S08:E01+02 - School Daze

[King of Canterlot 9,603]

@RyanMahaffe And by allowing even simple political messages to be brought into MLP, now people can have a green-light to speak about politics, even real-world politics if it ties into their argument, into discussions about MLP. Get used to it! MLP isn't what it used to be.................

Edited March 25, 2018 by King of Canterlot

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

1 minute ago, King of Canterlot said:

@RyanMahaffe And by allowing even simple political messages to be brought into MLP, now people can have a green-light to speak about politics, even real-world politics if it ties into their argument, into discussions about MLP. Get used to it! MLP isn't what it used to be.................

Well I consider it better than it use to be but to each their own.

[Truffles 2,033]

Thinking about it some more, I guess I do have one complaint that goes a little above a minor level. I have having a hard time trying to figure out how Neighsay rose to acquire so much power without anyone complaining. I can't believe after who knows how many years, no teacher ever came to Celestia and told her how rigid the EEA rules were. Celestia mentions that she doesn't want to be a dictator (paraphrasing) but somehow Neighsay managed to do just that even though they are technically a board and should have a mix of attitudes.

I don't know what's up with the other members - did he surround himself with a bunch of yesponies so whatever he believes they go along with? They certainly seemed to agree with everything he said when Twilight and Spike were at the initial hearing. Doesn't Celestia worry about his control over all students of Equestria as being a dictatorship in itself?

I suppose as long as the schools keep churning out students with good grades and the crime rate remains relatively low (aside from the random monster attacks that seem to happen from time to time) maybe she figures the system is working? It does seem to be another indicator Celestia isn't as in touch with her subjects as she believes she is if she allowed this guy to grab so much power that he is capable of leading to a world war with his words.

 

43 minutes ago, Lambdadelta said:

F*&k your Apple product placements, Applejack,this is a school to teach kids, not to teach kids Apples are better than anything else........................................ How about Apples and PEARS, huh?, huh?

I can tell this was meant as a one-shot visual gag in the scene in question, but you make a good point that in a real-life scenario where a teacher is promoting a product they sell from a business they own to their students is a major conflict of interest.

 

43 minutes ago, Lambdadelta said:

Twilight become Rarity in this ep, crying in the dark.

I was practically expecting Spike to unbury her and find her snarfing down cartons of ice cream. XD

 

41 minutes ago, King of Canterlot said:

Because the left in it of itself, is racist and full of hypocrites.

Thanks for that sentiment. I love you too. =P /s

Edited March 25, 2018 by Truffles

[CinnamonSwirl 90]

Omg doctor strange?!?!?!?! Head of EEAMA  YAY

[Sonic5421 423]

Sorry for the late post during the debut of the Season 8 premiere, but I have to admit I was impressed with it, if the reactions of the leaders or representatives of the various allies of Equestria was a little extreme for something as minor as the kids going MIA after being insulted by Chancellor Neighsay because of his biased prejudice.

With the Cutie Map having expanded to include all the new areas outside Equestria's borders, including Mount Aris, Klugetown, Captain Celaeno's airship, and more, Twilight decides to open a School of Friendship, but asks Celestia for advice about it due to Celestia's own experience with the School for Gifted Unicorns. However, Twilight is directed to speak to the EEA, led by Neighsay, voiced by our old friend, The Brain. Though Neighsay is supportive of the school, he only gives it a trial run until he sees how things go personally before giving it the full EEA support. He's unaware that Twilight has agreed to allow students from Equestria's various allies to attend as well, including the dragons, yaks, griffons, Hippogriffs, and Changelings, with us being introduced to the envoy for Queen Novo in Seaspray, and Grampa Gruff representing Griffonstone and Gilda.

However, when Neighsay's visit to the school results in being there when the non-pony kids cause problems and damage the school, he is outraged by Twilight essentially violating one of his personal sacred cardinal rules of the EEA guidebook with having non-pony students enrolled in the school, driving a rift into the alliances with Rutherford, Ember, Thorax, and the others with his insults regarding them, and shuts the school down on his authority, leaving Twilight heartbroken.

