S04:E12 - Pinkie Pride

[Yellow Diamond 7,568]

https://mlpforums.com/calendar/event/272-%7B%3F%7D/?module=events

 

Title: Pinkie Pride
Air Date: February 1st, 2014
Synopsis: An elated Pinkie Pie is planning the biggest and best “birth-iversary” party ever for Rainbow Dash, but when another party planning pony named Cheese Sandwich rides into town, plans change. Soon, everypony is so excited about Cheese Sandwich’s party that they forget about Pinkie Pie, but her pride won’t let her go down without an official “goof off."

 

---

 

Check one special guest voice actor off of my list! I patiently await the arrival of Brad Swaile, Elias Toufexis, and Sir Patrick Stewart.

[NavelColt 22,879]

Alright, here we go, unlocking about five hours or so before the episode premiere, per the usual for me anyway :3 Let your posting commence.

• For those giving feedback on the episode from its' leak, you may wish to please be considerate and post spoilers until everyone's seen the episode.
• By that same token, this topic is dangerous territory, due to the leakage! People do not read. They will come in here and flash their thoughts out in the open. Do not let your innocent, unspoiled eyes take you here until you've seen the episode, if you don't have to.

Thank yew~

 

 

Whoa Despite knowing this episode would be amazing, knowing who would be in it and getting just a fraction of what would happen, I'm still surprised at just how great that was. Quite the episode indeed. Cheese's introduction at the beginning was fantastically handled, and the transition to Ponyville's celebration song over their pink party animal was astounding. I keep rolling my eyes at the growing crowd of people who keep commenting about how Pinkie's been poorly handled in certain episodes this season, but at the least, it's nice to see that the last few Pinkie episodes have pleased even them, namely this one and though some didn't like it, a lot of people enjoyed her in Pinkie Apple Pie.

 

Blue and Pink best ponies and Al being in this aside, I really enjoyed the premise of this episode. The established status quo of the primary character being the be-all reference character for a certain theme suddenly being threatened by the arrival of a mysterious new character who has the same things to offer to the table, is always a trope that I've liked.

 

I will now take a moment to explain why I am a big Cheese Fan.

 

Cheese Sandwich, between Al's natural hair-style as well as being a character meant to be a sort of 'male Pinkie', has the same exact hair-style and even facial features of Pinkie's popular R63 form, Bubble Berry *see below*. This is a big deal for me, because I am a huge fan of the R63 in this fandom, as I find much of it to be done exceedingly well, and I really enjoy the Mane Six as guys on occasion So naturally, Cheese is the next best thing to having Berry (who's also my favorite of the colt six) in the show, himself, since he has nearly the same appearance, and a very similar kind of personality. That, and I just love him in general, too. Come on, Weird Al's voice coming out of a pony is amazing, especially when he's being serious. Cheese is best new character for Season 4, and new best overall stallion <3

 

 

Alright, and per usual, random notes:

• Love the little gallery of past parties in past episodes on her wall :3
• I will say, this was the perfect opportunity for Pinkamena to return, but they didn't go for it. Oh well, IT'S NOT LIKE THE FANDOM WILL MAKE CUPCAKE UBTEETHEQUELS OFF OF THE EPISODE REGARDLESS, OR ANYTHING :|
• So many good songs :3
• Cute ending I figured there'd be some kind of twist to result in the two of them getting to plan the party together. Altogether, it was fantastic to have Al in the series at last, and I think he pulled it off great. He feels almost natural being a part of a silly, fun universe like this one

[RaptorJaysus 178]

Well, here we go again. New ep, new series of memes and new pornstorm. Can't wait though for Weird Al!

[FNGRpony 658]

Loved it. Pinkie needs to be in episodes made just for her.

[Guest90210 3,568]

That. Was. AWESOME! The songs, the pacing, Weird Al, Pinkie being portrayed exactly how she should...I have a new favorite episode. 10/10

[MorningFlash 214]

IT WAS SO AMAZING OH MY GOSH 

to those who haven't witnessed the awesome yet, I am so excited for you

even though I've already watched the episode, I'm still watching it live because it's the first episode I've been able to watch live for a few weeks now.

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

Managed to hold back on the "official" leaks for this one. Everyone seems to be raving about it though so I'm pretty pumped. 

 

Just imagine, if this were season 3 we'd be finished now. No more ponies for months. Thank god they extended it back to 24 episodes. We're only half done now. 

