My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - Season 8 Premiere: "School Daze" (SPOILERS) · 4:29pm Mar 24th, 2018
In which My Little Pony pulls a Scrubs retool.
As season 8 opens, the Mane Six embark on a quest to spread the gospel of Jesus Sparkle--err, the Magic of Friendship--to the far corners of the world. But instead of embarking on a Holy Friendship Crusade, they...open a school.
The cold open is a brief summary of the general plot of the Movie. So yes, it's canon. Unfortunately. I'm SO frustrated that the movie gets an INSTANT CANONIZATION when it took FOUR! SEASONS! for EG to FINALLY get canonized in the S7 finale. :twilightangry:
When Twilight goes to Celestia to ask how to set up a school, she learns about the EEA, the education authority that governs how schools function in Equestria. This is the first time we've seen any indication of any real bureaucracy outside of Ponyville Town Hall.
Immediately, we're introduced to the EEA, led by Chancellor Neighsay (voiced by Maurice LaMarche), who...TOTALLY don't understand the point and purpose of the School of Friendship, but give tentative permission for it anyway.
The Mane Six build the School of Friendship and prepare for their new roles as teachers...in true Mane Six fashion. The others aren't completely sure how to proceed and feel hesitant...and it doesn't help that Twilight left out a teensy little detail about the student enrollment.
Like...that a lot of the students aren't ponies.
This season's new supporting cast:
Sandbar, a surfer dude pony
Gallus, a sarcastic griffon with the personality of Norm MacDonald
Yona. She's a Yak.
Smolder, who's basically Scootaloo in dragon form
Ocellus, a shy Changeling
Silverstream, a hyperactive Hippogriff who's an expy of Princess Skystar.
Starlight Glimmer as a guidance counselor. Uhh...no comment.
The song in part 1 is very, very Disney. During the song, the teachers and students are trying to get into the groove and at first, are enjoying themselves--but Twilight keeps fucking things up with her obsessive adherence to the EEA manual, which stresses out her friends and makes the students bored and angry. A massive fight breaks out in the halls between classes, and Starlight and the girls realize there's officially something wrong with the School of Friendship.
Yeah. That "something" is TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND HER OBSESSION WITH A RULEBOOK.
Twilight's friends try to convince her of this, but Twilight is adamant they stick to the rulebook because the EEA might shut them down if they don't.
The Student Six decide to skip class on the morning of the EEA Friends and Family Day visit. While they're playing hooky, they actually manage to bond and become friends...while their teachers stress out over their lack of students as Chancellor Neighsay is inspecting the school.
Unfortunately, the Student Six and their clowning around cause chaos at the lake when the faculty arrives with Chancellor Neighsay, who's enraged by the attendance of non-pony creatures, since he's a bigot and never understood what Twilight's purpose is. He manages to offend EVERY adult creature present, turning everything into a disaster with his foul attitude.
Twilight confronts Chancellor Neighsay about his behavior, but he yells her down and shuts down the School of Friendship.
Somepony needs a friendship laser right up his bigoted, paranoid ass...
Spike tries to cheer up Twilight, who's buried in a pillow fort. She's inconsolable. The others all join in to try to help, but Twilight just can't be cheered up.
Finally, Starlight comes along to tell Twilight what she did wrong, which is what she really needs to hear. Twilight FINALLY gets her head out of her ass and decides to reopen the school despite the EEA ruling. The rest of the Mane Six spread out to try to get their students from foreign lands back while Twilight deals with the other problem.
But the Mane Six run into a new problem: the friendship students from other races? Have all up and vanished.
Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUNN!!
Except, not really, because they all ran away from home to hook up and continue being friends. Unfortunately, the adult creatures responsible for looking after them...don't seem to have caught the friendship bug, as they're fighting with each other over the whole thing. A war is imminent.
...a ferocious shrimp, Pinkie? REALLY?
While the Manes are trying to figure out what happened to the missing Students, Sandbar comes in and buys a whole big pile of cupcakes, which eventually tips the others off that he knows where the Student Six are.
Turns out they're hanging out at the Castle of the Two Sisters.
So while the world is about to go to war over the five missing students, said students are off having the time of their lives in an abandoned castle.
Oh hey, it's Russell from LPS! Or not...turns out Equestria has Crites, only they're pastel colored Crites. But every bit as vicious and spiky and bouncy-ball-rolly. YIKES.
