Updating Friendship - Part 8 · 6:11pm Oct 3rd, 2020
From the few responses I've gotten, it sounds like people want to see a tenth season in my version so that's what will happen. Updating season 8 is up there with my biggest changes to the show, right next to extending season 3 to a full 26-episode season. This season had a lot of episodes that fell flat for much of the audience, so I did my best to modify all the ones that needed heavy edits.
Onto Season 8: Class Chaos! Now with a lot less terrible episodes!
Ep. 1 “School Daze, Part 1” – Same as canon. Soon after the battle in Canterlot, the mane cast enter the map room one day to find the map has expanded to territories beyond Equestria, indicating an increase in power. Taking it as a sign they need to spread friendship lessons to other kingdoms, Twilight comes up with the idea to open a school. She and Spike approach the Equestria Education Board, headed by the bigoted Chancellor Neighsay, to open a school with their accreditation. While the school is built, Twilight and the other Elements of Harmony learn to be teachers so they can teach their respective elements in a classroom. On the school’s opening day, the mane cast discover Twilight invited a student from each kingdom they’ve befriended to attend. Sandbar comes from Mihaymi, and Silverstream joins Yona, Smolder, Ocellus, and Gallus as kingdom students. With Starlight as a guidance counselor and Spike assisting Twilight as headmare, the mane cast quickly learn that the EEA guidelines do not suit their teaching styles. As the first semester gets off to a rough start, Sandbar and the Young Six ditch class on Friends and Family Day, which is when Chancellor Neighsay is visiting to assess the school. Outside of class, the Young Six find they like hanging out and accidentally crash Friends and Family Day, revealing to Neighsay that the mane cast is teaching creatures other than ponies. He gets chewed out for his bigoted comments, but he ignores them to shut down the school.
Ep. 2 “School Daze, Part 2” – Same as canon. With the school shut down, Twilight falls into a slump. Her friends try to cheer her up, but it is only when Starlight convinces her to ignore the guidelines and teach their special subjects their way that Twilight finds renewed purpose. They soon learn that the Young Six ran away to continue being with each other, and are tasked with finding them by the kingdom leaders. After realizing Sandbar was friends with the international students, they follow him to the Castle of the Two Sisters, where the students are attacked by the Everfree Forest’s wildlife. The students are saved, and they agree to return to school if the guidelines are being removed. Neighsay finds out about the attempts to reopen the school, and once again nearly sparks an international war by claiming friendship should only be taught to ponies. Twilight tells him the EEA approval doesn’t matter anymore and that she wrote her own rulebook to fit her school’s unique educational topics, and he leaves with a warning that ponies will be betrayed by another species. School starts up again with the mane cast able to teach in their own ways and the students much happier for it.
Ep. 3 “The Maud Couple” – Same as canon to introduce Mud Briar as a minor character and explore Pinkie’s relationship with Maud.
Ep. 4 “Fake It Til You Make It” – Same as canon for filler.
“Grannies Gone Wild” – Delete because this episode is cringy beyond belief, and replace it with Class Pets.
Ep. 5 “Class Pets” – A new episode to replace Grannies Gone Wild. With their owners busier now that they teach as well as pursue their individual careers, the mane pets attempt to get more attention by wandering around the school. After shenanigans go too far, their owners realize they’ve been neglecting the pets and try to make more time for them. At the end, Cozy shows up to enroll in the school.
Ep. 6 “Surf and/or Turf” – Same as canon to continue the Map Mission saga and establish Terramar as a recurring character along with exploring Silverstream’s home life. Like Starlight in A Royal Problem, the Crusaders being called is a sign of the map’s greater ability to call upon those outside the mane cast.
Ep. 7 “Horse Play” – Same as canon to explore Celestia’s personal hobbies and her backstory to becoming the princess of the sun. Some edits would be to include Luna in the play because she and Celestia are a team, and her first raising of the moon likely happened around the same time as Celestia’s first sun raising.
Ep. 8 “The Parent Map” – Same as canon to continue the Map Mission saga and explore Starlight and Sunburst’s history. Like Starlight and the Crusaders, Sunburst being called by the map is a sign of the map’s growing abilities.
“Non-Compete Clause” – Delete because everyone hates this episode and replace it with Love Works Wonders.
Ep. 9 “Love Works Wonders” – A new episode focusing on Rainbow as she helps previous Map Mission guests Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail when they want to become the Wonderbolts’ first romantic couple. Cadence appears in a supporting role because love is her territory.
