S05:E20 - Hearthbreakers

[Nikola Xerdav 88]

 

 

"Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" reference

wait, where? i missed it.

 

but anyway, my 2 cents about this episode, and though i wasn't really keen on it, i won't go on some epic rant, even though Nick Confalone wrote this episode (grrr!). now considering i'm not a big fan of either Christmas nor Applejack, this episode was "okay".

 

 it was painfully obvious what the moral premise was even before it was starting to develop in the plot, i saw it coming a mile away, and this isn't the first time a plot has been predictable in the show, but this really just screamed "respecting each other's traditions" in the first 7 minutes.

 

 i can't find in me to outright complain about a moral premise within an aesop driven series, but i will state i was not overtly fond of this premise, nor theme, nor Applejack, but... despite my reservations, there were things that made up for it, so i wasn't completely bored or upset that we have a christmas episode a week before Halloween.

 

 rock soup... completely dumb, but somehow believable, and to be honest, if Nick wouldn't have thought of it, we all know Larson would have done something similar. shipping Marble Pie and Big Mac... you know... this is the first time, you know, aside from the donkey wedding, that two characters of the opposite sex have shown any vague interest in each other (Blueblood doesn't count, he loves himself too much). and for those who want to jump on Simple Ways, yeah, that wasn't a receptive situation    but it actually looked like Marble and Mac had a two-way crush going on, and that is surprising.

 

 i doubt it'll go anywhere though, and i'm not even sure the higher ups realize what Nick has done, but then again, Meghan was editor, and she wanted to ship Twi with Flash in the EqG movies, so for all we know, this Marble Mac was Meghan's idea, and i think people can get on board with that ship, i'd vouch for it, i mean, we have tons and tons and plenty and plenty of lesbian fanfics and ships, it's about time that at least 1 in a thousand ships are a hetero couple, nothing against the gays or anything, but it's overwhelmingly off-balanced here in the fandom, to the point where straight couples are the minority, so every once in awhile it's nice to see something fresh, and what could be more taboo and edgy, but a hetero relationship?  yeah, you heard me, hetero is so rare in this fandom, it's super taboo and edgy, bro! i rep team MarbleMac, and i will ride this ship til it sinks or gets boarded by pirates!

 

 moving on... as convoluted and strange as Pinkie's traditions are, they do sound more fun than AJ's family traditions. now i don't think you should hide presents in impossible places, but the idea of a scavenger hunt sounds like that could be fun.

 

 also, Maud is awesome in this episode, not quite as spotlit as in her introduction episode, but still pretty priceless  . i think it's these perks that balance out the episode for me, so the mundane aspects even out with the fun and curious aspects.

 

 overall, i can safely say this episode was a lot better than Party Pooped (congratulations, Nick Confalone, i hate you slightly less, but even so, please leave the write staff of this show).

[Batbrony 15,994]

wait, where? i missed it.

 

This shot of the episode.  They made a Home Alone reference at the same time as well with the mare in the foreground. 

 

[Persona22 205]

I think that the Pie sisters are all a perfect representation of the Four-Temperament Ensemble. Here are detailed descriptions of each temperament and the sisters that best represent them: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourTemperamentEnsemble

 

Pinkie Pie - Your temperament is sanguine. The sanguine temperament is fundamentally spontaneous and pleasure-seeking; sanguine people are sociable and charismatic. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. However, some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence.

 

Limestone Pie - Your temperament is choleric. The choleric temperament is fundamentally ambitious and leader-like. They have a lot of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill it in others. They can dominate people of other temperaments, especially phlegmatic types. Many great charismatic military and political figures were choleric. They like to be in charge of everything. However, cholerics also tend to be either highly disorganized or highly organized. They do not have in-between setups, only one extreme to another. As well as being leader-like and assertive, cholerics also fall into deep and sudden depression. Essentially, they are very much prone to mood swings.