Only through a tough love pep talk from Starlight, complete with cutting Twilight off mid-sentence with sending the EEA rule book to the lake bed does she convince Twilight to give the school another chance, only to soon learn that the non-pony students have run off, not wanting to be separated after the school was closed, resulting in the various leaders and representatives threatening military action if the students are not found soon.

After the Mane Six rescue the kids from trouble at the Castle of the Two Sisters and reveal the severity of the situation do they return to the school as Celestia arrives with the representatives. Once the kids explain they want to stay and learn, Twilight still has to contend with Neighsay, still adamant about keeping the school closed and locked without his authority, and still continuing his prejudice against the non-pony races. Twilight and Celestia manage to tell him off about how ponies and the other races can co-exist, just like the three pony tribes so long ago, but Neighsay is unconvinced, leaving in a fury with the belief that the School of Friendship would still bring ruin to Equestria. Despite Neighsay being stone-hearted about accepting the truth, the school is reopened, the races make amends and restore their alliances, and things look to be looking up for Equestria in the near future.

Great premiere, and I give it a good 10/10 as my rating for it.

[Thrond 3,263]

Okay, I have a lot to say but am done with formally reviewing this show, so let's go point by point:

• Loved this. 
• The first part had a bit too much table-setting for my taste. I found it pleasant enough, but it was mostly the second part which won me over. 
• The cold open is incredibly basic. Not much going on there. 
• I don't know the kids' names yet. The yak is my favourite, though the pony and the changeling are also pretty cute. The hippogriff, dragon, and griffon kinda annoyed me, but I see potential in them, and they all had charming moments. 
• This is the best the show has used the map ever. It's not telling the ponies to do anything. I don't need to question why they obey it. It's just a magic map which has revealed places the ponies aren't so familiar with, and Twilight drew her own conclusions.
• I remain uncomfortable with Twilight's apparent belief that she needs to better non-ponies by teaching them pony values. The inclusion of a pony student, and the fact that all of the students are mere children, does help counter those implications, however. 
• The anti-racism theme is pretty on-the-nose, but I like it, in no small part due to relevancy. Xenophobia: bad, multiculturalism: good. Just a little relevant, and a message I think is great to be expressing to kids. I'm not sure My Little Pony is as tasteful regarding race as it could be, but this is a step in the right direction, and a pretty lovely message. 
• Everything here feels organic in a way the past two seasons haven't, but there's also meaningful struggle from main characters in a way which much of season 5 couldn't do much with. The moral doesn't overwhelm the story, and nobody acts in a weirdly just to move the plot forward. Fingers crossed that the whole season is like this. 
• This show's relationship with continuity is really weird. They make direct reference to the movie, the episode is filled with characters from prior episodes, and yet, it seems to completely ignore the fact that Twilight's friends all have careers. Did they just give all those up? I seriously can't imagine Rainbow or Rarity doing that.
• I'm not entirely clear on what classes the ponies are teaching, either. Basing entire classes on these ethical concepts seems kinda weird to me, but I guess we'll see how that pans out. 
• The songs: good. 
• I like the EEA guy more for what he represents than as an actual character. He seems like he'll be one of those annoying "hate sinks" that the show employs sometimes, and he's not particularly entertaining. Again, we'll see. 
• I'm mostly invested in the school concept because the show has decided to depict it as a symbol of racial harmony. As long as it emphasizes that, I might be able to get over my various complaints. 
• There's also something here about not buckling under authority, letting everyone do things in the way they know best. The show has covered this subject matter before, I believe, but it's a nice thing to reiterate, and the added context of throwing away the rules and doing things your own way makes it all the better. Sure wonder how they'll get over the "these teachers don't really know what they're doing" part, though. 
• There is no way we'll see every main character in most of the episodes this season. There's just too many of them now. The main cast of My Little Pony, if we still include the CMC, is sixteen characters. And that's not including Discord! (sort of hope Discord isn't treated as a main character this year.)
• If they can just dump exposition regarding the movie, could there be hope for a Sunset Shimmer cameo? Maybe not, but I hope an Equestria Girls special crosses over. 
• On that topic: wish someone had come to the school from humanland. 
• Starlight is better here than she's ever been before. She's not doing anything awful, she's not rolling in self-pity, she's actually funny, and the writers have expressed her bluntness in a way which actually feels distinctive. I wonder if the voice performance was part of why I wasn't into her before, because I swear it too greatly improved here compared to last season. More of this Starlight and I might actually like her again. 
• Some people seem to not like Ember's more aggressive personality, but it makes her way more entertaining than she was in her debut. 
• What do princesses even do if they can't even exert authority over the EEA? Seriously though Celestia at least had more power than that; maybe the complainers were right all along. Hope this season gives her something to do. 

