The Beginning of the End/A Friendship is Magic Season 9 Review · 5:06pm Apr 8th, 2019
GOOD MORNING AFTERNOON, FIMFICTION FANATICS!!! This is the Dramamaster829; Critic, Actor, Writer, Motivational Speaker, and Occasional Singer, keeping you up to date with the latest news for the final season of MLP! Well folks, what an incredible weekend it has been for MLP fans worldwide not only marking a strong start to the final run of the show but we'd be granted the long awaited appearance of a notorious villain all the way from Generation 1. On the offhand, just when it seems the story becomes a bit predictable (The cast themselves poking fun at all the trends the fans have talked about) it has a way of throwing us off guard putting everything at stake and introducing an element that is sure to be the driving force of the entire series. So without any further ado, it's that time when we take a dive at the premier that is appropriately called
The Beginning... Of the End...
Note: For these future reviews, I'm mainly seeking for two key elements: Storytelling and character development (Everything else is a bonus).
The Story
Two huge plot devices set the pace of this two part premier: The Princesses retirement and the assembling of the villains.
At the very start of the episode, the FIM fanbase would be thrown a huge curveball when Princess Celestia and Luna announce that after thousands of years ruling Equestria and entering the longest period of peace since then, they've decided that the time had come for the princesses to 'retire' from their royal duties and pass their rulership over Equestria to somepony else. But rather than handing control of the kingdom to an heir (Thankfully NOT Prince Blueblood), Celestia decides to grant the leadership not just to Twilight Sparkle but all the Mane Six (Go figure)! While it's interesting enough that everything the group has done throughout the series has proven to be a series of tests and given all that they've managed to accomplish, it stands to reason that Twilight Sparkle would 'predictably' freak out about this honor (Or 'Twilighting' as Pinkie Pie humorously puts it). It doesn't get any better when the ceremony to crown the new leaders will take place in the span of a few days sending Twilight's stress level spiraling above it's limits. Course at this point, given her friends have seen Twilight panic over these matters before they do their best to convince her they are more than capable for the job Twilight has the most trouble accepting this new position claiming how ruling an entire country is not the same as running a school (Understandably so, she's 'half-right').
But if the Mane Six don't already have enough on their plate with being the new rulers of Equestria, a sinister force is at work regarding this guy: Grogar, the diabolical goat of Generation 1's past. As we soon find out, Grogar was apparently not just the first ruler over all of Equestria but the 'father of monsters' (Sorry to those who thought it was Typhon), ruling the land with an iron hoof and any who dared challenge his power would be destroyed on the spot. But then came this one pony, Gusty, who stripped Grogar of his magical bell (The source of all his power) and for the next millennia he had been banished, building his strength, and waiting for the right time to launch an attack to quench his thirst for revenge. Turns out that one brief mention while Twilight was babysitting Flurry Heart would truly be foreshadowing of events to come and boy does Grogar's appearance send shivers down the spines of even the bravest of fans. However, unlike most villains on the show, he has no plans to conquer Equestria alone as he's assembled his 'Legion of Doom' consisting of:
From left to right: King Sombra, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Lord Tirek
That's right folks: Through Grogar's own means, he was able to sustain enough power to bring these notorious villains together. Through necromancy he releases King Sombra from 'The Aether' as Rarity puts it (Yeah, I didn't get that either); Queen Chrysalis, who has since gone nuts since her entire swarm abandoned her and her schemes to get revenge on the ponies have failed; as well as Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek, who at this point I don't blame him for being slightly annoyed with this little demon's attempt at friendship (Queen of Friendship, boulder-dash). Interestingly enough, it is this premier where King Sombra would not only receive more dialogue since his previous appearance but a new voice actor (The same dude who gave us 'Flutterguy' on two separate occasions). Apparently Grogar had been overseeing everything that had happened prior to his banishment and while he was embarrassed of how each of these villains fell to the ponies (For several reasons), Grogar believes that because the Mane Six were able to work together by assembling this allegiance of powerful villains they have a shot at ruling Equestria once and for all (Because... Why else?). Unfortunately, Sombra's not into the whole 'team' business thinking he can settle taking over the world himself and so Grogar sends him out in an attempt to prove himself. I'm sorry, but I can't resist doing this:
Meanwhile, at the Legion of Doom... (Oh come on, we were all thinking this at some point).
