Who are/were the most reliable writers on the show?

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Which writers on the show do you think are/were the most dependable? Which writers can you count on to write episodes that are at least solid if not great?

[Midnight Solace 5,128]

M.A. Larson, of course! 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

4 minutes ago, Midnight Solace said:

M.A. Larson, of course! 

I will agree to this. My choices would be Amy Keating Rogers, Josh Haber, Nick Confalone, and Joanna Lewis & Kristine Songco.

[Here No Longer 5,270]

I have a hard time choosing, as most of the writers who really have written enough episodes to judge in this sense have written both good and bad episodes.

 

Personally, my opinion on this is that Mike Vogel is probably the most consistent with writing good episodes, the only really bad episode he's credited for being Cart Before the Ponies (which he doesn't actually have a writing credit, but just a story credit), and most other episodes being pretty solid, to be honest.

As for the other way around... Dave Polsky. Not a single episode he has written has been good (Well, Feeling Pinkie Keen was decent, but aside from that)... Sure, there's "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" is praised by large sections of the fandom, but in my opinion the episode fell flat where it really needed not to. I was about to put down Josh Haber here, but some of his earlier credits weren't bad episodes.

Edited November 15, 2018 by ~Dusky~

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

1 minute ago, ~Dusky~ said:

As for the other way around... Dave Polsky. Not a single episode he has written has been good... Sure, there's "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" is praised by large sections of the fandom, but in my opinion the episode fell flat where it really needed not to. 

That's one of my all time favorite episodes from one of my favorite writers. 

Oh well, I guess it goes to show that you can't please everyone. 

[Tacodidra 59,756]

Of the ones not mentioned yet, Nicole Dubuc has a pretty good track record. "A Matter of Principals" wasn't one of the most highly-regarded episodes (but not one of the most disliked either), but otherwise she's had quite an impressive run.

Kaita Mpambara also deserves a mention – he's written just two episodes so far, but most people seem to rank them among the best in season 8.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

7 minutes ago, Tacodidra said:

Of the ones not mentioned yet, Nicole Dubuc has a pretty good track record. "A Matter of Principals" wasn't one of the most highly-regarded episodes (but not one of the most disliked either), but otherwise she's had quite an impressive run.

Kaita Mpambara also deserves a mention – he's written just two episodes so far, but most people seem to rank them among the best in season 8.

Nicole Dubuc's husband, Brian Hohlfield has proven to be a wonderful new addition to the staff. Both of his episodes are also among the most beloved of Season 8.

[FirePuppy 621]

I'm not really sure, since all their episodes focus on different characters, the way I see it. So all I can say is they're all equally good, except maybe for a few.

[bigbertha 410]

Nick Confalone. I really enjoyed all of his episodes from season 8 and even his episodes that I'm not a fan of (Hearthbreakers, No Second Prances, Rock Solid Friendship) have things to appreciate.

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

5 hours ago, Tacodidra said:

Kaita Mpambara also deserves a mention – he's written just two episodes so far, but most people seem to rank them among the best in season 8.

5 hours ago, Theanimationfanatic said:

Nicole Dubuc's husband, Brian Hohlfield has proven to be a wonderful new addition to the staff. Both of his episodes are also among the most beloved of Season 8.

^ Correction. Mpambara's and Hohlfield's episodes are some of the best of the show, not just S8.

Along with Mpambara and Hohlfeld, there are a few more to mind, past and present:

1. Nick Confalone. His track record post-No Second Prances has been mostly sharp. TSRR, Break Down, and Washouts are all phenomenal.
2. MA Larson: Most of the time, when an episode goes bad, it's beyond his control. Executives pushed MMC to be self-contained and F&M to follow the ideas and formula laid out to him in the outline.
3. AKR: As most of the old writers departed, she stayed through. Many of the episodes she wrote (in particular TBNE, TT123, Lost Mark, Mane Attraction), are among the show's best.
4. Josh Haber: Ever since he returned midway into S7, he really stepped up his game, and it shows in both his editing and writing.

[Thrond 3,257]

I mean, Lauren Faust, I guess; she only wrote the first three episodes, but they're all fun; her credits are probably the most consistent in the show, as a result; everyone else has a credit on something I dislike. 

Amy Keating Rogers was pretty reliable for the first four seasons. Her season 5 work is... less so. 

Michael Vogel has never written an episode I dislike. His record on the show is good enough that I'm willing to forgive him for his involvement in the Movie. 

Aside from "Simple Ways" and "Uncommon Bond," I also like all of Josh Haber's one-off episodes. Too bad most of his season finales fell flat for me. 

Josh Hamilton and Nick Confalone both tend to make episodes I enjoy, but both also have repeated problems which run through most of their episodes. 

Sammie Crowley and Winnie Wetta collaborated on two of my favourite episodes of season 7, so I guess that counts. Ditto Kaita Mpambara in season 8, albeit to somewhat a lesser extent - seems like he can do great stuff when he's not overreaching. 

[Megas 27,041]

MA Larson, Nick Confalone, AKR, and the Lady Writers are probably the ones I think have the most near-spotless track record, and I don't think it's fair to include writers who've only written a couple of episodes, even if they're great ones

Edited November 18, 2018 by This Whomps