Premieres ranked:

1. "The Crystalling" (season 1)
2. "The Return of Harmony" (season 2)
3. "The Crystal Empire" (season 3)
4. "Friendship is Magic" (season 1)
5. "The Cutie Map" (season 5)
6. "School Daze" (season 8)
7. "Celestial Advice"/"All Bottled Up" (season 7)
8. "Princess Twilight Sparkle" (season 4)

Score:

Entertainment: 7/10

Characters: 7/10

Themes: 9/10

Story: 8/10

Overall: 78/100

[KH7672 1,604]

Well, that was fun except now we have no excuse for leaving allies such as dragons, griffons, hippogriffs, changelings, and yaks out of conflicts like finales and I think that's what this premiere has done to establish.

I personally see the plight of Neighsay very similar to that of President................................Business .

That's right, the villain from the Lego Movie. In that movie each of Lego playsets had their own lands with their own rules to live by everyday. Living a happy existence but Business wanted to keep that life permanent with no crossing of playsets. He wasn't xenophobic toward cowboys, pirates, superheroes, or unicorn-cat hybrids, he just wanted order and for life to continue peacefully without the chaos of mixing playsets.

That is Neighsay. This is a pony who has overseen the building of schools for ponies over many years. Dragons, griffons, changelings, yaks, and hippogriffs didn't come to their schools not because they weren't allowed, but because that is their place to him and all other ponies have seen. We've seen this separation in real time. Dragons kept to themselves until Ember, yaks until the friendship summit, griffons until(...well they still kind of keep to themselves although they were allowed in flight schools, eh I just see Gramdpa Gruff as an old codger stereotype), changeling were feared for good reason before, and hippogriffs just came out of hiding. They had been living in their own lands and the world just just as peaceful so why that need to change. Just like Business, Neighsay is content with keeping all the lands separate. Pony schools were made for ponies, yak schools for yaks etc...there was order and peace in the system but no disrespect toward others just looking out for his land, and the school system it has prospered with just like system each of the Lego lands had.

That my take on it as I look forward to what will happen with Neighsay in the future, maybe go the entire way of Business and let the other lands intermingle entirely, or open up his mind to the exception just this once if he sees the school prosper and maybe save Equestria. Because that's what the school is, the exception, it's not trying to be another regular school that just doesn't play by your rules, it's to be it's own "Special" thing and break the bases between the lands with it's own rules and mindset, like Emmett.

[CinnamonSwirl 90]

Really? No one didnt realize that chancellor neighsay look just like doctor strange? Used orange magic like him and went through portals just like him? Cape and medallion also?

[PhantomInfinite 2]

I was wondering, is streaming on dailymotion copyright infringement? Equestria Daily provides links I mean.

Edited March 25, 2018 by PhantomInfinite

[Will Guide 21,360]

In early Part 2 when 

Spoiler

The Mane 5 go to talk to the Adult leaders/2nd in commands and talk about how the School is going to be reopened

Each of the Mane 6 talk to the race they seem to have a connection to and here's my reasoning:

Pinkie Pie speaks with the Yaks due to becoming Official Friendship Ambassador to the Yaks

Rarity speaks to the Dragons due to their affinity for gems and because of Spike. 

Fluttershy speaks to the Changelings due to their new peaceful ways as well as the fact their student is shy like her.

