What, in your opinion, makes an episode good or bad?

[A Small Bear 60]

What separates a really good episode from a really bad one for you? What makes an episode mediocre or decent? I ask purely out of curiosity noticing that there are a few episodes I thought were terrible that get near unanimous praise, or episodes I thought were quite good that everybody else seems to hate.

To me, I think what makes an episode terrible is when it's trying to preach something to it's viewers that really doesn't seem quite right, or when the episode comes off as unnecessary or a waste of time. I think a good example of this is Pinkie Pride, I don't feel like it's ever properly addressed just how toxic Pinkie was in the episode nor do I think the whole "guest character steals her thunder" thing was particularly interesting or done in an interesting way. 

There are also some episodes that I like in some respects but I feel like I can't enjoy for other reasons. Lost Treasure of Griffonstone is a fun and adventurous episode but it completely writes off the lesson of Griffon the Brush-off, which in my opinion was one of the best episodes in season 1.

In terms of what I enjoy, I have fun watching heartwarming and cutesy episodes like The Perfect Pear and Sister/Brotherhooves Social, and pretty much anything with Flurry Heart in it honestly. There are quite a lot of other episodes I enjoy but I'm gonna leave it there for now. What about you guys?

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

My cases of bad episodes.

1. When a motivation behind making the episode isn't simply about making a good episode.
2. When an episode doesn't cover a worthy subject of being explored.
3. When an episode basically does the same episode over again with worse executions than before.
4. When characters act against their own character for the sake of moving the writer's narrative forward.
5. When an episode doesn't give a worthy conclusion to the premise that has been established, especially the one during the episode.
6. When the episode has so little to offer, imagining for 20 minutes is more fun than watching the episode.
7. When a viewer can easily point out an obvious flaw for valid reasons, and it's significant to establishing the episode. Worse if the viewer can also suggest an alternative. Even worse if the alternative doesn't cost much effort for doing it or coming up with it.
8. When you have to give any extra effort to presume what the writer's intentions were to help understanding the episode.
9. When an episode is being predictable early on, while not giving something more than that during the rest of the episode.
10. Whan an episode is too afraid to commit to the unique idea that justifies the episode's existance. When the episode gives half-baked explorations of the idea.
11. When underdeveloped characters doesn't get developed enough during the episode, while commiting an arrogation by acting as if thay are already fully fledged characters.
12. When the blocking, editing, voice acting, composition, writing doesn't have a vision : a direction and a purpose to support the story and to enhance the viewer's experience.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Kadeda 178]

The number one rule for me is if it's fun to watch.

It was fun watch fluttershy be a sociopath for a while in put your hoof down not to mention the mr t minotaur. Therefore for me, it was a good episode. It also show the extreme of a huge flaw fluttershy has in that she can take things to far. For example... fake it till you make it. Loved it. Fun to watch. I used these example as people tend to rag on these episodes. 

A bad episode for me would be something like the season 9 episode 3. It wasn't very interesting to me... therefore kind of a boring watch. Meaning for me... it was a bad episode. Most would say that it's at least average though.

[JH24 385]

Episode pacing.

MLP episodes tend to have a good start and ending, but slow down in the middle as they try to fill time. An episode with a good consistent pace is often (unless some of the characters are written badly) fun to watch.

An example would be "Point of no Return." It had an entertaining start and a good lesson at the end. But the middle part with Twilight and Spike looking kept on going and going. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by JH24

[Splashee 28,566]

For me, bad episodes usually include a lesson to be learned that has been done so many times before in other cartoons or shows. Also bad episodes have usually "out of character" flaws, or characters that are stuck in their old habits (haven't learned from past experiences). Then we just have bad episodes that are a pain to watch (that didn't have to be), like "Princess Spike".

