Sunday 5 November 2017

Episode review: S7E25&26: "Shadow Play"

Meadowbrook and Fluttershy using their Element
Okay, I can stop the review here, really. Five stars!
Well, here we are at the end of S7, and what an interesting season it's been. A satisfyingly good one too, if you ask me. I'll probably do some sort of overall retrospective of the season on LY eventually, but for now let's concentrate on the season finale. The end of "Uncommon Bond" looked very much like a set-up for this finale, and so it proved. But did I actually like it? After the break, you'll get your answer.

Yes! Oh yes I liked it! I suspect that "Shadow Play" might not hold up all that well to a serious analysis, which is why I'm not going to give it one. I also wonder whether it will remain quite as popular in future years – it's noticeable that most of the finales don't quite have the hold on all-time league tables they had in their day. But here, I'm going to gush about why I had so much fun watching this finale.

First up is Starswirl, who was portrayed really nicely by Chris Britton. (I'm somewhat relieved it wasn't a big guest star of the Patrick Stewart type.) If you've read the IDW Legends of Magic comics, you'll already know that Starswirl is a) basically Pony Gandalf, and b) a crotchety old so-and-so. I think that worked better than making him some kindly, twinkly wizard, even if it was a bit hard on Twilight. Though it's "a millennium", you grammatically incorrect conjurer!

The Pony of Shadows attacks
He does remind me just a little of the Tantabus
The Pillars of Equestria, built up through the season, all came together here. I don't find them that interesting on the whole, so I fret a little about the fact that they're potentially a significant part of S8. Still, I did like the way they were brought in ("Ponehenge" is a dreadful pun. Bravo!) as well as the fact that their Elements broadly corresponded to those of the Mane Sixers who worked with them. The "getting the artefacts" sequence was fine, but the best part was Rainbow Dash with Spike. Give those two a team-up episode!

Oh yes, the Elements. I had somehow managed to avoid being spoiled on this aspect, and I really had not expected that we'd ever see the Elements of Harmony in modern-day Equestria again. I suspect some fans will have groaned, but I don't care. I had the stupidest grin on my face to see the Mane Six using the Elements in anger again. I do wish Twilight had said the phrase "big crown thingy", but you can't have it all.

The story of Stygian and the Pony of Shadows (one of several S4 callbacks) was perhaps a little on the predictable side, but that's nothing new for MLP. It was still decently epic, especially when things built to the struggle near the end – though I was mildly irritated at Stygian's post-reformation story being pretty much non-existent. But again, I don't really care about plotholes right now. I loved seeing the Mane Six being what they truly are: heroes.

The Sirens singing
The script notes "EST. EQG2" at this point...
You can perhaps argue about how much Starlight really needed to be in an episode like this, but these days it would have seemed strange if she hadn't been in a grand and climactic tale. Glimmy only had one or two important moments, but again that was fine: she's never been an Element-Bearer, so she couldn't be quite as central to the episode. I think the writers judged Starlight's appearances pretty well.

This is a good example of an episode that was clearly not flawless, but which I perhaps loved even more for that. After the Mane Six maturing through the seasons, one thing I've missed for a while is the whole lot of them being epic together. In "Shadow Play", I got my wish – and that sheer epicness is what pushes this episode into the highest star bracket. I liked last year's finale, but I loved this year's finale.

Best quote: Twilight: "Seapony etiquette isn't going to help right now, Spike."

Yays
  • The Mane Six used the Elements of Harmony again
  • The Mane Six used the Elements of Harmony again!
  • Star Swirl's characterisation was terrific
  • Nice fleshing out of the Pillars' backstory
  • Rainbow and Spike made a great team
  • Plenty of great callbacks
  • The Old Ponish is actually (broken?) Old English
Neighs
  • I'm iffy about how the Pillars may change S8's dynamics
  • Stygian's story wasn't fully resolved

7 comments:

  1. I really wonder what else the could tell with MLP now. This season has been the APOTHEOSIS of the character development and worldbuilding, and many things we wanted to see in years have been finally shown (with satisfying results I would say). Now I really can't think too much of what else could be told... what I wish to see in S8 is:
    -More about Luna and Celestia's past (which now that Starswirl has returned to the present, is very likely to be explored, as he was their teacher);
    -Discord's origin;
    -Lighting Dust's return;
    -Something about Scootaloo's family.

    .... I can't think anything else. Any ideas Logan?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I thought you were going to call it a day after S7 and the movie? But I'll probably do an article during the hiatus about what I hope for in S8. One thing I really want is a Fluttershy/Rarity episode. They're very rare, but I think those two ponies work well together.

      Delete
  2. I gotta tell ya, IT'S DEFINITELY WORTHY OF FIVE FULL STARS!!

    Only thing that keeps it from being my favorite of the season (to stand above the season's middle episode (The Perfect Pear): A lack of screen time for good ole' Stygian.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This finale is my 3rd favorite finale, the reason i cant place it higher because villain is not very threatening (To Where did it better), which is a waste, because his concept is super cool (the darkness is similar to Eldritch kind of villain). This is another two-parter where team effort is existed and I appreciate that. My finale ranking:
    1. Canterlot Wedding
    2. To Where and Back Again
    3. Shadow Play
    4. Cutie Remark
    5. Magical Mystery Cure
    6.Twilight Kingdom
    7. Best Night Ever

    ReplyDelete
  4. And mine:

    1. Twilight's Kingdom
    2. Shadow Play
    3. A Canterlot Wedding
    4. Magical Mystery Cure
    5. The Best Night Ever
    6. To Where and Back Again
    7. The Cutie Re-Mark

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm glad that _Legends of Magic_ #7-10 will be Stygian's backstory, because my biggest problem with this finale was the lack of any real sense of what Pony of Shadows was capable of *doing*.

    Especially if it results in him getting interaction with Sunburst (who of course serves as LoM's primary framing device), which I think is a dynamic that really should be explored.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm glad that _Legends of Magic_ #7-10 will be Stygian's backstory, because my biggest problem with this finale was the lack of any real sense of what Pony of Shadows was capable of *doing*.

    Especially if it results in him getting interaction with Sunburst (who of course serves as LoM's primary framing device), which I think is a dynamic that really should be explored.

    ReplyDelete