Season 1-3 or 4-7?

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

So, the season 3 finale was kind of when the show began a new, Twilight is an alicorn, season 4 premiere takes place 1 year after the season 1 premiere, and I use to see a lot of hate *primarily during season 6) and people saying that the show was way better in the old days, I am curious what people really think, do you prefer seasons 1,2, and 3. Or do you prefer seasons 4,5,6, and 7(so far) 

For me personally, I consider 4,5, and 7 to be the top 3 seasons of the show, followed by 2, 3, 6,1 so for me it's 4-7, I think besides season 6 which I still enjoyed, the show has been on mostly a constant uprise.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

I think it's more like separated in 3 eras right now!

* Seasons 1-3: Pre-Princess era

* Seasons 4-5: Princess Twilight era

* Seasons 6-7: Starlight era

Regardless, I chose 4-7! :3

[Philweasel 139]

I honestly would still separate it into seasons. Season One has a different tone to Season Two, and Season 6 is really different (due to having almost an entirely new writing cast). Season 7 feels a lot more like Season 2 so far.

I really can't choose like that, because I disliked Season 4 and 6, and loved all the rest.

And because I'm an old fogie who can't let go of the past. Season 2 is still the best, and always will be.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Philweasel

[Megas 27,038]

1-3 if only because 4-7 includes 6, which I'm still sour over

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

As a Non-Brony, I have no nostalgic connection to the MLP franchise as a whole. So when I watch a show, first impressions mean a lot to me and I watch the very first episode.

 

MLP: FIM is a rare case. It took all the failures of the previous generations into account into making this. So for an average viewer they wouldn't find watching the first 5 episodes of MLP:FIM's 1st Season engaging to sit through. It's a shame really that the show takes Forever to finally get good.

 

Personally, I prefer the First and Second Season. To me, they have that Sesame Street vibe. Season 3 is a rushed and incoherent mess. It destroyed the Sesame Street vibe of the show.

[Zachary 5,517]

So far, I prefer Season 4-7.

[Philweasel 139]

8 minutes ago, ZethaPonderer said:

Personally, I prefer the First and Second Season. To me, they have that Sesame Street vibe. Season 3 is a rushed and incoherent mess. It destroyed the Sesame Street vibe of the show.

 Season 3 wasn't quite as bad as I remember, but it did have "Spike at Your Service", which I count as the worst MLP episode of all time.

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

17 minutes ago, Philweasel said:

 Season 3 wasn't quite as bad as I remember, but it did have "Spike at Your Service", which I count as the worst MLP episode of all time.

To me, it's easily Keep Calm and Flutter on and Magical Mystery Cure. Hated that Discord is brought back for petty reasons. The show should've had a much bigger reason to bring him back e.g. A villain that is immune to the Friendship Cannon so the Mane Six should revive back Discord since he had a grudge and hatred for that villain to weaken him. Oh I'm sorry, let the Embodiment of All that is Chaos be friends with the Mane Six? That's what he always wanted. What could possibly go wrong?

 

As for Magical Mystery Cure, it would've been nice if it was a 2 parter. Also, Season 3 is too short in comparison to the first 2 seasons.

 

And yeah, Spike at Your Service is bad too IMO as well.

Edited July 17, 2017 by ZethaPonderer

[Nerdy Luigi 2,064]

Let's see:

Seasons 1 and 2 are good, I'd say probably 4th and 3rd respectively. Season 2 has the edge because I really liked the season opener.

Season 3 is my least favorite by a longshot. I don't like any episode in the entire season. Still really salty about the finale being so awful.

Season 4 is my favorite season. I haven't seen too many bad episodes from it, and the finale and opener were both so good.

Season 5 is around 5th or 6th for me. Not to say it isn't a good season, it just doesn't compare to some of the others in my opinion.

Season 6 is my second favorite season of the show. It has its share of rough patches like any season seems to, but it is really good overall.

Season 7 is around the same spot as Season 5 is for me so far. The season's earlier episodes just aren't that good in general...

 

So, Seasons 4-7 to me were better than the first three. Mostly because the 3rd season was complete garbage compared to the rest of the show.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Barik the Luigineer
Grammatical errors all over the place.

