In your opinion, what was the worst episode of MLP?

[bigbertha 410]

My definitive bottom 10 list now that the show is over:

10. Shadow Play- The pillar arc was a complete mess. Most of the pillars had no personality at all, they barely serve a purpose, the Pony of Shadows is a terrible villain, the comedy sucks, and the entire story is contrived so Starlight can be the hero.

9. The Cart Before the Ponies- Insanely boring.

8. Princess Spike- Even more boring and the story is a complete mess. Spike doesn't get punished for being selfish and taking advantage of his position. He gets punished for actually trying to help.

7. Secrets and Pies- Entirely unfunny and really obnoxious. The episode looks incredibly ugly and the story is really stupid.

6. Rainbow Falls- This episode is the worst story MLP has ever done. Rainbow's conflict is barely a conflict since there's no good reasons given for why Rainbow shouldn't go with the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy states that she doesn't care and does nothing to suggest otherwise and Bulk Biceps barely even does anything the entire episode except scream so I don't know if he's opposed to this. The reasons Twilight gives that convince Rainbow that she should fly for Ponyville make no sense at all, even though there are better reasons she could've used. Aside from the story, none of the jokes even come close to working and Pinkie, Applejack, and Rarity are shoved into the episode for no reason. 

5. School Raze- Cozy Glow might just be the worst villain of the entire show. Her plan makes no sense, she doesn't ham it up enough to be enjoyable, and she succeeds due to contrivances rather than her own intellect. This makes the story so boring and frustrating to watch, especially when the other leads, the Student Six, are really boring protagonists. The Mane Six get shoved off into a pointless subplot that only exists so people can't say they do nothing, even though they still do nothing. The jokes there aren't funny and the way they get out does not make sense. The only other big part of the episode is Neighsay learning to not be a racist which is done in the most basic way possible. 

4. The Mane Attraction- This one's a bit more personal, but even taking my personal gripes aside, this is a really dull episode. It's as basic a "be yourself" episode can get and it has to added bonus of validating old people complaining that new artists use too many new fangled effects and that they need to go back to when music had soul and whatever. Apparently, Coloratura being a pop star means that she must be under control of the corporations and not that she just likes being a pop star. Instead of Applejack's views being challenged, it's revealed that Colaratura's manager is super demanding and 100% bad. What an interesting conflict. And this wouldn't be as bad if the episode wasn't so pretentious. It takes itself way too seriously for such a simple story. It acts like it's making such a big point when it says that new artists are style over substance when that point has actually been beaten into the ground, even back when the episode came out in 2015. And that ending song is the worst thing that has ever come out of MLP. All it says is "be yourself" and it acts like it has such a big and important message. It's so melodramatic and I just can't stand it. 

3. A Matter of Principals- I've never been a fan of Discord episodes for the most part. The character himself has had some pretty good appearances, but most of his episodes have fallen flat for me. This episode is no exception, except this time it's Discord himself who's the biggest problem. He's a complete dick for no good reason and all this serves to do is make me question why he's not turned into stone. It's kinda like Three's a Crowd, except at least that episode had a good song. This episode has nothing of value with the jokes all falling flat and Discord being rewarded for being awful. 

2. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep- Does this episode not realize that Lucy telling Charlie Brown to snap out of his depression was satire? Based on this ending, I'd say the writers thought Lucy gave good advice. Even aside from the atrocious ending, this is a really boring episode with no good jokes and an ending that relies on fanservice rather than actual entertainment. 

1. Parental Glideance- This the most frustrating and morally garbage episode I've ever seen. This episode actually makes me mad when I think about it. Rainbow's parents are unhealthily obsessed with her yet Rainbow is guilted when she calls her parents out. Rainbow actually APOLOGIZES for calling them out. Her parents learn nothing and Rainbow learns that she should never call out their behavior because at least she has parents. How was this episode made?

