S04:E17 - Somepony to Watch Over Me

[Yellow Diamond 7,565]

So, does anyone care to explain why Applejack was entirely and inexplicably out of character?

 

Seriously, her behavior was in line with Twilight Sparkle -- from Season 1. Why is the most level-headed pony suddenly overreacting to a "problem" that should have existed since Apple Bloom first appeared? Did we miss something? Did Apple Bloom have a traumatic accident after the Breezies fiasco? I get the general premise of an overzealous big sister watching over her precocious yet impulsive younger sister, but there were far better ways to execute the core mechanic. Applejack carried the Idiot Ball for the first two-thirds of the episode, redeeming herself only in the most contrived fashion possible; so contrived, in fact, that it nearly broke the Aesop. (Remember when AJ smothered Apple Bloom with unnecessary concern? Well, turns out her impulse was correct because there is a goddam chimera living in the woods!)

 

Whereas the previous episode was dull, this one was borderline stupid. I don't mean Scott Sonneborn is an idiot; but if he is largely responsible for the content of this episode (sometimes they can heavily revise a writer's script yet give them headline credit), then we have some quality control problems. This was AJ's "Spike at Your Service", a rolling mess of mishandled characterizations appearing out of nowhere for the sake of a few gags. At least "Spike at Your Service" had some funny dialogue exchanges (e.g., Rainbow describing her fan fiction); I really can't say the same for "Somepony to Watch Over Me".

 

This is the only episode from this season that I flat-out dislike. It feels like a joke with no context, yet still one you're supposed to enjoy -- a symptom of bad writing. If the ball were in my court, I'd tear this episode down and start from scratch. That's how poor it is.

 

There are two positive points for "Somepony to Watch Over Me": the aborted song gag and Applejack's kinky flame-retardant boots. AJ manages to look good despite having temporarily lost some brain cells. Also, Apple Bloom and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders managed to remain in character in the midst of her sister's descent into madness.

 

And my rage has abated... for now.

 

[Batbrony 16,043]

Wow, what?  LOT of people seem to be hating this episode!  Seriously?  Alrighty, looks like it's time for me to come to AJ's defense here.  I know it's easy to say that she seemed majorly OOC, but trust me, I think there's perfectly good justification for it if you simply read between the lines.  Review should be out fairly soon everyone; hopefully I won't let AJ down.

 

Also, who needs R34 fanart when the show is making it for us? 

 

 

Dayum girl!!!   Put on a mask and a cape, and you're practically Batman!!! 

[CastletonSnob 3,074]

Has anyone else noticed that this season has shown us more about the different cultures of Equestria? There were the Cajun ponies in this episode, there were Zipporwhill and her father in Filli Vanilli, who had Spanish accents, and the Breezies from last week's episode, who had Eastern European accents.

Edited March 8, 2014 by VG_Addict

[Lightwing 12,967]

So, does anyone care to explain why Applejack was entirely and inexplicably out of character?

 

Seriously, her behavior was in line with Twilight Sparkle -- from Season 1. Why is the most level-headed pony suddenly overreacting to a "problem" that should have existed since Apple Bloom first appeared? Did we miss something? Did Apple Bloom have a traumatic accident after the Breezies fiasco? I get the general premise of an overzealous big sister watching over her precocious yet impulsive younger sister, but there were far better ways to execute the core mechanic. Applejack carried the Idiot Ball for the first two-thirds of the episode, redeeming herself only in the most contrived fashion possible; so contrived, in fact, that it nearly broke the Aesop. (Remember when AJ smothered Apple Bloom with unnecessary concern? Well, turns out her impulse was correct because there is a goddam chimera living in the woods!)