[Philweasel 139]

12 minutes ago, ZethaPonderer said:

To me, it's easily Keep Calm and Flutter on and Magical Mystery Cure. Hated that Discord is brought back for petty reasons. The show should've had a much bigger reason to bring him back e.g. A villain that is immune to the Friendship Cannon so the Mane Six should revive back Discord since he had a grudge and hatred for that villain to weaken him. Oh I'm sorry, let the Embodiment of All that is Chaos be friends with the Mane Six? That's what he always wanted. What's could possibly go wrong?

As for Magical Mystery Cure, it would've been nice if it was a 2 parter. Also, Season 3 is too short in comparison to the first 2 seasons.

I wrenched some enjoyment out of both, though it helped that I watched Magical Mystery Cure in a pub full of bronies, a Twilight plushy sporting sewn on wings on my shoulder, drunk out of my skull.

And Fluttershy has immunity to bad episodes for me. I am devastatingly weak to cute and shyness, and I apologize.

10 minutes ago, Barik the Luigineer said:

Season 4 was my favorite season. I didn't see too many bad episodes, and the finale and opener were both so good.

That's really interesting. I rarely see season 4 get a lot of love, and some of those episodes were really controversial at the time. "Maud Pie" "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" "Twilight Time" "Simple Ways" "Rainbow Falls" "Power Ponies" "Daring Don't" and "Equestria Games" all had massive hatedoms devoted to them, though I enjoyed them all personally.

I note that I feel it's the one closest to season 6 in tone though, which makes sense given you liked that too. And I feel season 7 has much more in common with 5 and 2, which you were less keen on.

Different folks...

Edited July 17, 2017 by Philweasel

[Yellow Diamond 7,561]

Just now, ZethaPonderer said:

To me, it's easily Keep Calm and Flutter on and Magical Mystery Cure. Hated that Discord is brought back for petty reasons. The show should've had a much bigger reason to bring him back e.g. A villain that is immune to the Friendship Cannon so the Mane Six should revive back Discord since he had a grudge and hatred for that villain to weaken him. Oh I'm sorry, let the Embodiment of All that is Chaos be friends with the Mane Six? That's what he always wanted. What's could possibly go wrong?

 

As for Magical Mystery Cure, it would've been nice if it was a 2 parter. Also, Season 3 is too short in comparison to the first 2 seasons.

Disagreed on Discord's redemption (although I openly admit it was rushed in the context of "Keep Calm and Flutter On"), but agreed on the inconsistent quality of Season 3. Unfortunately, it seems as if Hasbro was aiming to hit the minimum 65 episode mark to guarantee syndication and nothing more. "Magical Mystery Cure" was an inventive way of cramming a lot of narrative into a compact amount of time -- but an event on the level of Twilight becoming an Alicorn deserved a two-part episode.

To the overall question -- For me, Seasons 1 and 2 will hold a special place in my heart. I occasionally feel as if the writing staff became a little too self-aware in later seasons in pandering openly toward the fandom and allowing Flanderization to run rampant (particularly with Pinkie and Spike). Although the first two seasons were far from perfect, they had a nice blend of novelty, character development, and adventure.

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

2 minutes ago, Philweasel said:

I wrenched some enjoyment out of both, though it helped that I watched Magical Mystery Cure in a pub full of bronies, a Twilight plushy sporting sewn on wings on my shoulder, drunk out of my skull.

And Fluttershy has immunity to bad episodes for me. I am weak, and I like the Flutters.
 

That's really interesting. I rarely see season 4 get a lot of love, and some of those episodes were really controversial at the time. "Maud Pie" "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" "Twilight Time" "Simple Ways" "Rainbow Falls" "Power Ponies" "Daring Don't" and "Equestria Games" all had massive hatedoms devoted to them, though I enjoyed them all personally.

I note that I feel it's the one closest to season 6 in tone though, which makes sense given you liked that too. And I feel season 7 has much more in common with 5 and 2, which you were less keen on.

Different folks...

