Good afternoon, everypony, sorry I'm late! I'll try to keep this review short seeing as I have some errands and work I have to take care of, but boy oh boy do we have a lot to cover! Let's not waste anymore time and dive right in, this is "Hearthbreakers"!

 

So what can't I say about this episode? Because seriously, there's a lot to say. We had a successor episode to both "Hearth's Warming Eve" and "Pinkie Apple Pie," we had the Apples spending the holidays with the Pies, we got to see the Pie family in the present for the very first time (not including Maud), and we got to see where they live and how they spend the holidays, as in, the very environment that Pinkie herself came from. On top of all of that, we had a very lovely message, if I do say so myself, one that really works fantastically for this show especially. So where to begin?

 

Well I suppose we ought to start with Pinkie and Applejack first, seeing as they are the stars of this episode. They were great, both of them, really, they were. I really actually love seeing these two get to interact one-on-one with each other, at least since "Pinkie Apple Pie." Maybe it's cause they're earth ponies, maybe it's cause they both have far more simple, homey tastes and a deep love for things like family gatherings and such, there's just something very warm about Applejack and Pinkie Pie when they're around each other compared to some of the other characters. Applejack's the only character of the show who we've ever seen extensively with her entire family (Twilight and hers don't count seeing as her parents have yet to even speak in the show), and Pinkie Pie's referenced hers multiple times before this episode. So they definitely are far more similar than one might think. But it was really interesting seeing how the both of them were trying to make their holiday celebration with each other's families work. Applejack was thrown for a loop by how the Pie's traditions didn't meet her expectations (no surprise there, that's definitely a very AJ-reaction to have), but Pinkie Pie also made a mistake in assuming that AJ and her family would be completely comfortable with her family's traditions. It's an understandable error, really, and one that I'm guessing most of us can relate to. Different families have different traditions and different ways of celebrating holidays, that's almost as old as time itself. And it speaks to a bigger issue for people in general, that being that we're uncomfortable with the unfamiliar. It's a huge reason, when one thinks about it, that people have a hard time getting along with new people or different cultures, and some people are too critical of that reaction because I think all of us have a hard time dealing with the unfamiliar when we first encounter it. This episode shines because it both highlights that people, or rather, ponies have a hard time dealing with a different lifestyle, especially when it comes to something as precious as a holiday, but also doesn't judge either party for it. AJ was wrong for assuming they'd have the same traditions and then trying to have them celebrate entirely how she was used to, and Pinkie was wrong for assuming AJ and her family wouldn't be uncomfortable with this. They didn't just run from the problem (even though they almost did), but they reached a healthy compromise; in the end, neither set of traditions overruled the other, but both were shared with each other, and that is truly when traditions are most precious. Not just when they bring you and your loved ones joy, but when you're willing to share them with others and likewise let them share theirs with you. Heck, that's what a lot of new families have to deal with when a husband and wife share their traditions with each other! So yeah, great lesson here, great execution, and great rapport between Applejack and Pinkie Pie as the leads of the episode, I loved it very much.

 

Next, let's talk about the Apples and the Pies. I don't have a whole lot to say about the Apples seeing as they're hardly new, but they were all totally fine. It was really fun getting to see them interact with the Pies, that's for sure. Granny Smith was a hoot with Igneous and Cloudy Quartz, Apple Bloom and Maud were surprisingly adorable together, and Big Mac got the BUCK shipped out of him with Marble Pie! I mean, holy cheese, they weren't even trying to hide it, someone at that studio wants to make this ship happen (much to the chagrin of CheeriMac shippers). I like CheeriMac myself, but I won't lie, these two were pretty cute together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the Pies, I couldn't have hoped for anything better. I mean, holy cow, THAT FAMILY! Oh my goodness, that is totally the family that only a pony like Pinkie Pie could come from. You got Igneous Pie and Cloudy Quartz who are TOTALLY how they should be; the Amish dialect was predictable, but it killed me all the same. And ya know, they're super cool, I liked that. They're A-OK with who they are, but they clearly have no problem with their daughters being their own ponies either considering how different they all are from each other. It seems that Maud is the oldest of all of them (at least I think so), and ya know, she's really grown on me since her first appearance. In her first appearance, I thought her personality was obnoxious and blandness taken too far, but now, I really, really like her. Maybe part of it is that DHX seems to get that much of her personality that works is making a joke out of it, but IDK, I really, really like her at this point just as she is, can't really explain it. Anyway, she was great here, whether she was with Pinkie, Apple Bloom, Boulder, or "singing" more songs about rocks. Be you, Maud, be you. Limestone Pie (previously referred to by fans as Blinky Pie up to this point) was... scary. She seems to have a severe case of middle-child syndrome and is obsessed with her job as manager of the Pie's Rock Farm. It was a bit over-the-top at times, admittedly (though part of that might've been the voice, really), but for the most part she worked just fine and was entertaining to watch. I would've liked to see a bit more of her softer side, but who knows, maybe she'll feature in a Season 6 episode somewhere down the line.

 

 

 

Finally, we learned that apparently Pinkie Pie is a TWIN (at least, for all we know she could be a triplet or even quadruplet, but IDK, until that's confirmed she's at least a twin). Yup, apparently she's a fraternal twin with Marble Pie (previously referred to by fans as Inky Pie up to this point). And oh my, Marble Pie. This filly... is adorable.

 

 

 

She's basically the Pie Family version of Fluttershy, not even joking, but I couldn't help but want to see more of her! I don't know why, maybe it's because it's so bizarre a pony like this being in the Pie family, maybe it's just cause she's so cute, maybe it's because DHX kept blatantly trying to ship her with Big Mac (seriously, still not kidding about that, DO NOT be surprised to see that crop up in the future!). Whatever the reason, I need more of her (and her ship with Big Macintosh).

 

 

 

Overall, the Pies were great as were the Apples, and I really hope we get to see more of Pinkie's family in the future. I need more MarbleMac, perpetually-angry Limestone, adventures of Apple Bloom and Maud, and Granny Smith and Mr. and Mrs. Pie have silly old-pony conversations.

 

 

 

Besides all that, not much else to cover with this one. The timing was a bit wonky on this episode seeing as we're getting a Nightmare Night one NEXT BUCKING WEEK, but it was most definitely a worthy successor to "Hearth's Warming Eve" and lovely to see them return to that holiday. Twilight and Spike had a cute bit at the beginning, the animation was lovely as always, the humor was spot on, and I loved the Pie's Rock Farm and just how big the show's writers made it, it was very cool getting to see both how colorful it was (especially at the holidays) and how many diverse locations there were on it. I still have no bucking idea what you do at a rock farm, but eh, details. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not point out that DHX made a "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" reference, as well as a "Home Alone" reference in the same scene, in the SAME... BUCKING... SHOT!!!

 

 

 

That's all I got for this week, everypony, see you all next Saturday when it'll be time for things to get SPOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKYYYYYYY!!!!!! This is Batbrony, signing off. I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*