Thoughts on S9 Grand Finale: They Broke Me

In late April 2012 I was housesitting and had a weekend of nothing to do. I was aware of ponydom but had dismissed it as an invasive species toward my favourite artists online. I have no idea how my thought process went during that morning but, at some point I ended up going to youtube and saying to myself "Might as well see what all the fuss is about." Seven and a half years later (or yesterday) and I sat down in a booth at UK Ponycon with my two best friends, ready to see where this journey was going to end up. Granted it was kind of loud so my thoughts may not match up to what happened, we were struggling to hear at times. We all know how high the stakes are, both in episode and for the show, so there isn't really anything more I can say. Other than I'll occasionally sprinkle what my current emotional status (CES) was into my thoughts as necessary. I can't believe I'm doing this, part of me still doesn't want to do this but...Let's go, the final three episodes of Friendship is Magic.

And even with it being the end, no spoilers will be covered as always. At this point, we could have been the last people to see it anyway.

Episode 24 - The Ending of the End, Part 1:

CES: Kind of strained

The power trio are writing the remaining episodes and Nicole Dubuc is first up to bat. We're off to a nervy start with the villain trio making tensions skyrocket in Equestria and finally figuring out Grogar's bell in time to turn it on him....Aaaaannndddd it turns out Grogar was secretly Discord playing them the whole time. I anticipate a shitstorm over this twist but, to quote Alicorn Day, truth be told it's come so far out of left field that I don't have any strong feelings about it. Besides the fact that he definitely did take his manipulative mentoring way too far to the extreme. I do have a theory about what this means for the original Grogar though. The bell was turned on him in the past and it was his power that Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy absorbed to go battle mode, third form and alicorn respectively. Edit: Turns out that was one of the bits I didn't hear on first watching, my bad.

I'm going to get my main issue with this episode out of the way here. It really felt like we had the chance to get the answers to some much needed questions, say....ANYTHING about Cozy Glow beyond being a power crazy sociopath. But almost every chance got pushed aside so we could instead watch the Pillars be reduced to jobbers for Tirek, or Starlight and Chrysalis' final showdown (though granted that was really cool, even if it briefly pushed my CES to 'I can't look'), or...Blowing up/damaging half of Canterlot, with little chance of no civilian casualties if you think about it...Okay, something positive as well...This applies to all three but the animation was pretty much perfect all the way.

Back with the mane 6 and, hypocrisy at its finest coming from me but, I think Twilight took the news that Discord had been engineering this season's villain threat way too badly. Ok maybe Sombra wasn't at his maximum level of threat, but he was still a legit threat and you treated him as such, and you all came through. It was still your victory Twi, and as you showed against Cozy shortly after, you were more than capable of taking them on even with Discord legitimately out of action. Not to mention the rest of the mane 6 got just as much chance to shine, from Pinkie's party bazooka to Rarity nailing Tirek in the face with a boulder. Plus everyone going down fighting to buy Twilight time to retreat. Safe to say by the time that to be continued popped up, my CES had the integrity of a burnt potato.

This...This hurts to say. I wanted to give this a good rating, because it's far from a bad episode. But it feels like so many last chances to either give a little context or explain something were squandered in order to give the next episode more scale. Even though the line for episodes that broke the good streak is still between The Point of no Return and Sweet and Smokey, and this ranked above both...It still feels like a breaker, bringing the last attempt to set a new record crashing to a stop at 8. One short of matching the record. At least my friend said that ending was as intense as it gets.

I think they lied.

Episode 25 - The Ending of the End, Part 2:

I'd like to say at this point that Tirek definitely showed himself as best villain in this two parter. Chrysalis is still unhinged and more concerned with letting ponies (mostly Starlight) suffer than reclaiming her throne, while Cozy is a batshit crazy power addict (though I have started to wonder, maybe she's a reincarnation of some villain like Grogar). Tirek was calculating in his trust toward his 'allies', knew that Twilight was still a threat on her own and suggested dealing with the Windigo threat as soon as he realised it was there. Oh yeah, now the Windigo's are back too, what with each pony race retreating to bases at Ponyville, Cloudsdale (seemingly pulling a Fallout Equestria in the process) and Canterlot's school of magic, leaving everyone else to it. Not quite the civil war that was implied but, it's doing the damage. At least it later turns out that the Young 6 and a few other students were able to rally everypony, everycreature, back round. Bonus points for Sandbar once again being the one seen taking the initiative.