Applejack speaking to the Hippogriff is the odd one out due to everyone else already taken

Rainbow Dash speaks to the Griffons because of her friendship with Gilda

Awesome points for the whole thing being a Two Scenes, One Dialogue with the ponies even having the same pose between scenes.

Bonus Personal note about Fluttershy speaking with the Changelings: I play with a member who created possible Children of Fluttershy and Discord and they only hate the evil Changelings led by Chrysalis in a scenario where there are still Changelings loyal to her. The Children can get along with Thorax's changelings (and mine) though.

[Jonny Music 3,400]

My overall thoughts on the Season 8 Premiere, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. It was actually really good.

Without spoiling anything, I'd say its definitely a must-watch.

[Tacodidra 61,083]

This was a pretty good start to the season, even if it's not my favorite two-parter to date. I think they did a good job introducing the School of Friendship, and I liked what we saw of the students. Ocellus is my favorite student so far – she's the cutest changeling ever, and I loved her Rarity impersonation. Some other nice funny and emotional moments too: Fluttershy practicing teaching with Angel and the other animals, the references to the movie (good thing I managed to see it before this!), Starlight convincing Twilight not to give up, another 20% cooler reference (for some reason I never get sick of it)... Maurice LaMarche did a great job in his first pony role, it would be nice to hear him again in the show.

It was a good introduction episode to the season, I would rate it 9/10. I look forward to seeing where they go from here.

2 hours ago, King of Canterlot said:

I'm only saying that your being controlled because of how ill-informed you clearly are about politics and how politics influence everything, even MLP. The only reason we're seeing these "be kind to all cultures" messages now is because the left is in hysteria over Trump because they think he's racist. They could have tackled these issues back in season one for crying out loud! But why didn't they? Because back then the political climate wasn't as bad as it is now, and like I said, politics can influence everything, even MLP.    

I don't really see the connection to Trump and such here. I understand there are a lot of movies and shows that deal with various types of discrimination these days, but MLP did have an anti-racism episode back in season 1 ("Bridle Gossip"). "The Times They Are a Changeling" also has a pretty obvious pro-tolerance message, as do many other earlier episodes to at least some extent (such as "Party Pooped").

[bwrosas 252]

From what I've read from other's reactions, the Premiere was a 60/40 mixed bag.  And from what I can sense, is that This Neighsayer will have a connection with a certain S8 finale villain ,

Spoiler

Cozy Glow

, but that's just my opinion.  

But what I do take away from this, is this is possibly the "only " season that will feature the school.  Because if the l**ks showed us anything, that what started here with the introduction to the students, will come full circle with the S8 Finale 

Spoiler

"School Raze"

. 

But again that's just my opinion.  Have to wait and see, and remember this : 

Spoiler

After this 2 parter, you only have 8-9 School Related episodes to go in the season, and 15-16 Non-School Related Episodes to come.

 

So if the school thing ain't your cup of AppleCider, don't worry, you have 6 episodes before the next school related one.

Spoiler

 

Edited March 25, 2018 by bwrosas

[Carolina 212]

Pretty decent premiere over all. As a teacher (well, sub, but whatever) myself, I quite liked the focus on student-focus learning versus going by the standards (though to be fair, Common Core is pretty open compared to that EEA rulebook) and I like the idea of the Mane Six as teachers (and Starlight as guidance counselor) and think that could be interesting to explore them growing into these roles for the season. Also though Neighsay was an interesting villain and his wardrobe kind of reminded my of Hogwarts (actually, there was a bit of a Snape vibe to him in looks and an Umbridge vibe in personality, now that I think about it!) As for the fantastic racism stuff: definitely timely, though maybe a tad on-the-nose, but I'm intrigued to see what will happen with it.  I also quite liked that they referenced the movie, as I was kind of worried the show's staff would just pretend it never happened. Although bummer about Tempest being pretty much written out. I really enjoyed her in the movie, but it sounds like we won't be seeing her any time soon.