 

Whereas the previous episode was dull, this one was borderline stupid. I don't mean Scott Sonneborn is an idiot; but if he is largely responsible for the content of this episode (sometimes they can heavily revise a writer's script yet give them headline credit), then we have some quality control problems. This was AJ's "Spike at Your Service", a rolling mess of mishandled characterizations appearing out of nowhere for the sake of a few gags. At least "Spike at Your Service" had some funny dialogue exchanges (e.g., Rainbow describing her fan fiction); I really can't say the same for "Somepony to Watch Over Me".

 

This is the only episode from this season that I flat-out dislike. It feels like a joke with no context, yet still one you're supposed to enjoy -- a symptom of bad writing. If the ball were in my court, I'd tear this episode down and start from scratch. That's how poor it is.

 

There are two positive points for "Somepony to Watch Over Me": the aborted song gag and Applejack's kinky flame-retardant boots. AJ manages to look good despite having temporarily lost some brain cells. Also, Apple Bloom and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders managed to remain in character in the midst of her sister's descent into madness.

 

And my rage has abated... for now.

 

Marvel-The-Avengers-Movie-2012-HD-Wallpaper-loki-7.jpg

 

 

You're saying that Applejack's behavior is OOC?

 

Her overprotective self is,in fact,On Character!.What happened with Briddle Gossip,per example?On that episode,although Applejack didn't reached the overprotective levels of this episode,it was still extremelly worried for AppleBloom,even reaching the point to not listen to anyone's oppinion.She only though:

 

Zecora is evil,Applebloom is in danger!

Even at the ending,she was still with that thoughs

Technically,Applejack's behavior is understandable,even on the Applebloom's mess scene,because...

If something bad happens,that's always the worst= A.K.A 1st rule of the cartoons :/

[Yellow Diamond 7,565]

You're saying that Applejack's behavior is OOC?

 

Her overprotective self is,in fact,On Character!.What happened with Briddle Gossip,per example?On that episode,although Applejack didn't reached the overprotective levels of this episode,it was still extremelly worried for AppleBloom,even reaching the point to not listen to anyone's oppinion.She only though:

 

Zecora is evil,Applebloom is in danger!

Even at the ending,she was still with that thoughs

Technically,Applejack's behavior is understandable,even on the Applebloom's mess scene,because...

If something bad happens,that's always the worst= A.K.A 1st rule of the cartoons :/

 

But isn't the point of "Bridle Gossip" that AJ (and the others) shouldn't overreact to things at face value? And shouldn't that lesson carry over into the future?

 

The issue I have with Applejack's characterization in "Somepony to Watch Over Me" is her exaggerated response to otherwise mundane tasks. Apple Bloom has run off with the Crusaders to do far more dangerous things than watch the house alone. Why does Applejack now fear Apple Bloom will be mutilated by farm equipment she uses on an everyday basis? AJ is pugnacious but practical; she typically frets only when family honor or duty is at stake (e.g., "Apple Buck Season"; "Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000"; "Apple Family Reunion"). She and Apple Bloom tend to get along swimmingly, if "Sisterhooves Social" is any indication. The execution thus seems especially contrived.

 

Again, it's like in "Spike at Your Service" when Spike inexplicably goes on about his Noble Dragon Code and life debts, both of which are made worse by the ponies totally buying into his explanation. It has no precedent, and it makes all the characters involved look goofy.

[Metemponychosis 1,258]

ABORT SONG! 

 

I think it was a great episode. I guess some people could complain that it would have been better if they kept the "slice of life" formula instead of going for adventure, and I could agree, but I just loved the chimera. 

 

Applejack interacting with Applebloom was just hilarious and for some reason I really liked the cart's design.

 

I guess Applejack needs a foal. 

Also... Just how strong is Applebloom?! 

 

So, after a first watch, I can't complain of anything.

[Lightwing 12,967]

But isn't the point of "Bridle Gossip" that AJ (and the others) shouldn't overreact to things at face value? And shouldn't that lesson carry over into the future?

