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Misty Shadow

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Blog Entries posted by Misty Shadow

  1. Misty Shadow
    Had a nightmare last night that I think might have been worse than the one with my mother and the guns. I dreamt that I was a kid again and my dad was still with my mom. A war had erupted in my country and my parents had to pack everyone in the car to drive us to a "safe place". We drove through this warzone filled with snow, fire, and explosions to this "safe place" that turned out to be a prison. I started screaming at the top of my lungs at my parents as the prison guards restrained me and then I woke up. 
    I have no idea why I keep having nightmares this terrible. I'm not sure why repressed childhood trauma would be resurfacing now. 
  2. Misty Shadow

    Strange MLP G5 Dream

    By Misty Shadow,


    Dreams
    I had another strange pony-related dream last night. This time, it took place in the realm of G5 with everything animated Tell Your Tale style. Hitch had Sunny come up to him and tell him she needed him to call out for work for something she wanted all of her friends to do. For some reason, Hitch had a boss he needed to call to explain a situation to, and because he's a workaholic who had never called out of work before in this dream apparently, he stood by the phone the entire day hesitating nervously (yeah, the dream was trying to be a sitcom gag at first). When he finally plucked up the courage to make the callout, the boss, an old blue pony with white hair, started berating him, getting Hitch angry. And then for no reason, out of nowhere, Naruto was on the line yelling in this robotic voice, "I'M CALLING OUT! I FEEL NO EVIL!". Curious as I was to see what in the world was going to happen next, right then is when my phone alarm woke me up. 
  3. Misty Shadow
    Back in 2017, my mom went completely nuts and came up to my room with a gun, talking about killing her boss. Last night, I had a nightmare where something similar happened. She came up to me pointing a gun and I pointed a gun back. Then she pulled out another gun, and all of a sudden, she gave me both guns and told me to shoot her. Short nightmare, but easily the scariest one I've had in my life. 
  4. Misty Shadow
    So after a year of working part-time, I'm finally back to working full-time at work again. The reason it took this long, a year opposed to the half of a year it should've taken, is because there were no full-time spots open for quite some time. Since it's been a year, it's obviously going to take some time to adapt to doing full-time again, but this is something I need more than ever now, especially with the insanity of rising prices I'm sure everyone's familiar with. Obviously, I will also be coming on less now, but not far less, as I was easily able to make time for the forums despite working full-time in the past. I'm also obviously happy that I'll be making more money to save each month now. It's good to be back in business!
  5. Misty Shadow
    I dreamed last night that I was touring Rome with my uncle. As we were about to enter this temple, these two guys from the mafia dressed in black suits pointed guns at us, telling us to get down on the ground and give them all of our money. I kneeled down on the ground, but I didn't have my wallet on me, so I was just about to reach into my pockets to show I didn't have anything. However, just then, my uncle tried to fight the other mobster with his own gun. He took a bullet to the leg while he shot the gangster in the eye. Then, suddenly, both the mobsters were gone. I was about to tell my uncle that I didn't even have my wallet on me while he was lying by the stairs before the building from the bullet wound before I woke up. 
    I don't usually have dreams with realistically violent, scary situations like that. Maybe it's from all the Yakuza I've played and all the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind I've been reading lately. 
  6. Misty Shadow

    Strange MLP Dream

    By Misty Shadow,


    Life
    I had the weirdest pony-related dream last night. In it, King Sombra was on this snowy plain looking up at the moon. Three eyes were on the moon with yellow, blue, pink, and white colors. A fourth eye appeared on it, and something that looked like Pinkie Pie's soul appeared in that eye when the view moved closer to the moon. When the view moved back to Sombra, he had this concerned look on his face before souls came out of the eyes on the moon and went into his eyes, turning them green with his purple haze exuding from them. 
    I don't remember if this my first time dreaming about pony or not, but I know for sure I've never had a pony dream THAT BIZARRE before. 
  7. Misty Shadow
    A lot of you probably saw from my status updates that I finally got a PS5!  When I told my friend from Puerto Rico in a Discord chat today, he literally couldn't believe it. Here are the pictures in case you missed the status updates. 

    Admittedly, I did have to get it for $670 instead of $500 on eBay, but it was by far the best deal I had seen after keeping an eye on it for months. Something else good you might have seen from a status update yesterday was my work ditching a verification/test program they would've implemented because of the OSHA mandate that's now been retracted, but that's not the only good work-related news I have to share. I also won another award!


    The first award I got was back in late 2019. I was also recommended for one the year after, but things were weird then when the epidemic everyone knows hit, and the year after that was when I tried to move on to another job. But this year, I finally got myself another! 
    Also, the friend I mentioned earlier told me something really cool about a site I used to go on. I can't go into explicit detail, but it looks like I'm finally going to get some closure about something from the past after all these years. It's truly shocking how I've been hit with all this good news after something actually pretty bad happened to me not too long ago. Someone who I thought cared about me abruptly blocked/unfollowed/unfriended me from every site we were both on without any explanation. Thankfully, I was able to get a friend of his to agree to talk to him, so it really hasn't put much of a damper on the good stuff. I'm still happy about everything else right now regardless! 
  8. Misty Shadow

    Tao: Strange Dream

    By Misty Shadow,


    Life
    Something really weird happened to me in a dream last night. It was 3:45 AM in the morning. I got the Collection of SaGa: Final Fantasy Legend for a discount price at the Nintendo eShop and was trying to think of names for my characters for a replay of Final Fantasy Legend I. The name, Tao, came to mind because I like the character, Tao Ren, from Shaman King, a stellar animanga series that has recently been re-released. For some odd reason, I looked up the word, "Tao", and started reading a few things about Taoism. The last thing I looked at before I went to bed was the Chinese symbol for Tao. First, I was having this nonsense dream about Resident Evil with a nonsense conflict about blowing up a mansion like in the game. Then abruptly, the dream transitioned into another dream that was just darkness, where this old man was whispering something to me inside my mind, something about sensing small ghosts. I felt like my soul was separate from my mind, looking at my brain as I saw these small spirits in the darkness around me before I woke up. Unlike my out-of-body experience in June though, when I woke up feeling completely drained, I felt COMPLETELY REFRESHED despite the fact that it was still dark out in the early morning. 
    The weirdest part is that I HAVE looked up and read stuff about Taoism out of curiosity in the past without having bizarre experiences like that in my sleep. The timing of that dream was just really freaky. 
  9. Misty Shadow

