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S06:E03 - The Gift of Maud Pie


Jeric

How was the episode?  

204 users have voted

  1. 1. What did you think?

    • I hated it! >:(
      7
    • I didn't care for it.
      12
    • It was decent.
      25
    • I liked it.
      90
    • I FREAKIN' LOVED IT!!!! <3
      70


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I actually really liked this one. I can't say I understand why peopel think Pinkie was out of character. I mean sure, this was particularly over the top for her, but that doesn't necessarily make her out of character, in my opinion. Maud was great in this episode, with some of my highlights being "What does that spell!? It spells Maud." and her interrogation of Rarity. Seriously, don't mess with Maud. Speaking of Rarity, her impersonation of Pinkie was great! Overall, a pretty good episode. 9/10.

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Welp, looks like it’s time for a minority report.

 

This episode was forgettable. It had mediocre jokes, mediocre environment, and all this Maud murmuring about stuff is getting old. No one cares about your surface-deep geology bullshit that’s too specialized and audibly ambiguous for the audience to understand. Also, I guess threats of violence are alright, but only when a mare does it. What would she do if he refused? Shank him with Boulder? Just because he seemed like a low life doesn’t make it excusable.

 

Rarity and Pinkie have so much potential as a duo: they both can be very outgoing, unreasonably energetic, unreasonably unreasonable, and have lots of diverging characteristics to keep things interesting. This episode concentrated on none of that.

 

Lesson of the day: the lesson does not outweigh the journey, and this journey was meh.

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Pinkie Pie and Rarity desperately needed an episode. They are so funny together and I'm glad they finally got an episode.

 

Some people are saying the episode was too slow paced and boring but I thought it was fine. The majority of the jokes in it were absolutely hilarious and they were enough to keep me really entertained me the whole time. Rarity, Maud, and Pinkie Pie were all great and so were their interactions with each other. The three of them were very funny but also sweet at times. Pinkie did seem a bit annoying though. At least it wasn't as bad as her characterization in most of season 4. :P

 

Overall, I think it's a nice episode with a good moral. Not my favorite, but it's great.

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Welcome back everypony to another edition of Batbrony Reviews.  OK, third episode of Season 6 with a new team of writers.  How did I think this turned out?  Well, all in all pretty good, I'd say.  This was hardly my favorite third episode of a season ever (and yes, I do categorize those because I think they play an important part in setting a tone for a season), but it wasn't awful, that's for sure.  Without further ado, let's take a look at "The Gift of the Maud Pie"!

 

So I suppose the best way to go about covering this episode is looking at its three main characters, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Maud Pie.  Starting things off with Pinkie, my feelings on her here are a tad mixed.  I think with her it was most apparent that this was a new writing team, because given how over-the-top she was, I never felt like they were completely comfortable writing for her, like they were hitting so many Pinkie-tropes just to prove they know how to write her.  It felt somewhat forced, but on the other hand one can justify her behavior here as well.  We know that Pinkie Pie absolutely loves her family and totally goes the distance for them even more than she does with most ponies, so sometimes with something like a special day like this with her sister, she can get over-the-top even for her.  None of the actions she took felt wrong for her character, just some of the reactions went on just a bit too long at times, is all.  But that said, I could totally see the dilemma here being a problem faced by Pinkie Pie, she was fun, a good sister and friend as always, and just plain ol' Pinkie.  Plus it was nice that she was the one learning a lesson, and from her older sister no less, which feels very natural; it feels right that if she's going to learn a lesson at this point in the show, it should be from someone older and a bit more mature than her like Maud who gets both her sister's flaws and strengths.  Overall, she was just fine; it was hardly my favorite Pinkie episode ever, and I might've liked a little more nuance with her character, but she was good.

 

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Pinkie Pie and the Quest for Diabetes!

 

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I'm honestly surprised it took Pinkie six seasons to almost get arrested

 

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Best... song... EVER!!!

