Ranking the 17th episodes

[KH7672 1,604]

Episode 17 started strangely with large string of Crusaders focus episodes and then took a turn for the secondary characters and then back finally to the Mane 6 sharing time with those secondary characters. It's an interesting selection we have here as well.

1. Hearts and Hooves Day- The original Big Mac love story at the Crusaders hands and I love it so much. It's such great characterization for Cheerilee who unfortunately fell by the wayside in later seasons. The lovey dovey talk is just hilarious to me and of course Sweetie Belle's song. Beautiful and childlike at the same time.

2. The Summer Sun Setback- It's the balancing of all the plot points that bring this one together, from the villains causing mayhem, to Twilight's friends trying to take care of things to Twilight herself. It all works well for the overall arc to the final season.

3. Brotherhooves Social- An episode that really focuses on Big Mac and it show how complex his character truly is. The ending is fantastic and I personally can put up with the Orchard Blossom cringe comedy especially the dead pan delivery of no one buying but having no problem with it.

4. Dungeons and Discords- The other later season episode where Discord works great as they just let him loose and not much more to it. I do wish there wasn't so much meandering around and we just right into the game but it was still pretty entertaining, and the Guy's Night Crew is great.

5. Stare Master- An early Crusaders episode where I enjoyed them being kids and the whole cutie mark shtick hadn't been worn out yet, but there's not much to the episode just a unique interaction with the Crusaders and Fluttershy.

6. To Change A Changeling- The dynamic of Pharynx and Thorax make this episode meaningful, plus Starlight and Trixie always play off each other well, but they don't do too much in the long run, although Starlight's speech is great inspite of her causing the situation.

7. The End in Friend- This episode doesn't pick up until the third act and most stuff beyond that is just kind of dull bickering between Rarity and Rainbow Dash. It gets points from me for using Starlight's counselor role effectively.

8. Somepony to Watch Over Me- Applejack is the weakest link in this episode and brings it down a lot in how we are just watching her fret over nothing but possibilities. The third act is at least exciting in the fire swamp but not much to the episode. The only other thing I remember is Scootaloo cutting off Apple Bloom's song which gave me a laugh.

[Cash In 21,488]

1. Dungeons and Discords (S6) - This episode is why I think reformed Discord can indeed be a good character. I love D&D too, so this hits all the right notes.
2. Hearts and Hooves Day (S2) - Really fun CMC shenanigans. 
3. The Summer Sun Setback (S9) - This one tried something a bit different in terms of structure and it worked. Sets the stage on what's to come effectively. 
4. To Change a Changeling (S7) - Underrated as hell. This was a great Starlight/Trixie episode.
5. Somepony to Watch Over Me (S4) - Decent. The last third is really good stuff.
6. The End in Friend (S8) - I liked this one a bit. Issues, but enjoyable overall.
7. Stare Master (S1) - It's alright.
8. Brotherhooves Social (S5) - Okay. The ending was heart warming.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Cash_In

[Sparklefan1234 161,597]

I chose Summer Sun Setback because it was my favorite out of the episodes that were listed.

I kinda like "Somepony to Watch Over Me" but it's one of those episodes where sometimes I love it & sometimes I dislike it. / 

[cuteycindyhoney 13,282]

I picked Dungeons and Discords. I thought it really fun to see Spike and Big Mac in their private time. Discord fitting in made it great!

[Here No Longer 5,270]

Still haven't caught up on the new season since watching "The Last Laugh" so I can't speak on the matter of "Summer Sun Setback"

1. Somepony to Watch Over Me (Probably the most underrated episode in the show, and my favorite AJ episode)
2. Dungeons and Discords
3. Hearts and Hooves Day
4. Stare Master
5. Brotherhooves Social
6. To Change a Changeling
7. The End in Friend (Pretty much Non-Compete Clause 2.0)

[Thrond 3,257]

Ugh...

