40 things Season 8 of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic taught me in 2018 · 5:00am Dec 30th, 2018
2018 is already agonizing and there's no better way to end this year than reviewing the 40 things that the eighth season of My Little Pony taught me this year, season that we could define as predictable and severely lackluster, not because it was bad or awful. For the most part, it was a good season, but it was plagued by leaks that heavily ruined the surprise factor for many of us, myself included. Doesn't help that this was my less active year, due to finally getting a real job and other, more interesting stuff happening right now (I'll talk about this in a future post). With all this in mind, and like Total Drama and Regular Show before MLP, my interest on the show went down to the point that now another show (which I won't talk about because it's not the main topic of this blog, if you want to know click here) holds the attention and obsession I had for this one for 4 years. From now on, If I'm continuing watching the show it'll be for pure tradition and expectations for the last season. This will not only cover all the chapters of the season, but also take a look at some pony-related topics occurred this year.
Disclaimer: All opinions expressed here are based on the analysis and perception of your server, and therefore don't represent the general opinion. Therefore, different perspectives are accepted. Without further ado, let's begin.
The Toy Era has finished
It’s the end of an era folks. The latest news from the world's largest Toy Store broke. Sky News, BBC, and Nintendo Wire all reported that all Toys R’ Us locations in the United Kingdom are to go out of business. It has subsequently been reported by CNN, that the Company's CEO, David Brandon, informed employees at Toys "R" Us world headquarters, New Jersey that the company will cease operations and liquidate all assets. Toys R’ Us is also expected to close most if not all of their locations worldwide.
It’s worth the waiting, only if you want the best
Them’s Fightin’ Herds finally came out... but not in the way we wanted. Available in Early Access only, Arcade mode, Training mode, limited Vs. mode, a “Break the Targets” lobby and now a reprogrammed 2019 release date. The gameplay is solid and the online is great, but it’s not enough to save an incomplete game. Mane6 has to do something to save it from the forgotten pit it has fallen into these months.
To Better Nerf Unicorns
You know, it still amazes me how the season premiere actually holds up, much less within the Top Three. Put simply, it’s the best season premiere that the series has ever had, and sadly, perhaps the most underrated, more so than The Crystal Empire. Sure, it doesn’t have action, it doesn’t feature a villain who’s threatening to take over the world (though Neighsay was good in it), nor does it include stuff that would pander only to the adult fandom... but it doesn’t need all of that. What School Daze really needed was what made the show brilliant to begin with; a good story, likable characters, and a strong theme. And it pulls it off very well. Most of the season was the same with the Mane 6, and the school was just a backdrop. Now, when they did focus on it, it was good, but time spent on it was a real issue up until late in the second half of the season. Hopefully one day, it’ll get the recognition is deserves, but I know I’ll always admire this episode. 4.5/5.
The Young 6 are discount substitutes
The new characters, introduced to us as the Young 6, have become brilliant characters in this season alone, and gave off the best theme the show has ever presented and they give a rest to the Mane 6. However, it took them so long to have a proper development because all of them were too similar to the Mane 6: Sandbar is Applejack, Gallus is Rainbow Dash, Ocellus is Fluttershy, Silverstream is Pinkie Pie and Smolder is Scootaloo (to be fair, we all know Scootaloo is from the CMC’s, but these Mane 6/CMC’s-esque characters are as cliché as mocking Donald Trump or the “I don’t wanna go, Mr. Stark” meme), with Yona as the most original of the group by far. Fortunately they got better as the season progressed and I’m willing to see more of them.
Maud needs a rest
The only complaint I have is that this is the third season in a row where Maud Pie is at the center stage near the start of a season. Here, it’s about Maud getting a boyfriend and Pinkie’s reaction to it. As long as each episode featuring a certain character is different, that's okay in my books. Just... don’t have a Maud Pie episode near the start of every future season, okay? After all, familiarity breeds contempt. Another problem is one that plagues Nick Confalone’s writing; the plot is quite thin, and it almost felt like a few gags were being prolonged deliberately just to fill up 22 minutes. Oh, and two more points where the plot feels thin; Maud’s stand-up comedy act and Pinkie’s Opposite Day fantasy with the rest of the Mane 6. They’re both funny in their own right, but they add nothing to the plot. Now, the episode as a whole isn’t terrible; one thing that actually stood out to me was that it looked like Limestone and Marble Pie seem to finally be gaining a bit more character. Limestone can be wise and helpful when she wants to be, and Marble even showed disapproval at Limestone cutting off Pinkie’s explanation. That was really good! Can we have more of this, please? 3/5.
Nobody likes Limestone and Marble
Continuing with The Maud Couple, I know I’m overreacting, I know these characters have fans, but the other Pie sisters have been overshadowed them in a serious way. Long time ago, I said Maud Pie was the best Pie sister because of her development. However, now it’s obvious that’s because her younger sisters don’t have anything for them. Their scarce appearances and no much screen time are paying the toll. I hope they have a major role (shared with Pinkie Pie) soon, because we only have one last chance.