Ep. 10 “The Breakup Break Down” – Same as canon to progress the Big Macintosh and Sugar Belle romance. Perhaps edit the Crusaders’ side plot so they experience their first Hearts and Hooves Day with dates, like Apple Bloom with Tender Taps.
Ep. 11 “Molt Down” – Same as canon, except Peewee is still with Spike. This episode shows Spike getting older and able to do more since he gains wings. Smolder also has a bigger role as a fellow dragon.
Ep. 12 “Marks for Effort” – Same as canon to establish Cozy Glow as a recurring character, but edit the ending so Twilight doesn’t blindly accuse the Crusaders of purposefully sabotaging Cozy’s studying so they could join the school. In the end, the Crusaders join the staff as part-time friendship tutors.
Ep. 13 “The Mean 6” – Same basic concept, but heavily edit the story so Chrysalis’s evil clones actually pose a threat to the mane cast.
Ep. 14 “A Matter of Principals” – Same basic concept, but edit the story so Discord is less of a jerk and genuinely wants to be part of the School of Friendship’s staff. This episode sets up the season finale by revealing the artifacts for the Spellvenger Hunt.
Ep. 15 “The Hearth’s Warming Club” – Same as canon to expand on the other kingdoms’ holiday traditions and the Young Six’s families. This episode also reveals a huge piece of character for Gallus. Cozy Glow is also in the episode, claiming not to go home for personal reasons but is actually planning for the season finale.
Ep. 16 “Friendship University” – Same as canon, but make Gladmane the con artist after Flim and Flam outconned him. Rara’s ex-manager, Svengallop, could perhaps serve as Gladmane’s partner. This episode continues the animosity between Neighsay and Twilight.
Ep. 17 “A Trivial Pursuit” – Along with being bumped up from season nine, this episode would get a major focus edit. The episode would be about the Young Six struggling with studying for a test on general Equestria knowledge, so they turn studying into a game. The students pair off into teams, and each team has difficulties working together. Gallus and Silverstream work on Silverstream’s short attention span, Smolder gets mad at Ocellus for never letting her answer a question, and Sandbar teaches an overeager Yona to think through her answers. This episode is mostly a recap episode that also explores the dynamics of the Young Six's friendship.
“Yakity-Sax” – Delete this one because everyone hates it, and replace it with Student Cakes.
Ep. 18 “Student Cakes” – A new episode focusing on Pinkie’s relationship with the growing Cake twins. Pinkie helps Pound and Pumpkin when they get put in separate classes at school for the first time.
Ep. 19 “Road to Friendship” – Same as canon, but once again edit Starlight and Trixie’s friendship so it isn’t as problematic.
Ep. 20 “The Washouts” – Same as canon to bring Lightning Dust back and explore Scootaloo’s interests outside of Rainbow and the Crusaders.
Ep. 21 “A Rockhoof and a Hard Place” – Same as canon because realistically not all the Pillars will transition into modern life smoothly.
Ep. 22 “What Lies Beneath” – Same as canon to establish the Young Six as future Elements of Harmony and set up the season finale.
Ep. 23 “Sounds of Silence” – Same as canon to continue the Map Mission saga and establish the kirins.
Ep. 24 “Father Knows Beast” – Same basic concept, but actually reveal Spike’s origins instead of making a big lie. In the end, Spike reaffirms that while he now knows his origins, Twilight is his sister and the Sparkles are his family.
Ep. 25 “School Raze, Part 1” – Same as canon. Magic starts to disappear from Equestria, and the mane cast assume Tirek is responsible due to his magic draining abilities. Starlight is left in charge of the school while the mane cast go confront Tirek in Tartarus. Starlight mysteriously disappears in time for Neighsay to return and stage a takeover, his first act being to imprison the international students out of prejudice. Sandbar fakes a defection from his friends to investigate Neighsay’s plan, and the mane cast learn in Tartarus that Tirek has a protégé that is executing the magic drainage. Sandbar gets help from the Crusaders, and they learn Cozy is behind the magic drainage, using the catacombs he and his friends found along with the artifacts from the Spellvenger Hunt. Starlight is kept within a magical field to keep her incapacitated.
