Episode review: S9E08: "Frenemies"

So, does this count as an on-screen death? :P

When I last looked, the comments count for my "She's All Yak" review (including my responses) was into the mid-30s. Whatever people thought of it, it's certainly got them talking! This week, we had the return of Mike "Michael" Vogel to writing duties. I was very happy indeed when I discovered he was going to be writing this episode. Why? Well, take a look at his solo credits for this show:

"A Hearth's Warming Tail"
"Spice Up Your Life"
"Every Little Thing She Does"
"The Mean 6"
"What Lies Beneath"
"Best Gift Ever"

Other than "Spice Up Your Life", which I only mildly like, I love the rest of that half-dozen. Would "Frenemies" be worthy of this exalted company?

Yes! This was a wonderful episode, one that did something Friendship is Magic has never attempted before – a full-on villain episode – and pulled it off triumphantly. I said after viewing it for the first time that I felt it might beat the season premiere as my favourite episode of S9 so far. After a second watch, I'm sure of it. There aren't many episodes that have given me as much sheer entertainment as this one, and that's what I want most from this show.

The framing device was Grogar getting fed up with (what he sees as) his minions – Tirek, Chrysalis and Cozy Glow – bickering and sending them off on a team-building exercise. The joy of the episode, though, was the interplay between the three. There was some fizzing dialogue, the characterisation was consistently good, the pacing was excellent and the episode actually moved on the season arc by at least a little bit, adding a new dimension at the end.

I liked how Rusty Bucket was quietly shown as resourceful and clever

Those who've watched the G1 My Little Pony 'N Friends show will doubtless remember "The Return of Tambelon", the story that introduced Grogar. "Frenemies" did not keep to G1 canon, since Gusty (here featured as the legendary hero, with a cutie mark so G1-like I feel I should call it a "symbol") is only a background character in the 1980s story. In fact, it was a pegasus, North Star, who reached the bell in G1. My guess, and it is only that, is that Hasbro have lost the rights to that name and so had to retcon.

"Frenemies" brought us my favourite song since "Road to Friendship", which of course was another song sung by (former, in that case) villains. Okay, so villain songs are often the best – see "This Day Aria", "Unleash the Magic" and so on – but I think Daniel Ingram nailed this one. I think Cozy probably had the best of it (she certainly thought she did) but the whole of "A Better Way to be Bad" was enjoyable. If we can get more songs as good as this, I'll be delighted.

The song also contained what I initially thought was a really seriously dark line: "To crush our enemies to death / And laugh as they all scream." It turns out that Cozy was actually singing "...to dust" – although the imagery is still pretty brutal for a TV-Y show, not least with the villains' savage treatment of the stuffed ponies they use as props. But then the cocooned and drained Ophiotaurus was apparently left to its fate by Chrysalis later on, too...

Tirek, Cozy, "Twilight" and breakfast

Talking of which, it was interesting to see how the three villains approached the mountain when they were working separately. I was really pleased to see Chrysalis make good use of her shapeshifting again: it's been too long, and she needed something better than just her descent into madness. Cozy, of course, tried her twisted charm on Rusty Bucket (until he revealed he still had a Journal of Friendship copy!) – but Tirek was cleverest, realising it was a waste of time and instead taking the opportunity to relax.

I enjoyed the way Vogel wrote the villains gradually realising they needed to work together, and that it felt good to do so... before Chrysalis abruptly stopped them by pointing out that they were in danger of succumbing to the dreaded magic of friendship! Of course, however much they may protest, they have done so – witness Chryssie herself trusting Tirek to return her essence after having broken into the bell chamber. That was a delicious moment.

The scene seems to be being set for a betrayal of Grogar by the other three. The most obvious path would be for them to do that, work together, come to accept friendship, turn to the Light Side and then help the ponies defeat Grogar before a final Great Reformation. I actually rather hope that we get a few more twists and turns than that. For example, what does the bell do if it's used by someone who isn't Grogar? I suspect we may find out.

"None of you can turn your head through 180 degrees like I can!"

Other than my little complaint about Gusty usurping North Star's legendary status, and the use of the slightly awkward phrase "Twilight Sparkle and her friends" one too many times, I really can't think of much at all against "Frenemies". It was glorious – sheer pleasure pretty much from start to finish. It may be the sort of episode you can only do once as diminishing returns begin to apply, but it was certainly worth it. The Vogel train rolls smoothly on!

Best line: Cozy Glow: "Ooh, I love a good back-stabbing!"
Best moment: Chrysalis ripping the Starlight doll in half
Worst moment: I can't think of one!

Yays

• Enormously entertaining
• The villains, though comedic, always maintained a dark edge of menace
• Very well paced throughout
• One of the best songs of the entire series
• Gave us a fascinating setup for the future of the Legion of Doom
• The return of Greek mythology
• Chrysalis finally got to transform again

Neighs

• Poor old North Star, retconned out of existence!

★★★★★