S03:E04 - One Bad Apple

[Music Chart Fan 818]

I hate episodes like this one where the plot revolves around characters doing stupid things for no good reason. This happened multiple times in the episode, but as an example, the Cutie Mark Crusaders' float, which I'm sure they spent several hours working on, was destroyed! This seems like a very good thing to tell an adult about. I can't imagine how the Crusaders would get picked on for "snitching" about a serious thing like that, and if they were, they have a very good reason for doing so other than being "babies."

 

I also hate how in episodes where serious bullying occurs, especially on a frequent basis, the adults always seem to be COMPLETELY unaware of it. In this episode, not only did Applejack (and probably various other adults in Ponyville) never notice the bullying of Babs, apparently Diamond Tiara's and Silver Spoon's parents are oblivious to their bullying as well! It comes across as being contrived and unrealistic, although I should say that I have never dealt with bullies, so I can't say how realistic these cartoon bullying scenarios are.

 

Having TWO characters with heavy accents was especially irritating to me. Apple Bloom's accent is already annoying enough - and it was even more grating than usual in this episode - but adding another character with a heavy accent really increased the annoyance for me.

 

I agree with other posters that Babs should have gotten some kind of on-screen comeuppance for her bullying. Instead we get the Crusaders saying that they were bullies for attempting to pull a one-time trick on her, which doesn't seem at all to equal the bullying they received from Babs.

 

The MUSIC of the song was pretty catchy and well-written, although the lame factor is still present in the lyrics and the video to remind us that we are watching a cartoon for little girls.

 

So, as you can tell, I didn't like this episode much. It had too many annoyances, contrivances, and cartoon illogic reminiscent of lesser-quality shows.

[Silver Bells 78]

this episode was really cute. though to be honest i didn't expect the babs seed becoming a bully plot twist. that was kind of a shocker for me.

[Psycho Blitz 4]

this episode was really cute. though to be honest i didn't expect the babs seed becoming a bully plot twist. that was kind of a shocker for me.

 

At first I thought she was pretending, but when she was still mean to the CMC when DT and SS weren't looking, I really thought she was a bully. XD MLP is good with plot twisting!

[Mister Jack 565]

What kinda balls do Diamond TIara and Silver Spoon have to make fun of the CMC right in front of what is practically Apple Bloom's legal guardian?

[Cantankerous 106]

THANK YOU

 

Season three finally impresses with this highly competent, stylish episode. Babs Seed is a great new character, possessing all the complexity needed to make her worthy of FiM. Her character arc is believable and meaningful. She's not a bad pony so it's not surprising to see her return from the dark side at the end. Bad Seed is also a bang up musical number being both sharp and different enough in style to add variety. The animation also wowed me; I suppose it's not technically better than it has been it was used to better effect. I could really feel the effort that was put into this episode, so many small things to tell me the team's passion for their work is alive and kicking. Awesome episode, definitely the best CMC episode. On a ten-point scale I give it a nine.

Edited November 26, 2012 by ByTheTides

[Psycho Blitz 4]

I hate episodes like this one where the plot revolves around characters doing stupid things for no good reason. This happened multiple times in the episode, but as an example, the Cutie Mark Crusaders' float, which I'm sure they spent several hours working on, was destroyed! This seems like a very good thing to tell an adult about. I can't imagine how the Crusaders would get picked on for "snitching" about a serious thing like that, and if they were, they have a very good reason for doing so other than being "babies." I also hate how in episodes where serious bullying occurs, especially on a frequent basis, the adults always seem to be COMPLETELY unaware of it. In this episode, not only did Applejack (and probably various other adults in Ponyville) never notice the bullying of Babs, apparently Diamond Tiara's and Silver Spoon's parents are oblivious to their bullying as well! It comes across as being contrived and unrealistic, although I should say that I have never dealt with bullies, so I can't say how realistic these cartoon bullying scenarios are.

I'll be less critical than you in other parts, but I agreed with you in some places.

I think about the fear of snitching thing, that was the moral--to not be afraid of snitching. Maybe it was a little extremely obvious ["shouldn't we tell AJ?" "no!"], but if that didn't happen, the episode wouldn't occur

I agree with you about the adults not noticing. It makes me angry that DT and SS get away with everything. There needs to be an episode where Filthy Rich and SS's parents see how mean their daughters are.

Same, I haven't really been bullied, but I've witnessed some. It's true that ppl bully if they are bullied, but usually it's not so extreme. I just like to think that the episode was exaggerating the "innocence" to show younger kids that there is a solution.

Nice to hear a critical response; very thought-provoking!

[Shankveld 4,945]

Was I the only one who felt the episode was a bit rushed?

One second she's nice, then mean, then a boobytrapped float and bam then she's nice again and was bullied all a long.

~

[K3WRO 79]

"Why does Life have to be so Ironic!"