Fluttershy uses Stanislavski
When was the last time Fluttershy and Rarity got an episode together? Season one? Wow, it feels like ages since that last happened, and it definitely feels more special. It’s nice to get something like this once in a while rather than once a season. For once, the humor was actually quite funny and rarely comes off as forced. Seeing Fluttershy constantly changing into her vain, hipster, and goth personalities is so over-the-top that I find it impossible not to enjoy. And hey, where else do you hear her do a Rarity impression? I also like the roles the raccoons had in assisting Fluttershy, and their interactions with Spike were quite fun. But you can’t outrun all the criticisms; for one thing, the rest of the Mane 6 (barring Rarity of course) felt kind of useless. Sure, they helped Fluttershy get back to normal, but Rarity could’ve done it by herself as well and the plot wouldn’t change and this plot could've worked just as well with Coco Pommel, maybe better. Despite the missed opportunities and a rather awkward ending, Fake It ‘Til You Make It it’s still Josh Hamilton’s best effort so far. 4.5/5.
Ponies are one of the most influential shows in today’s culture
A few years ago, Equestria Daily was contacted by the Library of Congress asking if they’d approve being archived for their Web Culture online section along with 30 other websites. It looks like the process has been completed, with cartoon horses solidified for all the world to see long into the future! Their archive covers June 2014 to August 2016, so there are a few years of delay. Chances are it will be updated as time goes on though.
You can check it out over here if you are curious.
Now we just need to get our Wikipedia page back... It still amazes me that one guy that didn’t like us was able to get the entire thing nuked.
Applejack has still much to learn
When you think of Rainbow Dash episodes, who would be the first character on your mind to play off against her? I’m sure most of you wouldn't think up Granny Smith, am I right? You'd think, “Rainbow Dash and one of the grannies of Equestria? That's too ridiculous even by the show's standards!” And you’d probably be right. But here, it’s perfect. Here, she’s forced to look after Granny Smith, Apple Rose, Goldie Delicious, and Auntie Applesauce, with strict instructions from Applejack. And seeing poor Rainbow constantly bugged by an imaginary Applejack head was really funny and added to her paranoia. The grannies’ antics didn’t make Rainbow’s behavior much better, but it was still funny to see. Grannies Gone Wild only needed a scene with Applejack and her Grandma near the end. 4.5/5.
Hippogryphs have made an astounding metaphor about divorce
I’d have been more excited if people that call themselves “fans” didn’t leak this episode (and a few others) in an unfinished state and spoiling the surprises for true fans because they’ve nothing better to do with their lives... But regardless, Surf and/or Turf it’s yet another episode I really enjoy, and I liked Terramar a lot. He is incredibly sympathetic and relatable, and there’s the subtle allegory with his parents Sky Beak (a hippogriff) and Ocean Flow (a seapony) being divorced, and yet they’re still friendly with one another. That is a bold move for MLP, and one that I’m sure kids with divorced parents will relate to. Seeing Scootaloo swim around as a seapony is just adorably charming. It's almost like she’s finally achieved her goal to “fly”, even if she was underwater. That being said, the conflict between Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle felt rather shoehorned. Sure, they had their disagreements on where Terramar should live in, but it more or less comes from nowhere and is dropped just as soon as it starts. 4.5/5.
The staff continues developing Celestia
Celestia is an absolute delight throughout the entire episode, especially when she has her “squee” moment over being the lead in a play, as well as her bad acting. Twilight’s role... was a mixed bag. I understand why she doesn’t want to upset her former mentor, but this is the fourth time in the last year alone (the first three being Shadow Play, The Movie, and School Daze) that she ignored her friends’ advice! Does she suddenly not trust her friends? You’d think after eight years she’d have learned to trust her friends by now. Another issue was with Pinkie Pie; her antics were more annoying than funny, and she didn’t get any consequences for making problems worse for Twilight. However, everyone else in the episode more than makes up for that. Applejack being the voice of reason was nice, the return of the Method Mares from season five was pretty serviceable, but the standout was Fluttershy, no question. Besides the theme about being honest with your criticisms, there was a nice theme about working with the problems you’ve landed in in regards to the final play. I don’t know if that was the intention or my interpretation of it, but Horse Play was a nice touch overall. 4/5.
Millenials dislike their parents
Ok, sure, it’s nice to try and explore Starlight and Sunburst’s foalhood, but this episode doesn’t really do a good job at that. Sadly, this episode makes Sunburst’s overall creation pointless. They’ve had two seasons before this to make him interesting, and yet his character is still incredibly bland, as if the writers don’t know what to do with him. This would’ve been great if the episode had actual direction, but as it stands it’s a jumbled mess with no coherent message and it makes Firelight and Stellar Flare look like petty idiots. There are funny moments like “Welcome to Sire’s Hollow”, but not much to say about The Parent Map. 2/5.
