Let me preface this by saying MLP FIM is one of my favourite shows of all time, right up there with Avatar The Last Airbender and Once Upon A Time. However, as much of a fan as I am, even I can no longer deny that I feel like the show's been going a bit downhill for a while. I do like season 8 overall, but I think it's one of the weakest. Also, this is a review for both parts.
Now that's out of the way, onto the review! So, as you can probably guess from the rating and headline, I think this was a great premier. But it certainly wasn't without its flaws. All the premiers have felt like this for the past few seasons, and it's hard to explain, but everything feels a little unprofessional. Some of the lines feel unnatural and certain scenarios are a bit out there. Also, a lot of stuff in the beginning and end felt a little rushed. That's a big reason this isn't my favourite premier. The set up towards it and the climax itself wasn't as satisfying as some of the other ones. Like the one this episode's main villain was first in, the crystal empire. Everything was really well paced and tense throughout. Also, I think Sombra was a weaker villain here than in his episode. His whole concept basically got changed around from an imposing force/presence to a typical in-your-face bad guy. And I'm not that big a fan of his new voice. I really don't think it fits him. However, he is sometimes amusing with how much of an in your face, typical villain he is. He's almost comedic, but it's played straight, which makes it even better.
However, this doesn't mean I don't love this premier. Cause I do. I was so hyped when all the old villains joined together initially. Also, Twilight taking over the kingdom seems like a logical next step. And Twilight's "Twilighting" was hilarious throughout. Speaking of hilariousity, Discord had a really strong performance in this episode. I liked him stepping back and letting The Mane 6 handle things, and I really liked him faking his injuries to boost their confidence (which, in theory, seems counter-intuitive, but it worked). Though, I'm a bit curious about the one moment when he looked remorseful when Twilight said they couldn't do anything without him. It could just be him wanting Twilight to be able to do things on her own, but I feel it could be something else. Hmmm...Moving on, I think all the characters were also handled well, from the Mane 6 dealing with Twilight like it was nothing, to Starlight not saving the day for once, Celestia and Luna actually helping, Starswirl being supportive and awesome, Cozy being her usual over-the-top cutesy self (which is why I love/hate her), Tirek and Chrysalis having some great banter, and Grogar promising to be an interesting villain, the character work here was really impressive. Also, this is kinda a weird thing to bring up in an episode with no song, but I really liked the music in this episode, especially the tracks with Sombra.
So overall, even though this episode had quite a few problems, most notably the fanficcy feel and Sombra becoming a worse villain, the positives more than made up for it, and I think this one of the best premiers, and a great way to start the final season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.
Now that's out of the way, onto the review! So, as you can probably guess from the rating and headline, I think this was a great premier. But it certainly wasn't without its flaws. All the premiers have felt like this for the past few seasons, and it's hard to explain, but everything feels a little unprofessional. Some of the lines feel unnatural and certain scenarios are a bit out there. Also, a lot of stuff in the beginning and end felt a little rushed. That's a big reason this isn't my favourite premier. The set up towards it and the climax itself wasn't as satisfying as some of the other ones. Like the one this episode's main villain was first in, the crystal empire. Everything was really well paced and tense throughout. Also, I think Sombra was a weaker villain here than in his episode. His whole concept basically got changed around from an imposing force/presence to a typical in-your-face bad guy. And I'm not that big a fan of his new voice. I really don't think it fits him. However, he is sometimes amusing with how much of an in your face, typical villain he is. He's almost comedic, but it's played straight, which makes it even better.
However, this doesn't mean I don't love this premier. Cause I do. I was so hyped when all the old villains joined together initially. Also, Twilight taking over the kingdom seems like a logical next step. And Twilight's "Twilighting" was hilarious throughout. Speaking of hilariousity, Discord had a really strong performance in this episode. I liked him stepping back and letting The Mane 6 handle things, and I really liked him faking his injuries to boost their confidence (which, in theory, seems counter-intuitive, but it worked). Though, I'm a bit curious about the one moment when he looked remorseful when Twilight said they couldn't do anything without him. It could just be him wanting Twilight to be able to do things on her own, but I feel it could be something else. Hmmm...Moving on, I think all the characters were also handled well, from the Mane 6 dealing with Twilight like it was nothing, to Starlight not saving the day for once, Celestia and Luna actually helping, Starswirl being supportive and awesome, Cozy being her usual over-the-top cutesy self (which is why I love/hate her), Tirek and Chrysalis having some great banter, and Grogar promising to be an interesting villain, the character work here was really impressive. Also, this is kinda a weird thing to bring up in an episode with no song, but I really liked the music in this episode, especially the tracks with Sombra.
So overall, even though this episode had quite a few problems, most notably the fanficcy feel and Sombra becoming a worse villain, the positives more than made up for it, and I think this one of the best premiers, and a great way to start the final season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.
