This one felt... IDK. On paper there is a lot for me to love. Small scale threat, local setting, a /comfy/ feel, etc. But something just feels off with this one. Not strong enough for me to call it bad, but I have a hesitance of giving it a positive rating. One of these criticisms is very clear cut and obvious for me: the moral of this episode doesn't feel fitting of the scenario. Establishing the whole student console thing and then having them run off into the forest. I feel like it could perhaps be written to better facilitate these two plots. In this episode it felt like they were setting up a Slice of Life then glued it to some other episode with an adventure plot. Dolores's hectic schedule, the brief flash of sadness on Silverstream's face, it felt like a set up for a different episode and didn't fit well with the second half. This is not 100& a negative mark, especially if it delivers some fun, but it is something that does cause me to view it less favorably. Though, this is not the only factor. The second half I did enjoy, but there was something there that felt off. I don't know how to put it. It highlighted a contrast for me between it and the earlier episodes but I do not have the words to describe it. It will take some examination on my part to see what it is and if it isn't some oldfag logic arising in me or something worthy to criticize. So I will exclude the second offness from my final rating. If it is true I may lower the rating, yet overall, despite this offness, there was some fun to be had. My, Maud's search party joke made me burst out laughing. I enjoyed her and her Y-7 level suggestive joking with her boyfriend. It was nice to see Cockatrices again and it'd be interesting to see or at least have a mention of how Silverstream's project went.
Overall rating: 7/10 with some hesitance.
Other stuff:
1) Maud's search party joke 10/10
2) So... the everfree is a threat again? At least briefly.
3) Ocellus and identity issues. Though it was more of a joke, it could be interesting to look at if it doesn't go into an awkward racial identity strongly or gender identity analogies at all. But as changeling specific issues regarding disassociation and confusion and a desire to in be among different species she hangs out with and even animals and objects it could make an interesting episode in itself.