Meanwhile, Discord manages to claw back a few points by tricking Tirek into breaking Starlight's restraints via deflected magic, so she can have her last moment (side note, I've seen nothing but praise for Starlight in the two parter so far. Such a pleasant turnaround) and free everyone else, throwing herself, Celestia, Luna, Discord and the Pillars into their final final showdown while the rest of the Mane 6 get to Twi. Who's in the Crystal Empire, having an industrial bout of depression-induced Twilighting. I've already gone over that so I'll admit, the fact this is Cadance and Shining's only scene in these three episodes is somewhat disheartening. I've always liked all three of them, so after a brought round Twi tells them that Flurry is the last line of defence if she fails, and none of them are ever directly seen again...It smarts a bit, especially after what's coming...CES is wavering even further...

So, this is what it all comes to. The final final, for real final battle. The mane 7, versus Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy. I almost wish Cozy and Sombra had swapped roles in the premiere now. It was nice to see everyone (for the most part) getting another chance to shine on both sides, but not as nice as it was to see the true payoff of the last nine seasons bear fruit. Virtually every named (and a few unnamed) character coming as back, with the first wave including none other than frigging Tempest Shadow! Forget the CES, my heart was both swelling and aching from the steady escalation from this point onward. The sheer fact everyone was fighting for the Mane 6 for once, the hyper rainbow death laser, Pinkie temporarily controlling Discord's magic to keep the villains subdued, even the point that even as the trio were finished for good via turned to stone by Celestia, Luna and Discord, Chrysalis tried to die fighting.

Even if it took sacrificing the first part to make it happen, Michael Vogel managed to pick up the pieces and give us a finale worthy of everything FiM built up to. Right up to ending the same way S1 did, with the Mane 6 just taking a few minutes to unwind together in Joe's doughnut shop. It was always anticipated that this part might well need to be the best out of all 16 finale episodes and frankly...I think it succeeded. Closure where it was needed (mostly), action packed throughout, top of the game work from all involved. It's an outside contender for the top 25. Which may not seem like much but, it's still the closest a 2 parter ep has come in years. Major kudos.

And there's still one more episode to go, CES...Both then and now, hanging on. Just.

Final Episode - The Last Problem:

I don't want this to get lost in the shuffle so, I'm going to say it in advance. Every single person who has worked on this show, from those who were in the meeting where Friendship is Magic was first proposed, to the last individual who signed off on airing this last episode. Every single person, credited or not, from every single stage of planning and production, no matter if you were there from the start or only came in for one scene...Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for making this journey what it was.

This final episode alternates between two times, so I'm going to focus on the...I guess it'd be the main show's present first. Twilight's final day in Ponyville before becoming ruler of Equestria. I know that feeling, the worry over something big only to feel like no-one else gives a damn about it. I know the other side too, of just trying to keep yourself from thinking about it, how in this case their whole world is being upended with Twilight leaving. There was a plus in the middle of it though, they may have left it to almost the last possible second but Spitfire finally had a speaking role again. Most underrated pegasus got one every season! Now she just needs a spotlight issue when the comics do S10. Plus Tempest made another cameo at Twi's coronation, which...Went about as well as you'd expect. That is to say, well enough, and now Twi actually controls the sun and moon, while Celestia and Luna are bowing out to actual retirement. This was the last we saw of them too, and the final hug between the princesses and the lead 8 (Spike and Starlight included) was a heartwarming/breaking way to close out the main show period. I don't think it had yet sunk in by then either.

