Support NeoGAF

[UberTag]

So... can you guys vote on some episodes? I don't want this guide to be made by just me and Paullo.

Here's my list...

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
11. "Party Pooped"
12. "Amending Fences"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"
15. "Rarity Investigates!"
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"
21. "Hearthbreakers"
24. "The Mane Attraction"
25. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
26. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2"

Of the above list, the one I feel be most inclined to sacrifice would be Canterlot Boutique (and I say that as an ardent Rarity fan). She's had much better episodes... realizing one of her life-long goals here or not. I'll go to bat for Sisterhooves Social over it any day of the week.

 

[McNum]

I thought we were going to start from Season 1 with this thing, to try and boil it down to at most 40-50 episodes people could watch to catch up. Some of these need the previous episodes to be recommended.

Anyway, Season 4, provided you've seen the necessary episodes in prior seasons.

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2" - Season opener, sets the up the season main plot.
3. "Castle Sweet Castle" - Sendoff for the library. Not "important", but nice.
4. "Bloom & Gloom" - Third part of the "Luna visits the CMC in their dreams" series.
5. "Tanks for the Memories" - Cute and fun, but skippable.
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted" - This one is important because Crusaders of the Lost Mark. Even if the moral of the story is kind of... weird.
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" - Featuring a callback no one saw coming to the original My Little Pony, and the best delivery of a line in the season, but you can skip it.
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" - The main story of the season continues.
9. "Slice of Life" - But only if you've seen the previous seasons, it will make no sense otherwise. Also features a character named by Youtube's automatic captioning.
10. "Princess Spike" - If you like Spike being a chewtoy of improbable circumstances, then go for it. If not, skip.
11. "Party Pooped" - Episode not perfect! Yaks smash! In which Twilight almost starts a war. Princessing is hard.
12. "Amending Fences" - Hey, remember that throwaway line about Moondancer's party in the very beginning of the first episode of the show? no? The show does!
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" - What does Luna dream of herself? A surreal and heartfelt take on the Princess of the Night.
14. "Canterlot Boutique" - As a setup for "Rarity Investigates!", but can be skipped.
15. "Scare Master" - Fluttershy tries to celebrate Nightmare Night. Succeeds horribly.
16. "Rarity Investigates!" - My Little Pony does Film Noir starring Rarity. You know you want to see that.
17. "Made in Manehattan" - The return of Coco Pommel, and the season story continues.
18. "Brotherhooves Social" - Cute, and a heartfelt look at Big Macintosh. But... you can skip it.
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" - Perhaps the most important episode of the season. Don't watch any later ones until AFTER this one.
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" - This one might be important later... Also: Maximum Pinkie Pie.
21. "Hearthbreakers" - Pinkie Pie and Applejack celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve together. With both of their families. Culture clash happens.
22. "What About Discord?" - Discord learns about inside jokes and etiquette surrounding those.
23. "The Hooffields and McColts" - The season story arc continues.
24. "The Mane Attraction" - If you like pony songs, do not skip this one.
25. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
26. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2" - The season finale. Sets up the new status quo for Season 6.

So that's 7 must-see, and 8 recommendations.

 

[PaulloDEC]

I'll also note that Bloom & Gloom ought to be included as well if it seems likely that the other two Princess Luna / CMC episodes from earlier seasons make the cut (and given their strength, I suspect that will be the case).

Oh, that's a good point. I'd forgotten that the CMC/Luna visit episodes form a kind of trilogy over the three seasons.

I thought we were going to start from Season 1 with this thing, to try and boil it down to at most 40-50 episodes people could watch to catch up. Some of these need the previous episodes to be recommended.

The plan is to work backwards IIRC, given that Season 5 would be the freshest in most of our memories.

 

[Rhomega Beta]

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
3. "Castle Sweet Castle"
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
5. "Tanks for the Memories"
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted"
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
9. "Slice of Life"*
10. "Princess Spike"
11. "Party Pooped"
12. "Amending Fences"
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"
15. "Scare Master"
16. "Rarity Investigates!"
17. "Made in Manehattan"
18. "Brotherhooves Social"
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows"
21. "Hearthbreakers"
22. "What About Discord?"
23. "The Hooffields and McColts"
24. "The Mane Attraction"
25. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
26. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2"

 

[SigmasonicX]

I thought we were going to start from Season 1 with this thing, to try and boil it down to at most 40-50 episodes people could watch to catch up. Some of these need the previous episodes to be recommended.

By going backwards, it's easier to figure out what previous episodes should be included on the list. For example, if we decide to include "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" (which seems likely), then we have to include "Griffon the Brush-Off".

And thanks, everyone. I'll tally up the results on Saturday and open up season 4 for voting after that.

