BEST EPISODE EVER!!! Ok, that might be exaggerating just a little bit, but I think it's safe to say that within the first two minutes this episode was already amazing. I've written extensively in the past about why I love this scene so much and what it meant for the fandom, so I won't go into it too much here, but I can't properly review "The Last Roundup" without covering it a little bit. Derpy's first and, to date, only talking scene was nothing short of amazing. First of all, Derpy herself is utterly adorable, and this scene proved as much; to this day I will never understand the small fraction of people within and outside of the fandom who decided that for some reason Ms. Hooves in her one minute of fame was insulting at all when there have been in the past so many other more incompetent characters with far more screen time in children's shows who haven't taken any slack whatsoever (and that's all I'm going to say about the Derpy controversy; again, I've written far more extensively about it in the past). Second, her being given this tiny cameo was, to date at that point, probably the largest recognition from the folks at Studio B of the brony fandom. When Derpy talked, it suddenly became clear as day that not only did they know about bronies, but they knew what we liked within the show, even the little things, and they cared about what we liked in the show and were willing to interact with and encourage this unlikely fandom by giving us shout-outs tailored to our own tastes, basically, including us within the magic of the show itself as best they could. This really took the level of affection between the show's creators and bronies to a whole new level, and for that, what may well prove to be Derpy's only talking scene will forever hold a special place in my heart.

I did it Rainbow Dash, I talked, I finally talked!!!

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the rest of the episode. "The Last Roundup" was the first of a pair of back-to-back Applejack-centric episodes, similar to how Rainbow Dash had a pair of back-to-back episodes in "May the Best Pet Win" and "The Mysterious Mare Do Well". In this review, I'll largely be looking at why people unfairly misread this episode in their viewing of it, largely, in the forming of the popular opinion that Derpy and Pinkie Pie steal the spotlight from Applejack. I believe that in reality this really is a solid Applejack episode, but it's largely the viewer's responsibility to figure that out. So, let's begin.

Well, first of all, let's dispel with the idea that this is Derpy and Pinkie Pie's episode. First, as I said, Derpy's scene is undeniably amazing, one of my favorite moments in the show for obvious reasons, but that said I cannot pretend that it's anything more than a minute long scene, and not a whole episode. Ergo, despite the fact that it's an awesome moment in this episode, I cannot conscientiously state that Derpy's scene makes the whole episode, because it simply doesn't. As for Pinkie Pie, yes, she's on her A-game here, I mean it, she is flat out funny from beginning to end and probably is responsible for more laughs than all of the other characters in this episode combined. But again, it's still not her episode; she doesn't have a lesson to learn, she doesn't learn any lesson, heck, she's not even present at the end of the episode when Applejack does learn her own lesson! While she undeniably owns the laughs in this episode, that again does not mean that it is her episode; "The Last Roundup" is quite obviously an Applejack-centric episode when you get down to it, and nothing can change that, not even Pinkie Pie's personality reaching epic proportions.

So, that out of the way, what must a viewer understand going into this episode in order to appreciate it as truly an Applejack episode? Well, the biggest thing is this: Applejack, even in starring roles, has never and will never have the biggest personality on screen. That is simply not her character; she's not some flashy pegasus, super hyper earth pony, or high strung unicorn. She's a simple, humble, farmer earth pony who doesn't like being the center of attention, never has, and never will, and the fact that the writers consistently convey that even when she's the star of an episode is commendable. Her primary concerns are being mature, responsible, getting whatever needs doing done, and doing her best in any project she tackles. She doesn't need her friends or family's praise to know she's done her best, she just needs to meet the high expectations she's set for herself, and once she has done so, she's perfectly content to quietly acknowledge that to herself and take it no further than that. This goes to show that Applejack is not a Mary Sue, but rather simply a subtle, nuanced character; very mature, set in her ways, consistent, unchanging, and very, very stubborn. The worst thing for her is making her own problems somepony else's and not meeting the standards she's set for herself, and so if she ever fails to live up to her own expectations, she will try to resolve this on her own without turning to friends or family, which she thinks is needless. This is indeed a character flaw, and an understandable one at that, albeit somewhat unusual as well, namely in that few people ever display this flaw themselves. It's a problem of putting too much responsibility on yourself, and, like in the Season 1 classic "Apple Bucking Season", Applejack displays this same personality trait here in "The Last Roundup". If a viewer understands going into this episode these things about Applejack, then he or she will have no trouble at all understanding that this is easily an Applejack-centric episode.

So, just what does Applejack learn out of this experience, after failing to meet her own expectations for herself and not bringing home any first place ribbons or prize money like she'd promised? Well, she learns that when one doesn't meet her expectations or goals, it's fine to feel disappointed, but that doesn't mean you should run from your friends and family thinking they'll be just as disappointed as well. Instead, you should turn to them for support, because that's what they're there for, to support you when you're down and going through a rough patch, and in the end, their love and fellowship is far more important than any prize you could ever win. This is a very, very mature lesson indeed, and it's suitable that Applejack should learn it; rather than more obvious lessons learned by ponies making more obvious mistakes, like Rarity or Rainbow Dash, it's not so clear until the end just what Applejack has done wrong and what she needs to do instead. Personal responsibility is a wonderful trait to have and display regularly, but that doesn't mean one can't take it too far, and AJ does just that. But in the end, all is well, and she's learned a valuable lesson that she doesn't just need to be a rock that other ponies can lean on and count on for support, but also that she has rocks of her own to lean on when times are rough, and she carries this lesson with her into the next episode, as we'll see in my next review.

Besides the great lesson learned in this episode and the solid comedic moments, the rest of the episode is pretty standard fare. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see more of Canterlot or the new town of Dodge Junction, and especially a bit bummed that we didn't get to actually see Applejack at the rodeo, though I understand why the writers chose that course for storytelling purposes, along with the little that we got to see of both aforementioned cities. The animation is lovely as usual, but nothing spectacular, and no one scene really stands out all that much visually. Overall, this is a solid and terribly underrated Applejack episode, and unlike her Season 3 appearances which seem to get all the credit they're due, I really wish that Applejack's Season 2 appearances got the full credit they deserve from bronies and pegasisters. If you're looking for a fun MLP episode with a great, nuanced lesson and some hysterical comedy, look no further than "The Last Roundup".

STOP BEING SO MODEST!!!

Sheesh.