 

The issue I have with Applejack's characterization in "Somepony to Watch Over Me" is her exaggerated response to otherwise mundane tasks. Apple Bloom has run off with the Crusaders to do far more dangerous things than watch the house alone. Why does Applejack now fear Apple Bloom will be mutilated by farm equipment she uses on an everyday basis? AJ is pugnacious but practical; she typically frets only when family honor or duty is at stake (e.g., "Apple Buck Season"; "Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000"; "Apple Family Reunion"). She and Apple Bloom tend to get along swimmingly, if "Sisterhooves Social" is any indication. The execution thus seems especially contrived.

 

Again, it's like in "Spike at Your Service" when Spike inexplicably goes on about his Noble Dragon Code and life debts, both of which are made worse by the ponies totally buying into his explanation. It has no precedent, and it makes all the characters involved look goofy.

To explain all,we'll remember the 1st rule of every cartoon:

If something bad happens,that's always the worst

At the beggining,AJ was worried,but not at the level she was through the episode. The thing started when she saw all the mess that Applebloom has made.

Technically,her caracterization is good,although a bit exagerated :/

And you're comparing Applejack's caracterization with the most OOC episode of all time?That's no good -_-

[Anilewe 2,178]

Okay, time for a long review...

Firstly, I want to say just how much all that ''Applejack was OOC'' annoys me. Among with ''It wasn't about my fav character, so it has to be bad''.

 

In my opinion, Applejack wasn't OOC. At least not as OOC as people seem to think. 

She's got a very good reason to be overprotective. Their parents are dead and Applejack always was like a mother figure for Apple Bloom. She kinda thinks about herself as her mother and it's obvious. Sometimes it's very hard for parents to understand that their kids have to grow up and tend to treat them as babies, even if they're old enough to take care of themselves. We saw already how overprotective can Applejack be in Bridle Gossip and while a lot of people say that Apple Bloom often was by herself in the past - even if Big Mac was working and AJ was on a mission to save Equestria with her friends there always was Granny Smith on the farm to take care of AB, if something happens. It was probably really the very first time, when she stayed completely alone. But yes, it could have been explained better, why Applejack was overreacting SO much. On the other fact, we know for sure that AJ is a perfectionist and freaks out, if something is out of her control.

 

And still, her behaviour was supposed to be funny and a lot of fans tend to ignore comedic aspect of this.

 

 

Anyway... I absolutely loved how perfectly this episode balanced between the humor, drama and action!

It has some really hilarious moments (denied song! helmet on top of other helmet!) and I enjoyed watching how determined to prove herself Apple Bloom was While Apple Bloom and Applejack are different, they still have a lot in common and I like it. Probably my favorite scene was near the end, when chimera was about to eat Apple Bloom and AJ showed up to save the day >D I'd never guess that this show could become so... dark. And I like it! It was much better than timberwolves! It's great to see that animators are trying out new things and the writers keep surprising me. Considering that we're in season 4, some people would think that they're getting out of ideas, but that's definitely no true! 

 

And Applejack fighting with chimera... It made this episode for me *.* I mean, people often say that earth ponies are worse than pegasi and unicorns and it always annoys me. They're different, yes, but they're just as much important. And Applejack shows that you don't need wings or horn to beat some flanks >D I loved every moment of the battle and wished that there was more. Applejack is total badass, which is interesting, considering that she's usually rather calm and kind for everypony. That's why I love that side of her personality so much. It's not often, when we get a chance to see her acting like that, but when she does, it's always spectacular!

 

 

So... 10/10 from me. I loved it Probably my favorite Applejack episode.

 

...Also, AJ called her sister 'sugarcube' 8D I was wondering if I ever hear her saying it again. 

Edited March 8, 2014 by Anilewe

[CrimsonWeb 786]

This was well done xD AJ was reallly crazy though

[Yellow Diamond 7,565]

To explain all,we'll remember the 1st rule of every cartoon:

If something bad happens,that's always the worst

At the beggining,AJ was worried,but not at the level she was through the episode. The thing started when she saw all the mess that Applebloom has made.

