Text Review Roundup: "The Beginning of the End"

Yes, it's TRR time again! I don't know how well this will work out this year, dependent as it is on how many people actually write text-based reviews, how quickly they get them published and whether TV broadcast schedules get fragmented as they so often have in recent seasons. Happily, we have a pretty full slate for the first episode of the final season of FiM. As always, click on the reviewer's name to see the review in full.

One notable change this year is that Present Perfect now reviews stuff (including but not limited to MLP) on his WordPress rather than on Fimfiction. Dark Qiviut seems to have decided to wait "a few weeks" before saying much about "The Beginning of the End", and that's too long for me to wait, so I'll go on their brief, non-spoilery assessment. Also, has Derpy News stopped doing reviews? They didn't post one for "Best Gift Ever" and don't seem to have done one for this episode either.

This was a generally well-liked introduction to Season 9. No reviewers outright disliked it, and a few who were unhappy with much of S8 (DrakeyC, for instance) felt "The Beginning of the End" was a significant step up.

Cuddlepug – mixed (graded B; "While this premiere is probably better than some, it also serves as a reminder to viewers that there isn't a whole lot more to this tale.")

Dark Qiviut – positive (graded B+; "a really good start to Season 9. It’s better than Daze or Raze, but some probs hold it back")

DrakeyC – very positive ("feels like a return to form, classic G4 MLP adventure")

JDPrime22 – very positive (rated 9/10; "that little sacrifice and speech from Discord was so perfect. Really heart-wrenching stuff there")

Lightening McQueen – very positive ("Very good, but also emotional [...] amazing seeing the Mane Six defeat Sombra without the Elements")

Louder Yay – very positive (rated 4/5; "often immensely enjoyable [and] Grogar carried a real sense of menace throughout [though] the breathless pace of most of it did mean that some plot points were rather skated over")

Mega Sean 45 – broadly very positive ("Fantastic! Amazing! [But] look how pushed aside [Spike] was[. Still,] I did really enjoy the premiere")

Mike Cartoon Pony – broadly very positive ("really solid [...] Some elements felt a bit contrived [but] I'm loving Grogar so far [and] this truly feels like a return to classic, old school FiM adventure-heavy storytelling, albeit in the show's newer style."

MLEEP Reviews – wildly positive (rated 10/10; "the dramatic and intense story, the breathtaking animation, the expansive cast of old and new characters, the heartfelt orchestrations")

Present Perfect – broadly positive ("I hate to say it, but this was all right! Definitely above average [but] too much self-awareness, and too much Discord.")

The Railfan Brony – mixed (rated Okay; "The first half is where the premiere really shines [and] the MVP for the bad guys was undoubtedly Sombra [but t]he plot as a whole is blatantly unoriginal")

TheDragonWarlock – positive (rated 8/10; "does what it was meant to do; set up stuff for events down the road")