Sh Pie

I was surprised that there was snow Equestrian magic problem to solve for once. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed this comedic collection of stories with separate narratives. It was interesting to see the human world's equivalent of Hearth's Warming and the Humane 7 dealing with normal friendship stuff like a typical MLP episode. All of the heist, Apple Bloom's pet worm montage and Zephyr Breeze actually being helpful were my favorite parts.

How appropriate that my 100th post is on the third and conclusive part of the series finale! This was a decent episode, but I feel like it didn't leave much to the imagination. Presumably set about 20 years in to the future, it feels detached from everything I've come to know about this world and its characters. We've already seen Twilight get her wings and Spike get his wings. Rainbow Dash is a Wonderbolt, Fluttershy has the sanctuary, Rarity has the boutique, Starlight is the headmare.... oh yeah, and AJ still has her hat. With all this change throughout the series, was such a drastic time skip necessary? R.I.P. Granny Smith? Damn, that's sad. Realistic, but sad. It's totally plausible that Pinkie and Cheese could have developed romantic feelings for each other during the time skip, but I can't just invest in a ship without seeing its foundation or having an existing bias towards it, which I didn't. Manly Spike's "WHAT?!" sounded weird. I guess Cathy isn't accustomed to his deeper voice. It was a good effort though. So many years of character development and none of us get to see it. I get what the moral was going for, that change is both inevitable and a part of life. The end of MLP is definitely a big change for us bronies. I was 12 years old when Season 1 started. I have watched this show loyally for almost half of my current life span. From Season 1 to 9, we've seen these characters learn so much about friendship and at the end of last episode, they're the characters in whom I'm invested. Change happens, whether it's good or bad, but it happens gradually. The start and the end aren't as important as everything that happens in between. That said, as far as gratuitous time skip finales go, this wasn't terrible. The flashbacks to Twilight's coronation were just what I needed to stay invested in the plot. Even in the unfamiliar future, the song was a great emotional way to end the series. Middle-aged Rarity has a grey streak in her mane. Hmmm, I wonder if that means she's the oldest of the Mane 6? My Little Pony may have reached its end, but My Little Human isn't quite over. I'm definitely tuning in for more Equestria Girls next week! I also found out today about the upcoming sequel to the MLP movie, which I hope can provide the closure this series deserves. So there's definitely more exciting content to look forward to! A lot of shows have a focus on the subject of friendship, but none that go as deep as MLP. Friendship is such an elaborate and wonderful thing. To paraphrase Twilight, there will always be darkness. There will always be sadism and prejudice in our hearts. But with generosity, kindness, laughter, honesty, loyalty and magic, we can overcome our vices and change for the better. The show will live on in us and the morals we have learned.

This was an epic finale with a lot of surprising plot twists. From the start, there's the reveal that Grogar, the intimidating and cunning villain who was supposed to be the final boss, is actually Discord in disguise. I didn't see that coming! In retrospection, his involvement in the season premiere and episode 17 was definitely foreshadowing but it was so subtle that I couldn't figure it out. I guess his plan was that he would use the bell as a failsafe, let the triumvirate run loose and only intervene if the Mane 6 couldn't handle them. Too bad he didn't foresee them using the bell against him. I wonder if there was more to his motive than just initiating Twilight as ruler of Equestria, like maybe he thought that uniting such likeminded villains, they would reform on their own through the magic of friendship. In episode 8, that almost happened. I predicted that was foreshadowing for their redemption in the finale but it could have been their last chance, rejected. Ironically, Cozy's and Chrysalis' acknowledgement of the magic of friendship, as shown in Season 8 episode 13 and Cozy's whole arc, may have made them more resistant to redemption. Past villains, after exposure to the magic of friendship, see the error in their ways and pursue friendship as an alternative to evil. Cozy and Chrysalis pursued friendship as means to commit greater evil, although Chrysalis didn't really care about friendship like Cozy did. Tirek naturally became more susceptible to friendship as the result of Cozy's influence on him and it's ultimately Chrysalis' fault that they didn't get redeemed, saying crazy things like how the magic of friendship is "corrupt" to deter them. Their betrayal of Grogar reminded me of the Mean 6's betrayal of Chrysalis. Starlight as a villain was pro-friendship as well. However, in her case she just misunderstood it and in the Season 5 finale, she turned her back on it after blaming it for Sunburst's abandonment of her as a filly. She was more of an antivillain than a kind of villain who does evil for evil's sake. So her redemption was inevitable and 4 seasons later, she's the successor to Twilight as headmare of the School of Friendship. Her fight with Chrysalis in the tundra was awesome and shows that even though prodigal ponies like Starswirl and Twilight are more adept in the utility of magic, Starlight is the best magic fighter! I believe that she could have easily won that fight if she hadn't let her guard down at the end. It makes sense that Cozy can't control Discord's chaos magic. Chaos by nature isn't typically something that can be controlled so somepony calling herself the Empress of Friendship isn't going to get it. Discord is the spirit of chaos, his magic is the product of his own imagination and it's cool how Pinkie is chaotic enough to use it, albeit not without going crazy. I was glad to see the return of the chocolate rain from the Season 2 premiere. I expected Grogar to revive Sombra to collect on their pact but obviously that didn't happen since Grogar is Discord and the situation was bad enough without adding another dangerous villain. What I predicted to be a finale with Grogar and Sombra as the final bosses with the triumvirate joining the Mane 6 was totally wrong and that's awesome! It wasn't cliche and it wasn't contrived either. It was cool to see all the cameos like Tempest when all the ponies, yaks, griffons and other creatures showed up in the climax to give their support to the Mane 6. For not just the finale to the season but rather to the whole series, it was appropriate and symbolic for all of these characters uniting around them to show that the magic of friendship wasn't just something shared by the Mane 6. Their friendship spread "like a contagious disease" as Chrysalis put it, through Ponyville, Equestria and beyond. Despite the fitting analogy, their friendship was the cure, not the disease. It gave them the strength they needed to triumph. Chrysalis now knows a more ailing disease and it's called petrification! Who knows how long they will be entombed in stone? To Be Continued in the Episode 26 discussion thread....

