My Season Nine ratings · 8:57pm Oct 10th, 2020

I understand this is a little late, but considering today is the tenth anniversary of the show's premiere, I thought it was as a good a time as any to let my ratings of the season nine episodes be known:

1: The Ending of the End (Part Two): This was the most epic episode of the season. Pretty much everyone contributed to the story, starting with Discord risking himself to free Starlight (who in turn distracted the villains long enough to free the Mane Five and Spike). It was more than a little heartbreaking to see how well the trio had succeeded in tearing Equestria apart, not to mention Twilight's despair at how none of them noticed how bad things had gotten. But this led to the rest of the Mane Six reminding her of how she had made all their lives better, and encouraged her to not give. As great as that scene was, it paled in comparison to the cavalry (mostly organised by the Young Six) showing up to help the Mane Six when they needed it most, causing Twilight to reach a whole new level of friendship magic. That was, in my opinion, the greatest scene in the show's history, and the reason this episode is at the top of my list.

2: The Ending of the End (Part One): The first part of the final battle. I have to admit, I was surprised to find out Discord was Grogar all along, and planning to use the villains as part of a scheme to improve Twilight's confidence. Good intention, bad execution. The villains' powered-up forms were impressive, and all the battles were incredible. And then there was the cliffhanger, with Twilight being forced to flee while her friends stayed behind to hold the villains off. So much suspense...

3: The Last Problem: While not as impressive as either part of "The Ending of The End", this was a really nice way to end the series. We got to see how much Equestria has changed for the better since Twilight took the throne, with all kinds of species living alongside ponies. Plus, we got some great designs for the older characters. And we see how history repeats, with Twilight's own student being sent to Ponyville to learn about friendship. And "The Magic of Friendship Grows" was a perfect song to end the episode, and the series, on.

4: Frenemies: This was a really solid episode. For starters, "A Better Way to Be Bad" was an awesome song. We got to see the villains struggling to work together, and separately, as they attempted to retrieve Grogar's Bewitching Bell. They finally succeeded by working as one, and seemed to be realising the power of friendship... only to reject it, and keep being bad, even planning on betraying Grogar with his own bell. I actually quite liked that scene, since it proved that some people are just beyond redemption.

5: She's All Yak: Before this episode, Sandbar and Yona as a couple never even crossed my mind. But now, they are one of my favorite pairings. It was sweet of Yona to want to fit in (with a nice accompanying song), even if it did lead to the classic "changing yourself leads to disaster" storyline. The best part was when Sandbar found Yona at the Treehouse of Harmony, and assured her that he liked her just the way she is. That scene was just beautiful.

6: The Beginning of the End (Part Two): This episode was quite suspenseful, with Sombra trapping the Mane Six and mind-controlling all of Ponyville to invade Canterlot. Twilight's despair over the whole thing was hard to watch. And Discord's speech to the Mane Six about they didn't need him or the Elements was touching (even if it did turn out he was faking being injured). But the most impressive part was Twilight, her confidence restored, fending off Sombra's attacks, and joining with her friends, drawing on the power they always had, to destroy him.

7: The Beginning of the End (Part One): This was quite the opening episode. Celestia and Luna planning to retire and give the reins of power to Twilight, Grogar summoning Chrysalis, Sombra, Tirek and Cozy Glow to form a villain team to conquer Equestria... only for Sombra to go rogue and try to take the Crystal Empire back himself. I enjoyed all the continuity in this episode, and all the lampshading on Twilight acts whenever she gets stressed. And it had a solid cliffhanger, with Sombra faking defeat so he could find and destroy the Tree of Harmony.

8: The Summer Sun Setback: At long last, Twilight lets go of her tendency to get stressed out, and shows it by easily guiding her friends to fix all the damage caused by the villainous trio. Speaking of which, it was intriguing to see them working better together, managing to create enough of a distraction to get what they needed and leave without anypony being any the wiser. And Twilight retiring the Summer Sun Celebration and announcing "The Festival of the Two Sisters" was such a wonderful tribute to Celestia and Luna.

9: Between Dark and Dawn: A solid Celestia and Luna episode. I enjoyed seeing how each sister had different interests (and the reasoning behind those interests), and the song was a lot of fun (the first version, at least). The two arguing and splitting up was hard to watch, but seeing them reconcile was really sweet. And we got to see Twilight and the Mane Six learn an important lesson about leadership, too.

10: The Big Mac Question: As a longtime fan of Big Mac and Sugar Belle's relationship, I really enjoyed this one. It was really heartwarming to see all their friends trying to help them propose to each other (even if there were disasters on both sides). Big Mac and Sugar Belle's talk under Bright Mac and Pear Butter's tree was beautiful, and the wedding was great (even with Discord's surprise contribution).

11: Uprooted: A touching story about memorials and legacies. Seeing the Young Six each trying to honor the Tree of Harmony in their own way made for some interesting moments, even if those attempts ended up sabotaging each other. And it ended up being Yona, of all creatures, to impart the wisdom that nothing is forever, and that sometimes you can rebuild what was broken into something new. This lead to the first song of the season, and the Tree of Harmony being reborn. I know some people don't like the Treehouse of Harmony, but I found its emergence amazing. It's just a pity they didn't build on it more later on.