On the other hand, I wasn't very invested in the new students. Bringing in a whole new group of never-before-seen characters for the second-to-last season of a show seems kind of risky and so far, none of them stand out much on their own. Granted, this can change, but so far, my impressions range from mild-like to "eh." Yona annoyed me the most, as I've never liked the Yaks. I mean, I'm all for including all manner of Equestrian creature, but these guys have always struck me as kind of offensive stereotypes of more "primitive" cultures. Plus compared to the likes of mythological dragons, griffins and hippogriffs, who cares about yaks? They aren't even exciting in the real world, as far as I'm concerned! Not to mention, Yona is just irritating, rude and obnoxious. Meanwhile, Silverstream seemed like pretty much a replica of Skystar (and is her cousin no less!), but without the cuteness Kristen Chenowyth brings to the character. Wouldn't it have been more interesting to bring Skystar in as a  student, given her relationship with Pinkie Pie, Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six? I mean, I understand not being able to use the actress, but couldn't they have hired someone else with a similar voice? Wouldn't that have been better than a discount copy? Also, thought it was weird that Silverstream could just switch back and forth from hippogriff to Seapony when the movie established that Queen Novo's magical orb was needed to transform.  I know Occelus (spelling?) is popular already, but I found her to just be diet Fluttershy mixed with some diet Thorax. Meanwhile, Smolder and Gallus are kind of interchangeable at the moment, although both seem like they have potential to be pretty likable. As for Sandbar, he seems okay in a cool Dude-Bro kind of way, but I wasn't sure why a guy like him needs to be taught the basics of friendship, as he already seems like a pretty socially adept pony.

And that brings me to another point, I guess: is the School of Friendship's purpose creating peace between nations and spreading the magic of friendship, or is it actually about teaching those who have issues making friends the basics? If it is the latter, you would think everyone/every-creature would be kind of embarrassed to attend as it implies they are too socially-inept to figure it out on their own.  I also think going from having Starlight as a student to "friendship school" is a pretty big leap that kind of makes the season feel like a different show entirely, but we will see how it goes.

All in all, some promising stuff here. Hope we still have most focus on the Mane Six, Spike and Starlight and mostly use the newbies as foils for them.

[Karnak 187]

21 minutes ago, Carolina said:

Pretty decent premiere over all. As a teacher (well, sub, but whatever) myself, I quite liked the focus on student-focus learning versus going by the standards (though to be fair, Common Core is pretty open compared to that EEA rulebook) and I like the idea of the Mane Six as teachers (and Starlight as guidance counselor) and think that could be interesting to explore them growing into these roles for the season. Also though Neighsay was an interesting villain and his wardrobe kind of reminded my of Hogwarts (actually, there was a bit of a Snape vibe to him in looks and an Umbridge vibe in personality, now that I think about it!) As for the fantastic racism stuff: definitely timely, though maybe a tad on-the-nose, but I'm intrigued to see what will happen with it.  I also quite liked that they referenced the movie, as I was kind of worried the show's staff would just pretend it never happened. Although bummer about Tempest being pretty much written out. I really enjoyed her in the movie, but it sounds like we won't be seeing her any time soon.

On the other hand, I wasn't very invested in the new students. Bringing in a whole new group of never-before-seen characters for the second-to-last season of a show seems kind of risky and so far, none of them stand out much on their own. Granted, this can change, but so far, my impressions range from mild-like to "eh." Yona annoyed me the most, as I've never liked the Yaks. I mean, I'm all for including all manner of Equestrian creature, but these guys have always struck me as kind of offensive stereotypes of more "primitive" cultures. Plus compared to the likes of mythological dragons, griffins and hippogriffs, who cares about yaks? They aren't even exciting in the real world, as far as I'm concerned! Not to mention, Yona is just irritating, rude and obnoxious. Meanwhile, Silverstream seemed like pretty much a replica of Skystar (and is her cousin no less!), but without the cuteness Kristen Chenowyth brings to the character. Wouldn't it have been more interesting to bring Skystar in as a  student, given her relationship with Pinkie Pie, Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six? I mean, I understand not being able to use the actress, but couldn't they have hired someone else with a similar voice? Wouldn't that have been better than a discount copy? Also, thought it was weird that Silverstream could just switch back and forth from hippogriff to Seapony when the movie established that Queen Novo's magical orb was needed to transform.  I know Occelus (spelling?) is popular already, but I found her to just be diet Fluttershy mixed with some diet Thorax. Meanwhile, Smolder and Gallus are kind of interchangeable at the moment, although both seem like they have potential to be pretty likable. As for Sandbar, he seems okay in a cool Dude-Bro kind of way, but I wasn't sure why a guy like him needs to be taught the basics of friendship, as he already seems like a pretty socially adept pony.

