My Little Pony - Friendship Is Magic: Season 1 Top And Bottom 5

Many shows have rough beginnings as they try to get a feel for things, and that definitely happened with My Little Pony despite its popularity.  It was a tale of two halves, as the first part was almost uni­formly terrible while the second’s strong stretch surprisingly made up for it.  With the exceptions of (unexpectedly in both cases) series creator Lauren Faust and Megan McCarthy, every writer dropped a turd their first time out, but they also improved in their second and often dra­matically.  M.A. Larson most notably went from ripping off the Tribbles to penning season one’s two best episodes, although Dave Polsky made almost as big a jump.

The ratio of good to bad episodes actually almost matches season two’s, which certainly wouldn’t have been believable fifteen shows in.  Poor outings still abounded though, with no fewer than ten episodes receiving two stars or less, and some twos debatably deserve one and a half.  No single episode was great as all had flaws somewhere, but that didn’t stop much of the second half from being pleasurable.  Multiple mini-arcs definitely helped things, as did just about any time the mane six went on an adventure together.  Those episodes that concentrated on just a couple of ponies were less successful, as were almost every new character introduced and various strange attempts at making My Little Pony more like Looney Tunes.  There was a definite rawness that lasted for most of the first half, but this eventually disappeared as the writers grew more comforta­ble with their characters.  Like every season, a hierarchy between those episodes that belong in the top and bottom lists exists, but the bottom order still remains open for debate.  At least eight low-ranking episodes could make the bottom five, so selecting the worst becomes semantics at some point.  My top list may not feel all that great, but it will have to do until My Little Pony produces a truly great episode that stands with television’s best.

Top 5

1. Sonic Rainboom

This may not be a great list-topping choice, as Sonic Rainboom isn’t quite consistent all the way through.  But yet, there’s so much that the episode does right that it’s easy to forgive not every part for sparkling.  Great scenes abound early as Rainbow Dash tries teaching Fluttershy cheerleading, and late when Dash breaks the sound barrier to save Rarity and the Wonderbolts.  In between, Dash gets more and more scared about Cloudsdale’s forthcoming flying com­pe­tition, while Rarity becomes equally as insuffer­able thanks to those new wings Twilight magicked her up while attempting to sup­port their flying friend.  But Rarity has also never been better, eating up all her attention instead of being insulting like the trope usually goes.

Larson went from mediocre to great without warning, and has produced the strongest and most consistent stretch of episodes from any MLP writer.  Sonic Rainboom is just about everything the show should be, as it gets all of the mane six involved with good parts, effectively deals with a com­mon problem, elucidates some backstory by showing Cloudsdale’s inner workings, and is packed full of great moments, dialogue, and lots of fun too.  The episode also mentions an earlier sonic rain­boom, which helps make both this and The Cutie Mark Chronicles more poignant with how rare and important these are (at least un­til they became commonplace in A Canterlot Wedding).  Few mo­ments can equal Rarity’s great “I am Rarity!” declaration, fol­lowed by the mad dash to save her life.  Little things prevent Sonic Rainboom from a top rating (the strange final shot, Fluttershy cheer­ing before Rarity is saved, and Cloudsdale’s impractical setup), but there is still more than enough for it to take the first season’s top spot.

2. The Cutie Mark Chronicles

Consider The Cutie Mark Chronicles ranked 1b, as it almost matches Sonic Rainboom despite being very different.  Taking a page from Trois Couleurs: Rouge, Larson relates how our ponies got their cutie marks because of the same event.  His stories start out silly at first (My Fair Applejack), but grow more poign­ant as they continue.  It quickly becomes obvious that the rainboom Dash performed years ago caused everyone’s cutie marks, but this works because one event helped push them to­gether rather than feeling contrived.  Outside of Applejack (again), the moment where each realizes what they will do with their lives feels quite special.

Much of TCMC’s draw is learning about the young mane six, and their tales neatly don’t conflict with Dash’s earlier description in Call Of The Cutie.  Seeing them struggle to become who they are makes the prob­lem feel more universal, instead of the Cutie Mark Crusaders simply being freaks.  But the coincidence aspect is just as important, since we don’t want to admit (or don’t realize) how much in our lives hap­pens due to chance.  That something was necessary to bring the mane six together makes sense, which is better than Faust just declaring that these are the main characters.

Naturally not everything is perfect, as the rainboom time keeps changing between stories, and why the mane six didn’t realize they’d seen a rainboom before never ends up being explained.  The realization should have been made once they saw one previously, and half of them not knowing what it was means that show took place earlier.  This is really a minor quibble despite an almost significant conti­nuity problem since each episode works better as is.

