Season 9 Retrospective · 2:03am Oct 13th, 2019
Warning: Season-wide spoilers abound. Proceed with caution.
I need to write this while the emotions of the finale are still fresh in my mind. Though the stories will continue in the comics (and countless fanfics, I'm sure), this is truly the end of an animation era. So, as a final season, did it go out with a bang, or a whimper? Follow me below the break to see my take.
Setting up a ponified Legion of Doom was a great plot for this season, even if they weren't as much of an active presence as the actual Legion of Doom. I did kinda wish Grogar did more, but after seeing the finale, I can see why he didn't.
Destroying the Tree of Harmony was a rather bold move, and I'm glad it was addressed right away after the premier. Was it a bit of a cop-out for the tree to come back? Eh, maybe. But the feelings were still there.
Several episodes show that even after all she has accomplished, Twilight isn't perfect and still has much to learn. Sometimes, this is expertly handled. Sometimes, it isn't (*cough*ATrivialPursuit*cough*). Overall, I appreciate how much she's grown in the nine seasons of the show's run. 
Lots of emphasis was given on reforming villains that weren't in the Legion of Doom. Some say it's a tired cliché, but I think it works in favor of the show's core message. Well, for the most part. Ahui's face turn seems to ignore previously-established continuity (seriously, if it wasn't for that one detail, Daring Doubt would've been fantastic 
).
Starlight Glimmer has really started to come into her own as well. Between finding work-life balance and learning that nepotism isn't fair to anyone involved, she really is Twilight's student through and through. She certainly has a brighter future than I thought she'd have when we first met her in Season 5.
Meeting Scootaloo's family was something I hoped would happen, and they didn't disappoint. Though her parents aren't exactly winning any awards when it comes to raising a child. Her aunts did a better job of that, honestly.
Beyond that, the staff really went out of their way to explore every avenue they could in the episodes between the setup for the finale. Highlights for me include the epic heist games, the troubled family life of Quibble Pants, My Fair Yona, Fluttershy's Freaky Friday, and the mixed-up proposal of Big Mac and Sugar Belle.
However, this was not a perfect ending by any means. Some eps missed the mark (Going to Seed); others were aired far too late in the show's lifespan (Growing Up is Hard to Do); some were just... why? (2, 4, 6, GREAAAT).
But in the end, we saw an epic yet formulaic finale with a heart-wrenching and relatable epilogue. I know I glossed over a lot in this recap, but the way this season turned out and how long time passed between discussions (seriously, knightly, what the hay?), I couldn't think of any other way to sum this up. I might do a full MLP retrospective later on, but for now, I'm satisfied with this wild and crazy ride into the world of pastel ponies. It's a world I never thought I'd enjoy, but from Pinkie's fudge joke in Fall-Weather Friends, this series captivated me, related to my struggles, and stoked the fires of my imagination. For that, I will always truly be grateful.
This is Metool Bard, signing off for now. 
Nicely said, Metool. Nicely said all around.
Eh, I think it actually fits in with continuity, but it's a bit messy to make it work.
Going to Seed is definitely my pick for the weakest of the season.
It's fine, but that's about it.
Growing Up Is Hard to Do, I think is a lot of fun.
And while 2, 4, 6, GREAAAT isn't great (heh), I still enjoyed it.
Season 9 as a whole is my definite favorite.
It's the most consistently good, and has the highest highs.
It's a nice ending. I still have some things to said, mainly about Grogar, and somethings that haven't been addressed, like what's up with Cozy's origins. I mean, what made her like that?
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Now that I would've loved to see. But I guess we'll leave it to the fanfic writers to speculate.
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Yeah. There's one user that had the headcannon that Cozy is not a real filly, but an herald of Grogar. That would make a pretty darn good story.