Fair Amount of Starring Roles

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Throughout most of the series, there've been some character statistics problems; like the amount of episodes each character stars in. Back in season 2, AJ had a pretty underwelming amount of spotlight since both of her episodes was more "Mane Six" than just Applejack. For season 3, Rarity didn't have a single episode. For season 5, Spike just got one and it was pretty poor. And season 6, Pinkie didn't get a single solo episode, and there was too much Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Season 4, however, had the perfect amount of starring episodes for each character! Yes, AJ got 5, but all of the Mane Six, Spike, and each CMC all had a fair amount of starring roles - three or more!

 

We need more of what season 4 had: each Mane Six, Spike, CMCs, Starlight, and others all having a fair amount of starring episodes! Sometimes we have unnecessary slice of life Rarijack or Rainbow Dash episodes, and then characters like Spike and Fluttershy always getting the least amount of spotlight per season. In season 7's episode list, certain characters get 4, while others get 1! How's each character gonna develop themselves fully before the show ends if this keeps happening? Just seems really unfair.

 

Perhaps this might not be a big deal to most of you, but to some of us, it is!

[CastletonSnob 3,077]

It comes with having so many main characters. 

[Philweasel 139]

If you have four great episode ideas for Fluttershy, and two for Rainbow Dash, it's kinda a shame to bin two of Fluttershy's and go back through the reject pile for another Rainbow Dash one.

[FirePuppy 735]

11 hours ago, MegaSean45 said:

Back in season 2, AJ had a pretty underwelming amount of spotlight since both of her episodes was more "Mane Six" than just Applejack.

But she did appear in the most episodes in a row that season (16).

11 hours ago, MegaSean45 said:

For season 3, Rarity didn't have a single episode.

But she did appear in all 13 episodes (except in at least one, she didn't have a part).

11 hours ago, MegaSean45 said:

For season 5, Spike just got one and it was pretty poor.

But he did appear in more episodes than Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy, and was also TIED with Pinkie Pie in episode appearances.

11 hours ago, MegaSean45 said:

And season 6, Pinkie didn't get a single solo episode, and there was too much Rarity and Rainbow Dash.

Twilight didn't have a solo episode either that season. And Rainbow Dash, I don't think, is getting a single solo episode in Season 7 herself (since Parental Glideance is also mostly Scootaloo).

[Sly 236]

Well, keep on break your thing sir, because with Vogel qnd Haber returning in S8 and potentially as head writers MLP is gonna become the Starlight Glimmer show, so that won't matter anymore. Not my problem by the way since I will be out of here as soon they release that f*****g S7 finale synopsis, then I will enjoy what remains until the end of October by my own.

So DHX, DF, Zap2it whoever is in charge of that GIVE YOU A MOVE ONE AND HURRY UP WITH THAT PREMISE.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Sly

[Megas 27,739]

Quality over quantity. Even if one gets a lot of episodes it doesn't matter if a lot of them are shit. I mean, even if RD got just one episode for a season, it's easily forgiven if said episode was something like Wonderbolts Academy or Parental Glideance. It's a lot better than than seeing her get three episodes, but they're all bullshit like Newbie Dash, 28 Pranks Later or MMDW

Edited August 2, 2017 by Prowl

[DonMaguz 1,023]

To have each main character with the same number of episodes is not on the top of my list of things that I want to see in the show.

Each character have different traits and skills, it's natural to think that they will develop at a different pace, and if that means more spotlight for some of them, then that's alright.

7 minutes ago, Prowl said:

Quality over quantity. Even if one gets a lot of episodes it doesn't matter if a lot of them are shit. I mean, even if RD got just one episode for a season, it's easily forgiven if said episode was something like Wonderbolts Academy or Parental Glideance. It's a lot better than than seeing her get three episodes, but they're all bullshit like Newbie Dash or 28 Pranks Later, episodes that seemingly exist solely to punish you for being a fan of the character 

This seems about right, it will always be better to have one or two great episodes, than a bunch of episodes in which they force a character's personality to the point of not being themselves (or having a regression).

4 hours ago, Philweasel said:

If you have four great episode ideas for Fluttershy, and two for Rainbow Dash, it's kinda a shame to bin two of Fluttershy's and go back through the reject pile for another Rainbow Dash one.

Precisely, and it's not like they can just say: "well, this is a great episode for Rarity, but she's got too many of them already, lets use Flutters instead."

The writers and editors do a great job delivering good to amazing seasons, if they would try to force things into being quantitatively balanced all the time, the show's average quality may have not been as good as it is.