    Bad News, Good News

    By Misty Shadow,


    Life
    I have been working again for a while, in case you didn't know from at least one status I made. While I can finally guarantee that my job is secure, it's not all sugar and rainbows. I did unfortunately have to go back to Macy's, HOWEVER, I do honestly feel I should give the job another chance. Not only did the other jobs I tried going to treat me worse, they have made changes to their policies lately and I learned that what happened that night I decided to leave wasn't what I thought. I talked more to that man with the medical condition and found out I did have some things wrong, since his mental cognition is suffering (thus why he broke down) and he didn't explain everything clearly. He does have a brain tumor, but a benign one. The company also understands his condition and if he did have cancer, he would definitely have the option to submit a leave of absence. He's even friends with some of the supervisors and refers people to the company for cash. He has gotten burned out, but he's sticking with Macy's because there's no easier way for him right now to make money with his benefits. I'm mad at myself now because I DID HAVE A FEELING THERE WAS MORE TO THE STORY, THERE ALWAYS IS, but I didn't understand at the time just how bad this labor crisis was with how every job right now is proving my point that the system has no principles.
    The good news is that at least I can work in good conscience with my principles now. Not everything's peachy because I do have to start part-time again, but they did give me my 401K plan option back in addition to every benefit I had when I was full-time. I also got the news tonight that my pay's been raised to $18 an hour, so even with part-time work, I don't have to worry too much about money before it starts getting busy again. I'm just glad to be in a better position than an MLP artist/writer I really respect called EnigmaDoodles. She's in the same position I was in Tucson years ago, stuck in a place with a terrible job market and digging into her savings to help out her pets. I felt really bad for her, so I sent her some donations and she's been very thankful for them. She even talked to me on Discord today and I was very pleased to see that she's just as nice in private as she is in public. She even told me that the donations have motivated her to get back into writing more, so I definitely feel some sense of fulfillment. 
    Obviously, there's still the bad news, and I did have to pay a lot of money this month for repairs to my car, not counting money for insurance next month. However, I am glad for the good news and hope people understand my situation. I am not trying to sweep everything my company's upper management does under the rug, just acknowledging that this is unfortunately the way things are. 
  10. Misty Shadow
    My 25th birthday’s coming up soon, so I thought I might as well list off every video game I’ve beaten in my life. This list does not include online flash games, no Tiger Electronic games, no Team Fortress 2 or Fortnite, no speedrun of Cookie Clicker, just all the official, single-player games that I have beaten (or in rare cases like with a few PC games, at least played extensively, as a few of the games listed can not technically be beaten) across every gaming platform I’ve played since I was a young kid.  
    NES
    Super Mario Bros. 1-3
    The Legend of Zelda
    Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
    Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out
    Castlevania I-III
    Kid Icarus
    Mega Man 1-6
    Contra
    Super C
    Metal Gear
    The Karate Kid
    Friday the 13th
    Godzilla: Monster of Monsters!
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    Ghosts ‘N Goblins
    Battletoads
    Silver Surfer
    Wolverine
    Jaws
    The Terminator
    Star Wars
    Dick Tracy
    Donkey Kong
    Milon’s Secret Castle
    Double Dragon I-III
    Ninja Gaiden I-III
    Dragon Quest I-IV
    Final Fantasy I-III (played fan-translated Famicom versions of II and III on an emulator)
    Game Boy/Game Boy Color/Game Boy Advance
    The Final Fantasy Legend I-III (actually the first three SaGa games)
    Pokemon: Red, Yellow (first generation)
    Pokemon: Silver, Crystal (second generation)
    Pokemon: Sapphire (third generation)
    Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
    Mario Party Advance
    Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
    Final Fantasy IV-VI (all of the Advance version bonus dungeons)
    Sega Genesis
    Sonic the Hedgehog
    SNES
    Super Mario World
    The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
    Mega Man 7
    Contra III: The Alien Wars
    Super Castlevania IV
    Street Fighter II (also beat the arcade version on PSP)
    Lester the Unlikely
    Super Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
    Final Fantasy IV-VI (the misnumbered II & III are actually IV & VI, played an English version of V)
    PC
    Dark Castle (all difficulties)
    Beyond Dark Castle
    Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
    Cluefinders 4th-6th Grade Adventures (yes, I want this list to be as complete as possible…)
    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
    Spongebob: Operation Krabby Patty
    Spongebob: Employee of the Month
    Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom
    The Spongebob Squarepants Movie
    The Fairly OddParents: Breakin’ da Rules  
    Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
    Portal
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Yugi the Destiny
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Kaiba the Revenge
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Power of Chaos: Joey the Passion
    Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition
    Nintendo 64
    Super Smash Bros.
    The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
    PlayStation 1
    Metal Gear Solid
    Final Fantasy VII, VIII, & IX
    Mega Man 8
    Resident Evil 1-3
    Silent Hill
    Gran Turismo 1 & 2
    Ms. Pac-Man: Maze Madness
    SpongeBob Squarepants: SuperSponge
    Spyro the Dragon 1-3
    Crash Bandicoot 1-3
    Crash Team Racing
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories
    Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
    PlayStation 2
    Final Fantasy X, X-2, & XII
    Kingdom Hearts I & II
    Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
    Resident Evil 4
    Silent Hill 2 & 3
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Duelist of the Roses
    Metal Gear Solid II & III
    Sonic Riders
    Shadow the Hedgehog (one campaign)
    Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
    Crash Twinsanity
    Crash of the Titans
    Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
    Unlimited Saga (one campaign)
    Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
    Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
    Devil May Cry 1-3 (3 was Special Edition)
    PlayStation 3
    Final Fantasy XIII
    Resident Evil 5 & 6 (one campaign)
    Metal Gear Solid 4
    Metal Gear Solid V (both Ground Zeroes and the Phantom Pain)
    Devil May Cry 4
    DMC: Devil May Cry
    The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
    Ninja Gaiden Sigma 1 & 2
    Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge
    Demon’s Souls
    Dark Souls
    Playstation 4
    Final Fantasy XV
    Persona 5
    Bloodborne
    Devil May Cry 5
    Nintendo DS/3DS
    Pokemon Diamond (fourth generation)
    Pokemon White (fifth generation)
    Pokemon X (sixth generation)
    Pokemon Ultra Moon (seventh generation)
    Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
    My Little Pony: Pinkie Pie’s Party
    Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney-Spirit of Justice (all six mainline games, no DLC cases)
    Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (DS remake of the Super Famicom game)
    Final Fantasy III (3D Remake)
    Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake)
    Corpse Party
    Yo-kai Watch
    PSP
    Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (have also played the PSP ports of I-IV, not played any exclusive content)
    Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
    Silent Hill: Origins
    Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 1-3
    Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Tag Force 4
    Nintendo Switch
    Pokemon Sword (eighth generation)
    Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution
    I do like some variety. Yes, I have played well over 150 games in my almost two decades of playing video games and you can infer some of my tastes from the list. Most notable is my utter disdain for Final Fantasy, which is so great that I am playing and enjoying the remake of VII right now. But seriously, I can’t wait to play all of it and hate how much the remake has been split into multiple games.
    Also notable is that most of the games I’ve played are NES games. I didn’t use save states on an emulator to beat a single one, I just practiced them a lot. I’ve had a lot of free time throughout my life. If I didn’t, there’s no way I would’ve completed a good lot of these games multiple times, some over ten times. It’s just what I enjoy. 
  11. Misty Shadow
    I hate blogging about stuff like this, but I just can not believe how garbage my luck has been with work ever since I quit Macy's and it's driving me nuts. I thought I was doing the right thing after I saw that guy who was mistreated break down on the floor and start punching a pole, I thought I could get something better with all these places that are now hiring, but my luck with getting work has just been so unbelievably bad. Got laid off on my third day at Dick's, got terribly misinformed about my job at another warehouse I really don't want to name that made me resign, and waiting on this next job to contact me back is just AGONIZING. I did enjoy that job at Macy's for what it was, thought I was doing the right thing when I left it on principle alone, and now I've resolved to never quit a job purely on principle again. The system has no principles, like I've already said. I truly do believe now the world is trying to punish me for quitting that job, because NOT ONE TIME IN MY LIFE have I ever tried to stand up for principles and been rewarded. Not ever.  
    Complaining about anxiety when the world is heck for everyone, I don't like. I just want to have a job again. 
  12. Misty Shadow

