Season 9 Discussion Thread [NO SPOILERS, DF airings only]

@ILoveMyoozik  
Oh, what’s it?

@Vivace  
There is a thing to be mentoin tough. MLP had always really bad “stakes progression”. Ever since they defeated Luna (Princess’s sister) and then Discord (a GOD), it was really hard to make every other villian seem “more of a threat” than them. Then you had Twilight becoming a princess (which shouldn’t take place at least for another 3 seasons) which was basicly an endgame for her. And now, we are in this mess.
 
Going from “Princess of Friendship” to a “Headmare of a school” feels like real downgrade :/

So, the question I have this time for everyone here is simple:
 
“Who would you like to see the most in the season 9?”
 
My answer is simple:  

I admit I was wrong about “Going to Seed”, in several ways.
 
First, it was way better than I expected from an Applejack episode because she was finally allowed to have fun, which is the running theme of her episodes. So that was nice, seeing her genuinely enjoying herself.
 
Second, we also finally got a good Apple Bloom episode without a single mention of the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was surprisingly refreshing to have a story about one without the others, something that hasn’t happened for quite a while. I won’t complain about the lack of Sweetie Belle either, because we have a CMC episode in two weeks.
 
Third, what I expected to be filler was, in fact, as close to filler as this kind of show can get, but it was good filler. It reminded me of Season 2, when there was still mystery to the magic of the setting, and not every legend was true. Not showing the Great Seedling is something I’d expect from S2 or S4, and not having any alternate explanation is not something S4 would’ve done. As a result, I loved this episode.
 
Finally, that brief cameo from Bright Mac and Pear Butter was heartwarming. We don’t really know much at all about the Apples’ childhoods, so even this short moment was adorable.
 
Edit: I nearly forgot my weekly comment on the animation!
 
It was really good, and there was only one or two things that caught my eye as being out of place. It’s looking like “She’s All Yak” was the only foray into uncanny valley territory.

@AWGear
 

 
Also…
 

@Spinny  
If Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon don’t appear in S9, we boycott G5. No other response is appropriate. /s

Well that was pointless.
 
I’m going to pistol whip the next person who says the words “trap” or “great seedling”.

the little aj flash back was cute.

This was just a cute episode.

@AWGear  
There are two characters I really wanted to see again, but they both show up in the coming few episodes so it’s all good.
 
@DerpyFast  
Sounds good. While you do that, I’m going to go and trap the great seedling.

@DerpyFast  
@Frustration in Excelsis
 
Or maybe it’s the Great Seedling who is secretly a trap? 0o0

@Frustration in Excelsis  

I do love how this episode also subverts from the formula of “someone trying to find a mythical creature while someone else is being a stick in the mud about it’s existence” by having Applejack slowly trying to catch The Great Seedling alongside Apple Bloom.

@rdibp  
Seeing AJ so adorably excited was the highpoint of the episode ^^

@rdibp  
*subverts

@AWGear  
I also love how this episode doesn’t have one of those kinds of endings where everyone is disappointed that The Great Seedling doesn’t exist, only for the camera to pan over to show it hiding behind a tree right before the episode ends.
 
Glad they left it ambiguous. That would’ve been a pretty predictable ending.
 
@Vivace  
Thank

@rdibp  
yup.
 
This episode is overall great. There is not much I’d change if I could, and that’s saying something.
 
The only thing I’d do is make Apple Parents have speaking roles, and a bit more appearance in this episode.

I also saw Sweet and Smoky finally. I wanna hug both Smolder and Ember so much. I love these dragons.

@gingerninja666
 
Spike has you covered.

A pretty down-to-earth episode, figuratively, and literally in the sense that there were no pegasi or unicorns to be found.
 
This one did kinda make you feel bad for Big Mac, hardworker that he is. He needed a hug or two. Kinda wish he got to talk more, though to be fair, he was tired throughout.
 
Pretty decent, but not overly memorable. Just a slice of life with Applejack ending up having a bit of fun with her sister.

You know, after so many seasons and episodes, we havent seen a “Body-Swap episode”, right?

@E-123  
We haven’t? We… holy shit. We really haven’t, have we? That’s amazing, given that’s a pretty standard plot line for any show.

@E-123
 
Don’t jinx it.

@Spinny  
@E-123  
A Royal Problem and Magical Mystery Cure only cosmetically get around that.

@E-123
 
Speaking of that typical plotline, I personally think it’s best to have them not use their original body’s voice, so you have their actor basically do an impression of the character they switched with.