 

Marble Pie - Your temperament is melancholic. The melancholic temperament is fundamentally introverted and thoughtful. Melancholic people often were perceived as very (or overly) pondering and considerate, getting rather worried when they could not be on time for events. Melancholics can be highly creative in activities such as poetry and art - and can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world. Often they are perfectionists. They are self-reliant and independent; one negative part of being a melancholic is that they can get so involved in what they are doing they forget to think of others.

 

Maud Pie - Your temperament is phlegmatic. The phlegmatic temperament is fundamentally relaxed and quiet, ranging from warmly attentive to lazily sluggish. Phlegmatic tend to be content with themselves and are kind. They are accepting and affectionate. They may be receptive and shy and often prefer stability to uncertainty and change. They are consistent, relaxed, calm, rational, curious, and observant, qualities that make them good administrators. They can also be passive-aggressive.

[Tao 6,745]

Some this airing before the Nightmare Night one feels wrong in how holidays are timed.....

[Omega Centauri 316]

I thought the episode itself was pretty average, but good God, this pony is adorable.

Edited October 26, 2015 by Omega Centauri

[Trixio 443]

Marble Pie is adorable and I was very pleased to see Maud Pie

[Grepper 3,192]

This is a pretty good episode. I liked the moral and the Apple and Pie families' interactions were entertaining.

 

Marble Pie seems shyer than Fluttershy, and has the same hairstyle except it's cropped short.

It seems like every shy person (girl) in movies has long hair covering one of their eyes.

 

I predict some MarbleMac shipping. It's semi-canon, anyway.

 

[SkyBurner's_Legion 63]

So how did pinkie turn out pink if all her family members are gray and dull colors?

[Sunset188 193]

I loved this episode. This season keeps getting better and better. At first I thought it was too early for a Hearth's Warming Eve episode but I enjoyed seeing Pinkie's family. Marble Pie <3

[Justin_Case001 4,857]

So I'm still somewhat optimistic they'll show an expectant Candace before the birth.

Hooves crossed.

 

 

I was wondering why the Pies were having so much trouble moving that boulder. Maud had no problems tossing a huge boulder and causing nuke-level destruction in her premiere episode. Even Pinkie in "The Cutie Map" could lift huge boulders with no problem, so all of them put together should have been able to roll it back up the path without the Apples' help.

 

Unless there's something inside it so dense that it weighs much more than it appears. 

But remember, Maud had a surge of adrenaline because Pinkie's life was in danger, which wasn't the case this time.  So, at least that's sort of explainable.  As far as Pinkie herself goes, we all know that she has wacky, physics (and continuity) defying powers, which I've always been willing to overlook, just because she's Pinkie.  And yeah, maybe Houlder's Boulder if full of dark matter or something.

[Grtxkkyz 387]

Well, well, what we got here? Cowboy and Amish horses under the same roof, doing their best to celebrate christmas!

Heh heh, the episode was rather likable. Loved the interaction between AJ and Pinkie and between Maud and Applebloom. And I also liked to see more personality for the Pie family. Bet Luna could have a conversation with the Pie parents in ancient Equestrian.

Anyway, looks like we got a new shyest pony. And Limestone Pie has quite a temper, but she has her reasons. I like to think of Maud being the voice of reason for her three other sisters, being the eldest and most mature. All in all, it's a sweet Holiday episode. Would love to see the Windigoes coming to get their revenge later on, tough.

[Ayvid_Reader 77]

Sooooooo, Houlder's Boulder was discoveed In a dragon’s nest, and the rock farm was built around it. Yeah, that boulder is definitely a fossilized dragon egg.

This opens up so many theories! Like the connection dragons have with the Pies. Or Spike's connection with the fossil egg. Or the Pies. The farm does seem to have a lot od crystals, and a mine, where undoubtedly, rocks with precious gems inside are harvested, and dragons like gems.....