1. Dungeons and Discords - This episode is really funny. I really like how Discord and Spike are nearly as silly as Discord, meaning that he's reacting to them more often than they're reacting to him, plus this is one of the first times he really seemed like he might change. Love it. 
2. Hearts and Hooves Day - This episode is silly; it just goes so far with its one joke that it builds up this great sense of absurdity. I just think it's really funny.
3. Brotherhooves Social - I think this falls into some common traps with cross-dressing comedy... it calls so much attention to Big Mac being male that it seems like it's judging him for pretending to be a mare, which is problematic in a lot of ways. But there is a sweetness underlying all of it, and Peter New's enthusiastic voice acting makes up for a lot. Plus, that ending really is quite moving. 
4. To Change a Changeling - This episode is very funny a lot of the time, but it frustrates me. I just find Starlight's and Trixie's poor judgement here exasperating, I don't really care about Thorax making up with his brother, and the moral doesn't seem particularly applicable to the target demographic. But Pharynx is funny. 
5. Stare Master - This is the first time I found the CMC to be annoying, and I don't really think the moral is reflected in the story. Plus Twilight has never been more shoehorned in than here. Still, there are a good few funny moments, especially the Stare. 
6. Somepony to Watch Over Me - I think this has some funny reaction shots, and the stuff with the chimera is pretty cool, but Applejack's behaviour is just so ridiculous that I don't believe she would do any of that. She's incredibly annoying, though it is satisfying to see the CMC acknowledge that; if any of the mane six were going to act like this, I guess it would be Applejack, but I don't actually want to see this from any of them. And the moral is nice but I don't really understand where Applejack got it from - I mean, Apple Bloom had just gotten herself in danger because she wasn't prepared. 
7. The Summer Sun Setback - I can't deny that this is sort of funny and has more continuity than I would expect, but I just can't get behind this whole "Twilight stops panicking so she can be a better ruler of Equestria" thing. I don't care about Twilight ruling Equestria, and I feel like having her stop panicking altogether takes away an important part of her identity. I don't want to see her prove she's changed, I want to see her continuously managing her anxiety. Plus, this situation seems worth panicking over, and it seems like Twilight's friends act the exact same way she would in this situation. Plus the villains are way less silly than they were in "Frenemies," and that's a bummer. 
8. The End in Friend - First half is up there with the worst episodes of the show; it just seems like Rainbow and Rarity are both being incredibly inconsiderate, and the idea that their friendship is this flimsy is downright insulting. I liked seeing them cooperate in the second half, because they can be fun together, but even that was hurt by the idea that this is the only thing they can bond over; they both seem so petty here, and in the context of season 8's greater continuity, that doesn't even make sense. 

[Will Guide 21,325]

Wow. Can't pick a single favorite but the top 4 candidates are:

To Change a Changeling: Because of Thorax and seeing how the new Changelings have adapted to their new lifestyle. And like how Pharnyx is tough but does care for the hive's wellbeing.

1 hour ago, Cash In said:

The Summer Sun Setback really pulled it off. Not only did it aid in some very significant character development, but it set the stage for what's to come. Dungeons and Discords was also one I enjoyed immensely, though the former was too brilliant for me to place down.

Your post sums up my reasoning perfectly for including Summer Sun Setback and Dungeons and Discords.

Brotherhooves Social is actually my favorite episode that focuses on Big Mac. As much as I love his relationship with Sugar Belle, I personally loved how he went to great lengths to help his little sister despite making it unnecessarily hard on himself.

All 4 are my favorites, but I'll have to go into more detail later.

Right now, I must sleep and I got a busy weekend. Doing my usual weekend job Preparing for a job interview for a potential better job on Monday. So wish me luck.

