As we've done for the last couple of years (for S5 and for S6), we've been asking people to rank all this season's Friendship is Magic episodes. Because of having no double-episode premiere this year, members were asked to rank the episodes from 1 to 25, with the finale counting as one. We had 15 respondents, a little down on S6's 18 but still enough to get a good idea. S7 has been pretty well received overall, but what you see here is based on the overall means.
The tier boundaries were decided very simply: any episode with a mean position of five or below got a five star rating. Then any ep with an average of worse than 5th but equal to or better than 10th got four. And so on down the line, with episodes with a mean score below 20 getting a one-star rating. This year, we have eps in all five tiers, which makes my job a bit easier! It's also the first time we've had more than six episodes in the top two categories. Here's the list:
★★★★★
1. A Royal Problem
2. Shadow Play
★★★★
3. The Perfect Pear
4. Once Upon a Zeppelin
5. Parental Glideance
6. Rock Solid Friendship
7. It Isn't the Mane Thing About You
8. All Bottled Up
★★★
9. Fame and Misfortune
10. Discordant Harmony
11. A Health of Information
12. Celestial Harmony
13. Campfire Tales
14. Uncommon Bond
15. Secrets and Pies
★★
16. Hard to Say Anything
17. To Change a Changeling
18. A Flurry of Emotions
19. Marks and Recreation
20. Daring Done?
21. Triple Threat
22. Honest Apple
23. Forever Filly
★
24. Not Asking for Trouble
25. Fluttershy Leans In
Number of times each episode placed first
5: A Royal Problem
3: The Perfect Pear
3: Shadow Play
1: All Bottled Up
1: Fame and Misfortune
1: Once Upon a Zeppelin
1: Parental Glideance
Number of times each episode placed last
6: Fluttershy Leans In
4: Not Asking for Trouble
1: Fame and Misfortune
1: A Flurry of Emotions
1: Forever Filly
1: Honest Apple
1: Secrets and Pies
Most controversial (highest standard deviation)
1. Fame and Misfortune
2. Secrets and Pies
3. Hard to Say Anything
Least controversial
1. A Royal Problem
2. Fluttershy Leans In
3. To Change a Changeling
"A Royal Problem" was universally liked and widely adored: everyone placed the episode in their top nine, and 12 voters had it in the top four. In fact, it (just) displaces "Amending Fences" as the most popular episode of the past three seasons. At the other end of the table, the bottom two were widely unpopular, being more than three points adrift of the rest, and "Fluttershy Leans In" had a highest position from anyone of 17th. That wasn't even from me!
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the most controversial episode was "Fame and Misfortune", and I suspect that argument will run and run. We all know that M. A. Larson doesn't like the fact that his name is attached to it, but that doesn't stop many people (including me) from enjoying what we ended up with. "To Change a Changeling" was an unusual episode where there was near-unanimity on its middling status: out of 15 people, 13 placed it between 10th and 17th in their lists.
The general feeling among those people discussing the most recent season has been that S7 was for the most part a very good run, and certainly a step up from S6. This means that a three-star ep this time around might in fact be more popular in absolute terms than a three-star ep last year. But the rules of the poll don't allow you to make your rankings on that basis, instead requiring only relative positions to be taken into account, so bear that factor in mind.
Nice write-up. I've still only seen 'Shadow Play' once, so maybe a rewatch is in order today.
ReplyDeleteIn your first paragraph, I think you meant to say "a little down on *S6's* 18"?
I did indeed. Fixed now. Thanks!
DeleteSuch a shame finding Daring Done so low, but sadly it couldn't have been differentely. The scene of RD's ponynapping was really stupidly done and seriously damaged what could have been one of the best eps of the S7. Right after Not Asking for Trouble and the fact that Rutherford putted his honor of yak over the safety of his kind AND doesn't learn the lesson (reason for which NAFT is my least favorite of the S7 as well), that was the only moment of the S7 I REALLY disliked. And thinking that it could have been such a memorable one if they didn't screw up with that scene... what a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteI brought Daring Done in the discussion specifically because while there where other five eps that ranked worse than it, despite having enjoyed enough all of them (except NAFT for which I agree it was forgettable) I didn't have much expectations from them. Instead Daring Done was a case of "damaged potential" that's why I was so disappointed in it not being one of the best of S7. I don't know if you follow my reasonment...
Yeah, I do, and I agree with you. I think it was a moderate episode that wasted a chance to be better. In my review of DD, I said: "Rainbow herself was less convincingly written, for example when she apparently forgot how to fly as Caballeron's henchponies approached to capture her."
DeleteProbably that was like the only moment of the entire S7 that didn't do justice at all to one of the Mane 6 (Not Asking For Trouble was forgettable because Rutherford, but at the very least Pinkie and the Mane 6 were potrayed well), at least for me..... well, at least it's a far better result than all their messy portrayals in S6.
DeleteI've ranked all of these episodes on my blog already.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. Since you didn't include a link, I'll do it for you. It's in three parts, and this is the first: http://supermariobrony.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/mlpfim-worst-to-best-season-7-part-1.html
DeleteRight. Thanks.
DeleteWhat?! The Perfect Pear is not the 1st?! *triggered* *triggered* *AJ parents has died in vain*
DeleteFame & Misfortune still has decent score despite the controversy. I personally ranked it one of the best episodes of S7.
Awww, why To Change a Changeling and Secret & Pie so low? They are really great. ;(
Fluttershy Leans In is in the place that i expected it to be. Daring Done should be 3 stars, that ep is decent until act 3.
A Royal Problem and Shadow Plays have some few issues but they are too awesome so it doesnt matter. They deserved their spots, but i would love to see The Perfect Pear in that spot too.