Technically,her caracterization is good,although a bit exagerated :/

 

Tropes aren't a ready excuse to handwave sloppy characterization.

 

My point is this: Applejack never babied Apple Bloom to the extent she did in this episode. She's pulled the big sister routine on her before, yes, but not once has she flipped out and basically stuck Apple Bloom into a bubble. Why now?

 

 

And you're comparing Applejack's caracterization with the most OOC episode of all time?That's no good -_-

 

That and passive-aggressive Mane Six (sans narcissist Rainbow Dash) in "The Mysterious Mare Do Well".

[Something Floaty 1,334]

I don't think AJ was OOC here. While the overprotectiveness is definitely not the norm, she had never left Apple Bloom alone before. I think it's reasonable to conclude that being out on the road, knowing Apple Bloom was alone, triggered a temporary bout of instability, and once it was exhausted she realized how ridiculous she was being. Basically, she was overcompensating for a while because she freaked out at the thought of Apple Bloom being alone, which is why we had never seen this behavior before.

 

I'm so sick of hearing people complain about ponies being "out of character" in almost every new episode. One of the best parts of MLP compared to other cartoons is the lack of stagnation. Characters change, they mature or evolve and add new traits, while shedding old ones, compared to other cartoons where everyone is always the same, no matter what experiences they have. Applejack acting weirdly clingy for one episode because she felt guilty about leaving Apple Bloom alone isn't "out of character"...it's character development, and that's the reason we watch the friggin' show! 

Edited March 8, 2014 by Something Floaty

[GhostPony750 959]

I guess it's going to be good! (Currently watching it)

[Lightwing 12,967]

Tropes aren't a ready excuse to handwave sloppy characterization.

 

My point is this: Applejack never babied Apple Bloom to the extent she did in this episode. She's pulled the big sister routine on her before, yes, but not once has she flipped out and basically stuck Apple Bloom into a bubble. Why now?

 

You have a good point,but to answer this,let's see more deeper into the show:

 

Until that moment,Applebloom has never made something who could make Applejack think "this is too dangerous for mah lil' sister "

Of course she has made more dangerous things through the show,but she was never saw by Applejack

 

As i said before,Applejack's overprotection state started when she saw Applebloom's mess.

 

I'm not saying that Applejack was fully on character,but that overprotective behavior was on her character,because,per example,she was too Stubborn to admit that her sister was independent -_-

 

I'm only saying examples,but i don't want to argue more,so,Good Afternoon

[Clarity 3,094]

 

 

I don't think AJ was OOC here. While the overprotectiveness is definitely not the norm, she had never left Apple Bloom alone before. I think it's reasonable to conclude that being out on the road, knowing Apple Bloom was alone, triggered a temporary bout of instability, and once it was exhausted she realized how ridiculous she was being. 

Exactly this. I find it reasonable to assume that this is the very first time the family has ever left Apple Bloom completely home alone (as despite doing much more dangerous tasks with her friends, she was–– well, with her friends. I also think that Applejack doesn't have too much of an inkling of what the Cutie Mark Crusaders usually do). As such, Applejack–– being the motherly figure she is–– would be extremely nervous and worried about her younger sister, knowing her adventurous nature and tendency to get into trouble. 

[Rainbow Eclipse 3,927]

Applejack: I bet Granny Smith grounds you for a month for sneaking out!

 

Later...

 

Granny: Young lady, you're grou - uh, I forget.

[Venomous 18,862]

This episode was pretty boring. I've seen this kind of story before, too.

 

I was really hoping this would be the episode where AppleBloom gets her cutie mark.

 

This episode didn't need to exist and it could have been pulled from the series completely and nothing would have changed.

 

It give it a 2/5

[Hawk Moth 390]

I know. When Applejack was out of character then, I was quick to point that out. (I voiced serious displeasure over her flanderization/out-of-characterization in Spike at Your Service, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Rainbow Falls.) Likewise, her poor characterization here deserves the same flak.

