Does anyone else wonder how different the series would've been if Lauren Faust didn't leave?

[AlicornSpell 142]

Lauren Faust left during sometime around season 2. And after she left, I heard that the show started to go in a completely different direction from what she originally intended. 

I could only imagine how annoyed she probably gets that the show went into a completely different direction than to what she originally intended. 

[TBD 17,228]

Well for sure there won't be any of this.

But then again...there's Super Heroes Girls so never mind that. Other then that, I don't think it won't be any much different since we don't really know what she's initially intended. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by TBD

[Will Guide 21,325]

1 minute ago, TBD said:

Well for sure there won't be any of this.

But then again...there's Super Heroes Girls so never mind that. Other then that, I don't think it won't be any much different since we don't really know what she's initially intended. 

What do you mean there would be none of that. Luaren actually wanted there to be more action. In fact, Zecora was going to debut in the 2nd part of the Pilot and be a 2nd mentor to Twilight, something that actually happened for a bit in S3's Magic Duel.

[TBD 17,228]

Just now, Will Guide said:

What do you mean there would be none of that. Luaren actually wanted there to be more action. In fact, Zecora was going to debut in the 2nd part of the Pilot and be a 2nd mentor to Twilight, something that actually happened for a bit in S3's Magic Duel.

I did say this

5 minutes ago, TBD said:

But then again...there's Super Heroes Girls so never mind that.

1 minute ago, Will Guide said:

Zecora was going to debut in the 2nd part of the Pilot and be a 2nd mentor to Twilight, something that actually happened for a bit in S3's Magic Duel

So she was planning to have zecora to be her mentor? Well that's a shame we didn't get that. 

[Will Guide 21,325]

7 minutes ago, TBD said:

. Other then that, I don't think it won't be any much different since we don't really know what she's initially intended. 

The Art of Equestria art book from late 2015 contained a section of drawings and an interview with Luaren Faust done by Mary Jane Begin

[RDDash 18,862]

I try not to think about that, It's like she left long time ago and I made my peace with it. Whatever she thought she is going to do is ancient history at this point.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Personally, I'm glad how the show has turned out without her influence. I think the people who took the reigns afterwards are doing a good job.

[Singe 2,109]

She wouldn't have stayed on for 9 seasons. At some point, she would try to wrap up the show. There likely wouldn't be an Alicorn Princess Twilight but if it had to happen, then there would have been at least more time of unicorn Twilight. No Equestria Girls unless she had whole new characters instead of rehashing the same cast.

We could have by a long shot had a Genndy Tartakovsky styled episode.

[SBaby 660]

29 minutes ago, Singe said:

She wouldn't have stayed on for 9 seasons. At some point, she would try to wrap up the show. There likely wouldn't be an Alicorn Princess Twilight but if it had to happen, then there would have been at least more time of unicorn Twilight. No Equestria Girls unless she had whole new characters instead of rehashing the same cast.

We could have by a long shot had a Genndy Tartakovsky styled episode.

From what I understand, Lauren Faust only had material for three or four Seasons.  So anything beyond that would have been up in the air as to what might have been included.

[FearTheBelle 55]

It would have been worse. Seasons 1 and 2 are not nearly as good as most of what followed.

Edited March 21, 2019 by FearTheBelle

[bigbertha 410]

It would most likely have been better. Sure, season 3 didn't have Faust and I think that's a good season, but I feel like that season was trying to stay consistent with the style of the first 2 seasons. The show started to suffer once it broke away from Faust's style in season 4.

[Denim&Venöm 16,503]

Probably would've been a lot shorter. I'm under the impression Faust doesn't like to stick with the same project for too long. She has too many ideas going and wants to start work on the next one. So MLP may have been only four seasons. Perhaps as few as three. 

[JMTV99 1,348]

It would've been completely different, but not as drastically different then we had right now.

To be honest, I was quite hesitant to talk about because it had been such a decisive topic over the years after we raised Season 4 and 5 with MASSIVLEY high expectations. Now that the show was already over, I think it's a good time to let my feelings out on this whole issue whatever Lauren Faust leaving after Season 2 of FiM is a good thing or a bad thing or just neutral.

In my personal opinion, it's a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I do agree with most consensus that Faust left the show  leads to FiM significantly improved in quality. Also, I can't imagined my favorite episodes of the entire franchise like Twilight's Kingdom, Amending Fences, and Slice-of-Life would still exist if Faust was still on board.