 

Our supporting Mane 6 character, Rarity, was great here.  With her, I actually liked her more dramatic side coming to the fore just because that makes sense when she's with Pinkie.  When the Mane 6 are coupled with each other, they tend to bring out different sides of each other; Rarity by her nature is a bit of a drama queen already, so paired with the most over-the-top member of the Mane 6, it makes sense that she'd be more dramatic than usual.  Her impression of Pinkie Pie was possibly the best humorous moment of the episode, and it didn't feel like she was unnecessarily going out of her way to help Pinkie either.  She's generous by nature in all things, including with her time, and especially to one of her closest friends who she knows cares so deeply about her sister, this makes perfect sense for her.  I did like too that we continue to see her business expanding, as it's a nice recognition from the writers that time is not static in this show, but continues to pass; these girls grow older, they have new achievements in their professional lives and are not defined solely by being friends with each other and heroes of Equestria.  Hopefully we eventually get to see this shop open up, and maybe even Coco Pommel will get involved in it somehow!  Finally, I'd be remiss if I did not mention Rarity dressed up as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's.  I mean, my gosh, it's about time that reference happened!  Audrey was simply the walking, living, breathing definition of chic and style, so it's just a perfect fit using Rarity to make such a reference, and my goodness, she looked fabulous with that look!  Overall, Rarity had a solid outing here, it was nice seeing her with Pinkie and Maud, and she filled a supporting role very nicely in a not-so-serious episode.

 

 

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When you've officially spent too much time around Pinkie Pie

 

Finally, we come to the best character in the episode: Maud.  I would just like to reiterate that when Maud was first introduced, I was not a fan, not in the slightest.  I didn't like the schtick they were doing with her for a long time, but I think they started winning me over around the time Rainbow Rocks came out.  I think what changed was that at first, it felt like they were treating her personality too seriously, but now when they use her they have a nice combination of self-awareness in satirically using her while still treating her like an actual character and not just a walking joke.  Case in point, she was hilarious here.  Maud, as always, was just Maud; neutral as anyone can be, interested by the last things any pony ever expects (including, yes, cracks in the sidewalk), and just doing her thing with Boulder.  But, as always too, she surprised in pleasant ways.  Her delivery of the lesson was perfect in its setup and execution; she gave back Pinkie's gift without a second thought and then very soundly explained to her sister what giving a gift is really all about.  It's gratifying to see a lesson about selfless love coming from that character because it reinforces that yes, Maud does indeed have a lot of personality and cares about the ponies around her, she just does it in her own way.  But when you get down to it, in the end, she does care about the ponies in her life, even if she doesn't show it as most ponies would.  Hopefully we get to see some more from the other Pie sisters this season, but for me, this was a great appearance from Maud and she carried herself very nicely; for a new writing team, they struck a wonderful balance with her in having her be both funny as only Maud can without coming across as just a caricature, but still a character whom we can take seriously and care about unironically.  Great episode from Maud, and definitely the strongest character here, I thought.

 

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Maudjestic: Majestic taken to a whole new level!

 

As for the rest of the episode, it had a lot of highlights.  We got to see a lot more of Manehattan this time around than we have in past episodes there, and I loved as always seeing more of that city and its ponies.  The couple of references they made were great (it was very nice seeing a return of the Planes, Trains, and Automobiles reference in the Steve Martin and John Candy ponies, and fitting in both a Big and Breakfast at Tiffany's reference in the same episode was pretty awesome too), the settings themselves were very colorful and I look forward to rewatching this episode and trying to spot things I might've missed the first time around.  The one thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way with the animation was I felt they were doing a bit too much at certain points with some of the faces Pinkie and Rarity were making, like the expressions were a bit more than what was called for, even for ponies as dramatic as these two.  The party cannon gag was almost abused, especially early on, but once you saw how they fit it into the episode it made a bit more sense and was pretty forgivable in that regard.

 

Overall, this was a nice third episode of the season; like I said before, it was hardly the best one we've ever had and certainly less impactful on the rest of the season than third episodes in the past have proven to be, so a little more akin to Too Many Pinkie Pies from Season 3.  But it was funny, had some really great sights and animation to take in, and hit just enough high notes to be plenty enjoyable.  I look forward to rewatching this one and, like I said, catching bits I might've missed, and all in all, I think the season is going just smashing so far.  Until next time everypony, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off!!! *cue dramatic exit*

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(edited)

I can only think of 2 other times out of the 120 episodes to date that Pinkie and Rarity have spent a considerable amount of time together.