 

- Me when Bronystate was hacked, also, Sweetie Belle

 

I loved the episode, it was lot better than most CMC episodes IMO, I like how it served as a life lesson for something many kids are suffering bout. It sorta reflects to my childhood.

[discorded 234]

is it just me or does any one else think that babs seed sounds alot like a guy? It kinda bugged me, when i was watching the episode.

[WildCard 1,037]

is it just me or does any one else think that babs seed sounds alot like a guy? It kinda bugged me, when i was watching the episode.

 

She has a deep voice for a girl but I actually liked it. I actually know some girls who talk like this and it fitted Babs character well. Also she has a bad-ass manecut

[dekutree64 711]

9 pages of posts and no one has brought up that the VA who voiced Babs Seed is named Bryanna Drummond? Looks quite similar to Brian Drummond, the voice of Vegeta and many other animated characters, including earlier generations of Spike. And his son and his wife are also into voice acting.

 

I noticed According to Brian's wikipedia page, she is indeed his daughter.

 

I thought it was a decent episode. Stare Master is still by far my favorite CMC episode (unless Cutie Mark Chronicles counts), but definitely better than average for them.

 

The message was good, that bullying can be contagious, and that some bullies can still be redeemed. I disagree with those who said Babs needed some form of punishment. She picked on the CMC, and they still took the fall for her in the end. That shows some real character on their part, and is probably not something Babs will forget for a long time, if ever. Revenge may have stopped her from bullying again, but the way it turned out will most likely lead to her helping others, not just refraining from hurting them.

 

Did anyone else find it disturbing when Sweetie Belle said "We need to talk to Applejack! (others: no!) ...Rarity? (others: no!) ...Twilight?"

I thought maybe we'd finally get a mention of Scootaloo's parents or sibling or somepony. Is she really all alone in the world aside from her two friends?

[Spring Storm 276]

I LOVED this episode. I went in expecting to hate Babs, but I found her adorable and I really liked that they redeemed her character at the end. As someone who has been bullied, and has been mean to people because people were so mean to me, I could really relate. Also, bucking awesome new song! <3

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,694]

Finally I got around to seeing this episode.

 

First of all, Babs herself. Pretty good design, haven't seen that hairstyle on a pony before. New Yawk accent + bully doesn't really work for me, nor am I a fan of pony city=real city signified in speech or behavior. As for her character: I judged her by how she acted when she first saw the Crusaders. Shy, unsure of herself and embarrassed about not having her mark. (Unlike the CMC, she hasn't learned that getting there can be half the fun.) She's too insecure to identify with them at the beginning, and like Silver Spoon before her, she falls in with Diamond. Some ponies (or people) who have been hurt badly enough decide their best defense against the world is a good offense. Basically she's like most bullies out there.

 

The song came a little too early in the episode, but I thought it worked. Golden Sweetie Belle was super-cute. Babs' adventure with the apple float and the fastest kitchen timer in history was predictable, until the thing went right off a cliff; I hope they weren't planning THAT part. The CMC overplayed the situation as usual, and Babs being their friend at the end seemed unlikely. Apple Bloom's accent was too strong this time around. (Michelle, speak it at the back of your tongue, not in your throat!) Shankveld is correct about the whole thing being rushed; basically they tried to cram too much moralizing where it wouldn't fit. While paper-thin, the plot was at least comprehensible. And it wasn't one of the better episodes, but if it was the worst of Season 3 I will be very satisfied overall.

 

I hate episodes like this one where the plot revolves around characters doing stupid things for no good reason.

 

Me too. Was this another Merriweather Williams? xD Edited November 26, 2012 by TailsAlone

[thor9356 540]

Alright I need someone to explain the Veggie Salad joke in the episode to me. I just didn't understand that when pinkie was saying it over and over when her float was out of control. I get the pun she made after that joke but I just don't understand what she meant by Veggie Salad. Can someone help me out with this?

[RainbowDashie 767]

My reaction on the CMC getting bullied was...

 

But then it was all good and i decided to

[Sunny Fox 5,929]

Alright I need someone to explain the Veggie Salad joke in the episode to me. I just didn't understand that when pinkie was saying it over and over when her float was out of control. I get the pun she made after that joke but I just don't understand what she meant by Veggie Salad. Can someone help me out with this?

 

Well, her float was in the shape of a giant lettuce. This is also why she laughed when Apple Bloom first said, "Let us in!" Pinkie thought she was making a pun, as in "Lettuce in!" So when it was about to crash and fall to pieces, Pinkie thought "Hey, a salad is a broken up lettuce! Which is what my float is about to become!" And so it did.

