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S09:E23 The Big Mac Question


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How was the thing?  

84 users have voted

  1. 1. Did you like the episode?

    • Nah bruh (Hated it T_T)
      4
    • Gibby didn't like that. (Didn't care for it)
      2
    • It was an episode (Whole lot of meh)
      10
    • It was pretty good (Liked it)
      17
    • Fantastic! (I love it!)
      51


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It really was a lovely episode and I mostly enjoyed it for a closing arc to Big Mac. Looking back it's actually amazing to see how prevalent he became in the series. Being only known for one word responses or getting little bursts of wordy emotion for the first four seasons, I think Brotherhooves Social really was the turning point for him. He wasn't just the strong lumbering silent man of the Apple family anymore. There was real depth given to him, one of longing, of loving, of caring and to see him able to share that part of him with some one else couldn't be better for him. Though I am in the boat for wanting a little more for Sugar Belle, I mean they didn't even pull an Avengers Endgame by throwing a random character in the crowd of her wedding ensemble for the audience to be like, wait who is that supposed to be, only to go back to "The Break Up Break Down" and realize "oh, that's her cousin that she said was taking over her shop for her," still can't fault the animators they had much more important background matters to focus on ;)

3 hours ago, ShootingStar159 said:

The wedding was unsatisfying since some important characters were missing, like Pinkie and Starlight. Sugar Belle apparently had zero family that she wanted to invite, which, you know, Starlight would know why that is since she was able to convince Sugar Belle to move to the middle of nowhere and give up her cutie mark.

Hey, anything to continue the fact that Starlight never intruded on these ponies lives to begin with to start her village, and they found her on their own by their own isolation and just became victims of her own messed up philosophy, is all the more justification I need for how things went about with the village. Still messed up on her part but proved better in the grand scheme of things. :P

Also just wanted to see if any of you noticed how I called the last episode the last of "The Crusaders arc" but never called it their last appearance. I knew this supporting role was in their future but I wasn't going to give any spoilers away. :mlp_proud:

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The final episode about the Apple family may be mostly comedy-based, but at least it’s good comedy and ends on a very heartwarming and satisfying note. Not every joke hits, I definitely found the whole thing with the apples coming to life unfitting (that’s coming from someone who’s read and enjoyed the Night of the Living Apples comic arc), and it’s no The Perfect Pear. However, the way things are tied back to The Perfect Pear at the end with the reality TV show parody turning out to be everyone talking to Applejack at the wedding is magnificent. It’s good that the last ordinary episode of the show actually concluded a character arc and left an impact on the show canon. 

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It it is really wonderful how much Big Mac has grown. He used to just be the big brother with 1 word responses all the time and now he is mature enough to know when a job isn’t cut out for him. Respect and being admired by his family. And preparing to propose to the pony of his life. It’s such a satisfying story and I’m thankful this is the last Apple family episode (even more fitting to have the family tree be in the final scene.)

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This episode was a plethora of storylines coming together and closing them perfectly. Here are four of them.

  1. The Guys’ Night Out story, beginning from The Cutie Map as a little background gag. In S6, Confalone included Discord, and in Break Down, all three act like they knew each other since the day Spike hatched.
  2. The CMC’s tricks. From the beginning, the CMCs always had a plan up their sleeve, sometimes to success, sometimes to failure. One scheme got Big Mac to become an item with Sugar. And in this one, they felt guilty for accidentally contributing to the mixup that almost caused Sugar and Mac to break up, so they worked with Sugar to find Big Mac and help her out.
  3. Spike’s arc of romanticism. In Break Down, he indicated that his romantic “expertise” came from his crush on Rarity (via his poem, which was rudely interrupted :laugh: ). Here, he brags about it and tries to help Mrs. Cake by delivering the messages…only to falter badly.
  4. Of course, Big Mac and Sugar marrying. This episode called back to how they became an item in the first place: Big Mac renovating her shelf to add more space for her desserts.

This was also an excellent sequel to the perfect episode and references it in so many ways.