 

 

[Prince Doopliss 2,350]

Honestly I haven't seen every episode, but I can try to put the ones I did saw by each season:

Season 1: Dragonshy-Okay I found this episode more dull as it seemed to drag out on some parts. I mean the message was good, just the episode just bored me.

Season 2: It's About Time-Or more like its a waste of time. Okay the episode wasn't bad for the sake of being bad. It just bored me and I kind of hated seeing Twilight going crazy over nothing. I mean okay people do it at times. So I mean the lesson was good. Again I just didn't enjoy this episode all that much. Okay Mysterious Mare Do Well and Putting Your Hoof Down were much worse. I mean Mysterious Mare Do Well for year destroyed Rainbow Dash's character  even after moments I did like Rainbow Dash. Mysterious Mare Do Well didn't handle the others any better, just Rainbow Dash being the focus of this episode just kind of scarred me.Though I actually found Mysterious Mare Do Well to be an okay episode despite its issues. I actually liked Putting Your Hoof Down all things considering.

Season 3: Spike at Your Service or Games Ponies Play . Eh since I don't have any recalling memories of these two episodes, So I'm just putting them here.

Season 4: Power Ponies-Now there were a few episodes I did consider. But mainly my salt for those episodes in season 4 was because of my life and it took a little while to get used to Twilight being an Alicorn. While I can't say I enjoyed the superhero trope of this episode. Again I can't say it was bad, just didn't appeal to it. Considered Daring Don't or Testing 1, 2,3, but I don't want to talk about Rainbow Dash in anymore negative light.

Season 5: Tanks For the Memories Princess Spike-While I did enjoy this episode to some degree. I just felt like the writers just like tormenting little Spike too much at this point. The writers just didn't seem to give him any love.

Now actually ranking each episode from Least Worst to Worst

5. Tanks For the Memories Princess Spike
4. Dragonshy
3. It's About Time
2. Spike at Your Service/Games Ponies Play 
1. Power Ponies

Edited October 13, 2019 by Prince Doopliss

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

Honestly? I don't really hate ANY of them. But I guess my least favorite would probably be... The Mysterious Mare Do Well?

[Them's Seeing Ponies 282]

Definitive bottom 10:

10. 2, 4, 6, Greaaat (an insipid and uninspired sendoff for one of the FiM canon's most unique and inconsistently utilized mane players)

9. A Trivial Pursuit (an entire episode of uncanny meme faces is hilarious!... because face, I guess?)

8. The Cart Before the Ponies (a living example of the type of show that detractors accuse FiM of being - an irritating and crushingly cliched/oversimplified heap of nothingness)

7. Buckball Season (one of the emptiest episodes of the series, which utilizes Snails' 'inner depths' and zany expressions as crutches as opposed to actually building chemistry between Pinkie and Fluttershy, which barely occurs and, in turn, gives the episode's grounded plot virtually no real credence and renders the entire experience seemingly meaningless)

6. Rainbow Falls (the most nonsensical episode of the series, with no genuine justifications given for Dash's awkward position nor why she shouldn't join the Wonderbolts. The convoluted, wooden dialogue is also a major issue here)

5. 28 Pranks Later (absurdly broken moral and a flimsy excuse to cash in on the zombie fad)

4. Non-Compete Clause (virtually nothing of value to see here. Next!)

3. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (an exemplification of everything wrong with the show post-S3 - shoehorned meme fodder/references out of desperation to gain fandom approval (to the extent of incoherency), awkward plot structure and an attempt at a 'deep' and emotional thematic exploration which fails due to lack of buildup/creative commitment and renders the episode more insulting than its alternative tackling of a simpler theme hypothetically could have been. 

2. What About Discord? (the only episode on this list which could not have been salvaged through any measure of retooling. The entire conceit and plot structure is basically broken from its outset and the entire second act is merely frustrating filler)

1. Hard to Say Anything (obnoxious, lazy, unfunny, oversimplified, cheesy, dull - exemplifying every trap FiM could have fallen into but did in this circumstance)

 

[Kadeda 178]

I am learning that i am much more lenient than most you guys or something. Most of the episodes listed up here i liked.

