S05:E17 - Brotherhooves Social

[Allen 1,371]

The episode is good and also the song by Apple Bloom and Big MacIntosh was revealed!

Applejack appears only at the first part of it. I can't believe that Big MacIntosh finally talks in the episode, I thought he's saying "Eeyup" or "Nope" as his catchphrase. During the racing part, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo has lead off while Apple Bloom and Big MacIntosh have gone that fast before them.

[ImAWhale 15]

I really liked the ending, especially since the lighting and the FEEELS were so pretty. It didn't quite make me cry (because my watching device froze at a crucial moment in the scene  ), but I felt a little teary. Love the episode though, and I thought it was pretty hilarious when Big Mac Cousin Orchard Blossom knocked down everything in the obstacle course.

[Princess Book Horse 350]

- YAY, more Big Mac development!

- Also, More ScootaDash moments!

- Orchard Blossom is priceless and the joke wouldn't be complete without that old pony crushing on "her."

- Dat ending tho. FEELS!

- But... But what about Sweetie Belle?

[Sidral Mundet 1,666]

Guess some ponies like it hot!

 

What I liked:

The Humor: For the most part much more subdued than normal and wittier than usual, outside of the massive one which I'll talk about later. I like that kind of humor for the most part. 

Big Mac: Holy cow, first episode and he is an emotional torpedo! Man the feels from his looks along could sink battleship!

The CMC: Apple Bloom is the quintessential teenager, upset for not getting what she wants then realizing things could be so much worse, Scootaloo won, and Sweetie Belle has the best line in the episode!

The Ending: OMG that ending! I mean one thing, the colors were brilliant and the animation top notch! But lets get to the real meat of it, Big Mac emotional talk. I mean it makes sense for him to feel left out and unappreciated yet it never goes into jealousy, just regret and that works so well  

Rainbow Dash: Nice to see her here with a bit part, still has her ego from competing but it's not overblown. I mean that ending was more like,"Oh hey we won. That's pretty cool" more so than an overblown one she might have done earlier in the show. Also she's spending time with Scootaloo. Yay!

 

What I didn't like:

Big Mac in a dress: Kind of cringe worth here with it but it's not really all that offensive, at least to me but the joke did not take, though I did like how everyone pretty much knew and were cool with it.

Apple Bloom 1st act: Kind of being a bit rude to Big Mac there Apple Bloom but you're a teenager.

 

Yeah all I got. A okay middle act surrounded by a very touching opening and closing. Good episode! 

Edited October 3, 2015 by Sidral Mundet

[BlackWater627 700]

@@PonyLaces, the Scootalove is real. *joins in joy*  

 

I loved AB and Mac in the ep but I wouldn't mind getting a full episode just for Scoots and Dash. 

[FlitterFlutter 1,568]

I am going to be honest I was not loving this ep, but I believe that ending changed me from a "meh" to a "I liked it."

[CT-1138 3,180]

The CMC: Apple Bloom is the quintessential teenager, upset for not getting what she wants then realizing things could be so much worse, Scootaloo won, and Sweetie Belle has the best line in the episode!

The CMC were fantastic in this episode! So many great sarcastic lines packed into a 22 minute episode! 

[colt .45 259]

Big Mac dose'nt talk much, but when he does, he sure has a lot to say. I don't really have much to say that hasn't already been said by others in this thread. As I read all these posts, I get to the end and think "Eeyup".

 

Brohooves Social will generate many brohooves today.

 

...also after seeing Big Mac in drag, (and to wipe up all the liquid pride) I'll just leave this here.

[Jeric 46,834]

Great episode and strong moral. Loved that they added that Big Mac didn't fool anyone, yet they didn't seem to care. Nice touch. That ending and how it was framed, paced, and written was phenomenal. 

[BlackWater627 700]

@@colt .45, eeyup. 

 

Another thing I liked about the episode: it had a very realistic issue right at the start. You don't have to have siblings to understand what it's like to be ignored by someone you really care about. Friends can be this way too. It's especially hard when others used to look up to you as something really special.  -_-

[Jeric 46,834]

 

 

HOLY SHIT SCOOTALOO SCOOTALOO SCOOTALOO SCOOTALOO *brain explodes

 

I had that reaction too. The Scoots and RD scenes were a highlight.   

[RDBestPony 271]

That was a good episode. I like how they show a different side of Big Mac, before he was all "Eeyup" and "Nope." Like in all the other episodes he talks in, when he talks, he says a lot. That ending made the episode for me, it was well presented and sweet. Also, Scoots and Rainbow Dash, the scenes where they were together were so cute. I love how this episode shows them having a sisterly connection. 