[Music Chart Fan 818]

I think about the fear of snitching thing, that was the moral--to not be afraid of snitching. Maybe it was a little extremely obvious ["shouldn't we tell AJ?" "no!"], but if that didn't happen, the episode wouldn't occur

I can understand not wanting to be a "baby" or a "snitch" by telling an adult about every little problem that one has. It just seems to me that destroying the Cutie Mark Crusaders' float (and maybe other things like claiming their clubhouse which is on the Apples' property) would be reason enough to "tattle" without being picked on. I don't know, though, I might be naive to think that kids of their age would see that some things are serious enough to warrant telling an adult about.

 

Did anyone else find it disturbing when Sweetie Belle said "We need to talk to Applejack! (others: no!) ...Rarity? (others: no!) ...Twilight?"

Do you mean that she thought of Twilight as an appropriate adult to "tattle" to? I did think that was a little unusual, considering that Twilight is unrelated to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It's hard to imagine a kid not wanting to tell her big sister about something and instead telling her big sister's friend, who probably does not spend much time with them, is likely not to care as much, and is even more distant from the situation and thus less in a position to do anything about it. I think Applejack was always the right one to tell about the bullying, since she is the one most likely to care and in the best position of authority to put a stop to it and/or hand down punishment.

 

Me too. Was this another Merriweather Williams? xD

 

Ha ha, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. The episode writer was Cindy Morrow, who also wrote "Griffon the Brush-Off" (another episode about bullying per se) as well as several other Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes. She has written better episodes like "Hurricane Fluttershy" and "Read It And Weep," and even some of the other Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes she wrote are arguably better than this one, so maybe she was just restricted by having to get across the obligatory bullying message.

[Winona the Dog 1,981]

I thought it was a pretty fair for a CMC episode the whole situation on bullying was cut and clear and the plot was decently rounded. Babs Seed as a character was nice to see and i wouldn't mind seeing her again later on.

 

Also am i the only one who liked seeing Gold Sweetie Belle?

[Shadow Star 3]

I really liked this episode since I get to meet the Cutie Mark Crusaders again. I always knew Bab seeds was going to be a bad pony, well from the beginning, but not anymore.

[Starflower 323]

Before the episode aired, I assumed one of the CMC ponies was going to be the "bad pony". But watching the episode, I sorta knew there was going to be a different Pony. xD I loved how this episode went. It has a strong message about bullying and how it can be fixed. The song was really good and catchy, so it's been on my mind for quite a while now. :3

 

As always, another great episode from the CMC ponies.

[FlameRays 3]

Oh dear

 

When you go to all BronyState channnels for livestream you get the message (spoilered for profanity)

"You have been hacked by /v/ you horsefuckers".

 

 

If something's wrong, 4chan is usually behind it...

 

Warning to all: Do NOT GO TO BRONYSTATE. All Theatres are hacked!

EDIT: Unconfirmed reports that BronyState is back up and un-hacked. I'll go check.

EDIT2: Confirmed. And Gak commercials.

 

Dat profile picture.... O_o!!!

 

Wait a minute! The CMC will continue in the Manehattan also! WOW! The cutie mark crusaders has become a viral organization!

Just as planned... Lol! Hopefully, the could make another CMC episode! S.W.A.G!

[moongarnet77 47]

I have to admit.... when I first saw this episode, earlier today, I thought that maybe Babs wanted to be with the popular ponies (AKA Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon), but they why Aplejack reveals that Babs was picked on back in Manehatten, just like the CMC were, you understand that she didn't want to be bullied anymore. I understand that, but I never picked on anyone to avoid being bullied.... people who were new to every school I attended picked on me for the reason Babs picked on apple Bloom and her friends.

[FlameRays 3]

This week, Hasbro has informed in that the next episode "Magic Duel", Trixie will return!!! Not ohly that but she will kick Twilight a## and then banish her from ponyville! I am pretty sure that Twilight will come back and defear Trixie. Though this time I really wish that Trixie would start living in Ponyville after apolygizing to Twilight and everypony else. She might be annoying but she's a kind of character you want to see more often!

 

Brohoof this if you agree!

[hawkflame 3,308]

9 pages of posts and no one has brought up that the VA who voiced Babs Seed is named Bryanna Drummond? Looks quite similar to Brian Drummond, the voice of Vegeta and many other animated characters, including earlier generations of Spike. And his son and his wife are also into voice acting.

 

I wondered if that was the case but I couldn't find anything concrete after a quick search.

 

By the way, that means you now have the daughter of Vegeta bullying the daughter of Goku (Claire Corlett).

 

... Wow, that just blew my mind.

[Aerial~Shot 177]

I loved this episode, it was so cute, the song was awesome and I really liked Babs Honestly, I can relate to her. I've been bullied since I first started school, and I did get help from my parents and teachers, even though it never lasted long. What happened to Babs Seed is very realistic - when you get bullied badly, you tend to react to new potential bullies badly - I instinctively glare and snap at people if they say the wrong thing to me, 'cause I'm used to hearing those things in the form of an insult or something. I actually feel really happy to have a pony to relate to like this now