 

Amy Keating Rogers's approval rating just sky-rocketed. It really is a great episode. And the songs... I can't even remember how many songs there were, five was it? All of which were great. Weird Al, someone who I've previously never fully appreciated, was a surprise talent as well. Really did a fantastic job. I didn't realise he had such a versatile voice. Animation was spot on too, everything was just perfect. The ending was a little cliché but I'm willing to look past that because it was at least done well. 

 

I actually think the best thing about this episode is that pretty much the entire fandom, that I've seen so far, enjoyed it. It's nice for everyone to agree on an episode being great for once without endless arguing. Who knows though it's still early haha.  

 

Holy. Crap. @@~Chaotic Discord~, with a Cheese Sandwich avatar... not a Discord or Belly Button themed one... but Cheese Sandwich. I might actually have to install a seatbelt in my chair for this episode.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Bucky McGillyCuddy

[Nerdy Luigi 2,065]

That. Was. Great! Weird Al in MLP? It was bound to be good.

[NavelColt 22,879]

Managed to hold back on the "official" leaks for this one. Everyone seems to be raving about it though so I'm pretty pumped for it. 

 

Holy. Crap. @@~Chaotic Discord~, with a Cheese Sandwich avatar... not a Discord or Belly Button themed one... but Cheese Sandwich. I might actually have to install a seatbelt in my chair for this episode.

 

Take a picture of it, it'll last longer :comeatus:

[Bucky McGillyCuddy 956]

Take a picture of it, it'll last longer :comeatus:

I shall cherish this memory.

[shandesa 14]

Can't wait.  Regardless if the episode might be painful to watch, but that's just me.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

I didn't watch it early so I haven't seen it yet so 

 

I'M SO EXCITED BEST PONY IN AN EPISODE WITH WEIRD AL IT'S GONNA BE SO AWESOME!

[Shanks 10,816]

 

Pinkie Pie was so awesome in this episode, with Pinkie Apple Pie and now this episode it looks like they might be finally turning Pinkie Pie around from her bland 2 dimensional portrayal in season 3. Weird Al really delivered big time as Cheese Sandwhich, I spotted all kinds of references to his songs and if that wasn't enough awesomeness there are some very good appearances of Derpy including fiilly Derpy in this one flashback.

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by Cheese Sandwich

[Castle Bleck 19,334]

This episode...

 

 

...LIVED UP TO ITS HYPE!!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WitreOXE_As

 

[An Old Head 4,816]

Hoooooo boy. Time to sink my teeth into why this is my favourite episode ever. (That's right - better than TMPP)

 

(I also posted this further down the thread ^.^)

 

---

 

100/100, no question. From the sterling music, to the fantastic premise, to the quotables, to the character exploration and development... this episode ticked all the boxes and went even further. (Can you put five ticks in a single box? Eh, I'll find out later.)

 

Let me talk about how incredible the writing was. Start to end, it was stuffed with pure skill in characterisation, pace and continuity. The introduction to Cheese Sandwich was bang-on (I'll talk about my own love for Cheese Sandwich in a moment... CD isn't the only one!) in that it was concise, atmospheric and set up the premise for the whole episode spectacularly. I loved the inclusion of the buffaloes, showcasing how, like any good animation studio does, they keep elements from former episodes to demonstrate their care for world building. The idea of Cheese and Pinkie being connected through the similarity of their senses (also fit into the introductory scene, quite skilfully) left me perching upon my chair in anticipation.

 

The songs themselves (I'll talk about them too, because they made up 80% of the episode!) were just fantastic. It felt like Fantasia, or at the very least distinctly like Disney. And what I love is how it's not a musical for the sake of a musical; Cheese Sandwich and Pinkie Pie are both extremely musical to begin with. I mean, Weird Al is voicing Cheese. Weird Al does music; by not passing up the chance to launch into numbers like that, they've really done well! The opening song, as I've said, had a brilliant tint of A Friend in Deed, and did its job perfectly in furthering the premise of the episode by showing Pinkie's role as a party planner in comparison with Cheese's role as a prospective party planner in the introduction. That's what I mean by brilliant pacing. It also doesn't hurt that Pinkie was as cute, charming, adorable, friendly and as heartwarming a singer as she always has been <33 And then the Cheese numbers! Did anyone notice how well some of these songs worked transitionally? Each song was there for a reason; to encompass a chunk of the episode as it moved along. Speaking of which...