This was a sweet romantic Big Mac and Sugar Belle focus episode that concludes their story arc with their wedding, the ultimate expression of true love between ponies. Discord's presence is welcome as always. The part where Apple Bloom leaned was a humorous reference to the bar scene in Season 8 Episode 10. I guess Big Mac taught her about that. I appreciated the symbolism of Big Mac's and Sugar Belle's dual proposal under the Apple and Pear family trees. Hopefully, their marriage will be long and happy! In case further implication of their homosexuality was needed, this episode also features the secondary dual proposal of Lyra and Bonbon. Their relationship has escalated a lot since their platonic friendship portrayed in Episode 100. Definitely happy for them and especially Big Mac and Sugar Belle. It was a good decision to focus on them for the last non-apocalyptic episode. Which means next episode (and it's a 3-part arc, wow!) is that time.

This was an entertaining Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Daring Do focus episode. Caballeron published a book under the alias Q.Q. Martingale to libel Daring Do who was always portrayed heroically in A.K.'s books. Despite his lack of credibility, his claims of Daring Do's less heroic characteristics were partially true. A.K. Yearling and Daring Do are the same pony so I guess she tried to cover it up to make her books sell better. Out of kindness, Fluttershy decided to give Caballeron the benefit of the doubt (hence the title) and accompany his crew on an expedition to retrieve the Truth Talisman. They would surely have been cat food without her as her talent for taming animals proved to be vital to their survival. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do pursued them to warn Fluttershy about Caballeron's hidden motive. They were briefly snared by Ahuizotl who assumed they evaded his cats which they never saw thanks to Fluttershy. Caballeron's crew reached the chamber with the talisman and Caballeron pretended to lament their need for a pegasus to retrieve it. Presuming the talisman was affected by an anti-magic aura to stop unicorns, I guess any winged creature could have taken it. This was his original reason for letting Fluttershy tag along but after repaying the favor for saving them earlier and retrieving the talisman, Rainbow Dash and Daring Do arrived and demanded the truth. Under its influence, he couldn't resist and admitted lying to Fluttershy but also that he had grown to value her kindness. Ahuizotl caught up with them and forced them in to a corner. Once more, Fluttershy, the clear MVP of the episode, attempted the friendship approach by asking him why he was chasing them. We get some interesting backstory about him which wasn't covered in Daring Do's books, which instead portrayed him as a simple evil bad guy. He may have been ruthless in his actions, but he was merely protecting his property and from his perspective, Daring Do and Caballeron were both villains. Whether they sought the artifacts for prizes, money or fame, they had no right to take them. This wasn't a derelict tomb full of skeletons, this was Ahuizotl's domain. He was very much alive and he was justified in trying to protect it. Overall, this was a great episode with an important moral that facts can be warped in fiction depending on the writer. It takes a third person perspective to see a character more objectively but since Daring Do was a self-insert, A.K. may have twisted it a little. The conclusion was gratifying with Daring Do, Caballeron and Ahuizotl all selling their own takes on the story so the readers can judge them from all sides. They're all on the same page now (haha, get it?) and any adventures they have in the future should hopefully be in abandoned sites.

