YMMV / My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic S8 E2 "School Daze – Part 2"

• Alternate Aesop Interpretation: When she's sulking in her room, Twilight makes a point that you can't always cheer somepony instantly with gifts, treats, or hugs. Sometimes, they just need to be alone. It can also be interpreted that although comforting and pep talks are nice, a solution to the problem might cheer someone up more.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: A minor example, does Ember really not like singing or music in general, was the particular "Friendship Always Wins" song number just a bit too sappy for her taste, was she simply not used to the random bursting into song routine, or was it just another example of her Tsundere personality?
• Broken Base: All the other creatures threatening to go to war with not only the princesses, but themselves when the Student Six go missing. Some fans felt that, because the season was about proving the School of Friendship was a good cause, it worked in showing these factions the error of their ways and how them getting along was enough to prove the disbelieving Chancellor Neighsay wrong. Other fans felt that it contradicted years worth of character development between these different groups ^note  the Changelings reform into their new, friendlier forms in Season Six thanks to Starlight Glimmer and Thorax, the Yaks and Griffons learned to accept pony culture back in Season Five, the dragons did similar thanks to Princess Ember in Season Six, the Hippogriffs, as shown later this season, were grateful for the ponies after the Storm King was defeated and Thorax suggest they don’t fight but is cut off by Ember who accuses him of taking the children despite the two becoming good acquaintances in Season Seven just for the sake of pointlessly shoehorning a new conflict on top of the already established conflict of the school being shut down prematurely.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Gallus' Puppy-Dog Eyes to convince Grampa Gruff to let him stay takes a different light once we learn why he's so desperate to stay in "The Hearth's Warming Club".
• Memetic Mutation: Silverstream's finding of stairs has become a meme.
• So Okay, It's Average: General consensus is that this premiere is a decent, albeit neigh unremarkable start to the new season. Coming off the heels of Shadow Play, the movie, and Forgotten Friendship, which all had higher stakes at risk ^note  Star Swirl the Bearded’s proper introduction & the Pony of Shadows' escape, the Storm King’s attack & near takeover of Equestria, and Sunset being remembered as the bully from that series beginning & later reuniting with Princess Celestia compared to the opening of a School of Friendship doesn’t help either.
• Suspiciously Similar Song: To some, the song is a nice homage to the Royal Prep song from Sofia the First.
• What Do You Mean, It's Not Political?: The dispute between the EEA and Twilight's school mirrors the ones that rage in many states over public, private, and charter schools.

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