Ranking The Writers of Season 5 · 2:47am Dec 16th, 2015
Season 5 had a bunch of new writers join the staff, and a few old veterans periodically tackle episodes. A few Season 4 writers also got to return for some episodes. So, how do the writers stack up overall for the season? Which writers hit their stride, and which seemed to struggle?
Well, let's find out. Season 5 had a total of 13 writers (Jim and Jayson don't count, since they are part of the storyboarding department)
13. Neal Dusedau (Episodes written: Princess Spike (Credited with story, Episode written by Jim Miller and Jayson Thiesen), What About Discord?)
Neal is the only writer this season that failed to produce any good episode or even decent episodes. I'm not sure how much blame he deserves for "Princess Spike" since he only wrote the story, and not the episode itself, but "What About Discord?" was his chance to prove he was a good fit and could work on his own. And he blew it! Being a writer for "Johnny Test" Neal apparently doesn't seem to realize why that show wasn't recieved very well, and why writing for FiM is different. His stories are too reliant on jokes and running gags that aren't funny, as well as OOC behavior from the character of focus. He also seems to ignore his own continuity, constantly changing the story as he goes along even if it doesn't make sense. I don't want to completely say he was a bad pick for the show, since Dave Polsky and Merriweather Williams started off as some of the worst writers on the show, then they improved as time went on (Merriweather's quality is debateable, but Polsky (as we'll see) has improved tremendously), and Meghan McCarthy used to write for "Fish Hooks" prior to being picked for FiM. But if he DOES come back for Season 6, he should be paired up with someone like Meghan, Larson, or Polsky, so that they can check his weaknesses and help him learn how to be a better writer.
12. Noelle Benvenuti (Episodes written: Made in Manehattan)
If I could best describe "Made in Manehattan" I would say it was so-so. It seems to me that Noelle Benveuti just wasn't focusing when she penned this episode, because she was worried about her sick mother (her mother passed away unexpectedly in October of last year, and the script for most episodes is completed by the summer, it's likely her mother was at least somewhat sick while she was writing) and thus couldn't deliver as strongly as she did with "Maud Pie" in Season 4. Either that, or her dry humor that worked well in "Maud Pie" didn't translate well to "Made in Manehattan" and she had to rewrite the episode from scratch as a result. Hopefully, if she's coming back for Season 6, she'll have had time to move on from her loss, and thus focus more clearly on her writing.
11. Cindy Morrow (Episodes written: Tanks For The Memories)
"Tanks For The Memories" should've been amazing, it should've been one of the best episodes of all time! The intended moral about dealing with loss and the five stages of grief is something that was right up Cindy Morrow's ally. So where did it all go so wrong? Probably when the decision was made to use animal hibernation, as that led to confusion as to whether or not the focus would be about a metaphor for death. As a result, the premise worked against the episode, and the comedy took priority over the emotional moments. And Cindy Morrow's biggest weakness is comedy. "Tanks For The Memories" may be slightly stronger than Cindy's Season 3 works, and definitely better than her Season 1 works, but it doesn't even come close to competing with her Season 2 works. Maybe Cindy lost her mojo after "Hurricane Fluttershy" and couldn't find it in time for "Tanks For The Memories", or maybe she just got stuck with an episode that she wasn't cut out for because of some poorly thought out choices. I personally think she should've been given "Castle, Sweet Castle" instead, as that was an episode which really would've benefited from a writer that knew the importance of emotion, as opposed to two writers who had only worked for comedy cartoons. I do hope Cindy Morrow can do a better job if she comes back in Season 6, but maybe she needs to be paired with someone that can handle comedy such as Dave Polsky or Josh Haber.
