School Daze

Friendship is Magic first impressions review: School Daze (s08e01-02)
by Obake

I'm not exactly sure what message School Daze is attempting to get across. That western educational systems are outdated, and insufficient? I agree there plenty of problems with the current system, but the episode never conveys any real issue with how Equestrians handle it.

Twilight opens a school of friendship, allowing creatures of all types to join as students. There are ponies, changelings, griffons, dragons, hippogriffs, yaks, and then some. Credit where credit is due, I appreciate the amount of creatures and characters included here.

What does not make sense is the Mane 6 as teachers. Twilight I can see, but Pinkie, Dash? Fluttershy? This is just uprooting characters for the sake of keeping the Mane 6 in the episode. Surely they have more important things to do than leave their families and jobs. I know it seems like nitpicking, but it feels so forced. Oh, and Starlight is the guidance counselor.

The drive for the first half is Twilight showing the school to the chancellor of the EEA, or Equestrian Education Association, in order to get the school accredited. No surprise that the subject of educational protocols does not make for a much interesting story. The bigoted, xenophobic Chancellor, Neighsay (voiced by Maurice LaMarche), denies the school accreditation, due to havoc caused by a group of students.

The aforementioned students are the changeling Ocellus (voiced by Devyn Dalton), hippogryph Silverstream (Lauren Jackson), dragon Smolder (Shannon Chan-Kent), pony Sandbar (Vincent Tong), and the yak Yona (Katrina Salisbury). They form a friendship while ditching classes, which I think is a stab on western education, showing that the students who are not following the rules given by the EEA are learning better. But again, the episode never conveys any real problems with the EEA's protocols asides from them being “by the book.” Sorry to say, ditching classes is not a wise alternative.

But to be fair, the second half of the episode picks up the pace, and is actually fun despite the poor conceit. I especially like the addition of Puck Wudgeys to Equestria's bestiary. Think demonic, pastel-colored porcupines. The scene with them is the best part of the special. They are so nasty that even Fluttershy's kindness does not win them over.

The special ends with Twilight reopening the school despite Chancellor Neighsay's orders. I certainly don't agree with the chancellor's racist views, but he has a point about the school having no certified teachers or staff, which is an issue. School Daze has moxie, and is technically sound. There is no poor editing, or unnecessary filler. All of its problems come from the story itself.

Extras:

• Things start poorly with the title. “School daze” is so overused.
• The opening scene has mentions of characters from the movie. Apparently Tempest is journeying across Equestria to spread the message of friendship. Or, more likely, the show could not afford to get Emily Blunt to reprise her role, so Tempest will simply be forgotten.
• I don't like the line “I can't run a school of friendship without my best friends.” Perhaps if the operation was a small-time deal in Ponyville, where the Mane 6 taught classes on weekends, I could buy it. But the school is at some magnificent garden, heaven knows where, and the Mane 6 are just fine up and leaving their jobs all at once. The Mane 6 have always been known to deviate from their work, even in early seasons. But this goes the extra mile.

If anything, the leaders of the various tribes should have been the teachers. Imagine Ember and Thorax trying to teach what they were taught about friendship from the ponies. That sounds like a more interesting story.

• The five students are okay. Smolder is almost a Scootaloo stand-in, albeit harsher. Sandbar is kind of the peacemaker of the group, with a surfer dude-voice and mannerisms. Silverstream is as annoying as Princess Skystar from the movie, and Yona...really only breaks stuff. Unlike other yaks, she does it unintentionally. Ocellus is the most well-rounded, an attentive student who is still willing to lie and deceive if he feels it is necessary.
• I knew I recognized Maurice LaMarche as the chancellor. It's not his finest role, but perhaps his return will be better.

This has been a long review. Here's hoping season 8 improves!