The rest of the story follows a near basic plotline, which at first seems to go very quickly (Having to cover so much): King Sombra is transported to the Crystal Empire, Cadence and Shining Armor are captured (Barely putting up a fight), he monologues, the girls rush in, the villain fights back, they overcome his power, they use their Elements of Harmony, and King Sombra is quickly driven away. At first we'd think, 'What? That was it?' as it seems like this should've been a single part episode... But holy shit what happens next:
I am not making this up MLP fanatics. Before our very eyes, King Sombra had somehow followed our protagonists to the Tree of Harmony, destroyed the very source of their power, and leaves them defenseless and captured as he proceeds to once again attempt to take over Equestria. It is at this point where we find out heroes at their most vulnerable moment: Twilight on the verge of hopelessness (And no plans, the horror!), their friends and neighbors brainwashed by Sombra's magic, the everfree forest growing out of control, and huge property damage by the dark crystals to the point not even Mayor Mare's insurance can cover. Still, with so much up at stake and though the odds are stacked against them, our heroes bravely face Sombra in the hopes of freeing their home from a dark threat. Along the way discovering that it is not their elements that give them the drive to win, it's remembering that they are the ponies they've always been, how they'll pick themselves up every time they fall, and so long as they work together nothing can stop them (Because you'd think these villains would know by now).
The Characters
Pros: As big a journey as it was for the Mane Six, this was ultimately a Twilight Sparkle dilemma. From being a faithful student to the princess, being crowned a princess for finishing Starswirl's spell, owning a castle, running a school, now she's suddenly a potential new ruler for Equestria it's no wonder she struggles with this idea on whether she's ready to rule the land or not (And in such a short time to prepare). Course her 'Twilightening' is instantly poked fun of by the ponies, having gone through this phase so much in the series that they get used to it. Yet when she has her self-doubts whether it's being the leader the princesses expect her to be or when the elements are destroyed and most of ponyville is under Sombra's control, in the end she herself must learn that no matter what obstacles get in their way so long as they keep getting back up and fight the good fight they'll prevail. As it has been Lauren Faust's original intent to have Twilight Sparkle take over Equestria and having the princesses step down, this scenario clearly doesn't just play out during the whole premier but possibly the whole season too.
Each of her friends do get their chance to shine as well, initially they are taking the news of Twilight's ascendance surprisingly well especially since they too will be in charge. I find it very humorous that they would not only poke fun at Twilight's moments but point out that despite being their great rulers, it hasn't slipped their minds that Celestia and Luna... Don't really do anything at all. Then again, when they are either captured by the villains or beaten in a fight or powerless... It be hard to take them seriously...
OKAY, OKAY, OKAY!! I'll stop!
And yet, for as much flake as I give to the princesses, I wouldn't go as far as put them on my 'Cons' section.
As stated before, the princesses were confirm to be retiring after a thousand years of service something most of us had expected to happen in the long run. Maybe it wasn't going to happen during this premier, but in a way their decision to retire is nearly symbolic to this season as a whole. At some point, nothing lasts forever and when one journey ultimately ends another is just beginning. For all the jokes we've thrown in about the princesses being useless, when they were needed the most when the Mane Six weren't enough to combat the growing vines they stepped in (Along with Starswirl) to buy them some time. And when we think about their decision to give the Mane Six control of the throne (Especially Twilight), they never would've granted them this position if they didn't trust they can do it. Neither Twilight or her friends may be ready at this moment, but mark my words when the finale comes about... Oh yes, I do think they'll have the confidence to embrace their destinies.
