Mediocre/Bad Episode VS. Awful Episode

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

Rather than make a thread where we can all slag on episodes we don't like, I thought I'd go with something more constructive.

What in your mind separates a mediocre or mildly episode from an all-time awful one? Which aspects push an episode from forgettable to unforgivable? 

[cmarston1 5,959]

While when it comes to both mediocre and bad episodes, I consider them to be episodes that I don't really ever want to see again.  However the whys I don't want to see them again is where the differences becomes apparent.

Take an episode like Bloom and Gloom for example, I consider it to be mediocre as it just feels like yet another Applebloom feeling insecure about her cutie mark situation episode, that drags on and on and gets pretty repetitive.  I wouldn't want to watch the episode because it bores me, and I can't really think of anything all that interesting or remarkable that would come from it.

For an episode I consider to be bad, I would use Newbie Dash as an example.  While I don't passionately hate like others do, I can't say that I really like either.  The reason I don't want to watch it is not because it is boring or unremarkable, but it is that what it does wrong, it does memorably wrong.  The comedy in Newbie Dash falls pretty flat for me, and made me cringe throughout the episode.  Especially the impressions scene.

Basically what I am saying is that I consider a mediocre episode to be something forgettable/unremarkable/boring, but while it doesn't really do anything all that great, doesn't really do anything all that terrible.  For a bad episode I would consider it to be an episode that does one major or multiple different things that I can't look past and make the over all viewing experience not very fun.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

I absolutely loved "Bloom and Gloom", it felt like a better version of "The Cutie Pox". But I digress...

In all seriousness, I agree with a lot of what you said. It's one thing if an episode doesn't do anything remarkably good or bad, it's another thing when an episode has several negative aspects that override the positive aspects.

[Goat-kun 2,528]

Tread lightly and behold: bad movies are often marked as forgettable. It is truly a shame that oblivion, one of haters' greatest allies, remains so unfathomable to those that are still trying to weave gold strings out of hay.

 

 

What is H-Bro trying to achieve? Can being unforgivable in just the right way turn something into a classic? Can constant stimulation overcome effective stimulation? Ask Disney ... or H-Bro. Be a holistic detective

[Megas 27,764]

I tend to judge episode with whether I like it or hate it, rather than if it's good or bad. I might still like a mediocre or bad episode, or I won't care about it at worst. Awful episodes are reserved for episodes that I straight up hate and piss me off

Like, I don't think Spike At Your Service or Games Ponies Play are good episodes but I still fucking love them, for all their problems they still have stuff I loved that still has me going back to it(AJ being a badass and great interaction between the mane 6 in the former, RD taking the blame for Twilight and Harshwhinny for the latter). Rainbow Falls isn't very good but at the very least it has good intentions. Tanks For The Memories is hurt by the fact that they actually can't kill off Tank and have to settle for hibernation, but I still love it. I think AJ's Day Off is the worst episode of Season 6, but I don't hate it at all, it's just incredibly boring with practically nothing happening, but fuck I'll still take it over a good chunk of the episodes that season. Likewise Princess Spike is probably the worst episode of the entire show, but I don't hate it, like at all. If it ever pops up I might leave it on for background noise. It doesn't offend me or go out of its way to piss me off, it's just... bad, but I'll still take it over What About Discord.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

1 minute ago, This Whomps said:

I tend to judge episode with whether I like it or hate it, rather than if it's good or bad. I might still like a mediocre or bad episode, or I won't care about it at worst. Awful episodes are reserved for episodes that I straight up hate and piss me off

Like, I don't think Spike At Your Service or Games Ponies Play are good episodes but I still fucking love them, for all their problems they still have stuff I loved that still has me going back to it(AJ being a badass and great interaction between the mane 6 in the former, RD taking the blame for Twilight and Harshwhinny for the latter). Rainbow Falls isn't very good but at the very least it has good intentions. Tanks For The Memories is hurt by the fact that they actually can't kill off Tank and have to settle for hibernation, but I still love it. I think AJ's Day Off is the worst episode of Season 6, but I don't hate it at all, it's just incredibly boring with practically nothing happening, but fuck I'll still take it over a good chunk of the episodes that season. Likewise Princess Spike is probably the worst episode of the entire show, but I don't hate it, like at all. If it ever pops up I might leave it on for background noise. It doesn't offend me or go out of its way to piss me off, it's just... bad, but I'll still take it over What About Discord.

Or "Newbie Dash"?

[Megas 27,764]

4 minutes ago, TheAnimationFana said:

Or "Newbie Dash"?

Yes, I'd gladly take Princess Spike over it. I avoided mentioning it because I'm kinda sick of dwelling on it at this point. Like everyone knows I hate, it still pisses me off but even I want try to move past it

Edited January 21, 2019 by This Whomps

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

Just now, This Whomps said:

Yes, I'd gladly take Princess Spike over it. I avoided mentioning it because I'm kinda sick of dwelling on it at this point. Like everyone knows I hate, it still pisses me off but at this point even I want try to move past it

I feel you. Princess Spike nearly made me lose faith in Spike episodes altogether, but it can be looked at as just a filler episode.

Non-Compete Clause was the first time since "That-Episode-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named" that I had a volatile reaction to an episode.

[Kadeda 178]

I am of the belief that no episode is bad so... there are no all-time awful ones.

[imawesome 449]

A mediocre episode might have bad storytelling/writing, but it still has a few enjoyable elements that make it worth watching. Episodes that are mediocre in my opinion would be Apple Family Reunion, Fake It 'Til You Make It, Simple Ways, and others. 