EDIT: Nice Russian cover of "Lullaby for a Princess"

 

[wookieofdoom]

Sorry, been very busy. My votes:

1. The Cutie Map part 1
2. The Cutie Map part 2
3. Castle Sweet Castle
4. Bloom and Gloom
5. Tanks for Memories
6. Appleoosa's Most Wanted
7. Make New Friends But Keep Discord
8. Lost Treasure of Griffinstone
9. Slice of Life
10. Princess Spike
11. Party Pooped
12. Amending Fences
13. Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
14. Canterlot Boutique
15. The Scare Master
16. Rarity Investigates!
17. Made in Manehatten
18. Brotherhooves Social
19. Crusader of the Lost Mark
20. The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows
21. Hearth Breakers
22. What About Discord?
23. The Hooffields and McColts
24. The Mane Attraction
25 & 26. The Cutie Re-Mark parts 1 & 2

I realize that Slice of Life doesn't exactly fit into essential story stuff, but it is essential for what is brings to the fandom. Also, it's simply the best episode of FIM ever written.

 

[Jay RaR]

Admittedly I've not posted about FiM as of late, but I'll give my impressions about the 5th season.

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
3. "Castle Sweet Castle"
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
5. "Tanks for the Memories"
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted"
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
9. "Slice of Life"
10. "Princess Spike"
11. "Party Pooped"
12. "Amending Fences"
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"
15. "Scare Master"
16. "Rarity Investigates!"
17. "Made in Manehattan"
18. "Brotherhooves Social"
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows"
21. "Hearthbreakers"
22. "What About Discord?"
23. "The Hooffields and McColts"
24. "The Mane Attraction"
25. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
26. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2"

I've got a lot of bias picking some of the Pinkie and Rarity episodes since they're my favorites among the Mane 6. I do think though that Amending Fences is the best episode and the highlight for me in the season (and maybe the whole series) IMO with Slice of Life after since it's kind of a new experience with a good story, good use of many lesser-known (but fandom-known) characters, and a huge nod to the fans. This season was much better than the past 2 so I'm a bit more optimistic for the next season and the film releasing next year?

 

[UberTag]

I'm pretty meh on all of the Cutie Map episodes from this season. I mean, I suppose you could technically call them "plot essential" so that the map's significance will hold some weight between the premiere and the finale two-parters but the episodes themselves weren't exactly mindblowing and largely felt rehashed. Two of the Mane 6 travel somewhere and their unique talents bring friendship to a community. Whoop de doo.

When I consider that we're effectively committing 4 episodes out of an essential block to them (because The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone will also mandate the inclusion of Griffon the Brush Off), I naturally worry about the great one-time episodes with memorable group dynamics that will inevitably be sacrificed to include them.

That said, I also consider them to be an all-or-nothing affair.

 

[SigmasonicX]

A reminder that I already decided that the only "necessary" episodes of season 5 are the opening, the finale, and "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", using the starting assumption that the two-parters are the only necessary episodes by default.

I don't believe the map episodes are part of that set, especially since they don't actually come up in either two parter, nor do I believe that the inclusion of "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" in the recommended episode list means that the other two map episodes must be included.

The metric I'm using to decide what episodes have to be included to understand future episodes is what would cause a great deal of confusion. For example, even if there were no future episodes of the show, the fact that the CMC are shown with their cutie marks at the start of "The Cutie Re-Mark" would cause a great deal of confusion for a viewer on the "necessary episodes only" path if I didn't also include "Lost Mark". I don't think that skipping map episodes would cause similar confusion, since I think viewers could fill in the gap that the characters had adventures they didn't see.

Similarly, when it comes time for season 4, none of the key episodes are going to be included as "necessary", nor will I require that all of them be listed as recommended. I'm acting under the assumption that a viewer just watching what we list wouldn't be too confused by the part of "Twilight's Kingdom" concerning the keys, since there is sufficient explanation and even flashbacks. This means that none of you are obligated to include "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" for season 4, even though there's a flashback to it.

In other news, Friendship is Musical episodes 5-6.

 

[wookieofdoom]

Lol, I wouldn't recommend Breezies if it was the most story important episode of the series. That's the worst episode ever.

 

[DrForester]

Need to recommend more than just the opening and endings. Those really aren't what the show is about.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Need to recommend more than just the opening and endings. Those really aren't what the show is about.

Aren't we just including the openers and closers because they tend to include game-changing plot developments?

> Bold + underline = mandatory (so viewers aren't confused by Twi suddenly having wings, for example)
> Bold = recommended

 

[SigmasonicX]

Need to recommend more than just the opening and endings. Those really aren't what the show is about.

There are two levels of recommendations, like this guide for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, though the difference between the two won't be as great as in that guide. In this case, it's necessary and recommended episodes. What we're voting on is the recommended episodes beyond the two-parters and such.

Another way to look at the "necessary" episodes is that they are the bare minimum needed to understand the latest story, "The Cutie Re-Mark". Which, due to its nature, means that every two-parter and some other random episodes will be listed as necessary.