Maybe on this forum, which I always thought was a bit too negative anyway when new episodes came out, but on EQD and other places, season 4 was considered one of the best seasons, and on every "Best season" poll EQD is one, it has been season 5 first, season 4 second.

[Philweasel 139]

Season 1 scored lower than season 6?

My life is a lie.

[Hierok 11,829]

I still like seasons 1-3 more, cause I think they are a little bit more suprising and amusing at the same time. 

[Thrond 3,257]

1-3 were fresher. Some people on here tend to reject that, but I really don't see how; 4-5 especially don't really have the character growth of the first three, 6 is solid but inconsistent (I put it on par with 3, tbh), and 7 has often resorted to ticking off boxes. 1-2 are a bit simpler, but I also find them funnier and to have more consistent character development.  Plus, I have so far disliked seasons 5 and 7, so that doesn't help much. 

On a season by season basis, my thoughts are 2 > 1 > 6 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 7 (so far). 

[Crystal Peppermint 1,108]

Season 1-2  good lessons + amazing season 2 ending. (9/10)

season 3 boring. (3/10)

season 4 good (8/10)

season 5-6 boring (except the cmc got their cm.) (3/10)

season 7 (wait until season end.)

Chose:  Season 1-3

 

[Philweasel 139]

I remember that during the fourth season every discussion threat I found was full of people complaining, and at every con it was:

"Twilight's still an alicorn! I'm leaving the fandom!"

"...dude, you're at a convention, and you just brought about £100 worth of merch."

"I'm leaving the fandom when I get home!"

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

2 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:

1-3 were fresher. Some people on here tend to reject that, but I really don't see how; 4-5 especially don't really have the character growth of the first three, 6 is solid but inconsistent (I put it on par with 3, tbh), and 7 has often resorted to ticking off boxes. 1-2 are a bit simpler, but I also find them funnier and to have more consistent character development.  Plus, I have so far disliked seasons 5 and 7, so that doesn't help much. 

On a season by season basis, my thoughts are 2 > 1 > 6 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 7 (so far). 

Wow, far different from mine

5>7(so far)>4>2>3>6>1

I don't think season 1 was all that great, twilight was shoehorned into every episode often making the pacing feel clunky or just bad

Season 2 was a big step up, more character development, better animation, no more forced Twilight

I feel season 3 would have been better than 2 if it were 26 episodes, but I did enjoy it

Season 4 was the game changer to me, opening with an epic premiere followed by great episode after great episode with the exception of a few certain ones

Season 5 I feel was just as good as season 4 but improved

Season 6 had the weakest opener at the time, delivered decent episodes all the time, rarely pushing out amazing ones and more often than not having just bad ones.

Season 7 feels like a return to form for me, with some amazing episodes like Rock Solid Friendship, A Royal Problem, and especially The Perfect Pear.

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

1 minute ago, Philweasel said:

I remember that during the fourth season every discussion threat I found was full of people complaining, and at every con it was:

"Twilight's still an alicorn! I'm leaving the fandom!"

"...dude, you're at a convention, and you just brought about £100 worth of merch."

"I'm leaving the fandom when I get home!"

Well I wouldn't mind Twilight being an Alicorn if that episode wasn't so tragically rushed in development. Seriously, everything in that episode moves way too fast. It shares the same fate to Samurai Jack's season 5 finale where everything was rushed, but to give credit where credit is due. At least both of these rushed and incoherent episodes are tying so desperately all loose ends at such a short amount of time. My argument still stands that they should've made further episodes  to make sure it isn't inconsistent.

[Thrond 3,257]

9 minutes ago, ryanmahaffe said:

Wow, far different from mine

5>7(so far)>4>2>3>6>1

I don't think season 1 was all that great, twilight was shoehorned into every episode often making the pacing feel clunky or just bad

Season 2 was a big step up, more character development, better animation, no more forced Twilight

I feel season 3 would have been better than 2 if it were 26 episodes, but I did enjoy it

Season 4 was the game changer to me, opening with an epic premiere followed by great episode after great episode with the exception of a few certain ones

Season 5 I feel was just as good as season 4 but improved

Season 6 had the weakest opener at the time, delivered decent episodes all the time, rarely pushing out amazing ones and more often than not having just bad ones.