 

I will now dedicate a paragraph to the Goof Off song. Oh, this song just makes me so happy. It's better than the Smile song... it's ten times better! =D This song was wild, fearless, completely zany (just how I love it) and filled with so many antics that I'm sure I'm still recounting them with each watch. (I've watched it about 20 times already!) The real-life footage, because it does need a mention - what a touch! Raw fourth-wall adventurousness, with no restraints, done in the best context possible. The back-and-forth between Cheese and Pinkie, in turn with their next goofy endeavour, felt like the world's best duel, kinda like the boss fight from Guitar Hero III ^^ In fact, like I've said, it's so overflowing with brilliant little details that I'll never fit them all into this paragraph. All I know is that I could watch that number endlessly. Hot dang.

 

And then there's Cheese Sandwich. My word, what a sensational character. Best stallion for sure; second favourite pony next to Pinkie Pie. Thanks to Weird Al's injection of fantabulousness into Cheese, we have the best complement to any main character in the show; one that means well, bears a connection to Pinkie, and is full to the brim with his own quirks and traits that make him so distinct and lovable. What I love even more is his tale; I feel that it's an analogy for our fandom. Let me explain how:

 

Do I speak for most of us when I say that we felt sans identity before we joined the Brony fandom? I know I certainly did; I stumbled across this fandom by chance and it lit up the happiness inside me. It's this fandom that distinguishes itself by being fun-loving, generally optimistic (...feel free to dispute that, but I love the spirit of this fandom) and a place for those wanderers to be taken in, loved, and tolerated... It was just like Cheese, feeling lost about his life, stumbling across the party and it occurring to him what life is all about; happiness, and enjoying yourself. And in further analogy, Cheese set out to try and give something back to the thing that turned his life around for the better; a wild party. Does that sound familiar? I'm thinking duty-bound Bronies who want to give back to the fandom that has helped them so much in the form of creative content. I saw all of this in Cheese Sandwich, and it's revitalised my ceaseless love.

 

The sensation of this occurring to me upon Cheese revealing this in the final scene was like no other. Spectacular, truly spectacular.

 

But how would this be a review if I didn't talk about Best Pony? Pinkie's characterisation was flawless. I mean flawless. They revisited Pinkie's best traits, and worst traits, in fine, intelligent, comedic and ultimately very moving detail. I love how Pinkie's initial reaction to Cheese Sandwich was offering him a place alongside her in planning Dashie's party; they didn't forget her motive from Over A Barrel. I loved even more the fact that her A Friend In Deed personality was revisited; it's one of the deeper aspects to her personality, and by going further into it, the writers have proven their opportunism. In fact, within this whole episode, we've seen Pinkie Pie go through her existing traits with this type of expertise as well as introductions to completely new sides; like her pride. I was so moved by that further detail in Pinkie's character; not only does she love hosting parties and winning the hearts of Ponyville, but she finds that affirmation in it too, and never once has she let it swallow her up in thick competition instead of remorseful contemplation, which outlined how much of a free spirit she is; again, expertly written. This is the best episode I've seen her in.

 

Never has an episode appealed to me so much on an emotional, humorous, and even personal level as Pinkie Pride has done. Being able to dig right into it in this review has, no joke, almost made me shed a tear from the joy. I don't even care what the rest of the season is like at this point, because Pinkie Pride truly has it all.

 

Oh, Amy Keating Rogers, Andrea Libman, Al Yankovic, Daniel Ingram, hell, everyone who's made this possible, I am in permanent debt.

Edited February 1, 2014 by Cheese Sandwich
Episode is officially out, so I removed the spoiler tags :D

[Wingnut 6,988]

What?  Pinkie Pride isn't supposed to premiere for another hour or so.  Are they leaking episodes again?  :okiedokielokie:

[MorningFlash 214]

What?  Pinkie Pride isn't supposed to premiere for another hour or so.  Are they leaking episodes again?  :okiedokielokie:

Yeah, the episode leaked yesterday if I'm correct.

[ggg-2 3,552]

what is everypony going on about? the episode doesn't air for another 1 hour 5 minutes

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

I don't exactly see why people are calling this their favorite episode. For me, it's not on par with that. It's still Pinkie Apple Pie for me.

Although, this episode does have alot of good things in it, and I'll tell you right now.

 

 

 

The episode really captures the feel of Weird Al's character; Cheese Sandwich. He's fun, energetic, and occasionally humorous. I'm pretty much watching Weird Al as a pony, and I can't get enough of it. Plus, the name "Cheese Sandwich" sounds fitting for a guy like him.