 

[DrForester]

Aren't we just including the openers and closers because they tend to include game-changing plot developments?

> Bold + underline = mandatory (so viewers aren't confused by Twi suddenly having wings, for example)
> Bold = recommended

Still think other episodes need to be presented. The season openers and finales really don't give the best picture of the show as a whole. Not to mention it would barely get them any time with non-Twilight characters most the time. I think there has to be a recommended episode for each character (or characters) a season.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Still think other episodes need to be presented. The season openers and finales really don't give the best picture of the show as a whole. Not to mention it would barely get them any time with non-Twilight characters most the time. I think there has to be a recommended episode for each character (or characters) a season.

Go ahead and vote for episodes using that method, then. I'm not going to start cutting out episodes for recommendations from the guide until the very end, and if there are any character imbalances in the end, we'll deal with it then.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Go ahead and vote for episodes using that method, then. I'm not going to start cutting out episodes for recommendations from the guide until the very end, and if there are any character imbalances in the end, we'll deal with it then.

Yeah, I think it'd be pretty easy right at the end to create different lists for different purposes. You could have one that was strictly episodes that are important to the ongoing story and one that was just a collection of great stories with a nice mix of characters, for example.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Yeah, I think it'd be pretty easy right at the end to create different lists for different purposes. You could have one that was strictly episodes that are important to the ongoing story and one that was just a collection of great stories with a nice mix of characters, for example.

Having multiple lists feels like a bit much. I'm pretty sure that whatever we vote on will have a decent mix of character focus episodes, and that will be sufficient.

 

[UberTag]

Just for some perspective when making your votes... with SigmasonicX's stated goal to build an "essential viewing" list in the vicinity of <50 episodes, the likely inclusion of all show-defining mythology episodes will leave us with a pretty narrow range of episodes for fan favorites that can stand on their own.

Especially when you consider the number of Season 1 & 2 episodes which serve as useful introductions to characters and concepts that play a significant role in those mythology episodes down the line.

The eight two-parters that kick off and end seasons, the Season 1 & 3 finales, Call of the Cutie (CMC intro ep), The Cutie Mark Chronicles (back story for the marks of the Mane 6), Crusaders of the Lost Mark (CMC get their marks), Luna Eclipsed (Luna's re-integration into Pony society) and Lesson Zero (c'mon, it's Lesson Zero)... that's 23 episodes right there.

If we're limiting ourselves to 50 (at most), that means we can only include 27 additional episodes out of the remaining 94. And there's a lot of episodes that connect to one another in that group.

 

[SigmasonicX]

50 isn't a hard limit. As I said, we'll see when we get there. My plan was to tally up votes and then see if there are any obvious things missing, such as a lack of Rainbow Dash episodes or something.

As for necessary episodes, I was going to figure it out as we went through the seasons, but I'm thinking they will be:

1-2. Friendship is Magic
3. Bridle Gossip
4. Call of the Cutie
5. The Cutie Mark Chronicles
6-7. The Return of Harmony
8, Luna Eclipsed
9. It's About Time - I might have left this out even with its importance to "Twilight's Kingdom", or if there was just the scene in "The Cutie Re-Mark" where Twilight recognizes the time travel spell and Starlight explains that she modified it, but both together makes this feel necessary.
10-11. A Canterlot Wedding
12-13. The Crystal Empire
14. Keep Calm and Flutter On
15. Magical Mystery Cure
16-17. Princess Twilight Sparkle
18-19. Twilight's Kingdom
20-21. The Cutie Map
22. Crusaders of the Lost Mark
23-24. The Cutie Re-Mark

In any case, there's no need to worry much about this guide right now. There's still four more weeks of voting, and we'll figure things out at the end of that.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Studying for finals, glad I don't have to do that anymore. Just one more magic-focused unicorn mare for a full set. Starlight hasn't gotten her sweater yet.

 

[draetenth]

.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Counting up the votes for episodes besides the two-parters and "Lost Mark". Some posters chose to vote for episodes relevant to arcs in this season, to explain why some episodes got more votes than one would expect. I won't open voting for season 4 until tomorrow, but counting up the votes for season 5 took up enough space that it seemed worth its own post.

3. "Castle Sweet Castle" - 1
4. "Bloom & Gloom" - 3
5. "Tanks for the Memories" - 3
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted" - 1
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" - 4
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" - 5
9. "Slice of Life" - 5
10. "Princess Spike" - 0
11. "Party Pooped" - 4
12. "Amending Fences" - 6
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" - 4
14. "Canterlot Boutique" - 6
15. "Scare Master" - 3
16. "Rarity Investigates!" - 4
17. "Made in Manehattan" - 3
18. "Brotherhooves Social" - 0
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" - 5
21. "Hearthbreakers" - 3
22. "What About Discord?" - 0
23. "The Hooffields and McColts" - 3
24. "The Mane Attraction" - 3

6 votes
12. "Amending Fences"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"

5 votes
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
9. "Slice of Life"
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows"

4 votes
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
11. "Party Pooped"
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?"
16. "Rarity Investigates!"