This was an excellent Starlight, Trixie and Phyllis focus episode. Sure, Trixie was one of the worst possible candidates for headmare, save for Spoiled who has no friendship qualities, but I don't blame her for calling out Grandpa Gruff. He's a terrible guardian and Gallus deserves better. I believe that if Trixie had conferenced with one of the other families, she may have passed Stage 2 on her merit since conferencing is similar to counselling. Her "great and powerfulness" would make her a great match for dragons. I enjoyed Starlight scolding Trixie after the flash bees since everything she said was justified which is often the case when Trixie goes too far with her magic. However, Starlight doubted Trixie's competency from the start so she should have been straight with her as Twilight points out. Hiring a vice headmare was inspired by Trixie so it makes sense that she would assume Starlight made the position for her. Every interaction between Starlight and Phyllis was great comedy! Imagine if Trixie threw Boulder in the trash can. She wouldn't be a headmare, since Maud would make her.... a deadmare! BTW, Maud should totally be a teacher, she has a rocktorate. Fortunately, Starlight repaired Phyllis' vase once already, so she can do it again. Overall, a humorous episode with an important moral about making unbiased judgements.

Okay so I've been preoccupied with video game problems recently but I had to say something about this episode as a Spike/Rarity shipper. Objectively, I can't find much fault in this story and I'll elaborate on that later so my personal issue with this is the way it seems to undo the progress made in Best Gift Ever. I could relate to Rarity as Spike stopped giving her attention and while he had no obligation to hang out with her, he should have acknowledged her at least. Rarity was also wrong when she persuaded him not to hang out with Gabby. However, the way Gabby reacted was no better since Spike has no obligation to hang out with her either. The whole point of Season 3 episode 3 was that friends don't have to hang out all the time so a lot of this episode was Rarity and Gabby getting jealous over Spike. Overall, I don't think it's a bad episode, but not good. I'm conflicted. There were some humorous moments like Twilight's annoyance with Rarity misplacing her couch and Rarity's melodramatic apologies. Nopony does melodrama better than her. There were are few moments that reinforced Spike/Rarity such as the last scene but I think they were overshadowed by Spike's OOC indifference to Rarity. Nevertheless, it's an episode focused on my favorite pony and dragon and has a nice moral about sharing, so I can't regret watching it. I'd rather watch this than Season 5 episode 11 which remains my most disliked episode to this day. Y'know, that's cool, I actually thought the same thing!

This was a decent Fluttershy and Angel focus episode, probably the first Angel focus episode in existence. It's the second time after Gummy's internal monologue in episode 100 that we get some insight in to what a domesticated animal is thinking, except Angel is able to express his thoughts through words, using Fluttershy's capacity for speech. Meanwhile, Fluttershy can now only communicate with Angel, leaving her feeling lonely and desperate to undo the swap. Seeing Angel speak through Fluttershy's voice was definitely surreal and humorous. The problem with juggling the sanctuary and the school is addressed. Fluttershy has little time to tend to Angel and this makes him feel jealous towards the other animals. When she becomes an adviser to Princess Twilight Sparkle, how will she have time for anything else? Overworking is bad for health. It seems like Zecora set the whole thing up since I'm sure she would understand the difference between a regular gecko and a fire lizard. How did she even know Fluttershy and Angel were having a friendship problem and why did she deem it her responsibility to deal with it? This is something I would expect more from Starlight, who has often used the most controversial solutions to disputes. Also, counseling is actually her career. Overall, an entertaining albeit slightly contrived episode. Considering Angel's bad publicity with fans, I think this did a good job at making him appear more sympathetic. And he ships Fluttershy/Discord, which is pretty humorous, especially for some shippers.

