S09:E10 - Going to Seed

[MangoFoalix 24,944]

Give me a few minutes and I will get the poll up.

 

Poll is up, have fun!

[Odyssey 5,716]

I actually enjoyed it more than what I expected! At some points the plot did come off as predictable (saw big mac as the great seedling a mile), but all of the twists were genuine surprises. It almost feels reviewing to see AJ not go back to being stubborn and show her playfulness, she is so much fun when she is happy. It was so great to see AJ and Apple Bloom as a duo. We don't really get enough of them together, so it was nice to see that sistery bond that they have. And one thing I also enjoyed is the little visual hints throughout the episode. Big Mac was clumsily handling the applebucking and all the apples went everywhere, Big Mac falling into the pit is mirrored the same as when filly AJ fell into the pit, Big Mac walking past by as everyone was wondering that maybe one of the Apples caused all of the apples to go everywhere... I'm saying a lot about Big Mac, lol

It was a down-to-earth episode with lots of really nice detail scattered throughout. Also... Pear Butter and Bright Mac. 

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

And so the first round of S9 teaser spoilers are over.

[Rushing cash 836]

It was a cute episode, it had some nice and funny moments but nothing particularly interesting happened. Big mac was especially abused in this episode(although it was pretty funny), I found it amusing how with each map he understood he needed to do more work then previously until he just decided to do everything himself, he was the best part of the episode in my opinion, by the way, where is his girlfriend? Sugar belle could have told him to stop over working himself(it could also provided much needed interaction between her and the rest of the family, I wish we will see it by the end of the season). The fact that AJ eventually got into catching the seedling so much was funny to me, and by that point they need to understand that all those legends and tales are true... I mean, come on.  The flashback was great, we got to see more of the parents which is a good thing, this time with baby AB. 

I enjoyed this episdoe, however nothing really important happened here, but it was nice to see more of the apple clan. 7.5\10.

Edited June 1, 2019 by Rushing cash

[KH7672 1,604]

You know this kind of laid back, down to earth family dynamic of an episode is always appreciated from me even more than most episodes and I love that the Apples are the ones to give us an episode about it.  

As for the moral, I will say this as the oldest child of a family of four, where the youngest is almost 16, and we still put presents under the tree and in the stockings, and hide eggs around the house on Easter, and such this wasn't a lesson that so much I need to hear, but one I love to see reinforced.  Never let yourself grow up completely as it also makes it easier to spread the joy and happiness to the next generation.

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

MLP Going to Seed

 

I liked this episode very much. It had a very simple story but I was so happy to see an Applejack episode as Applejack is my 2nd favorite. I liked how Applejack got into hunting the great seedling with Applebloom rather than spending 90% of the episode shutting Applebloom’s hopes down. It shows she is still slightly stubborn but not nearly as stubborn as she was in past seasons. She thought of good compromises with Applebloom for getting work done. My favorite part of the episode was the flashback of when Applejack was younger because we finally have another flashback with her parents. We now know that Applebloom was born slightly before Applejack turned the age Applebloom is currently.  In case anyone was wondering I think there was something about the parents and/or Applebloom being on vacation during “Where The Apple Lies” in an interview with writers, but the animators should have put Applebloom in that previous episode "Where The Apple Lies" somewhere to clean up the timeline. It was so nice to see the Apple siblings interacting with their parents! It was so nice to see Pear Butter as a fully integrated member of the Apple family. The flashback also provides some good insight into why Applejack places so much responsibility on herself, does such hard work and admires hard work. Well done writers and animators! 

[DonMaguz 1,023]

I never knew AJ needed this episode so much. She was hardened by life itself from a very young age, but is shown to be a very dreamy and playful pony on the inside. Watching her enjoy herself like a filly along with Apple Bloom over a hopeful illusion was very touching. It reminded me of people like my parents who had to work from an early age to support their families and couldn't enjoy their youth as much as they could have if not for the needs they had.

Now, about Big Mac... I smell something fishy, there seems to be something hidden about him working day and night this harvesting season. Also about Big Mac, I absolutely love the lowkey rivalry he and AJ have, showing each other their skills at applebucking was an amazing sibling rivalry thing to witness!

Overall I think it was a great episode, not as exciting but very heartfelt.

Edited June 1, 2019 by DonMaguz

[LookBehindYou 13]

I liked this episode. It was simple but sweet. 4/5.

[OptimisticNeighsayer 471]

I don’t have too much to say about this one. At least it more clearly and more delicately showed the benefits of believing in whimsical and apparently implausible things than, say “Feeling Pinkie Keen.”