3 votes
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
5. "Tanks for the Memories"
15. "Scare Master"
17. "Made in Manehattan"
21. "Hearthbreakers"
23. "The Hooffields and McColts"
24. "The Mane Attraction"

2 votes
None

1 vote
3. "Castle Sweet Castle"
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted"

No votes
10. "Princess Spike"
18. "Brotherhooves Social"
22. "What About Discord?"

I suppose the way it will work is that episodes with less votes will be more likely to be cut out. Which basically means episodes with one vote won't be included.

An example list that just includes episodes with 4 votes or more:

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
3. "Castle Sweet Castle"
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
5. "Tanks for the Memories"
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted"
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
9. "Slice of Life"* - With an asterisk
10. "Princess Spike"
11. "Party Pooped"
12. "Amending Fences"
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"
15. "Scare Master"
16. "Rarity Investigates!"
17. "Made in Manehattan"
18. "Brotherhooves Social"
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows"
21. "Hearthbreakers"
22. "What About Discord?"
23. "The Hooffields and McColts"
24. "The Mane Attraction"
25. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
26. "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2"

However, I expect that a final list will actually take some episodes with four votes and others with three votes.

EDIT: Adding later votes:
3. "Castle Sweet Castle" - 2
4. "Bloom & Gloom" - 4
5. "Tanks for the Memories" - 4
6. "Appleoosa's Most Wanted" - 1
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" - 5
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" - 6
9. "Slice of Life" - 6
10. "Princess Spike" - 0
11. "Party Pooped" - 4
12. "Amending Fences" - 7
13. "Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?" - 4
14. "Canterlot Boutique" - 7
15. "Scare Master" - 3
16. "Rarity Investigates!" - 5
17. "Made in Manehattan" - 4
18. "Brotherhooves Social" - 0
20. "The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows" - 5
21. "Hearthbreakers" - 3
22. "What About Discord?" - 0
23. "The Hooffields and McColts" - 4
24. "The Mane Attraction" - 4

 

[McNum]

I think if it's a viewing guide for new people, we should probably show which episodes are a set, no matter how many seasons they extend over. Like the "Luna visits the CMC's dreams" episodes, not to mention the Cutie Mark Crusader's various failures in Cutie Marks, or everything with Discord, or the season story arcs, and even multi-season story arcs, like Twilight's coronation and learning how to princess, which is kind of still ongoing.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I think if it's a viewing guide for new people, we should probably show which episodes are a set, no matter how many seasons they extend over. Like the "Luna visits the CMC's dreams" episodes, not to mention the Cutie Mark Crusader's various failures in Cutie Marks, or everything with Discord, or the season story arcs, and even multi-season story arcs, like Twilight's coronation and learning how to princess, which is kind of still ongoing.

I agree that it would be good to demonstrate character arcs, but I don't believe that every episode would be necessary. We don't need to include every CMC episode, or every episode with Discord, but I do think that we need at least one non-two-parter with Discord, for instance, and I think "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" suffices for that. I feel like it would be better to choose only arc episodes out of those that are good on their own. The Dream Luna arc has a pretty good chance of getting into the guide in whole, but not other arcs.

Anyway, opening up season 4 voting. Season 4 OT, if you want a reminder of what you posted about each episode. I forgot that I wasn't actually posting in these threads during season 4. And the video recap from the season 5 OT OP is good for a visceral reaction to each episode.

Looking at the season 5 episodes that got four or more votes, "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" will require "Maud Pie" from this season. Looking that those that got three votes, "Bloom & Gloom" will require "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils", "Made in Manehattan" will require "Rarity Takes Manehattan", and "Hearthbreakers" requires "Pinkie Apple Pie" and "Maud Pie". I'd say not to let this force you into choosing these episodes, but they have a good chance of being chosen on their own merits anyway.

As a reminder, you have no obligation to include all episodes of a seasonal arc. You don't have to include every key episode or every Equestria Games episode, even if you include one of them.

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
4. "Daring Don't"
5. "Flight to the Finish"
6. "Power Ponies"
7. "Bats!" - This will have an annotation noting that Fluttershy temporarily turns into a vampire here, and later episodes will do callbacks to this, but I wouldn't list this as recommended.
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
11. "Pinkie Pride"
12. "Three's A Crowd"
13. "Simple Ways"
14. "Filli Vanilli"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me"
18. "Trade Ya!"
19. "Maud Pie"
20. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3"
23. "Inspiration Manifestation"
24. "Equestria Games"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

 

[UberTag]

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
12. "Pinkie Pride"
15. "Twilight Time"
18. "Maud Pie"
19. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
22. "Trade Ya!"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

 

[DrForester]

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
12. "Pinkie Pride"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
18. "Maud Pie"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Trade Ya!"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

Have to include the key episodes if for no other reason than to remind the viewers that yes, Twilight has 5 friends.


