S08:E01+02 - School Daze

[Rushing cash 846]

It was pretty enjoyable, and while some aspects felt forced the majority of the episode was good, the second song was great(the first pretty mediocre), and while it took a while for me to be on board with the school and the students they eventually grown on me and proved to play an important role in the end. The chancellor, while a racist he really does have equestrias best intentions at heart but he is just misguided(considering that many other nations and monsters attacked the ponies, I can understand from where he comes from).   While this is arguably my least favorite 2 part episode(the other is the crystalling) its still a decent episode.

[Splashee 28,606]

Last Season, we did great saving Equestria from friendship problems! In this Season, let's open a school!

I seriously though MLP was about to die when this episode aired. The way the show was taken didn't seem like it was targeted for adventure anymore, but for more simple teaching moments. I was wrong!

The school was barely noticeable during the entire season, and we got a really good villain with it. This episode was very misguided, telling us to expect something that wouldn't happen all the way into Season 9, and even then, it didn't really happen.

[Thrond 3,272]

Look, I know. I know friendship seems like a weird thing to teach in a school. I know it's weird that the mane six are teaching when they have other jobs. I know that some of Neighsay's points are accurate. I know that a good quarter of this is exposition. But I truly, truly love this mess. I love seeing the mane six stand up against racism, xenophobia, and ethnic nationalism. I love how the students bond over skipping classes. I love how Twilight ditches the EEA's corrupt old rulebook in favour of a radical ethos of trust and compassion. And it's also so funny, and has one of the best songs to come from this show in some time, and the story seems built from the characters just as much as from the story.  This is as close as the show has come to a reboot, and not coincidentally, it's the closest the new writing crew ever came to reconciling their vision with the show with characters and a setting derived from an older one. I think this is wonderful, even with all its imperfections. 

Other thoughts:

• It's a shame how this season turned out, but what we see here is the mane six filling adult roles and dealing with adult anxieties. Of course that was never sustainable in a children's show... but it's still disappointing. 
• Starlight isn't stealing the spotlight here because it makes sense why Twilight's friends wouldn't do the same. They had complained about the rulebook earlier, but they also wanted to comfort her. Meanwhile, Starlight is kind of a jerk, so she didn't even hesitate to rudely tell Twilight what she should have done. That is a role that nobody else could fill. That is the role that feels right for her. 
• Twilight's excitement over writing the rulebook is soooooo Twilight. 
• Dragons and yaks share a mutual love of breaking things. 
• Watching the references to the movie early on reminded me how much slavery was in the movie. What a mess that was. 
• Thorax being friendly is adorable. This show needed more Thorax. I liked how Ember got suspicious of him, and all he had to say was "but we're friends." 

[JMTV99 1,364]

I thought the concept of a school and learning about friendship was completely asinine and it goes against the concept of the show from the get go. There's subverting our expectations and then there's running out of ideas.

Plus, it doesn't help that it feels corporately mandated.

Also, I don't like the fact that this episode has to be in-your-face with it's message because I don't wanted to be reminded that realty existed as I watch the show to escape reality.

Plus, this is the first episode we get to introduced to the Student Six, and yeah I'm not a big fan of them since they're not all that interesting and find them very annoying and boring.

[Tom Gallagher 33,650]

2 hours ago, JMTV99 said:

Plus, this is the first episode we get to introduced to the Student Six, and yeah I'm not a big fan of them since they're not all that interesting and find them very annoying and boring.

The worst characters on the entire show.  Every time they're on screen, they make me want to punch them all in the face! 

[Midnight Danny 9,029]

These 2 episodes are okay, but not a very big fan of the Student Six. Like they isn't pretty much "special". 

[Moony the Cat 3,720]

I thought this was an awesome Season opener, even though there was no Villain this time, all the new Characters,Species and lore coming together was just awesome to see.

I also like the Student Six, as someone on here called them, i specially like the Changeling Girl ( i didnt learned their names yet  ) and...the Seapony character.

Someone warned me about the Student Six episodes, but i already like the new group so much, i dont think i have a problem with them. Im hooked to finally watch Season 8. 

I find it weird though that the school was closed, just because they didnt got all problematic student problems solved after just a single Day...you cant make everyone a good pupil in a Day! Specially not if its the Main Sixs first school ! Who would close a school so fast, specially if the mentioned school is supposed to make peace among all Species? What a dumb decision!

[Antiyonder 1,792]

YouTube upload of the episodes:

[YGSilverstream 66]

This is one of the only episodes i've properly watched the whole way through (on a camping trip 3-4 years ago) and MAN it was great. I get why people don't really like the whole School of Friendship concept and even I think it could've been executed better but I thought it was cool. Perfect introduction to what has become my new favorite group of characters in the series.

9/10 episode!

[Antiyonder 1,792]

Had no problem with it, but I did chuckle when upon Phelous reviewing the Pokémon Promo VHS, a science teacher of Ash's (Non-Canon) said that friendship and loyalty are traits you can't teach in a classroom.

Basically several decades before School Raze and it almost seems like it's throwing shade at Twilight's school.😅

[YGSilverstream 66]

6 minutes ago, Antiyonder said:

Had no problem with it, but I did chuckle when upon Phelous reviewing the Pokémon Promo VHS, a science teacher of Ash's (Non-Canon) said that friendship and loyalty are traits you can't teach in a classroom.

Basically several decades before School Raze and it almost seems like it's throwing shade at Twilight's school.😅

Insane, Pokemon decided to start beef with My Little Pony before Friendship is Magic even existed.

[Night Sky 1,568]

It has been said;

Those who can, do.

Those who can't, teach.

Personally, I think that goes too far.

All of the great and inspiring teachers that I've had, prove to my satisfaction that the above is one of those curious sayings that is only ever half true.

Whether or not a half truth is false is a matter of preference.

I also don't think that the saying comes from nowhere.

A bad teacher can do almost as much damage or more than an abusive parent.

I've had plenty of bad teachers too.

I've seldom, if ever encountered good administrators, and never really in any educational environment.

Knowing what we know now about Professor Snape, comparing him to Professor Neighsay seems wrong.

It would have seemed wrong all along anyway. 

Even when he was pretending to be wicked, I don't see Professor Snape ever closing down any school and locking it.

That just wouldn't be him.

And the Mane 6, left to their own devices, make for the best kind of teachers, they're ponies who actually got out there and ever did anything with their lives.

If I had attended a School Of Friendship when I was young, I think that I would have made far fewer mistakes than I have, at least as far as being a friend is concerned.

Thus, I refuse to poo poo the School of Friendship.

 And by this point in the series, the role that the Mane 6 play was beginning to change.

The Young 6 are a most logical development.

Nothing lasts except change, one generation must make way for the next. 

They're a good group of kids, Ocellus is my favorite. 

I find some ponies' distaste for seasons 8 and 9 quite puzzling. 

Edited August 6, 2025 by Night Sky