Lauren Faust leaving is the best thing that could have happened to the show

[TheAnimatorOfficial 566]

Alright, hear me out. Faust is good for setup and ideas, but I'm sorry, she sucks ass at writing. I can tell a huge difference in the screenwriting from Season 1 up until season 5. When she was still working on the show, the whole thing, while a good start, felt VERY cliched and not very well paced. I was a hater of the show after seeing the first three or four episodes. Also she wouldn't really go outside of her comfort zone. I remember reading that a good chunk of the team wanted to make the "Round-Up" episode (forgot the exact name) about Applejack and Rarity raising a foreign child but Faust and like one other wanted to do the whole competition thing instead, which resulted in a fairly mediocre episode.

 

Since Faust left, MLP has finally taken on its own identity as Lord of the Rings for kids combined with SpongeBob, but still with a MLP twist. The writing is a LOT more clever, the jokes hit harder, and the themes are more relatable and grown up (NOT ADULT, but not saccharine either like season 1). It retains its suitability for its original target audinece but is highly intriguing at the same time.

 

I doubt we would have gotten episodes like "Tanks for the Memories" or "Sleepless in Ponyville" had the S1 crew still been around.

 

Quite honestly I would have LOVED for Faust's husband Craig McCraken to take on FIM instead had he not been busy with Wander over Yonder.

 

Just my 2¢.

[Yufery 205]

I personally adored S1 and 2, I thought they were 10/10 all throughout. However I do agree that the show did improve in quality from S3 onwards.

 

In my eyes, each season, while I consider them all to be near perfect, is a step up in quality. I don't really consider any season worse than another, though, if that makes sense. Mostly because that implies a lack of quality, which I feel each season more than delivers on.

 

One thing is for sure, the show got to try a lot more things in the later seasons than it did in previous ones, so while I do love what Faust did with the first couple seasons, I don't think she would've allowed the writers to expand too much beyond what they did. In fact, didn't she want to end the show after 3 seasons? Even more reason I'm glad she left, heh.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Yufery

[twiia 1,842]

I liked the show better after Faust left, but Season 1 and 2 were still great.

[TheAnimatorOfficial 566]

I personally adored S1 and 2, I thought they were 10/10 all throughout. However I do agree that the show did improve in quality from S3 onwards.

 

In my eyes, each season, while I consider them all to be near perfect, is a step up in quality. I don't really consider any season worse than another, though, if that makes sense. Mostly because that implies a lack of quality, which I feel each season more than delivers on.

 

One thing is for sure, the show got to try a lot more things in the later seasons than it did in previous ones, so while I do love what Faust did with the first couple seasons, I don't think she would've allowed the writers to expand too much beyond what they did. In fact, didn't she want to end the show after 3 seasons? Even more reason I'm glad she left, heh.

I like several episodes from the first and most of season 2, but it didn't feel as strong as modern seasons except for Return of Harmony.

[Yufery 205]

I like several episodes from the first and most of season 2, but it didn't feel as strong as modern seasons except for Return of Harmony.

I feel they're still incredibly strong, but I see your point. To each their own I suppose

[Swifty 249]

Wow, this is so much blasphemy, i just had to say something.

Jk with the part about blasphemy.

And that comes from me who likes Celestia, because Faust wanted Twilight to be Celestia's successor.

Faust wouldn't kill off Celestia. With this biased and fan pandering staff in charge i'm not so sure anymore, if Celestia survives.
Also, everything turned for the worse since Faust left. I am a Faust supporter more than ever. Blame season 5 and 6. I was able to deal with Twicorn, but all this now....no, it just crossed the line.

 

 

 

 

pffffffffffft...this thread proves me that this fandom is like rl. i don't belong.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Swifty

[Odd Ball 230]

It's hard for me to rewatch most of season one due to being simplistic and more directly aimed at little girls than the later episodes. If it weren't for the birth of Bronies, the show would have never made episodes like Twilight's Kingdom and Tanks for the Memeories.

 

On a side note, Lauren Faust originally wanted the show to be more adventure-like with the Nightmare Moon returning story filling the entire first season. Hasbro forced her to make it into a slice of life. While I do like to show for what it is, I still wonder what the show would have been like if they went with Lauren's original idea.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Da King

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

Eh, I can't agree.
The finales and premiers felt alot more even and Ensemble before Faust left (Best night ever and Return of harmony, and faust left in the middle of the second season, about when the Twilight sparkle power hour trend started. Still hate The crystal empire with a passion).

 

 

 

I like that its gotten more epic and adventurous with a little more darkness, but there's nothing saying that Faust disliked that stuff: she worked on power puff girls and Dexter's lab after all.

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

I will say this. I wouldn't say that Season 1 was THAT bad. But i will say that Season 1 is kinda overrated and that it didn't aged well at all. These days, there are only a handful of S1 episodes that i really like. That Faust was never the greatest writer, is something that i knew for years. But people still praise her, like she is a god.

