Shadow Play review/Season 7 thoughts

(Note: I saw this episode a while back, so I re-watched the episode before writing this review)

So, we come to the final episode of season 7. We finally get to see Starswirl the Bearded in the flesh, as well as the Pony of Shadows. And it was... not as exciting as I hoped.
The first half of the finale was almost entirely focused on setup. We don't even get to see Starswirl until the end of the first half.
The second half is a little better, as our heroes and the Pillars of Equestria are out to stop the Pony of Shadows. Who, by the way, is probably the weakest villain this show has ever had. Not in terms of power, but character (the Shadow, not Stygian). PoS is easily the most generic villain we've had on this show, next to Chrysalis and Nightmare Moon. Although, Stygian's motivation for turning evil was more interesting than what Starlight was given back in season 5. It all came from a misunderstanding.
Out of all the Pillars in the episode, Starswirl is given the most screen time and dialogue.
And no, he is not voiced by a celebrity guest star, like everyone thought he would. Which may be disappointing for some.
What this episode boiled down to, in terms of the lesson, was not letting pride cloud your judgement. A very good moral, though I don't know how many people in our world would ever take it to heart.
Especially this year... *shudders*
Overall this episode was good. Not great, not bad, just good.

7/10 Good

Season 7 has officially come to a close, and I've gotta say, I'm impressed! So many excellent episodes this season, imperfect they may be. Some of my opinions on the episodes have changed over the coarse of the year, so I'll make sure I update some of my ratings on them.
I'd say this is my favorite season of the show next to season 5. Keep up the good work, show writers!

Season overall: 8/10 Very Good