Episode reviews: A Matter of Principals/ Friendship University/ The End in Friend · 5:39am May 10th, 2019
Well I still need to catch up on season 8 and 9 since I'm still behind. However, I'll be brief with these three as I've watched them. All three didn't really help my interest in season 8, which has become my least favorite season, beating out season 4. I don't hate any of these three but they aren't the stellar examples of MLP I'd hope for.
A Matter of Principals:
The episode begins with Twilight showing her students a scavenger hunt she set up. Each with an object important to a different culture. I honestly find this interesting and engaging as while I'm not too big on this season, it does a good job of building on the world building for other races outside of Equestria. So kudos.
I take back the kudos when Twilight gets 'pinged' by the Cutie Map. Oh yeah, the Cutie Map is still a thing. It's sometimes hard to remember it's purpose when it's used so sparingly. This is also another highlight to the problems of this school. Aside from Twilight and the gang, who all get pinged, there really aren't any substitute teachers or any other teachers. I'm not going to go into a spiel about how all of the main six have jobs that would conflict with being teachers again. I've done that enough as is. I am however going to bring up the point that with the map being a thing, it's likely that more then one of them will be called forth.
This is important since Twilight has to call upon Starlight and Spike to look over the school... Starlight is basically the school's psychologist and therapist and Spike's just the aid. So this basically tells me that Twilight has no real backups. This HUGE school only has six teachers and in the event they are called away, which will happen, they have to rely on two aids. I mean, for Celestia's sake, Starlight has to go out of her way to find some additional help (Maud, Trixie, and Spitfire) on her own. This is stupid. All schools have loads of teachers and can rely on substitutes when they are out of one. This is poor planning and it's hilarious because that the most meticulous pony on the show would fail at this. Again, the school idea wasn't that thought out well by the writers.
The rest of the episode is... fine. Discord wants to be a teacher but Starlight says no. So he messes with the entire school. I know Discord would never get someone killed but he does have some close calls. It's all fine and some good banter between Starlight and Discord even if it's not 'too' fun as it could be. I do take issue with the fact that it's Starlight who has to apologize to him because she denied him the chance. Yes she was judging on his past actions, but... he immediately proves her right with his antics. I wouldn't want to have him as a teacher or the like.
And then Twilight and co. come back and it's revealed that Discord was the one that sent them on the false mission... I'm going to go with the idea he used used illusion magic over the Cutie Map because, honestly, the thought that he could mess with something that's basically created from the Tree of Harmony, makes Discord too OP if he can easily counter his opposite.
Overall, it's a fine episode but has problems. I find the middle the more enjoyable part since it's just Starlight, Spike, Discord, and the school six doing things.
Friendship University:
Whelp, here's Starswirl's episode. Funny how only two of the Pillar six get an episode... I think we could have honestly cut some of the other episodes this season to have at least one of each like the deserve, but you take what you can get. 1/3 is better then 0.
The episode's basically about Twilight wanting Starswirl to come to her school to learn about friendship. Well that and the chance to be around her hero is probably another reason. Even with his temperament in season 7, I don't think it would damper Twilight's thoughts on him too much. Well apparently he went to Flim and Flam's school in Las Pegasus.
Apparently this 'University of Friendship' is getting popular and ponies are going to see it and even turning the heads of students of Twilight's school... I guess the allure of being taught under Equestria's greatest heroes and embodiment of Friendship isn't enough of an incentive. *sighs* So Twilight and Rarity decide to check it out. So they find out the Flim/Flam brothers and they have a song that's... okay. It's as okay as their previous songs. Never been too much of a fan of their songs except for the first one.
Chancellor Neighsay is on Flim/Flam's side and endorses it because it only appeals to ponies... Why Celestia has not fired this man after she started to enter big alliances with other races, I have no clue. I am still stumped unless she doesn't have the power which is also stupid. Anyways, Starswirl is liking it there and says they should give them a chance. Why Neighsay would hinge this chance to get at Twilight on ousted conmen since this could easily backfire on him makes him seem desperate. Well Twilight is desperate to show her idol that Flim/Flam are up to something.
I should note that the brothers don't charge for classes.
So the duo get on disguises which are funny but the brothers don't buy Twilight and catch her in a compromising position and blackmail her into backing off. {I guess this would ruin her reputation... even after she's saved the world multiple times.} They don't do this with Rarity because... they fell for it... even though they met Rarity not long ago and probably know she's an Element Bearer. (Or not, almost no one in Equestria seems to know about that.)
Moving on, so they start to depart and Rarity reveals to Twilight that the brothers are charging for the Friendship worksheets and making a hefty profit. Then soon after discovering all of these worksheets and book comes from her own friendship book. She confronts them and reveals to Starswirl their deception. So they have to return all of their money and all of the students head Twilight's school's way.
Then we end on Twilight wondering who gave her book to the Flim/Flam brothers right before Cozy Glow comes in to talk with Rarity. I'll give you that show, that's a subtle nod to the culprit and I do like it.
This episode was... meh. It had a few good gags and the subject matter was interesting but I felt it could have used more polishing and wasn't perfect.
The End in Friend:
This is going to be brief. I didn't care much for this episode. I don't hate it, but an episode about RD and Rarity breaking up their friendship only to get back together again? This episode seems like it belongs in the earlier seasons, 1-2. Yeah RD and Rarity aren't the closest of the group. They've really only had two episodes where they both shared focus and one of those had them in opposition for most of the time. You don't have to be terribly close to all your friends but this episode felt a bit forced. Not entirely as I can see them bickering a lot but meh. It's not a terrible episode. RD and Rarity's relationship is honestly more entertaining to watch then AJ and Rariy.
(I'm sorry, I do not find their episodes good for the most part. AJ and Rarity just bounce off each other boringly to me.) But this episode was just overall boring with some good banter mixed in.
So yeah, that's my reviews on these three episodes. Hopefully I can catch up before the end of the show.... sad to still think on it. Until next time, I hope you all do well.
To be fair, considering the EEG is a thing, it's likely Celestia, Luna, etc aren't absolute diarchs
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While I know they don't have absolute rule, or at least Celestia is very lax when it comes to the media, the show doesn't really showcase how much control Celestia has over the country. The comics do to an extent, but one can't exactly use the comics effectively since they've been contradicted by the show on a number of occasions.