Thoughts: Season 8 Opener

A few quick thoughts on the two-part Season 8 opener, “School Days.” Spoilers, obviously, so skip it if you haven’t seen it.

• It's interesting how the events of these episodes are directly following the events of the movie. Despite the fact that the school is obviously being introduced to sell a new playset, it's all very believable.
• That said, it does kind of annoy me that you have to have seen the movie to really understand the proper context for this. It’s my opinion that movies should be standalone features, since going to the theater and watching television at home are different experiences.
• Maurice Lamarche's performance is just as great in this as I expected him to be.
• I'm a bit worried that they're introducing too many new characters at once, but thankfully they all seem to be written in a way that makes their dynamics and interactions feel natural. I just hope they don't take away too much of the spotlight from the established characters.
• I have a sneaking suspicion that someone on the writing staff is a fan of Magic: the Gathering because Neighsayer's motivations, abilities, and personality are almost exactly lifted from the Azorius Senate. His lock spell on the school is basically identical to how the detain mechanic works in-story.
• It's interesting to see how racism is still very much a prominent thing in Equestria, despite the ponies tending to brag about having overcome it in the past. It's probably the single most realistic thing in the show, if I’m going to be honest.
• I really, really like how Twilight finds a way of continuing to do things "by the book" in the most technical sense, but also finds a way of doing it that gives her the freedom to run the school on her own terms. It fits rather nicely into my long-running headcanon that Twilight is Jeskai-colored, but that's beside the point.

In any case, it’s definitely one of the stronger season openers. I’m a bit concerned about where it will go from here, but for now I’m remaining cautiously optimistic.

Comments

[Frustration in Excelsis]

This episode certainly did a good job of linking the movie to the new season and setting up the rest of Season Eight, that much is true.

Maurice Lamarche was very enjoyable as the Chancellor, absolutely. Looking back, I'm almost surprised he didn't voice any member of the Central Bureaucracy back when he worked on Futurama. Also, Lamarche confirmed that Neighsay will be showing up again in the future, which should be very fun to see.

I'm also thinking that Twilight might have some insights our own public education systems could benefit from, If I can be frank.

[hawthornbunny]

Maurice Lamarche's performance is just as great in this as I expected him to be.

It's quite adorable how excited he was to reveal that he was voicing on the show, too. Apparently he'd been wanting to for quite a while. :)

[FanOfMostEverything]

Still cardcrafting for this episode, but I can confirm both a detain effect and a white-blue Neighsay. Not on the same card, though.

[zimmerwald1915]

I really, really like how Twilight finds a way of continuing to do things "by the book" in the most technical sense, but also finds a way of doing it that gives her the freedom to run the school on herownterms. It fits rather nicely into my long-running headcanon that Twilight is Jeskai-colored, but that's beside the point.

On her friends', and especially on Starlight's, terms. Twilight herself, as has unfortunately become the norm, has nothing to contribute to this episode.

[Zennistrad]

4824130

I find that claim hard to believe when you consider she’s the one who ultimately made the decision open the school and instigate the entire premise of the season.

[zimmerwald1915]

4824134
Nah, that was the Map's idea.

[Zennistrad]

4824141

The Map’s just a plot device to point characters in the right direction. In terms of story impact it never actually does anything by itself, it’s how the other respond to it that makes it matter at all.

[zimmerwald1915]

4824185
If that's the argument, Twilight declaring "we're gonna open a school" is likewise a plot device, and not deserving of recognition.

[Bugsydor]

Yeah, that seal totally had me thinking of the Azorius when I saw it.

So which student was the most adorable? In my opinion, it was Silver Stream (or whatever the hippogryph's name was). On a couple of tangents, these things amused me:

1. We had a hippogryph with the first name "Silver".
2. Hippogryphs love stairs. My crack headcanon is now that Sombra was an ex-seapony.

One of my favorite moments of the episode was Starlight reminding Twilight that she could screw the rules because she was the law. A rather UW form of rebellion.

[zimmerwald1915]

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Ocellus. Ocellus, Ocellus, Ocellus.

That may look like Rarity being adorable, but no! It's shapeshifted Ocellus.

[Indigo Tornado]

That Chancellor was b**ch