Season 7 feels like a return to form for me, with some amazing episodes like Rock Solid Friendship, A Royal Problem, and especially The Perfect Pear.

1 is simple and at times awkward, but it's pure in a way which even season 2 doesn't manage, plus I find it pretty consistently funny, and I feel it had the most satisfying finale. 

I agree with season 2, and feel it's the most consistent season. 

Season 3 is weird and experimental in ways I'm quite fond of, but it's short and ends on my least favourite episode of the whole show. 

Season 4 has grown on me, but I still feel that it doesn't really have the satisfying character development of the first two or all the weird quirks of 3. The middle and end parts, in particular, feel to me like they're packed with fluff, which is the opposite of how I feel about 1. 

Season 5 was unpleasant for me to experience, and I feel like it often pretended to be bigger and deeper than it was, which made all of the show's limitations really obvious to me. It was like the show wanted to be more, but wasn't willing to take the necessary risks. 

Season 6 scaled itself way back, and I found it much more enjoyable than season 5. Plus it brings back the weird experimentation of season 3, and never got as bad as other seasons could. 

So far I've found season 7 kinda forced and irritating, and a lot of it feels like it's checking off boxes. Starlight is the only character who really feels natural anymore, but she's also most boring of the main characters in my opinion, so I've not enjoyed very many episodes.

(Admittedly, my placement of 6, 3, and 4 is mostly interchangeable. All I have issues with but generally enjoy.)

[Celli 4,332]

4-7, by far. Season 6 was bleh, sure, but honestly, 4,5, and 7 so far make up for it. Season 1 is my least favorite, season 2 second least favorite, and 3, while a decent season, loses points for being shorter. I am sorry but looking back, season 1 was not a good season and if you ask me, people who say it's the best can't take the nostalgia goggles off. Season 2 isn't much better. 

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

7 minutes ago, Celli said:

4-7, by far. Season 6 was bleh, sure, but honestly, 4,5, and 7 so far make up for it. Season 1 is my least favorite, season 2 second least favorite, and 3, while a decent season, loses points for being shorter. I am sorry but looking back, season 1 was not a good season and if you ask me, people who say it's the best can't take the nostalgia goggles off. Season 2 isn't much better. 

Oh believe me. I have no nostalgia towards the franchise (that unfortunately goes to Barbie and Barney the Dinosaur alongside Sesame Street), but since first impressions mean everything to me, I thought the first two seasons of MLP:FIM were pretty good on their own. Twilight does hog the spotlight way too much from the previous seasons, but strangely enough that can be explained due to the other characters not getting Celestia's permission to write Friendship Lessons other than Twilight. All because this was Twilight's journey to understand friendship lessons NOT the other characters. Stupid reason I know, should've made the other characters learn their lessons through themselves NOT Twilight being shoe-horned in .

Edited July 17, 2017 by ZethaPonderer

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Both.

So far, my order of seasons from best to worst is as follows:

1. Season 5
2. Season 2
3. Season 7 (so far)
4. Season 1
5. Season 4
6. Season 3
7. Season 6

Every season has its good, average, and bad episodes. Some more than others. Every season has done at least one thing really well. Seasons one and two are good, but seasons five and (so far) seven are, too. Seven has done a really decent job at making all of the episodes watchable at the very least; even the worst of the season (Hard, Honest Apple, A Royal Problem) are nowhere close to the show's worst. Yet, even when the season hasn't been as well as it should've, it wasn't been bad. At worst, 3 and 6 are below-average (and, no, MMC isn't bad).

Edited July 17, 2017 by Dark Qiviut

[Frostgage 7,972]

I would take 4-7. The first three seasons have nostalgic qualities but I genuinely believe the past several have better content, if only slightly. Obviously however it all boils down to personal preference.

[IronM17 5,145]

I am one of the 1-3 fans. The first 3 seasons, especially S2, has for me the best episodes. The newer seasons are really good in a technical way (animations, character designs, details in the background), but weaker in the stories (especially S6) in my opinion.