[Rushing cash 824]

Great line up of episodes. Kinda hard to pick just one, but if I had to:

1.  Brotherhoovs social- 9\10, this episode...  big mac in a dress and all the stuff he does... and the sweet emotional moment in the end is what really sails it.
2. Hearts and hooves day- 9\10, silly shiping episode. Its cute
3. The summersun setback- 9\10, another holiday oriented episode which does a great job with the villains and progressing the plot.
4. Stare master- 8\10, Great fluttershy episode. I wish they used the stare more often afterwards.
5. Dungeons and discord- 8\10, BEST INTRO EVER! Just a really good episode overall and discord needed more friends then fluttershy anyway. 
6. To change a changeling- 7\10, The episode itself isn't that good. starlight gives up way to easily(you can argue she tried the same with chrysalis and it didn't work so she is not optemistic about it, but it was pretty much only chrysalis who didn't listen to her so its not an excuse) and the fight scene was terrible in my opinion. But the dynamics between the characters(especially starlight and trixie) is what saves the episode for me. 
7. Somepony to watch over me- 5\10, The episode is ridiculous and  not in a funny way, but it had its moments.
8. The end in friend- 3\10, one of the 4 of mine most disliked episodes in the series(yakity sax and spike at your service are slightly worse) , the characters are extermly immature(this episode could maybe work in season 1, and even then its a stretch) and the plot itself is just problematic. There were some nice moments in this episode but clearly not enough to compensate on the bad ones.

[Oleks 1,983]

1. The Summer Sun Setback – in my opinion, this episode is of outstanding importance, because in it Twilight finally stopped twilighting, and for me this change was as significant as alicornication. Also, it was a fun episode with nice moments featuring both villains and the good guys.
2. Dungeons and Discords – I’d been waiting for a long time for an episode where the main focus would be on a group of male characters. And this one delivered. 
3-4. Brotherhooves Social, To Change a Changeling – two very important episodes: one gives Big Mac a chance to say his say, the other makes a monumental change in the entire race.
5-8. Stare Master, Hearts and Hooves Day, Somepony to Watch Over Me, The End in Friend – I enjoyed each of these episodes, and I can’t rate one higher than the others.
 

[bigbertha 410]

1. To Change a Changeling- This is one of the few good stories of season 9. Also it's really funny (8/10)

2. Hearts and Hooves Day- Kinda slow for the first two acts, but the third act is a ton of fun (8/10)

3. Stare Master- This episode is really cute (7/10)

4. Brotherhooves Social- I like the ending and the relationship between Apple Bloom and Big Mac, but the dull crossdressing jokes bring the episode down (7/10)

5. Dungeons and Discords- Kinda funny, but the second act is incredibly slow (6/10)

6. The End in Friend- Rarity and Rainbow don't have a fun dynamic and the story is super dumb. Why does Twilight's class need to learn that people can be friends while being different? (3/10)

7. The Summer Set Back- Saying Twilight has grown is not the same as Twilight actually growing (3/10)

8. Somepony to Watch Over Me- Not only is Applejack out of character, but she's not even funny. Also the moral is a mess (2/10)

[Megas 27,048]

1) To Change a Changeling - One of the best Startrix episodes, new changelings are huge weenies and it’s hilarious and Pharynx is a cool character

2) Dungeons And Discords - Discord is still a prick, but I like that they actually build a decent friendship. But Discord won’t let this hold up 

3) Hearts and Hooves Day- A really cute episode, Big Mac and Cheerilee’s coochie talk is funny also Cheerimac>Sugarmac

4) Stare Master - a cute CMC and Fluttershy and introduced her most powerful asset 

5) Brotherhooves Social - Cross Dressing Big Mac kinda falls flat, but the ending with him opening up is beautiful. Also some Scootalove as a bonus 

6/7 - Somepony to Watch Over Me/End In Friend - I actually like these episodes, but they both suffer from similar problems, they both don’t get good until the last third. End In Friend in particular exposes how weak the school is; actively making both the situation, and the episode’s quality worse, the moment it ditched the school and just focused on Rarity and Rainbow like it said it would the episode gets significantly better 

[Sepul-Coloratura 756]

1. Hearts and Hooves Day : A-. This time, the CMCs are actually cute than annoying. And you know what? I'd rather see Big Mac being with Cheerilee than such an empty replacable character like Sugar Belle.

