Ranking the 14th episodes

[KH7672 1,604]

And just like that Season 3 is out of the rankings, so lets continue on with episode 14 and well a few of these are probably pretty divisive episodes. Great maybe not the best for some but the worst thing for others so let's see how the opinions fair:

1. Suited for Success- Just a great overall Season 1 episode and surprisingly one that tied into the finale. What sells it though is Rarity's performance from her generosity to the song especially the reprise (and no it's not for THAT meme ) Plus the cringe works well and the ending is my favorite visual wise in Season 1.

2. Canterlot Boutique- Rarity shines here but for me so does Sassy Saddles. She became the much better foil to Rarity than the likes of Suri Polomare. Plus it was great to see Rarity fulfill her dream (one of the few episodes that did it right for me) and sing about the "Rules of Rarity"

3. The Last Roundup- Applejack has a unique dilemma and I really liked the lengths the Mane 6 go to to show they care about her from the montage, the the cherry farm, to the carriage chase and it's all entertaining, especially Pinkie. And that's it nothing else in particular about this episode to be mentioned  it's just solid.

4. A Matter of Principals- I'm conflicted because Discord is just so bad here and yet I love Starlight's characterization and the chance to solve a problem after magic doesn't work. It evolves her character well but does it really devolve Discord's? For me not really, I've never had that much investment in him but even for those that do I can still see this work with just a few tweaks. Plus I'm just entertained thoroughly by this episode.

5. The Last Laugh- It may not have been better than Pinkie Pride but it still is a fantastic Pinkie episode in displaying the strengths of her character as a fun loving and caring pony. I even enjoyed the straight delivery Weird Al got to put on as Cheese, as even though it's not using him to his potential it's still using him uniquely and at least he still got a song. Plus Sans Smirk was a great supporting character.

6. Fame and Misfortune- It may make no sense, it may be mean spirited, it may be strawmaning every pony who's not the Mane 6, Starlight, Coconut Cream and Toola Roola, but I still find all the actual contents of the episode so entertaining as a kind of episode just absorb and not think about. Even the song works better without context. I also can't lie and say it isn't biased because of the support Starlight gives.

7. Filli Vanilli- I'm gonna let you in on a secret....I never minded Fluttershy's slow progression of lessons like at all, and maybe that's why I became so apprehensive to her late season characterizations. I still enjoy this episode a lot because of Fluttershy, and it's only this low because of Pinkie Pie, but again I don't even consider it that bad.

8. The Cart Before the Ponies- It's okay, not even bad but I'd say the word for this episode is more frustrating. Watching the older sisters take control and the CMC are just helpless. I will say the highlight is the "Derby Racers" song and getting see the other classmates out and about in the background including Diamond Tiara! Shame she still never speaks again 

[Megas 27,743]

Oh wow, some classics and some real drek here

1) Suited for Success - A straight up classic, one of the show's most legendary episodes that really challenged people's perception of Rarity
2) The Last Roundup - A great AJ episode as well as a great mane 6. Also fuck the Derpy bullshit, it's not a Derpy episode and just because they changed her doesn't make this episode any less worse
3) Canterlot Boutique - It was great to see Rarity finally expand her business and Sassy Saddles makes for a great antagonist
4) Fame and Misfortune - I still think it's funny, and I enjoyed the song. It was a fun meta commentary on fandoms in general. Only issues is that complaints they pointed out were outdated by the time this episode came out
5) Filli Vanilli - A pretty good episode for Fluttershy and Flutterguy was a really funny comeback, but Jesus Christ Pinkie practically ruins the episode
6) The Last Laugh - They made a Weird Al episode boring, that's absolutely unforgiveable
7) The Cart Before the Ponies - Yeah, this one was kinda unsurprising to be so low. I don't hate as much as others seem to, I can see where the writers were going with this(with adults taking over for kids when they aren't supposed to and ruin the fun, like how parents of sports teams are). But the execution was piss poor, to say the very least
8) A Matter of Principals - Discord can go get his ballsack raked with a cheese grater. This one straight up made me never want to see Discord ever again, and unfortunately it only got worse from there

[Sparklefan1234 172,088]

"The Last Roundup"'s  "Chimicherrychanga" scene between Applejack & Pinkie Pie is my favorite dialogue exchange in the entire series! 

 

"Filli Vanilli" gave us Rarity in her Ponytones sweater which, is my favorite Rarity outfit. 