[frunbuns 52]

I don't usually care for Maud ones, ones with babies, and a lot of Pinkie ones. 

[Hierok 11,829]

28 pranks later was the worst imo. It just didn't feel right to me.  

[Flutterstep 46,292]

Dragonshy is the death of me. It’s so bad it almost made me stop watching the show.

[Latecomer 438]

7 minutes ago, Flutterstep said:

Dragonshy is the death of me. It’s so bad it almost made me stop watching the show.

Bwuh?

14 hours ago, Bas said:

Pretty much showing how much people rate episodes differently, even very much. I think it is one of the best episodes for me, because it simply is different and over-the-top.

On the other hands...Yakity-Sax. Yeet. I am still pretending this episode didn't happen.

Seconded to both.

 

And while I understand why Newbie Dash is controversial, I still don't get why everyone seems to hate Rainbow Falls.

 

[Megas 27,064]

It's still Newbie Dash

Spoiler

But now it's even worse given how it was originally gonna end

 

[Latecomer 438]

1 minute ago, Kiryu-Chan said:

It's still Newbie Dash

  Hide contents

But now it's even worse given how it was originally gonna end

 

Now you see, I find something rather objectionable about the draft version. (Though admittedly, I haven't seen the original lately, so maybe it was worse somehow.)

[Prince Doopliss 2,350]

21 minutes ago, Flutterstep said:

Dragonshy is the death of me. It’s so bad it almost made me stop watching the show.

 I mean I didn't like this episode, I wouldn't say it almost made me stop watching the show. However there was one particular episode that kind of made me stop watching the show even though I watched episodes like Ammending Fences and Do Princesses Dream of Electric Sheep.

[Latecomer 438]

3 minutes ago, Prince Doopliss said:

 I mean I didn't like this episode, I wouldn't say it almost made me stop watching the show. However there was one particular episode that kind of made me stop watching the show even though I watched episodes like Ammending Fences and Do Princesses Dream of Electric Sheep.

....Are you not going to say which?

[Ittoni 536]

The worst of the worst for me was definitely:

2,4,6 Greeeeat!

That was by far the worst episode surpassing 28 pranks later and mare do well, ironically the three of them rainbow episodes.

I used to like Rainbow but in 2,4,6, great she was just awful and a total asshat. It seemed more like a discorded version of her but it was not, apparently it was actually her. "Hey guys, you know rainbowdash? there she is as we all know her!". How in the good name of Celestia this happened.

other episodes i didn't like were

- What about discord (it was uncomfortable and the payoff was terrible, where was the joke?! was there even one? agonizingly annoying)

- Hard to say anything (i can just imagine how uncomfortable Sugar bell must have been)

- Spike at your service (spike... what ar you doing... spike, stop)

- Yakity Sax (oh god... i thought it was going to go for a very good lesson about being conscientious of the pain and well being of others, but no! just keep at it! don't mind that i have to tolerate it!)

Edited October 13, 2019 by Ittoni

[Megas 27,064]

10 minutes ago, Ittoni said:

The worst of the worst for me was definitely:

2,4,6 Greeeeat!

That was by far the worst episode surpassing 28 pranks later and mare do well, ironically the three of them rainbow episodes.

I used to like Rainbow but in 2,4,6, great she was just awful and a total asshat. It seemed more like a discorded version of her but it was not, apparently it was actually her. "Hey guys, you know rainbowdash? there she is as we all know her!". How in the good name of Celestia this happened.

other episodes i didn't like were

- What about discord 

- Hard to say anything 

- Spike at your service

I'm still convinced that episode was written completely out of spite

[Here No Longer 5,270]

The 6 worst as of now:

 

1. Fake It 'Til You Become Out of Character
2. Hard to Say Anything but That it's $#!+
3. 2,4,6, NOT Greaaat
4. Magical Musical Cancer
5. Spike In My Brain (Spike At Your Service)
6. The End in My Sanity

 

Notice most of them are from seasons 3 and 8...  Season 9 has 2,4,6 and Season 7 has HtSA.

