My Little Repeats 203: "Uprooted"

Admittedly Terramar here looks to be growing out of his mum's head – but hay, seaponies, right?

S9E03: "Uprooted"

13 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★ (just)

IMDb score: 6.7

The one with sapling headphones

Thoughts: The students were frequently the highlight of Season 8, but I didn't get that from this episode. After the intro recalling "What Lies Beneath" (oh joy, more cruelty towards Gallus) I felt Nicole Dubuc's ep was often slow and felt stretched to fill its 22 minutes, and some of the conflict felt forced. I'm still not sure how I feel about the "New Tree" being canonically seen in the G5 film! The permission slip montage is overlong and fairly dull, though it was nice to see Terramar again for a few moments. The song was okay but not much more, and the visuals were fairly nice but not amazing. A few good lines, but not enough. All in all, a bit of a re-run of "Castle Sweet Castle" from S5, but not as good. This is being nudged down to a two-star rating.

Choice quote: Silverstream: "It's impressionism!"

New rating: ★★

Next up will be "Sparkle's Seven", which I am going to count as the 200th episode whatever Wikipedia says. It was definitely promoted as such at the time, so calling it 199 out of an arbitrary decision not to count "Best Gift Ever" can get in the sea. I quite liked the ep in 2019.

My Little Repeats 202: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

Real artists' "bad" drawings are always much too good!

S9E02: "The Beginning of the End, part 2"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.7

The one with extreme forestry

Thoughts: The IMDb scores for this are quite something. Yes, I know they're not exactly reliable, but they're not nothing either. Plenty of people genuinely loved this episode, and I really liked it at the time. Rainbow is upset by the idea of Spike and Starlight being under Sombra's spell, but omits a certain other orange character beginning with S. Starswirl (hay, another one!) produces lore about Everfree out of nowhere; handy. Discord turns up from nowhere – well, maybe – and throws himself in front of Fluttershy as Sombra fires at her. At the time it was quite an affecting moment when it appeared Discord had no magic, though it didn't make much sense even before he admitted the truth that he'd lose to a straightforward OP unicorn. Sombra just standing around while Discord monologues is a bit eye-rolling too. The final Legion of Doom scene is quite fun, but again lessened by what we now know about Grogar. This one's also being bumped down to a three, but a lesser three than the first part.

Choice quote: Rarity: "Show me the muddy!"

New rating: ★★★

Next up will be "Uprooted", which I found underwhelming in 2019 despite its Student Six focus. It scraped a three. Will it maintain that in 2026? Only one way to find out...

My Little Repeats 201: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

"It was North Star, you fools, not Gusty!"

S9E01: "The Beginning of the End, part 1"

6 April 2019

My original rating: ★★★★ (for both parts)

IMDb score: 8.6

The one with Protectors of Equestria!

Thoughts: And we're back! As, indeed are the Lady Writers, in a very welcome reprise. Celestia and Luna spring their retirement on the Manes. Rainbow rather bluntly reminds Twilight that the Princesses "almost never help". The Legion of Doom takes shape, though knowing now that Grogar is, well, not Grogar can't help but be disappointing. (His eyebrows may be the giveaway...) Sombra conquering the Crystal Empire is dark stuff, though. I loved seeing the Elements of Harmony again, and glad they got to have one last Rainbow of Light before being destroyed. I can't help but bump this down to a high three now I know Grogar was a fake-out, but it was still a solid start to the show's final season.

Choice quote: Twilight: "Twilighting? You... you made me a verb?"

New rating: ★★★

Next up, shockingly enough, will be "The Beginning of the End, part 2". I hope that news doesn't disappoint you too much. :P

Another little update: MLP material restarts tomorrow!

And not just any MLP material, either – because I'll finally be getting going with the final season of Friendship is Magic, and giving you my potted thoughts on "The Beginning of the End, part 1". It has been much too long. The ponyfic review has still not been forgotten, but that requires me to be able to concentrate properly for longer. It will arrive, though!

Little update

I'm feeling better than I was a week ago, and I expect to be posting something actually Pony related here within the next week. Thank you for your patience, everyone!

And again

This time it was a sudden dental emergency, fortunately not with pain but with a "this needs fixing" and I'm now exhausted. The Ponyfic Roundup Spotlight will happen, but this time I'm not promising a date. In the next few days, I hope.

As for Ponyfic Roundup itself? It may go on hold for a little bit. I've been fighting against that idea for a while, but I think it's time to admit reality. I'm well aware that plenty of people say "for a little bit" about something and then it never comes back. That really, truly isn't my intention. But I can't promise.

I will at least try to post about S9 of FiM, though. Since that's not on a weekly schedule, it's easier for me. And unlike Ponyfic Roundup, it has a defined finish line. But again, no promises. The world has ground me down recently, and not only the stuff you see on TV.

Ponyfic Roundup 574

Read it Later story count: 89 (nc)

Words read this week: 14,693

Time for another Ponyfic Roundup, which brings us to the magical land of Equestria, a place which increasingly looks like a nicer option, given... let's just say, given everything. So yes, a better spot for one to live in. Except for the monsters, I suppose. And the corrupting. And the thousand-year exiles. And the cult leaders. And... oh, you get the idea. Anyway, here are today's five stories:

The Lizard of Ot by Baal Bunny
The One Who Wasn't Meant to Die by Sir Hat
Catching Fluttershy by Jubilancy
What Could've Been by Boltstrike58
Shadow Pasts and Shining Futures by TheAspiringWriter93

★: 0 | ★★: 3 | ★★★: 1 | ★★★★: 1 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I enjoy an average amount scores two stars.