S09:E03 - Uprooted

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

Yay! The spirit of the Tree is still alive! 

Overall, I liked this episode. I missed a chunk of it due to issues with the stream, but what I saw was pretty enjoyable. The song was a surprise too, but was pretty good. I like that Yona was the voice of reason here, a nice bit of character development here.

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Here is your new favorite toy!

 

 

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

Wouldn't say I hate this episode, but it's definitely a step down from the premiere.

[Zestanor 98]

They should have done an episode like this for the Golden Oak Library. The connection of the students to the tree seems less significant than the connection of the Mane 6 to the old library. I had forgotten that the Tree had a role in the season 8 premiere, and I still don't really remember what happened in that episode.

Aaand it's back. And massive! I expect that this season will do things a little more linearly than previous seasons, since this ended on a soft cliffhanger. This seems to be significantly before classes actually start, so I bet much of the coming episodes will be adventures for the students.

[RulesofRarity 489]

I found that pretty boring honestly. I’m really not interested in the Young Six at all, and even less interested in the omnipotent tree giving one “last” breath for a new toy set. 

Edited April 13, 2019 by RulesofRarity

[Odyssey 5,713]

A cute slice-of-life story and a nice breather to the high-stakes S9 premiere. I like how there was tension between the Student Six on how they all wanted to pay memorial to the Tree of Harmony, goes to show that friends can still argue every now and then. They all got the right intentions, it's just about what is the most respectful way of honouring it. Yona gets to be best Yak like always. And the payoff is nice too, a treehouse is such a cute idea. Overall the Student Six get some nice development, and I do want to see more of them

Plus if we can get more Ocellus' bug-anteater form then I will be a happy Ody

Edited April 13, 2019 by Odyssey

[MangoFoalix 24,898]

Now, gonna be honest. The episode really didn't hold my attention that well. Even the interruptions didn't anger me that much. Hate me for saying this but I'm not the biggest fan of the Student Six and having a whole episode dedicated to them is eh... not great in my book.

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

 

 

 

Just now, Odyssey said:

Plus if we can get more Ocellus' bug-anteater form then I will be a happy Ody

Yes. More Ocellus is never a bad thing!

[Will Guide 21,325]

Speaking of memories,when I was a kid and my mother died tragically, my father and i were devastated. But in less than a year, he met the woman (and the children she had from a old divorced marriage) to be my new family. My Stepmother to be was a scrapbook-maker and guess what she did here?

She made a scrapbook honoring my mother's memory and spirit using photos from my mother's birth as a baby to her growing up to my own birth photos to the short years I spent with my mother in my childhood before her death. This episode reminded me how when a person is gone, the legacy lives on through others. And reminded me how much my stepmother cares for me, enough to give my first mother a legacy.

Even more special that I rediscovered for myself just a week or two ago: My Stepmother preserved all the photos and early school stuff that my mother had in life and put it all in a chest that has been safely stored in a shelf in my closet, including my Disney Baby Blanket. I was crying tears of joy when I found them recently and now they're sitting safely on a shelf in my closet for as long as I live.

Edited April 13, 2019 by Will Guide

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Good episode. Not perfect, by any stretch, but still entertaining.

[Will Guide 21,325]

4 minutes ago, Odyssey said:

 

Plus if we can get more Ocellus' bug-anteater form then I will be a happy Ody

Me too!

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

10 minutes ago, RulesofRarity said:

I found that pretty boring honestly. I’m really not interested in the Young Six at all, and even less interested in the omnipotent tree giving one “last” breath for a new toy set. 

Comeon, give this story the credit it deserves. I'm convinced this episode was written for us, the fans, a mishmash of different kinds of people all united by a common idea. The tree was being used in this episode as a proxy for FiM, and the student six represent the fandom. The way they were talking about the tree late into the episode is a direct parallel to how we've all been starting to feel, and I applaud the writers for acknowledging it. Asking the same kind of questions. How will we remember? How will we pay homage? Where do we go from here? From that perspective, this episode was very well thought-out.

Also, the song in this episode? Destined to become a favorite.

[Dark Qiviut 22,173]

1 minute ago, TheTaZe said:

Here is your new favorite toy!

 

 

A really beautiful toy. The pinks, yellows, and blues really complement each other.

[ChB 18,532]

4/5 for good buildup, nice art, and good interaction between the Student Six.

[RulesofRarity 489]

The only member of the Young Six that I care about is Yona, she’s the only one applying the lessons she’s learnt about friendship to her friendship. She was the highlight of this episode for me.