 

As well as "Find the Music in You" which is one of my favorite songs. 

 

"Canterlot Boutique" is another one of my favorites! Amy Keating Rogers is three for three! 

 

"Suited for Success" started Rarity's journey to fabulousness & is one of the best episodes of Season 1. 

 

 

Edited October 7, 2019 by Sparklefan1234

[bigbertha 414]

1. The Last Roundup- This has everything you could want out of an episode. The characters are all at their best, the comedy is great, the story is solid, and there's a fun chase scene (10/10)

2. Suited For Success- I really like the commentary of the episode with the mane six representing common consumer types. And on some good comedy and a great song and you've got a really solid episode (8/10)

3. Filli Vanilli- Yeah Pinkie sucks here, but I like everything else. Fluttershy has an interesting conflict, which is pretty rare, and I like the reincorporation of Flutterguy (7/10)

4. The Last Laugh- I like the song at the end... That's about it (5/10)

5. Canterlot Boutique- Very shallow episode without the entertainment value to back it up (3/10)

6. Fame and Misfortune- Really bad commentary on bronies, but there are some actually decent jokes (1/10)

7. The Cart Before the Ponies- About as much substance as Princess Spike (0/10)

8. A Matter of Principals- I hate Discord (0/10)

[Here No Longer 5,276]

There really are only two acceptable answers to this one, to be frank. At least in my mind.

 

1. Suited for Success
2. The Last Round-Up
3. Canterlot Boutique
4. A Matter of Principals
5. Filli Vanilli
6. The Last Laugh
7. Fame and Misfortune (I used to think this episode was decent, but I decided to give it a rewatch, and yeah it's kind of bad).
8. The Cart Before the Ponies

Edited October 8, 2019 by Spider Demon

[Cash In 22,458]

1. The Last Roundup - Best Applejack episode. I've re-watched this one so many times.
2. Filli Vanilli - Liked this one a lot. The Flutterguy callback was neat.
3. Suited for Success - Classic episode. Still one of the strongest Rarity episodes in the series.
4. Canterlot Boutique - Pretty good. Sassy makes for a great contrast to Rarity.
5. A Matter of Principles - I like this one, but I did have some issues. I've said that Discord being an ass works sometimes and doesn't at others. This is one of the times where it doesn't.
6. Fame and Misfortune - Fine. Issues, but I liked it.
7. The Last Laugh - It's okay. They got Weird Al again, so I was expecting a bit more.
8. The Cart Before the Ponies - Ugh, this was pretty bad. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Cash_In

[ChB 18,557]

Suited For Success. My favorite Rarity episode, and maybe my favorite slice of life episode in the whole series.

[Thrond 3,263]

Not a fan of most of these. 

1. The Last Roundup - This is probably one of the best examples of the show's blend of silliness and surprising depth. At the end of the day the main driving force is an internal conflict: Applejack's fear of disappointing the town is already deep enough, and it's all the better for being set against silliness like Pinkie Pie's "chimicherrychanga" bit. And though this has some of the show's best action scenes and involves a journey far beyond Ponyville, at the end of the day it's still just a friendship problem. One of my favourites. 
2. Suited for Success - I think this is one of the show's funniest episodes, and I also think the moral here is unusual for season 1. Most of this season was about stuff like keeping secrets and trusting your friends, and suddenly there's this episode about overly demanding customers. Great stuff.
3. Filli Vanilli - I still find it a bit frustrating that the show returned to this well so many times, especially since it hinted at moving away from it in season 3, but I also think this is one of the better versions of the "Fluttershy is afraid" plotline. I like how happy she is to sing when people aren't looking, and I like how she doesn't just get over her fear by the end - maybe one day she'll get there, but now she just likes to sing to herself and her friends. And Fluttershy taking Poison Joke to replace Big Mac is just a creative idea to begin with. 
4. Canterlot Boutique - There are... hints that this episode has a bit more to offer, but as far as I can tell it's just about Sassy Saddles being egotistical and signing Rarity up for too much work. I mean, the mass production idea is interesting, but this episode doesn't do anything with it; Rarity just deals with the work Sassy dumped on her, eventually decides it's too much, and takes control back. She doesn't really learn anything or have her worldview meaningfully challenged, and I find that pretty uninteresting, which wouldn't be a problem except that this episode takes itself relatively seriously. I feel there's just not a whole lot here. 
5. The Last Laugh - I find bits of this kinda funny, but this episode makes no sense. Why did Pinkie forget her "purpose"? What she learns here is something that she already knew for most of her life. 
6. The Cart Before the Ponies - I feel like older sisters should all be more sensitive than to take over the CMC's race car projects, and the general trajectory of this is really predictable, which makes the whole thing kinda dull. I liked watching the CMC try out new things - this is one of their more atypical episodes, I think - but the characterization of the older sisters is shaky, and although this has a little more depth to the moral than you might expect, it doesn't really show that through the story. 
7. A Matter of Principals - I was starting to lose patience with Discord by this point, because this seems to strip away a lot of the depth that the previous few seasons had tried to give him, and this doesn't have nearly enough good jokes and weird moments to compensate. I would call it by far the least funny Discord episode. And some of his shenanigans in this are just, like, bringing back monsters and villains from earlier episodes. Usually Discord is more creative than that. 
8. Fame and Misfortune - Even if I try not to get mad that this is basically the show insulting its own fans - I mean, I guess it makes some valid points - it's just way too unsubtle and heavy-handed. It's just a bunch of ponies being rude and annoying, without much of an actual joke to it, and the dialogue doesn't even make sense in the context of the story. The citizens of Ponyville are talking about the book like it's a fictional work, whereas the mane six reply like they personally are being attacked - which they are, but that's not the same thing as fans criticizing a show, even though that's the obvious metaphor here. This episode doesn't make sense. 

