# Episode Ordering Issue

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957>\
**Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\
**Tags:** server-unraid, library-management\
**Created:** [October 24, 2022, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957 "2022-10-24T06:32:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 13\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:32am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/1 "2022-10-24T06:32:03Z")

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Continuing the discussion from [Episode ordering is ignored](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-is-ignored/796375):

Server Version#: 1.29.1.6316  
Player Version#: N/A

The TV series The Real Ghostbusters does not properly order episodes. For example, season 3 is very out of whack. The filename shows one episode name but when actually playing it, it’s another episode.

When looking on tvdb website, there seems to be an “Airing Date” and “DVD” for some episodes and it looks like perhaps they were reordered during DVD release.

Example:  
[https://thetvdb.com/series/the-real-ghostbusters/episodes/61631](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-real-ghostbusters/episodes/61631)

In Plex, S03E03 is showing as “The Bogeyman is Back” but with a poster for “Slimer, Is That You?” and when played, the episode file is “The Bogeyman is Back”. Now on the TBDB, this episode shows as S03E03 as “Air Date” but S02E59 as “DVD”. If I go look at S02E59 in Plex, I see “Don’t Forget the Motor City” but when playing the episode it plays “Slimer, Is That You?”.

Plex seems to be getting confused between the Air Date and DVD ordering.

How can I get Plex to align properly so metadata is correct?

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/2 "2022-10-24T06:40:20Z")

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You can tell Plex which episode ordering to use - aired vs dvd vs absolute:

1. Edit the Show (Pencil icon, show level, not season or episode levels)
2. Choose Advanced
3. Scroll down to Episode Ordering
4. Choose desired ordering
5. Save Changes
6. Refresh metadata for the show (or library) if Plex does not do so automatically.

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**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:47am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/3 "2022-10-24T06:47:18Z")

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did not work, according to TVDB “The Two Faces of Slimer” is S03E06 in both air date and DVD ordering yet in Plex it shows “Sticky Business” which is S03E07 according to TVDB. Playing the actual file results in “Sticky Business” but marked as E06

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**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:51am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/4 "2022-10-24T06:51:50Z")

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Could this be an issue with how Sonarr did the file renames and confusing Plex? I think Sonarr is confused about the episode ordering too

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:51am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/5 "2022-10-24T06:51:52Z")

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> [@KnightRdr23](#):
>
> Playing the actual file results in “Sticky Business” but marked as E06

What is the full file name, including extension, for the Sticky Business episode?

Also, play the file using VLC, or some other video player, outside of Plex. Is it really the Sticky Business episode?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:52am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/6 "2022-10-24T06:52:32Z")

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The Real Ghostbusters - S03E06 - The Two Faces of Slimer WEBDL-480p.mkv

When playing manually, it’s actually E07 which is Sticky Business.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/7 "2022-10-24T06:56:54Z")

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So the file is named incorrectly, right?

Think you are correct about Sonarr performing the rename incorrectly.

Correct the file name(s) to align with the actual episode.

Then [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/t/the-plex-dance/197064) any renamed episodes.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 6:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/8 "2022-10-24T06:59:44Z")

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What’s weird is that the episode that’s wrong is the same episode in both orders in TVDB so I’m confused how it would have messed it up

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/9 "2022-10-24T07:02:39Z")

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Found my problem… the source NZB is labeled S03E06 but it’s actually S03E07. Very strange… guess whoever uploaded it is the cause

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 7:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/10 "2022-10-24T07:08:04Z")

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Look at the show on TheMovieDatabase: [The Real Ghostbusters: Season 3 (1987) — The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/2286-the-real-ghostbusters/season/3)

It is different than on TVDB.

This happens occasionally, where the TMDB aired, TVDB aired, and TVDB DVD are all different orders. Even worse, all three might be different from what you have.

The solution is to pick the ordering that you want, then adjust your files to match.

Big PITA, but it happens sometimes.

| Episode | The Movie Database (aired) | TheTVDB (aired) | TheTVDB (DVD) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Baby Spookums | Baby Spookums | Transylvanian Homesick Blues |
| 2 | It’s a Jungle Out There | It’s a Jungle Out There | Baby Spookums |
| 3 | The Boogeyman Is Back | Slimer, Is That You? | It’s a Jungle Out There |
| 4 | Once Upon a Slime | The Boogeyman is Back | The Boogeyman is Back |
| 5 | The Two Faces of Slimer | Once Upon a Slime | Once Upon a Slime |
| 6 | Sticky Business | The Two Faces of Slimer | The Two Faces of Slimer |
| 7 | Halloween II 1/2 | Sticky Business | Sticky Business |

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![KnightRdr23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@KnightRdr23](https://forums.plex.tv/u/KnightRdr23)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 7:14am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/11 "2022-10-24T07:14:16Z")

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There are definitely disagreements between various sites and the episode order. Seems to be two different orders floating around depending on what you’re looking at. I guess manual management is all I can do

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ecto1a2003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/47e85d/32.png) [@ecto1a2003](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ecto1a2003)\
**Post date:** [October 24, 2022, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/12 "2022-10-24T07:36:38Z")

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Welcome to my world, this is why I went back to the old agent, it picks up exactly what I tell it to.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2023, 7:37am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/episode-ordering-issue/815957/13 "2023-01-22T07:37:31Z")

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