This was an awesome and unexpected episode focused on both the Legion of Doom, as they sabotage the SSC to infiltrate Canterlot Castle and steal a book, and the Mane 6, as they attempt to restore order. It also progresses the season's story arc. Discord refrains from doing anything "Discordy" which is good since the Legion of Doom got that covered. The Mane 6 once more beg Discord to solve their problem but as their unofficial mentor, he declines and consequentially facilitates the moral. AJ, in what has now become a running gag, didn't need to learn anything. She already knew honesty was the solution and only went along with the plan since everypony else insisted that telling Twilight the truth was a bad idea. Honesty is underrated. Seriously, why is AJ not the Princess of Friendship? I appreciate the continuity with references to the Swanifying (I thought the swans were cute) and showing that Shining's security system has been put in effect, presumably with an additional measure to prevent inside threats as Luna proved was necessary. Nevertheless, the Legion of Doom, with their unique paradigm of abilities, are more effective at breaking and entering than the Mane 6. They also had the element of surprise. It was humorous how Cozy used a book with a key on its front to break the chain around the book they were looking for. Both sides are successful. The SSC wasn't ruined, Twilight displayed better control of the sun and moon amulet, declared a new holiday and the Legion of Doom pull off their heist without getting detected. According to Cozy, Tirek had to return the magic he stole from the Earth Ponies to avoid suspicion from Grogar. But isn't that something bad guys just do? Like, isn't it plausible for Tirek to sap some magic since he's evil and he felt like it? Or is staying incognito necessary for Grogar to maintain the element of surprise when he executes his revenge? Anyway, they now have the book they needed to understand how the bell works, which means everything is in place for the finale and I'm curious about Grogar's backup plan. Y'know, he may regret sending them to retrieve his bell when it becomes his own undoing.

This was a humorous and novel Twilight and Pinkie focus episode. Pinkie was great. I really liked her comedic and optimistic portrayal in contrast to Twilight Twilighting over what should have been an innocuous game of general knowledge. Pinkie just wanted to try her best and have a good time regardless of the outcome and Twilight's obsession with perfection, streaks and winning ruined that for her. Everybody likes to win, but victory is hollow without the Element of Laughter. There was a question about apples and a question about Daring Do's hat and somehow, AJ the apple and hat enthusiast was unable to answer either of them. It's not surprising that Granny Smith's look of disappointment prompted her to hide in her hat in shame. Out of the Mane 6, Rarity is the only pony absent. Maybe they should have had a category about fashion. The interactive potential was cool with some of the questions being about stuff bronies may know and that allows us to participate in the game as well. I was impressed that some of the questions were kind of obscure like the inclusion of Scorpan in addition to the more notorious Tirek as a 2 part answer. I like how it rotated between a range of diverse categories instead of grounding itself in a single absurdly specialized category that expects ponies to know completely arbitrary and pointless details about random stuff. This was actually interesting and educational, especially for ponies who are a little rusty with the lore. After Sunburst immediately apologized for his failed attempt to get Twilight disqualified, Twilight realized she had been a hypocrite and a bad friend to Pinkie due to putting her own personal success above the happiness of her friend. Fortunately, they were able to work it out and rejoin the game from zero, a handicap that probably cost them the game. Twilight stopped Twilighting about her streak and let Pinkie play as she saw fit. We don't know who won but it's unlikely TwiPie made a comeback which is okay since the moral was about having a good time. Winning is just a bonus and it's important to remember why we play games at all, for the experience and the gratification that comes from giving it everything you got without trying to manipulate or cheat the system to artificially mitigate the difficulty.

I haven't discussed Equestria Girls content before. However, I think this special and most of the other specials were really cool and necessary to expand on the lore and characters of the human realm following the first 4 movies. Sunset has been one of my favorite characters since her first appearance as a good guy in Rainbow Rocks and although Native Twilight seemed pointless in the last 2 movies, I appreciate these specials giving her some purpose and making her feel like part of the team. Native Spike is still just your average talking dog, unfortunately. That sensitive security guard is now one of my favorite background humans. So many problems can be solved with kittens. The plot with the temporal loop reminded me of Edge of Tomorrow and it was interesting to see how Sunset used her chances. She got to see Post Crush on her third attempt but it wasn't the perfect day she thought it was since she was a terrible friend to Pinkie, who didn't even know she would get them kicked out. I didn't expect the twist that Post Crush were resetting the day and not the Dazzlings. I liked the climactic scene with Sunset destroying the Time Twirler and convincing them that having fun is more important than perfection. I think the moral had better execution than Rollercoaster of Friendship since the villain wasn't just trying to be perfect, she was abducting people and had no respect for their free will. Sunset also learned her lesson as she finally got to see (and perform with) Post Crush with Pinkie like she planned, without actually following the plan. She humored Pinkie's distractions and they both got to enjoy their perfect "Day 1" together. Those crowbar churros look way more edible than they actually are though. Nice observation about Post Crush. I enjoyed their song. Like you and Twilight, I also thrive on order. Even Pinkie is a party planner. To live in chaos is to accept uncertainty which can be very difficult. But you're correct. That's why Pinkie always finds a way to make it work, she can plan and improvise. Sometimes, the shoot first, aim later approach just works. "Never let plans and schedules distract you from living." is profound and someday, I will learn to navigate the chaos. Thanks for the inspiration, dude.