Also, my S5 list.

1. "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
2. "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
3. "Castle Sweet Castle"
4. "Bloom & Gloom"
5. "Tanks for the Memories"
7. "Make New Friends but Keep Discord"
8. "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
9. "Slice of Life"*
12. "Amending Fences"
14. "Canterlot Boutique"
16. "Rarity Investigates!"
17. "Made in Manehattan"
19. "Crusaders of the Lost Mark"
23. "The Hooffields and McColts"
24. "The Mane Attraction"

 

[Rhomega Beta]

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
4. "Daring Don't"
5. "Flight to the Finish"
6. "Power Ponies"
7. "Bats!"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
11. "Pinkie Pride"
12. "Three's A Crowd"
13. "Simple Ways"
14. "Filli Vanilli"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me"
18. "Trade Ya!"
19. "Maud Pie"
20. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3"
23. "Inspiration Manifestation"
24. "Equestria Games"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

 

[PaulloDEC]

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
4. "Daring Don't"
5. "Flight to the Finish"
6. "Power Ponies"
7. "Bats!"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
11. "Pinkie Pride"
12. "Three's A Crowd"
13. "Simple Ways"
14. "Filli Vanilli"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me"
18. "Trade Ya!"
19. "Maud Pie"
20. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3"
23. "Inspiration Manifestation"
24. "Equestria Games"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

Sticking to my "8 recommendations" rule.

 

[Jay RaR]

A reminder that I already decided that the only "necessary" episodes of season 5 are the opening, the finale, and "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", using the starting assumption that the two-parters are the only necessary episodes by default.

I don't believe the map episodes are part of that set, especially since they don't actually come up in either two parter, nor do I believe that the inclusion of "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone" in the recommended episode list means that the other two map episodes must be included.

The metric I'm using to decide what episodes have to be included to understand future episodes is what would cause a great deal of confusion. For example, even if there were no future episodes of the show, the fact that the CMC are shown with their cutie marks at the start of "The Cutie Re-Mark" would cause a great deal of confusion for a viewer on the "necessary episodes only" path if I didn't also include "Lost Mark". I don't think that skipping map episodes would cause similar confusion, since I think viewers could fill in the gap that the characters had adventures they didn't see.

Ah, my bad then. When I saw 'recommended episodes' my mind immediately jumped to episodes I'd recommend mainly for the entertainment or dramatic value instead of adding the lore of Equestria. Still, I find making this 'recommended' list a bit arbitrary on what adds lore to Equestria and the Mane 6 based on what happens during the season premiere or finale of each season or whatnot idk.

Anyway, here's my list for Season 4:

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
4. "Daring Don't"
5. "Flight to the Finish"
6. "Power Ponies"
7. "Bats!"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
11. "Pinkie Pride"
12. "Three's A Crowd"
13. "Simple Ways"
14. "Filli Vanilli"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me"
18. "Trade Ya!"
19. "Maud Pie"
20. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3"
23. "Inspiration Manifestation"
24. "Equestria Games"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

A bit unsure of including the Key episodes since the ending scene of each is really the important piece of info needed to understand the finale kinda. The story of earning them might be necessary or crucial to some people who want context but the jokes and fluff in between make it hard for me to decide. That and I only like 2 of them (finale withstanding) out of the list being Rainbow Falls and Pinkie Pride. Three's a Crowd I put in there to show how Discord stands between his relationship between the Mane 6 and how it may influence his actions in the finale. Other that, a pretty weak season in retrospect.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Ah, my bad then. When I saw 'recommended episodes' my mind immediately jumped to episodes I'd recommend mainly for the entertainment or dramatic value instead of adding the lore of Equestria. Still, I find making this 'recommended' list a bit arbitrary on what adds lore to Equestria and the Mane 6 based on what happens during the season premiere or finale of each season or whatnot idk.

To clarify, what I meant in that last paragraph you quoted does not refer to recommended episodes in general, but just episodes that should be included just because they are needed to understand later episodes. The example I gave earlier was that just because Flim and Flam appear in "The Cutie Re-Mark", part of the necessary episode list, doesn't mean that we have to include any Flim/Flam episodes as part of the necessary episode list, since their appearance in that episode wouldn't cause too much confusion to someone who didn't watch other episodes with them. However, if we chose to include "Daring Don't" as part of the recommended episode list for some reason, we would be obligated to also include "Read It and Weep".

If you look at my recommended episode list votes, you'll notice that I include fluff episodes like "Filli Vanilli", so adding to the lore is not actually a priority for these recommended episode list votes. It is, as you said, meant for episodes with entertainment or dramatic value. You can feel free to redo your votes if you wish.