 

I respect her that she rebooted the franchise and came up with this world. But she is not women, that most bronies seem to make her up to be.

 

Fun Fact: The CMC wasn't Lauren Fausts Idea. Faust wanted to have Applebloom have her Cutie Mark in the first appearance of her. The CMC was an idea by Hasbro. If it wasn't for Hasbro, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo might not have been a thing. 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

I will say this. I wouldn't say that Season 1 was THAT bad. But i will say that Season 1 is kinda overrated and that it didn't aged well at all. These days, there are only a handful of S1 episodes that i really like. That Faust was never the greatest writer, is something that i knew for years. But people still praise her, like she is a god.

 

I respect her that she rebooted the franchise and came up with this world. But she is not women, that most bronies seem to make her up to be.

 

Fun Fact: The CMC wasn't Lauren Fausts Idea. Faust wanted to have Applebloom have her Cutie Mark in the first appearance of her. The CMC was an idea by Hasbro. If it wasn't for Hasbro, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo might not have been a thing. 

 

Going to be honest, that's something I would AGREE with.

Overall I HATE the CMC episodes that focus on the CMC as a group; they're easily the worser episodes of the series. the only CMC episodes I really like are ones where its not really a CMC episode but focused on one of the CMC co-starring with one of the mane six (like Sister whooves social or Sleepless in ponyville with Dash and scoots).

 

The only episodes that focus on the CMC doing their whole CMC thing and obsessing about cutie marks that I liked was on your marks and raiders of the lost cutie mark

[Slashy 101]

I have to agree with this, mostly because you can see there are some great concepts for the world and the characters, but when they are fleshed out they end up pretty bad. In addition it seems Lauren Faust makes decisions without always thinking of the ramifications behind it, TFH is also loaded with these scenarios.

 

Since Faust left, MLP has finally taken on its own identity as Lord of the Rings for kids combined with SpongeBob, but still with a MLP twist. 

 

I'd say you were wrong.

 

FIM during Faust = A girlier, child-like version of Dungeons of Dragons

FIM during McCarthy = Mario with a deeper world and characters.

 

I LOOOOOVE Mario and Luigi and Paper Mario's stories so I love what the series has become.

Edited May 24, 2016 by Slashy

[Odd Ball 230]

The only episodes that focus on the CMC doing their whole CMC thing and obsessing about cutie marks that I liked was on your marks and raiders of the lost cutie mark

To be fair, there were episodes that didn't have them obsessing about cutie marks like Hearts and Hooves Day and Flight To The Finish. I'm fine with you not being a fan of their episodes, but the CMC themselves are very fun characters, at least they used to be. The problem is that in recent CMC episodes they're rather bland. Sweetie Belle in particular is no longer that loveable ditzy filly in seasons 1-3 and is no just kinda dull. Getting their cutie marks was the best thing that happened to them, as hopefully it will give them more depth.

Edited May 25, 2016 by Da King

[ponylaces 1,869]

I completely agree. She was amazing at creating the characters, the world of Equestria, and the overall story. Her episodes on the other hand.. eh. Never was a big fan of her as a writer. The show has definitely improved in quality since she left.

[Abstract 831]

Eh, season 1 wasn't bad by any means; but the show definitely picked up steam starting with season 2, after she stepped down as the executive producer IIRC.

[Odd Ball 230]

I completely agree. She was amazing at creating the characters, the world of Equestria, and the overall story. Her episodes on the other hand.. eh. Never was a big fan of her as a writer. The show has definitely improved in quality since she left.

From what I know, she only wrote the two-part pilot and The Ticket Master.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Are you sure? I think she did a good job! That series premiere was really something! A true pilot! Just like my cousin!

[ponylaces 1,869]

From what I know, she only wrote the two-part pilot and The Ticket Master.

She helped with many of the episodes and influenced them a lot (like what OP was talking about with The Last Roundup). Edited May 24, 2016 by PonyLaces

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

Are you sure? I think she did a good job! That series premiere was really something! A true pilot! Just like my cousin!

 

No disrespect to your opinion. But for me, i have no intention of watching that premiere again. For me, it's filled with overexposition and only serves as who these characters are and what they do. It's good for a one time watch and that's it for me.

 

But that's me.

[Steve Piranha 28,782]

While I do praise her as the creator and mind behind the worldbuilding of FiM, I do agree that she lacks the skillz (Yes, I used a "z", and you ain't stopping me  ) to be a great writer, for her not so excellent episodes and, while I still enjoy S1 here and then, they haven't aged that well. And it's not the first time she makes mistakes a s a writer. Remember that yellow asshole in Foster's Home  ? Bendy was his name if I remember well  , it won't take long to find out why the character and the episode were so hated, oh, and she wrote it  :awuh: . Also, while I'm not making statements, I got the feeling she's a difficult woman to work with judging with her departure from FiM and the upcoming Medusa animated film 

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

No disrespect to your opinion. But for me, i have no intention of watching that premiere again. For me, it's filled with overexposition and only serves as who these characters are and what they do. It's good for a one time watch and that's it for me.

