S06:E10 - Applejack's Day Off

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Nice to see Applejack putting that engineering degree to use.

 

Moral of the story? "Work smarter, not harder." Which is actually a pretty good lesson. I didn't learn it until I was an adult.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,306]

I really did enjoy the episode. Sadly, I was disappointed in the ending though. The writers took all of that trouble to show us that Applejack was a highly intelligent and gifted HVAC engineer. Then they threw it all away to show us that at heart, she was nothing but a complete and utter moron. 

 

My husband really liked the episode. I think he wants to hire Applejack onto his crew now

(He runs his own heating and air-conditioning company)

 

Now, who does Applejack supply with pork chops and bacon? You'd only need one or two pigs to snuffle out truffles!

[Sonic5421 423]

Doing the silly noises and the clucking for the chicken dance must have made up for a very interesting day at the recording booth

 

I can only imagine how Ashleigh felt when she did those during the recording of the episode's dialogue...

[Aquamarine453 17]

I can't open my eyes when I watch this part.

[heavens-champion 1,905]

I can't open my eyes when I watch this part.

This will only further fuel the 'Rarity is a marshmallow' meme.

[colt .45 259]

Most of the time when it gets to be Wednesday, and I haven't had the time to comment on an episode (busy as AJ), everything that I would have to comment on has already been said, so I end up not posting. But this hasn't come up yet in eleven pages, so I'll go ahead and mention it.

 

How are we to believe that AJ has so many chores on the farm that she can't even get away for a few hours to go to the spa? How do those chores get done when she has to go to Manehatten with Rarity? Who does the chores when she goes camping? Someone must be able to feed the pigs when the entire Apple family goes on multi-day road trips. How is it that Sweet Apple Acres manages to not completely fall to ruin when AppleJack goes to a rodeo for a few days?

 

My point is we have seen many examples through out all of the seasons where AJ isn't locked to the farm twenty-four/seven. She is gone so frequently, that there has to be some way that the farm is maintained when she isn't there (Big Mac likely). So the whole premise, that she can't find the time to get away for a few hours, just fails.

 

A more believable premise would have been to show that it requires extra effort to delegate her chores to other members of the family (even making lists for all of them) to make sure everything that she does is covered. The family reacts like "yes, we know how it works when you are gone. We do this all the time" and AJ still being nervous that they might not do it exactly as she does, or she feels guilty for putting the extra work on them. This works continuity in to the story, as we realize this is what she goes through whenever she has to solve a friendship problem, or save Equestria. There's act one.

 

Act two, with everything at Sweet Apple Acres handled, she heads off to the spa with Rarity for some much needed relaxation, and friend time. Upon arriving at the spa, she notices things that need to be fixed (not just the steam issue) being the practical, work horse that she is, she can't relax until she fixes these things. Rarity is unhappy that their spa day isn't going as she had hoped. While AJ is happy being helpful, and is truly happiest by staying busy.

 

Act three. Surprisingly, they happen to run into Rainbow Dash at the spa (who would have thought Dash enjoyed the spa!) Dash realizes that while AJ is perfectly content fixing things, Rarity isn't. So Dash takes AJ aside and tells AJ something like "I get that you are happiest when you stay busy, I can hardly stand being still myself" but this was a chance for you and Rarity to spend some time together, pointing out that Rarity wasn't enjoying the spa time. Then Dash is like, Look, if I can do this, so can you. Just give it a try. AJ somewhat reluctantly, starts to enjoy it. Once finally in relax mode Dash goes to leave, and AJ is like where are you going? Dash says she has too much stuff to do rto be sitting around the spa all day, besides, this was supposed to be a day for AJ, and Rarity to spend time together. Rarity begins to start some lighthearted gossiping with AJ, they both are laughing. End.

 

Totally different moral than the one presented, and maybe a rehash of the value of stopping and taking the time to smell the roses, or in this case, spending time with a friend.

 

Still not a super exciting, typical slice of life style episode, but it negates the primary problem with the episode, which is that despite us having seen AJ, on many occasions, being able to get away from the farm, she suddenly can't, just for this one episode.

[Crystal Star 37]

I almost spit my tea at raritys pruney face! Like yeah we all knew it was comming but she looked like a deflated balloon! D: nightmare fuel

[Swifty 249]

Not very surprising, that's what you get if you give AJ and Rarity the main focus, who can't get out of their themes about work and girly things. I'm yet not sure what was more boring. This or Made in Manehattan. I can only immagine how boring it was for the target audience who barely understood this lesson which was more aimed at adults.

 

I give this a This could have been a Celestia Episode instead / 10

Edited June 2, 2016 by Swifty

[GiFTGewEhrSCHutzen-4 8,828]

I enjoyed the episode actually. Also love the episode in were they also give Aloe screen time as well serving also as a supporting character too. Love that Hasbro is giving screen time to background ponies as well like Vinyl and Aloe, keep it up Hasbro! 