And guys, I'm not adding more episodes to the necessary episode list. It's supposed to be a bare minimum, and it's already at 24 episodes. I'll just say at the top of the episode guide that even if you just want to watch the necessary episodes, you should still watch some episodes that are just recommended between them. And I'll add a symbol next to episodes that are part of the same arc.

 

[UberTag]

I've been actively keeping my recommendation lists tiny outside of the prerequisites for Seasons 4 & 5. Only 6 each season. I've consciously made an effort to bypass many of the episodes that I've enjoyed in both of those years simply due to the criteria of creating a list of "essential" episodes to acclimate newbies to the show.

Most of the "fluffy" slice of life episodes are my personal favorites... especially ones that feature Rarity. But I'm not voting for them. Sorry Simple Ways.

That said, I will be throwing a heck of a lot more votes towards episodes in Seasons 1 & 2 (which are arguably inferior seasons to 4 & 5) simply because they do a better job of serving as a foundation for the show.

 

[Jay RaR]

If you look at my recommended episode list votes, you'll notice that I include fluff episodes like "Filli Vanilli", so adding to the lore is not actually a priority for these recommended episode list votes. It is, as you said, meant for episodes with entertainment or dramatic value. You can feel free to redo your votes if you wish.

Nah, I meant the bolded and underlined episodes were the episodes 'recommended' if a new viewer would want to 'catch up' to the show and be up-to-date with the current status of the Mane 6, Ponyville and its residents, and any major additions to the lore of Equestria. The 'fluff' I meant was in regards to the key episodes with parts of an episode dedicated to the entertainment value instead of moving the plot. Pinkie Pride being an example with the important bits happening in the latter half I'd say.

edit: Oh, I meant 'necessary' not recommended, whoops! Not like it matters now.

 

[McNum]

I agree that it would be good to demonstrate character arcs, but I don't believe that every episode would be necessary. We don't need to include every CMC episode, or every episode with Discord, but I do think that we need at least one non-two-parter with Discord, for instance, and I think "Make New Friends but Keep Discord" suffices for that. I feel like it would be better to choose only arc episodes out of those that are good on their own. The Dream Luna arc has a pretty good chance of getting into the guide in whole, but not other arcs.

I disagree on this. The arcs, in full, are what makes the show. While each individual episode may not be important, we need to showcase the full arcs, separated out of the episode lists, so that if one of them is a must-see, then there's a quick resource on which episodes lead up to that.

So, for Season 5 it would be something like.

The Cutie Map - Season 5 Arc
S5E1 "The Cutie Map - Part 1"
S5E2 "The Cutie Map - Part 2"
S5E8 "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone"
S5E17 "Made in Manehattan"
S5E23 "The Hooffields and McColts"
S5E25 "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1"
S5E26 "The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2"

And the entire Cutie Mark Crusaders looking for their Cutie Marks, from Call of the Cutie in the first season up to Crusaders of the Lost Mark in season 5 should be a list. And an episode could certainly be on more, as I'd have the CMC get visited by Luna in their dreams on both their own list, and on a Return of Princess Luna list that ends, so far, with "Do Princesses Dream of Magical Sheep?"

Just voting on 26 episodes at a time seems like it glosses over things too much. It's too many to give each episode the attention it deserves. I hold the Clone Wars episode guide as the shining example, pointing out the main story, and giving recommendations to sidestories as they appear. I mean, technically, if someone does not care about the Cutie Mark Crusaders, why is Crusaders of the Lost Mark a must-see?

 

[DrForester]

Given the total 180 they did on the CMC Character arc in season 5, all you really need to watch is their first episode, Appleosa's Most Wanted and Crusaders of the Lost Mark. Everything else ended up being pretty irrelevant.

 

[PaulloDEC]

I mean, technically, if someone does not care about the Cutie Mark Crusaders, why is Crusaders of the Lost Mark a must-see?

I guess the point there is that whether you care about the Crusaders or not, the show considers them to be important characters, and therefore anything significant that happens to them is important.

 

[McNum]

Total 180? I'm not sure I follow there.

The arc, as I see it in full goes something like the CMC group is formed, they try out things and fail in comically inept ways, Apple Bloom in particular grows more and more anxious about it, Luna starts visiting their dreams, ending with Apple Bloom and helping her overcome her cutie mark anxiety. They then meet Trouble Shoes, and do their first Cutie Mark Counseling, although they don't know it at the time, and by the end of Crusaders of the Lost Mark, they do the one thing that the show has made clear from very early on would help them gain their marks: They stop trying, for just a moment.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders were born from Apple Bloom's anxiety and Diamond Tiara's bullying. When Apple Bloom finally took steps in overcoming her anxiety, the cutie mark story could finally begin advancing again. Going full circle with the redemption of Diamond Tiara.

 

[SigmasonicX]

If every Cutie Mark Crusader episode should be included, then doesn't the logic follow that every Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, etc. episode should be included too? I mean, I fully intend to include a note at the top of the guide that it's better to watch every episode of the show, but recommending every episode hardly makes for a recommended episode guide.