2. Stare Master : B+. A good Fluttershy episode.

3. Brotherhooves Social : B+. Good heartfelt moment at the end. Other than that scene, the whole episode lacks nuance.

4. To Change a Changeling B+. A pretty decent adventure episode. I sympathize and agree with with Pharynx's point.

5. Dungeons and Discords : B-. Seeing Discord build friemdship with othrers are interesting, but the whole episode isn't that tight enough.

6. The Summer Sun Setback : B-. Lesser than Frienemies.

7. Somepony to Watch Over Me : C+. Something feels wrong about this episode, especially the ending and the lesson.

8. The End in Friend : C-. A feeble attempt to try to make an episode revolving around two characters differences like the old days. But it feels unnatural and contrived as much as Twilight's attempt to 'teach' friendship here.

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

On 10/12/2019 at 12:54 AM, AlexanderThrond said:

I don't care about Twilight ruling Equestria, and I feel like having her stop panicking altogether takes away an important part of her identity. I don't want to see her prove she's changed, I want to see her continuously managing her anxiety

As much as I like seeing Twilight freak out, her Twilighting reached its peak in Trivial Pursuit. For the first time all series, her Twilighting directly affected one of her closest friends and put her friendship with Pinkie in jeopardy. If she continued this destructive habit beyond this point, then she risked ruining more friendships with those she cares about, possibly beyond repair, and continue to prove how much she isn't ready to be the de facto Princess of Equestria, whether she admits it to herself or not. In Trivial Pursuit, she finally understands she must stop it now before it's too late. Setback did the right thing to put it to rest, show she's growing up, and manage a suddenly nasty mini-crisis.

---

And this is one reason why Setback gets my vote. This whole episode takes Frenemies, refines it, and moves the arc one step forward. As for the main plot, Twilight has the maturity now to prove she's soon ready to succeed the Royal Sisters. Yes, this is the last Summer Sun Celebration, but Twilight's wonderful, heartwarming surprise adds an extra, personal touch from her.

1. Setback
2. To Change a Changeling: The start of the "Both Sides Have a Point" story arc in 7B. Pharynx was very abrasive, but had some points in wanting to keep his hive safe.
3. The End in Friend: Complete Crap Clause and MDW done right.
4. Dungeons & Discord: The start of an excellent trio.
5. Stare Master: Savino's best of his two episodes, yet…meh. The CMCs are really annoying, hammered-in lesson, stakes raised too high for its own good, and Twilight being inserted in.
6. Brotherhooves: The elephant in the room, and I'm firmly on the side of those who decried this as transphobic and transmisogynistic. The reasons I have it so low:
   1. Apple Bloom artificially began this conflict by gloating over AJ in front of Big Mac, forgetting he was there.
   2. Neither AB nor BM realized that "Sisterhooves Social" was merely traditional and how anyone regardless of gender is perfectly allowed to participate despite the fact that they help run and lead the event in the first place.
   3. The Sisterhooves Social, the sight of Sweetie and Rarity's reunion, was create as a scene to enhance conflict instead of resolve. Therefore, this atmosphere is a lot more cynical and apprehensive than the former.
   4. The final scene is supremely overrated. Neither of them were at their best, and it was entirely their own fault. Had they realized they could just be themselves, they wouldn't be where they were at the end. Instead of being heartwarming, it was manipulative.
   5. The big problem (and the reason for all the criticisms): Big Mac in drag. Every single joke comes from him trying (and failing) to pass himself as a (stereotypical) woman. The falsetto voice, poofy mane, "powder your nose," the poses, the disgustingly detailed Adam's apple popping out at the end of "Sisterhood," and the uncomfortable crowd. The Man-in-a-Dress trope and jokes are problematic, and this episode's jokes fit these awful, stereotypical jokes to a T.
7. H&HD: Cringeworthy humor aside from "Oh, come on!", and the ending was completely cruel, out of character, and painfully unfunny.
8. Somepony: Is there any doubt? The worst AJ characterization at the time, a battle that wouldn't happen if AJ was actually intelligent and in character, how AB nearly getting herself killed just for trying to do the job that sister failed to do, and how that near-fatal fight made AJ realize AB was capable to live on her own. Seriously, WTF?