But for me, out of ALL the characters featured predominantly during this premier, Discord definitely shines the most during this episode:
Now this is how you do a big story, from yours truly! (Don't push it, Discord)
All joking aside, even though Discord still remains a jerk during most of the episode and casually pokes fun at the ponies for missing the whole point of the princesses announcement, he does show he cares for them (In his own way). He wants them to be able to learn the moral themselves, knowing they won't always have help from either the princesses or even his own magic (Though Discord 'could' have ended this whole mess with a snap of his fingers, for sure). And even though this one speech does come off as corny and while we can easily see he's hamming it up, Discord's message hits home for the ponies and ultimately it helps them remember who they are and that they'll always succeed because of what they've done.
I mostly do it for Fluttershy, Drama Boy (QUIT STEALING MY THUNDER!)
Before we move on to the 'cons' portion of this review, there is ONE more character I'd like to go over:
Kneel before Grogar!
I will admit this, I haven't paid 'close' attention to the original Generation 1 series but based on what little I 'did' learn about Grogar this show did not disappoint the way they portrayed him. This is a villain coming in with the most experience (Yes Tirek 'technically' came first in Gen 1, but I'm talking about 'this' canon), he's had all the time to plan things out on his road to world conquest, and to ensure his plans go as instructed he was willing to sacrifice one of his own teammates (Though to be fair, Sombra brought it on himself). Up till now, just when we've already had some opposing threats, given we are dealing with a creature who is willing to destroy any pony in his path on his road to power there is without argument he's the most dangerous. And based on what we've seen in the premier alone, this is only the beginning of what he has in store for all Equestria.
Cons: For all the good character moments we come down to some characters who's actions I ultimately cannot allow to slide.
For all the times we've joked about the princesses being useless... Shining Armor and Cadence fall into their place when it comes to easily being captured. Not even a few moments into Sombra's takeover of the Empire, not only does he use Flurry Heart as a hostage but immediately these two are put in chains. You would think had there been some additional time there'd at least be room for a fight scene even if they were doomed to lose, but this quick change in scenes made them look weak (And I'm embarrassed to say it). These happen to be the same married couple who sent Chrysalis and her army far into the horizon Team Rocket style and yet the Mane Six have to be the ones to clean up the scraps. But to be 'fair', Flurry Heart was in a precarious position and given they wouldn't risk their daughter being hurt, I'd understand why they didn't have a choice but to surrender.
But they are nothing compared to who really his the 'con' section:
You know, for a villain initially introduced to be scary, I stand among the few in the fanbase who could hardly take this guy seriously (Even the comics did a 'slightly' better job with his character). To me he falls into the traps of the stereotypical villain: World domination, the 'taking over the world' puns, the monologues, and the darkness/fear schtick. Now among the things fans nitpicked about was how his speech was limited and while it wasn't the same voice actor like seasons ago, bear in mind they changed the voices for Twilight's parents at least once so this would not have surprised me. For me, the real reason this villain was only brought in for this premier was just to serve as an example to those who oppose Grogar's plans and how one's own interest will lead to their own demise. And if you think he's ever getting a chance to change his ways, judge this image for yourself:
To be fair, it was either 'this' or another villain reformation... You decide
But to be fair with this villain, he 'did' succeed in destroying the elements thus setting the tone for what's to come during the season and the uncertainty of what will happen next. Granted, he was still doomed to lose but that was a clever plan (Though how the ponies manage to beat him reminds me of almost every Power Rangers finale).
Overall, this premier puts the season at a very strong start and every moment to me was enjoyable. Sure the pacing came rather quickly at times and some of the characters were downplayed terribly, but the cast poking fun at all the common fan nitpicks, Discord's shenanigans, Twilight Sparkle's emotional struggles, and the many surprises made this premier worth watching. If there's a few things this premier has taught me is this, 'Just because some things are bound to end, never treat a story like it's over but rather moving on to a fresh start' and also 'When there are some things you can't handle by yourself, always ask for help'. Each character had their moment to shine, they made us laugh, they made us cry, they made us cheer or jeer, but ultimately each character made their scenes work out. You can assure I'll be tuning in during these next few weekends waiting to see what the season has in store for FIM's future.