    My Personal 2020 Retrospect

    By Misty Shadow,


    Personal Life
    Although 2020 has been one of the worst years for the world in recent history, and I have to give my condolences to you if you had a terrible year, I do want to write a short overview of all the significant things that happened to me. 
    Not too long after the year began, I got my first full-time promotion at work. I never missed a single week of work the entire year and by the middle of the year, I was slated to get a raise. I didn't get it this year because of what I already explained in an earlier blog, CiAH! cost the company I work for a fortune, but I did get incentive pay and I still have the opportunity to get it in 2021. Financially, I am in the best spot I have ever been in by far at the moment, and I am very grateful for that, as I've said before.
    In regards to my personal life with my friends and family, I did have to leave one Discord server this year, but I've had no spats or blowouts with any of my e-friends, as always, and I've even started talking to more people at my work. As for family, which is normally a subject I don't like to touch on because of the rigorous upbringing I've had with my family, I've heard mostly good news about them lately to my shock. My older brother finally went back to work after months of paying his bills with borrowed money, my older sister finally seems committed to giving up drugs, and my mother is no longer an alcoholic, having given up drinking completely. 
    For petty achievements, I wrote my two most positively received stories this year, and one of them even got featured on FIMFiction.net. I got pretty much every video game I wanted to get done this year done, and while I haven't worked much on my art lately, that is definitely going to change in this coming year now that I have bought myself a new computer for drawing.    
    Surprisingly, a mostly good year for my personal life, I believe. I am ready for whatever hell the world will throw at me in 2021.  
  13. Misty Shadow
    Even though 2020 has been one nightmarish year for the world, things continue to look up for my personal life. Like everyone else, I have not been spared the wrath of the growing civil unrest and CIAH!. I had to indefinitely swear off discussing sensitive issues six months ago after I kept getting attacked over trivial matters and the company I work for lost one billion dollars from the pandemic, costing me the raise I would've received. I was able to get incentive pay though, being yet to take a single week off work. Since I don't get welfare and never got a stimulus check, I was fully expecting not to make enough money to meet the savings goal I set for myself this year until the holidays, when my work always really starts picking up, but as of today, I've already made it!  I'm not going to get into explicit detail about how much money I have right now because I don't want to brag, especially at a time like this. I'm just grateful that I'm in a good environment right now with a company that's treated me reasonably well. I'm also grateful to all my good friends who encourage me!
  14. Misty Shadow
    It just came to my attention that Windigo Whisperer has been featured on FIMFiction.net! 

    I just discovered this when I was browsing the Featured section out of curiosity, wondering how the story was able to get 1,000 views so quickly, and here I find my dream from eight years ago finally coming true!  I can't explain why this story has been so successful...but people have shown their support for it, so I'm going to thank them by continuing to give them what they want! 
  15. Misty Shadow
    I mentioned in a status update that I couldn't believe I just wrote a 3,000-word pilot for a Human in Equestria story about Windigos. I have not read a single HiE story in recent times besides I Am Not Sombra and only very recently decided to take a shot in the dark at the genre. What I can't believe even more than what I wrote is how something I felt was guaranteed to bomb horribly has been received so positively that an artist actually left a comment wanting to do a commissioned cover for the story. 
    https://www.fimfiction.net/story/475645/windigo-whisperer
    https://www.deviantart.com/amalgamzaku
    It's also the same guy who did the cover art for I Am Not Sombra. You bet I am accepting. 
     
  16. Misty Shadow
    As of today, I have officially been working at a job every single week for a year straight!  This job picking at Macy's is the first job I've ever worked that I've held for a full year, and this is also the first year of my life where I've spent no time unemployed!  Also, despite the fact that I'm working full-time at 40 hours with 50-hour weeks potentially coming earlier than expected, my activity with both my creative work and my games has not stagnated!
    I was in a horrendous rut back in 2016-2018, and I have major condolences for all the people who have been in one this year. I am just so glad that I've finally seen the proof that so long as you have a good attitude about trials and tribulations and are fully committed to enduring anything for what you love, you'll make it in life!  
  17. Misty Shadow
    I actually had two pretty mediocre days at work this week. One day, I had this guy come over to me, pestering me with this uncomfortable talk about relationships and asking me if I was into "f'ing girls" when I clearly wanted him to stop. Of course, the next day, work abruptly throws me into prep for the whole day...where they had me folding and packing ladies' underwear. God has a perverse sense of humor.  Thankfully, I finally got a paid day off approved from my work in the next two weeks, so there's my silver lining. It didn't even have to be paid, since I'm not concerned about money at the moment. With all the games I could ever ask for right now, I only buy fun stuff online when I see a good deal. Speaking of which...
    ...I got a copy of Pokemon Emerald for just 13 dollars off of eBay recently.  While it's possibly a reproduction cart, it looks brand new, works perfectly, the save battery isn't dry, and sellers on Amazon are now scalping it for well over 90 dollars (even reproduction carts are at least 30 dollars). I got my old copy of Pokemon Sapphire that my little brother lost for 21 dollars at a trade store back in the day. I am dead serious, I got a flea market deal, the kind of thing you should get on an old game like that. I used to be stuck in a shell of only buying things off Amazon back when I had this misconception of eBay as "just an auction site", thank God I know better now.
  18. Misty Shadow
    Got almost a thousand dollars back in taxes today, paid my rent, and still have thousands of dollars to burn.  I never, ever thought I'd see the day where I'd have family pressure to stay and help out as opposed to having family pressure to move out. 
  19. Misty Shadow
    If you saw my status update, you'll already know that I got promoted to full-time at my work, but I wanted to make a permanent note of it since it's a big step forward in my life. 

    I'm getting a raise too...so it's likely I'll finally be fully independent in the not-so distant future. 
  20. Misty Shadow

    Work is Going Good!

    By Misty Shadow,

    Yup, I'll say it again like I did on my status update. Don't be worried about me on my job, things are going great. Physically demanding as it is, I am nowhere near struggling right now. I am consistently getting in the top 3-5 for performance and finally was the top performer for the night last night. 

    Now I just gotta do that for four 50-hour weeks in the season rush and I'm good to go. 
  21. Misty Shadow
    This is a compilation of every mini-review I gave to each episode of Season 9. 
     
    The Beginning of the End (both parts): I have many weird feelings about this season premiere that make it difficult for me to articulate my thoughts...but I will start by saying that it was awesome and miles and bounds better than the first premiere involving King Sombra. The pacing was perfect, there was always something happening, a constant feeling of suspense, and best of all, do I even need to say it...King Sombra.  I was pleasantly surprised at his competence as a villain, to the point where he used his own defeat to his advantage, and happy at the confirmation of my suspicion that he was never actually killed (dispelled into the ether), but also weirdly disappointed that he still played the "typical shadowy bad guy villain" trope to a T in terms of personality and that the end actually left more of a reason for him to come back. Either way, it's better than giving him a rushed reformation, even as I would not mind a well-done reformation to keep the show attuned with the comics, so I'll let it slide. I also would not mind them making him irredeemable so long as proper closure is involved, even with the implication that Grogar is actually more evil than Sombra. That implication that he actually killed ponies caught me off guard. This special was a great set-up for what's in store for the final season, as all I want to see after watching this is more. 9.4/10
     
    Uprooted: Ha! Even Spike and The Student 6 still want Sombra around. I love how Spike was like "King Sombra's not coming back!"...right after he assumed that the Crystal Empire was under attack. He totally wants to get even after he was powerless in the premiere. They had me going just a bit at the beginning of the episode, playing along like the tree was really dead, but we all knew it was coming back, albeit in a different form. And if the tree can come back, do I even need to say it. Discounting that, I like how this episode played out slightly different than how I thought it would, emphasizing the importance of the acceptance of loss while making fun of The Student 6 thinking they could bring the tree back just by holding hands and singing Kumbaya. It felt weird having Yona steal the show by being the only one who wasn't fighting with anyone and saving Sandbar, the second best of The Student 6 in this one with the funniest lines and the most rational, realistic solution to the problem, from the clutches of death, but I guess it’s compensation for the show always trying to kill her as well as realizing that she's growing on us. The ending did feel like sort of a cop-out, but again...do I even need to say it. 8.3/10
     
    Sparkle’s Seven: So the 100th episode was for the fans, and the 200th episode was for the writers...and the fans. I refuse to ever believe that twist ending featuring the most glorious image in the entire show was not also done for the fans. Luna is a James Bond villain, Spike is a femme fatale, it even brings everything with the spy stuff full circle to tie it back to the title. Sparkle’s Seven...007. I love how even watching the after-interview before the episode didn’t sully the pleasure of that twist, because this episode just gets better and better the more you go back to it and feel things click in your head better. They even address the issue of predictability and have predictability vs. unpredictability as part of the plot’s conflict. Wonderful. Even if you don’t get this episode at first, it’s still an endearing, funny gem that you’ll want to come back to to understand more and more.  9.6/10
     
