

 - Lesson Zero

 - Luna Eclipsed (though going back and watching it recently, I feel most of the reason was the hype and satisfaction for what they did with the Luna character: I feel it's not one of the series' strongest eps, but it's still almost never criticised)

 - Read It and Weep

 - Sleepless in Ponyville (prooobably the least-controversial ep in Season 3?)

 - Just for Sidekicks (not a super popular/beloved ep, but people sing its praises a lot as the best Spike ep, best use of the pets and showcase of Corey Powell's writing potential)

 - Pinkie Pride

 - Maud Pie (somewhat surprisingly)

 - Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

 

Then you have the season premieres/finales, which are at once some of the most beloved and popular but also by far the most harshly criticized episodes.  I wish I could say "Friendship is Magic" parts 1 and 2 could be on this list, as they were so well-done and did their duty wonderfully, but there's ALWAYS been loads of arguing over how it could have been done better or even how the whole series could have been better if various things had been different.  All the rest of them are pretty equal, though I'd say Canterlot Wedding and Twilight's Kingdom are the least-criticized while both Season 3's opener and especially closer are the most-criticized.

 

A lot of people seem to be saying Hurricane Fluttershy but I'm not sure.  I've seen some criticism for it portraying Dash as too jerkish and bullheaded (as almost any ep with in which she's been like that at all has been) despite the fact she grows to understand Fluttershy's issues more by the end of the ep; I've seen some criticism for it displaying Fluttershy as TOO weak or incorrectly portraying social anxiety, though as someone WITH social anxiety I think it's displayed about as perfectly as it ever has been in any fictional medium, ever; and I've seen it criticized for portraying Spitfire as a horrible jerk as opposed to her cooler, more laid back and nice enough-seeming self in Best Night Ever... which I think is a very valid complaint, as well as in other eps with her since, though she's really such a small part of the ep it doesn't matter much.

Edited July 28, 2014 by hip-indeed

[PonyWaifu 559]

All Rarity episodes are the most hated because they have Rarity in it. The fandom hates Rarity, so they hate her epsiodes.

Yet they leave applejack out of all the merchandise 

[ggg-2 3,553]

I've heard Twilight's Kingdom be called the series' magnum opus.

[Tigerpop198 696]

The season 4 finale. It seems that a lot of people like it.(Except me)

[GuillermoGage 246]

 

Wouldn't a better title for this thread be "which episodes are the most universally adored" or something?

People would probably just think of "universally" as a word for "very", instead of thinking it as closest percentage to pure approval, unamimous adoration from those who have seen it.

So nope. The original Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz are examples of the most "adored" movies of all time, but there are definitely people who dislike those movies.

An example of a movie that is the "least hated/least criticized" that a sizable world population has actually seen, could be something like the original Toy Story. Much smaller fanbase, but a much smaller amount of people who have seen it and thought "this was not worth my time".

 

So, basically, I guess I am asking about the "safest" episodes. Maybe that is what I am looking for? Then again, if this show was nothing but "safe" episodes set in Ponyville such as Green Isn't Your Color, The Ticket Master, Applebuck Season, and Owl's Well That End's Well, then this show would not be as profitable with either the "little girl" demographic or Brony demographic. I'm okay with some world-building episodes and stuff.

Off the top of my head, the episodes people seem to have the most good to say about and the last bad to say about in the history of the fandom would be something like;

 

 - Dragonshy

 - Sonic Rainboom - Rarity's vanity is a little too creepy

 - Winter Wrap-Up

 - Suited for Success

 - Cutie Mark Chronicles

 - Party of One - Pinkie going crazy is too messed up and not nuanced 

 - Best Night Ever

 - Lesson Zero - something something Twilight Sparkle holding Idiot Ball and her friends having poor communication

 - Luna Eclipsed Ponyville not realizing that Luna is reformed doesn't make sense, lack of Rarity.

 - Read It and Weep

 - Sleepless in Ponyville - see Ghostfacekiller's criticism of it.

