FiM S9 Episode 17 - "The Summer Sun Setback"

[Zapper]

Twilight is tasked with creating a new holiday and the preparations for it since the princesses are still set on retirement.
Saruman Grogar is still too stupid to realize his minions have hidden his bell in plain sight. Mama, papa and baby are following their own plans working together to wreck havok. Discord is the audience stand-in.

Spoiler

Tirek steals a pie

[tailrustedtealeaf]

Oh, I watched this one last week. It was...ok? I guess. Not really significant.

Spoiler

I do like that they made a side mention of Tirek giving the Earth ponies their strength back so they wouldn't be suspected, because that would have bothered me to no end otherwise.
Also, that "I don't get stressed anymore." Sure, can't wait to see her freak out in the finale because the writers don't communicate or keep things consistent.

[StarSwirl05]

Spoiler

So apparently the castle is guarded by giant fans? What's to stop someone from going above or breaking them to get inside? Bit ironic that Applejack complained about no one listening to her when none of them listened to Twilight saying she'd gotten over being stressed. Plus so much for the whole thing about "missing out on all the action if we left"

[milkywaymochi]

Like most of S9 it was just....eh. okay. (Which is better then being straight up bad, I suppose) Some of it was nice, but much like the mane 6, it doesn't feel like the writers are communicating. And of course, twilight's whole "I've grown and I don't freak out anymore!" Speech was total stuff and nonsense. Literally the very last episode you were freaking out so much you were completely willing to throw your friend under the bus to win a trivia title. Uhh, can someone remind me why Twilight is the princess of friendship and the soon to be ruler of Equestria??

[Al-1701]

Because the plot demanded it.

And some that really bugs me is that there is apparently this underlying tension between the three races.  I guess it's topical looking at the real world, but the G1 ponies never had issues with each other's species.  They were kind of too busy warding off the weekly apocalypse.

[Zapper]

And some that really bugs me is that there is apparently this underlying tension between the three races.  I guess it's topical looking at the real world, but the G1 ponies never had issues with each other's species.  They were kind of too busy warding off the weekly apocalypse.

I think it's more interesting than the constant "pit friends against each other" ploy because it is kinda rooted in the show's own mythology.
The FiM ponies entire civilisation seems to be build on the three tribes stopping their feud. Lauren Faust herself said in the beginning that she chose an alicorn as the ruler because they are a mix of all three, allthough I call bullcrap on that one until the show introduces an Earth pony becoming Princess... we have 4 more eps to go to see that happening

I just wish (once again) that the pony tribes being at odds was more organically introduced. Sure, they wrote a piece of dialogue in how "quickly" the pony tribes can be separated, but then why have all those previous seasons with the Christmas specials being all about remembering the time their tribes were seoarated and miserable. That made it seem like they were really aware of how ponykind needs to stick together or whatever.

The show always had that undertone of "unicorns are the upper crust", tho. They are the only ones attending university for magic. The other ponies must be muggles to them
I really like Crysalis pony alter ego, btw. It's funny how her theme is ladybugs because she is a bug lady

[MJNSEIFER]

it doesn't feel like the writers are communicating.

I'll have to watch more episodes to see if I still hold this opinion, but I remember thinking during around season four or so that they aren't talking to each other, or at least following a set guide that makes sense.

I know that in the Lauren-era they had a sort of writers' room, except it wasn't their room so they had to put up with the fact that they could be interrupted at any moment, but it was Lauren who asked for a writers' room, so it is possible they lost it after she left (I remember hearing, I think on this forum that they don't have a writer's room "now", whenever "now" was.)

[TJgamer]

I guess I have crap taste because I had fun with this episode. 

Spoiler

I don't think it's as impactful as "Frenemies", but did enjoy all the developments that have occurred on both the heroes' and villains' sides. I guess I just like to see stuff happening as opposed to a smaller episode with lots of character interaction and development.   

That said, Twilight's "character growth" is rather abrupt, especially coming right after A Trivial Pursuit. Maybe that was the one freakout too many that finally snapped her out of it?

Now I want to point out this scene for two reasons.
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One, I love how Tirek's horned shadow lines up with Cozy Glow like that. Nicely done.   
Two, did that guard just not tell anyone he was attacked by the evil trio? Did they kidnap him? Did Chrysalis find a way to convince him he was just imagining things? This needs answering. 

On a similar note, is nopony aware of Cozy Glow and her past crimes?
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I know she's supposed to be imprisoned, but surely news and such would have spread across Equestria about who caused the world to lose its magic.

I'm totally with Applejack. Her friends just do not learn.   
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Though, given recent past experiences with Twilight, it's not too unreasonable.

I was rather surprised they brought up the "unicorn master race" concept like this.
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And it only further proves my point that unicorns, despite being the most "powerful" of the three pony types, are the most easily corruptible.

Also, this part made me laugh. 
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Sorry I don't have too much to say in detail. As I've said earlier, it's not a very deep episode. It's mostly an eventful one.

[Zapper]

I guess I have crap taste because I had fun with this episode. 

Nah, I enjoyed it, too! So many fun moments with the baddies. I didn't like Cozy in S8 but in S9 she just cracks me up all the time.

[otocolobus_manul]

And some that really bugs me is that there is apparently this underlying tension between the three races.  I guess it's topical looking at the real world, but the G1 ponies never had issues with each other's species.  They were kind of too busy warding off the weekly apocalypse.

I think it's more interesting than the constant "pit friends against each other" ploy because it is kinda rooted in the show's own mythology.
The FiM ponies entire civilisation seems to be build on the three tribes stopping their feud. Lauren Faust herself said in the beginning that she chose an alicorn as the ruler because they are a mix of all three, allthough I call bullcrap on that one until the show introduces an Earth pony becoming Princess... we have 4 more eps to go to see that happening

Man, Flurry Heart would have been SO MUCH more interesting if she was an earth pony and not a gimmick made to sell two (2) toys.

Also, who else thinks a princess with kirin, batpony and crystal pony characteristics would be cool? They're just as much a part of Equestria as the main 3 species, even if there doesn't seem to be as many of them. Wouldn't it be cool if Luna, instead of being the typical earth/unicorn/pegasus alicorn, was a crystal/kirin/batpony alicorn? I'm actually working on some redesigns, including crystal/unicorn/pegasus Cadence and earth/kirin/batpony (subject to change) Twilight, and the Luna I mentioned.

Anyway. Fun episode. I agree with pretty much everything TJgamer said.

[MJNSEIFER]

I've always felt that alicorns were supposed to be a combination of all three types, to be honest.  I never knew it was officially stated, but that's what I always thought.

[tailrustedtealeaf]

I've always felt that alicorns were supposed to be a combination of all three types, to be honest.  I never knew it was officially stated, but that's what I always thought.

They are, but it certainly does feel like the earth ponies get neglected a lot.

[MJNSEIFER]

Yeah, it would be good if it could be said that there is/was an alicorn who started out as an earth pony or something.

Maybe I'll find a way to do that in my project, if the show doesn't?  It is worth noting that despite evidence to the contrary in the actual show, alicorns is always something a pony becomes in my project - they are never born as alicorns (my project does not obey canon 100%.)