[Oleks 1,993]

1. Suited for Success – a classic episode with a very good lesson.
2. A Matter of Principals – maybe it’s bit of a controversial choice, but I enjoyed this episode. Too bad the artifacts were never really explored later.
3. Fame and Misfortune – I know Larson doesn’t like this one, and many fans simply hate it, but to me it’s a quality episode that makes several good points about fans overanalyzing and criticizing everything.
4. The Last Roundup – a funny episode with quite a few memorable moments.
5-8. Filli Vanilli, Canterlot Boutique, The Cart Before the Ponies, The Last Laugh – the last one could be higher on the list, but Cheese Sandwich’s potential was not fully used, so it goes to the OK episodes section. 

[Rushing cash 836]

Compared to episode 13 list, this one is worse but there are some great episodes.

1. Fame and misfortune- 9\10, an extremely enjoyable episode.
2. Filli vanilli- 9\10
3. The last roundup- 9\10
4. Canterlot boutique- 8\10
5. Suited for success- 7\10
6. The cart before ponies- 7\10
7. A matter for principals- 6\10
8. The last laugh- 5\10

[Js250476 1,367]

Hard to say for a favorite Suited for Success is a eternal classic started a trend of amazing Rarity episodes.

 

[Will Guide 21,362]

Looking at the votes, It would seem I'm not the only one who voted for the infamous Fame and Misfortune. Like I mentioned before, the Perfect Pear was so good that nothing was going to match it, so I went in with low expectations.

I thought  Fame and Misfortune was a harsh, but still hopeful look at fanbases that MLP decided to tackle their way. An episode that should exist. Particularly with the fact the fan dumb don't instantly change  their minds if ever. And that as long as there are fan/viewers/whatever that can take something worthwhile from the show/ movie/ game/ whatever, I believe the show is doing its job fine, warts and all.

However, in defense of those who complained how awful the final episode outcome was, I will admit it could have been better if the episode showed more the positive side of the fanbase. Like spend one third of the episode showing the bad side of fanbases, one third showing the good side, and a third showing how the two sides will always clash and the Mane 6 come to the same conclusion as they did in the final scene. Some people will take your product as an excuse to fight and argue with each other. It's best to just learn to deal with them and concentrate on the people who appreciate it for what it is.

Plus, that song is still awesome! And I especially love Fluttershy standing up to her haters, even if it fell on deaf ears

[cmarston1 5,959]

My favorite of these episodes would have to be Canterlot Boutique and Fame and Misfortune. 

Canterlot Boutique is one the episodes that really showcases Rarity at her best.  I really enjoy the Rules of Rarity song, and all of its reprises.  I also really enjoyed the conflict between art and business and feel that it did a great job at pushing Rarity to her limits. I also found it refreshing that Sassy Sandals didn't turn out to be evil.

To me, Fame and Misfortune is one of the funniest episodes in the show.  I got a really kick out of all the meta references.  And to be honest, given the amount of drama I have had to deal with being in this fandom, I did find the episode itself to be a little cathartic, if I'm to be completely honest.  I also really liked the song in here as well.