  1. Mrs. Cake baking the desserts. Back in TPP, Buttercup challenged her to be creative, resulting in her Cutie Mark and forging a lifelong friendship that continues long after BC’s passing.
  2. The intertwining tree. Decades ago, their parents proposed and married in secret at the rock that borders the Pear and Apple orchards. During their walk together, they find themselves back to that tree, and as they talked, the sun set perfectly within the iconic heart, spiritually indicating their support for Sugar Belle and their romance.
  3. Everyone explaining to Applejack, the unknown narrator. She was the one who agreed to go on that expedition to find out about how the Pears and Apples feuded for so long, which introduced their parents’ pasts to them, brought them closer to them, and helped them forgive Grand Pear. Speaking of…
  4. Grand Pear only had a couple of cameos here, but his biggest one was his appearance at his grandson’s wedding. The last time one took place there, he abandoned his own daughter and never saw her alive again. This time, he (and Granny) are there, and he’s giving Big Mac his unconditional blessing, closing another gap that caused a massive, increasingly bitter divide between himself and mother-in-law.
  5. How poetic to be a sequel to Perfect Pear and have another marriage take place at their tree. Two seasons ago, the Apple kin rediscovered their parents’ legacy, how they introduced each other, and fell in love thru very bitter times. Now that bitterness between the lead of the Pears and Apples is healed. Well, BMQ breaks a second barrier: Sugar Belle’s the first non-Earth Pony to be part of the Apple family. (Also, recall AJ scolding Twilight for using magic unsolicitedly on her farm in S1? Intentional or otherwise, this episode implicates that the Apples welcome unicorn magic full-time on the property now.)

I already said it, but this is so well done. :D

 

Edited by Dark Qiviut
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5 hours ago, Js250476 said:

I like to think how wonderful and accepting Equestria is. It doesn’t matter what gender you are your fully allowed to love who you want and you’ll receive no ill feelings from anyone over it.

Exactly! Yes I agree. Nobody in Equestria questioned Scootaloo's aunts relationship or Lyra/BonBon's relationship, and except for Diamond Tiara once, no pony questions or limits the potential of disabled ponies like Scootaloo or the pony with the wheelchair like device in "Trade Ya". I think pony nature is naturally accepting, way more accepting and embracing than our human world so it feels wonky and "off" to me when ponies are written as racist like in the season 8 opener and in the first Hearth Warming episode of the series. 

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The last slice of life episode (could have named it Pearposal as was heard)

And good, Im here for the finale, no matter what the two-parter episodes with some trouble remain my favorite type in the whole show, I've not been watching MLP for romance and SoLs with fewer exceptions.

ALAS,

I will have to be minority here as I found it to be mediocre never mind written by show favorite Harber and Vogel and there is one remark to episodes recently that I will mostly mention when I talk about the season or the show in the end. The remark is that in too many complaints over 'they didn't not learn the lesson', 'they are learning this again', the writers started adding lines where the characters would say 'See? I learnt this lesson!' and im like :fiery: this is supposed to be just in comments, no need to show us how much they learnt the lesson by explicitly saying it. And I blame these kind of comments on that.

 

Anyway, as a last such episode, it had pleasant moments but while Big Mac - Sugar Belle were at first something curious to see, I do not really care much about their end story, though the end story had to come for them as well. (heck I even expected Maud and Mud Briar to propose one another as it happens on weddings inspired by the main actors but this was Apple event only, surprised the Mane 6 were not invite).

I think a possible Epilogue to many characters without having to devote whole episodes is like I've seen on college movies or such, in which it ends with showing who went to do what after graduation. It could be done as Mane 6 and others gather to tell one final story to all of us.

So the episode's order is very chaotic, I got that they are retelling the story how everything went in order after the initial faults... but the repeats and small stories were rewinded or scattered so much, I watch once.. that it put extra distaste on the episode.

So many Spike faces, is this his episode for gags? I dont like episodes for this but it was not too much I  guess. I see the animators were just doing it for fun, not because there's any purpose.

So Discord appears and wants to help, predictably, leading the whole event into chaos. I like Spike's expressions here, they were mostly typical for Twilight, and for Fluttershy, she uses them on Angel

 

Spoiler

MLPFiM-Se9-ep219-TheBigMacQuestion.thumb.jpg.4b92e36f571b08edf45bc3e6d4dcd86e.jpg

 

 

I like these flowers look really pleasant to watch and Rose she's my new fave from the Lyra type of BG ponies.

 

Spoiler

MLPFiM-Se9-ep219-TheBigMacQuestion2.thumb.jpg.5f35578e116157d42a77d86e1907e37c.jpg

 

Surprised Miss Cake was not more mad at Spike.

 

Spoiler

MLPFiM-Se9-ep219-TheBigMacQuestion3.thumb.jpg.14eda952049e80995f74c8565e0046c4.jpg

 

Then follows the attack of the predatory apples, funny and the mess they made, well a little, not too amusing.

 

The bowling stallions again, some other story how each Mac part and Sugar's part prepared for the surprise. Then this is a last view of Fluttershy's sanctuary.

 

The apple monstrosity was funny but very little..

Now this is the romance I liked the most from the episode, it felt strong and one that I would enjoy watching.

Spoiler

MLPFiM-Se9-ep219-TheBigMacQuestion4.thumb.jpg.a28f437e47db32702ce39075c0989802.jpg

 

And the lady with the cats, seeing only Apples/Pears, no Mane 6 umm OK. I thought they were closer.So they didn't think of a word like Hustallion (yes I know it sounds not good) and Mare or what not.