 

In general, I think it's much easier for AJ to be out of character because there isn't much character there to begin with. With the rest of the Mane 6, it's easy to explain why they act OOC. For instance:

 

-When Twilight snaps, it's because she's a control freak and suddenly loses control of everything.

-When Fluttershy goes into rage mode, it's because she's an introvert and can no longer bottle her emotions up.

-When Rainbow Dash becomes weak, it's because her deep-seated confidence comes into question.

-When Rarity ditches her ultra-cleanliness, it's because she gets overcome by sorrow and guilt (Sweetie Belle) or pure want (That hipster pony).

-When Pinkie Pie does anything, regardless of whether its OOC or not, it can be attributed to her sheer random, chaotic nature.

 

Applejack is... well, she's just Applejack. On an emotional scale of 1-10, she hovers around a smooth 5 most of the time; she doesn't have any real quirks either unless you count the accent and tomboy attitude. She really just has episode-specific peculiarities because normally, she's mostly just a blank slate:

 

-Honesty.

-Hard working.

-Apples.

 

Swap out apples for propane and propane accessories, and you get Hank Hill, only Hank is meant to be as interesting as white bread.

[Batbrony 16,043]

@, @@Dark Qiviut OK, I'm not calling you two out or anything, I just wanted to mention you guys specifically since I've seen a large number of people, including yourselves, two of the finest reviewers on this site, express great dislike for this episode, specifically for what you describe as OOC actions from Applejack.  Honestly, I couldn't disagree more, but I will concede that I can see why people would miss it.  At the same time, I think that if you read between the lines enough, you can see why her behavior here would make sense, and I was just hoping you two specifically would take a look at this to see what you think of my theory explaining Applejack's behavior here.  So without further ado, let's begin my review of "Somepony to Watch Over Me".

 

Well I suppose based on that introduction that it goes without saying that I loved it, I really did, especially after last week's disappointment of an episode.  Certainly wasn't the best episode of the season, but it was definitely up there among the better episodes we've had, and both Apple Bloom and Applejack were great here I thought.  Maybe one reason I really liked it was because, as both an older sibling and first-child, I could understand both where Applejack and Apple Bloom were coming from here.  Anyways, besides those two I thought it had some great pacing, fun comedy, fantastic animation, especially at the end, and some very unexpected but very appreciated suspense and action, complete with a top-notch baddy in the form of the chimera.

 