[Lucky Bolt 35,072]

The Last Roundup because it's an old favorite of mine from way back when I was first watching FIM. 

[Sepul-Coloratura 762]

1. Suited for Success : B+. This is a realistic situation for all sorts of designers. Nice buildup and payoff, good lesson as well.

2. Filli Vanilli : B+. Fluttershy's anxiety and Pinkie's behavioirs are criticized for reasons that I agree in a certain extent, but it didn't ruin the whole ride and fun of the episode for me.

3. Canterlot Boutique : B. A nicely done episode and a Rarity episode about capitalism and market. Sassy Saddles could have been a typical greedy villain but instead, we have a more reasonable character which makes the whole conflict more true to its nature.

4. The Last Roundup : B-. It is a good episode, but I don't like how far Applejack contradicts her own elememt. She leaves her family and friends without twlling them why (which she should have knowm way better than other ponies) and she lies by 'technically' not lying, which is the worst kind of dishonesty. But other than that, it's a fun episode.

5. Fame and Misfortune : C-. I don't like why this episode was made. I don't like how late those references are and how irrelevant those topics became, I don't like the lesson and how it's being uaed to justify other iasues, I don't like how they used M.A. Larson's name.

6. The Cart Before the Ponies : C-. Just plainly boring and no other reasons. It's quite impressive to ne honest.

7. The Last Laugh : C-. Same reason with the one above, but this one also wasted such a good opportunity. And they got Pinkie wrong.

8. A Matter of Principals : D. I don't like Discord in this episode, I even don't like Starlight in this episode, I don't like the dumb plot causing their conflict. The School of Friendahip is not a good setting for an episode.

Edited October 13, 2019 by Sepul-Coloratura

[Patty Thundersnow 4,177]

Suited for Success - Very good early series episode featuring Rarity at her very best.

The Last Roundup - My favorite of the 14th episodes. A combination of real life references (portrayal of Buffalo as Native Americans; 'Wild West') and the silly with the apple pie fight.

Filli Vanilli - This is probably my least favorite of any episode that Amy Keating Rogers wrote for the show. This episode made me hate Pinkie Pie (briefly) for her pushiness.

Canterlot Boutique - Another great Rarity episode, features one of the most underappreciated songs from the show.

The Cart Before the Ponies - This episode is generally in my top 10 least favorite episodes. It's just so darn bad.

Fame and Misfortune - At first I didn't like this episode, but I've grown to appreciate it and M.A. Larson was great for writing it.

A Matter of Principals - A great example of Discord being a world class troll. 

The Last Laugh - Much better than Weird Al's first appearance, this episode shows what happens if you get too far from your passion. Loved the song in the episode as well

[Dark Qiviut 22,444]

This was too easy: Suited for Success remains one of the most creative episodes of the series. Taking inspiration from their own time as freelancers, they creatively tied in their struggles with clients to a fashion episode without becoming out of place. On top of that, this is the first time the audience the audience got to see more of Rarity beyond the simple or antagonistic. The first golden-standard episode of the entire series, and a wonderful one at that.

