This will be the last TRR for a little while, owing to my imminent holiday. I do intend to do them for episodes 12 and 13, but you'll have to be patient. This episode was very popular with the text-based reviewers, rivalling even "The Break Up Break Down" on that score. Also, a belated welcome back to the Railfan Brony. After they chose the video-review route for the premiere, I thought that was it, but they've now resumed written reviews and have caught up with the season.
Cuddlepug – mixed (graded C+; "Welcome to adulthood, mate.")
Dark Qiviut – very positive ("one of the best episodes of S8 so far and one of the best Spike episodes altogether.")
Derpy News – very positive (graded A; "Congratulations, Josh Haber. You’re the new M.A. Larson.")
JDPrime22 – extremely positive (rated 10/10; "The possibility for future stories this sets up is incredible. Have at it, MLP crew!")
Louder Yay – very positive (4/5; "Time will tell how Spike's new wings may change him, but for now I'd consider this another very good 22 minutes of FiM.")
Mega Sean 45
– very positive ("my favorite episode this season so far!")
MLEEP Reviews
– very positive (9.5/10; "plenty of world building to expand upon and one of the biggest surprises of the season so far")
The Railfan Brony – very positive ("One of this episode's greatest strengths is that Spike feels relatable and not being constantly brought down to size")
Rainbine – wildly positive ("10/10; "This was a Masterpiece.")
ShutterflyEQD – very positive ("The Twilight and Spike moments in this episode were so very sweet [...] a lot of laughs")
TheDragonWarlock
– very positive (graded A-; "This is an excellent Spike episode that's right up there with Gauntlet of Fire.")
I might be wrong, but this might be the very first change in the Series that didn't cause any controversy.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm sure it did. Not everyone liked the episode, after all – Present Perfect didn't, for a start. But it's true that the reviewers here were less wound up about it than they usually are when something big happens.
DeleteOh, it's definitely one of the best Spike episodes ever. Because he's had one good episode. So also being a crap episode puts it right at #2!
ReplyDeleteI realized though, joking aside, that I was hasty to take this episode down for doing a major character change at a random point in a season. Discord's reform was like, episode 10 of season 3. And that's good company, since neither he nor Spike have good episodes, except the one good episode they have together. :B It all fits!
And "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" was also at a random point late in season 5, not a premiere or a finale or a pre-hiatus pseudo-finale.
Deleteneither he nor Spike have good episodes, except the one good episode they have together. :B
DeleteYou do mean "The Return of Harmony", right? Right?
Crusaders as well, good point!
DeleteAnd no, I mean the Ogres and Oubliettes one that isn't Hard to Say Anything 2. :V