"Uprooted" Friendship Is Magic S9 Ep3 Discussion

[Bekuno]

Jumping right back in with a new episode! We return to the adventures of the six students in this one.

Official synopsis: "The Young Six respond to a magical summons from the Tree of Harmony, only to learn it has been destroyed."


Episode Summary:

We open up following the events of the season opener. The young six are experiencing joint nightmares, only to be brought together by a mirage in the form of Twilight Sparkle calling them to the Tree of Harmony.

They rush to the school to meet Twilight, who informs them Sombra destroyed the Tree. The group has become quite fearless after the Season 8 finale, and head to Everfree Forest themselves to see the tree. They attempt to revive the tree with friendship, to no avail, and decide instead they need to honor the Tree's life. Thorax and Twilight descend upon the group, searching for Ocellus who left without warning. The young six are prepared to go on an adventure, but require permission slips to do so, so they return to their homes to obtain them. They return to find Sandbar has cleared out the remains of the Tree of Harmony to make way for a memorial, and has planted a new tree, but it's not the same.

The rest of the group is very upset Sandbar cleaned up the cave, wanting it to stay as it was. They begin to argue over how to memorialize the tree, each having different ideas they feel strongly about. Yoona tries to get them to get along, but it fails. Sandbar continues to watch over the new sapling. Gallus tries turning the cave into a sideshow attraction/museum. Smolder works on a memorial statue. Silverstream paints abstract paintings inside the cave. Ocellus makes a positive meditation spot. All their ideas start to corrupt and damage each other's hard work, ultimately stopping with Smolder brings in her tree sculpture. It nearly crushes Sandbar before rolling to the back of the cave.

The young six continue to argue until Yoona interrupts. She reminds them the Tree of Harmony, while physically gone, is still within them, and in their friendship. Yoona decides to use the cleaned up pieces of the Tree to build something new. The group sings a new song while they build a large treehouse out of the pieces of the tree and the objects they brought for their own memorials. It doesn't come out quite as planned, but the group agrees it has all the parts of them in it. While exploring the new tree house, a magical surge begins. The Tree of Harmony begins to shift and form into a larger and more intricate treehouse structure that reaches above the cave. The Tree's spirit, once again in the form of Twilight, informs the group that thanks to their selfless love and actions, the Tree of Harmony was reborn and reformed once more.

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(will come back and update of I missed anything, my stream cut out at the very end)


So, we got out first young Six episode and first new song of the season! I'm really curious to see what's going to happen with these kids at the end of the series. I personally enjoyed the song and the new design the Tree of Harmony has taken on.

[Ponyfan]

I just finished watching this one also.

Spoiler

It was okay but a little bit of a let down after the season 9 opener even though I enjoyed it. I always love seeing the Tree of Harmony as a sparkling Twilight Sparkle  I really liked Thorax's cameo in the episode and it was a nice change to see him scolding Ocellus (showing some authority over his subjects) instead of his usual personailty. I am suprised that Thorax went himself to find Ocellus instead of sending someone else. Who's running the Changeling kingdom while he is away even for a short time?

I did enoy the song but had figured out based on the events of the last episode that something would happen when the students tried to make something with the pieces of the Tree of Harmony.

I'm pretty sure that the Elements of Harmony/Tree of Harmony lives inside the bearers of the Elements and can still be used by them when needed. The Tree of Harmony clubhouse for the students is a nice touch. 

Ponyfan

[StarSwirl05]

Spoiler

So it seems like things are simply happening because" the writers say so". The tree magically comes back to life despite being destroyed just because a group of individuals rearranged the broken pieces. It kinda renders the whole idea of the two-part opener moot since the events now no longer even matter.

[Ponyfan]

Spoiler

So it seems like things are simply happening because" the writers say so". The tree magically comes back to life despite being destroyed just because a group of individuals rearranged the broken pieces. It kinda renders the whole idea of the two-part opener moot since the events now no longer even matter.

