S08:E16 - Friendship University

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Note: Some content from Season 8 was leaked near the end of last year. While much of it is officially revealed, much isn't. So, please keep leaked content under the tag and don't post or link leaked assets.

Zap2It first announced the episode's title and date, and Hasbro released their August lineup on July 20. Episode synopsis C&P'd from the linked PDF.

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Title: Friendship University

Airtime:

1. Boomerang/Australia: August 5, 8:30am AU Time.
2. Disc. Fam./U.S.: August 11, 11:30am EST

Writers: Chris "Doc" Wyatt & Kevin Burke

Synopsis: When Twilight Sparkle discovers there's another School of Friendship, she and Rarity go to investigate and are shocked to discover that Twilight's idol and Pillar of Old Equestria, Starswirl the Bearded, is enrolled at the school.

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Episode Link:

Spoiler

https://mega.nz/embed#!yyoF2ZJa!_EY0AriXJrvjRszQj9sQnQNpOAULSuC21TVs121TOes

 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Like I said before, I hope this story is simultaneous with Matter of Principals! We haven't had one of those simultaneous stories since season 5!

[Will Guide 21,325]

To be honest, I think this is the first real time the spotlight's on Twilight and Rarity. Until this episode, the closest in my opinion was S2's "Sweet and Elite" which focus on Rarity spending time in Canterlot and she wanted to make a dress for Twilight's birthday as thanks for making it possible.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,223]

I think this is an episode I'll be skipping outright. Really don't like the premise here.

[Steve Piranha 28,743]

This is not precisely leaked from the..... leaks, but actually from the official game "Friendship Quest". The founders of the Friendship University are in fact

Spoiler

The Flim Flam 

 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

1 hour ago, Steve Piranha said:

This is not precisely leaked from the..... leaks, but actually from the official game "Friendship Quest". The founders of the Friendship University are in fact

  Hide contents

The Flim Flam 

 

I hope that's not true! I'm tired of those 2 (oo rhyme), and they're happy at Gladmane's! 

I do hope to see Chancellor Neighsay in it though which is pretty likely! If it truly is who you say it is, then perhaps Neighsay paid them to open it?

[Sparklefan1234 161,597]

Friendship University is my most anticipated episode of Season 8 due to Twilight Sparkle & Rarity *finally* teaming together.

I'm *really* excited for this episode based on that pair alone. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by Sparklefan1234

[Steve Piranha 28,743]

50 minutes ago, MegaSean45 said:

I hope that's not true! I'm tired of those 2 (oo rhyme), and they're happy at Gladmane's! 

I do hope to see Chancellor Neighsay in it though which is pretty likely! If it truly is who you say it is, then perhaps Neighsay paid them to open it?

Well, like it or not, they are screwing around again, sooner or later. 

Spoiler

If not in this episode, it'll definitely be in the upcoming Christmas special after this season

 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

40 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

Well, like it or not, they are screwing around again, sooner or later. 

  Hide contents

If not in this episode, it'll definitely be in the upcoming Christmas special after this season

 

A friend of mine actually suggested Gladmane running the school! I thought that was a great idea! 💡

[Brainstorm 4,092]

It looks like Starswirl wanted to learn about Friendship since what happened to Stygian, even though things are better now, he wanted to learn something that was denied along time ago.

Starswirl, the Pillars, and  Stygian's better now, so that's good.

[RDDash 18,845]

the episode doesn't sounds so bad, I guess its going to be a great watch

[Steve Piranha 28,743]

On 7/21/2018 at 10:47 AM, MegaSean45 said:

Like I said before, I hope this story is simultaneous with Matter of Principals! We haven't had one of those simultaneous stories since season 5!

Spoiler

NOPE, it ain't simultaneous, it was Discord who trolled the Mane6 into a fake friendship problem 

 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

12 minutes ago, Steve Piranha said:

  Hide contents

NOPE, it ain't simultaneous, it was Discord who trolled the Mane6 into a fake friendship problem 

 

Yeah I kinda got that, thank you!

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

Well I will be the first to give my opinion on the episode.
It was really good. Starswirl was underutilized and a little silly but he wasn't ruined and make incompetent like I feared.

It was funny, we got the return of Chancellor Neighsay, some more Cozy Glow foreshadowing, and just all around solid stuff. 8B has really been on a roll so far.
A Matter of Principles: 85/100
The Hearths Warming Club: 93/100
Friendship University: 90/100
 And just to get it in even though it's out of order
Yakity Sax: 64/100

[RDDash 18,845]

I have to see what reactors and reviewers would say about this episode, but I am not sure I am impressed 

Spoiler

"I thought Princess of Friendship would be friendlier."

Thats was basically the main problem with Twilight in this episode. Because of her jealousy and assumption that Flim and Flam are nothing but good for nothing troublemakers, she nearly ruined her reputation in less then 10 minutes flat. And then she forgot a cardboard box to sneak around, everypony knows that you must have cardboard box. 

Pros: Starsswirl the bearded was in this episode, hooray.

Eyepatch returns node to Solid Snake Twilight sadly without a cardboard box

Cons: The show writers had been trying to pull any straws they could just to justify Twilight's unprofessional behavior.