Competition stays behind the scenes
Episodes like Non Complete Clause where the lead characters are rewritten to suit the story can potentially harm their reputation and make them unlikable. It also says a lot that the Young 6, characters who are meant to represent a younger generation, have more maturity than two characters who have been a staple of the show since the beginning. On top of that, the moral is incredibly hammered in. Hell, the episode’s ending gave off the implication that they learned nothing from the experience. Twilight’s role wasn’t much better either. Sure, she scolded Rainbow Dash and Applejack for their behavior (something we need to see more of), but she still lets them lead the field trip anyway, despite the fact that Yona almost drowned because of their petty bickering! And Rainbow Dash and Applejack did nothing to help her! Like I've also said, the Young 6 are really good throughout, Yona and Ocellus especially. The former’s aquaphobia could be an interesting character study in the future, and the latter's transformations into a seapony and a fish are really fun to see. 1/5.
Love is really complicated
The Break Up Break Down has some advantage over other episodes with reused formulas. For one, the characters are actually entertaining, Discord and Spike especially. I definitely believe you could create gold with these two, and Confalone certainly did here. Another strong point is that it addressed a question a had since Hard to Say Anything aired; are Big Mac and Sugar Belle in a long distance relationship? As of this episode, we can see that she’ll be closer to him by being an apprentice to Mrs. Cake. The best character of the episode was, without a doubt, Big Mac. He’s sensitive, he’s slightly insecure, and even apologies when he takes his frustration out on those who didn’t deserve it. Some may get some Ponyville Confidential vibes out of that, but it doesn’t take longer than thirty seconds and like I said, he does apologize for yelling at Sweetie Belle. So let’s park a bit of caution there, okay? Speaking of which, the Crusaders’ subplot felt useless and didn’t have any impact on the main story. Sure, they helped Big Mac set up the barn, but that’s it. Finally, the fact that they used a few characters around that theme made it all the more better, though slightly anti-climactic since we know Sugar Belle wasn’t going to break up with Big Mac. 4/5.
The fandom image was stained with blood
Perhaps the worst moment of the year to be a Brony. Reviewer and fan ToonKriticY2K was accused about pedophilia and stalking. The one who broke the silence was apparently his couple, who confessed about all the abuse she was receiving from him. I already talked about this before, but I’ll repeat what I said back then: Why now the victims confess their crimes? Why not before? Sexual harassment is wrong, so confess immediately, otherwise you look like you want more of the same, and since the aggressor is never the one who breaks the deal, you’ll be in an endless cycle. I’m sorry for what happened to you. Come out and search for help, please.
Spike has reached his biggest change
One of Molt Down’s greatest strengths is that Spike feels relatable and not being constantly brought down to size; in the case of the “molt”, it’s an inconvenience and he never knew it happens to dragons. Of course, I’m pretty sure Smolder wasn’t scaring him on purpose and was simply joking with him, but then again, she didn’t grow up around ponies and wouldn’t understand how he was feeling. What was also nice was seeing Twilight show genuine concern for Spike when he gets stone scales around his face. After a couple of episodes where she came off as an incompetent idiot, this is definitely a breath of fresh air. Though wouldn’t Spike have known by now Twilight wouldn’t abandon him? Rarity and Zecora were also great; the former’s brief deafness problems are pretty amusing, and the latter’s guidance roles make me appreciate how lucky Zecora is to be a side character. But now let’s talk about the main takeaway of the episode; Spike getting his wings. Personally, I’m glad and disappointed that Spike got his wings; glad in that after eight seasons, we finally get to see him physically grow up, and it looks as though there’s big plans for him later in the season. The disappointment comes when you consider that Twilight got her own wings at the end of season three. Heck, the Crusaders got their cutie marks in the middle of season 5, and that was an afterthought. With Spike? By the time the show comes to an end, it’ll be too little too late to get fully used to him having wings. That being said, it was nice to see Spike standing up to the roc to save Rarity and Zecora from its clutches, and the ending, though predictable, was pretty satisfying. 5/5.
The one you least suspect is becoming more obvious
One of the things which struck me was the synopsis; why would the Crusaders want to attend the School of Friendship when they’re already at Cheerilee’s school? Thankfully, they didn’t have to deal with going to two different schools at once, and they become tutors at the School of Friendship in the end. However, a downside to that is Diamond Tiara wasn’t used in place of Cozy Glow. Also, Twilight’s characterization this season is becoming more gratuitous. Why would she jump to the conclusion that the Crusaders deliberately caused Cozy Glow to fail? Yes, I get that she cares for her students having a good performance, but banning the Crusaders for a lie seems like overreaction on Twilight’s end. So far, this is probably Nicole Dubuc’s weakest script, much of it is down to a thin plot and predictable outcome, but I’m hoping she comes to her own. 2.5/5.