 

This episode is once again making a good portrayal for Pinkie Pie. With this episode and Pinkie Apple Pie, like I mentioned earlier, she's going out of her 2-dimensional self from season 3. She's improving so quickly, and I think it shows here.

 

The episode has quite a few musical numbers (Four, I think.) For an episode like this, I can deal with it. I mean, Weird Al is a musician. It'd only be common sense to give him a few numbers here. But, on top of that, Pinkie gets her own songs as well, which I think are just as good as Al's.

 

Now, for why I don't think this episode is my favorite; The way Pinkie is portrayed.

 

This sounds like a contradiction to what I said earlier, but hear me out. Yes, Pinkie is far less 2-dimensional in this episode than she is in the entirety of season 3. However, I feel that she's portrayed in a slightly wrong matter. The episode feels like it's saying "Pinkie's only purpose in life is partying." This was mostly implied in musical number 3 (If I'm not mistaking.) She pretty much sings and screenplays that if she can't plan parties, she has nothing to live for, and makes it her goal to show up Cheese Sandwich.

 

I just said "No" to that number. Pinkie's element is Laughter. She's good at planning parties, sure, but one of her main goals in life is to make ponies laugh, and put smiles on their faces. I feel that the episode forgets that.

 

Still, that doesn't stop this episode from being good, and even one of my favorites in the season. The musical numbers were well made, Weird Al was a TON of fun to watch as a pony, and Pinkie grows even more into a 3-dimensional character. 

 

In the end, I'd give this episode a 9.5/10 

Or, an A+, in my rating scales. The episode is just shy of cartoon nirvana. Almost perfect, but not quite so.

 

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by Geek0zoid

[Castle Bleck 19,334]

On 2/1/2014 at 9:21 AM, Wingnut said:

What?  Pinkie Pride isn't supposed to premiere for another hour or so.  Are they leaking episodes again?  :okiedokielokie:

 

 

They really need to get King Sombra to booby-trap their episodes, or something.

Edited February 5, 2019 by A.V.

[Sir.Flutter Hooves 2,953]

This episode was just perfect. I loved every aspect of it. I loved the songs, I loved the animation, and I loved Weird Al, he was fantastic!

 

 

 

 

• Pinkie learning that she's not always going to be the center of attention, that is gonna to do alot of good for her character.
• The animation was great, the lighting, and art. Just fantastic!
• How they captured Weird Al's image so fantastic is beyond me, great job.
• Songs were great, how all they songs had both Cheese Sandwitch and Pinkie Pie in it.
• We saw baby ponies! And some background on how old some ponies are.
• Pinkie speaking spanish!
• and DERPY!

10/10 would laugh and laugh again.

 

These live action events reminded my of Spongebob, and was probably the best part.

 

Edited February 1, 2014 by Cheese Sandwich

[Vertigo_95 572]

I would have thought alot of people would have seen the episode when it leaked, but I only did it because I knew I wouldn't be able to catch it on TV today. As for my opinion

 

 

I loved it, I loved Pinkie, I love everything about that episode. The song was awesome, even with Diamond Tiara singing her small part. There were points within the episode, where I was going to cry for Pinkie (since she is my favorite) especially when she put away her party cannon and looking at the pictures of the past.Weird Al's character was amazing along with her. I loved how he had his own style of Pinkie Senses. I loved how she was able to inspire him. As for being another key for the box, I really have nothing to say about it.

 

Also, HOW DO YOU STEAL THE SMILE SONG FROM PINKIE PIE CHEESE SANDWICH!!!

 

[Vorax 43]

I loved this episode, it was my favorite in Season 4. Pinkie had a wide range of emotions and was very three dimensional. Throughout the whole episode I was just saying out loud in my brain "why don't you two just work together?" Seriously though, a party with them involved would mean people telling them to keep it down, in the Crystal Empire! I'm adding CS to the list of characters I want to come back to MLP eventually (along with Flash Sentry, and maybe Trixie, Chrysalis or Sombra, the latter probably being impossible)

[Winona the Dog 1,984]

Yeah this episode was alright.

 

It had that goofy atmosphere for a Pinkie Pie episode and she was in character the whole time.

 

I also liked how Cheese Sandwich got inspiration from Pinkie Pie which only proves my theory that this season is about the Mane 6 spreading thier influence into the world.

[Radiance64 7,053]

About to watch it live. I'm still hyped, I really like Weird Al and knowing he's on MLP for an episode now is making me ecstatic. I'm pretty sure it won't dissapoint me.