Nope, Still Here! · 10:41pm Oct 16th, 2019
Well gang, "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" has officially ended. We knew that it would end eventually but hoped that it would happen later rather than sooner. As I stated in a previous blog, despite the end of the show, I won't be leaving you guys. I mean, at least not anytime soon. I won't obviously be doing this forever but I'm not exiting Fimfiction just because the show's over. I'll still be here to publish stories or chatting with you fine folks.
As for my opinion of the season finale? There were parts I liked, parts I didn't and overall, I thought it was...okay. Not good, not bad but okay. A lot of wasted ideas and potential but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Maybe I'll put out an official review, maybe not. I will say that-
SPOIL ALERT!
-The twist about Discord pretending to be Grogar the whole time was surprising and I will give the writers credit for it. However, it was disappointing, as I was invested in seeing a new, all-powerful baddie, especially since King Sombra majorly got the shaft (yes, I'm still a tad bitter about that) and it felt as though this was done to make Grogar look like a huge threat. Also, some of the episodes felt like filler and this was disappointing as this was the final season and thus a time to wrap things up for everyone and give the fans a chance to say goodbye. There are other things I didn't like but that was the biggie for me. They could've revived some other G1 villains or added some more mature and thought-provoking storylines. With some minor tweaking, this last season could've been epic!
In closing, I just wanted to say that with so many authors leaving the site due to the show's end, that I won't be one of them. As long as I have story ideas (of which, there are a lot), I will remain here among you all. I still somewhat regret joining the site so late in the game, as there are so many stories I could've published well in advance but I won't get hung up on the past. It's the future that we're looking to after all.
This is MisterEdd and y'all are stuck with me. Stay groovy, colts and fillies!
The twist was certainly.. iffy.
I was pretty bitter with what happened to Spike in the premiere(showing how no matter how hard he tries he's stuck in the Mane 6's shadows due to not being an Element Bearer) but the fact it was Discord's fault there made it aggravating.
So many issues with that plan there..
It also made the retirement crap worse too.
5338505
There is so much wrong with Season 9 that I'd need to write a whole essay about it
5338520
Part of me is actually interested on that essay there :0
5338524
Huh. Well in place of an essay, I'm working on a head canon series that corrects the mistakes of season 9 but first I have to work my way up to it. It deals with Sombra's return much earlier on and his redemption.
5338527
Would touch on other issues too like about the writers not touching on Luna's dark powers/darkness and such?
And Spike's origins?(They sadly did not touch on that at all, instead they just troll the poor guy)
Which season finale is your fav actually?
5338530
Yes I will. That's the main storyline but I will touch on other subjects not fully explored in spin-off stories. As for my favorite season...I'd probably have to go with either 4 or 5. They have the best jokes and character moments.
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Hopefully I'll start reading them if I can get past my nervousness and lazyness or something.
Which finale is your least fav actually?
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The first one is When Darkness Falls, followed by The Return of the King and now All Hail, Midnight Sparkle!, which I'm still working on.
When it comes to finales, I'd have to say season 8. Cozy Glow was just such a weak villain and after the confrontation with Lord Tirek in season 4, season 8's conclusion felt somehow smaller in scale. I don't like season 5's finale either but at least Starlight was more fleshed out and felt like a credible threat, even if her redemption and sudden forgiveness by Twilight was unfulfilling.
5338541
Hopefully I can ready them soon.
Guess I am um.. worried about Luna and such or something.
I think my least fav finale is To Where And Back Again.
Thing were looking up for Spike in season 6 pretty much and with him befriending Thorax, but Spike got robbed big time in that finale.
HE was the one who befriended Thorax, not Starlight. Spike should have been part of the rescue team.
The idea of the Mane 6 gets captured for once and forced to rely on others to save their flanks and the day was interesting, but the idea is shot in the foot with if the very ponies(like Luna and Celestia) that often get taken out gets freaking taken out.
Heck, it could have been Luna's time to shine like that. I mean ,she is a reformed villain and could have joined the team. But nope.. apparently she got captured too despite she was clearly awake. Its absolutely embarassing.
I just resent that finale so much, Spike got robbed big time and Luna got wasted. And in hindsight, Chrysalis got screwed by the writers for the sake of "not everyone can change" or something. Having Chrysalis not reforming on the spot and take longer to do so is good, not having her reform in the end of the show is just a waste.
5338558
I agree. You could make the argument that Chrysalis was doing everything just to feed her hive and resented the ponies for how easily they lived. But Starlight? She overreacts to her friend moving away and because of that, enslaves and brainwashes an entire village, tries to rewrite history and potentially destroy Equestria, yet she's the one that gets redeemed.
