Ranking Every Episode

[Dr. Eggnog 203]

I've ranked every episode in the series thus far from my favorite to least favorite, with little comments about why.  This is just a favorites list, and I'm not calling these the best or worst episodes, or saying that any one is better than any other.  If you're up to the task, make your own list as well.

 

1. Winter Wrap Up (shows Twilight's good qualities and internal conflicts, my favorite song, perfect predictability balance, charm, humor, and pacing)

2. The Best Night Ever (has a perfect, sweet, beautiful ending)

3. Ponyville Confidential (a ton of fun, makes something that should be a small deal really dramatic)

4. A Canterlot Wedding Part 2 (great song, great fight scene, perfect wedding scene)

5. Look Before You Sleep (Rarity and Applejack make such great opposites)

6. Sleepless in Ponyville (daaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwww)

7. Magical Mystery Cure (beautiful and emotional, with a neat conflict)

8. The Return of Harmony (Discord's my favorite villin, making our ponies jerks was great)

9. Suited For Success (shows off Rarity's generosity, generally well presented)

10. A Canterlot Wedding Part 1 (makes me care about new characters, drama at end was great, as well as twist)

11. Read it and Weep (it's Rainbow Dash... READING)

12. Sisterhooves Social (good character drama makes a sweet ending even sweeter)

13. Secret of My Excess (Rarity putting her hoof to Spike's mouth is both very sweet and very mature)

14. May the Best Pet Win! (just a lot of fun)

15. Friendship is Magic Part 2 (shows off the characters' good qualities, first song's a good one)

16. Griffon the Brush-Off (a clever and well constructed story)

17. The Last Roundup (the last third is the funniest stuff in the series for me)

18. Keep Calm and Flutter On (shows Fluttershy's good qualities and strengths)

19. A Friend in Deed (as basic and well executed a Pinkie episode as you could expect)

20. Sonic Rainboom (cool seeing Cloudsdale, Rarity's wings, the way Rainbow saves the day)

21. The Crystal Empire (flaws in the first fourth, but lots of great character moments overall)

22. Apple Family Reunion (I like everything about it except Applejack)

23. Wonderbolts Academy (nice animation, shows how Rainbow has grown)

24. Fall Weather Friends (fun competition that uses lots of characters well)

25. One Bad Apple (clever way of giving us a bullying episode)

26. Just For Sidekicks (dumb but wildly funny and entertaining)

27. Magic Duel (cool magic, Trixie's redemption)

28. Friendship is Magic Part 1 (introduces the characters well, especially Fluttershy)

29. The Ticket Master (just leaves me with a smile on my face)

30. The Cutie Pox (I like Apple Bloom shoving off her many skills)

31. Games Ponies Play (an odd but entertaining mish-mash with connections to the episode before it)

32. Dragonshy (great ending)

33. Family Appreciation Day (saved by the great story in the last third)

34. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 (I didn't learn anything!, a Starbucks/Wal-Mart episode with Applejack was clever)

35. Baby Cakes (I like Pinkie taking on more responsibility)

36. Feeling Pinkie Keen (I like the excitement of the last third)

37. Too Many Pinkie Pies (plenty of fun, if a little exasberating)

38. Hearths Warming Eve (a different tone and presentation than normal keeps things interesting)

39. Swarm of the Century (love Twilight's barely concealed panic and the sheer mayhem)

40. Sweet and Elite (a solid Rarity story that suits her well)

41. Green Isn't Your Color (not a bad story and moral, too bad I don't appreciate modeling)

42. The Mysterious Mare Do Well (heavily flawed, but I liked predicting the ending too much to hate it)

43. Boast Busters (even if the episode can be annoying, it gives us a new antagonist and giant ghost bear things)

44. Dragon Quest (the most forgettable episode for me, so there were some dragons and... glowy birds ... and ... umm... DANGIT I JUST WATCHED THIS AGAIN TODAY!)

45. Call of the Cutie (mainly just like the opening scene personally, after that it feels like kiddie mediocrity)

46. Spike at Your Service (meh, I don't like this story in other cartoons and I don't like it here, cool timberwolves though)

47. Putting Your Hoof Down (moral gets a little jumbled, plus apparently tricking and flirting is the path to assertiveness, well a Mr. T minotaur kinda sorta makes it okay)

48. Hearts and Hooves Day (so incredibly dumb yet somehow somewhat entertaining)

49. Hurricane Fluttershy (I feel bad for not liking this episode, I love some similar stories, but I just don't enjoy Fluttershy in this episode, oddly Rainbow is the hightlight for me)

50. The Cutie Mark Chronicles (makes canon some things I find a bit strange, but I can at least be happy Twilight is happy, and it has some quotable moments)

51. Owls Well That Ends Well (making Spike a "villin" in his first episode might not have been the best idea, still it has the best MLP line ever: "You only sell two things!")