    The Point of No Return: Not outstanding, but a good final episode for G.M. Berrow to close out with. I like how they tied it in with the first episode of the show Amending Fences style, showing that Twilight's abrupt departure from Canterlot had consequences that actually affected the world around her, had a nice twist at the end with the book itself that I did not expect to cleverly tie in with the message, and showcased some great chemistry between Twilight and Spike. It's been a long time since we last saw how well they played off each other, I actually laughed a lot more at their comedic banter than any other gag in the episode, including the opening gag with Derpy of all things. I also enjoy the irony of this episode's theme surrounding books, possibly referencing the fact that G.M. Berrow was also the writer of many of the show's books. A worthy tribute to her. 8.3/10 
     
    Common Ground: Last episode was a worthy tribute to G.M. Berrow, and this was a worthy tribute to Patton Oswalt and his character. With the only flaws being an odd Z-story with Snips that doesn’t contribute anything to the plot and us never learning about the fate of Wind Sprint’s father, I like how the implication still lingers that he’s either divorced or dead, the latter being much more likely considering the implication having already been done with Applejack’s parents and Wind’s attitude. The underlying grit is essential to hit the message home how you can’t create a bond or any lasting relationship by trying to be something you’re not. It was also great how they could even joke about it at the end, how he did have to buy the book. Still love how this show never takes itself too seriously. 8.7/10 
     
    She’s All Yak: It really is fascinating how quickly Yona worked her way up from being hardly recognized, to being a fan favorite, and now to being a writer’s favorite. They didn’t even try to kill her in this one. She keeps showing that she has more to her character than just being a musclehead, she had a great song, she even got shipped with Sandbar. I’m impressed that they actually subtly tied in her saving him in Uprooted here. I’m also stunned that they brought up Sombra again for a great out-of-nowhere joke, it’s like some kind of game they’re trying to play with his fans who want him back. Yeah, everyone knew from the start that the moral could only be a variant of “Just be yourself.”, but it’s much less frustrating when you see the moral done with a character who is no longer bland and developed from pruning. 8.9/10 
     
    Frenemies: One of the most unique episodes of the show in addition to being one of the finest. The instant I found out it was written by Michael Vogel was the instant I knew it was going to be good, just not this good. No pacing and storytelling flaws, they got the song out of the way as soon as possible to get straight to the plot, showed every villain at their best, and showed easily the best series of villain interactions in the show. The most pleasant surprise to me was the foreshadowing of Tirek, Cozy Glow, and Chrysalis turning the tables on Grogar at the end, I loved how they were able to learn how to work together without wanting to change their ways and were able to make the call to rise up against a foe clearly more powerful than them. That's not something I would've expected of them judging from their actions in the premiere, which showcases good character development. The most unpleasant surprise to me was no mention of Sombra. You'd think he'd be name-dropped here once with all the unexpected mentions this season, but I guess they're just really good at this game they're playing with his fans. 9.5/10
     
    Sweet and Smoky: Another very unique episode. Not Frenemies quality, but at least predictable was the last word I could use to describe it. It honestly surprised me how they made Garble Smolder’s brother and gave him a sensitive side, though I have to say that if he’s sensitive by Dragon Kingdom standards, they are in trouble. The episode’s highlight is towards the end where after Fluttershy beautifully roasts Garble with facts and logic, he saves the day through his will to humiliate himself in front of the entire dragon population and finally brings some likability to his character. Just like in To Change a Changeling, once again, the day is saved thanks to bullying. Life’s cruelty is essential for repopulating our species, perfect lesson for a pony show to teach the kids. I am not even kidding when I say that the undertone is why I like the “be yourself” moral here more than in She’s All Yak. It’s packed with gritty realism, but it’s also not mean-spirited to the point where it just feels like a sick joke. This is an easy candidate for the best episode about the dragons. 8.8/10  
     
    Going to Seed: First episode of the season that I honestly don’t have any strong feelings for one way or the other. Average plot, average humor, the big thing that puts it as above average for me is creating a good sense of mystery and suspense. I thought for sure at first that the harvests were a trick by Granny Smith and Goldie Delicious, and later, that it actually was the Great Seedling. I wasn’t expecting it to be Big Mac sleepwalking until much later on, even as I remembered Chekhov’s Gun. Seeing Pear Butter and Bright Mac again was another pleasant surprise too, love the confirmation that we’ll likely get another episode explaining more about them. Also love how we’re still seeing deer ponies, yet still no bat ponies. 8.2/10 
     
    Student Counsel: In the words of Maud, “I have mixed feelings.”. This was another decently above average episode that I, again, had no strong sentiments for one way or the other. I liked how it was very...nostalgic, bringing back the cockatrices from Season 1 and the kind of scenery we haven’t seen since the pilot. There were also some great zingers with Maud’s “search party” joke and Trixie’s “experience telling ponies that she has experience” line, but that aside, Trixie actually kind of got on my nerves in this one. The way she was callously eating peas while being told that one of Starlight’s students was missing was just unpleasant to watch. And while the writer’s intent to make neither Trixie and Starlight in the right is understandable, I was more on Starlight’s side, work comes first. Love the ironic moral at the end though, always work by the hour. XD 8.3/10
     
    The Last Crusade: I am with the crowd of liking this episode a lot but not loving it. I love, as everyone seems to, it finally being revealed to us what Scootaloo’s home situation is like, her parents finally making an appearance, and the cameos of so many returning characters we hadn’t seen in seasons. Even Sombra got name-dropped again, go figure. I also really like the emotion that went into it, showing how much Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle actually care about Scootaloo. However, that also helps play into the weakest part of the episode...the unrealistic conclusion. Scootaloo not only gets to stay, but her aunts just so happen to have a solution to the problem of her parents selling the home? In a show that is willing to change the status quo as well as coming to an end, you would think that even a happy ending would be more impactful. Overall, it’s just so good...without being great. It’s also interesting how we now have two Indiana Jones-inspired ponies in an episode paying homage to Indiana Jones with its title. I guess that’s what they call keeping up with the Joneses. 8.4/10 
     
    Between Dark and Dawn: The thing I hate most about episodes like this is that they are too, too easy to love. Again, Celestia and Luna act like such characters, the comedy and story write themselves. Like, it just feels unfair almost how this episode stole The Mean 6’s spot for my favorite midseason finale like a day at the beach. Only flaw I could find in this one was some parts being hurried along...for good reason. There is only so much awesomeness from Celestia and Luna you can cram into one single episode while still having a good subplot with Twilight and her friends that gives them a struggle, yet also shows them making character progress in the end with learning how to run a kingdom. There are too many killer moments in this episode, my personal favorites being Twilight thanking the rich ponies for the constructive criticism before tossing them out, Luna actually trying to make the post office sound thrilling, and the ending, which surprisingly transitioned well from being heartwarming to hilarious. Though the actual finale will obviously be what counts the most, I still appreciate how our last midseason finale was divine. 9.7/10
     
    The Last Laugh: Though definitely no Pinkie Pride, Weird Al’s return to the show as Cheese Sandwich was still stellar. The way he delivers his lines as a somber pony who’s forgotten joy just makes you anticipate the moment when he finally busts out in song, the best part of the episode to me, more and more excitedly, all of the gags at the gag factory were creative and clever, especially that moving banana peel, and the underlying message really spoke to me. You can have pure motives in the pursuit of success in business that are only futile if they lead you to deny who you really are. Oh yeah, and the business pony’s name is Sans. Priceless. Not casting bets on that being an Undertale reference, but I wouldn’t have any bones about it either. 9/10  
     
    2, 4, 6, Greaaat: Didn’t go into this one believing I’d take much home from it, then right out of the gate, they described Princess Celestia as a jock with wavy hair. And then later, we find that she yells like Bulk Biceps. My life is now complete. This was better than I anticipated. I know not everyone likes it when Rainbow Dash is a jerk, but I do. It’s amusing to me, especially when I can get behind her frustration. Seriously, who does care about cheerleading? Snails, just like in the sub-prequel to this episode, is at his most likable here, and this episode’s only letdown to me is how short-lived his screen time is. That, and the lack of resolution to Snips’ plot. Loved the reveal at the ending though, how we find out that Twilight has been taught all too well by her faithful teacher. 8.5/10
     
