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| Now this I did like. The expressions tell you a fair bit about each student's character. |
My original rating: ★★★ (for both parts)
IMDb score: 7.8
Thoughts: And here Friendship is Magic succumbed to the temptation of referencing "20% cooler".¹ Not for the last time. Sigh. It also sees the debut of the pukwudgies, who just leave me cold. The Mane Six were pretty idiotic in the cupcake scene. However, there are pluses: the song "Friendship Always Wins" is nice, and as you all know I'm fond of the students, who of course get lots of screen time here. I also like Starlight's relatability in this episode and the way she doesn't rely on magic. She too is learning! On the other hoof, Twilight's "we're going to ignore the rules because I say so" line remains immensely annoying, especially since Celestia had to abide by them. It also still grates that Cheerilee has been forgotten. At least the Castle of the Two Sisters finally reappeared, though it didn't exactly do much. Overall I think this is slightly better than part one. Probably not quite enough to take it out of the two-star band, though. As I'd put it in a ponyfic review: a top-end two.
¹ Although Rainbow Rocks had already featured "20% less cool".
Choice quote: Smolder: "Smolder like... breathing."
New rating: ★★
Next up, "The Maud Couple", which I've slightly soured on since I considered it a middle-of-the-road instalment back in 2018. We'll have to see whether that assessment holds, won't we?
"The Gift of the Maud Pie"
ReplyDeleteDon't you mean "The Maud Couple"?
Er, yep. On it! Thanks.
DeleteAs I did with To Where and Back Again and Shadow Play, I'm talking about the premiere as a whole rather than both parts individually. I'm likely in the minority on this, but I do think that School Daze holds up really well as a premiere. Although my stance on Twilight as a character has soured a lot since, especially when you compare her portrayal in the last two seasons to that of the earlier seasons, this was still a solid performance for her.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, I might be biased with this one because I really hate the groupthink mindset with a burning passion, especially if it means that if you don't agree with the general consensus, then you're not a true Scotsman (or something like that). We don't really need to stick with a flawed, rigid system for everything; if the shoe doesn't fit, make adjustments so that it will.
And yes, the Young Six are highlights of this season, and the premiere gives out a strong introduction to them; instead of judging each other by what they are, they look past that initial layer to see each other for who they are. If people did that more often, the world would be a much happier place, but alas, one can only wish for so much...
I've not got much else to say, but I'll add that Chancellor Neighsay's characterization rings truer than ever, especially with racist, xenophobic attacks against Haitian immigrants in Ohio. My heart goes out to those who've had to suffer all because of lies and conspiracy theories.
Pukwudgies are a step up from bushwoolies! ;)
ReplyDelete