 

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The Last Roundup in season 2 (Well, implied at least ^_^ )

 

 

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and Putting Your Hoof Down in Season 2

 

With this episode I see a lot of people saying Pinkie is annoying. I think she was "normal," in being a little over-hyped doing something with family involved.

 

A lot of people really like Rarity in this episode too. I thought she was good, but maybe just went just a skosh over the top near the end there in the market.

 

I do like Maud and how she always clashes with the whole MLP world in general, kind of like some type of Anti-Discord. :maud:

 

As for Maud getting the party canon back, people who share a lot of Maud's characteristics, but might not be as "Good" can be quite terrifying if they don't get compliance... :blink: That gag is kind of a little dark... How far would Maud have gone if Rarity didn't intervene?... XD

 

 

 

*EDIT: I think there might actually be something to the Anti-Discord thing. She was only one to "burn"/foil Discord's nonsense, besides Twilight in the "Discord, Go Home You're Drunk" episode :unamused:  (AKA What About Discord).*

 

 

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I just noticed MAUD IS ACTUALLY SMILING after her "You're the most basic of jokes" remark from "Make New Friends, But Keep Discord"

 

 

On a side note- it must be relaxing to be the animator assigned to her.

Edited by Cirrus.
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How is the season so far, compared to how S5 was at this point?

I think they're equal at this point. Season 5 has a fantastic opener imo, but the third episode was meh. Season 6 has an alright opener and a really good third episode. So I'm not sure.
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Just saw this episode, and i really liked it! Maud's antics never cease to entertain, and i liked the interactions between Rarity & best pony. And while some peeps seem to not like pinkie's portrayal here, it never bothered me personally. Overall, it wasn't the best thing ever, but it was an enjoyable watch, and that's all that matters to me in the end.  :kindness:

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Personally loved this episode. Rarity is fast becoming one of the best characters in the series. A cameo from Maud can't go wrong, I was really hoping that she would actually blow her fuse when she tried to get the party cannon back. I don't really understand these complaints that Pinkie was over the top or annoying, she's in an exciting city meeting her sister who she doesn't see everyday and are ready to exchange gifts, keep in mind she was gutted when she lost her party cannon, and seemed to really take the episodes morale to heart.

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I loved it, great episode plenty of funny Pinkies expressions, Twily cane and of course Maude. Nice seeing that Pinkie is very attached to her cannon, although I wonder how they can tell when she does or does not have it on her. Then again, it being Pinkie she could be keeping it in another dimension.

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There are plenty of NYC references here.

  1. Tiffany's, particularly the 5 Avenue shop and the Audrey Hepburn reference.
  2. Tavern on the Green, a very famous restaurant along the southwest edge of Central Park.
  3. Rockefeller Center: the statue and ice skating rink.
  4. The Financial District.
  5. FAO Schwarz, a long-standing toy store that unfortunately closed its flagship shop last year. One of its most iconic toys is the big floor piano.
  6. Grand Central, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge (of course :P)
  7. Times Square/Broadway (Bridleway in the show).
  8. The brownstones. They're like the ol' water towers: very iconic in the city and full of character.
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Fun episode. I think the premise was a little meh, but I still liked it. Rarity's portion was really shoved to the side for Maud and Pinkie's, so I'm wondering if we're going to get Rarity episode that focuses her setting up shop in Manehatten. However, some may say it would be nothing but a copy of last season's episode in Canterlot.

 

Twilicane sighting! I always love seeing that thing.

 

I think Maud was pretty funny in this episode. What I find weird is that most characters, like Rarity, still can't really stand her. I think she's pretty darn cute with her rock talk.

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I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the Maud moments were great. I thought Rare had some great range in this episode and LOVED when she went Full Pinkie. Plus that manestyle in the jewelry store was simply devine! The exploration of Manehattan was great too.