To start things off, let's cover Apple Bloom and Applejack, since they were so interconnected in this episode.  I think we can all agree that Applejack learned the primary lesson here, even if Apple Bloom had a sort-of lesson at the end about how, just because she can do some things on her own, it doesn't mean she has to do everything by herself, especially if it puts her in danger, but, to be fair, that was mostly AJ's fault.  And yes, I DO think that this lesson that AJ learned, that she doesn't have to be overprotective of her little sister as she starts to mature and grow older, doing more and more things on her own, WAS not only a good lesson that was delivered quite well, but was ALSO something she really had to learn.  Consider past episodes.  The one time we'd really seen Applejack overprotective of Apple Bloom was in "Bridle Gossip", which most concede made perfect sense since they were dealing with somepony who they didn't know and were very afraid of, not to mention that Apple Bloom did run off on her own there.  Some quick to criticize this episode have pointed out that we haven't seen that since, ergo, so the argument goes, AJ being overprotective was OOC.  But consider this; when else has Apple Bloom really had any responsibilities to handle or been involved in very dangerous situations on her own, that Applejack actually entrusted to her.  I'm not talking spur-of-the-moment crises like the float they made getting out of control in "One Bad Apple", that happened in a span of 5 minutes and AJ had no idea it was coming, I'm talking about a responsibility that AJ had time to entrust to her.  Can you think of any?  Cause I sure can't.  Apple Bloom regularly helps around Sweet Apple Acres, even with some hard work, she has to, BUT Applejack, Granny Smith, and Big Mac have always been there to keep an eye on her.  Playing with the CMC doesn't count either, Applejack usually is aware that they're either on the farm, at one of the CMC's houses, or at least in Ponyville, so there's reason for her to get worried there.  This was, as far as I can tell, the first time that AJ has entrusted Apple Bloom with a weighty responsibility to handle on her own for at least a day, maybe two.  So, why does she freak out as much as she does, even after entrusting her with the responsibility?  Well from what we learn it's clear that Big Mac and Granny Smith convinced AJ this was a good idea in the first place, most likely Granny Smith especially.  On her own, I don't think AJ would've felt comfortable with that decision, and as soon as she gets away from Granny Smith's consoling presence and starts over-thinking everything, she works herself up into a fretful state.  Again, the question is WHY?  Why does AJ get so very worried?  I think, if you read between the lines, you can discern why she does and Big Mac and Granny Smith, and it makes perfect sense I think.  We know based on what DHX writers have said in the past that the Apple siblings parents passed away some time ago, probably while Applejack was an older filly and Apple Bloom a foal.  Now, Granny Smith has seen children and grandchildren grow up and grow into handling responsibilities on their own countless times, so she obviously wouldn't be concerned about Apple Bloom being able to handle this on her own.  Big Mac, being the oldest Apple sibling, already saw his first little sister, Applejack, grow into a fine young mare herself no sweat, even after losing their parents, so that explains his cool approach to the situation as well.  But Applejack?  She's really never seen that in anyone younger than her in her immediate family.  One has to imagine that, after losing her parents, Applejack would not only be very protective of all of her family, but especially Apple Bloom, who was no longer just a little sister to her, but, given the new responsibilities suddenly thrust upon her in both running the farm and raising her sister, almost something like her very own child, her FIRST CHILD even.  As a first child myself I can tell you that parents are always most protective of the first child since everything's new with the first one.  Take that into account with the tragic experience with her parents, along with the fact that AJ's now, more or less, the acting head of the Apple family in the field (seeing as she's more sociable and outgoing than Big Mac and handles much more farm business than Granny Smith), and it suddenly makes perfect sense that AJ would be so overprotective of Apple Bloom when she's for the first time given the responsibility of running the farm all on her own for at least 1-2 days.  She's always been there before to make sure Apple Bloom was just fine while helping around the farm, or at least Big Mac or Granny Smith were, so there was no reason for her to fret.  But in this situation, deep-buried fears and insecurities of AJ's surfaced quite dramatically, to the detriment of the precocious young Apple Bloom, and even though it was obviously wrong for AJ to worry so much, I understand given both her past and the fact that she's AB's older sister why she became so overprotective.  In conclusion, I think that this perfectly explains AJ's behavior here; like I said, it takes some reading between the lines, but I for one think it makes plenty of sense.  So even though we didn't get any explicit allusions to their parents, I think that this episode had plenty to do with their parental situation all the same, and I'm glad to see that Applejack learned this lesson about trusting her little sister and not fretting so much as she grows older, eventually into a fine young mare herself ready to take on the world.

 