[Batbrony 15,994]

Good morning everypony, and welcome back to yet another edition of "Batbrony Reviews."  Well, I must say this week we had a very... unique episode.  This is definitely one of those episodes that's in a category of its own, and in all the right ways, I must say.  I don't have a whole lot to say about it since most of it was schtick and comedic gags, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it.  Without further ado, this is "Brotherhooves Social."

 

So let's start with the, surprisingly enough, star of this episode, Big Macintosh.  I've always wanted to learn more about Big Mac and I love any time we see him; for starters, Peter New seems to have a blast in the role, but as for the character himself, Big Mac is pretty straightforward, but that makes it all the more fun to learn more about him.  It's nice seeing in an episode like this that there's a little more to him than meets the eye, and I look forward to more supporting roles in the future for him (such as he had in "Filly Vanilli").  It'd be nice too to see some big, permanent changes for him in the future, such as perhaps something starting with him and Miss Cheerilee (who, as evidenced in "Filly Vanilli" seems definitely actually interested in him).  It certainly wouldn't surprise me if something like that happened, seeing as the show more and more references events that have happened in the past, showing that there is definitely long-term continuity at this point.  But anyways, back to the episode.  Speaking as a big brother myself (although I don't have two siblings like Big Mac, just one little sis), I definitely empathized with a lot of what Big Mac was feeling here.  There have definitely been times in our lives where I myself and my little sis were more distant than we should've been, but thankfully they didn't last.  The lengths he was willing to go in order to make Apple Bloom happy were obviously not just hilarious, but also rather sweet, and very creative if I do say so myself, I swear, I think Big Mac's got a far wilder imagination than we might think.  He got a bit carried away at the end there, but his real shining moment came in the final scene when he delivered a lengthy monologue that was actually perfectly executed, which is saying something considering it could've come across quite easily as forced.  Not much else to say about him besides that, but all in all, Big Mac had a bang up episode in his first ever true starring role, and I for one really hope we get to see more and more of him in the future.  Good job Big Mac, you're a good big brother, from one BBBFF to another. 

 

 

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, touchdown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

 

I have far less to say about Apple Bloom, mostly because she was playing the same tune for most of this episode.  She started out blissfully ignorant of Big Mac's discomfort, and then spent most of the episode worrying about him being discovered and her being embarrassed.  It wasn't bad or anything, there just wasn't a whole lot of variation to it.  She learned a good lesson at the end and was much closer to her brother for it, but really the one thing that stuck out most about AB here to me was just that Michelle Creber's voice is really starting to go through puberty (though not quite as much as Claire Corlett's, which actually has left Scootaloo sounding the most similar to her Season 1 self of the three CMC, weird, right?  ).  Speaking of the other two CMC, they were fine as well, though Sweetie Belle just kinda suddenly disappeared from the episode.  Scootaloo on the other hand was pretty cute tagging along with Rainbow Dash, and while we're on the subject, RD was pretty cool too going along with Big Mac's plan, yet another example of how she's not nearly as competitive as she used to be.  Granny Smith was her funny, kooky old self, and AJ was fine for the bit she was in it.  All in all, the supporting cast was just fine, if somewhat predictable in what they did.

 

 

No, stahp it Twily, that's a bad, bad Princess of Friendship! *smacks with newspaper* You'll get another episode soon enough.   

 

Finally, since most of the episode was really just comedy (besides the more serious beginning and ending), guess I should mention that.  Most the humor centered around Big Mac in drag, and while it was fairly predictable in that regard, it was also executed really well and quite funny for it.  My favorite running gag in the whole episode was actually that stallion-judge who apparently didn't realize he was a stallion and kept eyeballing "Orchard Blossom," that was bucking funny.    The reveal of "Orchard Blossom" was also one of those moments that had me nearly falling out of my seat, mostly because I had no bucking idea it was coming.  And honestly, the whole concept itself could've been far more cringeworthy than it really was, but in execution it really just came off as silly, lighthearted fun and a sweet but very weird brotherly gesture from Big Mac.  Animation was top notch as usual, the song was fairly nice but could've been a little sweeter if it wasn't being played for laughs, what with Big Mac's falsetto voice and all, and Big Mac's "Orchard Blossom" voice was to die for.  Like I said before, this was a very one-of-a-kind episode that I doubt any other will resemble any time soon, and for what it was, it did pretty much everything it wanted to.  It was funny when it needed to be, it was sweet when it needed to be, and it was a nice shout-out to all the big brothers of the world who might not be as close to their little sisters as they'd like to be.  Fellow big bros, hold on tight to your little sises, always be there for them ready to be the best big bro you can be and having their back always, and if you haven't seen them in awhile, give them the biggest hugs you can the next time you do.  That's all I got for this one, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*

 

[Carolina 212]

This one was kind of "eh" to me. I liked Big Mac and his struggle at the end (especially admitting he feels inferior to Applejack), but he was rather annoying as "Orchard Blossom." Meanwhile, I didn't like Apple Bloom for most of the episode (until the end). I thought she was even more obnoxious than usual with her Applejack obsessing.