Sometimes I don’t get you people
This episode was praised by fans when it first came out and was considered the best of the first half in Equestria Daily... Sometimes I don’t get you people. Every episode has a reason to exist. The Mean 6 does not have a point at all. Chrysalis’ plan is far more complicated than it needed to be; why did she make evil clones of the Mane 6 and then send them off to find the Tree of Harmony? Why did she not consider attacking the Mane 6 themselves when she was within the vicinity of them?! On top of that, if she wanted revenge against Starlight, why couldn’t she replace the Mane 6 with fakes and make her think they’re no longer her friends, or pretend to be Starlight and ruin the hard work she’s done to make friends? It doesn’t help that everyone else gets hit with the idiot stick; again, how did no one suspect that something was off about their friends? It feels completely jarring, and it’s almost like the episode dumps on Starlight, and she barely does a damn thing except whine! I feel sorry for Starlight; she’s been given a lot of mistreatment since she was introduced, and this was the worst mistreatment she’s gotten thus far. The Return of Harmony also did this plot way better, and that was back in 2011. For being the first episode shown a long time ago, this is the biggest disappointment of the season by far. 0.
To have hopes for the best scenario
A few seasons ago, a girl got accepted by the Make a Wish Foundation to have her OC pony added to the show. Angel Wings quickly grew a Twitter following after the episode aired, and until yesterday had continued to interact with her fanbase almost daily. Unfortunately, it looks like Twitter has shut the account down. The prevailing theory was an issue with the birth date. Apparently when you open a Twitter account, they are pretty serious about having an accurate date of birth on file. Angel Wings popped something random in there, as many of us tend to do, and when she tried to change it recently to an accurate date, her account was flagged and shut down. Of course, that is just the theory right now. Twitter likes to randomly nuke accounts for whatever reason. Even the EQD account got bombed once and popped up a few hours later like nothing happened. This has been going on for a day though, so hopefully someone over there gets her issue processed.
Internet law and Episode distribution suck
From Equestria Daily’s headquarters:
We are pretty stumped on why that would happen. The channel has commented on maybe 10 videos in the last 8 years, mainly just praising various content creators. There weren’t any deceptive practices going on, and definitely no spam considering we posted maybe once a week during a season then no other times. Our thumbnails weren't anywhere near clickbait or misleading. Tags were all 100% about the video being posted, with simple stuff like “My Little Pony” and “Friendship is Magic”. This is not the 3-strikes-and-your-out copyright issue either. EQD had no active copyright strikes. Most videos were claimed by Hasbro, but that’s par for the course in posting trailers and teasers, they claim them and pop their ads on. It has been happening for half a decade.I figured I’d give this a day to see what happened, but it’s looking like things are permanent unless we can get some non-automated attention.The real issue is the loss of all of our subscriptions. Most content creators in the fandom no longer send their videos in, as they just assume we have them subbed to post. That is all gone, so the best thing you can do to help would be to submit stuff we might miss. Animations, PMV, SFM, etc. A few people are attempting to contact trusted flaggers and the @TeamYouTube on Twitter. Hopefully we can at least get a why. Since we never received a warning for anything we did over there, we never had a chance to fix whatever cause this. It could even just be people mass flagging stuff for fun, as has happened numerous times to other channels.
Although the channel came back some days after its closure, it still gives a clue of the envy of the great companies towards independent creators.
Streaming has become a war
First Netflix said it would remove the show, and now My Little Pony will not be leaving Netflix at the end of the month. The expiration date on their listing has been removed. You can now re-watch "Every Little Thing She Does" 50 times just like I have! Glimmy, you so crazy~ Just like me! I'm slowly losing my mind too! It feels good.
The hype train reached its last station
In 2019, THE Brony Con is ending. I will sadly never had or will have opportunity to go Bronycon. However, that’s a big signal in the sky is that brony conventions, in general, are ending. I think they are can be many reasons some can point to as into why this happening, but comes down two big reasons, in my opinion. First, I think Brony Con is in the right closing the confrontations doors down because the Brony fanbase is not as big as it once was. Bronies no longer make animations as frequently, fanmade games have either been canceled, or C&Ded. Heck most BIG time Brony musicians have moved on or went quiet. Heck, the only active parts of the fanbase are the musicians, artists, and the analysis community (even it has its problems),FimFic, and some forums. I hate being pessimistic, but that’s the reality of the brony fanbase right now. It’s not as big once was so holding a convention for fanbase that is as big as others, seems pointless. Secondly, the other problem is when Brony Con was established it was one of the first conventions, outside of SDCC and NYCC, where people where people can get merchandise, meet celebrities, and hang out with fellow fans. Nowadays comic cons and similar conventions are common and not just located at SD or NY anymore. Plus MLP: FiM isn’t as big as Star Trek or as general enough for convention like anime. However, the biggest nail in the coffin for Brony Conventions, was when Hasbro announced their own con; thus making a con centered only around one of their brands pointless and redundant. I hope those of you who can go to brony convention go now before they disappear. As far as I know, EFNW and Galacon are the only two Brony Cons left after 2019 and even then I don’t think those two are going around much longer anyway. So enjoy them while you still can.
