S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

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S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Wayoshi (?) » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:55 pm

Twilight is determined to make Celestia and Luna's Summer Sun Celebration memorable once they tell her their retirement is truly imminent. Meanwhile, Cozy Glow and friends try to break into Canterlot's library for more information on the bell.
This thread is for discussion of the episode. This episode airs at 11:30 Eastern / 8:30 Pacific on Saturday, August 24!

Official preview clips and images are okay to post, as is speculation about the episode. Spoilers from non-US releases are NOT OK to post.

Early spoiler thread: http://www.roundstable.com/forums/viewt ... =16&t=1968

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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Octavia (?) » Thu Aug 22, 2019 12:35 am

Cozy Glow and FRIENDS?

I think they mean ALLIES.
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Adiwan (?) » Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:29 am

Cozy Glow has ALLIES?
I think you mean coincidentally aligned with other people's plans.
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Fizzbuzz (?) » Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:04 pm

The biggest development here was Applejack finally being acknowledged as being right. :twasnothin:

But really though, I can see why the other four were so eager to keep it from Twilight Sparkle. It wasn't just that they weren't certain about how she'd take it, but that since these last-minute changes were tasks they'd been assigned, that would've compounded the bad-feels by making Twilight reconsider whether she really should delegate anything out. The way she took it in the end was highly admirable and I feel is something we could all aspire to.

I do still wonder why Grogar was able to divine the bell's location back in the beginning of Frenemies but couldn't find it again once the rest of the gang had actually retrieved it and brought it right under his nose. Perhaps he trusts them too much, even in their supposed failure? :smirk:
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by PonyHag714 (?) » Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:13 pm

This was a very good episode. Chrysalis and her gang seem to make a very effective team, working well together. Not to discount Grogar, but I think they'll make formidable opponents. Image

I have no problem with Twilight using that gadget to raise the sun and moon if it makes it easier for her. The main thing is that it gets done.

I like the idea of Celestia and Luna pitching in more and helping out as they did here, as they really couldn't when they were ruling full time. Image
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Aramek (?) » Sun Aug 25, 2019 5:52 pm

I loved it, I loved that the baddies didn't get caught.
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by SigmasonicX (?) » Sun Aug 25, 2019 5:57 pm

I have to say, I didn't expect the Grogar Gang to be involved in this episode. I enjoy Grogar being a grump and slowly walking to whatever he's doing because the others are too useless to help.

This entire "Twilight's not panicking!" thing and the lesson about listening to Twilight when she says she can handle it feels weird because they've done this exact thing before, notably in the season 8 premiere, only for her to start panicking anyway. Plus, even though they reference it to brush it aside, "A Trivial Pursuit" did just happen. I wish there could have been more show not tell regarding this earlier in the season. Speaking of which, remember when season 3's "Games Ponies Play" aired and people thought for sure Twilight would never freak out again after she learned Cadance's breathing exercise? Good times.

I was surprised to see the castle security from "Sparkle's Seven" is still around. Funny how the Grogar Gang end up searching the castle, don't find anything, and instead go to the open to the public Canterlot Library. Also funny that they just find the book about Grogar's bell in the Starswirl the Bearded section instead of the secret archives established in "Forgotten Friendship". I suppose it'll literally just be Flash Sentry and the Sirens for things first established in Equestria Girls appearing in the show proper. Nice gag with Cozy breaking the lock with a key book, by the way.

I enjoyed Tirek stealing that pie. I like that panicking weather pony too, and the design of that fireworks pony.

The ponies hiding that things were going badly from Twilight reminded me of "Saddle Row Review", except this time they weren't able to fix things before the other pony found out. And because they were caught and couldn't solve things without the other pony, the lesson was that they should have told the other pony from the start this time. I suppose the way you can resolve this is that they should have told Rarity in "Saddle Row Review", and Rarity should have let them be to figure things out (like she said she trusted them to do in the resolution), but she should be ready to jump in to help if needed.

While the entire "unicorn master race" thing has certainly been there in the background forever, if that's really going to be a major part of the final episodes, like the ending of this episode implies, I would have preferred more explicit set up, or acknowledgment from the Main Six that it's a thing many ponies feel.

I was surprised to see a bunch of stuff I thought was from the final two-parter in the series finale trailer was actually from this episode, particularly the Grogar Gang going into Canterlot Castle.