1. Suited for Success
2. The Last Rounderp: Wanna watch the good version? Watch the original, not the one with the out-of-character, ableist edit.
3. The Last Laugh: It doesn’t make sense for Pinkie to suddenly question her life’s purpose this late. Fortunately, it doesn’t dwell on it and gives Pinkie her best lead role since Pinkie Pride. (It’s better than the former, but I prefer the former a little more.
4. Canterlot Boutique: The middle’s where it gets real good, particularly its subtle message of quality over quantity and what you love over what’s popular. Sassy isn’t bad, although the twist is far too quick and doesn’t have the impact; and the beginning is quite tepid. (The ending with the fat comic relief pony is pure cringe.)
5. Filli Vanilli: Sure, stage fright isn’t something you fully get over right away, but Hurricane Fluttershy suggests that she conquered that fear, so bringing it back here again feels more of a relegation than continuation, though they don’t dwell on that prospect much. Doesn’t help that FS goes the “baby step” route, implicating a firm foot on the status quo. But the worst part, by far, is Pinkie: her behavior towards Pinkie (and Big Mac within) was 1000% out of character and completely reprehensible. Her presence alone soured a lot of scenes and made FS’s problem worse.
6. A Matter of Principals: This is slightly better than FV, but Discord’s contemptible, bratty, flanderized behavior makes this less entertaining to watch. His own actions made everyone’s lives worse, and he put Yona in danger by unleashing that bugbear. Starlight was great, and she was justified to apologize to Discord for letting her temper get in the way, but Discord’s actions didn’t earn him that temporary Vice-Headmare spot.
7. Cart: Three questions regarding this piece of shit.
   1. Why did the children have to behave better than their adult peers from the start? Rarity, Applejack, and Dash were supposed to be the older sisters, but they were petulant, out of character, and stupid.
   2. This episode involves racing in some form. Why does a racing episode have to be so boring?!
   3. What nimrod from Ponyville decided that it was a good idea to set three types of race cars on one double figure-eight track, have them race simultaneously, and not expect any type of crash?!
8. F&M: Jesus Christ, where do I start with this shit mountain?
   1. Atmosphere? Mean-spirited to the core. Cynical, sociopathic, entitled, sarcastic, stalkerish. All qualities that FIM strives to be against. And for what? A stupid journal?! Everyone was out to get the RM7! If this were real life, our heroes would’ve called for the Royal Guard and have them arrested! Worst tone/atmosphere of the show.
   2. Continuity? What continuity! Our heroes have been celebrities since the second season. Why the hell they all thought they knew nothing about them is beyond comprehension! Even worse, everyone in Equestria (including long-time friends of these characters) didn’t know them, either. Daring Do’s identity is supposed to be a secret…so why the FUCK would the RM7 think it’s a good idea to reveal her without her consent to a country that’s so enamored by her that they have conventions dedicated to her and her series?!
   3. Are these fans characters? I don’t know. They’re more like caricatures and stereotypes instead of actual of actual characters. Coconut Cream, Toola-Roola? I’d believe they were proper representations of the primary demographic if this episode didn’t treat them with equal contempt! Those two foals are pure tokens, the only time the show has ever done such a thing.
   4. “Flawless”? Worst song of the show, including EQG. On a Yacht’s trash, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Flawless wants to be taken seriously. So what does it do? One: defensively tries to cover its own ass over dated issues. Two: tell children that flaws should be celebrated and not worked on to self-improve. On top of that, the other moral of not letting their opinions affect you is written VERY poorly; being harassed, trespassed, and having your career ruined matter and should never be ignored.
   5. Allegory is complete, utter garbage. This whole episode is supposed to be a rebuttal of fans’ criticisms, with the fans representing these stereotypes. Why does it fail in epic proportions? One: Characters aren’t real people, yet these characters act like they exist in reality. Two: this journal is supposed to represent the TV show, but the show is pure fiction, while the journal is an autobiography within the universe. Three: people with flaws in real life sometimes need to learn over and over and regress before they improve, but the characters aren’t real; if they have to relearn a lesson over and over, this flaw becomes inexcusable for the character to continue having. Four: Autobiographies are a retelling of what happened to people as they grew (they’re supposed to be cold, hard facts Of their lives), but FIM is a fictional medium, and how people will respond to fiction is very different compared to autobiographical mediums (the fact the everyone immediately assumed their autobiographies are fiction is mind-numbingly imbecilic!).

Edited October 14, 2019 by Dark Qiviut

[Will Guide 21,362]

4 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

8. F&M Jesus Christ, where do I start with this shit mountain?

*Chuckles at the rant* I know the episode is considered the worst by many but I can't believe how deep you cut into this 

Wow! I think I found the episode where your opinion is nearly the complete opposite opinion of mine.

I know my defense of it is weak. But I've always been a guy who looks for the little good inside what can otherwise be seen as crap. 

Say what you will, I still enjoy it for reasons of my own. and like I said above and elsewhere, it likely would have stood A better chance if they showed more of the positive side of the fanbase. This shit mountain is the perfect candidate for me to write a fix fic.

[bigbertha 414]

1. The Last Roundup

2. Fame and Misfortune

3. Suited for Success

4. Filli Vanilli

5. The Last Laugh

6. Canterlot Boutique

7. A Matter of Principals

8. The Cart Before the Ponies

[Astralshy 27,117]

My personal astral List :> Filli Vanilli of course needs to be on spot #1 :>

if The Card Before Ponies would try to sell me for a fool I could put it higher

1. Filli Vanilli
2. Fame and Misfortune
3. The Last Roundup
4. Suited for Success
5. The Last Laugh
6. Canterlot Boutique
7. A Matter of Principals
8. The Cart Before the Ponies