12: Common Ground: Quibble Pants' triumphant return to the series. It was nice that Patton Oswalt's own family could provide the voices of Clear Sky and Wind Sprint, and the episode had a very mature lesson for any kid struggling with accepting a potential step-parent.

13: Sparkle's Seven: The 200th episode of the series, and with lots of fun and great moments from each of the Mane Six. But Spike ended up being the big winner of the episode. Seeing both Twilight and Shining Armor wholeheartedly acknowledge him as their little brother was really sweet.

14: The Last Laugh: Another fan-favorite character returns. It was surprising to see Pinkie worrying about what her purpose in life is. Seeing Cheese Sandwich again (even though he wasn't himself for most of the episode) was great, as was Pinkie giving it her all to help him. Throw in another great song, and you've got one good episode.

15: Student Counsel: A solid Starlight episode, with a lesson about not focusing on work above all else. It was nice to see Starlight taking her counseling work so seriously, and interacting with her own circle of friends. The search for Silverstream was an intriguing plot point, and it was nice to see the Cockatrices again (and very impressive to see that Silverstream had actually managed to tame one.

16: Dragon Dropped: An unexpected story. I didn't see Spike and Gabby being friends coming, but they were really cute together. Rarity's jealousy and attempts to monopolize Spike's time weren't fun to watch, but at least she saw the light in the end (with a little help from Twilight), and helped bring Spike and Gabby back together. And we got to see just how much Spike means to her.

17: Growing Up Is Hard To Do: The final CMC episode. While it had a solid lesson on how kids shouldn't try to grow up too fast, a fun song, and some decent designs for the CMCs' adult forms, the CMC themselves weren't at their best here, making some big mistakes in helping Biscuit and Spur with their problem.

18: A Horse Shoe In: Not one of Trixie's best episodes. Seeing her so sure that she was going to get the vice-headmare position, simply because she was Starlight's friend, was annoying. But there were a lot of fun moments, like Starlight talking to Phyllis, and how each of the candidates handled the tests (like Octavia bringing the students to a concert). And Trixie did have some good moments, like standing up for Gallus, and realising that Sunburst was the perfect choice for the position.

19: The Last Crusade: After all these years, we finally met Scootaloo's family. Her aunts were really sweet, and her parents were impressive at their jobs (though not so much at understanding their daughter's feelings). It was heartbreaking to see the CMCs weeping over the idea of being broken apart, which made Scootaloo's parents decide to let her stay in Ponyville all the sweeter. And the CMC Appreciation Day was so touching, with practically everycreature the three had ever helped showing up.

20: Daring Doubt: Not a bad episode. While Fluttershy seemed a little too trusting of Caballeron at first, it was impressive that she was able to befriend him and his minions just by being herself. Ahuizotl turning out to be a good guy all along was unexpected, but it did explain why he was never on Celestia and Luna's radar.

21: A Trival Pursuit: While Twilight wasn't at her best in this episode, friendship-wise, she was at her best in freaking out, providing a lot of laughs (though not so much when she tricked Pinkie into being disqualified). It was interesting to see Sunburst appearing without Starlight for once, and to see that there was a dark side to him. And Twilight and Pinkie reconciling made for a nice scene.

22: The Point of No Return: An okay episode. We got to see Moondancer again, learn a little more about Twilight's past, and Twilight learned an important lesson about not always seeking perfection. Plus, we got a few decent jokes (like everypony gasping when Twilight said she didn't want any books).

23: She Talks To Angel: It's hard to believe the show went so long without a "Freaky Friday" storyline, but this was done quite well. While Angel was a pain for most of the episode, it was funny to see him and Fluttershy struggling to handle being in each others' bodies. And the troublesome bunny deciding to help out more around Fluttershy's sanctuary was kind of sweet.

24: Sweet and Smoky: Ever since "Molt Down", I had a suspicion that Garble was the brother Smolder speak, and I was right. But it was quite surprising to learn that Garble was a sensitive poet all this time (which is part of the reason why this episode is ranked so low - a little too surprising, if you ask me). We also got to learn a little about how dragon eggs hatch, and we saw Fluttershy do what she does best: stand up for her friends.

25: Going To Seed: This episode wasn't bad so much as dull. While the idea of the "Great Seedling" was intriguing, and it was nice to see Goldie Delicious again (and Bright Mac and Pear Butter, via flashback), the episode didn't really stand out much. All it really did was give Applejack and Apple Bloom some sibling bonding time.

26: 2, 4, 6, Greaaat: Without a doubt, the worst episode of the season. This episode does for Rainbow Dash what "Yakity Sax" did for Pinkie Pie: amplify all her most unlikeable traits, leading her to think only for herself. It was painful to watch her being uninterested with coaching the cheer squad. Even the fact that she eventually saw the error of her ways did little to salvage her character. Although I will say that the cheer squad's mid-game performance was a lot of fun, and Twilight taking a page from Celestia's book in helping somepony to learn a lesson was interesting.

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