But on the other hand, there's a lot of ideas and concepts that Faust created were so fascinating and interesting that I would love to see it come to life. Plus, having McCarthy and old writers, and Jayson Thissesen to come back and flesh them out would've been so amazing. I mean, say what you will about Faust when it comes to her writing, her concepts were so interesting and very inspiring. Heck, her drawing style is my major inspiration when it comes to my drawings. Plus, considering on what happened during Season 6-9, I’m pretty sure that Faust and Co.s’ ideas and visions for the show will end on a much happier note and less bittersweet (especially the bitter part) if they were to stay.

Despite Faust left the show due to creative differences with Hasbro at the time, I'm glad she left a landmark for an amazing series that left a special place in everyone's heart for over a decade. Myself included.

Edited May 12, 2021 by JMTV99

[Megas 27,063]

I dunno if it would have been as good as the S4 or S5. On the other hand S6-9 wouldn't have happened as there's a good chance she'd tried to end it a earlier. Also don't know if EQG would be a thing since that was supposedly still in development while she was still there I believe

On 2019-03-21 at 1:34 PM, Denim&Venöm said:

Probably would've been a lot shorter. I'm under the impression Faust doesn't like to stick with the same project for too long. She has too many ideas going and wants to start work on the next one. So MLP may have been only four seasons. Perhaps as few as three. 

Honestly it felt like the show lasted longer than it needed to especially going by the last two seasons

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

Oh, I don't lose any sleep over it.  I love the direction the show went and how it turned out, so perhaps it's a good thing that she left, although I do wonder what her ultimate vision was.  In any case, she still has my deep gratitude for inventing FIM and showing people that story can come first, even in a kids show that exists to sell toys.

[Landi 597]

It's an interesting thing to think about. Considering seasons one and two are my favorite ones, I'd think she'd make the series a bit better then what we got, but that's hard to say for sure. I actually think it was her in combination with the early writers that helped make the series so good, not just her. So even though she did end up leaving early on, the original writers stuck around for a few more seasons to carry her legacy. After all the original writers were gone was really when the quality started to drop. But like I said before, it's to say what the show would be like if Faust stayed.

[JMTV99 1,348]

46 minutes ago, Landi72 said:

It's an interesting thing to think about. Considering seasons one and two are my favorite ones, I'd think she'd make the series a bit better then what we got, but that's hard to say for sure. I actually think it was her in combination with the early writers that helped make the series so good, not just her. So even though she did end up leaving early on, the original writers stuck around for a few more seasons to carry her legacy. After all the original writers were gone was really when the quality started to drop. But like I said before, it's to say what the show would be like if Faust stayed.

Yeah, I’m really glad that the original writers were able to carry Faust’s legacy and wrote some of the amazing episodes of the series.

Once they’re gone and replaced by new writers, it did become a shell of its former self.

[Evil Pink One 12,968]

Faust wasn't that great... I'm sure it won't last 3 seasons....

[cupcakery 79]

15 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

Faust wasn't that great... I'm sure it won't last 3 seasons....

edited: let's pretend i never said anything

Edited May 13, 2021 by cupcakery

[Evil Pink One 12,968]

@cupcakery

Yeah that's why she regretted leaving early when she found out her work got famous.

Then she tried the supergirl's..... Mehhh some of it are ......good?

[Evil Pink One 12,968]

@JMTV99 

Some like strawberries some like apples. Some hate faust. And some blindly worship her. Everyone has they're differences so don't be sad about it.

[JMTV99 1,348]

10 minutes ago, Kujamih said:

@JMTV99 

Some like strawberries some like apples. Some hate faust. And some blindly worship her. Everyone has they're differences so don't be sad about it.

I understand. That's fair.

Edited May 13, 2021 by JMTV99

[CaesarSalad 36]

I don't hate the later seasons, and actually enjoy plenty of episodes from them. But to be honest, I probably would've preferred the direction of the show if Faust and more of the older writers had stayed. I prefer the writing style of the older seasons, and think the show would've ended off better if it hadn't run for so long. Equestria Girls would've never existed, along with some fan-pandering stuff, which I consider to be a good thing. Twilight probably would've stayed a unicorn and her tree library wouldn't have gotten destroyed in place of an ugly looking castle too, both of which would be a plus for me.

[Evil Pink One 12,968]

Problem is... What IS faust's plans?

 

[Astralshy 23,544]

No, I don't. I like all the seasons with or without her. It's of course interesting to speculate, I see that. Still one would need to assume so many things in this speculation, that I really don't see any real outcome (for me). I rather enjoy the show or create new content.