Scoring Each Season of Friendship is Magic (Season 9) [Requesting to delete: Screwed Up the Poll]

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

After much delay, I've put up my final poll for the final season of Friendship is Magic. 

EDIT: I screwed something up with the poll and I'm going to half to make another damn thread to fix it. So sorry for the inconvenience. 

Edited October 28, 2020 by TheAnimationFanatic

[Landi 597]

Overall, I wasn't a huge fan of season 9. Don't get me wrong, I would't say it's the worst season, season 8 it far worse, but I would still say S9 lacked some of the quality the other seasons have.

First off, a big aspect which brought this season down is that it suffered from some of the mistakes made back in season 8. Things like the School of Friendship, Student Six, and other poor decisions made S8 were carried over this one. Secondly, the writing quality itself is still low compared to the earlier seasons. I will say though, it was still better than S8's. Lastly, is that the season really could've done a better job at tying up loose ends. This season did conclude a few storylines, but others were left untouched. Plus, for the final season, it had a lot of random episodes that didn't really help conclude anything or at least have important substance. This causes the season to feel lackluster for a final season of a show.

One positive though, there were a few episodes I did enjoy (Common Ground, Summer Sun Setback, and Frienemies to name a few). So even though I didn't really like this season, it sure was a step up from S8, which I'm thankful for.

[Steve Piranha 28,747]

To be honest, the season overall was pretty lackluster. I was willing to give that a pass if not where for it being the final season. There were far too many random episodes that went nowhere. Very few felt like being in a final season of the series. Thankfully those episodes were great, and the finale itself didn’t disappoint 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

While not without its flaws, I think Season 9 did a good job of ending the series the way it began: a funny, weird, and heartfelt show with a lot of feelong.

[Megas 27,050]

S9 is the first and only season to make me drop it half way through. That’s a pretty good indication of how I feel about it 

[TheAnimationFanatic 3,543]

Note: I set the poll date and now I have to redo the thread. Apologies for the inconvenience. Will try again later. 

[Thrond 3,257]

Been a week and still no new thread so I'm gonna post here and then save it for later.

In terms of how many episodes I liked, I would put this season on par with season 8, which is to say that it's probably slightly above average as TV seasons go. Most of my favourite episodes this season were clumped into the first half, but that led to a really exciting period where it seemed like every other episode was one of the show's best. On the other hand, the second half seemed rather weak to me - even the episodes I liked were a little awkward. But I still found myself liking quite a few episodes in the latter half more than I expected to, especially the three-part finale, which would probably be among my all-time favourite episodes of the show if I cared even slightly about Twilight becoming the ruler of Equestria. And yet in my memory this is one somehow compares unfavourably to season 8, if only because I didn't like the overarching trends nearly as much. I just don't care about Twilight's career as a princess, and that whole arc seemed clumsy and forced to me. Meanwhile, this season continued season 8's unfortunate tendency to take the mane six in baffling, nonsensical directions. Since when does Pinkie not understand her purpose in life? Why does Rarity seem to have so little respect for Spike's independence? But it also carries over a lot of the best parts of season 8 - the more creative mythology, the blunt approach to serious issues, the surprising level of continuity - that I appreciated even when I questioned their execution. Plus we got weird stuff like an entire episode focused on the villains, which was really neat. This season wasn't great but it was better than it had any right to be. I just wish that wasn't the best I could say about a show that, once upon a time, I thought was genuinely great. 

Favourite episodes: "Sparkle's Seven," "The Point of No Return," "Common Ground," "Frenemies," "Going to Seed," "Between Dark and Dawn," "Growing Up is Hard to Do," "The End of the End," "The Last Problem"

[JMTV99 1,348]

While Season 9 is slightly better than Season 8, but that's not saying much. The problems in Season 8 carries over in Season 9. The tone of the final season feel very somber to me. It feel so bitter and cynical and it left me feel down. Not to mention, it can be very mean spirited at times. 2, 4, 6 Great is a good example of Rainbow Dash being so mean spirited in that episode. What made FiM so great is that they had a good balance between lighthearted comedy and emotional moments as well as great action. I do get that the show had grown and mature since the earlier days of the series and they're gonna takes risks with new ideas, and I do respect that, but still the way they presented didn't really sit right with me. Then again, even if they try to do lightheartedness, it always horses making stupid faces 95% of the time, and that really annoys me.

On top of that, the final season was meant to tying up all the loose ends, but for what I understand, they only tied up some of them, but not a lot. It seems like this season was heavily reliant on fan service rather than trying to wrap up the story and answered a lot of the questions. In my opinion, it really bogs down the show's charm and wit and it almost becomes a parody of themselves. 

Finally, the writing decisions for the premiere and the finale was just downright insulting and disgusting. They destroyed the Elements, making Sombra a joke, Grogar becoming Discord in disguise, and Discord himself put Equestria in danger and yet get away with it with no accountability. It so mind boggling that kinda stuff was even approved. I get that the writers want to subvert the audience's expectations, but this is My Little Pony, not Game of Thrones. 

The only good thing from Season 9 was The Last Problem, mostly because of the final song. It is so beautiful.

So overall, Season 9 was very lackluster. This could've been a decent opportunity to wrap up it's story for it's final go round. Instead, it's just an extended version of Season 8.

[Misty Shadow 7,065]

Season 9, despite how much I want to love it, I can only bring myself to like it in the end. Like, I understand the rationale behind what they were trying to do, but just DAYUM, does it frustrate me knowing that what they were trying to do could've been so much better. Even though it was the final season, timing and editing constraints marred the final story arc. Bringing back Sombra just to do away with him for good, letting all that build-up for Grogar go to waste, and completely bastardizing Discord's character...it's really annoying when I liked most of the episodes, especially Between Dark and Dawn, an all-time favorite episode of mine, and even enjoyed the finale, feeling it had the best action scenes in the whole series, but the bitter aftertaste from the glaring flaws of that story arc is POTENT.