    A Trivial Pursuit: MLP characters playing MLP trivia. A ton of fun for nerds like myself who know most of the answers. Already knew only midway through the episode though that this episode was not going to be a ton of fun for obsessive Twilight fans because it actually shows a character they like being a character and making stupid and selfish decisions. Admittedly, it’s kind of weird to watch when Twilight is usually a saint for the most part, but geeks do resort to underhanded tactics in real life to succeed at things they care about. Twilight’s also gotten plenty of flack for “being a Mary Sue”, so I do enjoy watching her channel who she was in Lesson Zero. This episode features what are easily her best facial expressions and comedic overreactions. I also loved watching Pinkie acknowledge actual shipping terms for the teams. Twinkie. It’s really funny knowing that the world of MLP is home to Hostess treats. 8.6/10  
     
    The Summer Sun Setback: Even better than Frenemies. Trust me, that is saying a lot. Though there is some annoyance to the fact that the Mane 6 still have a way of being clueless to what’s really going on under their noses, it’s worth it to see how far the villains have come in terms of competence, being able to infiltrate and advance their plan without provoking any kind of suspicion to their presence. And Discord says character growth is so boring. Honestly one of the funniest lines in the series, and one of the funniest moments in the series is seeing him dressed like Jesus. I like how he continually refuses to be a Deus Ex Machina, allowing us to see how much Twilight’s friends have not changed by believing that Twilight hasn’t changed. The acknowledgement of how they still don’t listen to Applejack is just the cherry on top. Episodes about the villains are definitely tied with Celestia and Luna episodes for the easiest episodes of the show for me to love now. 9.7/10
     
    She Talks to Angel: Well, I saw this coming. We finally get to see a sympathetic side to the devil, Angel Bunny. Honestly, I never found him to be that annoying, but I also never really cared about him. He’s grumpy and selfish all the time because he can’t talk and it’s hard to travel...sorry, just doesn’t hit me in the feels. Probably why this episode doesn’t click with me too much, even if there is some gold to scavenge in it, like the way Angel first reacts upon being in Fluttershy’s body and says that Fluttershy wants to marry Discord. It’s also really amusing how they finally acknowledge how hard it would realistically be for Fluttershy to do all that work with those animals and still have time to be a teacher. Was not expecting that or that snake to actually eat that elephant that was at least twice its size. So much for, “I’m almost as big as her, how could she gobble me up?”. 8.2/10
     
    Dragon Dropped: I am no Sparity shipper and I have to say, this is my favorite Rarity episode. It’s also one of the best Spike episodes to me, since it finally shows just how much Spike does for Rarity that she never really appreciated. The scene with Rarity apologizing with the record player was adorable hilarity, and when Gabby was introduced, I was surprisingly impressed that they actually picked things up from that unresolved plot point in The Fault in Our Cutie Marks and utilized it as a way for Gabby and Spike of all characters to become friends. Not to mention how they used them “not coming from the most reputable cultures” as a way. So Neighsay wasn’t just a nutjob. I love how this episode makes me care enough about Spike’s friendship with a formerly standalone background character to actually crave a predictable, happy ending. That is definitely a rarity for me. 9.5/10
     
    A Horse Shoe-in: The final Starlight Glimmer-centered episode is...admittedly somewhat underwhelming. Again, the conflict involves her and Trixie with Trixie being the side of sentimentalism and Starlight being the side of pragmatism. They really stuck with this format, but even though the other two episodes that used this formula, The Road to Friendship and Student Counsel, did a good job eliciting sympathy for Trixie, I was more on Starlight’s side by far this time. At least they acknowledge that Trixie didn’t deserve the job, but she totally had that scolding coming to her. That’s not to bash Trixie, as she did, as always, have some funny lines and was beast in standing up to Grandpa Gruff. However, it’s disappointing for Starlight’s character arc to end with such a telegraphed, standard episode that really doesn’t leave me with much to say. 8.1/10 
     
    Daring Doubt: The final Daring Do episode is more about Fluttershy than Rainbow Dash, oddly. Even more oddly, despite the entire Daring Do arc being focused on Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy was written better than Rainbow Dash here and had some of her best character highlights too. She hits the nail on the head perfectly in her attitude on actually talking to Daring Do's rivals. It doesn't matter whether or not they're telling the truth, everyone still deserves to be listened to. That has to be the perfect message that today's society needs right now. It is a little disappointing to not see many highlights from Rainbow Dash, but with loyalty being her main character trait, I understand how a conflict about her doubting Daring Do in favor of listening to a villain wouldn't work. Only thing I honestly found dumb was Daring Do's fans ditching her because of Caballeron's story exposing that Daring Do was a real pony. I'm well aware that people are fickle, but seriously? If I found out my favorite book author was actually Indiana Jones, I'd be all over them. 9.1/10
     
    Growing Up is Hard to Do: This final CMC episode is hard not to like. I found it to be better than The Last Crusade, which left a seriously bad taste in my mouth with its forced “happy ending”. The exposition leading up to the feature presentation of the episode may be dry, but everything else after that put a smile on my face. I love how the song shows how naive the CMC and most kids in general are about what being an adult means, especially when they say, “Facts don’t matter, we can win any argument with, “Because we say so.” I was not expecting that, the callbacks to the pony from Sounds of Silence and Trouble Shoes, or that pet turning into a cyclone. I really like how the moral in this episode is not just about how grown-ups need to be responsible, but also that grown-ups aren’t perfect and can mislead children. The only real disappointment this episode brings is being the last CMC episode, but not ending their arc on a conclusive note. 8.8/10
     
    The Big Mac Question: The final episode about the Apple family may be mostly comedy-based, but at least it’s good comedy and ends on a very heartwarming and satisfying note. Not every joke hits, I definitely found the whole thing with the apples coming to life unfitting (that’s coming from someone who’s read and enjoyed the Night of the Living Apples comic arc), and it’s no The Perfect Pear. However, the way things are tied back to The Perfect Pear at the end with the reality TV show parody turning out to be everyone talking to Applejack at the wedding is magnificent. It’s good that the last ordinary episode of the show actually concluded a character arc and left an impact on the show canon. 9/10
     
    The Ending of the End (both parts): Such a legendary final two-parter. I went in worried that the leaks were going to ruin it for me, but no, the things about the leaks that disappointed me actually helped me look at it more objectively and appreciate more how great this final showdown in the show is. It’s action-packed to the brim, I loved seeing the characters fighting while they were massively underpowered, and how they were able to give so many other characters besides the Mane 6 some time in the spotlight. My favorite moment besides the fight with Starlight and Chrysalis is when Twilight and her friends accept death only to be saved by everyone in Equestria. Yes, no Grogar and us being left to assume that Discord had the best intentions in bringing the villains back is still a letdown, but this was still amazing for what it was. They didn’t even sugarcoat the moral. “There will always be darkness in the world.” Truer words have never been spoken by a pony show. 9.9/10 
     
    The Last Problem: This final episode is...curious. Unlike The Ending of the End, which was an adrenaline-pumping action thriller, this episode feels more like a...poetic finale. And I must be honest, it is a very good poetic finale. I love how it shows that Spike really did finally get some respect getting to sit as Twilight’s right-hand man, stays true to the promise of Twilight not outliving her friends, and stays consistent with the final two-parter’s showcasing of all the characters, giving us the feeling that all of Equestria’s story ended on a good note. It’s probably just a matter of taste that I wasn’t as into it as the last two-parter, even as the only real stake of the conflict is the question of whether or not friendship really does last forever. It is the best challenge for the show to tackle before it wraps up though, and I like the way it faces it through showing us a great moral about how the pursuit of perfection is futile. You’re only a failure if you have no one to laugh about your failings with...it really is the perfect follow-up to The Ending of the End’s moral of how there would always be darkness in the world, but from that darkness comes the light. It really shows what made this show so great, and that’s why I still love this finale. 9.5/10 
     