This was a good episode, despite the oddities with Twilight's character arc.

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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by SlateSlabrock (?) » Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:12 pm

I can't believe they kept the geese. Image

Pretty fun episode. Team Evil are fun, and Vogel clearly has enough insight into the other episodes to be able to pull off references to other episodes (the trivia one last week, the episode 200 heist), even if he didn't write them. The weather pony and the fireworks directors have surprisingly unique designs.

Discord really seems to be delighting in his new role as "Guy Who Could Help, But Then What Would You Learn From All This"?" :excellent:

My one complaint is that this whole "Celestia and Luna are leaving! Forever! Very soon! Almost there!" storyline is very weird. Why are they leaving? Where are they going? Why now? Why put so much pressure on Twilight over it? I'd be more understanding if, say, all alicorns live 1009 years, and now they have to sail into the West, or if they simply wanted to be princesses emeritus. Give us a reason!
SigmasonicX wrote:
Sun Aug 25, 2019 5:57 pm
This entire "Twilight's not panicking!" thing and the lesson about listening to Twilight when she says she can handle it feels weird because they've done this exact thing before, notably in the season 8 premiere, only for her to start panicking anyway. Plus, even though they reference it to brush it aside, "A Trivial Pursuit" did just happen. I wish there could have been more show not tell regarding this earlier in the season. Speaking of which, remember when season 3's "Games Ponies Play" aired and people thought for sure Twilight would never freak out again after she learned Cadance's breathing exercise? Good times.
I think the show has trouble avoiding freak-outs because it's been their go-to conflict starter since season 2. Can't figure out how to create conflict for Applejack? What if she freaks out? Twilight? Freak out. Fluttershy? Freak out.

It's weird that they've decided this was a flaw specifically for Twilight in the past few seasons, but they seem to have leaned into it hard, with moments like Twilight saying, "Don't worry, I've learned to trust my friends!" and everyone acting shocked. I think it's partly due to lots of new writers coming in and needing some immediate hooks for Mane 6 stories, while not being familiar enough with the setting to push forward with new, different student stories.

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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by AmericanErrorist (?) » Sun Aug 25, 2019 11:30 pm

I think the whole trivia thing was a diversionary freakout.

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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by SlateSlabrock (?) » Mon Aug 26, 2019 2:17 am

By the way, filling in a lot of bingo squares

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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by Mechanical Ape (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 9:19 pm

The DVR description includes “things start going horribly wrong”, which is always a good sign.

• Oh yeah, the villains took the bell and hid it! Just like that horrible goose did.
• I hope this goes like Trixie and Starlight’s road trip, with the villains cramped in a trailer and bickering about directions.
• Ha, nice callbacks to trivia night and that royal swan thingie.
• You can’t just cancel holidays! Ponies love to party and you can’t stop them, I mean what do you think you’re gonna do, write them a ticket?
• I doubt they’re going to canonically give a # of in-universe years since the pilot, but I can’t help wondering anyway.
• Feels fun having Discord back!
• No freaking out, no crazy lists ... is Twilight on medication? :ponder:
• So when Chrysalis transforms it includes clothing and accessories, and she can detach those accessories, so they’re not just part of her body. At least I hope not.
• Braeburn!
• “Keep away from the food! It’s causing highly visible magic rays to shoot from that nearby bush!”
• I don’t know if we’ve seen Panicked Pegasus Supervisor before, but he’s cool.
• And ok, fireworks unicorn is extremely cool. Not that she cares what I think, of course, she’s too cool for that. :cooliebelle:
:terrified: “Must - protect Twilight - from - Applejack’s honesty!”
• Cozy Glow’s utter and unexplained evilness never fails to amuse. She’s just a bad, bad seed.
• Super cool shot of Dash and the ‘Bolts scooping the weather.
• Ha, breaking the lock with a book about keys. Noice.
• Aw that’s sweet, Twi.
• Teamwork! It’s not just for the good guys!

I really liked this one! No special notes, everything just landed right. Good job episode, you get the rare and coveted Two Sweetie Belles: :good: :good:
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Re: S09E17: The Summer Sun Setback

Post by PonyHag714 (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:30 pm

I thought the villains worked very well together as a team in this one. Image

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