Over on the UK of Equestria forums, we asked people to rank the pre-hiatus Season Six episodes from 1-11 (counting the premiere as one). We had 14 responses, not bad for a half-season, and below you can see the mean ranking table. Any episode with an average rating of second or above gets five stars. Then down to fourth, four; down to sixth, three; down to eighth, two; and any episode which scored an overall ranking below eighth is lumbered with a one-star rating.
★★★★★
1. The Saddle Row Review
★★★★
2. A Hearth's Warming Tail
★★★
3. Newbie Dash
4. The Gift of the Maud Pie
5. Gauntlet of Fire
★★
6. On Your Marks
7. Flutter Brutter
8. Spice Up Your Life
9. No Second Prances
10. The Crystalling
★
11. Applejack's "Day" Off
It was noticeable this time how many episodes were considered meh-to-good, with few attracting widespread praise or condemnation. "The Saddle Row Review" was an exception, featuring in all 14 voters' top three; the last episode to be universally liked was "Amending Fences" in S5. The most controversial ep (in terms of having the highest standard deviation of scores) was, a little surprisingly, "A Hearth's Warming Tail". 12 voters put it in their top four... but the other two placed it dead last!
I'm not sure there are really too many other surprises in the list. "Newbie Dash" may have been torn apart by some critics, but that opinion wasn't widely shared here: exactly half of the 14 voters placed the episode in their top four. On the other hand, "Applejack's 'Day' Off" was poorly received, with only one person putting it above seventh. "The Crystalling" only just scraped a two-star rating, too.
It's a pitty 'The Crystalling' has ended up so low. At the time it came out it seamed to have an OK, if mixed reception. Although maybe that was just because it was 'New Pony!' After the hiatus.
ReplyDeleteI like it anyway.
I really must rewatch it (and the others) during the hiatus to see whether my opinion has changed. Mind you, the scores were so close in most of the table that a couple of marks more would have shoved it up to seventh or eighth.
DeleteI've started re-watching Series 6 and, as much as it pains me to say it, 'The Crystalling' was a slog to get through. It meanders, and it's just sort of "there" for most of it. It's fine, but easily the weakest two parter the show has done.
ReplyDelete"Just sort of 'there'" is pretty much how I feel about it, too. It's underwhelming.
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