    Episodes I Loved 
    The Beginning of the End (both parts) 
    Sparkle’s Seven 
    Common Ground 
    She’s All Yak
    Sweet and Smoky
    Frenemies
    Between Dark and Dawn
    The Last Laugh
    A Trivial Pursuit
    The Summer Sun Setback
    Dragon Dropped
    Daring Doubt 
    Growing Up is Hard to Do
    The Big Mac Question
    The Ending of the End (both parts)
    The Last Problem


     
    Episodes I Liked
    Uprooted
    The Point of No Return
    Going to Seed 
    Student Counsel 
    The Last Crusade
    2, 4, 6, Greaaat
    She Talks to Angel
    A Horse Shoe-in 
     
    My final thoughts are that this really was one of the best final seasons we could ask for. I actually really enjoyed Seasons 7 and 8, and I still thought this season was miles and bounds better. I loved how we finally got a great overlapping villain arc, how there were no mediocre episodes, and how mostly every character got a chance to shine. Obviously, there was no way we were going to everything we wanted, and even if we did, that would just give us less of a reason to look forward to the Season 10 comic. Even without that and the upcoming special and movie, I still feel like the show would never truly be over in my heart, which is the best feeling a show can leave you with when it’s done. So farewell, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Even as we move on to G5, what you did to revive this franchise will never be forgotten.
  23. Misty Shadow
    I've already shared my opinions on every individual episode of the season in each episode discussion thread, so this is where I will show you a compilation of them all and give you a better idea of what I thought of the season as a whole. 
    School Daze (both parts): Awesome premiere, one of the best. My favorite part was how everyone in it was being racist. I'm part-joking, part-serious, I don’t think it was one of the best, and though I honestly was amused the whole time at how none of the kids held back with their comments against the ones from different species, it wasn't my favorite part. My favorite part was the unbiased message. I honestly loved how they showed the goodness of natural diversity and inclusivity while also showing the folly of forced diversity through incompetent teaching methods in schools. Screw what the rule book tells you, teach kids why they should be loving to each other rather than just how.  As per usual, the pacing wasn't perfect, with a major plot turning point needing to be gone through as quickly as possible through a song, but I was still enthralled by it the whole time. 9/10
     
    The Maud Couple: Personally thought it was great. Pinkie Pie is so unlikable throughout it, but that's part of what makes it so fun to watch. I was just going, "Wow...this was me in my initial reaction to Maud Pie being introduced and not understanding why people liked her.", and it was great to see Pinkie on the receiving end of the lesson of the episode Maud Pie. I also feel the writing team was predicting the way certain people would react to Mudbriar, with one side of people hating him out of their blinded worship of Maud and another side of people defending him by pointing out the hypocrisy in ignoring that what they hate in Mudbriar, they like in Maud. Even if I hadn't been a fan of the new character, I would've enjoyed the episode regardless because it's hilarious discounting the absence of the rest of the Mane 6, save in Pinkie's psychotic episode. I loved her imagining Twilight saying, "I never learned how to read!". 8.9/10
     
    Fake It Till You Make It: I didn't find it to be that good, but I also didn't find it to be that bad. I personally wouldn't describe Fluttershy playing other shop pony characters to be "out of character" at all. In fact, I'd go so far to say that it was completely in character. Yes, Fluttershy herself would never be anything like a snooty elitist, a droll goth, or an airheaded valley girl...thus the need for her to play a character. Her true self was doing it out of the kindness of her heart, not wanting to disappoint Rarity. I think the episode's main flaw is being too reliant on the joke of Fluttershy's character, spending too much time on it only to have the episode end so abruptly with the problem being resolved just by having her characters get fired. I still enjoyed most of the lampooning of the stereotypes they mocked though, so even with the joke getting a bit repetitive and the pacing making it feel rushed towards the end, I honestly thought it was alright. Just nothing to write home about. 7.2/10
     
    Grannies Gone Wild: Another alright episode. The plot may have been incredibly simple and straightforward, but I got to give the extras some credit for giving me a lot of food for thought. Lyra and Bon Bon, Trixie's dad, an alicorn construction worker, Rick and Morty, and an old mare hitting on a young stallion. Favorite thing besides that was Applejack's head. One of the more humorous parts of the episode that legit had me wondering at the end if it was just a figment of RD's imagination or if it was a manifestation of Applejack's psychic powers she never told anyone about. Ah, this show is always good at stimulating my imagination. 7.3/10
     
    Surf and/or Turf: Yea verily, this was good. Surprised that there was no Queen Novo or acknowledgement of Twilight's mishap of trying to steal the pearl, but they still tied things in with the movie fairly well. It's another one of those episodes where the strongest part is the moral, no one should feel forced to choose an identity, we're all a sum of our parts. I also liked how well Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo played the part of biased researchers and journalists telling people like Terramar what choices they should make based on their own personal experiences and tastes, and how both of them are portrayed as in the wrong for doing so. Glad this show's writers aren't like the writers of the Powerpuff Girls reboot. 7.8/10 (trust me, it’s not for too much water) Real score: 8.3/10
     
    Horse Play: More proof that Celestia is not a Mary Sue, I love it. I really like how they were able to make a simple, "honesty is the best policy" moral, the kind of lesson much of Hollywood and theater has sadly forgotten, work with the ruler of Equestria. It also made me realize that not just Spike, but Applejack also does not get enough credit. That's the only thing I found irking about the episode, they were the ones preaching the truth, and what did they get? Not only does Spike get used as a scapegoat, but AJ doesn't even get an apology from Twilight for being ignored. For good gags, I loved Celestia's Canterlot voice, Pinkie's sun props, and how Celestia trolled them at the end. Luna was also the best background character in all this, heckling child actors and expressing bemusement at the play going well. She's definitely going to become Nightmare Moon again some time. 8.5/10
     
    The Parent Map: I love seeing relatable episodes like this that make me marvel at how deep this pony show can get. Not so much to Starlight's dad with the babying I relate to, but definitely to Sunburst's mom, as I did have many endeavors with my parents trying to get me to "have a plan" while not understanding the context of my situation. It was painfully obvious, especially after what we saw in Parental Glideance, however, how their conflict with their parents would play out. They should've brought Spike in to mix things up, don't know why he never appeared in the episode again after the opening. Oh well, I still can't wait for the fanfics about Starlight's emo phase.  Stunned they were able to model her room the way they did, love that we now know that she's both a former Communist and a former Satanist. 8.2/10
     
    The Non-Compete Clause: AJ and Dash fans hate this one? Won't say I blame them too much. After all, the episode kicks off with proof that Fluttershy is best pony. Being real, their unrelenting fighting did quickly grow to be tiring and a bit hard to believe, but I did laugh at how they kept pretending to agree with each other while the students were too smart to fall for it, knowing that they only cared about the award. Them actually not learning their lesson at the end and making up, I also weirdly liked just for going against the usual formula of the characters in conflict being happy friends after everything is over. Gallus also continues to shine as my favorite member of the Young Six. He wanted to see his teachers get ripped apart. I adore the subtle sadism in this show so much. 8/10
     
    The Break Up Break Down: I didn't go in expecting much from this one not being a fan of Hard to Say Anything, and guess what? I was pleasantly surprised once again. The plot was nowhere near as straightforward as it could've been and had me curious of what was going to happen next the whole time. While we knew that Sugar Belle wasn't really going to break up with Big Mac, I actually laughed at Spike's attempts to rationalize what Sugar was really talking about and explain how what we saw coming would happen. "Even I don't buy that one!". Then it turns out at the end that guess of his was right.  It's funny to me because they did a good job making it seem like there was nothing else Sugar could've meant besides breaking up with him in the conversation they eavesdropped on. They also did some clever things for the Cutie Mark Crusaders plot, like having Sweetie Belle's name being similar to Sugar Belle's as a way to explain the confusion of who the package was for and Button Mash's cameo as one of the ponies they thought Sweetie's secret admirer was. And to top it all off, we get to wonder what caused Discord to not believe in love...nah, I'm kidding. We know for a fact at this point that he and Celestia totally dated. 8.8/10
     