This was an intriguing Scootaloo focus episode which provides us with a revelation that many have been waiting for: Scootaloo's parents (and aunts). Snap Shutter's and Aunt Holiday's accent suggests that Scootaloo has lineage outside Equestria. This may explain the daredevil behavior of Scootaloo and her parents as the real life counterpart of Snap Shutter's birthplace is a country called Australia located in the southern hemisphere. Often considered the most dangerous country on Earth, it's inhabited by venomous and deadly creatures forcing settlers to the outskirts. Its government is also extremely anti-smoking as it was the first to introduce plain tobacco packaging as a deterrent to new smokers. As you can see, this country is not for the faint of heart or tobacco enthusiasts. Unfortunately, there's currently no name for its Equestrian equivalent. I noticed a lot of discussion regarding the aunts' sexuality and despite apparent confirmation, there's nothing really to imply their homosexuality. The Hearts and Hooves Day exchange between Lyra and Bonbon was more homosexual. I just presumed Lofty was Allgood's sister or Holiday's half sister. I mean, it's entirely possible for Lofty to be an aunt by marriage like Peter Parker's aunt but it's not something that I inferred. Unlike Maud and Mud, nopony acknowledges that they are together. Scootaloo mentions her father having a scar on his right cheek, but I didn't see it. The moral was simple but good. A Cutie Mark is a pony's destiny and their calling in life and it's not something they can just forsake. Scootaloo can't up and leave her fellow Crusaders to live with her parents, she must stay to continue helping other blank flanks find their special talent. That's what gives her life meaning. Likewise, her parents can't live in Ponyville with their daughter. They have important jobs as well. But no matter how far apart, their bonds won't be broken and it's interesting that Snap Shutter already understood half of the moral when he said the CMC would stay friends regardless of their parting. It just took the appreciation day to make him understand that it was he and Allgood who had to part from her. Overall, a gratifying climax to the CMC story arc.

This was an enjoyable Starlight focus episode featuring Maud, my favorite background pony. It was nice to see Mud Briar again, he can always be depended on for his infallible sense of logic. We're reminded that the virtually expressionless Maud is a talented comedian as she delivers that unexpected search party joke and her reaction to her boyfriend getting turned to stone was amusing in a mildly disturbing kind of way. At least he turned out okay in the end. The moral was good. There's a time for work and a time for play. Starlight should give her all for the students during school hours but like anycreature, a counselor experiences problems as well and Starlight learned she needs to take care of herself and enjoy hanging out with her friends. Silverstream asking how to describe showers and towels was a nice throwback to the stairs fascination from the S8 premiere. There's still a lot of stuff hippogriffs need to relearn after spending so much time underwater. It's cool how Silverstream really appreciates these simple things that landlubbers like myself usually take for granted. Stairs are actually more useful than we give them credit for. They're not just means of gradual traversal, they're also much healthier and mentally enriching than standing idly on an escalator. Towels of course are a great way to absorb water to dry off faster. Although I think it would be more convenient if we could just steam clean like robots without needing to get wet. Maybe this could be a viable option for dragons, since their scales are heat resistant.

When I saw the title, I presumed this episode was going to focus on the dynamic between Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust as I mentioned frenemies in a post for Season 8 episode 20: But an episode focused on unredeemed villains forced to work together is just as cool! It's like the S6 finale which focused on former villains, except this is better in my opinion. Here, the Mane 6 aren't reduced to unnecessary background ponies who serve no purpose. They're simply not here. They're irrelevant to the plot and so their absence is acceptable. Take them out of the S6 and S8 finales and nothing changes. That's why I thought this episode was pretty great. It shows that the Mane 6 don't always have to be involved, especially if they don't do anything important. They may be the stars of the show, but the Legion of Doom were perfectly capable of carrying this episode all on their own and they almost redeemed themselves without intervention from the good guys. I guess the good side can be just as tempting as the evil side. It certainly has a higher success rate. I'm sure the redemption of these 3 are inevitable now. They get along very well and of course, Tirek and Cozy have history before they were drafted by Grogar. Nocreature besides Cozy wants to admit it though since that would count as friendship which Chrysalis compares to a disease. Cozy was always supportive of friendship as means of villainy. And now her way of thinking has started to infect her fellow bad guys. Not sure about Sombra and Grogar though, they haven't displayed any redeemable qualities. Grogar apparently has been terrorizing Equestria for centuries and he's probably still keeping Sombra on standby in case the others turn on him, and we already know they're plotting against him. They could be the final villain duumvirate. Or Doomvirate since puns are cool.