The Student Six are surrounded by Critters and have no idea what to do. Luckily, the Mane Six show up and take care of the problem.
Best moment: Pinkie Pie shooting a double armload of Crites out of her party cannon...after Fluttershy suggests asking them to leave nicely.
Twilight reopens the school and all the friendship students happily return. When Chancellor Neighsay immediately shows up to yell and be an asshole some more, Twilight and the others stand their ground.
Man, is Neighsay skating on thin ice, acting like that in front of FREAKING CELESTIA. O_o
Anyway, so the school opens, Neighsay angrily storms away, and all is right with friendship. Hurray!
Season eight has arrived in style and brought with it a herd of new characters.
OMG A BABY PARTY CANNON! I can die happy now.
AJ's class: "That ain't an apple. This is an apple!"
I expect this isn't the last we will see of Neighsay. Maybe not this season, but I am sure he will be back in season 9 if he doesn't make an appearance again this season.
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I would think that Neighsay is going to be the... Principal antagonist of the season
Yes! That Critters reference was amazing XD I remember watching that movie so, soooo long ago.
I really liked the episodes
We have those in this world. Imagine what adding magic to them can do.
And yeah, I expect Neighsay to get raked over the freaking coals for almost starting a world war single-hoofedly. If not in canon, then in dozens of fanfics. Heck, I may end up writing one.
I get the impression that Chancellor Bigotry will be back at some point to be a total pain again.
It sucks but they've been pretty adamant about not mentioning EQG in FiM unless something in EQG directly affects FiM which they try not to do because they don't want people to feel like EQG is required viewing.
I really dig Neighsay as a villain (and not just because of his VA), I like the way he uses magic in such an intimidating way especially that cool portal spell. I hope we see him again somewhere down the line since the synopsis for this season's episodes gave no indication he would return.
Me thinks Princess Celestia and Princess Luna oughta have a long talk with Chancellor Neighsay at some point. His actions almost caused an international incident TWICE! And so soon after Equestria just recovered from the closest it has ever come to war.
4823990 No joke, I also have a powerful feeling that we haven't seen the last of him
Nice to see the ponies back on screen, though I did miss the opening because of time change that hadn't happen yet in Europe.
So it's a solid start. Like how the school started until Twilight enforced the "by the book" rules.
Good thing there's no need for much help for kids to become friends.
Chancelor Neighsay, well is the the token A-hole of this series, but yeah how did he not got he's ass fired ,literately put on fire, by Celestia after he spewed his bigotry in front of her.
Anyways, here we go again for some exiting new adventures with our colourful friends.
Also Twilight starting the cute faces with her sobbing one in her pillow fortress.
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They do come in super fun size.
I honestly thought the opener would've taken place right after the S7 finale, but hey, whatever floats Hasbro's boat; not saying I'm not thrilled with it opening after the events of the movie, but yeah, I was expecting something different. Gotta say out of the Student 6, Smolder was my favorite. Chancellor Neighsay fits the racist's name perfectly, cause he is a denier of friendship among other species; nice of Celestia to school grumpy ass about how the three pony races were enemies at one point, but then they became friends. I found it funny how Ember interrupted the song. Also, I'd be nervous about everyone going to war because each side thinks the others have something to do with their missing students. So Chrysalis is gonna be in, yet, another season finale? Wonder how it'll go this time. Man, those little spikey guys are ferocious.
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Probably.
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I imagine Equestria has free speech so he can't be fired due to his racist views. It might cause him problems down the line but not in the heat of the moment.
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That's debatable. Most scientists define shrimp as decapods, and mantis shrimp are stomatopods. However, as this section of the Wikipedia article notes, there's significant enough debate about the subject that you could consider mantis shrimp to be true shrimp, and most marine biologists wouldn't be too upset with you.
My friend who I watched the season opener with is convinced that the Chancellor is (or at least has sometime recently been replaced by) Chrysalis. Having snuck into the pony bureaucracy to start a war so she can take over with what loyalists she has left after all the nations tire from in-fighting.
Good opener. The student characters are really fun and I look forward to seeing more of them. I almost hope Neighsay appears later this season just to see how wrong he was and get a proper dose of karma. Eh, maybe for the season finale.