And that brings me to another point, I guess: is the School of Friendship's purpose creating peace between nations and spreading the magic of friendship, or is it actually about teaching those who have issues making friends the basics? If it 

All in all, some promising stuff here. Hope we still have most focus on the Mane Six, Spike and Starlight and mostly use the newbies as foils for them.

Don't worry the Mane 8 all get solo eps. Spike has three of them.

Pinkie has two episodes

Spoiler

One where she is considering moving to Yakyakistan!!!!

As Spike's more pony then dragon, she's more Yak then Pony anyways.

 

[Steve Piranha 29,419]

11 hours ago, YoshiAngemon said:

For bringing politics into these forums in the first place!

Well I didn't directed it at you. It was because I've seen these types of comments during the streaming 

[Ganondox 899]

My main nitpick for this episode is the fact the mane six are all teachers, and apparently there is no other trenchers. Half of them have jobs they are supposed to be doing, and given the lack of staff they wouldn’t have time to be both effective teachers and maintain their careers, and that’s all aside from the fact none of them are trained as teachers. It’s no wonder the EEA had problems with their school. 

6 hours ago, Truffles said:

Thinking about it some more, I guess I do have one complaint that goes a little above a minor level. I have having a hard time trying to figure out how Neighsay rose to acquire so much power without anyone complaining. I can't believe after who knows how many years, no teacher ever came to Celestia and told her how rigid the EEA rules were. Celestia mentions that she doesn't want to be a dictator (paraphrasing) but somehow Neighsay managed to do just that even though they are technically a board and should have a mix of attitudes.

I don't know what's up with the other members - did he surround himself with a bunch of yesponies so whatever he believes they go along with? They certainly seemed to agree with everything he said when Twilight and Spike were at the initial hearing. Doesn't Celestia worry about his control over all students of Equestria as being a dictatorship in itself?

I suppose as long as the schools keep churning out students with good grades and the crime rate remains relatively low (aside from the random monster attacks that seem to happen from time to time) maybe she figures the system is working? It does seem to be another indicator Celestia isn't as in touch with her subjects as she believes she is if she allowed this guy to grab so much power that he is capable of leading to a world war with his words.

 

I can tell this was meant as a one-shot visual gag in the scene in question, but you make a good point that in a real-life scenario where a teacher is promoting a product they sell from a business they own to their students is a major conflict of interest.

 

I was practically expecting Spike to unbury her and find her snarfing down cartons of ice cream. XD

 

Thanks for that sentiment. I love you too. =P /s

I don’t think the EEA’s requirements are actually terribly rigid, they seem to work well as an academic standard, it’s just that that model doesn’t fit Twilight’s model for her Friendship School, which isn’t about academics. Likewise, while Neighsay is a bigot, I think he is an effective board member and is perfectly qualified for is position. 

[RDDash 19,167]

8 hours ago, ChocolateSwirl said:

Really? No one didnt realize that chancellor neighsay look just like doctor strange? Used orange magic like him and went through portals just like him? Cape and medallion also?

Oh you got to be kidding me.

[Truffles 2,033]

8 hours ago, AlexanderThrond said:

The inclusion of a pony student, and the fact that all of the students are mere children, does help counter those implications, however.

Are they? One of the things that was not clear to me is whether this was a primary school or a college, or perhaps the equivalent of prep school. It's hard to tell with the non-pony characters, but Sandbar doesn't use a foal model and seems to be a young adult.

 

6 hours ago, We. said:

Rarity speaks to the Dragons due to their affinity for gems and because of Spike. 