This was a pretty good episode focused on Best Pony and Best Student, they got a song as well. I'm very glad about this. Looks like Yona/Sandbar is a potential ship now. I never considered them like that but I'm cool with it. High school settings typically have at least 1 love subplot. The song had some humorous parts, especially the Twilight wig. Season 5 episode 14 shows that demand for Rarity's dresses will increase if ponies see Princess Twilight Sparkle wearing them, so it wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to imitate her mane style as well. That pretty much foreshadows the resolution of this plot as well. Rarity wanted ponies to appreciate her work but Canterlot ponies have a bad habit of jumping on the bandwagon. In essence, it's a similar problem here. Sandbar appreciated Yona's yak qualities and didn't want her to become a pony. It's cool how Yona is willing to learn new things though. Even though it didn't pay off at the Amity Ball, her repertoire has expanded and that cannot be a waste of time. I have to respect her persistence. She sucked at dancing and talking fancy on her first try but she didn't quit and through her effort, she succeeded. I mean, I don't actually care about dancing, I prefer fighting, but I think it's analogous to learning to drive a car in real life. The first attempt is really frustrating and has a crazy learning curve. However, it does get easier, except you can't quit. If you quit something, you probably didn't want it badly enough. Courtesy of user Rushing Cash bringing the Best Gift Ever Hearths Warming special to my attention, amazing episode BTW, I really enjoyed the emotionally touching scene with Spike and Rarity. I've always been a Rarity/Spike fan and I guess it's cool that another pony/non-pony ship is emerging.

This was an entertaining Twilight focus episode. The flashback scene was unexpected. I think this is the first original flashback to show Twilight as a unicorn. It's cool how the show hasn't changed much regarding the aesthetics. This kind of animation always looks very contemporary and clean whether it's 2010 or 2019. Twilight has come a long way since then and the Twilight from that time was less developed than former despot Starlight is now. Even more unexpected was the concept of our usually reliable book pony forgetting a return a library book. The time reference for events in this show are vague but considering a year had passed by Season 5 episode 7, then by now at least 2 years must have passed since she left Canterlot. A book overdue by that long would certainly warrant the librarian's expression of horror. Spike's behavior was great in this episode, from his witty commentary on the Twilighting to his surprising knowledge of Saddle Arabian cuisine. He could probably get some part time there if he wanted. Twilight smelling books is yet another humorous and typical Twilight quirk. She really loves books. Overall, it was very enjoyable to watch and I thought the moral was important. It's natural to strive for perfection but nopony can be perfect all the time and to set unrealistic expectations for yourself can result in disappointment. Fortunately for Twilight, there were no hard feelings from Dusty whose streak she inadvertently ended as it opened her eyes to the opportunities she was missing. And now Twilight has also found closure, despite reluctantly surrendering her prestige as the perfect book borrower. It was admirable though that she was willing to give it up anyway to help Dusty get her job back.

Oops, I guess I must have missed that. Thanks dude.

I hear everypony saying this is the 200th episode but I did the math and it's not adding up. (26*7)+13+4=199 Am I missing something?

