Thoughts on Season 9 and Series Finale · 7:46am Oct 13th, 2019
Oh my gosh, I'm on such a feels rollercoaster that I'm not sure I can express what I'm thinking and feeling coherently. Firstly, I can't believe it's over. Secondly, the last episode hit me really close to home. Thirdly, I know it wouldn't be MLP without the epic battle against the forces of evil, but the first two episodes didn't really hit me as hard as the last one did, not that they weren't good. Finally, there's just so much that I loved and enjoyed about these last few episodes, but I honestly don't even know where to start.
Maybe I should do it episode by episode. I'll have to lump episodes 24 and 25 together since the finale got aired as a 90-minute special and I can't tell where episode 24 ends and where episode 25 begins.
"The Ending of the End"
- I know Discord meant well, but that plan was dumb, ESPECIALLY for him.
- Oh my gosh! The bad guys are winning.
Ooooh, hey! A The Lord of the Rings reference. 
RUN, TWILIGHT! 
- I see Discord is handling this much better than the last time that he screwed up bad enough to doom Equestria. I kind of feel bad for enjoying the way he played Tirek's daddy issues for all it was worth. Then again, Tirek did deserve it for backstabbing Discord (among other things).
- So, that's it then, Equestria? You're just going to split up and wait for the end to come? Just like that?
- And now, Twilight is giving up along with the rest of Equestria. I'm honestly a little disappointed about that, but at the same time, boy, do i know how she feels!
- Windigos are back! (long pause) And Sandbar isn't running.
That's my boy! - YES! Our girls are back! (long pause) YES! The rest of the world came back to back them up! And it's all thanks to the Young Six and two random kids!
- Normally, I'd be against turning a child into stone, but she allied herself with an evil queen and Tirek, and if Chrysalis hadn't wanted to play with her food, she would have remorselessly killed all the prisoners. I'm oddly fine with it.
"The Last Problem"
- Oh my gosh! Gallus grew up! (watches rest of the episode) And so did everyone else.
- I can kind of see where Luster is coming from, but I can honestly say from experience that just because friends drift apart, it doesn't mean that those friendships weren't worth having.
- I see that the disaster that was Twilight's coronation did little to impede how prosperous her reign turned out.
- CHEESEPIE IS CANON! OH MY GOSH, YES! Sorry to all the non-CheesePie shippers I happen to be friends with, but if you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and enjoy this.
- FlutterCord and YonaBar seem to be canon also. Meh. "shrug" I'm okay with FlutterCord. I'm slightly less okay with YonaBar just because I prefer Sandbar and Ocellus, but I'll take it. By the way, hey, Foxhelm, how are you going to work around this one?
- I can't believe it's over.
Well, Friendship is Magic, looks like it's time. Here's a little something to send you off with.
Such an epic finale. That final battle had “Avengers Endgame” written all over it.
That ending song was beautiful, especially towards the end where we saw the montage of all the characters, complete with cameos of Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry.
I feel the exact same way. Sandbar and Yona are cute but I prefer the Ocelbar ship. At least we still have fanfics.
Did anyone else notice that AppleDash might be cannon. Just something in their arrival made me feel that. Also, is anyone else sad we didn't get to see grown-up Flurry Heart. We saw the window, but I'd like to know what she sounds like. Other than that, this was a great way to end the series. G5 has a lot to live up to and I hope they don't make the mistake Teen Titans and Ben 10 did.
5137484
It's a possibility, but honestly, if it is canon, it kinda feels as if it came out of nowhere. I'd rather take it as Dash volunteering her help to a friend who doesn't want it.
5137486 Most likely, yeah. Now I just gotta figure out how to write this ending into my universe without Flash just blasting them with the sacred light. That'll be tricky.
5137484
Everyone jumps to the conclusion that it is canon, but honestly there is barely any evidence to even imply it is. They were talking about chores, and AJ’s friends have helped with chores plenty of times in the past.
There is room for fanfic writers to make of it anyway they want, but I think people who conclude they are married are grasping at straws.
5137498 I know, it just sounded like an old married couple argument. Also, anyone else see Lyra and Bon Bon in that paper.
5137501
I did, now that is a ship I fully support. Also, There was an article about Derpy on the same page. I think it was about her muffins or something.
5137501
5137502
I don't know how, but I somehow missed it. "shrug" Meh.