Ep. 26 “School Raze, Part 2” – Same as canon. Failing to free Starlight from the magic field, Sandbar and the Crusaders free the rest of the Young Six to save the day. Meanwhile, Cozy Glow convinces the student body to overthrow Neighsay by reminding them he originally shut down the school, and persuades them to have her run the school with the faculty absent. In Tartarus, the mane cast pressures Tirek to help them escape. The Crusaders attempt to appeal to Cozy Glow’s better nature, but she rebuffs their efforts WITHOUT locking them in a closet for the rest of the episode. The Young Six free Neighsay, proving to him that his racist mentality is wrong. He goes to get help while the Young Six race down to the catacombs to shut down the drainage, but are confronted by Cozy Glow, who manipulates the other students into believing they’re responsible for magic disappearing. The Crusaders attempt to defend the Young Six, but are pulled into the magical field with them. The Tree of Harmony taps into the Young Six’s inner Elements, freeing them so they can stop the drainage. The mane cast return to the school just in time to witness the Young Six saving the day, and confront Cozy Glow about her actions. After expressing disappointment in Cozy Glow for abusing the friendship lessons, the mane cast offer her a chance at redemption, but she refuses it by attempting to escape. Cozy is locked up in Canterlot while awaiting her trial, away from Tirek so they can’t communicate. Despite learning his lesson about prejudices, Neighsay is removed from his position as chancellor for everything he’s done. The students are reprimanded for turning against the Young Six, and the mane cast decide the students need to write an essay on why racism/specism is wrong. What nobody realizes is that Cozy Glow’s magic drainage allowed a certain goat to gather enough strength to return.
Special “Best Gift Ever” – Same as canon. The only thing I would change is Flim and Flam running the scam since they’re comfortably wealthy owning the Las Pegasus resort now.
Movie 6 “Rainbow Roadtrip” – Same basic concept, but edit the story so there’s a real reason for the town going gray beyond the community closing themselves off to each other. Maybe a villain of some sort, like a ponified Grinch figure who hates socializing and views community togetherness as fake.
So, most of my changes for this season would be to replace all the exceptionally awful episodes with new episodes that would hopefully flow better within the season. I only kept Father Knows Beast because the topic it tried to touch on, Spike's origins, would have been a legitimately interesting thing to elaborate on. Despite the controversy around Cozy Glow's character, I kept her as is because a true child villain is rare to find and I enjoy her family dynamic with Tirek and Chrysalis later on. I would also have the Crusaders be present for the finale's climax because after years of hoping the Crusaders could get involved in a premiere or a finale, they were shoved in a closet and forgotten about for a final joke. I also changed Cozy Glow's defeat scene because as multiple people have pointed out in forum threads, not once did the Mane Six offer a chance at redemption like they've done to every other villain who wasn't Sombra, especially when that villain is a child.
Please respond below with your thoughts on the changes I made to the season. I really appreciate comments. Next week, I'll discuss the penultimate season- Season 9: The Power of Family! Surprise, the Legion of Doom will be waiting one extra season before they can fight back. I've had this idea for an extra season to slot in before the final one for weeks. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have an idea for the season premiere to center around Shining Armor and his role in the grand scheme of the series, and I have a theme for the whole extra season, which as you can see in the season's subtitle is the theme of family.
Again, let me know what you think of the changes I made to the season and tell me what you think about my concepts for the extra season. I appreciate comments.
And I know what the most important changes you will make for Season 9 in this blog series from you Crusader: Removing that whole Celestia and Luna retiring from Ruling Equestria and having Twilight take their place when they retire arc. :D
Am I right? :D
These are pretty nice changes to this absolutely terrible season! Though I would've expected more changes to "Horse Play" because that episode overall didn't make any sense. I mean, Twilight wouldn't just push Fluttershy from her main role in the play just to suck up to Celestia. And Celestia raising the sun just for a play? Yeah.... no. Just no 👎. The repercussions of THAT are just too numerous to put here. Heck, I can almost hear Starswirl lecturing Celestia about it...
And would Chrysalis's plan in "The Mean Six" actually make a blip on the Mane Six's radar in your version? Cause that was a BIG issue in that episode. I mean, Chrysalis came REALLY close to the Tree of Harmony and they never knew! And they never found out or even suspected that something was going on when they encountered those freaky clones! Twilight and the others didn't even realize the connection to the clones' behaviors to themselves when they were under Discord's spell in the Season 2 premiere. I'm honestly shocked that didn’t raise any red flags for them!
But everything else? Nice! And a whole new season? I can't wait!
Though I agree with JimmyHook19 about Season 9. That thing about Celestia and Luna retiring out of the blue like that completely ruined the entire season! I honestly hoped it was just a ruse to lure out some enemy they suspected was in hiding!