 

I was thinking this too. When I watched it again today with my sister she flat out said "What's up with the giant egg?"

 

It was VERY cute and I am now totally shipping BigMac and Marble Pie. 

 

OMG right?!?! I hope they do an episode where they find out they aren't family (so the kids don't get confused) and get together!!!

This shot of the episode.  They made a Home Alone reference at the same time as well with the mare in the foreground. 

 

 

I've never seen Home Alone. What's the reference?

[Batbrony 15,994]

I've never seen Home Alone. What's the reference?

 

The mare's a very obviously ponified-version of Kevin's mom, who's one of the major characters of the movie (and an appropriate reference considering she does the most travelling of any character in the movie).

 

[Truffles 2,033]

But remember, Maud had a surge of adrenaline because Pinkie's life was in danger, which wasn't the case this time.  So, at least that's sort of explainable.  As far as Pinkie herself goes, we all know that she has wacky, physics (and continuity) defying powers, which I've always been willing to overlook, just because she's Pinkie.

 

That's true about Maud having a rush when saving Pinkie from the huge boulder! I was actually referring to this scene, but I totally goofed:

 

 

That boulder is nowhere near as large as I remember it, I guess the effect made it seem bigger!   And also true about Pinkie's eerie reality bending powers.  :okiedokielokie:

So maybe they did need Twilight's help after all!

[Varrack 1,080]

I loved this. It was just a great episode.

 

-PINKIE HAS A TWIN SISTER!

-Marble Pie and Big Mac make the most awkward couple ever, I mean seriously...them just talking to each other..."mhm"..."eeyup" xD

-Limestone Pie has no soul sadly

-Pinkie's parents like to speak Old English...why is their family so..ancient?

-Maud Pie iz da best. She and her rocks are just..wow

-This is the episode I decided I liked AJ more than Pinkie now

-Poor AJ and her family near the end...she had a rough time with what she did but at least she learned a lesson from it

[Nikola Xerdav 88]

 

 

The mare's a very obviously ponified-version of Kevin's mom

 

ah okays, thanks for explaining batbrony ~hug~   have a good day mate

[Lukington17 40]

Did anyone else notice Apple Bloom's voice actor changing frequently? Sounded like the voice of Babs Seed sometimes...

[Batbrony 15,994]

 

ah okays, thanks for explaining batbrony ~hug~   have a good day mate

 

 

Oh sorry, I wasn't explaining a second time to you, I was explaining to this other forum member who asked.    But you're welcome. 

[Zel 56]

Kinda like how Marble Pie is.

It explains so much things about the relationship between Pinkie and Fluttershy.

Pinkie is always very considerate about Fluttershy but can also go a little too far with her when she is not thinking through. And we see in Griffon the brush off that Pinkie act sometimes like a big sister for Fluttershy, even if Fluttershy doesn't act as Pinkie is her big sister.

 

I don't think this is intetional, the author maybe not know about every episode, but for me it's clear that Pinkie see a lot of Marble in Fluttershy and act with her like she would act with her little sister :3...

[BrilliantVenture 334]

Okay, this is a weird one for me.

I liked it in a sense, but it feels a bit off concerning the timing.

I mean, we're a week away from halloween, and we get a christmas themed episode? (or hearthswarming in this case)

I know the show's layout wouldn't permit it (as far as the time frame is concerned) but I'd much rather have seen this episode in

december rather than october...Scare Master is going to feel really weird after seeing this one. (And yes...I have waited patiently

instead of watching the leaked version XD)

 

Now as far as the actual episode goes? Well...yeah...I thought it was alright...

I feel like the whole "split family from two different backgrounds celebrating the joy of christmas frustration" trope

has been done way too many times. Is it done well here?...well...yeah...but there was no surprise at the end...

While watching it you knew pretty much exactly what was going to happen every minute of the episode.