We will survive
The first BronyCon was basically a glorified meetup. The second was a tiny rented out dance studio with no AC in the middle of a heat wave. Even with the inconveniences though, people wanted MORE. The friendships growing throughout the internet wanted a place to meet each other, and it was all grand hotels and convention centers from there onward. BronyCon’s closure sucks. We’ve got one big massive celebration in 2019, but it’s probably not going to be coming back. To a lot of people, that was their one place to really meet other fellow fans in person. The people that they talk to every day over Facebook, Tumblr, Deviant Art, or even Skype back before Discord obliterated it. Our online presence has slowed and shifted, but is still staggeringly big. Gaming projects, major animations, and more ideas continue to build behind the scenes. If anything these ideas have a higher likelihood of actually releasing, as many working on them are veterans of the pony scene at this point. This fandom still has plenty of room to continue marching onward, and while major beloved creators from 6 years ago may move on to other things, we’ve still got plenty of new, excited people coming in hoping to share. Hell, hit the top art on Deviant Art some time. We STILL drop colorful horses every 10-20 images. That is a lot of people still loving pony! Combine five other currently running shows and you wouldn’t be able to come anywhere near our fan-content production levels.
Discord is the controversial point once again
I’ve never seen a Discord-centric episode this polemic since the controversial What About Discord? Yes, Discord is indeed a complicated character that has trouble with understanding friendship. He sees the good in friendship and wants to have friendship. His problem is that he’s a jerk and is need of a change of negative attributes, which is difficult considering that he was never given a chance up until now. My complaint so far is his reasoning. Yes, he has every right to be upset, but that doesn’t mean the way he handle it was right. It just seems baffling that the Mane 6 or Celestia never bother contacting him for an invite to the school opening. Heck, not even Fluttershy or Twilight consider acknowledging about this knowing how Discord tends to act when he feels left out. I only brought this up in the thread to complain about Discord’s character in the episode, but also shippers who ship Discord with someone. I also wanted to bring up Discord and his view on Starlight, but that’s more interpretation and headcanon based. I like to hear anyone’s opinion on this episode and what they think will be in stored for Discord’s character. Personally, I thought the episode could've taken an adorable turn if Discord was in Fluttershy’s class and he started to become the teacher’s pet. You know, giving her giant apple or fruit baskets for her desk, eager to gain her approval, that sort of thing. Heck, you could’ve had Starlight use Fluttershy as her secret weapon against Discord to help reel him back into control, and then get him to confess how he was feeling left out. Or, better yet, just have A Matter of Principals be about Discord being a temporary student to prove to Starlight that she isn’t capable of running the school, only to realize that he truly doesn’t have the responsibility or maturity to handle the job. 3.5/5.
You shouldn't be alone on the holidays
I enjoyed Hearth’s Warming Club more than the other Christmas episodes because each story they tell really showcases their individual characters, unlike something like the Mane 6 where most of the characters are interchangeable with each other. Here, we can tell that Smolder has a twisted sense of humor, Sandbar makes boring things seem exciting, and that Yona and Silverstream take pride in their own respective heritages for different reasons. My favorite was Ocellus’, especially with how literally she and the Changelings take Twilight’s instructions on how Hearth’s Warming is celebrated. That was hilarious! Yet the real standout character here was Gallus; the reason he pulled that prank was because he didn’t want to be alone on Hearth’s Warming. To him, his new friends are perhaps the closest he’s ever had to a real family, despite their differences. Yona might be my personal favorite of the Young 6, but Gallus is without a doubt the most layered and comes in a close second for me. It was also great that Twilight actually displayed some common sense by asking the students one on one for their perspective of the situation (even if we don’t see it). 5/5.
Some individuals can’t change no matter what you do
Star Swirl the Bearded has gained a rather mixed reputation among fans given his portrayal in Shadow Play, but I didn’t have any issues with it. If anything, I like how it made him a more interesting character: he’s stubborn, proud, and doesn’t admit when he makes a mistake. So I was hoping season eight would further develop him as a character. Well... this episode did to some extent, but this was mostly a Twilight/Rarity episode, perhaps the first ever in the entire series. Still, this plays really well into Star Swirl’s character. He’s learning about the new Equestria around him, and is still learning about friendship along the way. Him not knowing Flim and Flam as well as Twilight does also worked really well, showing that despite his wisdom, Star Swirl is not a perfect character; even he can be gullible at times. If there was something disappointing about it, it was Chancellor Neighsay disappearing after he approves of Friendship University. Don’t get me wrong; his role here was really good, and it further proves my point that not all antagonists are meant to be redeemed. But when the entire place was revealed to be a scam, we don’t know how he would’ve reacted to that. Despite this, Friendship University is another good addition to the show. 4/5.