    Molt Down: Yay, Spike became an alicorn. I honestly really liked how well his molting represented puberty. While I'm aware it's commonplace for kids shows to write characters going through changes that have parallels to puberty, I was impressed that they even gave a nod to things like awkward vocal chord shifts and messed up sleeping patterns. The little girls of today are lucky to get to know this stuff from cartoons earlier than I did. I thought it was odd how Spike still thought Twilight would actually kick him out after all they've been through, and as usual, I got weary of Zecora's rhymes, but seeing Spike grow wings and actually fight off a creature with his own power for once was awesome. This was the perfect episode for showing how well Spike's character has developed. 9.1/10
     
    Marks for Effort: Not as good as Marks and Recreation, but still another high-quality Cutie Mark Crusaders episode that always kept me curious of what was going to happen, especially when it got up to the stuff with Cozy Glow. I am also one of the people who legit almost believed she was a Changeling, especially at the part where she failed her test. However, even when it got to the part where she confessed her plan to fail it on purpose to help the CMC to Starlight, I was still pleasantly surprised to see a clever plot twist that tied things together with Starlight's foreshadowed conflict. Twilight's characterization in the episode though, I have mixed feelings about. I still don't see what the big deal was with the CMC simply transferring schools, especially after what happened at the very end, and I agree that she jumped to conclusions with thinking that the CMC deliberately set up Cozy to fail. I guess answering "Your mom" for "Who is the Princess of Friendship?" really got to her, which admittedly got a laugh out of me. 8.6/10
     
    The Mean 6: I thought it was almost as good of a midseason finale as The Perfect Pear. The Mean 6 were hilarious, seeing the Mane 6's friendship being tested to the fullest in an episode outside of a premiere or finale was great, and like The Perfect Pear, it was edited down almost perfectly considering its constraints. Truthfully, Twilight and her friends being deceived by corrupted forms of themselves has been done before at least twice, once in the show with the The Return of Harmony, and another time in the first arc of the main series of the comics. However, I honestly thought this episode utilized that plot point to its full potential, unlike in the prior examples where in the Season 2 premiere, Twilight and her friends were the corrupted forms and had to get themselves back on track after it had taken a full episode and a half for them to completely lose their way, and in the case of the comics, only a short part of the story was spent on the Mane 6 reacting to what they were simply overhearing before they had to get right back into the action and then be split up. I've also seen people continue to express their worries about Chrysalis being reformed, and as someone who would prefer for her to remain evil to the end, I can't exactly say I'm worried after how well I was entertained by six completely irredeemable characters toy with the Mane 6 and fight amongst themselves. I'll also say that after seeing characters like Iron Will and the Flim-Flam brothers still be the way they are despite the possibility of them changing being implied, as well as both Trixie and Discord still being the same lovable narcissists we've always known them as, I really don't feel the call to be worried about Chrysalis. That's also not even mentioning the glorious death scene of the Mean 6. The spirit of The Tree of Harmony ain't nothing to mess with. 9.3/10
     
    A Matter of Principals: This was easily the most villainous Discord has been since the Season 4 finale. I have to confess that he caught me by surprise. I was not expecting him to irritate Starlight to the point of essentially killing him, becoming a ghost to haunt the school, and then it being revealed at the end that he sent the Mane 6 on a fake friendship quest. Initially, I felt that Starlight went too far...but now I almost support her actions despite liking how she decided to be the better person in the end in spite of everything. Discord is detestable to the core in this one, but it's also fascinating watching how far he's willing to go out of spite for being ignored, so I can't say I was disappointed. What did admittedly disappoint me somewhat was Trixie being the only substitute teacher Starlight hired that got featured in her own scene (I would've loved to watch Maud teaching a class). However, that scene does have my favorite of many good jokes in the episode, involving the banana phone, so I'll let it slide. 8.9/10
     
    The Hearth’s Warming Club: This one was a series of highs and lows. The low point of it for me is actually close to the beginning. Twilight's gotten very...accusatory as of late. After what she just went through with jumping to conclusions about the CMC, she looks at the scene with the Young Six and goes, "Welp, it's one of you! Especially in a world where teleportation magic exists, a locked door makes for an open-and-shut case!". I legitimately thought it was going to be an outside party who was guilty before the scene with Gallus, though his scene of opening up is admittedly the high point of the episode for me and the best character development for the students so far. The jokes were a weird kind of self-aware anti-humor, some of them being funny like with Sandbar's "stories", and others being fairly bland, like with Yona's smashing. Overall, it gives me a weird feeling of being underwhelmed and satisfied at the same time somehow. 8.1/10
     
    Friendship University: I think I just realized that my favorite part of Flim and Flam episodes are Flim and Flam themselves. Like actual con artists, they try to sell you something you'd have to be a fool to think was bad without knowing the finer details, know how to manipulate others' feelings, and offer both legitimate and illegitimate services. Also, they always offer a high-quality song. I liked how their trick wasn't obvious from the start, even if the ponies, Starswirl and Rarity included, were pretty naive to not suspect anything fishy about having to pay for copies of lessons. However, at least Flim and Flam weren't dumb enough to fall for Twilight's disguise, like what would've happened in a lot of other badly written episodes of kid's shows, and only fell for Rarity's because they forgot who she was. I also enjoyed how they tied things back to Rarity Investigates well, and even ended the episode on a note of mystery. It is interesting to imagine the possibility of someone at the school being a spy. Maybe Cozy Glow really is a Changeling after all… 8.3/10
     
    The End in Friend: I'll admit that when I first heard about this episode's plot synopsis, I wasn't too excited. Like many, I am getting somewhat tired of drama and fighting in the show being made the outlier for a serious plot. It still makes for good entertainment, but the "threat of a friendship ruined" conflict never builds any suspense because we always know that they're going to reconcile in the end. That being said, I did like how everything built up to Rarity and Rainbow Dash solving a mystery together and finding creative ways to get past obstacles. One other thing I slightly took issue with was that even though neither of them were supposed to be in the right, I was able to empathize with Rainbow Dash more. She at least did not pretend to be invested in what Rarity wanted to do, was the first to come clean about not doing the book challenge, and even made a good point about the impracticality of Rarity's fashion designs. I don't know, I've just come to prefer "tell it like it is" types more. 7.4/10
     
    Yakity-Sax: Like with Non-Compete Clause, I'm going to be playing the devil's advocate here (sort of?) in saying that this episode was actually good. I do get why the moral confused people and agree that Pinkie Pie's obsession with the instrument to the point where she was going to leave Ponyville was somewhat hard to believe...but again, this just feels like another time to me where too many of the things an episode did well are being overlooked. We had some really good jokes, like the opening gag that I actually laughed at, the return of Maud Pie in another hilarious cameo, and the return of Pinkamena. Besides, the "being honest about telling your friends that their talents lie elsewhere" moral was already done in Horse Play and Pinkie has overreacted and tried to leave Ponyville before, both in Pinkie Pride and The Maud Couple. I do believe that the others should've still encouraged her to get better at the instrument at the end and that the "leaving Ponyville" plot point is getting redundant, but I still really enjoyed the episode and completely disagree with it being labeled as "The Worst Episode of Season 8" by some. For Celestia's sake, even Fake It Till You Make It is worse, and I don't even mind that one. 8.2/10
     
    The Road to Friendship: A much more entertaining "friendship drama" episode to me than The End in Friend. Trixie and Starlight's fighting was consistently more realistic, less predictable, and a lot funnier. I like how their fighting wasn't caused by something as simple as them realizing they didn't share similar interests, but grievances that were legitimately affecting their progress. Starlight murdered me with how hilariously passive aggressive she was by going so far as to sell her friend's wagon without her permission and acting like it was completely justifiable what she did, and it just got even better with how Trixie was willing to lie down in the dirt for two days without any food or water to keep the guy from moving the wagon. Forgive me for ever having distaste for Trixie, she is badass. My favorite part though was a really funny and relatable opening gag about Trixie and Starlight actually being creeped out by Twilight and Cadance's friendship shake and it turning out to actually be foreshadowing to Trixie and Starlight doing a hilariously terrible friendship shake of their own. Now that is well-written humor. 8.9/10
     
