When was the show's peak?

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

When was the show at its best? IMO, it was Season 7.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

I think that this show has "peaked" numerous times. Primarily Seasons 2, 4, 5, & 7. Granted, I think Season 2 is the weakest of the ones listed due to how inconsistent it was at times, but those four seasons are the most consistently good.

I'd also add that they peaked for different reasons.

Edited April 9, 2019 by TheAnimationFanatic

[Will Guide 21,325]

Well, all long-running forms of media have their ups and downs. And I agree with AnimationFanatic

9 minutes ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

I think that this show has "peaked" numerous times. Primarily Seasons 2, 4, 5, & 7. Granted, I think Season 2 is the weakest of the ones listed due to how inconsistent it was at times, but those four seasons are the most consistently good.

I'd also add that they peaked for different reasons.

 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Season 2 took everything that made the first work and did on a much grander scale. It upped the ante with the opening big bad, told more emotional and personal stories, and ended with a bang. 

Season 4 did a great job of putting to rest any worries about the show losing its way by being more experimental, mature, and plot driven. Season 5 did to Season 4 what 2 did to 1, that is, it improved on its predecessor, making it the most ambitious and thought-provoking season to date.

Season 7 injected a lot of new blood and shook off some of the rust and inertia that had developed in Season 6.

[Cash In 21,509]

I want to say that it was around Season 4, but I'm sure that there were plenty of other moments where it peaked.

[Jeric 46,834]

My favorite season is 7 Easily. As far as the peak, technically that might be Season 4 as that was the largest ratings for the show. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Jeric
Bad typo is bad

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

2 minutes ago, Jeric said:

My favorite season is 6. Easily. As far as the peak, technically that might be Season 4 as that was the largest ratings for the show. 

Season 6 is perhaps the most underrated of the bunch. While it's fair to say that there were missteps, it had plenty of highs and did many things right. It expanded on the lore, implemented Starlight Glimmer as part of the group, and it took chances with episodes like "The Saddle Row Review" and "Stranger Than Fanfiction".

"To Where and Back Again" took risks with the formula by going against expectations and having someone outside of the lead heroines save the day.

 

[Jeric 46,834]

Just now, TheAnimationFanatic said:

Season 6 is perhaps the most underrated of the bunch. While it's fair to say that there were missteps, it had plenty of highs and did many things right. It expanded on the lore, implemented Starlight Glimmer as part of the group, and it took chances with episodes like "The Saddle Row Review" and "Stranger Than Fanfiction".

"To Where and Back Again" took risks with the formula by going against expectations and having someone outside of the lead heroines save the day.

 

I screwed up and typed 6 instead of 7. I definitely agree that 6 doesn’t enough respect. 

[Here No Longer 5,270]

I say I agree with @TheAnimationFanaticon this. This series has peaked multiple times. The biggest peak, though easily was the entirety of Season 4. The season really impressed me on the whole with how it took the show in a new direction and did it with the most consistent quality that the show has ever had to date for that length of time.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Just now, Jeric said:

I screwed up and typed 6 instead of 7. I definitely agree that 6 doesn’t enough respect. 

Season 7 is my favorite as well. It utilized Starlight Glimmer more effectively after kind of being underutilized in Season 6, felt more focused, and balanced fanservice with character-driven stories. 

[Megas 27,063]

I'm gonna go ahead and say S4-5, the show was consistently getting better and really peaked around there. This will sound strange, but while I do agree S7 is better and that it's arguably the best season of the show, it's also sandwiched between two of the show's weakest seasons(and bear in mind I like season 8), whereas 1-5 were a lot more consistent

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

31 minutes ago, This Whomps said:

I'm gonna go ahead and say S4-5, the show was consistently getting better and really peaked around there. This will sound strange, but while I do agree S7 is better and that it's arguably the best season of the show, it's also sandwiched between two of the show's weakest seasons(and bear in mind I like season 8), whereas 1-5 were a lot more consistent

That's funny, I'd argue that Season 3 was weaker than 6 and 8. I like all three of them, but S3 consisting of only 13 episodes (which isn't their fault) made it feel a bit more abrupt and inconsistent.