And in the season premiere with Sombra taking over as easily as he did? What the heck?! If he could take over Equestria BY HIMSELF as easily as he could've, then why didn't he a thousand years ago? Or in that alternate timeline we saw in the Season 5 finale when Starlight messed with time?! And being able to destroy the Tree of Harmony and the Elements of Harmony so easily?! HECK NO!! Overpowered plot device to the max! *shudders* Especially since "The Mean Six" episode shows that the Tree is capable of defending itself when it destroyed Chrysalis's clones of the Mane Six. The writers TOTALLY contradicted themselves there...
Anyway, can't wait for your version of Season 9!
5369972
Heh. Anytime Atea. :) After all though... MixMaster226 does have a point: Twilight Sparkle's Character direction has went in a completely different direction than what Lauren Faust wanted Twiggles to obtain at the end of the show.
5370068
Who's MixMaster226? Never heard of him? And what did he say about the writers screwing up what Faust had planned for Twilight at the end of the show?
5370075
Here you go:
https://www.fimfiction.net/user/228708/Mixmaster226
Just like us, he also hates Season 9 as well.
I liked how Gladmane and Svengallop replaced the Flim-Flam Brothers in Friendship University. To be fair, I saw those two to be even more vile than the brothers, especially since one of them turned Flim and Flam against one another prior. I also liked that Cozy’s actions enabled Grogar to return. I’m wondering if the villain for Rainbow Roadtrip will have a musical number where he claims to the Mane Six that “friendship is nothing but a lie”? One thing I’m also curious about is if the Mane Six come face to face with their opposite doppelgängers and Pinkie nicknames them to differentiate them from her friends in Mean 6? I also have some ideas for the next season and an Equestria Girls movie if you’re interested. For example, subtitle season 10 as “Dawn of a New Generation”, due to Luna taking over Equestria and a new batch of Elements of Harmony ready to take the reigns.
Edit: For the song of Rainbow Roadtrip's villain I'm mentioning, listen to this and see what I'm talking about:
That would be a great 'to be continue' for the finale and I still say that Tirek shouldn't give in to Pinkie's craziness. If she bugs him to snap, Tirek should drain her magic and threw Pinkie to her friends as a warning to those who continued to bug him
5369928
That would be in this version's Season 10, but yes. No Supreme Princess Twilight here!
5369972
Have you met Twilight? The mare idolizes Celestia for Star Swirl's sake. Considering she never learned in canon to say no to her mentor, she absolutely would cast Celestia as the lead if she could help make the princess's dream come true. Though I do admit I could see Star Swirl lecturing her about using the sun for a play.
5370242
That was actually one of my first theories as to why Grogar returned when he did and why he added Cozy Glow to the Legion of Doom beside the fact she could serve as a pony expert on the team. She said she was draining magic to another realm, but never said which one, so I theorized she was freeing Grogar without realizing it by making him strong enough to free himself and the realm of Tambelon.
Maybe, the Roadtrip special only had two songs so adding a villain's song would help it length wise.
Possibly. Though I would think Spike would be more of the nicknamer since he made the nicknames from the Poison Joke incident in season one.
I already have a season full of episode ideas, but some ideas on how to fill the last season would be fine since most of the canon season 9 episodes stayed in the lineup. Or, if your ideas are interesting enough, I could bump actual season 9 episodes back to the tenth season. Interesting subtitle for the last season too, I'll keep that one in mind.
5370495
Well, if Pinkie didn't annoy him into helping, how would you have them get him to help open Tartarus so they could escape?
5372249
Yes, but Twilight also adores Fluttershy, and would jump at any chance to help her overcome her stage fright, especially considering Fluttershy seemed excited for the role. After all that time having friends, Twilight would NOT be that thoughtless and inconsiderate.
And Celestia would NOT even consider using the sun as some prop. She knows better than that.
5372254
Dig? Tartarus prevents any creature inside from using magic but digging isn’t magic and Pinkie was born in a Rock Farm, she could find a weak link and dig. I mean have you ever wonder how Tirek got out when Cerberus left his post?
5372249
Awesome. X3
5372253
Here are my episode ideas:
Origins of Villainy - the Legion of Doom share each other‘s backstories on how they became what they are now. It also shows small hints of their redeeming qualities and the possibility that they aren’t going to be evil forever. Takes some cues from the comics.
Birth of the Royals - the origins of Celestia and Luna are explored, as well as answering what became of the other Alicorns prior to Cadence, Twilight, and Flurry Heart; the mystery surrounding male Alicorns will also be revealed.