I don't believe that the episode guide needs to include anything that isn't particularly well liked, even if they are part of an arc. This is an episodic series where even arcs are intentionally designed such that you don't need to watch every episode. Even an arc that has clear development episode to episode, Rainbow joining the Wonderbolts, could jump from "Best Night Ever" to "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" to "Rarity Investigates" without losing much, I feel. And this is a good thing, because the episodes in that arc between those aren't well liked.

EDIT: As for why I'd include "Lost Mark" in the necessary episode list, I mentioned that in "The Cutie Re-Mark", the Flim/Flam cameo would get a reaction of, "Oh, I guess those are evil businessmen," while the cameo of the CMC would get the reaction of, "Wait, when the hell did that happen?!"

 

[DrForester]

The CMC seemed to be on a steady arc of learning that they can't do everything together, and their destinies will be revealed when they play to each others strengths. Having them suddenly have the same destiny and cutie mark felt like a really sudden and unexpected direction for them to go after all that.

 

[McNum]

If every Cutie Mark Crusader episode should be included, then doesn't the logic follow that every Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, etc. episode should be included too? I mean, I fully intend to include a note at the top of the guide that it's better to watch every episode of the show, but recommending every episode hardly makes for a recommended episode guide.

I don't believe that the episode guide needs to include anything that isn't particularly well liked, even if they are part of an arc. This is an episodic series where even arcs are intentionally designed such that you don't need to watch every episode. Even an arc that has clear development episode to episode, Rainbow joining the Wonderbolts, could jump from "Best Night Ever" to "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3" to "Rarity Investigates" without losing much, I feel. And this is a good thing, because the episodes in that arc between those aren't well liked.

EDIT: As for why I'd include "Lost Mark" in the necessary episode list, I mentioned that in "The Cutie Re-Mark", the Flim/Flam cameo would get a reaction of, "Oh, I guess those are evil businessmen," while the cameo of the CMC would get the reaction of, "Wait, when the hell did that happen?!"

Ah, I apologize, I must have miscommunicated. I wouldn't have all the Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes as one long list, because they do other things than go after their cutie marks. "Somepony to Watch Over Me" from season 4 would not be on the list, but "Twilight Time" likely would both in the matter of Diamond Tiara's involvement, and that Sweetie Belle learns magic in that one. Twilight Time is also a good episode to include in a "Princess Twilight" arc, wherein Twilight is groomed to be a princess and then has no idea what to do with that.

But yes, the Cutie Mark Crusade story would be a rather long one. It should be, it's one of the longest running arc the show had. From Season 1 through 5. They're not all essential viewing, but as a supplementary, I feel like the entire story arc should be shown.

 

[PaulloDEC]

I wonder if maybe the final guide should have a kind of.. like, a tagging system of some sort? Like, ignoring my rough episode choices and overall design:

...a way for people to customise their experience by calling out types or groups of episodes that might not necessarily be part of the "recommended" master list?

 

[DrForester]

I wonder if maybe the final guide should have a kind of.. like, a tagging system of some sort? Like, ignoring my rough episode choices and overall design:



...a way for people to customise their experience by calling out types or groups of episodes that might not necessarily be part of the "recommended" master list?

I still say not including the other key episodes gives a very unbalanced view of the season.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I wonder if maybe the final guide should have a kind of.. like, a tagging system of some sort? Like, ignoring my rough episode choices and overall design:



...a way for people to customise their experience by calling out types or groups of episodes that might not necessarily be part of the "recommended" master list?

Oh, that's nice. It's not far off from what I was planning.

Necessary episodes - Some indicator, episode description and screencap
Recommended episodes - Some indicator, episode description
Arc episodes - Some indicator, with a description of the arc somewhere

EDIT:

I still say not including the other key episodes gives a very unbalanced view of the season.

I could just say in the description of "Princess Twilight Sparkle" to "make sure to watch a few episodes from the below Key Arc before watching the season finale."

 

[PaulloDEC]

I still say not including the other key episodes gives a very unbalanced view of the season.

Huh? You're not commenting on the episodes I chose in that mock up are you? Cos I literally picked most of them at random.

Oh, that's nice. It's not far off from what I was planning.

Necessary episodes - Some indicator, episode description and screencap
Recommended episodes - Some indicator, episode description
Arc episodes - Some indicator, with a description of the arc somewhere

Exactly, something along those lines. A way to show the episodes that we all like best, but also to draw attention to arc episodes and other ongoing storylines that viewers might like to include in their run, depending on how in-depth they want to get.

 

[UberTag]

I still say not including the other key episodes gives a very unbalanced view of the season.

I suspect that near universal disdain for It Ain't Easy Being Breezies is the monkey wrench here.

 

[McNum]

Twilight Sparkle approves of color coding!