Edited October 13, 2019 by Spider Demon

[DonMaguz 1,023]

On 6/21/2019 at 3:01 PM, DonMaguz said:

I would be disappointingly surprised if any of the last 13 episodes is even close to "Non-Compete Clause", IMO the only bad episode of the series so far.

Now that I have watched the last episodes of the series, I can happily say that 'Non Compete Clause' remains the only episode I found out to be a bad one.

[Prince Doopliss 2,350]

4 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

....Are you not going to say which?

I will say just look at the strike through episode of Season 5's worst episode in my comment. Granted it was a fairly early Season 5 episode again I did watch episodes of season 5 after it. It just guess it just kept a bad taste in my mouth considering it wasn't an episode all that bad. 

[Latecomer 438]

5 hours ago, Prince Doopliss said:

I will say just look at the strike through episode of Season 5's worst episode in my comment. Granted it was a fairly early Season 5 episode again I did watch episodes of season 5 after it. It just guess it just kept a bad taste in my mouth considering it wasn't an episode all that bad. 

The only episodes mentioned in your comment are Amending Fences and Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?

[Prince Doopliss 2,350]

4 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

The only episodes mentioned in your comment are Amending Fences and Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?

There is a strike through on on Tanks for the Memories.

[Latecomer 438]

2 minutes ago, Prince Doopliss said:

There is a strike through on on Tanks for the Memories.

Maybe you're talking abotu some earlier comment I didn't read. In any case, what did you hate about it - RD getting away with industrial sabotage?

[Prince Doopliss 2,350]

2 minutes ago, Latecomer said:

Maybe you're talking abotu some earlier comment I didn't read. In any case, what did you hate about it - RD getting away with industrial sabotage?

In away yes. While the episode had something touching for it, and had things I like about Rainbow Dash, at the same time it ruined Rainbow...kind of hard to explain.

[Megas 27,064]

It was written by the same person who had RD break into a hospital for a book. Honestly was par the course

[Thrond 3,257]

Since we're listing, and now that I've seen every episode, my definitive bottom 10 looks something like this. Unranked. 

The Show Stoppers - CMC at their most annoying without much else going on

The Mysterious Mare Do-Well - Seems weirdly spiteful towards Dash

Games Ponies Play - All the jokes here whiff and the plot is painfully contrived

Magical Mystery Cure - Whole lot of emotion for the dumbest change in the world

Tanks for the Memories - Hibernation =/= death and saying so is foolish

Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? - Bad take on mental illness + lame callbacks

What About Discord? - Not sure how this idea was supposed to be entertaining

Hard to Say Anything - Not exactly comfortable laughing at Big Mac being a creep

Non-Compete Clause - Yet more annoying bickering but with no charming moments

Dragon Dropped - Does this episode want me to hate Rarity? Because it nearly succeeds

Special mention to the Equestria Girls special Mirror Magic for just being completely useless. 

Edited October 14, 2019 by AlexanderThrond

[kicmarlene 5]

It's Yakity-sax for me... Pinkie pie was out of character so was the rest of the mane 6. She was disturbing the town while playing her instrument and then gets depressed and wants to quit ponyville only because her friends told her that she couldn't play the instrument? Wow! To tell that Pinkie is the funny/sarcastic one, sometimes I understand why Dash lied about her pies cuz she gets easily mad or depressed about the critiques she gets. She moved to the Yaks town and then her FRIENDS came, are telling her that playing the yovidaphone because (sorry if I spelled it wrong) is something that makes her happy, that she should continue to do whatever makes her happy, but like 3 days ago didn't you tell her that she shouldn't waste her time with something she wasn't capable of doing??? Yup that's definitely the worst freaking episode of the series.

Edited February 7, 2021 by kicmarlene