The problem I have with the set-up is that we are already in a whimsical world—I wouldn’t have been surprised that the Seedling actually exists. At least “Feeling Pinkie Keen” posed a real challenge to the scientific-magical worldview of Twilight. AJ may be no-nonsense but with all the experiences she’s had with her friends you’d think she wouldn’t have dismissed the existence of the Seedling out of hoof like that. At least the show gives her more of a “sour grapes” motivation for not believing it. 

It also seems that Big Mac being the Seedling was just a lucky coincidence, especially if he was tired before Goldie Delicious came to Sweet Apple Acres. The episode would have come out the same way if Goldie didn’t appear at all and it was Granny Smith spinning the yarns and inspiring Apple Bloom and (eventually) Applejack to hunt the creature. 

But it was still great to see some nice Applejack and Apple Bloom interaction by the middle, and there is something magical about Applejack’s later enthusiasm. That’s enough for me not to consider it wholly not “going to seed” as it were. 

[Dark Qiviut 22,379]

This episode is really similar to that of the AJ Micro. Only in GtS, a Golden Delicious tells the story of the Great Seedlin’, a mischievous deer who helps harvest crops and leaves clever trails wherever he goes, rather than a Sass Squash leaving squash. And rather than be an AJ’s-too-stubborn episode, the episode transitions into wanting to help Bloom try to catch him during the second day of harvest and having fun with Bloom, too. Ironically, this episode is more of a bonding episode between AJ and AB with the hunt as the plot device to hook them in. The moral of having fun with your family doesn’t age works decently here.

There were a few problems.

1. The rest of the Mane 8 were written off early through exposition, and there was quite a bit of that throughout.
2. The ending reveal that Big Mac was the “Great Seedlin’” was rather obvious, and having Bloom suddenly become afraid of him at the thought was rather contrived. The chase, though, justified it. That said, the episode got real heavy layin’ out the idea that BM was him, as he got more and more exhausted throughout.
3. As a filly, Applejack used to hunt for the Seedlin’, only to stop after falling into one of her traps. Even though everyone, including their parents, handled themselves fine, it was a clear sore spot for her, hence why she stubbornly kept shooing it as a fairytale. But it would’ve been better had Goldie or Granny not laugh after the flashback, which made the tone and flashback as a whole feel mean-spirited. The episode, though, got a lot better following this.
4. On the whole, the first half was bland, slow, and didn’t do much. It was the second half that really helped it.

Now, is it anywhere nearly as good as the others? Not at all. It’s the worst S9 episode so far. But it’s fine. Not bad, Dave Rapp.

[Oleks 1,993]

This episode reminded me a little of the Sass Squash comic. It seems the Apples have many legends about various creatures that need catching.
Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed that an episode called Going to Seed had no Babs Seed in it. But Apple Bloom tried her best to compensate for this flow with her enthusiasm and face expressions. 
The classic plot twist and the conflict that ended up in bonding in teamwork were OK, and the best part of the episode for me was a glimpse of the full Apple family as it once was. *tries not to sob*

Spoiler

 

Also, cats!

 

 

[Sparklefan1234 169,734]

"Going to Seed" was an AWESOME episode, IMO!

 

Episode spoilers

 

Spoiler

 

Applejack and Apple Bloom are Best Silly Sisters! 

 

The mystery of the Great Seedling was a lot of fun & we're still not 100% sure if it's real or not. That kinda reminds me of the Pony of Shadows. 

 

Also, it was nice to see one of @PathfinderCS's relatives in this episode. 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Sparklefan1234

[RDDash 19,163]

The episode was just okay in my opinion. Well, it's like that I like a little side story that Granny Smith told Apple Bloom about her sister's childhood, and how Applejack had been caught in her own trap, and then how Applejack had been ignored by the rest of them. I thought that maybe it was just a lesson to Apple Bloom to not make the same mistake or something.

That something came later at very obvious plot twist that had been created later. At first I thought that it was Big Mac that doing it and then guess what it was actually Big Mac no surprise there . I thought that maybe at this point they just going to stop and say hey guys we know that the magic animal is not really real. We just like to pretend that it is. But guess not those two grannies decided to continue lying to Applejack and Bloom and that farce is being forced to continue to this day.

Final Judgement: 

Big Mac: because of you two I am heavily overworked, so quit messing around and help me with this harvest. 

Edited June 1, 2019 by R.D.Dash

[Will Guide 21,360]

4 hours ago, PathfinderCS said:

Meh; I'm still gonna say he exists.

I don't mind if he exist or not. Applejack and Apple Bloom spending time with each other is my favorite part of the episode

4 hours ago, Buttonmash1973 said:

And so the first round of S9 teaser spoilers are over.