[Will Guide 21,325]

1 hour ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

Season 6 is perhaps the most underrated of the bunch. While it's fair to say that there were missteps, it had plenty of highs and did many things right. It expanded on the lore, implemented Starlight Glimmer as part of the group, and it took chances with episodes like "The Saddle Row Review" and "Stranger Than Fanfiction".

"To Where and Back Again" took risks with the formula by going against expectations and having someone outside of the lead heroines save the day.

 

I agree that while S6 doesn't get a lot of memorable episodes, it still has some of my absolute favorites like "Flutter Brutter" for a surprisingly relatable character, "Times They Are a Changeling" for making Changelings my favorite non-pony race with the debut of Thorax, and "To Where and Back Again" for providing the perfect fan fiction side story of Will Guide discovering his literal Changeling Soulmate alongside the original plot.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

16 minutes ago, Will Guide said:

I agree that while S6 doesn't get a lot of memorable episodes, it still has some of my absolute favorites like "Flutter Brutter" for a surprisingly relatable character, "Times They Are a Changeling" for making Changelings my favorite non-pony race with the debut of Thorax, and "To Where and Back Again" for providing the perfect fan fiction side story of Will Guide discovering his literal Changeling Soulmate alongside the original plot.

There were plenty of memorable episodes in S6, but there were a few more duds than 4,5, and 7.

[Will Guide 21,325]

Just now, TheAnimationFanatic said:

There were plenty of memorable episodes in S6, but there were a few more duds than 4,5, and 7.

Not that memorable to me personally.  

I mentioned before that I rather take a bad, but memorable episode over a great episode that leaves no impression and becomes forgettable to me.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

Viewership-wise, Twilight’s Kingdom. They’re the most anticipated and watched episodes of the entire series, the latter with nearly 800,000 viewers.

But if I were to go with overall quality, both Season 5 and Season 7 to the present. The former’s my fav. Nowadays, it’s more consistently good and great than ever before.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

1 hour ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Viewership-wise, Twilight’s Kingdom. They’re the most anticipated and watched episodes of the entire series, the latter with nearly 800,000 viewers.

But if I were to go with overall quality, both Season 5 and Season 7 to the present. The former’s my fav. Nowadays, it’s more consistently good and great than ever before.

To be fair, the series has never been a ratings juggernaut, even when The Hub was still a thing.

[bigbertha 410]

Season 2. Not only the season with the most good episodes but also with the overall best good episodes.

Though I do think season 3 could've been better than season 2 if it was a full season.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

1 hour ago, bigbertha said:

Season 2. Not only the season with the most good episodes but also with the overall best good episodes.

Though I do think season 3 could've been better than season 2 if it was a full season.

Season 2 is good, but also somewhat inconsistent. The highs are numerous and more plentiful than Season 1, but its lows are deeper and a bit more plentiful than almost any other season barring maybe 6.

 

[bigbertha 410]

1 hour ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

but its lows are deeper and a bit more plentiful than almost any other season barring maybe 6.

 

I don't think so. Season 2 has the least amount of episodes I don't like with only 7, compared to most other seasons where I dislike 10 or more episodes. 

[AveryGamerDude 4,640]

I'd say in terms of quality... Season 4 easily takes the cake for me.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

1 hour ago, bigbertha said:

I don't think so. Season 2 has the least amount of episodes I don't like with only 7, compared to most other seasons where I dislike 10 or more episodes. 

The opposite is the case for me. Each season has its duds, but Season 2 has more and worse duds than any of the other seasons.

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

I don't know how to answer this, the show is so consistently great that calling one the peak seems unfair 

I think the show has progressively gotten better with occasional dips in quality such as season 6 being worse than 5 (but still good) and 8 being worse than 7 (but still good) I think I would say seasons 5 and 7 are both the best seasons the series has had, followed by 4 and 2.

However, if s9 stays as good as that premiere, I think this last season maybe it's best yet.

[Kadeda 178]

I love all the seasons... but technically, season 5 is probably the peak season. I do want to talk about season 6, i don't get why people don't like it to be honest. A lot of people say they didn't use starlight right but did they think Starlight was going to be the perfect little person right away? That makes no sense. She was evil for years... you don't just properly cut out all of those morally dubious actions right away. Most likely... people are going to have to tell you that there wrong.

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

I think Season 5 was the height of the show for me personally.