 

Spoiler

MLPFiM-Se9-ep219-TheBigMacQuestion5.thumb.jpg.1d035654ab5f03eb0edbeb1900591a50.jpg

 

 

3/5 because of how confusing the story was rewinded and because there was not too much that amused, it was a bit childish type if amusing at all on moments. But it's forgiven as next is what

 

3 EPISODES in 1 day? oO I thought it would be 3 parter for once but maybe it will be 2-parter + Epilogue episode. (WILL THEY GIVE TEMPEST STORM SOME CAMEO AT LEAST?) I suppose not... it's not that im so fanatic about here, my hype has faded as the Movie was long ago but she was the only one not referenced at all since the Season 8 started making references.

 

Anyway to Grogar, Chrysalis, Tirek, Cozy they'd better make something nice to fit for 2 parter since the last one will be just the coronation and not Grogar I suppose.

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Oh, immediately when I saw Spike talking to "us", I screamed out loud "Nick Confalone". I was wrong.

It turned out to be a Michael Vogel episode, which probably made it better. He has been on top since "Frenemies". Also I am not forgetting Josh Haber is the top writer, but isn't he always, Mr Story Editor, give me a break! (j/k)

So, the faces were excellently expressible (again, Season 9 to thank for that). I liked the blue background pony on the balcony every time someone screamed out a secret.

While it was a kinda standard Big Mac screwup episode, it did have a few really funny moments, like Granny Smith's "Grand Pear Star Trek adventure", which I laughed at the entire time because it was so true, the characters and story was lol!

Another thing I kinda noticed was Fluttershy's hammock animation in between two palmtrees, which reminded me of the intro to "Adventure of Sonic The Hedgehog" DiC cartoon from the early 90's, however, when I checked it out, it was too far fetched to be related *sadface*. It is probably another reference, I am sure!

 

Discord was not only the star of this episode, but top credited.

 

And I loved Sunset Shimmer...... Well, it is the closest we get to see her in mlp anyways.

 

How stupid is Apple Bloom? Rate from 1 to 5. "You know when I am looking for some thing/pony. Granny says..." (Don't tell me that is an "Adventure of Sonic The Hedgehog" reference also? The "Sonic Sez" segment, no, now I am far fetching)

 

 

Also, this is my 600th post at this board. Soon I will have made my introduction posts and can move on to better stuff.

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*Just finished watching*

Woo, that end is great.

This ep is a closing arc of Big Mac and Sugar Bell, they are married!:coco: The episode is a bit boring to watch in the middle act because the comedy (if there is any at all) didnt hit me which is a bit disappointing because they have Discord, why dont they make this ep not so funny than average mlp episodes? The best part of this ep is the third act, the reveal, the proposal, the wedding, all of them saved the whole episode. The wedding ceremony under the tree is beautiful, this tied up with The Perfect Pear but this time the mare is an unicorn and no hard feeling, just happiness and a bit... chaotic. 

One more thing i want to talk about the ceremony.

Where are other mane 6? Where is Starlight? This is a big moment of AJ’s brother and Sugar Bell, should those characters i mentioned be there at least? Come on, writers and animators, you forgot them?:blush: Imagine all my best friends didnt attend my brother’s wedding... Some party, they’re always there but a wedding of a loving brother of mine (and everyone know him) and none of my friends attend... Did AJ give them any invitation? or they are just busy? What kind of excuse i should come up with? The mane 6 can defeat a Bug Bear to come to attend Doodle’s wedding so i cant come up with any excuse. I count this is an negative, what an unfortunate implication, a small tainted on the mostly perfect white sheet, and a small one but i cant ignore it. Sr episode, i have to give you 6.5/10 instead of 8/10.

What make some episodes so perfect is how they carefully handle the details. 

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I've been getting a lot of mixed feelings watching new episodes in recent times and this one was sort of no exception. But the ending was just so sweet and heartwarming that wraps up Big Mac's and Sugar Belle's arc nicely that I just can't help but like it. Also it made me think of Pat Bentar's We Belong.

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I don't really have much to say about this episode, I think it's just because it wasn't morally driven like most episodes in the show are. All I really have to say about it is that is was much better than the previous two episodes. 