Edited October 17, 2019 by Dark Qiviut

[Will Guide 21,325]

2 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Brotherhooves: The elephant in the room, and I'm firmly on the side of those who decried this as transphobic and transmisogynistic

Well, this is the 2nd Episode opinion where I strongly disagree with you.

How is any of that Big Mac in Drag transphobic? They clearly said at the end, the judges knew all along so it didn't matter whether BM was in drag or not. No, they only complained about BM being unsportsmanlike in the final round. And if it's not a big deal to the characters in universe, then it's my belief that we shouldn't be making a big deal out of it. Equestria is a different world than ours with different social rules. 

[Thrond 3,257]

26 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

As much as I like seeing Twilight freak out, her Twilighting reached its peak in Trivial Pursuit. For the first time all series, her Twilighting directly affected one of her closest friends and put her friendship with Pinkie in jeopardy. If she continued this destructive habit beyond this point, then she risked ruining more friendships with those she cares about, possibly beyond repair, and continue to prove how much she isn't ready to be the de facto Princess of Equestria, whether she admits it to herself or not. In Trivial Pursuit, she finally understands she must stop it now before it's too late. Setback did the right thing to put it to rest, show she's growing up, and manage a suddenly nasty mini-crisis.

Twilight went even further all the way back in "Lesson Zero," and yet I wouldn't have wanted her to just get over it then either. Having her reach a nadir and then suddenly get over it in the next episode is just pushing to the opposite extreme, as if she can only panic too much or not at all. "A Trivial Problem" lacked the psychological depth that makes 'Twilighting' interesting and even relatable, and "The Summer Sun Setback" seems completely oblivious to that depth in the first place. They turned her into a parody of herself so they could win points for simplistic character development, all in the name of a forced ending, and you're going to have to forgive me for not considering that a good thing. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

49 minutes ago, Wolf Guide said:

How is any of that Big Mac in Drag transphobic?

Because every joke about Big Mac was trying to pass himself off as a woman. "Big Mac in drag" was literally the joke. Whether the folks there knew of his disguise or not doesn't matter.

I don't think anyone behind the scenes or the episode that Polsky wrote was intending to hurt anyone, but I think the approach to what Big Mac did could've been executed better. This user explains why BS made them feel dirty in their own eyes.

17 minutes ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Twilight went even further all the way back in "Lesson Zero," and yet I wouldn't have wanted her to just get over it then either.

1. At the time, Twilight was only a unicorn and still far off from becoming a princess. Now she's becoming the ruler of Equestria; her behavior must change for the better, or she puts tens of thousands of lives at risk. Her panic attacks, especially over something as simple as a trivial contest, cannot happen again.
2. Twilight's friends learned the lesson back in LZ, because their response to laugh her worries off only worsened the problem. Until Trivial Pursuit, she didn't directly learn a lesson as a result of her breakdowns, and here, her breakdown and its worsening of are the fault of her and her alone. She put her friendships with Pinkie and Sunburst on the line and almost successfully ruined them.

Edited October 17, 2019 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

28 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

• At the time, Twilight was only a unicorn and still far off from becoming a princess. Now she's becoming the ruler of Equestria; her behavior must change for the better. Her panic attacks, especially over something as simple as a trivial contest, cannot happen again.

I get that, but that actually makes the episode worse for me because I don't care about the "Twilight getting ready to rule Equestria" storyline. The show never gave it any urgency or emotional weight. I'm glad you were satisfied by that though. 

28 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

1.  Twilight's friends learned the lesson back in LZ, because their response to laugh her worries off only worsened the problem. Until Trivial Pursuit, she didn't directly learn a lesson as a result of her breakdowns, and here, her breakdown and its worsening of are the fault of her and her alone. She put her friendships with Pinkie and Sunburst on the line in order to win a silly contest.

The other reason why I think "Lesson Zero" did a better job is because Twilight did learn something. She realized she had gone too far, and Celestia told her that she didn't need to worry so much about being perfect. That led up to the breathing exercises we saw in season 3, and then she mostly stopped 'Twilighting' until season 7, a couple career-related episodes aside. 