Between the S8 finale and the present, I have watched the movie with the hippogriffs and I'm currently watching the Equestria Girls hour specials. So now I have a greater understanding of the lore of Equestria and its various creatures. Just in time for the last season. This was an epic premiere. I'm glad it continued where the S8 finale ended with Tirek and Cozy in Tartarus, as they're suddenly teleported out by a magical ram called Grogar. I recall Twilight mentioning his name before so that must have been foreshadowing for his appearance. Sure, he doesn't look that intimidating, but neither does Cozy and that little filly almost destroyed magic. Chrysalis knows not to underestimate him, figuring he must have some potent magic if he can spring them so easily from their cages. His plan of collaboration immediately appeals to Cozy who takes friendship very seriously as a powerful weapon. Sombra, probably the lamest of the gang whose previous defeat was not by the Elements of Harmony but by a wingless baby dragon, protests the idea and insists on ruling Equestria alone. Grogar's plan is actually pretty pragmatic. If their combined effort succeeds in defeating the Mane 6, that doesn't mean they have to rule together. They could fight until the last creature standing and if Grogar is as powerful as he seems, that would definitely be in his favor. Twilight getting called out on Twilighting by her friends was humorous. That verb really needs to go in the dictionary forever. Twilight's reaction is understandable though, after Celestia and Luna just declared their retirement and appointed her as their successor. I can only presume that there was a substantial time skip since the S8 finale to justify Celestia's claim regarding Equestria's harmony and considering Twilight already became a headmare last season. Discord's inclusion is welcome as always, he's awesome. I liked AJ's throwback to Flim and Flam as villains since Twilight saw a future scenario where they won. Grogar may regret overlooking them. Despite Sombra not being as effective and intelligent as his fellow villains, he does succeed in destroying the Tree of Harmony and the Elements which were keeping the Everfree Forest in check, rendering it uninhibited and the Mane 6 without their friendship magic. Good thing Starswirl was there. If he and the pillars were still in limbo, there would be nopony with the means to control the overgrowth. When Rainbow attempts to fly in to Canterlot Castle, she is stopped by the brainwashed Wonderbolts. Even though Sombra was never shown or implied to have invaded Cloudsdale. I thought that was strange. Discord is a surprisingly reliable mentor to the Mane 6. He proves he can turn Sombra's attacks in to balloons effortlessly and he could have taken care of him whenever he wanted. Instead, he chose to deliberately restrain himself and fake an injury to spur the Mane 6 in to action. They begged him to defeat Sombra with his mastery of chaos but they forgot how powerful their magic was when they called upon their friendship. Sure, the Elements made it easier to access their friendship power, but when they're completely synchronized with each other's feelings, they can still do it. Discord showed them they didn't need his help, just their friendship and courage and that's why the princesses were so confident of Twilight's ability. It shows how far they've come from hating Discord to seeing him as a true friend and powerful ally. Grogar makes Sombra's second defeat an example to the others that the Mane 6 cannot be defeated alone. I don't think this is the end of Sombra though. Grogar will probably want to collect on their pact now that he agreed to submit if he failed. With some of the most dangerous villains working together, it really sets the finale for a climactic and perilous series of events. I have a feeling that this is going to be a mindblowing and gratifying last season of MLP.

This was a tolerable season finale, probably the least satisfying so far. It had a lot of problems. Like the S6 finale, the Mane 6 were useless and in the background. Even worse, their attempt to escape made it seem like they were still going to be important later, but after using the creatures' magic to unlock the door, Twilight immediately declares they failed. They could have been trapped in Tartarus and the climax wouldn't have changed. With magic restored, they would have escaped anyway and Twilight could just teleport everypony to the school. Their focus was meaningless. These are the protagonists we're talking about here, surely they should be in the foreground for these important end of the world plots. Even Starlight and the CMC were useless. The Student 6 shouldn't have been the heroes to save the day since they're essentially supporting characters like the CMC used to be and they haven't been around for longer than a season. I am left with more questions than answers. So Cozy Glow isn't Chrysalis or a relative of Neighsay, rather she's just a random filly who for some reason is on a power trip and tried to use friendship to conquer Equestria? Where is the backstory? Why is she evil? Unlike the S5 finale, which explained why Starlight was a villain, we don't actually learn anything about Cozy and her motivations. Also, doesn't locking her up in Tartarus: 1) Contradict the moral of the S7 finale that bad guys can be redeemed without banishment or imprisonment? 2) Reduce her chance of rehabilitation by putting her in a cell adjacent to one of the most evil bad guys ever? 3) Seem extreme considering she's just a poor misguided filly? After restraining the Student 6, Neighsay declares himself headstallion and that the school will be pony only "as nature intended". I'm not sure what he meant by this considering that creatures besides ponies do exist in nature. Perhaps he thought he was enforcing some kind of natural order of society by running the school according to the EEA's rules. Although, enforcing something doesn't really sound natural and sure enough, the students instantly mutinize him. He should choose his words more carefully. On an unrelated note, I thought Sandbar maybe could have gave his friends a wink wink gesture to let them know his bluff. At least Yona had faith in him. Overall, this finale has left me wanting more, not in a good way. Usually, a finale would end with an upbeat song about friendship or everypony being happy and closer together. Instead, it's almost like the show itself acknowledges how anticlimactic this all is, by Cozy taking the focus in the last scene before the credits. Whatever the writers may have in store for this character next season, I feel like I should have seen it already, like her arc is deliberately being stretched out when it could have been resolved more smoothly. Despite my heavy criticism of this finale, I did like Cozy's callback to Neighsay's line about using friendship as a weapon and that's exactly what happened. If only her plan was better executed.