[Shadow lance 45]

 

i think it was a pretty nice episode, i just think that thy are going to be happier now that she has more spare time 

[Brightbart 268]

Farm pony can't even farm. 

[Dameldut 4]

I admit this episode was pretty lawl (Rarity's face, Spike's appetite for apple pie and RD's penchant for "frou-frou"... erm... stuff), but then I realized something. This season's had some good episodes but I can't help but feel there's something lacking in this episode.

 

"A Hearth's Warming Tail" was probably one of my fave episodes this season and that's because it was an episode that added something to character development (albeit for Starlight). Another episode that struck a chord with me was the episode "Gauntlet of Fire" because, you guessed it, character development (and the introduction of a new "love interest" for Spike in Princess Ember but that's another discussion). Oh and RD's acceptance into The Wonderbolts was a pretty big one.

 

To me, this episode felt like filler. It didn't fit in with the theme of the season, which I will now christen "Big Developments". I mean, we go from all of the above to this? How did we do that?

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

I admit this episode was pretty lawl (Rarity's face, Spike's appetite for apple pie and RD's penchant for "frou-frou"... erm... stuff), but then I realized something. This season's had some good episodes but I can't help but feel there's something lacking in this episode.

 

"A Hearth's Warming Tail" was probably one of my fave episodes this season and that's because it was an episode that added something to character development (albeit for Starlight). Another episode that struck a chord with me was the episode "Gauntlet of Fire" because, you guessed it, character development (and the introduction of a new "love interest" for Spike in Princess Ember but that's another discussion). Oh and RD's acceptance into The Wonderbolts was a pretty big one.

 

To me, this episode felt like filler. It didn't fit in with the theme of the season, which I will now christen "Big Developments". I mean, we go from all of the above to this? How did we do that?

Personally, I've always admired the way this show can mix more serious character development episodes with light-hearted slice of life (emphasis on the lack of capital letters) romps. That's one of its charms. Of course, it doesn't always work out to be a perfect episode, but it's not too far removed from the atmosphere of the show as a whole.

[Grepper 3,192]

I didn't care for this episode (I voted "meh.") It made AJ look kind of stupid in the way she did her work with all the workarounds she made and never stopped doing.

[NeonFlash1 19]

Something told me it was going to be like that

[Thrond 3,263]

Not very surprising, that's what you get if you give AJ and Rarity the main focus, who can't get out of their themes about work and girly things. I'm yet not sure what was more boring. This or Made in Manehattan. I can only immagine how boring it was for the target audience who barely understood this lesson which was more aimed at adults.

 

I give this a This could have been a Celestia Episode instead / 10

I continue to have no idea why this particular pairing is so popular. This was actually the most I've liked it since "Sisterhooves Social," because for once Applejack and Rarity actually seem like they can stand each other, but it's true that it adds little new to the dynamic.

 

Lol @ the rating. I feel your pain.

[Tarnation 142]

am I the only one who liked this episode?

[Lagrangian 64]

am I the only one who liked this episode?

Well keep in mind that the people who liked it probably aren't as likely to say anything as those who dislike it.

 

I liked it, though I wondered if maybe the lesson was a bit too high-brow for a kids show.

[AmberDust 1,118]

I really liked the idea of this episode, but it was weird seeing how inefficient AJ was as a worker. ^^'

[ImpctR 155]

 

 

Finally, the exchanges with Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash are painful to watch, and I come away from them wishing that they had just never happened.

 

 

Let me add - the conversations.... compare with any ep from Season 5 and episodes so far of Season 6, add even Season 4, the conversations in this ep. were so dull and boring (felt really empty and filler dialogues), that it was like of another show.

[Sonic5421 423]

I really liked the idea of this episode, but it was weird seeing how inefficient AJ was as a worker. ^^'

 

That's only because she did not realize that as she was doing her chores, she was just putting more time and effort into them than she needed to.

[Radiant Hope 2]

It's amazing how Applejack can always find a way to do work, even at the spa of all places..  

[BlackWater627 700]

 

 

Let me add - the conversations.... compare with any ep from Season 5 and episodes so far of Season 6, add even Season 4, the conversations in this ep. were so dull and boring (felt really empty and filler dialogues), that it was like of another show.

 

I really don't see this personally. Compared to previous episodes and seasons, the conversations all felt just normal and in-character.

 

 

It's amazing how Applejack can always find a way to do work, even at the spa of all places..  

It wouldn't surprise me if AJ was a workaholic. But she did seem to honestly look forward to the spa stuff.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

My least favorite AJ episode until now.

[Twilight Frost 271]

Best part of this episode was finding out that Rainbow Dash, underneath all of that Tomboy exterior is a Girly lady afterall!