10. Natasha Levinger (Episodes written: Make New Friends, But Keep Discord, Scare Master)
If it weren't for "Scare Master" Natsha would probably be much higher on this list. But "Scare Master" is a particularly bad episode for Natasha considering she was the one who wrote the episode that started Fluttershy's growth as a character a season ago, and then wrote the episode that promintely featured it in the first half of Season 5. Why she of all people decided to throw her own greatest contribution out the window and reset Fluttershy's character growth for the sake of the story is beyond me. If it were someone not used to writing Fluttershy, like say one of the new writers, it would be excuseable. And it's a real shame Natasha ends up here because of "Scare Master", because "Make New Friends, But Keep Discord" was really good. The comedy was top notch, and Discord actually seemed like an enjoyable character, as opposed to "What About Discord?" where he was just used as an excuse to pad out the episode with visuals joke and references. Natasha seems to be as much of a mixed bag now, as she was a season ago. She doesn't seem bad, but her quality seems very inconsistent. Sometimes she hits, and sometimes she misses. Maybe she'll find some consistentcy (hopefully for the better) if she returns for Season 6.
9. G. M. Berrow (Episodes written: The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows)
I feel like Berrow got way too much flack as a writer prior to this episode. Yes, her first book was a mess of continuity, but she likely wasn't given all of Season 3 to work with, just a few episodes here and there. And if you're going to blame anyone for the "terrible" names of Pinkie's parents, point them at Hasbro since they're the ones who hold the final say in all names. Plus, why do people attack names like Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, but names like Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles get a free pass? Sounds like a ridiculous double standard to me. Well, hopefully her debut as a show writer allowed people to see that Berrow is better than you may have heard, and her books are worth checking out (though some of the mane six books aren't the greatest, "Rarity and The Curious Case of Charity" is worth checking out, as is "Rainbow Dash and The Daring Double Dare", but "Applejack and The Honest to Goodness Switcheroo" and "Fluttershy and The Furry Animal Friends Fair" you can probably skip). I may not have been able to really wrap my head around the premise, but when that wasn't present she managed to have everyone in character, even Pinkie Pie. The brief part towards the end where she had Twilight be a little slow on the uptake to build up the drama did feel forced, but I feel like she did well for her first episode.
8. Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco (Episodes written: Castle, Sweet Castle, Rarity Investigates (Colab on story with Meghan McCarthy and M. A. Larson), The Hooffelds and McColts)
At first, Joanna and Kristine started off poorly by being handed an episode they likely had no idea what to do with since they only wrote for comedy shows, and "Castle, Sweet Castle" had a premise as far detached from comedy as you could get. And while they came up with a few good jokes, they ended up giving too much focus to a B plot that was insulting to the rest of the mane five and the audience, and ruined what could've otherwise been a great episode. Thankfully, they got some much needed pointers from Meghan and Larson when they wrote "Rarity Investigates", and while a few of their jokes still didn't quite hit it out of the park (the duck joke was weak, and the charm scene was redundant and could've been cut without losing anything) for the most part they did really well. They applied the lessons they were taught nicely to "The Hooffelds and McColts" and made sure to keep the jokes from overshadowing all the other elements of the plot. While I'm still not entirely convinced Hasbro should've recruited them (though Tara Strong probably suggested them since they wrote for "Fairly Odd Parents" and "T.U.F.F Puppy", which she was involved in), I think they've managed to find a better calling than working on Nick's subpar comedy shows that should be scrapped (I hope they aren't working on the new Chipmunks cartoon, because it's not very good. It's a poorly made attempt to try and resurrect the franchise in case the new movie bombs, and it likely will because of when it's coming out). If they come back for Season 6, I say they should remain confined to comedy episodes, so long as they remember that good jokes aren't the only thing you need to make a good episode.
7. Nick Confalone (Episodes written: Party Pooped (Credited with story, Episode written by Jim Miller and Jayson Thiesen), Hearthbreakers)
It's amazing how two writers can come from the same show, be picked for the same show, and have the same defining genre for their episodes, yet vary so greatly in quality. Nick actually seems to be good at comedy and writing for the show, largely because his jokes aren't the focus of the episodes. That being said, he's not perfect. He does a good job with the established characters, as we saw with Pinkie Pie and Applejack, as well as the Apple Family and Maud Pie, not to mention the mane six. But when he writes characters we haven't seen before, he seems to make them one note. The Yaks antics got old really fast, and the Pie family members never really moved on from their defining trait (Limestone Pie never really stopped being agressive, Marble Pie never really came out of her shell, and Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz never really dropped the outdated Equestrian that Princess Luna spoke, though I have a headcanon as to why they spoke the way they did in the episode). There's still probably room for improvement if he returns for Season 6, particularly for new characters, but he seems to especially click with writing for Pinkie Pie. Both of his episodes gave her a surprising amount of depth, without making her come across as annoying or stupid.