    The Washouts: I'll dare to say that The Washouts are easily some of the most likable minor antagonists we've had so far. I mean, discounting the obvious vice of not caring for a child's safety, it's pretty badass of them to live to risk their lives for the amusement of others. And at the risk of sounding like a jerk, I can't fault Lightning Dust too much when Scootaloo initially agreed to the stunt, was fully willing to do it, and tried to back out in the middle of a show. That's the episode's main weak spot for me, Scootaloo seeing Dust's true colors too quickly and wrapping up her conflict so abruptly. After all, there's still the problem of her never being able to join the Wonderbolts because she can't fly, plus the fact that Scootaloo's dream has always seemed to be living on the edge. It really is impossible to not empathize with her frustration, especially after Rainbow Dash proudly tore down all the posters in her room, boasted about wanting to tear them up and throw them off a cliff, then wanted to hang framed pictures of herself to try to make herself "look humble". Rainbow's the only one who can be so hilariously unlikable in a scene like that and still be heartwarmingly likable in the end with how she started a fan club for Scootaloo instead of herself in the end. Now that was truly touching. 8.7/10
     
    A Rockhoof and a Hard Place: More captivating than I thought it would be. I like how they finally brought the Pillars back and made one of them a role model for Yona. Up until now, I saw Yona as one of the less interesting members of the Young Six and Rockhoof as one of the less interesting Pillars, and I know I’m watching a good episode of the show when it gets me to care about a character more and look at that character differently. I especially can’t look at Rockhoof the same way ever again. I was genuinely surprised when it got to the point where he legitimately wanted to be petrified, essentially wanting Twilight to assist him with suicide, after he felt he would never be able to fit in with the modern world. Even more surprising to me was when Twilight sort of went along with it and Spike was just like, “Eh.”.  Well, after his moment of gold at least. “I thought you were arguing over ice cream flavors!” This show is getting dark and twisted, but that’s what keeps me loving it. I need to read Me and My Shadow now. 8.6/10
     
    What Lies Beneath: Great episode focusing entirely on the Student 6, better than The Hearth's Warming Club. Again, we get to learn something new about each of these characters, only this time, it's done with a more engaging real-time conflict with a real risk involved. It's weird how The Tree of Harmony is an actual character now, but the much more disturbing aspect of this episode is easily Cozy Glow. It's creepy how good she is at lying and manipulating these kids while pretending to be an innocent child. She got them to doubt themselves by making them believe they couldn't understand friendship because of their species and that one of them was privileged because of their species. And to top it off, she pretended to be a victim so that the others wouldn't inform Twilight about something crucial. What a sociopath. However, it shows how good of a job they've done building up what's yet to come. 8.8/10
     
    Sounds of Silence: Even one of the most heartfelt, uniquely upbeat songs in the show...can’t stop me from thinking of Disturbed every time I look at the title. The same way the Kirin couldn’t stop me from thinking of Maud Pie before Autumn Blaze came into the picture. And then Autumn Blaze had me thinking of Pinkie Pie. You can tell this episode has inspired me to be honest with my emotions with one of the best morals in the show by far. In a time where we’re quick to call showing any kind of anger and engaging in any kind of discourse a sin, this show is somehow able to hit the nail on the head with its message about both. Anger and conflict are just part of who we are, what matters is how we go about it. I’ve been in Autumn Blaze’s shoes before of being condemned for expressing my feelings, so I can vouch for her in saying that having to be stoic and silent all the time does get boring, unlike this episode. It rarely had me bored, especially after that hilariously off-tangent joke about Phantom of the Opera in the song. Random humor really can be funny. 9/10
     
    Father Knows Beast: I can see why this is a somewhat divisive episode. Despite being well-written, it comes as a disappointment to any Spike fan to still not know who Spike's real father is in an episode this late in the same season where he got his wings. However, Sludge was a worthy minor villain. It was foreshadowed from the start who he really was with how complacent he was in working with the ponies who were trying to help him get back on his feet and there's a clear possibility of him being a sociopath in how he manipulated a child into taking care of him with such malicious lies. Spike was pretty cruel in how he denounced Twilight as a real parent, which grated my nerves a bit as someone who thought he'd be past behavior like that by now, but I liked the visual of Twilight's heart literally breaking. The visual gag of Starlight being thrown out while taking a bath was awesome too. It's not at all bad, it just shows that we really need an episode about what happened with Spike's real parents eventually. We saw how well The Perfect Pear worked with Applejack, so surely a similar episode would work with Spike. 8.4/10   
     
    School Raze (both parts): How I love the irony of one of this show's most calculating, cunning villains by far being a little girl. It was clear there was something off about her from the start in how weirdly devious her scheme to get the Cutie Mark Crusaders into school was, but it's only in this finale where we get to see just how evil she actually is. Neighsay at his worst couldn't even compare, and after she used racism herself to turn the school against the Student Six, it felt like a message was trying to be sent about the worst racists in this world being those who try to sell it as "good". Even worse was how she got all those friends and then only wanted to use them as tools. That would make her worse than Discord ever was for sure, since he had never had a friend before. I know I'm going on about Cozy a lot, but it's always incredible to see such a great villain of the show get a chance to display so much of their evil glory. I also loved how the Mane 6 had to get by without their magic, how well elements from the earlier episodes tied in, like with how the power of the Tree of Harmony saved The Student Six, and how many doors have now been opened for great story opportunities. I mean, now we have Tirek and Cozy potentially joining forces, we have Chrysalis still on the loose possibly coming back to see what the Tree of Harmony has evolved into, and Cadance's conversation about the Crystal Heart with Celestia possibly foreshadowing the return of King Sombra. Really, there is no reason why Season 9 shouldn't be the best season of the show, but this season was still a blast overall. 9.3/10
     
    Episodes I Loved
    School Daze (both parts)
    The Maud Couple
    Horse Play
    The Break-up Breakdown
    Horse Play
    Molt Down
    Marks for Effort
    The Mean 6
    A Matter of Principals
    The Road to Friendship
    The Washouts
    A Rockhoof and a Hard Place
    What Lies Beneath
    The Sounds of Silence
    School Raze (both parts)
     
    Episodes I Liked
    Surf and/or Turf
    The Parent Map
    Non-Compete Clause
    The Hearth’s Warming Club
    Friendship University
    Yakity-Sax
    Father Knows Beast
     
    Episodes I Didn’t Mind
    Fake It Till You Make It
    Grannies Gone Wild
    The End in Friend
    This season was great overall, even better than Season 7 to me. I really hope that Season 9 will be the perfect final season if the show ends then.
  24. Misty Shadow

    Pipp the Poltergeist's Song Lyrics

    By Misty Shadow,


    Pipp the Poltergeist
    For those who don't know, I recently finished writing my newest story, Pipp the Poltergeist. 
    https://www.fimfiction.net/story/540980/pipp-the-poltergeist
    If you've read the story, you'll know Pipp the Poltergeist sings part of a song I wrote in it, a parody of Glowin' Up that shares the same melody as it. For anyone curious as to what the lyrics of the full version are, I've now made them available. 
    https://www.deviantart.com/mistybrightshadow/art/Pipp-the-Poltergeist-s-Song-Lyrics-1048591539
    As for the song's name, you can tell me whether you think "Ghostly Love" or "Ghostly Lights" works better. 
  25. Misty Shadow
    Just like Izzy and Sunny, Hitch, my favorite G5 main character, now has an essay that refutes the prevalent misconceptions about him! 
    https://www.deviantart.com/mistybrightshadow/art/Understanding-Hitch-Trailblazer-MLP-Essay-1047907188
    Of the three essays that I've done, this is my favorite one. Might even do an essay like this for Sparky one day... 
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