Yeah, that official trailer from months had scenes up to this episode. (Besides the early leaks) I have no idea what's next!

[Misty Shadow 7,842]

First episode of the season that I honestly don’t have any strong feelings for one way or the other. Average plot, average humor, the big thing that puts it as above average for me is creating a good sense of mystery and suspense. I thought for sure at first that the harvests were a trick by Granny Smith and Goldie Delicious, and later, that it actually was the Great Seedling. I wasn’t expecting it to be Big Mac sleepwalking until much later on, even as I remembered Chekhov’s Gun. Seeing Pear Butter and Bright Mac again was another pleasant surprise too, love the confirmation that we’ll likely get another episode explaining more about them. Also love how we're still seeing deer ponies, yet still no bat ponies. 

Edited June 3, 2019 by CloudMistDragon
Derped a bit, forgot deer ponies were 100% confirmed in Best Gift Ever

[Ganondorf8 11,281]

Not much I can say about this episode other than it was a typical Applejack episode mixed in with some real life lore with regards to the depiction of 'The Great Seedling'. I will however give them huge props for the Bright Mac and Pear Butter cameos, especially with the latter on account of Apple Bloom being on her back. A solid 90% from me this time around.

[Thrond 3,263]

I liked this enough when it was just a slow-paced slice-of-life with a bunch of funny asides - I liked how this episode took time for little funny comments from various characters, and I found the general vibe surprisingly mature. On some level this is just another My Little Pony story about the ponies arguing with each other, but nobody is embarrassing themselves, and the episode lets disagreements play out without becoming tense confrontations. Every time it seems like Applejack is going to go too far, she gives in a little bit, because she doesn't want to upset anyone. Goldie Delicious is a fun character, and I liked how amused she and Granny Smith were by Apple Bloom's antics. I liked the slow way this unfurled because, in the end, it's Applejack's change in attitude that matters, not the mystery. And then, when we learn why Applejack is such a workaholic, and finally see her chill out a bit, it makes sense. She's never been able to look away from work that needs to be done, and she's always been prone to nostalgia, so seeing her finally accept her inner child back on the farm is satisfying. Plus, watching her bond with Apple Bloom is adorable, and sleepy Big Mac is pretty funny, and this is filled with cat shenanigans. I think this is just lovely.

Edited June 1, 2019 by AlexanderThrond

[ImpctR 155]

Written by dave Repp, the one who made Newbie Dash... dont know about you all, I remember there were critics about Newbie Dash, his past episode but to me Newbie Dash was OK, it was not the best but it was fine and it moved the story or important part of Rainbow Dash's career as Wonderbolt. So, I know MLP is mostly about such episodes and I agreed with it when I started watching it but Newbie Dash was at least making an important turn for Dashy and now it is Season 9. I expected some bigger story coming to an end, as I mentioned when Common Grounds aired, more conclusive stories of long seen characters. So in that regard the previous episode was a good epilogue or almost- for Garble, for example it could have been about Big Mac and Sugar Belle getting engaged, when it is about Apple family and AJ/Apple Bloom doing things around it. Or I thought they were going to make something conclusive about AJ's parents as I do not remember what the last episode presented about them other than some cameo of the parents.

 

By no means was it ugly, horrible, unpleasant, it was all pleasant one but as the show grew on me with more than just Season 1 type episode, I kind of felt bored with it. This episode was teleported from Season 1. In details:

So the Golden Delicious (was she? btw I like this sort of yellow apples) came with her horde of cats. Cute but the episode's try to be funny did not amuse me unlike some other eps' that had funnier stuff. I liked the story of the Great Seedling and I thought it is some creature like the Reindeer from Best Gift Ever, would fly in the final part of the episode but nope, so even that did not interest me.

A repetitive actions with the way apples were oriented they reminded me of some fairy ring for some reason.

When Big Mac was sleepwalking looking like some evil creature, I thought it's one of the villains, perhaps Chrys as a Changeling ! But nope, a more boring plot.

And yes an episode that covers nothing but talking and ends with talking is a FILLER episode imo. I give it a 3.49/5, more on the meh side. A less well made but with more substance episode like Newbie Dash would have still been better choice imo.

[YoshiAngemon 223]

1 hour ago, Bakugou Is My Man <3 said:

Eh, I wasn’t a fan of this one. It didn’t think that Apple Bloom would believe in the Great Seedling, as I thought that she would have grown out of believing in it by now. I felt this was sorta out of character for her? I don’t know. Overall, in my opinion, this episode was boring and unforgettable. It won’t be one I’ll be coming back to. 

Apparently in Equestria, the Age of Not Believing is whatever age YOU choose to not believe in such childish things. I think I'll watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks tomorrow. That was one of my favorite Disney Movies.