To remind everypony their best moments
I’m not saying the episode didn’t try, but the plot Gillian went for is so limited there’s not a whole lot you can do to make it feel new. Simply put, this feels a lot like A Royal Problem, only with Rarity and Rainbow Dash in Celestia and Luna’s place, and Starlight not being as involved for at least half the story. The theme about teamwork is good, but it’s been done before and kind of shoved down the audience’s throats. Even Twilight trying to make excuses for Rarity and Rainbow Dash’s bickering doesn’t feel interesting. There’s honestly very little for me to say about this episode. Sure, there are funny moments, but even they feel clichéd at points. It’s painfully mediocre all the way through, and it pains me to rank a Gillian Berrow script as low as I did. Just for the premise alone, I expected much more from The End in Friend. 2/5.
Pinkie has changed for the worst
It’s safe to say that Pinkie Pie has been getting a fair amount of criticism from people, like myself, for how poorly written she’s become as of late. Heck, the last time she felt like a genuine character was when she called out Twilight for doing something stupid in The Movie. Still, I was hoping the writers would pick up steam from there. Unfortunately, they didn’t. What makes Yakity Sax worse is that Pinkie is once again portrayed as an idiot, not even showing concern for her friends’ activities and playing that damned yovidaphone in such a bad manner! Seriously, it’s just grating to listen to, especially in the first act. Normally, I’d talk about the story... but I don’t need to. Why? Because it drags, especially in the second and third acts, and it completely lacks heart and substance. The most that happens is Pinkie moving to Yakyakistan when she realizes she isn’t good at... whatever instrument she was playing, I don’t care. But that’s it. It’s also pointless in the long run since she’ll be back in Ponyville by the next episode. We waited so long for Pinkamena’s return... for this? 1/5.
The Internet likes to create peats
A young fan of the show went to a place called Frikiplaza in Mexico with full on pony buttons on display. Apparently this known geeky location couldn’t handle the cartoon horses, as they gave him a whole bunch of crap for it. There was a debate about Dragon Ball vs pony, with him eventually leaving after they called it a show for little girls. Unfortunately the video went viral, and the kid was quickly attacked. Memes were plastered everywhere making fun of him, with mexican youtubers hopping on board to toss some hate. The Mexican brony community has responded, with even the show staffers over there getting on board to support him. Eventually it hit the news.
The Internet likes to finish careers
Thanks to Jesse Coffey for this information. Tom Wysom, 55, of Ottawa, has been arrested for the possession and distribution of child pornography. When Wysom was arrested, he was found to be in the possession of over 60,000 images deemed to be child pornography, as well as at least 1,625 videos. His IMDB page has him credited as an animator and character builder for 26 episodes of My Little Pony and 23 episodes of Littlest Pet Shop between 2012 and 2015. Wysom pleaded guilty to all charges against him.Wysom told the court that he had been watching child pornography as an offshoot of his addiction to adult pornography. His reasoning, as reported by the Ottawa Citizen, was that he had consumed so much “normal” pornography dating back to about a decade ago, that it no longer stimulated him, to the point that he had become desensitized to it and “needed something more.”Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Jonathan Gray performed an assessment of Wysom that concluded he has a “pedophilic disorder.” As the court report shows, Wysom told Dr. Gray that he was dealing with untreated stress issues, and that child pornography was helping him deal with it.Justice Berg decided that Wysom had to have a sentence of at least two years in prison to both pay for his crimes and serve as a deterrent to others like him, despite Dr. Gray stating that he felt Wysom was a low risk to have sexual contact with children or re-offend. It seems people like to be offended by everything nowadays, no matter if it’s important or not. Doug Walker, James Gunn, Apu getting cut from the Simpsons... who will be next?
Patience is a virtue
That’s something I notice since last season; so many episodes get released at once, that people can’t decide for which one to do art anymore. Some can’t deal with that pressure, so they decide to not do art for any episode and just quit it all together. I observe on FIMFiction.net how the amount of fics for new episodes always gets reduced when early releases happen. The worst thing about this is, that it all wouldn’t happen if EQD would have been more responsible in this... If EQD wouldn’t have started to report about early releases at all when they became the norm with Season 7, barely anyone in the fandom would have noticed that’s a thing. There aren’t any other major news platforms in the fandom and I bet FIMFiction.net only got the info also because of EQD. I doubt Knighty camps on international channel schedules just in case one releases an episode early...
Trixie finally did it!
Whilst the subplot is about a Saddle Arabian pony offering the two mares a new caravan, it tied up very nicely with the main plot. Oh yeah, and there’s a moment of hypocritical humor with Starlight and Trixie breaking into song. Twilight only appears in the cold open with Cadance and Flurry Heart, and seeing her do their foalhood dance with the former (with the latter on top) is adorably funny, especially Starlight and Trixie’s reaction. I can understand how stressful it must’ve been for Starlight and Trixie when it comes to traveling. What makes it more stressful is how cramped Trixie’s caravan is. Because she’s packed so much stuff, they barely have enough room to move around in. And it’s funny to how she reacts to Starlight’s loud snoring. Not only that, the next day shows just how much they’re getting on one another’s nerves, the final straw being when Starlight trades Trixie’s caravan for the bigger one, much to the latter's fury. And it’s only after their falling out that Starlight realized how petty they’d been when she encounters two mail ponies from earlier and returns Trixie’s caravan to her. To date, Road to Friendship is Trixie’s best episode, but then again, there isn’t much competition for that title. I’m just hoping this is the jumping off point, not the culmination, of the work done to develop her character. 4/5.