5137488
Have you considered having Cozy using the bell on Flash as soon as she arrives, it drained Discord of his reality changing powers it might drain the Sacred Light...
5137504 I don't think that would work for reason that will become obvious in a future story. Don't forget, Flash is immune to most forms of magic.
5137498 Amen
5137509 Also, did anyone else notice a plothole concerning Discord's magic. Tirek said nopony except Discord could control his magic, but did he steal Discord's magic without any issues.
5137488
Or the power of Grogar that was in the bell could be the darkness that Sombra wielded and nearly killed Flash, i.e. immune to his light.
5137510
I have seen a few theories on that actually.
1. When Tirek drained Discord of his magic himself he was in his 4th form, but in the finale he was only ever in his 3rd form.
2. When Tirek absorbs magic himself it only increases his own magic and strength and does not give him the abilities of the magic he stole. The bell apparently grants the user the abilities of the magic stored inside it.
5137512 Fair enough.
5137511 I guess that could work. Or I could bring in another villain that soley keeps Flash occupied.
Yeah, honestly, I wasn't too terribly bothered by it either, for exactly the reasons you described. And it's not like she died or anything; she's basically in stasis.
5137486
5137498
My thoughts exactly. I kind of hope that they at least leave it ambiguous.
5137516
There's Shade waiting to break out...
5137510
Never really saw it as one, Tirek never controlled the power, only used the raw energy to buff himself
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5137498
Jim Miller had this to say:
So they're leaving it ambiguous.
5138034
I'll take it.
5137482
By the way, I was trying to find the Tweet that 5138034 was referring to, but I couldn't find it through the torrent of Tweets in his account.
However, he mentioned that Yona and Sandbar walking out of Rarity's boutique together was supposed to be ambiguous. Now that I'm really thinking about it, Yona and Sandbar could just be coworkers.
5138131
Good point. I guess the Ocelbar ship still has a chance!
Okay, now I can give a proper response:
Concerning Discord's plan... well here's the thing Chaotic beings... they aren't known for long term planning and given what we were shown in The Big Mac Question... Discord doesn't think things through.
Concerning the ponies falling about, remember the observation Cozy made at the end of The Summer Sun Setdow? It might have been over 1000 years, but at some level, there still exists some for tension between the three core tribes. Also, we don't know how long it's been between the Summer Sun Celebration to the originally planned coronation... and both Chrysalis and Cozy have high charisma scores and to be sincere the show hasn't shown that the average pony is all that bright.
Concerning the prosperity of Twilight's reign, you do know about between 50 to 90% of the groundwork was actually done by Celestia? Nothing against Twilight, but if Celestia didn't take Twilight under her wing, pun not intended, shipped her off to Ponyville, had her go to the Crystal Empire, sent her Star Swirl's spellbook... need I go on?
Concerning YonaBar... I can either not address it, have Sandbar be in a polygamous relationship with Ocellus and Yona, have Sandbar and Ocellus break up and Sandbar and Yona become a couple, keep what I already established... I got at least 4 options.
It's a bittersweet sendoff for the show, still a lot better than Game of Thrones', and Friendship is Magic had no source material to work with since Season 1.
Hey someone had to make that jab, so I took one for the team.
Overall, I was okay with the ending and it felt like a proper sendoff. And man, the closing book sure hurt my heart.
Regarding some of the ships that may have been canon...
CheesePie is definitely the only one that is for sure canon. FlutterCord is heavily implied and AppleDash and YonaBar are ambiguous enough to be left to interpretation.
I'm going to miss this show a whole lot, but I'm so glad the fandom is still united and I hope we still have conventions and many fanfics to turn to.
I love your reviews! Thank you for posting them. They're lots of fun to read.
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5137516
I might be showing my age by asking this, but are any of you going to try to guess which show I got the goodbye song from?
5141026
I have no idea, but it's catchy. ^^
5141026
Mid to late 20's
5141055
Well, yes, but which show is the goodbye song at the end from?
5141061
No idea... my guess was because in an earlier blog you said you are in residency or fellowship
5141061
it's from Out of the Box... the embedded video tell the title if you pause it...
5141026 No, never seen it before. I'm guessing it's really old considering the camera work.
5141127
it's from the late 90's early 2000's
5141134 Well that explains it. I didn't watch TV back then, to busy chewing on anything I could get my teeth into.
5141082
Really? Because I don't remember saying that.
5141082
Yeah, I just realized that.