 - Just for Sidekicks - Spike douchebaggery, moral suggests you can potentially get away with selfishness and not fulfilling promises with basically only you losing what you gained initially, resulting in little to no net loss or foul.

 - Pinkie Pride

 - Maud Pie - some people are like "I don't get what the moral/point of the episode is supposed to be"

 - Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 - some fans very much disagree with the moral to a similar level as Feeling Pinkie Keen.

I've bolded some episodes and added some criticism I've heard of. But I don't really feel dislike for any of those episodes myself. Altho I would be okay with missing out on additional viewings of "Just for Sidekicks", "Lesson Zero", and "Party of One", since I (and a lot of us) have rewatched those episodes plenty of times.

This reminds me, I should investigate the most "rewatchable" episodes.

 

I tried to list only the more obvious criticisms, not ones that you have to dig really deep to find people with those sentiments.

... hmmm, so maybe I should not include Sleepless in Ponyville... since Ghostfacekiller39's opinion is an example of a more hardcore fan digging deep.

[hip-indeed 304]

 

stuff

 

I actually agree with the criticisms you listed, but the thing is I haven't personally seen them much in my experience.  I'm thinking of criticism when the episodes first aired, as I tend to go even to /co/ (later /mlp/) after many eps, even though I don't really like the place so much anymore, just because those guys tend to be some of the most harshly critical and I'm curious as to if an ep I just blindly loved due to hype really had flaws or not that I won't be able to see for at least a week or two later and another viewing, lol.  These are some eps I can think of where they hardly had any criticisms even at such places.  I'm of course also considering every other place I've gone (not too many since the season 1 era except recently here), comments I've seen various places and personal discussions with friends.  So I might not be the beeeest person who knows feelings on the eps but I think I know a thing or two about them.

 

Seriously though, I can think of hardly anyone who actually says that about Party of One (Even though it is certainly a valid criticism); I've never heard of anyone criticize Lesson Zero like that; I love Ghost but his post in this thread was silly, the point at which he listed Magic Duel as a non-criticized ep was completely bonkers, it's without a doubt one of the MOST criticized eps EVERYWHERE due to overwhelming pandering and weirdness (though the ep is a big guilty pleasure of mine and many fans do love it regardless); do people ACTUALLY complain about an ep not having a good moral?  I do love that so many eps of ponies teach truly good life lessons / things to think about even for mature adults, but I've not seen anyone actually complain about the moral of an ep since waaaay back in Season 1's Feeling Pinkie Keen since the show was brand new, still squeaky-clean with that EI logo, and the episode had a very divisive moral.  I always thought it was more 'let your friends believe in magic/superstition if they want and don't be an ass" which is a good moral, but that's a discussion for another thread.  And why do people think Testing's lesson is bad?  It's literally "some people study better using unorthodox methods of studying".  Which is really great for kids to know, especially kids who have trouble learning the 'usual' way but shouldn't be given up on.

 

For safest eps though take that same list and remove the eps you bolded, except keep Sleepless and Testing.  There's a bunch more I could add that are "very good and very safe"; basically all of Season 1 except Pinkie Keen (even if that's an excellent ep), Dog and Pony Show, Bird in the Hoof, Owl's Well and maybe the Trixie, Gilda and Zecora eps (though they're all great and Bridle Gossip is one of my all time favorites..); A lot of Season 2 except mare-do-well, babycakes and maybe Hearts/Hooves and Dragon Quest....... sadly probably nothing in s3...and for s4... hmm... i loves the season but a lot of people have crazy criticism for almost every ep in it except the ones we already talked about or they'd otherwise not be 'safe' eps... and of course no season openers/closers past s1.  And of course that all ignores the eps already given a 'yes' or 'no' in the aforementioned list.

[Pastel 7,630]

Actually I don't think Pinkie Pride is one of them. I've seen some negative reviews about it. (including mine, I didn't like it the first time I watched it...)