I was a bit surprised by this since she's stated disdain for traveling to the dragonlands in the past. Perhaps since meeting Ember she's had a change of heart?

Also the absolute non-reaction from Fluttershy to Ember means she doesn't seem to be afraid of them so much now. Or it's a continuity goof.

5 hours ago, Carolina said:

Also, thought it was weird that Silverstream could just switch back and forth from hippogriff to Seapony when the movie established that Queen Novo's magical orb was needed to transform.

Yeah that seems to be stretching the lore the movie established. Maybe there will be some kind of explanation that they broke thenorb into small fragments and gave every hippogryph a piece so they could change at will?

3 hours ago, Ganondox said:

don’t think the EEA’s requirements are actually terribly rigid, they seem to work well as an academic standard, it’s just that that model doesn’t fit Twilight’s model for her Friendship School, which isn’t about academics. Likewise, while Neighsay is a bigot, I think he is an effective board member and is perfectly qualified for is position.

It's hard to say how much of the students' boredom was due to the EEA rulebook and how much of it was due to the Mane 6 being inexperienced as teachers and Twilight's insistence on following the guide to the letter. Hearing Cheerilee's thoughts on the EEA and how she manages to keep her students engaged would have been very enlightening, but I suspect she would have short-circuited the story.

Neighsay is qualified to head the board, to be sure. The issue I have is why there are no dissenting members there, effectively giving one pony complete control over the entire Equestrian education system.

[Will Guide 21,360]

15 minutes ago, Truffles said:

I was a bit surprised by this since she's stated disdain for traveling to the dragonlands in the past. Perhaps since meeting Ember she's had a change of heart?

Also the absolute non-reaction from Fluttershy to Ember means she doesn't seem to be afraid of them so much now. Or it's a continuity goof.

Yeah that seems to be stretching the lore the movie established. Maybe there will be some kind of explanation that they broke thenorb into small fragments and gave every hippogryph a piece so they could change at will?

Other than Spike, Fluttershy hasn't interact with a dragon since Season 1. It's been several years, and she's obviously grown used to them. Not to mention that she's among creatures and friends she trust. In fact, whenever dragons were brought up after that Season 1 episode, Fluttershy is never present to "Freak Out in Fear"

The Hippogriff thing isn't hard to figure out when you look at what they're wearing in Hippogriff form. 

Edited March 25, 2018 by We.

[CinnamonSwirl 90]

2 hours ago, R.D.Dash said:

Oh you got to be kidding me.

What's wrong with that? awesome!

[RDDash 19,167]

14 minutes ago, ChocolateSwirl said:

What's wrong with that? awesome!

I didn't even notice Dr Stange connection until he pointed out. I just thought that the whole episode reminded me  a lot of Star vs Forces of Evil: Monster Bash.

Ponies are Mewmans and not ponies are monsters.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

I liked this episode because it showed diversity and not only that but it showed how ponies who are conformed to the norms of society cannot drop their beliefs (like Neighsay). However, I felt the episode was a little too predictable and that it needed a little more element of surprise. Other than that, it was a great start to the season and the second season with no villain to begin with. 

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the songs were fabulous. They really had this classic musical vibe to them. And love how the writers tied the movie into the episode as well. 

Edited March 25, 2018 by C. Thunder Dash

[Carolina 212]

7 hours ago, Ganondox said:

My main nitpick for this episode is the fact the mane six are all teachers, and apparently there is no other trenchers. Half of them have jobs they are supposed to be doing, and given the lack of staff they wouldn’t have time to be both effective teachers and maintain their careers, and that’s all aside from the fact none of them are trained as teachers. It’s no wonder the EEA had problems with their school. 

That's a really good point! I know it's not going to work just like it does in RL, but there sure is a startling difference between the hours of preparation and "teacher school" that my colleagues and I went through before being certified and the Mane Six just suddenly being thrown into the role.  They may be the Elements of Harmony, but just because you know a lot about something doesn't mean you automatically know how teach it (not to mention grading, classroom management, differentiation, pedagogical techniques and all other manner of important teaching skills!) For another HP example, think Hagrid teaching Care of Magical Creatures (after not only not receiving any teaching training but also getting expelled from Hogwarts!) Heck, this is even a problem I hear about college professors! They are also very much experts on their topics (usually, anyway, heh), having gotten a PhD or at least a Master's, but some of them cannot find a way to impart that information to save their lives!