Spoiler

One thing that I forgot to mention is that this episode showed the students being able to put the broken pieces of the Elements back together but when Twilight tried to do that in the previous episode it didn't work?

Ponyfan

[StarSwirl05]

Spoiler

So it seems like things are simply happening because" the writers say so". The tree magically comes back to life despite being destroyed just because a group of individuals rearranged the broken pieces. It kinda renders the whole idea of the two-part opener moot since the events now no longer even matter.

Spoiler

One thing that I forgot to mention is that this episode showed the students being able to put the broken pieces of the Elements back together but when Twilight tried to do that in the previous episode it didn't work?

Ponyfan

I'd also like to question what the point of signing those documents was all about. Half of them were just the signatures. They didn't seem to earn them, especially Gallus.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

That was...cute! I think Yona shone in this episode and I thought it was super sweet to see her help out at her home. The plot was still predictable (of course we would agree with Yona, we know them all trying to do their own thing wouldn't have worked) but it was alright.
I didn't care much for the song, how forgettable.

[Sunset]

I would have said “New Playset!”  Except I never even saw the school in person.  For that matter I haven’t seen the two smaller packs with the students, either.

[Zapper]

Well the tree chose them to become the next Elements of Harmony bearers... action troup? So much is clear. I thought it was cute but I always like these six more than the M6. I was happy the show did not immediately jump back to slice of life again.

[Ponyfan]

Spoiler

So it seems like things are simply happening because" the writers say so". The tree magically comes back to life despite being destroyed just because a group of individuals rearranged the broken pieces. It kinda renders the whole idea of the two-part opener moot since the events now no longer even matter.

Spoiler

One thing that I forgot to mention is that this episode showed the students being able to put the broken pieces of the Elements back together but when Twilight tried to do that in the previous episode it didn't work?

Ponyfan

I'd also like to question what the point of signing those documents was all about. Half of them were just the signatures. They didn't seem to earn them, especially Gallus.

I took that as Twilight insisting that they all have permission from their parents/guardians since Ocellus ran off without telling anyone and Thorax mentioned that the last time she disappeared the Changelings and other creatures almost went to war. Maybe they all came to the Tree without permission but Thorax was the first one to be notified and was able to catch up to Ocellus before the others noticed their children were missing.  Gallus had the permission slip already signed so I'm assuming Twilight made him get a "real" one instead. 



Ponyfan

[OleGrayMane]

This was very reminiscent of "Castle Sweet Castle."

And yes, "playset" too. At least I think it looks better than Twilight's crystal thing-a-ma-jigger.

[Pinkie21]

Spoiler

I am so darn tired of the Young 6.  This was an okay episode, I guess?  It felt like filler, though.  There was literally no reason for this episode to be a thing.  And why would the Student 6 be the ones to save it?  They’ve had maybe one event tied to the tree.  But the elements of harmony are the Mane 6’s whole thing. Shouldn’t they have saved it? I don’t know, after the awesome opener, it was a shame to have the next episode wasted on the students.

[Leave a Whisper]

Spoiler

I am so darn tired of the Young 6.  This was an okay episode, I guess?  It felt like filler, though.  There was literally no reason for this episode to be a thing.  And why would the Student 6 be the ones to save it?  They’ve had maybe one event tied to the tree.  But the elements of harmony are the Mane 6’s whole thing. Shouldn’t they have saved it? I don’t know, after the awesome opener, it was a shame to have the next episode wasted on the students.

That's what we call passing the torch.

[KarentheUnicorn]

Treehouse of Doom...yesss!!

[Leave a Whisper]

Treehouse of Doom...yesss!!

That sounds like the title of a Codename Kids Next Door ep.

[Minty_Magic]

Huh, that was a pretty bland episode. I really don't remember much from it other than, "Oh boy that song was really bad". The new tree house, probably soon to be playset was really pretty though!