This was an entertaining Cutie Map episode focusing on AJ and Fluttershy and introducing a never before seen race of pony esque creatures, the kirin and its enraged form, nirik (which is actually kirin spelled backwards although others more experienced in Chinese folklore may have came to that observation before me). I can really relate to Autumn's feelings about how she was going crazy from being incapable of sound and having nopony to talk to. Overly long and unnatural silences are the worst! I don't mind not talking for a little while, when I'm alone or have nothing much to say, provided there is a source of sound elsewhere such as television or video games. Otherwise, it just makes me anxious and I rarely feel anxious. If I were in Autumn's place for all that time, I imagine it would have been so lonely and boring. That's probably what suppressed their feelings, losing their voices was the catalyst and the following silence eroded their minds until they just felt empty inside. Autumn's song was awesome, it's the kind of song that I would listen to like A Changeling Can Change or Smile. Overall, I appreciate the moral that was addressed in this episode since it's important that we don't shy away from conversation even if it means emotional distress since there are ways to mitigate or remedy such problems without resorting to drastic ineffective solutions like denying them the right to express their honest feelings. I think AJ was definitely the right pony for this mission. She would never stay quiet if she had something to say, she would just say it and accept the consequences.

This was an interesting episode with lots of revelations and mysteries. The Student 6 being tested by the Tree of Harmony (which is now confirmed to be 100% sentient as I and others previously speculated) gave me vibes of Season 1 episode 2, where the Mane 6 were tested in their respective Elements. I should probably talk about Cozy Glow since I didn't post on either of the 2 episodes she appeared in excluding this episode. Others have strongly implied and predicted that she is secretly evil and I must concur. Even in her debut, her crying about how much she sucks at friendship conveniently outside the CMC's treehouse seemed fake, like she was only using the CMC for a hidden agenda. Then she deliberately fails the test resulting in the CMC's expulsion from the campus. In her next episode, while she doesn't actually do anything suspicious, her timely appearance in the last scene after Twilight wonders how Flim and Flam got her book must be foreshadowing. And now we have this episode with her "complimenting" the Student 6 and pleading them not to tell Twilight about the secret dungeon beneath the school. There's also Neighsay's line from an earlier episode about creatures using friendship as a weapon to which Twilight replied "How can friendship be used as a weapon?!" I think that sounds a lot like what Chrysalis tried to do in the mid season finale and possibly what Cozy is scheming to do next since she obviously has an ulterior motive for attending the School of Friendship and she has everycreature fooled by her innocent filly act. This leads me to 2 possible conclusions: Either she is Chrysalis in disguise after her first attempt to weaponize friendship failed, or Neighsay's daughter, sent as a double agent to sabotage the school. These are just my speculations and could be proven wrong but I think they're both very plausible explanations for Cozy's odd behavior. The Tree of Friendship won't be fooled by a bunch of discordant doppelgangers but maybe somepony who actually attends a school that specializes in teaching friendship could succeed. It's kind of scary, the concept of using a friendship as a weapon, I'm intrigued to find out how this plot will end.

This was an amazing Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo focus episode. It blew my mind seeing Lightning Dust return, totally unexpected and bad*ss! I also enjoyed the comedic scene with Spitfire repeatedly yelling at Scootaloo in something akin to royal Canterlot voice, which was later humorously imitated by Lightning Dust. The moral was executed nicely as Rainbow Dash learned that keeping her honorary little sis out of harm is more important than getting all envious, maybe even a little jealous, about her idolizing anypony else. And Scootaloo learned a different kind of lesson, about the importance of safety. Sure, the Washouts' stunts are pretty cool, but they're trained bad*asses and Scootaloo is still just an inexperienced filly. My only minor disappointment was Lightning Dust not getting redeemed yet. Couldn't Rainbow Dash or Twilight have given her the friendship speech just before she rocketed away? However, Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash declared themselves rivals for life in that moment, which gives me hope. Rivals are somewhere between enemies and frenemies, a relationship founded on mutual respect for each other's talents despite not liking each other very much. It would be cool if they became frenemies, that kind of dynamic hasn't really been tackled in this show. It's actually quite common in real life as well as other franchises. Overall, I think this episode is a highlight of the season so far.