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This was decent, but not particularly great or amazing. By the standards of S9's latter half (of which I've enjoyed only a few episodes), this is actually a pretty strong outing, it's simply that its general flaws arise from its tendency to repeat the typical faults of most Haber-edited episodes (save for the meme faces, which the episode displayed surprising restraint with) - the humor mostly being lightly sarcastic quips, characters behaving in generically awkward ways and pop-culture references (none of which I find that effective unless there are 'bigger'/more varied gags to balance them out, which I guess explains why I find so much of Haber's work so oddly lightweight) and the somewhat overexpository dialogue (I'm unsure as to whether Haber and Vogel were utilizing this to depict the awkwardness of the characters or are simply overcompensating to ensure coherency and maximum space for sarcasm, but it kind of felt more akin to the latter) as opposed to utilizing 'show don't tell' to create a more impactful episode (although the ending was cute, if somewhat obvious) being the most major examples. Whilst the crew could've harnessed more of their episode slots over the past five seasons to develop Sugar Belle further beyond the three episodes preceding this one to increase its impact, it's ultimately a nice, if kind of overly light, outing (I understand they were shooting for a low-key character comedy, but there simply wasn't enough effective comedy to carry this, nor enough space left by the dialogue for quieter moments (Big Mac sitting on the hill in anticipation was a step in the right direction here) to develop and build up to the climax). 

Edited by Them's Seeing Ponies
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Ah, one of the mane events I was hoping would make it into the final season, Lyra and Bon Bon getting closure.  Oh and a Big Mac Sugar Belle wedding, that too. :P

It was great to see Sugar Belle again in an adorable theme of the two trying to propose to each other but keeping it secret.  Relying on friends to help them set up just the perfect plan, but per usual, everything goes awry.  Poor Mrs Cake getting dragged into all this, but I love the symmetry as she did the same for Buttercup and Bright Mac.  Each of the cast played their part well and things were expected to go was in character.  Granny Smith dropping the Star Trek were fun references to follow.

The only thing I'd say was really missing was a song at the end.  A final Apples song welcoming in a new member to the family.  Oh and a Lyra Bon Bon wedding, that too. :P  

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I really liked this episode, specially the final part (the wedding). I was waiting for it so bad, and it finally happened. It was so emotional... Also I didn't expect to see the tree again. 

Overall it was a really funny and emotive episode. And the next week is the finale... I'm not prepared for it :(

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Love is in the air” – an apple monster.

Two double proposals in one episode – that’ not what one would expect from MLP… but I loved it! This episode had an interesting structure and was a rollercoaster of emotions: from funny to silly to – Holy apples! They really did it! – to touching and heartwarming to “Darn it, Discord!“ Other parts that I found great: Shoeshine’s being tired of this crap, Granny’s brilliant Star Trek reference, Mrs. Cake making a joke and being proud of it (this was her best episode, hands down), and the names exchange.

My boy Big Mac has his own family now! I hope Sugar Belle realizes how lucky she is. Also, the wedding was surprisingly small-scaled. The Apple Family was represented by very few ponies (and cats), and some of the main characters didn’t show up or just weren’t shown. But it’s alright, not every wedding has to be like a royal one.

As for Lyra and Bob Bon, I’m happy for them too. The build-up was strong, especially in the last few seasons, always happening in the background, so them proposing to each other in the background feels fitting. I know some people say “But they are supposed to be best friends!”, but friendship sometimes can grow into love. I think that was a good example.

In conclusion, happy marriage, happy apples!

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This has become my new favorite episode of Season 9 so far...I've already rewatched it three times! :adorkable: It's funny and cute, and towards the end when Big Mac and Sugar Belle proposed to each other, that hit me in the feels. Their wedding was cute too. 

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Solid episode, I definitely wanted a wedding episode for Big Mac and Sugar Belle.

Spike and Discord form a very entertaining duo, the CMC and Mrs. Cake were silly funny and both Big Mac and Sugar Belle were adorable.

I liked how the episode developed and the whole apple monsters thing, I liked everyone screwing things up except for Big Mac and Sugar Belle.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is having AJ casted aside for most of the episode.

I loved that Big Mac invited Burnt Oak to the wedding, in my head canon they have been meeting to talk about Bright Mac a whole lot since the first time the three apple siblings went to ask about him.

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This was definitely a great episode.  I would even go as far as say this is one the funniest episodes we have gotten in quite a while.  I really enjoyed the mocumentary style here, and felt that it really helped give this episode a unique identity.  I ended up enjoying this episode a lot more than I initially expected.  This definitely is one of the best of the season, if I am being perfectly honest here.

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The final episode before the final season finale, and I'll admit, despite the actions of Discord, Spike, the Crusaders, and Mrs. Cake with trying to help out Sugar Belle and Big Mac, it was nice to see Big Mac finally propose to Sugar Belle and the two of them get married beneath the tree that grew from the seeds planted by Bright Mac and Pear Butter when they were married. Even better, Mayor Mare officiated the ceremony like she did with Bright Mac and Pear Butter, and many friends and family were in attendance for it, including Burnt Oak, Goldie Delicious, Party Favor, Double Diamond, Night Glider, Auntie Applesauce, and Apple Rose.

Overall, I'll give this episode an 8, maybe a 9 out of 10.

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