The thing that kinda made me fall in love with MLP was that it wasn't really predictable, and the endings didn't seem too

rushed. And when there was a typical trope being used, it was done in a creative way, with a smart ending that you didn't see coming.This one kinda fell a little short of that in my opinion...Not saying it was bad, I liked a lot of the writing, and thought

that the pacing over all was pretty good...there just wasn't too much more to say than that.

 

Now as far as the ending? I was 

a bit dissapointed by the conclusion. You can call me heartless for putting this...but I feel as though the episode should have

ended on a more realistic note. Sometimes two different families won't get along...sometimes it takes time to work things out

or to overcome differences. I'd have rather it ended with Pinkie and applejack going back to their respective homes, and

discussing the event between eachother in a way that was more level headed...that even though their families are different

the two of them (pinkie & AJ) can still remain friends, and maybe one day, their families would join them in their friendship...

 

It wouldn't really matter to me if this wasn't such a realistic episode topic. This is a really common thing to see happen around the holidays, and to end it on a really watered down cliche that rarely works in the real world, just felt a bit bland. And I mean, yeah...it's a show about friendship, but that shouldn't be an excuse, and it hasn't been in the past. Look at "tanks for the memories." That episode dealt with the stages of grief over loss, which is some pretty heavy stuff to put in a "kids show."

 

Overall, I liked the episode for the most part, I just felt it was a little weaker than the overall fantastic season that this has been so far!

 

My score? 6.9/10 not bad.

[cider float 2,536]

Did anyone else notice Apple Bloom's voice actor changing frequently? Sounded like the voice of Babs Seed sometimes...

I think I heard that one too

[Lucky Star 971]

Did anypony else notice the whole arranged marriage thing Pinkie's parents talked about? O-O
Cuz most of the comments I've seen about that scene seem to be about what Granny Smith said about it.

 

The pairing stone would make for great fanfic fodder!

 

 Just imagine Pinkie's parent expecting their children to do the same thing they did with the pairing stone!
We could totally have a Fiddler on the roof style story about the changing of tradition.
Because I really doubt Pinkie would be able to go through with that kind of thing.

 

All I could think about after watching it was Pinkie's parent's singing this.

Scare Master is going to feel really weird after seeing this one. (And yes...I have waited patiently

instead of watching the leaked version XD)

 

I didn't even know it was leaked when I watched it XD I had been behind on a few ep and was scrambling to catch up and watched it with them. and then I found out and was like... Well, shit. 

[EquestriaGuy 1,074]

This one had to grow on me a bit from the first viewing. That usually happens when an episode goes in a direction completely different than I expected, and I have to understand and appreciate where the show was going for. I thought it was great to establish the Pie sisters with such a wide spectrum of personalities. I loved the little sibling interactions and arguments they had. My headcanon is that Limestone is super protective of Marble. I think viewers watching MLP for the first time could especially appreciate this episode for deviating from the kind of formula you'd typically expect from a holiday themed episode for kids. 

 

All in all, I have to give this one an 8 or 8.5/10. 

[WubBeast 49]

we can stop at up sounds good who's ready for the next episode which most of us has already seen who's ready for the next one and the next one after that season 5 is almost coming to the end my friends soon I'll be season 6 a whole new season will be started who's ready for that

[Fluttershutter 2,131]

I knew everybody would be complaining about the shipping.  :okiedokielokie:

 

 

Okay, the theory is "[big Mac's great-great aunt] Applesauce of the Apple family lineage is a fourth cousin twice removed of the Pie family." It doesn't even say WHO in the Pie family. But I'm sure that makes them...sixth? seventh? eighth cousins?

Most couples are probably that related.

 

So yeah, Pinkie is a twin? triplet?

The three of them actually make sense. The oldest child is usually loud and takes charge, the middle child usually craves attention, and the youngest is usually the shyest.

 

Also, this largely canonizes the Pinkie chapter book. The major difference is Limestone. But she was pretty funny.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Fluttershutter