52. Stare Master (mostly just the CMC being annoying, but Fluttershy outstaring a cockatrice is cool)

53. MMMystery on the Friendship Express (I don't find it an interesting mystery, but Pinkie's imagination is cool)

54. Luna Eclipsed (kindof a confusing one, since we haven't seen Luna in so long and she had a redesign)

55. It's About Time (to me it's a strange way to do a story about Twilight learning not to worry, and we see in The Crystal Empire the lesson kinda doesn't stick)

56. A Bird in the Hoof (it's Fluttershy doing a terrible job of taking care of a sick ugly bird . . . fuuuuuun)

57. Party of One (I just don't get joy out of Pinkie's antics here, and it seems like her friends should've known her feelings would get hurt and cared more about that than keeping the party a surprise)

58. Applebuck Season (I just find tired Applejack painful and exasperating to watch)

59. Bridle Gossip (Flutterguy's great, but for me this was the most predictable episode)

60. The Show Stoppers (I didn't like any of the CMC yet, and there's not much resolution)

61. Over a Barrel (PIES!?)

62. Lesson Zero (I'm very sorry, it's just not how I wanted a character I look up to to act, especially over a problem that didn't seem worth going crazy over)

63. A Dog and Pony Show (Rarity might just be tricking the Diamond Dogs but I find her whining grating, as well as the voices of the Dogs themselves)

 

Sorry, I know there were some fan favorites really low there.  I have odd taste sometimes.   Even with the episodes I dislike, I'm still a huge fan.

Edited August 1, 2013 by Dr. Eggnog

[Onylex 2,837]

Wow! You really put some work into this post! It has definitely has earned a brohoof in my book for the sheer effort but, for me this is just too much work for a single reply. But if it still counts I guess I could list each season from most favorite to least favorite. I'll also add one favorite episode to go with each season.

 

Color Key: Gold~Most favored Green~Second to first Red~least favored

 

Season 3:

 

honestly there was not a single episode I disliked in this season.

 

Season 2:

Ep.13 Hearth's warming Eve

 

Season 1:

 

Ep. 22 A Bird In The Hoof

 

 

 

[Moonlight 7,291]

Whoa...talk about a lot of work..nice job.

 

But, here's mine:

 

1. Sweet and Elite
2. Too Many Pinkie Pies
3. Wonderbolts Academy
4. Suited For Success
5. Hurricane Fluttershy
6. Hearth's Warming Eve
7. Sisterhooves Social
8. A Canterlot Wedding
9. Lesson Zero
10. Party of One
11. Magical Mystery Cure
12. Winter Wrap Up
13. Putting Your Hoof Down
14. The Return of Harmony
15. The Last Roundup
16. The Best Night Ever
17. Sonic Rainboom
18. Ponyville Confidential
19. The Cutie Mark Chronicles
20. A Friend In Deed
21. Look Before You Sleep
22. Call of the Cutie
23. The Crystal Empire
24. Sleepless In Ponyville
25. Family Appreciation Day
26. One Bad Apple
27. The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
28. The Ticket Master
29. Dragonshy
30. Applebuck Season
31. Keep Calm and Flutter On
32. Read It and Weep
33. Green Isn't Your Color
34. Apple Family Reuinion
35. Fall Weather Friends
36. Griffon The Brush-Off
37. Magic Duel
38. Luna Eclipsed
39. Swarm of The Century
40. The Cutie Pox
41. It's About Time
42. Heart and Hooves Day
43. Secret of My Excess
44. Dragon Quest
45. Owl's Well That Ends Well
46. May The Best Pet Win!
47. Just For Sidekicks
48. A Dog and Pony Show
49. Games Ponies Play
50. The Mysterious Mare Do Well
51. Feeling Pinkie Keen
52. Spike At Your Service
53. Stare Master
54. The Show Stoppers
55. A Bird In The Hoof
56. MMMstery on the Friendship Express
57. Baby Cakes
58. Bridle Gossip
59. Over A Barrel
60. Boast Busters
61. Friendship is Magic