A downright awful one (although MLP does well in not having a lot of these) may be excruciatingly boring, terribly offensive, or all of the above. Episodes like that for me would be Dragon Quest, Putting Your Hoof Down, Honest Apple, and just a few others.

What I'm trying to say is that a mediocre episode might not be especially memorable or fantastic, but it doesn't swoop as low as to be cruel, offensive, or boring to the point of pain. 

1 hour ago, TheAnimationFana said:

 Non-Compete Clause was the first time since "That-Episode-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named" that I had a volatile reaction to an episode.

Sorry, but what is "That Episode That Shall Not Be Named"?

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

Just now, imawesome said:

A mediocre episode might have bad storytelling/writing, but it still has a few enjoyable elements that make it worth watching. Episodes that are mediocre in my opinion would be Apple Family Reunion, Fake It 'Til You Make It, Simple Ways, and others. 

A downright awful one (although MLP does well in not having a lot of these) may be excruciatingly boring, terribly offensive, or all of the above. Episodes like that for me would be Dragon Quest, Putting Your Hoof Down, Honest Apple, and just a few others.

What I'm trying to say is that a mediocre episode might not be especially memorable or fantastic, but it doesn't swoop as low as to be cruel, offensive, or boring to the point of pain. 

Sorry, but what is "That Episode That Shall Not Be Named"?

Spoiler

Newbie Dash 

 

[imawesome 449]

@TheAnimationFana Funny, as I didn't see the episode as being THAT bad. Sure, it wasn't that great, but I thought it was an accurate characterization of Rainbow, her friends, and the Wonderbolts. Don't see why so many people hate it so much. 

Edited January 24, 2019 by imawesome

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

The difference between the two is, one is being not good, the other is being bad. But if we want to seperate those two and be more specific, we could also say being mediocre could imply not being good while being forgettable, and being awful is being bad but at least having few things to remember, or having an interesting idea/synopsis.

For me, the prime examples of mediocre are Road to Friendship, Daring Done, The Cart Before Ponies. The bad ones could be Newbie Dash, Mysterious Mare Do well, Friendship University.

Of course there are things like being mediocre but having few things memorable like Party Pooped (the second half was a great presentation of Pinkie's character) or being bad and being bland at the same time like Non-Complete Clause. (That's why it's the lowest rating episode of MLP of IMDB.)

MLP the Movie and Rainbow Rocks are very good examples for me. MLP the Movie doesn't have something bothering or awful, just well polished and delivers the average story, but little bland. Rainbow Rocks was doomed to have lots of prominent problems, but also had good things too.

I'd say I always prefer a less terrible story possible while having many things interesting as possible (of course). Because like I said, there are terrible and forgettable episodes.

If I have to choose between the two options, I'd say awful but something memorable and risky, but only as far as it doesn't affect other episodes by ruining the character or the setting (the reason I didn't like Rainbow Falls was becsuse of the depiction of The Wonderbolts were not like something that someone would look up to).

If the show tries to be mediocre and risks nothing, it eventually turns into something forgettable and bad.

[Metemponychosis 1,262]

@TheAnimationFana

I think that the difference is a balance. Episodes in MLP, to me, need to be, first and foremost, entertaining. But if it's all the episode is, then it becomes forgettable. I need episodes to give me lore, to build on characters, build on the world.

Now, a bad episode dis something that is so 'dumb' that it's entertainment value is lost to me.

[Will Guide 21,362]

@TheAnimationFana

I much rather have an objectively bad, but memorable episode like Newbie Dash and Non-Compete Clause than a forgettable episode that leaves no impression on me like "Fluttershy Leans in" and "Cutie Pox"

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Well let's see, a mediocre episode in my opinion is an episode that seems boring to me. An episode like AJ's Day Off or Hooffields and McColts!

Then there's an awful episode which really brings the worst in a character and it starts to bother me, like Princess Spike or 28 Pranks Later!

[imawesome 449]

31 minutes ago, Bas said:

 Honest Apple - That's the one with AJ youth, aye? It explains a lot of things and is another one of over-the-top eps I tend to love.

 

No, that's the one where AJ acts extremely out of character to the point where she destroys somepony's fashion project. 

31 minutes ago, Bas said:

 PYHD had aggroshy. Out of character. I feel a lot of hate for these episodes comes from ppl want their ponies to act in a certain way and have issues to accept if their expectations aren't uphold. For me, this episode has actually a lot going on; FS NEEDING to stand up to not be a doormat, then a hilarious OOC, and then the realization she went too far. That's pretty much.

 

Yes, but insulting Pinkie and Rares was a bit TOO far for me, and it was kind of hard to believe Fluttershy would become an entirely new pony just after one day. 

33 minutes ago, Bas said:

DQ has freaking dragons. Yes, they are not nice, but they are dragons, so why should they? We also get to see Spike's origins.

 

Okay, so Dragon Quest would have to be the LEAST bad for me out of the three, but still, it was boring, forgettable, and had a messed up moral, which are all things I expect FiM to steer away from. 

[Here No Longer 5,276]

Well, I generally judge episodes by how much I personally like them.

But generally mediocre episodes aren't good, but I can still sit through. Episodes like Boast Busters. Bad episodes are generally ones I can't sit through without feeling like a blood cell in my brain's about to burst, like Fake It 'Til You Make It.

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

Memorable bad episode or Forgettable mediocre episode. Which one is the worst? For me, both of them are the worst so i put  them in the same category.

The episodes that shouldnt exist and the episodes that just no longer exist after you turned off the screen. Which one is the worst to you guys?