Now I want to hear from you: What did YOU think? Be sure to leave a comment below, when possible, and feel free to share your thoughts.
Until then, this is the Dramamaster829... Signing out!
Oh... And one more thing...
From Twilighting, to Starlighting... I'm sorry the way she trolled Twilight was just hysterical.
I just want Chrysalis reformed. It's all I ask.
5041863
Chrysalis, huh? Well, there is a bit of a strong possibility. Plus, I've seen all the fan drawings on all the 'possible' appearances depending on the matter of reformation. Considering she's already lost everything: Her hive, her credibility, and also her sanity, at this point she's pretty much got nothing to lose. That is unless Grogar aims to set another example with her demise, which in some way would tick off a ton of fans.
But who knows? At this point the season is just getting started and at this point anything can happen.
5041900
It's just.... I don't want her Arc to end on a bad note. :(
5042172
I understand. Maybe somewhere down the line, fate may decide that Chrysalis doesn't need to endure the same fate as Sombra (Whose arc was doomed to end the way he lived... Blinded by his own actions). Of course, bear in mind she was offered a hand in friendship, Starlight Glimmer herself gave her that opportunity because somewhere deep in her core exists a faint light of goodness inside of her... She refused. Unless we can get a better understanding of why Chrysalis is the way she is, maybe reach deep within her values she lives by, to understand why her actions led her to be the once-frightening villain upon introduction... Perhaps even if she cannot be saved, we can at least know 'why' she is as she is.
Because unless we decided to follow the comics as if they were truly canon, a backstory for Chrysalis may be a slight out of reach (Even farther than Sombra's despite all the stories of the pony he once was).
5042216
Don't you mean Hoof? ^^;
5042217
Details, my friend. Details... But I understand the gist of what goes on around this site (And the fandom).
My point being is quite simple: Chrysalis was offered an opportunity to prove she is more than just a love-hungry villainess and she shrugged it off. All because she wanted revenge on Starlight for having her entire world and everything she worked for taken away from her. She is like Javert, someone who won't be satisfied until their target is within their grasp and they deliver their own sense of 'justice' so to speak. She must bear in mind that if she continues to seek revenge, it may cost her a chance to end her story on a much higher note or she'll be doomed to suffer the same fate as every villain before her.
5042218
Speaking of her revenge on Starlight Glimmer.... it's weird that she made her goal be going for revenge on Twilight and her Friends instead of just Starlight Glimmer. I mean.... make up your mind your Loony bug!
5042219
We do have to bear in mind of course that she won't be satisfied with vengeance on one pony, even when it seems she is slowly losing her sanity (If not entirely). Let's not forget from the very beginning, Twilight had meddled in her attempts to steal Shining Armor's love and freed Princess Cadence (The pony Chrysalis replaced to get into Canterlot), who thereby exposed her identity and her emotions caused her to reveal her true form. Then the other ponies get involved attempting to drive off the invasion and ultimately through them Shining Armor and Cadence got together to ultimately drive the Changelings away. And ever since then, their influence caused a Changeling to embrace his true well-being before ultimately turning his back against Chrysalis.
So to take down 'one' pony, she'd have to take down the entire team to ensure that she regains her status (Even if means taking orders from the G.O.A.T. of Generation 1... Get it?).
5042221
Ah.
Btw.... if you ever want to get chance to read a story in which Chrysalis didn't slap Starlight's Hoof away and instead got reformed, be sure to read this story from my Best Friend Discord The Narrator:
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/425554/to-reform-a-queen
5042222
I'll keep that in mind. Though I've got a ton of work to go over of course. My schedule keeps me very busy.
But when I get a chance, I'll have a look.
5042223
Okie =)
Just so you know, out of all the various Reformed Chrysalis Fan Art, that one is easily my favorite <3