And yes, I also think, given the time-commitment of being a teacher, most of the Mane Six would struggle with their other responsibilities. Last season, we established that AJ works pretty much full-time at the farm and rarely has time for her friends. Meanwhile, Rarity has three (!) boutiques to run, Rainbow Dash is in the Wonderbolts and Twilight is the Princess of Friendship. Not to mention all of their various side-quests! Also, thought I might add that to be a good teacher, you have to really be passionate about teaching. Rainbow Dash, for one, didn't even WANT to be a teacher/Professor and it kind of sounded like Twilight just assigned them these roles without even asking.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Carolina

[Music Chart Fan 819]

13 hours ago, Truffles said:

Thinking about it some more, I guess I do have one complaint that goes a little above a minor level. I have having a hard time trying to figure out how Neighsay rose to acquire so much power without anyone complaining. I can't believe after who knows how many years, no teacher ever came to Celestia and told her how rigid the EEA rules were. Celestia mentions that she doesn't want to be a dictator (paraphrasing) but somehow Neighsay managed to do just that even though they are technically a board and should have a mix of attitudes.

I don't know what's up with the other members - did he surround himself with a bunch of yesponies so whatever he believes they go along with? They certainly seemed to agree with everything he said when Twilight and Spike were at the initial hearing. Doesn't Celestia worry about his control over all students of Equestria as being a dictatorship in itself?

I suppose as long as the schools keep churning out students with good grades and the crime rate remains relatively low (aside from the random monster attacks that seem to happen from time to time) maybe she figures the system is working? It does seem to be another indicator Celestia isn't as in touch with her subjects as she believes she is if she allowed this guy to grab so much power that he is capable of leading to a world war with his words.

I agree that, at least in theory, that should be how a board works; different members should bring different perspectives in order to challenge both the current way of doing things and suggestions for changing things. But, in practice, I can see the EEA falling prey to some combination of intimidation, groupthink, and status quo bias. As you suggest, if the system seems to be working well enough, then maybe the other board members don't see any need to reconsider the current model. Or perhaps even if some board members (or, e.g., school administrators or teachers) think that the current model could or should be changed, none of them wants to be the one person who sticks his/her neck out and rocks the boat.

Regarding Celestia, I suppose we don't necessarily know how big of a bureaucracy she's overseeing, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's large enough that Celestia never sees much about what's going on with the EEA (or other departments or agencies) other than a big-picture surface level. Maybe Chancellor Nayseigh is the one who reports to Celestia about how the EEA is doing, and if it's operating the way he likes it, then of course he would report that everything's fine.

4 hours ago, Truffles said:

Are they? One of the things that was not clear to me is whether this was a primary school or a college, or perhaps the equivalent of prep school. It's hard to tell with the non-pony characters, but Sandbar doesn't use a foal model and seems to be a young adult.

My impression, based on the structure of the school and the way that the School Six were acting, is that the School Six are the equivalent of high schoolers. The school seems to have pretty rigid schedule of shuffling from class to class, and there's an expectation that the students should be in class and that the school is responsible for overseeing them - from the Chancellor, from the guardians of the students, and from the School Six, who (rightly) think that they would get in trouble for skipping class and leaving the school grounds. All of those things are reminiscent of high school (or younger), rather than college, where class attendance often isn't mandatory and students can usually come and go from campus as they want.

Then the School Six are old enough to think about and plan to skip class, and old enough to believe that they could live out at the Castle of the Two Sisters on their own, even though they discovered that might not be the case. And that again seems like high-school-age behavior to me, although it could be a little younger than high-school-age, too.

I'll still have some questions about the Friendship School's mission, how it operates, and how the students are selected, which I'll try to write about in my big post later.