[FirestormCAN 246]

Big Mac should take some acting lessons after this, he's got a lot of potential as a stage performer! (And why shouldn't he, he's got Peter New providing the talent).

 

Pretty gutsy for the writers to take on such a tough issue in this day in age, but hey, better than having no one talk about it right? And I think they handled it pretty well. All Big Mac was trying to do was earn Applebloom's happiness, he wasn't gonna let some drag stunt hold him back from his goal. He knew he was in trouble from right off the bat, but he pressed on like a champ! Too bad that didn't save him on the obstacle course. :/

 

And that ending was probably the most heartwarming moments I've seen this season. The visuals, the dialogue, the acting, it all came together perfectly.

 

Not one of the best of the season IMO, but I'll be darned if it didn't have some lovely moments.

[silvadel 1,393]

The CMC were fantastic in this episode! So many great sarcastic lines packed into a 22 minute episode! 

 

ANY pony seems to do better when they are in the background of a story. 

[melody5697 195]

RATING IT 10/10 IGN CONFIRMED     

What's IGN and how was it confirmed? Sorry if this is a stupid question...

Edited October 3, 2015 by melody5697

[BlackWater627 700]

 

 

It'd be nice too to see some big, permanent changes for him in the future, such as perhaps something starting with him and Miss Cheerilee (who, as evidenced in "Filly Vanilli" seems definitely actually interested in him).  It certainly wouldn't surprise me if something like that happened, seeing as the show more and more references events that have happened in the past, showing that there is definitely long-term continuity at this point.

 

 

It needs to just happen.   

 

 

 

RD was pretty cool too going along with Big Mac's plan, yet another example of how she's not nearly as competitive as she used to be

 

 

I can be okay with that. I never liked her being too over the top and I think she's improved over time, except for that Tank incident. 

[AccountNoLongerUsed 741]

I wish I could like this episode.....but I can't. They just had to make the "stallion in a dress" jokes. Ugh. And the whole "not lady like" thing? When was the Sisterhooves Social EVER about being "lady like"?

[Vertigo-01 101]

That was an astounding episode! Really glad to hear Big Mac speak again (obviously), but that final scene in general really sealed the deal. A great, basic touch on the relationship between the youngest and oldest siblings of the Apple family, not to mention some Scootalove. 

[Foliha 395]

I want a big ol' poster of Big Mac sittin' on that hill with his little sister!

[AlbaTross 1,581]

*sniff* That ending...I've been waiting a long time for a serious bonding moment between Big Mac and Applebloom, and this episode didn't disappoint. This season has been excellent for not only crossing off things from the fan wish list, but from my own personal wish list as well (which often overlaps with the general fan wish list mind you). Also, that can't possibly be the tree on the hill from one of the covers for Big Mac's arc in the comics can it? If so that's at least three comic references so far this season, at least that I've picked up on. Big Mac in a dress reminded me a little of Poindexter in a dress but that could just be a coincidence. All in all, it was an entertaining episode, even though the dress trope has been done before in other shows. Applebloom comes off as a little forced in the beginning when she over praises Applejack and ignores Big Mac, but it led to a great episode, and the ending makes it all worth it.

[Sazama Ichida 2,352]

Poor Big Mac. I couldn't help but feel bad for him in this episode.

[Cosmik Vek 764]

Well, now that I was able to watch it fully, thanks Internet Connexion, I can  say that this was a quality episode and here's why:

The humour!: I found the humour to be pretty funny, mainly at the song part and I've gotta that it's one of the funniest/cringiest song I've heard in all of the series I think I have not laugh that much at a song before, gg MLP song writers on that one!

The ending: This. It all sealed the thing with a lot of feels and all of them feels were greatly executed and it did show the true display of great emotional writing by Dave Polski.

Pace: They nailed it on that one, not even rushed in the slightest and a great improvement from the last episode!

 

TL;DR Great episode with cringy funny humour, a perfect pace and a ending with dem greatly executed feels

 

Rating: 9/10

[Kevin 160]

This episode was both strange, hilarious, and absolutely adorable!

 

First they give us not one, but two character bonding moments and on top of that development the relationship both of them! I especially loved the interaction between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash!

 

Now let's get to Big Mac pretending to be Woman. Not only was it strange and seemling out of character for him, it was absolutely hilarious!

 

On a note of the sisterhooves social, it was nice to see it make a return albet some changes here and there.

 

But let's get to the ending. Oh man, I have to admit seeing Big Mac open up about his feelings on wanting to spend more time with Applebloom and and having her look up to him as a hero not only gave me some feels, but it was one of most adorable and heartwarming moments in the show. I'm really happy to see him speak his mind instead of the usual "Eeyup" and "Nope".