Larson again involves every main character and has them make positive contributions.  He understands exactly what “cutie marks” mean along with how many friendships are formed.  Fitting a slice of philosophy into an entertaining “children’s” show is much more appreciated than all those bad puns and slapstick littered throughout season one.  This elevates The Cutie Mark Chronicles even if the Crusaders themselves aren’t all that interesting.  They took a backseat here, and the episode was far better off.  As cheesy as Twilight’s penultimate line might sound, it was also 100% correct.

3. Suited For Success

Rarity has better moments elsewhere, but Suited For Success is the single best episode fo­cused on her.  She decides to make everyone dresses for the gala, and laughs off how much work it will be.  They don’t like those first “plain” efforts, but Rarity’s revisions are quite gaudy.  Showing these dresses at a fashion show almost tanks her career, but the originals and her reputation are both later restored.

The problems shown here may only be fashion world specific, but they’re still very accurately described.  Deciding between pleasing an audience and being true artistically does apply to all of the arts, so Suited For Success feels universal in that aspect.  And whoever actually de­signed each dress did well in complementing every pony while not going over the top (which Rarity’s second ones most certainly did).  As this epi­sode continues the Grand Galloping Gala arc (after ignoring it since The Ticket Master), we see the mane six wearing these dresses again in The Best Night Ever.

Usually, Rarity is considered a stereotype or caricature who does funny or me­lodramatic things.  Fullerton treats her like an actual person in her profes­sion, and portrays fashion seriously as opposed to just a diver­sion for the rich.  This places Suited For Success among season one’s best episodes, and it’s the prime example of how single-character focus episodes should be done.

4. Green Isn’t Your Color

 

Placing Green Isn’t Your Color after Suited For Success is odd since it displays the fashion industry stereotypically like I just criticized.  However, the episode makes up for this by being more fun, especially with Pinkie Pie doing what she does best.  Fluttershy reluctantly becomes a fashion model and proves immediately successful, while Rarity turns quite envious that Photo Finish wants to make her friend famous instead.  Twilight and Pinkie Pie get drawn in after helping out, and are charged with keeping secrets even though revealing them would improve the situa­tion.

How Rarity is portrayed regarding the spa is disheartening, although she probably would enjoy many of those treatments.  And Fluttershy doing unattractive things on the runway thanks to Twilight definitely goes into an unwanted area (even though making Fluttershy look bad was their goal).  But Green Isn’t Your Color otherwise remains too enjoyable for these to detract much.  Pinkie Pie creates her “for-ev-errr!” catchphrase, and every character shown is (mostly) at their best.  McCarthy surprisingly finds a sound lesson, and it’s clever that the secrets would be helpful instead of hurtful.  Green Isn’t Your Color may be a guilty pleasure type of episode, but with few great offerings, its place on the list is deserved even if only because of spirit.

5. Over A Barrel   

It’s a rare achievement for the worst epi­sode’s writer to also place on the “best of” list with his only other effort, but Dave Polsky made a dramatic improvement here that is virtually unrecognizable from his earlier work.  Over A Barrel’s standoff be­tween Appleloosa ponies and the buffalo herd may seem silly, but how much Polsky fits within 22 minutes is surpris­ing.

The opening train scenes make a point about differing sleep habits, while the conflict itself is actually shown from both sides so that everyone thinks they are good while the others are evil.  This includes the mane six, who get split up after act one and find themselves fighting against each other momentarily after their surprise reunion.  Pinkie Pie’s song “You Gotta Share” is actually pretty solid, and even if the two leaders unfairly call it the worst thing they’ve ever seen, its melodramatic buildup still makes for a fun mo­ment.  The eventual fight happens with apple pies instead of bullets, but you wouldn’t know that from how each buffalo falls “dead”.  Fortunately, Thunderhooves eats his pie and a resolution is reached soon thereafter.

This episode unusually takes place outside of Ponyville or Canter­lot, so the mane six refreshingly feel like only a part as opposed to the complete focus.  Showing both sides is extremely unusual for a culture that loves good vs. evil battles, which makes Over A Barrel unique from any other My Little Pony episode.  That it’s also varied and fun is an added bonus.

Honorable Mention: Bridle Gossip, Dragonshy, Friendship Is Magic (pilot)

Bottom 5

5. Boast Busters

Boast Busters still feels raw (like many other early episodes), and is mostly just an excuse to embarrass our ponies or their new guest star.  Like Gilda before, Trixie appears out of no­where and has no redeeming features.  She’s completely full of herself, but only performs parlor tricks in a questionable traveling show that conven­iently pauses while the mane six are talking.  Although M.A. Larson found depth for Tri­xie in season three’s Magic Duel, none of that was present here.  From Chris Savino’s portrayal, she should have been a one-off.

Those idiots Snips and Snails retrieve what they think is an ursa major (my god the constellation puns) from the forest just so they can see Trixie vanquish it again.  She then must admit to being a talentless hack who lied about everything, and runs away once Twilight saves everyone.  With no backstory or anything resembling character, we can’t enjoy Trixie’s comeuppance even if it was deserved.  The plot is sketchy and seeing Trixie on screen always feels rather painful.  But hey, Applejack getting hogtied was pretty kinky.