I like the separation between arcs and fan favorites. I mean, the Trixie episodes aren't really that important, but they're definite fan favorites. You could generously draw a line from Magic Duel to The Cutie Re-Mark on Twilight having learned to change tactics when magically outgunned, of course.

What would be the main arc of the first seasons, though? Anything mentioning the Grand Galloping Gala in the first one, so Ticket Master and Suited for Success? Season 2, though, starts with Discord and ends with A Canterlot Wedding. There really isn't an arc there. It sets up a lot of arcs, but it doesn't really end any.

 

[DrForester]

Huh? You're not commenting on the episodes I chose in that mock up are you? Cos I literally picked most of them at random.

Looked like your real list.

1. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1"
2. "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2"
3. "Castle Mane-ia"
4. "Daring Don't"
5. "Flight to the Finish"
6. "Power Ponies"
7. "Bats!"
8. "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
9. "Pinkie Apple Pie"
10. "Rainbow Falls"
11. "Pinkie Pride"
12. "Three's A Crowd"
13. "Simple Ways"
14. "Filli Vanilli"
15. "Twilight Time"
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies"
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me"
18. "Trade Ya!"
19. "Maud Pie"
20. "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils"
21. "Leap of Faith"
22. "Testing Testing 1, 2, 3"
23. "Inspiration Manifestation"
24. "Equestria Games"
25. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1"
26. "Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2"

Sticking to my "8 recommendations" rule.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Twilight Sparkle approves of color coding!

I like the separation between arcs and fan favorites. I mean, the Trixie episodes aren't really that important, but they're definite fan favorites. You could generously draw a line from Magic Duel to The Cutie Re-Mark on Twilight having learned to change tactics when magically outgunned, of course.

What would be the main arc of the first seasons, though? Anything mentioning the Grand Galloping Gala in the first one, so Ticket Master and Suited for Success? Season 2, though, starts with Discord and ends with A Canterlot Wedding. There really isn't an arc there. It sets up a lot of arcs, but it doesn't really end any.

Perhaps calling out "arc" by name isn't the right idea. Maybe it ought to just be something like "important" or "signficant" or something?

Anyway, I guess my thinking generally is that there's no real limit to how much supplemental information could be included on a "series guide". Like, so long as the most important stuff (i.e. fan favourites and "miss-this-and-you-won't-get-it" episodes) is made big and clear, we could have little notes about season arcs, recurring characters, ongoing subplots, etc.

I feel like what new fans who seek out these guides want is options. Not everyone wants an absolute "core" list, and not everyone wants an overburdened one. There's also a good chance that people might return to a guide like this after they've covered the most important stuff to seek out other suggestions. It'd be cool to cater to all of that in one neat package.

Looked like your real list.

Oh yeah, there's a fair bit of crossover. You may be right about including the key episodes as mandatory, and on reflection I wouldn't be against them being listed that way.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I think the best way to handle this supplemental information would be to note arcs within a single season, and list the focus characters for each episode.

For example, taking a random chunk out of season 4:

9. "Pinkie Apple Pie" - Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Apple family
10. "Rainbow Falls" - Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolts - KEY ARC
11. "Pinkie Pride" - Pinkie Pie - KEY ARC
12. "Three's A Crowd" - Twilight Sparkle, Cadance, Discord
13. "Simple Ways" - Applejack, Rarity
14. "Filli Vanilli" - Fluttershy, Rarity
15. "Twilight Time" - Cutie Mark Crusaders, Twilight
16. "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" - Fluttershy - KEY ARC
17. "Somepony to Watch Over Me" - Apple Bloom, Applejack

EDIT: And again, I'm not listing the key episodes as necessary. I'll just say to watch at least one key arc episode in the description of "Princess Twilight Sparkle".

EDIT: I guess the real message I want to impart is stop voting for episodes you don't actually like much!

 

[SigmasonicX]

There's an MLP marketing tie-in on Nickelodeon, and a flash game was uploaded to their website. The tie-in just involves the toys, but could this mean something for the show? In the past, it always seemed like the only reason why MLP:FiM reruns didn't appear on other networks was because it was the only thing actually drawing people to The Hub, and Discovery Family probably has some deal in place for the same reason. Hasbro has already been showing the new Transformers series on Cartoon Network (how is that, anyway?), and with the MLP movie coming in about two years, I could see them start airing reruns on Nickelodeon to better promote it.

Friendship is Musical episodes 7-8.

And a draft of how the guide could look, using nine episodes from season 5, using the "four votes or more" list I posted before. Text and design not final, of course. The way I decided tags for episodes was that characters are listed in order of their importance to the episode. If a group and a member of the group are both listed, then that member is given extra attention but the rest of the group is still important to the episode. The member is listed after the group if the rest of the group has the most screentime but the member is the focus of attention. I decided not to have tags for necessary episodes, which is good for avoiding questions like if Discord and Starlight should get tags before they turn good.

 

[DrForester]

I think we're over thinking this. Just recommend a half dozen episodes a season or so and be done with it.