I've yet to ever write an episode review, but I've been waiting for this baby since they released the animatic at Comic-Con. So let's bounce right into it.

 

The Melody

 

 

Tell me you can't watch this and not feel like you're being smothered in liquid happiness? As if joy itself were a gravy, you were a mashed potato blob and this were the Thanksgiving of our content.

 

After watching the animatic more times than I counted, the final product is a lot more fluid and bouncy than I envisioned in my head. The vividness is a shining example of times when this cartoon can be pure eye candy. This is easily one of my new favorite songs in the show's run. Although I have to give credit to Raise This Barn as the superior Applejack song, as it sounded more country and blue grass.

 

Something I noticed was that this was the first canonical mention of pink being Pinkie Pie's favorite color, if that weren't already a given

. G3 Pinkie Pie was absolutely obsessed with pink, to the point that it was almost her only schtick, whereas our Pinkie is more fleshed out as the fun-loving, reality-bending party pony. How is her color relevant to her eccentricity? Well, as it turns out, a few scientists are questioning whether pink "exists" in the same way the other colors 'exist'. But that's a topic for a future post.

 

The Meat

 

While there were a few funny bits, Goldie Delicious stole the show. She's now my favorite new character of the season. I'm sorry Coco, you're sweet and all, but you can't hold a candle to crazy hoarder cat lady. How many of you know someone like this?

 

I'm wondering why Pinkie's background didn't come into play. I knew Pinkie and AJ having a common ancestor named "Apple Pie" went out the window as soon as the obvious pun was used in the title, but it seemed only logical they would make some kind of the connection between the Apples' agricultural heritage and the Pies' rural rock farm. I suppose with limited time allotted, they didn't really have a chance to touch upon it. Unless they come back to it, which I hope they do, this will remain in the realm of fan fiction.

 

It really is a missed opportunity, though. In the season 3 finale, we saw Pinkamena do terribly in Applejack's place. She was never fit for the lifestyle of an Apple anymore than she was happy pushing rocks. Yet it was through her Pinkie-ness that she managed to 'love and tolerate' the Apples, with all the ups and downs. Maybe we'll see this angle play out in the context of her own family in the future episode involving Pinkie's sister. Come on, writers! Don't squander it!

 

And of course, everyone saw the lesson miles away. "It's doesn't matter if you're blood kin or not, family is in the heart," and all that crap. It begs the question: What was the big deal in the first place of being a "fourth cousin once removed by a fifth cousin"? If you go back far enough, we're all related. What's the cut-off? Would it have made a difference if Pinkie is their fourth cousin or twentieth cousin? (Given how relatively small Equestrian society is.)

 

However, it's best to see this as highlighting just how much the Apples value family. Fourth cousin once removed by a fifth cousin? Heck, she was their sister. Whereas our reaction to this news would probably be, "Ah, cool," their reaction, "Yeeeeeeehaw! See y'all at the next Apple family reunion!" And given the chance that they're not related, they still consider her an honorary Apple, which is a true honor indeed.

 

One major flaw I found in this episode was Pinkie Pie's voice. The way she exclaimed, "THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER! WHYY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME HOW AMAZING THIS IS?!" and "Best..family...EVAR!!!", as a few examples. All throughout the episode, her squealing made me twitch. I've said before that the writing for Pinkie's personality is hit and miss, and this was one of those rare occasions that I find Pinkie more irritating than amusing. Which is a shame, because the reason for Pinkie squealing all over the place was that this was her most joyous experience. What is the validity of Pinkie's title of Best Pony if she annoys me at her most exuberant state?

 

On the flip side, Pinkie was as adorable in this episode as she's ever been. After a few viewings, her squealing lost its cringe and her cuteness balanced it all out.

 

 

Oh, Pinkie. I can't stay upset with you.

 

The Memes

 

Good Lord, I didn't realize how easy we had it with the fedora pony. Not since DisQord,

and a Star Wars homage have so many in-jokes, Internet memes and pop culture references appeared in one sitting.

• Apple Bloom doing a -licious song, only to be cut off.
  
• At the end of 'Apples to the Core', Pinkie does the Soulja Boy.
  
• Did that Ducky on Wheels count as a
  ?
  
• Speaking of duck.
  
• The fact that Goldie Delicious had a literal "dusty cat". Even more incredibly subtle: the crazy cat lady herself alludes to DustyKatt's personal "
  "
  .
  
• Finally, Slenderman's guest appearance.
  

 

Happiest episode of MLP ever? Fuck it, let's make Slenderman canon to their world! Sweet dreams, kiddos.

 

Megan McCarthey says she had never even heard of Slenderman. Yah-huh. Now I wouldn't doubt that this were an animator's joke, but I think it's more likely that they're playing off the Slenderman mythos for the sake of some Internet fun. Which, of course, would work better if they didn't just slap us over the head with Grumpy Cat.

 

Some have suggested that Slenderman(e) was the Pony of Shadows, the cliff-hanger from Castle Mane-ia. (Lest we forget the title of that episode itself was a play on Castlevania, while another episode cliff-hanger featured Fluttershy still having her vampire fangs.) Perhaps this is why the pages were smudged both times? It wasn't contrived at all, but a scheme, meaning that this episode isn't an isolated story after all.

 

Looking beyond this fan theorizing, would they make an Internet meme a major plot point? God no. So many fans are pissed off as it is that they're even doing so much pandering lately. To that, I say: Lighten up on the hellup. A few Easter eggs and fan service bits here and there doesn't effect the actual stories we're watching. You know, with the exception of Derpy helping Applejack realize how mediocre she is.

 

Say, where is Derpy anyway? We haven't seen her all season. You don't think...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Values

 

I'm going to end this review on a sweet, personal note. The oldest sibling and sole boy among girls, living in the South and raised by my great-grandmother, I like to see parallels between my family and the Apples. While it isn't an exact parallel, this episode couldn't have aired at a more opportune time.

 

My oldest sister will be having a baby next month, giving me a niece. A few weeks ago, our mom held her a minor baby shower, with our grandma and little sisters attending. It was the first time we were all under the same roof together. This episode, with its emphasis on family and the addition of a family member, was a nice reflection of how I feel right now.

 

And with that, thank y'all for reading. I hope I at least wrote a few unique things that others haven't said this week. Until the next Pinkie Pie episode...