 

A good episode, for me again, is an episode that keeps you (the viewer) connected emotionally "Fame and Misfortune", and has really good jokes "Fame and Misfortune", a good mix of characters "Fame and Misfortune", and a good music/song number "Fame and Misfortune". And that episode is not even on my top list of good episodes, heh.
Then we do have the biased best episodes, that are just good because we as fans have waited for them, and we go crazy watching them "A Royal Problem", "Slice of Life", etc.
MLP FIM also have the episodes that are based on one single song to keep them good, like "Sounds of Silence" and "A Friend in Deed".

This is my opinion though. If I remove any bias, and just say, what was the best episode of FIM (so far) and worst episode (so far)?, it would be:
"Rock Solid Friendship" for best, and "Non-Compete Clause" for worst.

If I include bias, being a Brony, and loving everything from Princess to Derpy, then it would be:
"A Royal Problem" for best, and "28 Pranks Later" for worst.

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

38 minutes ago, Splashee said:

For me, bad episodes usually include a lesson to be learned that has been done so many times before in other cartoons or shows. Also bad episodes have usually "out of character" flaws, or characters that are stuck in their old habits (haven't learned from past experiences). Then we just have bad episodes that are a pain to watch (that didn't have to be), like "Princess Spike".

 

A good episode, for me again, is an episode that keeps you (the viewer) connected emotionally "Fame and Misfortune", and has really good jokes "Fame and Misfortune", a good mix of characters "Fame and Misfortune", and a good music/song number "Fame and Misfortune". And that episode is not even on my top list of good episodes, heh.
Then we do have the biased best episodes, that are just good because we as fans have waited for them, and we go crazy watching them "A Royal Problem", "Slice of Life", etc.
MLP FIM also have the episodes that are based on one single song to keep them good, like "Sounds of Silence" and "A Friend in Deed".

This is my opinion though. If I remove any bias, and just say, what was the best episode of FIM (so far) and worst episode (so far)?, it would be:
"Rock Solid Friendship" for best, and "Non-Compete Clause" for worst.

If I include bias, being a Brony, and loving everything from Princess to Derpy, then it would be:
"A Royal Problem" for best, and "28 Pranks Later" for worst.

I think A Royal Problem's strongest aspect is it's pacing. Almost unlikely for an MLP episode. It is structured very tight, almost feels harsh. But the ideas are not that original. It's like the whole fandom's collective conscious manifested. To be more blunt, it took all the fanon ideas and IDW comic ideas and put them in one episode. And Starlight Glimmer's position in Equestria isn't right imo. 

Fame And Misfortune has a similar issue, which is that they simply picked up the obvious low hanging fandom arguments and made a collage out of it, but it was too late to mention them actually. And it has a lesser structure than A Royal Problem. It was interesting because of the fandom, but it might not be if the audience just watched it as the first MLP episode. And I don't buy the show runner's self defense using meta jokes.

Slice Of Life seems like a similar case, but how they treat the subject is different. They made the episode for the sake of making a fun episode as a monument to praise the fandom. What you get is what you see, and at least they nailed what they were trying to do.

Sounds Of Silence and A Friend In Deed would have worked and still be considered as good episodes even if they had no songs in them. The songs are to support the whole story. It's a cherry on top. Even the cherry is huge, the whole cupcake only can be as good as the cake part. A Friend In Deed and Smile happens to be my favorite episode and a song, but there is a reason for it. The song is based on the episode, not the other way around. They are good episodes because they are fun to watch and engages the audience emotionally.

I think the best episodes are Sonic Rainboom, A Friend In Deed, Luna Eclipsed, Inspiration Manifestation, Lesson Zero. I'm not degrading them for being the fan's favorite.

The worst episodes are Friendship University, Non-Compete Clause, Uprooted, The Parent Map, She's All Yak.

[Megas 27,761]

AMy rules for good or bad episodes are pretty simple, for good episodes it can be simple as "is it pleasant to watch?" and tbf, most episodes tend land that spot, even if they have some annoying bullshit in it. In regards to bad episodes it's usually the opposite, it's, you know, unpleasant. There are some episode that are just, well, bad, with little to know redeeming qualities, episodes like Princess Spike and What About Discord usually fit the bill. And then there are episodes that actively hate the audience for one reason or another

[A Small Bear 60]

5 hours ago, JH24 said:

Episode pacing.

