Divergence · 8:31pm Nov 8th, 2018
So, after some thought on how I feel about Season 8, I've concluded that it's my least favorite season. Not because it's super awful or anything (heck, there are some moments and episodes that I really liked), but because A) a lot of the episodes were just so dull to me, and B) the whole Friendship School schtick makes me want to pull my hair out.
First off, the idea of a school with actual classes on basic decency just rings so stupid to me. Growing up, yeah, my schools had frequent reminders to be decent human beings (anyone else had to deal with the whole Peace Builder thing in elementary school? I remember a flippin' song about it!), but there were just occasional assemblies about it, not daily classes teaching you how to share or not to punch out that one annoying kid, and grading you on it. I'm even a little annoyed with how even the history classes (one of my favorite subjects) seem to tie to friendship heavily enough to make it so cheesy that even I--the princess of cheese--have to groan.
Yeah, I know, kid's show, the little kids gotta learn how to be nice. But when you have that school being attended by adults and teenagers who should already know this stuff (not to mention that most of the students are ponies, who are apparently the species who already got friendship down), it gets even more ridiculous. I mainly learned how to be a good person from my parents and church, where I don't get graded for how well my social interactions go (and seeing as I have autism, meaning I struggled in social situations, I probably wouldn't have gotten good grades).
Secondly... you can throw the "cartoon logic" excuse around all you want, but the whole Mane Six juggling jobs as teachers and their regular jobs and yet still managing to have free time just stretches my disbelief way too far. I only have a part-time job and it can wear me out (depending on the day) and cut into my time; I'm having trouble believing that Rarity could handle a growing franchise in the ever-fickle fashion industry, and also take on a teaching job (which involves things like teaching a classroom of students not guaranteed to be perfectly behaved, and preparing lessons, and grading each and every student, and I'm sure there's more) on top of that. How about Rainbow the Wonderbolt and Applejack the farmer?
And that's not mentioning how when an episode focuses on a Mane Six member in a school setting, they are... not at their best performance (most notably in "Non-Compete Clause"). Heck, I've noticed quite a few people saying that Neighsay did have a point about how the school was a disaster, and that he was only the bad guy because he's a racist. And frankly, I'm starting to fall into the camp that believes that save Twilight, the Mane ponies were not meant to be in an academic setting--even when it's unconventional, they're still too immature to take seriously as teachers. If they're better offscreen, well, it doesn't count, because I recall a rule of fiction that states if the audience doesn't see it, it doesn't count.
So... of all the toy-related decisions that Hasbro pushed on the show staff, this was by far the stupidest.
So, while I don't have any published stories set during Season 8 (there is one in my drafts that involves Cheese Sandwich meeting Mudbriar), I think it's safe to say that that's the point where the Tommyverse officially diverges into AU territory, because I don't like how they play up the school as if it's so brilliant.
Not that I'm cutting out the school completely--instead, while I'll still consider it the School of Friendship, in the Tommyverse, the school's more about the ponies and other species coming together to learn about each other, and have natural friendships built from there. They don't have classes on just how you have to be nice and stuff and friendship history, they take lessons on pony culture, changeling culture, dragon culture, etc., and have the other species show what good things they can give to the ponies (because for some reason, the show made every non-pony species apparently not understand friendship and have nothing positive to share with the ponies, and that irritates me), and promote better understanding of one another. While it seems to be a disaster at first (hence Neighsay's whole racist schtick intact until the finale), we'd have the Student Six proving that it was possible for different species to be friends.
Twilight would still be Headmare and Starlight still be the counselor (only because that mare needs a job), but the rest of the Manes would only come in for the occasional guest lecture on their respective elements. And there are not only more non-pony students, but there are non-pony teachers that were carefully chosen by the leaders to actually share the culture and history and be trusted to not hurt anyone. Also, put some Abyssinians and Minotaurs in there because those are the non-pony species I really want to know about, among others that need more respect (zebras and buffalo, anyone?).
And that's how my personal direction will go in the Tommyverse. You're free to stick to canon, but I'm immensely irritated with that version, so I'll just go AU on this subject. I normally try to keep things from outright clashing with canon (might have some boo-boos here and there, though), but in this case, I don't really care.
If you have ideas to make this make more sense, let me know.
I could have maybe given Fluttershy a pass to be a teacher, as she had a very vague canon job...until she started her probably-labor-intensive animal sanctuary. The rest had no excuse to begin with.
Maybe some cows or even sheep could get involved with the Tommyverse school. We know they talk, at least. (The reindeer are probably too busy being the Three Fates to join in, and who knows with the kirin.)
Yeah, the two things that bugged me about this school were always
A)It only taught students about friendship and nothing else, the same way Hogwarts only taught its students magic and nothing else.
B)Some of the Mane 6 have full time jobs, plus the occasional map mission, how could they handle being a full time teacher? Depending on how much they are willing to rearrange things, Twilight, Starlight, and perhaps even Pinkie and Rainbow could make it work (Pinkie could cut back most of her hours at Sugarcube, and Rainbow could do occasional reserve shows and if Spitfire doesn't like it she can complain to the Princess).
But Rarity has 3 stores, of which she insists on sewing all the dresses for. That's too much work for one pony before adventuring or teaching!