 

But that's me.

 

I agree that the pilot hasn't aged well, but at the same time, I feel its really disengenous of us all to blame HER specifically for the problems with it: That was a different time and she and the crew were on a VASTLY tighter leash than they are now. Remember stuff like Pinklestia after all?

they had to play to the Presupposition of both hasbro's execs, the TV Execs of the hub AND toystores in order to even get the show Greenlit, and those guys had a VERY stereotypical view of what made a successful girls show and toyline.

So the pilot had to be very simple, and it had to have some issues that it did since they had a smaller amount of creative freedom and had to aim the show at a much younger crowd than they do now to even get the time of day from studio execs.

 

 

 

*sigh*. If ONE episode could be remade now, I'd want them to remake the pilot, and turn it into a 3 parter... It had tons of potential, and feels like such a wasted opportunity...

[Jeric 46,835]

Alright, hear me out. Faust is good for setup and ideas, but I'm sorry, she sucks ass at writing. I can tell a huge difference in the screenwriting from Season 1 up until season 5. When she was still working on the show, the whole thing, while a good start, felt VERY cliched and not very well paced. I was a hater of the show after seeing the first three or four episodes. Also she wouldn't really go outside of her comfort zone. I remember reading that a good chunk of the team wanted to make the "Round-Up" episode (forgot the exact name) about Applejack and Rarity raising a foreign child but Faust and like one other wanted to do the whole competition thing instead, which resulted in a fairly mediocre episode.

 

Since Faust left, MLP has finally taken on its own identity as Lord of the Rings for kids combined with SpongeBob, but still with a MLP twist. The writing is a LOT more clever, the jokes hit harder, and the themes are more relatable and grown up (NOT ADULT, but not saccharine either like season 1). It retains its suitability for its original target audinece but is highly intriguing at the same time.

 

I doubt we would have gotten episodes like "Tanks for the Memories" or "Sleepless in Ponyville" had the S1 crew still been around.

 

Quite honestly I would have LOVED for Faust's husband Craig McCraken to take on FIM instead had he not been busy with Wander over Yonder.

 

Just my 2¢.

While we may not have gotten Sleepless (Faust was not a fan of RD being portrayed as a big sister), you would have gotten a premise similar to Tanks since Faust wanted Fluttershy to have a pet pass. She was overruled. Post Faust, Hasbro did appear to alter how controlling it is at times. This is a variable some don't consider among other things.

 

Faust was better as a showrunner than a writer on this show, but her contributions to crafting the rules of the world of Equestria should not me so easily marginalized. Season 3, 4, 5, and 6 all feel different from one another, and each had its own detractors for various reasons.

 

It is just a matter of preference and taste is all.

[ManaMinori 4,143]

Wow. Absolutely disrespectful, since this is the g4 creator. Yeah, let's just say the show would be better off had she never worked on it. Fine.

Guess you would've all been better off with reboots of Newborn buckin' Cooties, since you're shunning Faust. Surely we're MUCH better off with that.

[cmarston1 5,952]

While I do respect the work that she did to make the world and bible of FIM, I have to agree that the show got better after she left.

Season 1 which was the season she had the most involvement was probably my least favorite of the show.

I am more of a fan of the episodes that McCaarthy wrote and especially her direction on how they show would end up going in.

If it were up to Faust, we wouldn't have gotten Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash would have never became a mentor figure to the latter, and the show would have ended at season 3.

Seeing how season 4 is my favorite out of the show, and how episodes like Sleepless in Ponyville, Flight to the Finish, and Crusaders of the Lost Mark are ones that I really love, I am fine with the direction the show has headed after her departure.

[cider float 2,535]

Don't like McCarthy I feel like she has way too many phobias.

[Slashy 101]

While I do respect the work that she did to make the world and bible of FIM, I have to agree that the show got better after she left.

Season 1 which was the season she had the most involvement was probably my least favorite of the show.

I am more of a fan of the episodes that McCaarthy wrote and especially her direction on how they show would end up going in.

If it were up to Faust, we wouldn't have gotten Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash would have never became a mentor figure to the latter, and the show would have ended at season 3.

Seeing how season 4 is my favorite out of the show, and how episodes like Sleepless in Ponyville, Flight to the Finish, and Crusaders of the Lost Mark are ones that I really love, I am fine with the direction the show has headed after her departure.

Also Faust seemingly wanted nothing to do with Spike, and the character only seemed to gain his own significance after McCarthy took over. I really love the Twilight-Spike dynamic, and I don't mind that it has become the norm for adventure episodes.