Also, the association with "A Trivial Pursuit" makes "The Summer Sun Setback" much worse in my mind. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by AlexanderThrond

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

1 hour ago, AlexanderThrond said:

The other reason why I think "Lesson Zero" did a better job is because Twilight did learn something

True, but that wasn't the bulk of the moral and who learned it. After Celestia told her that missing a deadline didn't matter, her friends barged in and explained that their inaction and insensitivity only caused her problems to worsen, and they were right. If they spent a minute letting her problem sink in, then she wouldn't have convinced herself to apply the "Want It, Need It" spell to meet the weekly deadline. That's why Twilight was silent as Spike wrote the friendship letter on the others' behalves.

1 hour ago, AlexanderThrond said:

Also, the association with "A Trivial Pursuit" makes "The Summer Sun Setback" much worse in my mind.  

A Trivial Pursuit directly impacted Setback in one very key way. Twilight told everyone she was done freaking out, but her massive setback during Trivia Trot only occurred recently, so it was difficult to give her the benefit of the doubt. The preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration went from perfect to almost canceled within an hour without her realizing it. The RM6 were justified not to believe her and try to fix it themselves. Without this context, Twilight's character transition during Setback wouldn't make any sense.

Until Setback, she wasn't close to ready despite a preparation arc that periodically lasted through the first half. Afterwards, we (and her friends) believe her now and can put faith in her to rule Equestria. She moved on to her next phase of her transition.

Edited October 17, 2019 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

52 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

If they spent a minute letting her problem sink in, then she wouldn't have convinced herself to apply the "Want It, Need It" spell to meet the weekly deadline.

Well I would assume it did sink in, because she never did that again. 

54 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

A Trivial Pursuit directly impacted Setback in one very key way. Twilight told everyone she was done freaking out, but her massive setback during Trivia Trot only occurred recently, so it was difficult to give her the benefit of the doubt. The preparation for the Summer Sun Celebration went from perfect to almost canceled within an hour without her realizing it. The RM6 were justified not to believe her and try to fix it themselves. Without this context, Twilight's character transition during Setback wouldn't make any sense.

Until Setback, she wasn't close to ready despite a preparation arc that periodically lasted through the first half. Afterwards, we (and her friends) believe her now and can put faith in her to rule Equestria. She moved on to her next phase of her transition.

No, no, I understand all of that, I just hate it. And I hate "A Trivial Pursuit" so I doubly hate that it had any impact on anything. You don't need to explain that season's narrative arc to me.

Although, to be frank, I do not think that Twilight's friends behaved much better than she would under the circumstances, and I believe that Twilight would have had every right to freak out at that time. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

18 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

and I believe that Twilight would have had every right to freak out at that time. 

Oh, she had every right to freak out, and no one would blame her. Instead, she proves her freakouts are in a "twilight."

Edited October 17, 2019 by Dark Qiviut

[Thrond 3,257]

3 hours ago, Dark Qiviut said:

Oh, she had every right to freak out, and no one would blame her. Instead, she proves her freakouts are in a "twilight."

Well, yes, and to be honest I just don't want to see her be calmer than her friends. It didn't seem necessary for them to go that far. 

[ChB 18,532]

It's a tie between Hearts and Hooves Day, and Somepony to Watch Over Me. One is a classic, and the other is emotional. Always have a soft spot for sisterly love.

[bigbertha 410]

1. Dungeons and Discords

2. Hearts and Hooves Day

3. To Change a Changeling

4. Brotherhooves Social

5. Stare Master

6. Sompony to Watch Over Me

7. The End in Friend

8. The Summer Sun Setback

[Astralshy 23,441]

My personal list approved by the Stars

1. Stare Master
2. The Summer Sun Setback
3. Dungeons and Discords
4. Brotherhooves Social
5. Hearts and Hooves Day
6. To Change a Changeling
7. Sompony to Watch Over Me
8. The End in Friend