Enter Spike the Dragon - based on a forgotten prophecy, Spike is revealed to be the key to preventing darkness and chaos from claiming all of Equestria.
Equestria Girls: Final Graduations - as Canterlot High nears graduation day, Sunset Shimmer is having a crisis on whether or not she should return to Equestria or stay in the human realm. Things become more complicated when not only the doors between the multiverse begin to unravel and bring Equestria to humanity, but also the revelation of another Sunset Shimmer existing.
The Last Scam - Gladmane gets his comeuppance after he tries to pull off the biggest scam of the century; run for ruler of Equestria, and is sentenced to do community service for all the prior scams he pulled off in the past.
Slice of Life 2 - this one focuses on the characters that the original show seemed to have forgotten about, like the Buffalo tribe, Diamond Dogs, Babs Seed, the characters from the movie (with their original voices reprising their roles), to name a few.
Old Habits Die Hard - after expressing his jealousy over not being ruler of Equestria, Blueblood learns how to be less of a pompous peacock and slowly but surely begins to accept that the right calling for him will come.
Let me know what you think about them and I’ll be sure to give you anymore ideas if you want.
5372264
I always assumed he managed to get out the door somehow.
5372262
Sometimes hero worship overpowers your ability to be a good friend. Also, Celestia is not afraid to sabotage the Grand Galloping Gala. She wouldn't have a problem raising the sun for a one-time play.
5372408
I like a lot of these. Especially the origins episode for the villains. I'll have to use that one in season ten between Frenemies and Summer Sun Setback. Birth of the Royals might be able to slip in there too, but I'm not sure whether my new season premiere will make it unnecessary. I was already thinking of the graduation movie for the Equestria Girls, so that will be in there. Slice of Life 2 sounds fun. My version of Between Dusk and Dawn might make Old Habits unnecessary, but I know Last Scam won't work for what I had in mind.
Some I'll use and some I won't, but they're all really good ones. Read my season 9 post and then see what else you've got that could be used for season 10.
5375501
Not with Twilight. The only reason it happened in the first place is because of the severe backwards sliding that both Seasons 8 and 9 are plagued with. And Celestia certainly wouldn't have allowed Twilight to blow off her friend like that, especially knowing that she's bad at acting.
And inviting a group of mares or Discord to liven up the most boring night of the year (especially without knowing exactly what would happen) is a whole other ball of wax than messing with nature itself just for a school play. Celestia may be more relaxed than other rulers, but she knows what lines NOT to cross, and THIS is one of them. And if the writers had half a brain during Season 8, they would've realized it...
5375506
Thank you!
5375537
Just posted my Season 9 if you're interested.
Love this better then the show
5375509
Let's just respectfully disagree and call it a day.
5375550
Translation: no counter argument that hasn't already been shot down...
I loved the change to Horse Play there.
In the original episode it added to the issue that Luna is still not equally appreciated as Celestia there.
Glad its changed to Luna's raising the moon is acknowledged too
Loved the Father Knows Beast change too, The original episode just trolled poor Spike hard there, especially with how the episode was the show's last change to touch on Spike's origins.
I wonder what origins you came up with for Spike?
As for Rainbow Roadtrip, did Spike get to go with the girls?
Whats annoying is how he didn't get to go but its worse with how he didn't get to go for a rather dumb reason too.
Being made to stay behind to watch over the damn school, even though I am sure its STARLIGHT'S job to do that.
They could have just closed the school for the time too. When the friendship problem happened it was just for a day but the roadtrip lasted for some days iirc. I am pretty sure Twilight is allowed to have the school take a few days off there or something.
It just sucks that Spike misses out on the trip big time.
Would Spike get to go with the girls on the trip in Mean Six too? Just seems pretty unfair he didn't get to go with the girls but Starlight go to. It just hurts he got left out like that.
5375552
No. I say it's in-character and you say it's out-of-character. It's a difference of opinion that cannot be reconciled so we agree to disagree.
5380416
I saw one story suggest that the lie about the Scale Collectors was true and that was what happened to Spike's birth parents.
As for Rainbow Roadtrip, it would depend if whatever villain or reason made the town go gray had a solution Spike could be an asset in.
I think Spike would be fine sitting out on the camping trip. He probably wanted to hang out with Smolder and Gabby and others his age.
5380573
For the first 2, ok
But 3rd one, not really ok since the camping trip celebrated the Mane 6's bond, which comes off as Spike is blocked from that bond