Why do people hate Season 6?

[Octavia Heartstrings 28,407]

I've noticed that a lot of people on this forum consider Season 6 to be one of the worst seasons of the show, which I don't really get. I mean, sure, the premiere and the finale were pretty disappointing, but I actually found most of Season 6 to be pretty good. Some of my favorites from this season include "The Saddle Row Review", "Flutter Brutter" and "Viva Las Pegasus".

So, yeah, I don't see what's so bad about it. Anypony else want to share their thoughts on this underrated (in my opinion anyway) season?

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

I also think that Season 6 is mostly pretty good. Not great mind you, but still good. But I can gather some reasons as to why some people aren't as fond of it:

1. It was seen as a step down coming off the heels of an amazing Season 5.

2. Starlight Glimmer's presence bothered her detractors, while people who were fans of the character felt that Season 6 underutilized her.

3. It featured some of the more unpopular episodes in recent memory (Newbie Dash, The Cart Before The Ponies, 28 Pranks Later).

4. It's sandwiched between two of the show's strongest seasons in S5 and S7.

That's just a few reasons I can think of

I don't agree with many of the reasons, btw.

[bigbertha 410]

Eh. I definitely don't like season 6 since most episodes don't stick out either positively or negatively, but I guess it's not as bad as seasons 5 or 7 which both have some of my least favorites of the show.

Edited April 19, 2019 by bigbertha

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

9 minutes ago, bigbertha said:

Eh. I definitely don't like season 6 since most episodes don't stick out either positively or negatively, but I guess it's not as bad as seasons 5 or 7 which both have some of my least favorites of the show.

Both of those seasons are arguably the show's best, so what are you on about? 

[Megas 27,064]

It’s the only time I ever considered giving up on the show. Some of my least favorite episodes aired in season 6, one of which was an episode i’ve complained about so much people are sick of it(which that alone makes it my least favorite by default). It’s the worst season for over half the main cast, some genuinely asinine story decisions in the show as a whole, terrible story arcs and story conclusions. I’m not gonna say anything stupid like it has no good episodes because that’s a blatant lie, there’s plenty of fantastic episodes, but imo, they weren’t enough to mitigate the bad episodes which, when they were bad, they were bad

The fact that it’s arguably the most creatively free season of the show, no constraints or toy tie ins apart from the virtually nonexistent Explore Manehattan  Equestria moniker only adds loads of salt to the wound 

Edited April 19, 2019 by This Whomps

[Kion 7,374]

Season 6 is my second favorite season it has so many great episodes  like To where and back again, Every little thing she does, A hearts warming tale, No second prances, Gauntlet of Fire, The crystalling, The Times there are a changeling, Flutter brutter, Top Bolt, Viva Las Pegasus, the saddle row and Review,  The fault in our cutie marks, Stranger than fanfiction, but also a lot of meh and bad  episodes.  Like 28 pranks later, The cart before the ponies, Newbie dash, PPOV, Apple Jacks day off, On your Marks,  Buckball season,  and Dungeons and discord. But  what really makes season 6 great is Starlight she is the best part of season 6 and I love all her episodes. And the season 6 finale to where and back again is my favorite episode from the entire series. 

[JH24 385]

Season 6 isn't one of my favorites but it wasn't really bad either. I thought the first half of the season had some solid (or good) episodes like Heart Warmings Tail, Saddle Row Review, Flutter Brutter, Stranger than Fanfiction, Cart before the Ponies and (dare I say it?) Newbie Dash.

The second half of the season for me was weaker and more inconsistent.

Newbie Dash by itself probably didn't do the season any favors for its image either. 

Edited April 19, 2019 by JH24

[bigbertha 410]

1 hour ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

Both of those seasons are arguably the show's best, so what are you on about? 

I've written reviews for every episode that you can look at if you want.

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

It was less like what the show was leading up to until season 5. It was less flashy, less meta, less fan-serviced. However, Season 7 continues the essence where season 5 left off. Nonetheless, I think season 6 explores some unique aspects of certain characters and their relationships. There are some good episodes. But people remember the worst episodes and the best few episodes the most. Season 3's ending was so controversial, people judge the entire season based on it. Season 6 had an underwhelming premiere without villains which they didn't expected, it had the infamous Newbie Dash, the mediocre The Cart Before The Ponies which misrepresented the vanilla tone of the season, Applejack's "Day" Off, which was criticized by making Applejack unreasonably dumb, 28 Pranks Later, which was also controversial.