Miracles are not always worth
The first sign of the episode having problems is Rainbow Dash eavesdropping on Scootaloo’s Rainbow Dash club meeting. Why does she do that for every meeting? That’s extremely disturbing when you actually think about that. That being said, it was surprising that Lightning Dust declared that she and Rainbow Dash were forever rivals, not only that, the lesson Scootaloo learned at the end about Lightning Dust being a toxic influence was very well done, even if the execution was sloppy at points. It’s nice to know that kids’ shows are willing to warn their audience the dangers about toxic friendship, and the consequences it can have on your real friends. Those who are willing to give up everything for you and help you learn from your mistakes. The writers need to be really careful in the future as to how they portray their themes in episodes, lest we end up with unfortunate implications down the road. I wanted so bad to see Lightning Dust make her return, and now that she’s back, it’s... okay, but also disappointing to say the least. 3/5.
Everyone has a purpose in life
Out of the Pillars, Rockhoof had the least amount of love directed his way, mostly because his story in Campfire Tales wasn’t that interesting compared to the others. But then A Rockhoof and a Hard Place comes around, and suddenly, everyone loves Rockhoof as a character. Well, sort of. Whilst Rockhoof is the main focus, Flash Magnus, Mistmane, Somnambula, and Mage Meadowbrook do get a brief look in to show the audience what they’ve been up to since being freed from limbo (and Stygian gets a mention as well). It would’ve been nice to see how they ended up in their current positions, but I suppose it might not have been interesting to the target audience. That being said, it does tie up to the episode’s message brilliantly. As well as that, it makes you feel more for Rockhoof struggling to find his place in modern Equestria (which was one of the main issues I had with Shadow Play by not showing it). But every time he tries to do something, he messes up and feels more and more frustrated. Eventually, it’s to the point he wants to become a statue, which feels like a very subtle allegory for suicide. The great thing about the episode isn’t just Rockhoof himself as a character (before this episode, he was fine, but just seemed kinda there), but Yona as well. Seriously, with every appearance she makes since the premiere, I love her more. In fact, she even writes an essay about him to try and convince him not to become a statue. It was great to expand more on Rockhoof’s character, as well as Yona’s, and the theme and story are brilliant. Sure, any show could do this, but Rockhoof was one of the few characters... No, he’s the one character who could’ve worked for this theme, if this was anypony else, however, then the story wouldn’t have been as good. 5/5.
Never give up, trust your instincts
Here, we get to see a little more of the Young 6 what they’re like individually. Gallus is claustrophobic, Silverstream has fears of the Storm King returning, Yona doesn’t like spiders until she befriends the group, Smolder doesn’t want to be mocked for liking tea parties, and Ocellus is unable to escape her tribe’s terrible past. With the Young 6, they’ve only been around for one season, and yet despite being different, they still care for one another, and it proves in the third act that Sandbar would rather be with his friends than follow illusions of Rarity and Rainbow Dash to “save” Equestria. If there was an issue I had, it’s that they didn’t really put any emphasis on Yona’s aquaphobia as shown in Non-Compete Clause. It would’ve been nice to call back on that, even if the earlier episode was terrible, but then again, it might not have worked with the episode as it stands. What Lies Beneath is easily one of the best of the season. 5/5.
Everypony loves Kirin!
To be honest, compared to most other episodes that feature a guest star (Stranger Than Fan Fiction, Pinkie Pride, The Perfect Pear, for example), this one isn’t really that interesting. Not to say that the episode is bad, far from it, in fact! But my biggest issue with the episode comes down to the story. It’s pretty thin on the ground and it’s down to the characters and theme to give it more structure. Luckily, however, the characters do shine. Although Applejack has had her “off” moments, her character was done justice here. It’s pretty obvious she wants to help the Kirin overcome their silence, and for once, doesn’t act irrationally and stupid. After speaking with Autumn Blaze, Applejack understands how to fix the issue with the Kirin’s silence. For Fluttershy, some may see her being frightened of going to the Kirin’s village a step back in character development, but I don’t agree if that’s the case. It’s an area she and Applejack have never gone before, so it’s understandable that Fluttershy would be scared. Autumn Blaze was fine, her backstory, though not entirely original, was pretty good, but the song was great. Something I’d like to see in season nine is one of the Kirin showing up at the School of Friendship. Because the species is largely unknown to many, it would be interesting to see how the Young 6 react to seeing a Kirin for the first time. There’s a lot of storytelling potential with that! The ending itself was also fine, as was the theme about dealing with arguments rationally, and hopefully that’s as far as they go with the theme. Although the plot is very thin on the ground, the characters and theme do their best to make up for that, but there’s only so far you can take a slow-paced story with characters and themes as a crutch. Sounds of Silence is watchable and enjoyable at its best, but nothing really special; I do think there are better episodes with stronger and better-paced stories in this season. 3.5/5.