 

Pinkie was ok...I feel she didn't come across as sweet in previous episodes where she faces a tough time.

 

Overall very nice, and worth the hype. :D

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So this was the first episode for Rarity and Pinkie right? Hopefully Pinkie and Fluttershy and Rarity and Twilight will have episodes this year as well since I do not believe we have had those pairs in a episode yet.

 

Do you think that it was originally supposed to be Rainbow in this episode instead of Rarity based on the teaser image with Rainbow, Pinkie, Maude and the swans? But that image was quit resent and I would imagine that the episode was finished much before. Yet I can not see another episode with Pinkie, Maude and swans. In any case Rarity was obviously the better choice for the episode. 

 

I do not think we have had episode about gift even though it seems surprising. It was nice to see Maude again and she had the best comedy (even though I do not usually find her that funny) with boulders cousin and dark and stormy night when they met. The episode was not groundbreaking and it was predictable but it was quite sweet and fun.

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So this was the first episode for Rarity and Pinkie right? Hopefully Pinkie and Fluttershy and Rarity and Twilight will have episodes this year as well since I do not believe we have had those pairs in a episode yet.

 

Actually, I always thought "Sweet and Elite" from Season 2 was the closest Twilight and Rarity episode we've got; what with Rarity wanting to make a lovely dress for Twilight's birthday. If an episode that focus on the two horns of the Mane 6 comes, it hopes it knocks S&E off the list of Episodes Focusing on 2 Mane Characters.

 

But yeah, I do agree there needs to be an episode where the spotlight's on Andrea Libman-vocied ponies :)  ;)

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Personally loved this episode. Rarity is fast becoming one of the best characters in the series. A cameo from Maud can't go wrong, I was really hoping that she would actually blow her fuse when she tried to get the party cannon back. I don't really understand these complaints that Pinkie was over the top or annoying, she's in an exciting city meeting her sister who she doesn't see everyday and are ready to exchange gifts, keep in mind she was gutted when she lost her party cannon, and seemed to really take the episodes morale to heart.

 

I was thinking about that scene. I think she was sad since that was her favorite prop, but not gutted because she knew her gift would make Maud happy.

 

In shorter terms, this didn't happen. ^_^

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I think it's a good thing though, because the animators have kept it that Pinkie has to be REALLY upset to have her mane affected.

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Sweet and Elite is more of a Rarity episode with a supporting role for Twilight. Kind of like Putting Your Hoof Down was not a Fluttershy/Pinkie/Rarity episode but Fluttershy one where the other two had good supporting roles.

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I actually really liked this episode! I'm glad we finally got to see an episode focusing on Rarity and Pinkie. And Maud and Pinkie are really sweet sisters. :)

 

Also Rarity's Pinkie impression totally made my day.

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Sweet and Elite is more of a Rarity episode with a supporting role for Twilight. Kind of like Putting Your Hoof Down was not a Fluttershy/Pinkie/Rarity episode but Fluttershy one where the other two had good supporting roles.

 

I did say "The closet episode to having the focus on the 2 mane characters" 'Cause I've been trying to write a blog about Duo Episodes, and you pretty much summed the current status on Fluttershy/Pinkie Duet episode

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I felt that it was a ok episode to further Pinkie's relationship with Maud. Just like in the episode, "Maud Pie" sisterhood traditions are emphasized again with Pinkie and Maud but know they exchange gifts. Rarity's appearance in this episode is solely to set-up another episode later relating to the Manehatten Boutique, but her role was very nice as she converse with Maud. One thing though, Pinkie Pie's cannon is always omnipresent? Maud is also typical of her unintentional dead-pan humor as always, so I like that.

 

Not the most strongest Plot but still a solid win.

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I did say "The closet episode to having the focus on the 2 mane characters" 'Cause I've been trying to write a blog about Duo Episodes, and you pretty much summed the current status on Fluttershy/Pinkie Duet episode

 

 

Nice that you are writing about duo episodes, I have been thinking about doing that, but I am kind of busy and you would have to rewatch bunch of episodes for that.

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