The other half is, unknown but roughly 20 years later. Twi is handling Equestria just fine and has become majestic as fuck. Spike's really figured out his ambassador role and sticks by Twilight's side when not on duty. Plus he got tall and buff. I know his new look is divisive but it's grown on me, as long as his head's not pointed directly toward the viewer. Pinkie is pretty much still Pinkie, only for looking even more insane, and making CheesePie canon and having a daughter together. Rarity is making age look elegant (hard as it is to see her that old) and taking her business internationally, taking her arc to it's rightful end. Fluttershy lives with Discord (and is pretty blatantly making Fluttercord canon, it was even in an earlier draft) and is keeping her sanctuary successful. Rainbow is at the top of the Wonderbolt hierarchy, either as captain or coach, and Applejack is still running the farm alongside Big Mac and Sugar Belle (and their son). It's also implied that AppleDash is canon and, I can see it. Starlight looks most dapper now, running the school alongside Sunburst (who grew a rocking beard) and Trixie (...In a magician's business suit), while the CMC are professors there (look almost just like they did a few eps ago) alongside Smolder, Ocellus and Silverstream. Gallus has made it to Captain of the Royal Guard and while Yona and Sandbar aren't really elaborated on, it's implied that they manage Carousel Boutique and that Yobar is canon. It's also implied that Flurry Heart now rules the Crystal Empire (no word on Shining or Cadance) and that the Young 6 have wielded Harmony on a major adventure of their own. Oh and Lyra and Bon Bon are still together.

...It's just so nice to see all of them finally get an ending they can be happy with. So proud. And hopefully all those who're no longer with us after the time skip (Granny Smith, Goldie Delicious, Winona and Angel are all but stated, along with everyone else who may be gone like Grand Pear, Burnt Oak, Mr. Waddle, Mistmane, Starswirl and anypony else I'm forgetting) were able to live the rest of their lives in peace.

Oh yeah, the plot. Twilight's current student, G5 Twilight Luster Dawn (who may or may not be related to Sunburst) is going through the same path as Twi did back when the show began. Only without the whole looming apocalypse part. This time it's solved through the story of the past section and the show's final song, The Magic of Friendship Grows. I wasn't able to properly listen due to being so close to the main stage but, it really sounded like this hit the right notes in both tune and closure, going through everything mentioned before ending on Luster seemingly forming her own Core 5 as the Main 7 look on (to a gentle version of the main theme), and the closing of the same book that this story began on 9 years ago. Roll the same old credits (same as they did for the intro) one last time...Seeing that book close, with the 'Fin' visible next to the picture of the Main 7, that was when it truly sunk in for me.

Final CES: Inelegantly trying and failing to keep from crying into my friend's side.

They did it. No-one believed they could, and many still wont, but Josh Haber did it. They broke me emotionally with the final episodes...And more importantly, they gave the show a proper send off. Everypony got their moment, the transition to the future was smooth enough while leaving a lot open for us to play with in the years to come, just the sheer fact that we got this far...This show deserved it's happy ending as much as the characters did, and it got it, at least twice over. Now go, Friendship is Magic, into the annals of animated history, and take your place of honour as a legend of the 2010s. Thank you for everything.

In the meantime, I will stick to the belief that this will eventually become canon.

Final Episode Rankings:

1 - The Last Problem
2 - The Big Mac Question
3 - The Summer Sun Setback
4 - Frenemies
5 - The Ending of the End, Part 2
6 - The Last Crusade
7 - Sparkle's Seven (Swear to Celestia, this was not intentional)
8 - A Trivial Pursuit
9 - She's All Yak (This and above marks the line for episodes rated Very Good or above)
10 - The Beginning of the End, Part 2
11 - Daring Doubt
12 - A Horse Shoe-In
13 - The Beginning of the End, Part 1
14 - Dragon Dropped
15 - Growing up is Hard to do
16 - The Last Laugh
17 - Between Dark and Dawn
18 - Student Counsel
19 - She Talks to Angel
20 - The Ending of the End, Part 1
21 - Common Ground
22 - The Point of No Return (Despite the streak breaker above, this marked the line for episode that rated average or above)
23 - Sweet and Smoky
24 - Uprooted
25 - 2, 4, 6, Greaaat (The bottom two are the line for episodes rated rough or bad...So close)
26 - Going to Seed

Final Song Rankings:

1 - The Magic of Friendship Grows (Once I finally heard it cleanly, there was no other choice)
2 - Better Way to be Bad
3 - Being Big is All it Takes
4 - The Last Laugh
5 - Lotta Little Things
6 - Fit Right in
7 - The Place Where we Belong

S9 Bingo Result: 16/25, no bingos (The last checks go to Young 6 Graduate, Mane 6 Canon Ship and my wildcard, Spitfire Speaking Role. In the interest of having all the checks match up, I moved it to replace Sunset Shimmer, so I don't have to acknowledge her any more than this)