We don’t need Spike’s backstory anymore
Although it becomes obvious that Sludge is lying about being Spike’s father, the episode does have its own merits. After Sludge crashes into Ponyville, we see a montage of the Mane 6 and Spike caring for him, helping him to get better. Even if he comes off as a despicable jerk in the end, the montage still has funny moments like him going off to drink some apple cider and having the Wonderbolts fly him. And that’s not even mentioning the song about being a “real” dragon is pretty good. It’s also nice to expand more on Spike and Smolder’s friendship. Having lived in Ponyville for a while, Smolder is understandably disgusted by Sludge’s behavior, and even helps Spike in sending him packing. I also liked how Spike and Twilight’s relationship was put to the test. 4/5.
We got to worry about the last finale
The finale gets ready to be wrong once more. The story itself, whilst awkwardly paced in areas, isn’t that bad, the characters are great, and the theme was... fine. Everything I’d want in an episode is there, but it leaves me feeling underwhelmed. The short version is that most of my criticism boils down to a lack of tension and a pair of overused tropes (the twist villain and the villain redemption) that turn me off. Even if they didn’t use the latter trope on Neighsay, it would still be an underwhelming finale as a whole. As for the former trope? It almost feels like the writers didn’t understand the meaning of the word “subtle”, and considering we knew Cozy Glow was going to be the big bad starting with Marks for Effort, I find it hard to believe the audience was meant to be left in shock in the end. Can’t the writers use plot devices that haven’t been run into the ground? On the whole, School Raze it’s not really an awful episode in general and it’s better than other previous finales; it just has things that I don’t like. With so many disappointing finales, how can I trust the staff for the finale of finales? 2.5/5.
Christmas arrived earlier this year... again
It’s... not that good. Twilight has a freak out over not being ready for Hearth’s Warming the same way she freaked out over not delivering a letter to Princess Celestia seven years ago with Lesson Zero, with Shining Armor (he was absent during the entire season and nobody missed him), Cadence and Flurry Heart not doing that much. Then we get an Applejack/Fluttershy subplot that mashes up Trade Ya!, Friendship University, and Viva Las Pegasus. And we get to see Discord, for the first time, playing off with someone in the Mane 6 that’s not Twilight or Fluttershy; this time, it’s Rainbow Dash. This is the most entertaining part of Best Gift Ever, I’ll admit. Not original either but... eh, they tried at least. The Pinkie and Rarity subplots are rather forgettable. And all the subplots tie up to the message that friendship is the best gift of all. It’s almost as if the writers are low on ideas and are reusing older episodes and lessons as a crutch when they’re desperate. 2/5.
Dr. Wolf is canon
This was the most random moment of the year. A fanmade character appearing on official MLP merchandise! I don’t even know what else to say.
Top
10. Horse Play
9. Road to Friendship
8. Friendship University
7. Fake It ‘Til You Make It
6. Grannies Gone Wild
5. Surf and/or Turf
4. Molt Down
3. What Lies Beneath
2. A Rockhoof and a Hard Place
Honorable mentions: School Daze, The Break Up Break Down, Father Knows Beast, Sounds of Silence
1. Hearth's Warming Club
Season Average Score: 3.3/5
So, which were the best episodes of the season for you? What does 2018 taught you? Leave it in the comments.
Wow, I didn't realize that season 8 has such good morals and lessons!
I absolutely hated the season. Definitely not worth waiting for. It makes me worried for how bad season 9 is going to be based on how bad this season was. The only episode that I even remotely kind of liked was "Yakkity Sax" and that's because Pinkie was in- character throughout the whole thing.
4988024 As far as anyone knows, G4 isn't ending anytime soon.
4988279 Same here, "Yakity-Sax" just plain sucked! It's not even original in its concept, it's one of the most cliche sitcom plots of all time: A character gets a musical instrument they can't play very well, and they torture everyone's ears with their bad playing so the other characters come up with a way to make character X stop playing.
4988283 It's always fun reading other peoples' perspectives on things.
4988358 What was so and about it? Then only bad thing about this episode was the way the main characters acted. I didn't have any problems with the way Pinkie acted in this episode. I thought she was perfectly in-character.
That was awesome.
4988283
There is no age limit on being a brony. :)
4988283
I'm glad it helped you and yes, every comment is worth reading (except insults because you simply delete them). Thanks for reading.
4988024
Well, let fate decide. if it doens't try the best to bring it back to the spotlight. of it does well, just hold it in your heart and never forget
BronyCons are ending.*Sniff* it makes me sad
If that's true, then why do I feel like such a miserable failure who hasn't accomplished anything?