5338570
Yeah..
Its pretty jarring they made reformations left and right but not willing for Chrysalis, who was one of the "OG" villains(as in the villains that were made when Faust was still around. I think she left sometime after or before the season 2 finale but I still count Chrysalis as part of the "Faust" era). In fact Chrysalis is the only villain from the first 2 seasons to not reform.
As for Starlight, her backstory can work I think. The main issue was not just the execution but also it felt like some info was missing. Big time
5338575
Yeah, such as, how did she learn how to remove cutie marks? That's a serious magical spell there and I doubt it's something you can just learn anywhere. How did she come to the conclusion to enslave a village and turn it into a cutie markless dystopia? How did she take over the town and convince its inhabitants to get rid of their cutie marks? Where did she get the time travel scroll? Twilight had to go to the royal library for a scroll that only allowed her to travel back a few hours. Why is it Starlight faces no repercussions for her actions?
5338579
Speaking of things that weren't explain, another thing bugs me on how did the changelings managed to capture everyone in TWABA.
Even if they got them in their sleep, there's the issue of how did they snuck everyone back to the hive(in fact, I think Sunburst literally saw Cadance and Shining Armor getting nabbed and thus sent Thorax. Along with the changelings have not so good acting iirc, I think Chrysalis's plan was doomed too fail). Luna was literally awake, its pretty embarrassing and a wasted chance if she got captured like that too.
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Good points. Going back to season 8, where did Cozy Glow come from? I'd assume that she has parents, otherwise how did she enroll in the Friendship School? Why did she want to steal all of Equestria's magic? How did she manage to communicate with Tirek while he was in Tartarus? What was her end goal once the magic was gone? If she has parents, where are they? Surely the authorities would've notified them that their daughter was imprisoned for treason and terrorism. There were two highly dangerous individuals broken out of Tartarus yet the princesses had no idea? And how is it that the average ponies didn't recognize Cozy Glow while she was at the festival? I'd assume the filly that tried to steal Equestria's magic would be pretty widely-known.
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The writers sure did not think things through when they came up with Cozy Glow.
I mean, look at how split the fans are regarding her fate from season 8 and season 9.
What other stuff you think the show didn't explain?
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The Darkness that infected Stygian, the nature of Limbo, where Spike came from (seeing as how he came from a dragon egg that somehow ended up amongst ponies), Fluttershy's existence as a pony/vampire fruit bat hybrid, the backstory behind the Alicorn Amulet (and how it was just dropped from the series), Luna's bat-pony guards, whether or not Applejack and Pinkie are actually related, et cetera.
5338608
I always keep imagining that Fluttershy was a descendent of a line of bat pony ancestors and that mishap with Twilight's spell awoken that bat pony trait(until they snapped her out of it).
What do you think about the Well Of Shade? Kind of wished Luna got to saw it before it presumable got blown up I think(?)
5338610
It was an interesting thought and the Darkness is remarkably similar to whatever it was that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon. Also, it's weird that they hinted that Fluttershy is still a vampire yet its never brought up again. Pinkie's abilities are never explained either; both she and Cheese Sandwich have similar powers but we never learn where they came from. We never get a reason why the Everfree is the way it is or the Tree of Harmony's sentience or why it took Twilight's form when talking to the Young Six.
5338611
Wished they touched on like the idea of Luna must using the darkness she is connected to and such(while dealing with shenanigans from Nightmare Moon). Wonder how she reacted to the Well of Shade there?
In fact I wished the writers didn't sideline the Royal Sisters in Shadow Play, imagine how hurt Luna would be about Starswirl's attitude of "once a villain, always a villain". The character potential!
5338614
Right? And doesn't that attitude, coupled with his overall personality kind of make you question how he managed to befriend Scorpan and convince him that Equestria shouldn't be conquered?
5338628
Yeah.. how did that happen really?
In fact I wonder if Tirek even knew its because of Starswirl that Scorpan turned on him?(That's the only thing I can think up of on why Tirek didn't bring that bit up).
Wonder how it would go with Luna finding out her mentor would hate her if he found out about the NMM fiasco and such.
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Shame how it's never brought up, even though it shows the sisters reuniting with their beloved mentor. How would Starswirl feel about this new world? Would he react positively to how Celestia runs it or show disappointment? He comes from a different period of time, one that was more chaotic and brutal, so would he see it as necessary or would he be shocked at Celestia's more cold way of ruling?
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I wonder how it even went when he was teaching the sisters years ago?
Like did Luna did good as Celestia and such? Would Luna feel hurt if he found out her dark past and he basically adding salt to the wound?