4. Fall Weather Friends

(Speaking of hogtied…) Fall Weather Friends is essentially a sequel to Look Before You Sleep, but now Rainbow Dash fights with Applejack instead.  Apparently this episode tries making some comment on sports, but it just ends up feeling contrived because of not being real.  Rainbow Dash and Apple­jack square off in twenty events that will allegedly determine the mane six’s best athlete, and when Dash wins this handily, they both duel in a marathon instead (which very questionably pertains to the title season).

There’s not exactly drama for any event, and Twilight’s entry into the marathon guarantees she will finish ahead of her friends despite not being athletic or training.  Sports are completely misrepresented since cheaters actually do fairly well, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack never get busted for their obvious violations.  With too many bad puns included, Fall Weather Friends is unnecessary and a chore.

3. Look Before You Sleep

 

Rarity and Applejack somehow get stuck outside during a scheduled thunders­torm, and both decide to just stand in the rain instead of going home.  They’re near Twilight’s place somehow, so she ushers them inside for her first ever sleepover with Spike magically away “on business”.  Applejack and Rarity spend the entire night fighting, even when they finally pretend to arrive at a lesson.

A mountain of contrivances was needed to set up this terrible premise, and then we saw that same childish bickering in almost every scene.  Even keeping Spike around would improve things greatly, so of course he was booted thanks to an impossible explanation.  That leaves two fighting “friends”, which finds both characters at their absolute worst.  No joy can be found anywhere, and nothing resembling a de­cent lesson either.  Look Before You Sleep only makes you not want to watch My Little Pony anymore.

2. Griffon The Brush-Off

Grif­fon The Brush-Off supposedly has something to do with old vs. new friends, but it decides to just play pranks instead.  Even this isn’t done right though, since the best target is ignored while no one gets mad after being punked.  Well, no one except the new one-off character.  Gilda is allegedly Rainbow Dash’s old acquaintance, but her awk­ward introduction and strange clinginess appear more like a jilted lover.  She also has no positive qualities, which makes watching her an extremely dislikable experience.  Gilda’s “pranks” are too mean-spirited, and we can’t even enjoy her unsurprising comeuppance because it’s pre­sented as an accident.  Dash’s reasons for setting up traps makes as little sense as Pinkie Pie throwing a party for Gilda, and they both audaciously act surprised when she takes things the “wrong” way.

My Little Pony episodes rarely have nothing good about them, but Grif­fon The Brush-Off “accomplishes” this feat.  Gilda’s thor­ough unlikability gives us no desire to see her again, while Morrow goofs off and pretends this somehow forms a les­son.  Only in seasons one and two could such an awful episode some­how not take the bottom spot, but Griffon The Brush-Off comes very very close.

1. Feeling Pinkie Keen

As bad as the other episodes on this list are, they at least still deserve more or less to be canon.  Feeling Pinkie Keen most definitely should not, as “Pinkie Sense”’s unfortunate introduction of appears out of no­where and has no apparent purpose except causing something unfortunate to befall Twilight.  Every other writers promptly ignored Pinkie Sense for almost a year, and Larson thought it was terrible enough to make fun of in It’s About Time.

Polsky tried writing an episode depicting faith’s importance, but ended up with a string of slapstick injuries that should have killed Twilight before the third act.  He finally attempts some sort of plot, but the resulting mini-quest shouldn’t have hap­pened since Pinkie’s twitch had nothing to do with it or that place she magically knew about.  Everything resembles some crappy story a religious per­son tells about a converted atheist which conveniently leaves out personal details.

Regardless of your opinion, faith has no place on My Little Pony since Celestia is God and she’s right there.  It would be different if Polsky meant faith in yourself or something like that, but he never pushed his episode in that direction.  Feeling Pinkie Keen is Sunday School in the form of a Looney Tunes cartoon, and not particularly funny or innova­tive either.  It has no plot except torturing Twilight, and doesn’t come close to depicting any alleged lesson.  Choosing Celes­tia’s most “faithful” student for the atheist also makes little sense, and was likely a result of stereotyping her character’s scien­tific proclivities.  Even if you firmly believe in religion, better ways of delivering your message than cartoon violence must exist.

This outing began an early seasons' conundrum amongst the writers regarding Pinkie Pie, as no one had any idea how to give her decent starring roles.  As a result, Pinkie Pie episodes took two consecutive bottom spots against some rather stiff competi­tion.  Feeling Pinkie Keen is painful, misguided, stupid, plotless, offensive, and deserving of being removed from canon.  Even if many later episodes almost reach this level of badness, it’s still hard to imagine them making one worse.

Dishonorable Mention:  Owls Well That Ends Well, A Bird In The Hoof, Winter Wrap Up, The Ticket Master