6. Josh Haber (Episodes written: Bloom and Gloom, The Cutie Re-Mark Parts 1 and 2)
Perhaps it's because he wrote for it and not Meghan McCarthy, but I found "Friendship Games" to be the strongest Equestria Girls movie of all, and it finally convinced me that the spin off series could work as a seperate show. Whether he's writing for the next Equestria Girls film I do not know (though I say Larson or Polsky probably deserve a chance to write for the franchise), but we're not here to talk about that, we're here to talk about his Season 5 work. "Bloom and Gloom" wasn't bad, but the bombshell at the beginning raised some questions that it really didn't answer, and I'm pretty sure even the target audience could tell by the third dream sequence that what Apple Bloom was going through wasn't real, and it and the next bedroom scene could've been cut without really scarificing much. It could've used the time it had to perhaps foreshadow "Crusaders of The Lost Mark", or even show us that Babs Seed is concerned about her cutie mark, to make the CMC's decision to send her a care package seem even stronger. "The Cutie Re-Mark" was a pretty good finale for the most part, especially when Haber made a callback to the very first episode he wrote for the show. He still has a good comedic touch, but he seems to be trying to step out of his comfort sense and tackle more emotional stories like Dave Polsky did last season. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him and Cindy Morrow team up in the near future, to see if they can help each other a bit.
5. Meghan McCarthy (Episodes written: The Cutie Map Parts 1 and 2 (Credited with story), Rarity Investigates (Colab on story with M. A. Larson and Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco))
I'm guessing Meghan didn't write any episodes on her own this season because she originally thought she was going to write "Friendship Games", before Josh Haber got that assignment, and then she decided to take some time off anyway to focus on writing the movie due out in 2017. I suspect we may see the end of Meghan McCarthy as an individual writer for the near future because of that, but if she can continue to contribute to episodes and help to make them better like she did with "The Cutie Map" and "Rarity Investigates", then I'm okay with her only other contribution being the story editior. Compared to Season 4, where Meghan seemed to be asleep at the wheel as an editior, she seemed much more alert and able to catch mistakes before they happened (though she still allowed "Scare Master" and "What About Discord?" to air as they were, when they probably should've been sent back for a rewrite). If she IS writing for the next Equestria Girls movie, I hope she'll take into account what Haber did right, and apply it instead of ignoring it. The Dazzlings were a rare fluke for her in regards to villans she creates, since they usually tend to be weak. And I don't know if lightning can strike twice for her.
4. Scott Sonneborn (Episodes written: The Cutie Map Parts 1 and 2 (Colab with M. A. Larson, Story by Meghan McCarthy), Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep? (Credited with story, Episode written by Jim Miller and Jayson Thiesen)
Scott appears to have improved significantly from Season 4, when both his episodes were widely panned. I'm not sure how much of it was his own doing, and what the result of the people he was paired up with. But it seems that he was given some good writers to work with on both occasions, and perhaps he's at home in colabs where his vision can be checked by others. If he does go solo in Season 6 (assuming he comes back) I hope he can apply the lessons he learned from his colabarations.
3. Dave Polsky (Episodes written: Appleloosa's Most Wanted, Brotherhooves Social)
At first, it seemed like Dave might have slid back downhill with "Appleloosa's Most Wanted", which wasn't even funny. But I think the problem is that luck is not something Dave should try to write, because for some reason when he attempts to include it his episodes don't turn out well (and it's not just in FiM that he's run into this problem, "Unlucky Knuckles" from the new Sonic Boom cartoon was panned by many as a mean spirited "Feeling Pinkie Keen", whereas "Translate This" was considered pretty good). "Brotherhooves Social" redeemed him greatly, and put him back on track, proving that his Season 4 works were not a fluke. He still seems to have hints of his old comedic ways sliping out from time to time, but they don't detract from the episode at all. And the CMC seem to be his strong suit, at least when he doesn't have to make them obess over their cutie marks, which shouldn't be a problem anymore. I sure hope Dave gets picked for a CMC episode in Season 6, especially if features Diamond Tiara, I think he could do a great job with her character now that she's reformed (he came the closest to making her likeable prior to this season, if just one line had been changed, he would've beaten Amy to the punch).