I’m glad the movie got to be canon since it was fun for me, though it is a bit shocking that it became canon so quickly and it took EG 4 seasons.
This is my new favorite season premiere, with Smolder and Gallus being among my favorite characters.
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Agreed, took the words right out of my mouth!
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Well according to the synopsis, it won't be him who causes trouble. However, I believe that pony is from the EEA acting on his/her own
chancellor Neighsay.
Can you spell future villain.
I posted my thoughts on my own blog, but I think you might appreciate this:
"Gee Chancellor, what are we going to do tonight?"
"The same thing we do every night Pinkie Pie. TRY TO TAKE OVER EQUESTRIA...(via its educational system)"
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Well, he used to try to take over the world every night
PARTY CANNONS ARE ALWAYS THE ANSWER
Anyone else get an undercurrent of the beginnings of pony militarization going on here? Chancelor Neighsay was very focused on Equestrian defense and the rest of the EEA seemed all on board with that as well. They have control of the majority of the school system, and you could imagine a change in curriculum. The Storm King's attack seems to have radically altered many Ponies perceptions of the world. It is kind of dark, but realistic to think about.
honestly I describe the chancellor in two words: beltway lunatic. honestly I think making him a xenophobe was a bit over the top and completely unnecessary obstructive bureaucrat would have been good enough. I'm wary but somewhat optimistic for the season. although the some of the details in the episode has got me considering the notion of equestria as a strong nation in decline
Starlight as a guidance councilor: "Don't do what I would do!"
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I noticed that too. It bothers me.
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All of the EEA seemed to be, and it seemed a direct result of the Storm King's attack. You have to understand the they were enslaved and treated like pack animals, that messes with your positive view of the world. Since the EEA effectively controls the school system their beliefs will filter down into what young ponies are taught. It isn't just Neighsay it is the whole board and likely a large portion of Canterlot that feels this way.
You know, after seeing the Chancellor, I'm just thinking of what Justice3442 would subject him to.
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the EEA is a bit of an oddball case. it's left pretty ambiguous as to weather it's an actual government body or a private association either eventuality I take as evidence of my equestria in serious decline theory.
if it's the former than that implies unhealthy bureaucracy and such central control is indicative of a society in decline.
if it's the latter though than it implies equestria is drifting into an aristocratic oligarchy run by bourgeois canterlot unicorns (which is my opinion of what it is) and history shows the inevitable conclusion of that
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I'm so glad I'm not the only one who figured out who voiced Chancellor Neighsay
They managed to find THE ONLY racist pony in all of Equestria and he's in charge of education. Geez, any idea why Equestria didn't contact other nations before? And why it took Storm King's invasion for Celestia to mention Hippogriffs? Seriously, who in their right mind votes for these guys? I get that some ponies are shooked after the invason, but it's not like it's the first time it happened.
Also, no saddle arabian horses? Come on writers, you can do better!
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Saddle Arabia comes up later in the series. Also, we have no official proof that Saddle Arabians are actually considered a different species of equine than Equestrians.
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Give the guy some times and we'll see.
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Literally a poster in her office of a cat hanging from a branch. Message says "Seriously, do the exact opposite of anything I tell you to do."
They ought to supply Neighsay with a sidekick voiced by Rob Paulsen whose job is to keep an eye on the maniac and mess with him......NARF!!!!
Well Equestria Girls is a spin-off, something that does not impact the main show in any way, shape or form. The movie however, was practically slated to be canon since conceptualisation; given how it's based on the show, logic dictates that it would be instantly connected to the show, just like the G1 Transformers movie.
AH YEAH!!! Someone else made the connection to the Crites! The moment I saw those little fuzzballs, I immediately thought of the creatures from the Critters movie!
Did you also catch that Lord of the Rings reference? Near the end, when Neighsay said, “And none shall pass!”, and then stomps his hoof, causing that shockwave? That was definitely a nod to Gandalf when he fought the Balrog, in The Fellowship of the Ring.
Chancellor Neighsay may be a bigot whom we probably never seen the last of...
...but can we just appreciate that this evil racist pony who almost caused a war in Equestria...
HAD to have Orsen Welle's voice? It's genius!
Man, they got Maurice LeMarche on the show, here's hoping for Phil Lamarr.
I wonder if they would do Phil's teen voice (Static Shock), noble voice (Samurai Jack), or manly voice (Green Lantern)?