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I have a story in my head canon universe called The Reign of Chaos: Discord's Story (which I will get back to work on sometime) where I depict Celestia as Star Swirl's top pupil and Luna as the weaker, jealous one, which adds to her growing resentment of her sister. It would've been nice to have delved into their backstories. Or any backstories not involving the Main Six or side characters that don't matter, such as the major villains.
5338640
Wished the show had Luna managed to catch up or even surpass Celestia in all the stuff she ended up coming up short to.
Its just annoying the show kept showing time and time again of Luna being "inferior" to Celestia like that.
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It is sad once you think about it. Despite obviously being a deeply flawed and self-righteous individual, Celestia is never called out on it and is portrayed as being perfect.
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Her speech to Luna in season 1 even sounded like she acts like Luna alone is at fault even though I am sure Celestia is at fault too.
It does need some tweaking there..
It just gets pretty aggravating that Luna is always show to be "weaker" than Celestia, even in terms of destructive forms or something like Nightmare Moon and Daybreaker with how things went in Royal Problem from the looks of it.
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I may love Celestia(not as much as Luna, but still a bunch) but she does needed to be called out on those issues.
Like to grow as a better character too.
Any thoughts on the other comment?
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I agree that Luna is repeatedly and unfairly shown as being weaker than Celestia, although I'd argue she's stronger. Luna was trapped alone on the moon for a thousand years, had to readjust to a new era markedly different from her own, cope with the aftermath of being Nightmare Moon, deal with first being regarded as a scary story then feared by the populace, win back the respect of her subjects and battle guilt and depression, as seen with the Tantabus. She's suffered so much yet keeps moving forward.
5339058
Wished they shown that better in the show.
Along with I wished the show had Luna be able to "catch up" or match up to Celestia in terms of the stuff Celestia overshadowed Luna in like during the whole teaching stuff Starswirl had with them.
In fact I don't think they touched on that enough with Starswirl being their mentor, did they?
5339062
Not even a little. Just a little tidbit at the end of Shadow Play Part 2 but that's it. We get nothing about the sisters' backstories, their rise to power, their relationship to Star Swirl, Luna's breaking point, nada.
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Wonder what would have been shown if they did touch on all of that?
5339174
*Shrugs* Depends on who's telling the story. I have my own head canon ideas but it varies from person to person.
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Just wished the show had Luna managing to resolve all those times she got outshined by Celestia(like with during the teaching stuff Starswirl there). Rather than just apparently accepting she will always be outshined by Celestia.
I am starting to think the Elements of Harmony did something to her aside from forcibly purifying her..
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Interesting....like what?
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I don't know really.
Its like Luna got hit by that rainbow and apparently she accepts she has to deal with being in Celestia's shadow.
Along with apparently Luna doesn't have the courage or something to fully oppose to Celestia's decisions pretty much
Certainly didn't like how it looked like that..
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Or what if it's not the Elements of Harmony at all? What if it's Celestia manipulating her by appealing to her guilt and self-loathing?
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Possibly
Celestia definitely needed to be called out on that one
Like really, that's going to make Luna worse inside for sure if Celestia did that.
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Considering that Celestia canonically had been manipulating aspects of Twilight's life since foalhood, I wouldn't put it past her
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I wonder how its going to go for Luna during the "aftermath" and such?
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As they have time to just relax, Luna's going to think about it and confront Celestia, leading to a violent confrontation
5339216
Its most likely not going to be pretty.
And most likely its going to be worse than expected due to what Discord's plan had caused and such.
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Think Discord's iffy plan would made Luna feel worse pretty much?
Given with how things went for the sisters in the finale and such..
5339235
I'd think so. Just when Luna feels like her life is in order and she's able to walk away from a job well done, she finds out that no, things are not fine.
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It certainly felt like they ended their rules on pretty bad notes due to that mess pretty much.
Right?
5339240
That it does. What did Celestia and Luna actually accomplish?
5339260
In fact his plan essentially rub in salt to the fact the Royal Sisters are basically tossed aside due to no longer being connected to the Elements. Like how they weren't included in the final rainbow laser despite they wielded the Elements before and their cutie marks were on the Tree of Harmony.
What do you think about that issue?
5339263
Yeah that didn't make much sense to me. I think that the Tree being destroyed was a good idea but it was used too early. The gang realizes that they had the power all along and then the rest of the series continues, mostly with filler episodes. After that, the idea isn't really explored and then the rainbow power thing is used on the Legion of Doom.
5339265
And there's the issue of if that "power" was in the girls this whole time and the Elements are just "symbols"
How the heck does that explain the case with the Royal Sisters there?
5339266
Or the connection with the Pillars of Old Equestria...or the Tree of Harmony actually being alive. The writers just gave up with Season 9