MLP episodes tend to have a good start and ending, but slow down in the middle as they try to fill time. An episode with a good consistent pace is often (unless some of the characters are written badly) fun to watch.

An example would be "Point of no Return." It had an entertaining start and a good lesson at the end. But the middle part with Twilight and Spike looking kept on going and going. 

Yeah I get this 100%. The pacing in Magical Mystery Cure felt off because it felt like it rushed from one plot point to the next. If they wanted to fit so many songs in to the finale they should've honestly just made it a 2 parter. It felt like the episode was done as soon as it started.

4 hours ago, Splashee said:

For me, bad episodes usually include a lesson to be learned that has been done so many times before in other cartoons or shows. Also bad episodes have usually "out of character" flaws, or characters that are stuck in their old habits (haven't learned from past experiences). Then we just have bad episodes that are a pain to watch (that didn't have to be), like "Princess Spike".

 

A good episode, for me again, is an episode that keeps you (the viewer) connected emotionally "Fame and Misfortune", and has really good jokes "Fame and Misfortune", a good mix of characters "Fame and Misfortune", and a good music/song number "Fame and Misfortune". And that episode is not even on my top list of good episodes, heh.
Then we do have the biased best episodes, that are just good because we as fans have waited for them, and we go crazy watching them "A Royal Problem", "Slice of Life", etc.
MLP FIM also have the episodes that are based on one single song to keep them good, like "Sounds of Silence" and "A Friend in Deed".

This is my opinion though. If I remove any bias, and just say, what was the best episode of FIM (so far) and worst episode (so far)?, it would be:
"Rock Solid Friendship" for best, and "Non-Compete Clause" for worst.

If I include bias, being a Brony, and loving everything from Princess to Derpy, then it would be:
"A Royal Problem" for best, and "28 Pranks Later" for worst.

Interestingly, I think this is actually the opposite of my mindset going in to an episode. For me the whole "character regression/out of character" thing doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother others. Filli Vanilli was a favorite episode of mine despite Pinkie's obnoxious behavior because, I mean, I don't find it that distracting or offensive? Well, the way her character is misrepresented, not her behavior. Her behavior was absolutely offensive.

On the other hand, I feel like "fanservice" episodes are distracting and unnecessary! Not to knock anyone who enjoys them but I felt like Slice of Life just sort of dropped me in to a side character hell that I didn't care for that much, and the final scene in A Royal Problem dragged on a bit too long for me.

 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,596]

9 hours ago, Kiryu-Chan said:

AMy rules for good or bad episodes are pretty simple, for good episodes it can be simple as "is it pleasant to watch?" and tbf, most episodes tend land that spot, even if they have some annoying bullshit in it. In regards to bad episodes it's usually the opposite, it's, you know, unpleasant. There are some episode that are just, well, bad, with little to know redeeming qualities, episodes like Princess Spike and What About Discord usually fit the bill. And then there are episodes that actively hate the audience for one reason or another

I think I know what you're referring to...

[Will Guide 21,362]

To me, as long as a "bad" episode has some small redeeming qualities, no matter how small, or potential to be written in a fix fic, then I wouldn't call it a truly bad episode. 

Unmemorable episodes that leave no impression on you, good or bad, and end up being forgotten are the real bad episodes because they felt like a waste of time for both the viewer and the maker

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

At a very base level I would say it comes down mostly to characterization and the actual events in the story, but a lot of other things can make an episode lose quality as well.

I think 28 pranks later is the best example of a bad episode, it wants to be funny, but fails by (admitted in the episode) using lame overdone pranks endlessly until the characters prank back in what makes for a fun visual but not an interesting conflict. It tries to teach an unimportant lesson by ruining a characters credibility and turning them into a season 1 parody version  of themselves. 
Just...awful.