2. M. A. Larson (Episodes written: The Cutie Map Parts 1 and 2 (Colab with Scott Sonneborn, Story by Meghan McCarthy), Slice of Life, Amending Fences, Rarity Investigates (Colab on story with Meghan McCarthy and Joanna Lewis and Kristine Songco))
Larson once again seems to be all but incapable of failure, every single episode he was involved in this season turned out really good, and 3 of the 4 he wrote have frequently appeared on the top ten and top five lists of many people in regards to Season 5 episodes. And Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer have become insanely popular with the fandom. I'm not sure if he'll have write more frequently for the show now that the "Littlest Pet Shop" cartoon is wrapping up for good, but I for one am glad he came back for Season 5, and I hope he'll stick around for Season 6 and beyond. Even if he never again hits as great a stride as this, I'm confident he can write some solid episodes.
1. Amy Keating Rogers (Episodes written: The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, Canterlot Boutique, Crusaders of The Lost Mark, The Mane Attraction)
"Crusaders of The Lost Mark" alone probably would've justified giving Amy the top spot here, but she was practically on fire this season for what is likely to be the last season she'll be involved with the show. She is leaving us for Disney, and I don't think it's been announced yet what she's been assigned to (I hope she got assigned to something good, like "Star v.s. The Forces of Evil", "Star Wars Rebels", or "Wander Over Yander" which would reunite her with Craig McCracken and Lauren Faust). Even her weakest episode, "Canterlot Boutique", wasn't bad. And considering how hardly Amy fell from grace after "Filli Vanilli" last season, she certainly needed to do a lot to leave on a high note. Much like Lauren Faust, I think we're all going to miss her, and will wish she could stay. But in the meantime, let's hope the contributions she provided to us this season (a reformed Gilda, Sassy Saddles and Canterlot Carousel, a reformed Diamond Tiara, the CMC with cutie marks, and Countess Coloratura a.k.a Rara) are brought up and brought back in Seasons 6 and beyond.
And there you have it.
I agree with a 100% Neal needs to watch previous seasons to be a better writer and Amy went out on a high note with of her episodes
If Amy gets assigned to Star Wars Rebels then I think it will get some amazing episodes, Star Wars Rebels alone is right next to mlp as one great show.
3621313 I've heard some good things about it. They even got James Earl Jones to voice Darth Vader, and Frank Oz to voice Yoda. And it seems to bridge the gap between Episodes III and IV. I know some people were mad that the CN Clone Wars series got cancelled, and I definitely wished Disney had just let them finish this season before ending it. But Rebels seems to be a good spirtual successor.
3621317 Hm Yoda hasn't even been in an episode yet, I wonder if he will show up one of these days.
3621325 He hasn't appeared in person, but an online website comparing the voices of different characters includes a voice clip of Frank Oz credited as Yoda in Star Wars Rebels.
What about Nick Confalone (Episodes written: Party Pooped, Hearthbreakers)?
I'd argue that a lot of the jokes in What About Discord? are funny.
Plus, it actually felt like Twilight was pretty in character in that episode.
Agreed 100%
Honestly, I completely disagree with the first part. But we've had that discussion before.
As for the second, I think an equal amount of focus was given to both the emotional moments and the comedic moments.
Finally, someone else who thinks Friendship Games is the best EQG movie so far.
Funny you should say that.
Right now, EQD is having a "Best New Character poll", and right now the top 3 consist of Moon Dancer, Coloratura, and Starlight Glimmer, with Moon Dancer in the lead with 245 votes, Rara in second with 237 votes, and Starlight in third with 217.
Again, agree 100%,
Heck, even if the CMC hadn't have gotten their cutie marks in that episode, I'd still say she's the best new writer of the season, simply for managing to make DT's redemption believable.
I'd personally say her weakest episode this season was "The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone".
I actually believe that Filli Vanilli was a pretty great episode.
I personally think that Amy's weakest episode was "A Friend in Need", which was more just kind of dull than anything else.
3621344 Oh, woops. Forgot about him. Let me add him in!