The lesson of the episode failed to reach my ears: Capitalism is wrong so universities shouldn't charge money for their services, ehh. Or

Falling for hypocrisy: Once a villain  always a villain (Flim and Flam)

 

Edited August 5, 2018 by R.D.Dash

[Will Guide 21,325]

Ok, I saw the video on YouTube before any other source told me it was on YouTube. 

Simply put for now:

Pros:

Spoiler

Plainity 

Starswirl's improved attitude. I mean he was more disappointed than cliché enraged when he found out Twilight was "not the Princess of Friendship he thought (she was)"

Cons:

Spoiler

Film and Flam's usual cons. Although, I'll admit they're good at conning ponies. I just wish they would use it for good.

Neighsayer gets no punishment, but I'll bet he'll get it in good time.

8/10

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Watching FU now!

Spoiler

OK, I'll admit it here. Flim & Flam's Friendship U idea is cleverer than the tonic one in S4. The college and completing the degree in "half the time" feels a lot like too good to be true, but nowhere nearly so egregious, and F&F were persuasive.

Oh, hi, Chancellor Neighsay! You gloriously racist bastard.

 

[bigbertha 410]

Spoiler

This episode is just another Flim Flam Brothers con plot, like "Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" and "Leap of Faith". It adds a few things like "Plainity" and the song to make it stick out, but that's not much. The episode also has other problems. When Twilight is looking in Flim and Flam's office, she doesn't recognize that the sheets there are her lesson plans. You would think she would notice, considering she wrote them. There are other smaller issues too like how Chancellor Neighsay disappears from the episode after the discovery that Starswirl goes to the school. He could be written out of the episode easily. It feels like he's only there to set up later episodes. Starswirl also doesn't get much to do. He has as much of a presence in this episode as the other pillars did in "Shadow Play".

There are good things here like everything Rarity does and the song being pretty fun, but those things don't save an overall poor episode.

Score: 4/10

My thoughts on the episode

 

[Tacodidra 59,767]

Spoiler

I thought this was another pretty good episode. Not one of the best this season but not one of the weakest either.

Yet another episode with a lot of returning characters. Flim and Flam were back... and up to their old antics again. I liked seeing Star Swirl again, though I'd have expected him to be a teacher instead of a student. And a couple of other surprises too – I didn't expect to see Neighsay again this soon, and Tree Hugger's cameo was nice too. And I couldn't forget Cozy Glow...

Rarity stole the show here – Plainity was another good example of many roles taken by her over the series. Twilight had a good role too – again doing what she thought was right, even though her reputation was at risk. Her way of exposing the Friendship U for what it was surprised me a little – I expected more attention to be paid to the quite unfortunate-sounding "pony first" approach. Though Flim and Flam doing it all for the money wasn't really much of a surprise. The song sounded pretty nice on first listen – another musical-style song for the Flim Flam Brothers; not as good as the brilliant first one but I definitely liked it more than "Flim Flam Miracle Curative Tonic". Neighsay seemed less of a villain than on his first appearance, though his appearance still made sense in the context of the episode.

This may not have been the most memorable episode but I liked it for what it was. A rating of 8.5/10 for now – a solid episode!

 

[Steve Piranha 28,743]

On 7/21/2018 at 3:14 PM, MegaSean45 said:

I hope that's not true! I'm tired of those 2 (oo rhyme), and they're happy at Gladmane's! 

I do hope to see Chancellor Neighsay in it though which is pretty likely! If it truly is who you say it is, then perhaps Neighsay paid them to open it?

Well, you won the internet my friend

 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

In the middle of Act 2!

Spoiler

Normally, I'd be criticizing how someone fell for Rarity's and Twilight's poor disguises, but so far, the first time worked quite well. Here, it's more because they don't expect it to work, but it did, subverting expectations; and the atmosphere's sillier here than, say, Daring Do successfully tricking Cabaleron in Daring Don't.

 

[Sparklefan1234 161,597]

Friendship University Episode Spoilers:

Spoiler

• Three cheers from me for Rarity & Twilight Sparkle finally teaming up in an episode! 
• Hello, Cozy Glow 
• Hello, Flim & Flam 
• Plainity is fabulous! 
• Hello, Mr. The Bearded. 
• "Eyepatch" is Best Disguise! 

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by Sparklefan1234

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Still into Act 2.

Spoiler

Really enjoying how "Plainity" acts all casual and suave, even in her casual disguise.

 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

Finished Act 2!

Spoiler

Caught red-hoofed, Princess Twilight! And Flim & Flam are rubbing it in!

And starting Act 3!

Spoiler

Oh, hi, Star Swirl! And he's really disappointed in Twilight for snooping in their office. Really shows to the viewers how much he grew since Shadow Play.

And we have actual blackmail here! Give up her quest to out them or be humiliated in the press tomorrow. Now she has a massive dilemma on her hooves.

 

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

O__O Oh, mother of…

Spoiler

Flim & Flam are scamming the school so they can expand their hotel business?! What greedy con artist does one have to be to manipulate his students and their competition for a fraud?!

Well, for them, it's no surprise.