Edited June 2, 2019 by YoshiAngemon

[qwerE 96]

Hmm. Not much to say about this one. To be honest, this was just a meh episode for me. The slapstick style of jokes where Big Mac would smash into things weren't the type of things I find particularly funny, and the episode felt really calm in general. I got the feeling that Big Mac was behind everything in the middle of the episode, and knowing that killed a bit of suspense on whether the Great Seedling was real as well. Maybe we'll get to see him(or possibly her) later... but now wasn't the time I guess. 

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

This is just cute Apple family episode, not very exciting but definitely not boring. This ep would be turned out even better if Big Mac actually pretend to be the Great Seedling so his sisters can have fun time together (intentional) and they appreciate his hard works because Macabuse is real in this ep and they didn't even mention anything about it. The ending suggest the legend may or may not be real but to be fair, 90% of legends in this universe turned out to be real afterall.

The best part of this ep is the parents, we finally have parents in Applejack's backstories, why are they taking so long? We have baby Apple Bloom on Pear Butter's back! *fanboy scream*

A very down-to-earth episode is usually treated as uneventful, slow and boring but I find this episode uneventful, a bit slow pace and fun to watch overall. I give it a 7.5/10.

Best David Rapp episode still belong to Flutter Brutter but this ep takes second place. Not bad, Rapp.

[Senko 459]

So first off it seems sleepy mac is grumpy mac also. Also I don't know whether to feel sorrier for him about his ear or that he wound up bucking most of the orchard by himself. I liked the co-ordinated cat thievery though.

I also agree the shot of Buttercup and Apple Bloom is almost as sweet as the two sister bonding in their tree fort. Not as much of a fan of the ending clip though.

Also speaking personally I thought Applejack was going to turn out to be the great seedling grumpy on the outside but indulging her sisters dreams in secret.

Although that scene of the shadowed, red eyed shape and "The great Seedling's hunting us." is genuinely pretty creepy.

7 hours ago, YoshiAngemon said:

Apparently in Equestria, the Age of Not Believing is whatever age YOU choose to not believe in such childish things. I think I'll watch Bedknobs and Broomsticks tomorrow. That was one of my favorite Disney Movies.

The catch is in our world you believe in the urban legend, in Equestria the urban legend believes in you.

 

"I don't belive in the mare in the moon.

"Hello."

"I don't believe in the magical pool that creates duplicates of you."

"FFFFUUUUNNNN!"

"I don't believe in ponies that can talk to animals."

"Umm Angel-Bunny asked me to buy some carrots for him."

"I don't believe in ancient spirits of chaos and disharmony."

"Oh really?"

"I don't believe in shapeshifting, emotion draining monsters."

"Howdy . . . What?"

So many characters I could have fun doing this with if we only had the emojis.

Eventually you would either feel like you're lying to yourself or accept that any given legend is probably true and we probably haven't even seen half of what's out there like the creature Big Mac covered himself in mud to prevent it seeing him. Hmmm would also work with the hunting us line and legends not always turning out the way you think.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Senko

[Lucky Bolt 35,062]

I really enjoyed this episode. Not just because it was an Apple family episode but also because it had a good moral to the story: You never really grow up, and you're never too old to have fun. Everyone, or everyPONY in this case, is a kid foal at heart. 

I also like how Bright Mac and Buttercup made an appearance in AJ's flashback, something we've never seen before, and something we need more of. 

Overall though, this was a really sweet episode and AJ had some really cute faces.  I give this episode a 10/10

Edited June 2, 2019 by Lucky Bolt

[YoshiAngemon 223]

You know, if Flim and Flam were to sell Great Seedling Traps, it would've been like that Viva Piñata episode "A Chewnicorn in the Garden," In which Fergy Fudgehog, Franklin Fizzlybear, and Paulie Pretztail buy Gem Trees in the hopes of luring a Chewnicorn. It only lured a hungry Fergy. Too bad that idea would've ruined any hope of redemption for Flim and Flam, selling the children's dreams short and playing off their belief in the Great Seedling!

[Senko 459]

2 minutes ago, YoshiAngemon said:

You know, if Flim and Flam were to sell Great Seedling Traps, it would've been like that Viva Piñata episode "A Chewnicorn in the Garden," In which Fergy Fudgehog, Franklin Fizzlybear, and Paulie Pretztail buy Gem Trees in the hopes of luring a Chewnicorn. It only lured a hungry Fergy. Too bad that idea would've ruined any hope of redemption for Flim and Flam, selling the children's dreams short and playing off their belief in the Great Seedling!

I am vaguely disturbed that you aren't making all this up.