32 minutes ago, BornAgainBrony said:

Comeon, give this story the credit it deserves. I'm convinced this episode was written for us, the fans, a mishmash of different kinds of people all united by a common idea. The tree was being used in this episode as a proxy for FiM, and the student six represent the fandom. The way they were talking about the tree late into the episode is a direct parallel to how we've all been starting to feel, and I applaud the writers for acknowledging it.

 

Castle Sweet Castle did it better for me with characters that I actually felt more connected to and cared about. I didn’t hate this episode, I just wasn’t thrilled. 

Edited April 13, 2019 by RulesofRarity

[AlbaTross 1,581]

Solid episode.  I'll have to rewatch it when I'm able to though, as apparently Texans can't look outside to find out something as obvious as whether there's a thunderstorm brewing, and need TV shows interrupted to tell people that's what's happening...:(

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

I thought that was a pretty good episode. A few slow moments but a really nice message, funny character moments, and a nice song. Also like that the tree is still there in a way, it's gone but not forgotten. The tree being such a massive part of the show ever since s4, losing it was a big deal and seeing the students be what creates a memorial isn't the greatest as I feel the other maned 6 hold a stronger connection to it. However, I still feel like this was the 2nd best student episode yet. Them arguing about what to do is A LOT better than if it were the mane 6 arguing because they still have a long way to go. They are bonded but not on such a level that they are above petty disagreements. All in all a solid 8/10 episodes. I also love how the Treehouse looks cool and not like a shameless toy plot :3

[Zestanor 98]

Castle Sweet Castle slipped my memory too, but now I remember that that episode was pretty similar to this, even ending with a song.

[ChB 18,532]

6 minutes ago, BornAgainBrony said:

I'm convinced this episode was written for us, the fans, a mishmash of different kinds of people all united by a common idea. The tree was being used in this episode as a proxy for FiM, and the student six represent the fandom. The way they were talking about the tree late into the episode is a direct parallel to how we've all been starting to feel, and I applaud the writers for acknowledging it. Asking the same kind of questions. How will we remember? How will we pay homage? Where do we go from here? From that perspective, this episode was very well thought-out.

I've honestly never thought of it that deeply. That's a pretty good take.   

[CastletonSnob 3,025]

Did the montage feel like padding to anyone else?

[Odyssey 5,713]

6 minutes ago, Dark Qiviut said:

A really beautiful toy. The pinks, yellows, and blues really complement each other.

I like it more than Twi's castle already, hahaha. The colours are bright and there's a balance of cool and warm. Plus it looks very tree... like, lol. I look at Twi's castle and I feel that part of the problem with it is there isn't any "foliage" on it, it's just a castle on a tree. It looks desolate. This does a good job of making it feel like a home and giving it a real treehouse vibe. It feels inviting.

[Zestanor 98]

Just now, VG_Addict said:

Did the montage feel like padding to anyone else?

The permission slip montage? I thought that was one of the more significant parts of the episode. It was necessary to establish why the students are back in Ponyville in the summer. I found the infighting segments to be a bit dull, so I'm glad the episode was not solely focused on the infighting.

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

So, prior to this episode airing, I was almost certain that the students were going to inherit the elements, but now I'm not so sure... It seems like they'll either save that for later or give them some other type of "upgrade". 

[BornAgainBrony 2,395]

7 minutes ago, RulesofRarity said:

Castle Sweet Castle did it better for me characters that I actually felt more connected to and cared about. I didn’t hate this episode, I just wasn’t thrilled. 

I did notice the parallels to that episode, and yes it was going over some old territory. But the reason they were arguing was much different, and IMO, much more emotionally-charged (quite understandably). I just came back from WCPC and the conversations I was having with so many people directly reflected the conversations the Student Six were having. It almost felt 4th wall breaking without actually hitting that point.

[Drunkfrank 1,125]

pros
-Students not being perfect friends after just a year at a school
-Yona being a voice of reason
-The tree having final moments as a sentient creature
-A heartwarming lesson about moving on in life
-Cute song
-funny interactions
-the treehouse looks really cool

Cons
-Montage of the permission slips felt like padding to hit 22 minutes
-Sandbar being by far the dumbest among them
-not knowing if this house actually has power or not
-Thorax, while appreciated, felt unneeded in the little segment

Overall, a really solid slice of life story episode to follow up the great premiere, and CERTAINLY better than S8s 3rd episode and S7s.
85/100