Season 8 is to me one of the weaker and less consistent seasons of 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'. It did have some great episodes and showed real potential at the start, but it also contains the biggest number of misfires and disappointments of all the seasons up to this point of the show's run (even more so than Season 6) and a few show low points. Despite the concept being appealing and liking the episode on first watch, part of me was apprehensive on re-watch after three misfires in a row.
"Road to Friendship" luckily is a vast improvement over the previous episode "Yakity-Sax", as well as "The End in Friend". Already knew that Starlight Glimmer and Trixie gelled really well together from the likes of "No Second Prances", Starlight has come on a long way and it became easier to accept her reform overtime. Trixie didn't do much for me when first introduced, but she has also grown on me a lot. All of that can be seen here in an episode that doesn't have anybody unlikeable or out of character and has a lot to recommend about it.
It isn't a perfect episode. The cameo with Cadance and Flurry Heart was strange and wasn't needed. The ending came over to me as too pat considering what came before.
The song "We're Friendship Bound" is pleasant enough when hearing but is a bit on the forgettable side. These flaws though are more nit-picks than they are major problems.
And far outshone by the many great things. Starlight and Trixie are interesting characters and carry the story beautifully. Both are shown to be flawed, especially Starlight where there are signs of her pre-reformed (i.e. The trading of the wagon and seeming to be proud of it), but unlike other episodes of Season 8 "Road of Friendship" doesn't over-emphasise the character flaws and still manages to show their redeeming qualities like with the friendship epiphany (something that other episodes of the season didn't do). It is easy for Trixie's flaws to be overwritten, something that "Boast Busters" did badly, but her character here seemed to progress and in a way that made sense and didn't come over as rushed. Despite the chemistry being unconventional, love-hate if you will, the two gel very compellingly and the episode doesn't make the coupling too odd.
Liked the storytelling a good deal on the whole. Was nervous considering that "Road to Friendship" is not the first episode of Season 8 to have a story that reads to some of two characters arguing with each other the entire time that was done badly the previous times, but actually the storytelling was eventful, moved at a nice pace and Starlight and Trixie were not one-dimensional or out of character. Not the case with "Non-Compete Clause" and "The End in Friend". It also doesn't get repetitive. The moral was sincere, relevant and wasn't muddled or laid on too thick, with it never having a feeling of the show going backwards in development. Season 8 was a mixed bag when it came to morals hence why this was mentioned.
The animation is terrific. Not just typically rich in background detail, very vibrant and atmospheric in colour and with character designs that never look awkward or ugly, but it is also very inventive. A lot goes on visually but it doesn't feel cluttered and is done imaginatively. The music is as dynamic and beautifully orchestrated as ever. The writing is mature without being too heavy or too complicated, while provoking thought and entertaining. Kelly Sheridan and Kathleen provide excellent voice work.
Concluding, very good and it was a relief that the season didn't continue the downward spiral it was starting to feel like. 8/10.
"Road to Friendship" luckily is a vast improvement over the previous episode "Yakity-Sax", as well as "The End in Friend". Already knew that Starlight Glimmer and Trixie gelled really well together from the likes of "No Second Prances", Starlight has come on a long way and it became easier to accept her reform overtime. Trixie didn't do much for me when first introduced, but she has also grown on me a lot. All of that can be seen here in an episode that doesn't have anybody unlikeable or out of character and has a lot to recommend about it.
It isn't a perfect episode. The cameo with Cadance and Flurry Heart was strange and wasn't needed. The ending came over to me as too pat considering what came before.
The song "We're Friendship Bound" is pleasant enough when hearing but is a bit on the forgettable side. These flaws though are more nit-picks than they are major problems.
And far outshone by the many great things. Starlight and Trixie are interesting characters and carry the story beautifully. Both are shown to be flawed, especially Starlight where there are signs of her pre-reformed (i.e. The trading of the wagon and seeming to be proud of it), but unlike other episodes of Season 8 "Road of Friendship" doesn't over-emphasise the character flaws and still manages to show their redeeming qualities like with the friendship epiphany (something that other episodes of the season didn't do). It is easy for Trixie's flaws to be overwritten, something that "Boast Busters" did badly, but her character here seemed to progress and in a way that made sense and didn't come over as rushed. Despite the chemistry being unconventional, love-hate if you will, the two gel very compellingly and the episode doesn't make the coupling too odd.
Liked the storytelling a good deal on the whole. Was nervous considering that "Road to Friendship" is not the first episode of Season 8 to have a story that reads to some of two characters arguing with each other the entire time that was done badly the previous times, but actually the storytelling was eventful, moved at a nice pace and Starlight and Trixie were not one-dimensional or out of character. Not the case with "Non-Compete Clause" and "The End in Friend". It also doesn't get repetitive. The moral was sincere, relevant and wasn't muddled or laid on too thick, with it never having a feeling of the show going backwards in development. Season 8 was a mixed bag when it came to morals hence why this was mentioned.
The animation is terrific. Not just typically rich in background detail, very vibrant and atmospheric in colour and with character designs that never look awkward or ugly, but it is also very inventive. A lot goes on visually but it doesn't feel cluttered and is done imaginatively. The music is as dynamic and beautifully orchestrated as ever. The writing is mature without being too heavy or too complicated, while provoking thought and entertaining. Kelly Sheridan and Kathleen provide excellent voice work.
Concluding, very good and it was a relief that the season didn't continue the downward spiral it was starting to feel like. 8/10.
