Yeah, I had to wait until the episodes were put up on Dailymotion. You can watch them here:
PART 1
https://dai.ly/x75dp9h
PART 2
https://dai.ly/x75dpi8
Now, on to the episode itself, so
MASSIVE SPOILERS BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THEM!
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TURN BACK NOW!
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YA BEEN WARNED!
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OKAY...
HERE WE GO!
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So we finally get to meet Grogar! Yeah, they're going for the fences on this last season. Celestia and Luna plan to retire, leaving the Mane Six in charge of the Kingdom, and Twilight has a few days to prepare.
Of course, things go wrong as Grogar gathers Tirek, Chrysalis, Cozy Glow, and Sombra together to join forces in taking down Twilight and company. Sombra thinks he can take back the Crystal Empire on his own. After a quick fakeout after Twilight and the others use the elements against him, he reappears near the Tree of Harmony and destroys it.
With Twilight and others now trapped he leaves to take over Ponyville, and then Canterlot. The Mane Six escape the prison he puts them in and fight to keep the Everfree at bay, and are helped by Starswirl and the Princesses.
Twilight and company reach Canterlot, trying not to fight their own friends and family who are under Sombra's spell in the process. They meet up with Discord who agrees reluctantly to help them (though he's convinced they're ready to win on their own), and stops Sombra until he is struck, at which point he appears to be mortally wounded. He gives a rousing speech to Twilight and the others, and they gain the confidence they need to take down Sombra.
The Princesses decide Twilight needs a little more time to prepare, and until Twilight is ready. Discord appears and is frustrated because he faked his death scene and used up a perfectly good speech in the process. The ponies share a laugh, as we see Grogar gathering the other villains together and proceeding to push forward in his plan to eliminate the Mane Six once and for all.
Well, this season is going to be interesting as they throw everything and the kitchen sink at us. I have no idea what to expect at this point. As for the episode, it was a good starter, especially since it's clear we're only seeing the very beginning of a season long story. Hopefully, the payoff is immense.
I liked seeing everypony out and about, and the moments with the Mane Six themselves were fun, but Celestia and Luna are the butts of jokes at this point. I mean, come on, giving Twilight a few days to prep knowing her? That's more like the Trollestia meme we all know, and of course Luna's been gone for 1,000 years and she's ready to retire, too? Eh, not the best foundation for a series ending story, but it will do I guess.
That said, seeing Sombra in full swing was interesting, and now we hear him say more than "crystals" over and over again. He would truly be terrifying as a villain, and it's easy to see how he managed to control the Crystal Empire the first time.
The Tree of Harmony being destroyed was certainly a surprise, though it was clear the power was within them the whole time. Surely after 9 seasons and all of the things they've done they know this, but I keep in mind they have to do this for the youngest among us to get the message.
I'm glad Discord helped, but I do want to know his long game. He clearly has invested in Twilight taking over. What that means, I don't know, but we'll get to see the remaining villains in action. Will they be converted? Who knows?
So regarding the episode as a premiere, it was good, but a bit uneven, and some plot choices seemed a bit odd, but not too bad. This one gets a solid
B.