I still consider the last two good episodes. Buckball Season was great, Where The Apple Lies was one of very few examples of doing a fanservice wile telling a self contained complete story, The Saddle Row Review was well directed and benefited from the personality of directing, Gauntlet of Fire was great because they used an opportunity of exploring unknown territory as a driving force for writing fresh and unconstrained story, Flutter Brutter had an annoying character but a painfully real situation as well, A Gift of Maud Pie was a well written heart warming story based on characters and utilized them well, Top Bolt made The Wonderbolts fresh and exciting again ever since Rainbow Dash joined them, and also told a great friendship story and dealt with real conflicts as well, and the season's finale was a clever twist and avoided the obvious "Where is Luna? Where is Celestia? Where is Discord?" dilemma while not using the Elements which was getting stale for a while.

However, my biggest blame on season 6 is, not exploring and growing Starlight Glimmer enough in a way that matches her importance as a main role for later seasons, and writing the CMC's post-cutie mark episodes less interesting than it could have been.

But I still think it's not a bad season. Even it doesn't have some few extraordinary episodes like season 5, it is more stable and constant and more interesting than season 5 for me. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

4 hours ago, TheAnimationFanatic said:

I also think that Season 6 is mostly pretty good. Not great mind you, but still good. But I can gather some reasons as to why some people aren't as fond of it:

1. It was seen as a step down coming off the heels of an amazing Season 5.

2. Starlight Glimmer's presence bothered her detractors, while people who were fans of the character felt that Season 6 underutilized her.

3. It featured some of the more unpopular episodes in recent memory (Newbie Dash, The Cart Before The Ponies, 28 Pranks Later).

4. It's sandwiched between two of the show's strongest seasons in S5 and S7.

That's just a few reasons I can think of

 I don't agree with many of the reasons, btw.

It's odd that two of the most popular seasons of the show are Spike's worst seasons - no wonder people don't believe in him!

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Season six was okay. Not really that hateable. It isn't as good as Season 4 or Season 5 but it's just okay.

[Will Guide 21,325]

Not many impressionable episodes in it that have me coming back. Not bad, just not very memorable. The only episodes I really rewatch over and over are: "Flutter Brutter"  "Times They Are a Changeling", and "To Where and Back Again"

[Zestanor 98]

Since I watched seasons 5 through 7 the first time as a marathon, having been away from the show for a while, I have a different perspective. I didn't take months long breaks in between them watching them straight through, I didn't sense a decline in quality or a higher frequency of bad episodes. So it might be the case that some people dislike season 6 because of outside factors. Maybe because it aired alongside the divisive presidential election. Maybe communication between fans and showrunners/writers/VAs was at a low point that year. Basically, whenever people say that such and such season was better than another, that judgment is never quite as simple as an evaluation of all the individual episodes in the season, or even an evaluation of season-long arcs. (There were several great episodes, including the finale, and the "arc" of Trixie is bolder than anything we'd seen so far). That judgment also incorporates the sense of the fandom at the time.

[RulesofRarity 489]

Because it’s not as filled with fanservice as Season 5 and 7 were. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

I don't hate or dislike S6, but it's my least favorite season.

1. For the most part, the good episodes aren't that good; only Times was closest. But when it got bad, it was really bad, and there were plenty; Newbie Dash, Cart, PPOV, and 28PL are each among the worst of the series.
2. There were a few instances where Starlight could've been with the RM7, whether in a background or nonspeaking role (such as Dungeons & Discord), but she was relegated to just a few. Between Tail and Every Little Thing, she was tertiary in one and secondary in another. And when she was written, she normally wasn't executed well. To Where is supposed to prove not only that Starlight changed, but how much she progressed. Very difficult to buy the latter when S6 ignores her most of the year. (S7 handles her much better.)
3. AJ and Dash had their worst seasons here. Twilight's outing in No Second Prances is her worst secondary role since Owl's Well, whereas Rarity's growth from Canterlot Boutique is conveniently ignored in Spice Up Your Life.

[FirePuppy 626]

I actually liked Season 6 a little more than Season 8. Of course, there were some useless episodes, like:

• On Your Marks
• Applejack's Day Off
• The Cart Before the Ponies
• 28 Pranks Later

[The MegaBrony 218]

Season 6 is pretty much forgettable.