So besides her mistake which, I for one think was both believable and hardly OOC (and I hope that others find my reasoning sound, but if you didn't that's fine), there were a lot of other things to love about AJ and AB here.  Applejack was pretty hilarious when she was fretting and baby-proofing Sweet Apple Acres, especially with that checking-in gag when she thought AB was taking a nap.  On top of that, she was AMAZING at the end when she took down that chimera.  Applejack's really been proving this season that she is probably the most physically adept member of the Mane 6, to say the least; sure she might have her strength, but she doesn't have wings, magic, or a ridiculous amount of natural talent like a lot of the other Mane 6 do.  She has to work for everything she gets, and it shows; she took down that chimera with both brawn, moves, and smarts, so like I said earlier, ninja AJ was friggin' Batman in that scene and I loved it!!!  As for Apple Bloom, she had a great episode too; it was actually the first episode she's had that specifically focused on her alone out of the CMC since "The Cutie Pox" way back in Season 2, and it was far better than that episode.  She's really grown in that time and showed yet again why she's the leader of the CMC; she really is quite mature at this point and was very earnestly trying to prove that she could handle herself.  The best part of it all?  She was doing so at the beginning, and a great job at that!  Unfortunately, as so often happens to children or younger siblings, as soon as her older sister came back it just seemed like she couldn't do anything right, or that AJ always found her at the wrong time or in the wrong place (so I could actually empathize with her quite a bit).  I also loved the mistake that she made, because it was both AJ and AB's fault, her wandering off into the woods at the end, and those are the most realistic kind of mistakes, especially between family.  Oftentimes both parties are to blame for some kind of mistake made, especially something as bad as that one; AJ was being too overprotective, and AB, justifiably upset, made a poor judgment and rushed into a very dangerous situation that she wasn't ready for (though did handle far better than I or AJ thought she would).  Basically, what we got here was an Apple Bloom who has significantly grown as a character since Season 1, an Applejack who understandably had to deal with that and accept it, and, what I thought, was a heck of a good episode as a result.  As far as sister episodes go, I'd say it's right on par with Rarity and Sweetie Belles "Sisterhooves Social" and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo's "Sleepless in Ponyville".

 

Besides those two, there were plenty of other things I loved about this episode.  Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had quite a bit of solid comedic bits, especially in the middle of the episode (that aborted song bit was to die for, seriously!).  The comedy, in fact, was, all around, quite delightful, and it was especially fun seeing Applejack being so over-the-top protective, just because we so rarely see her being a silly pony (reference totally intended).  The pacing was great, helped largely by the fact that they limited the characters in the episode (something that, at times, has been a problem this season, so it was very wise of the writers here to only utilize the Apple Family, the CMC, and some other minor characters).  The chimera was a very B.A. and surprisingly silly antagonist, awesome in design, even if she got her flank handed to her (unsurprisingly) by AJ.  That whole sequence in fact was awesome, complete with some great animation, action, and suspense.  The Cajun ponies at the end had some great and silly designs, and were a very silly but fun way to round out the episode.  All in all, I thought that this was a very different but excellently handled episode.  At some points it was slice of life, other points straight up silliness, and at other points it even had some unexpected but very well handled action and suspense.  But overall, what I loved most about the episode was the interactions between Applejack and Apple Bloom, and the very good lesson learned by AJ and wonderful character growth evident in both Applejack and Apple Bloom.  I thought that the last thing AJ was here was OOC, and I hope after reading the reasoning behind my conclusion that others who've thought otherwise might feel the same, if only because it might make the episode more enjoyable for you.

Edited March 11, 2014 by Batbrony

[Anilewe 2,178]

@, @@Dark Qiviut OK, I'm not calling you two out or anything, I just wanted to mention you guys specifically since I've seen a large number of people, including yourselves, two of the finest reviewers on this site, express great dislike for this episode, specifically for what you describe as OOC actions from Applejack.  Honestly, I couldn't disagree more, but I will concede that I can see why people would miss it.  At the same time, I think that if you read between the lines enough, you can see why her behavior here would make sense, and I was just hoping you two specifically would take a look at this to see what you think of my theory explaining Applejack's behavior here.  So without further ado, let's begin my review of "Somepony to Watch Over Me".

 

Well I suppose based on that introduction that it goes without saying that I loved it, I really did, especially after last week's disappointment of an episode.  Certainly wasn't the best episode of the season, but it was definitely up there among the better episodes we've had, and both Apple Bloom and Applejack were great here I thought.  Maybe one reason I really liked it was because, as both an older sibling and first-child, I could understand both where Applejack and Apple Bloom were coming from here.  Anyways, besides those two I thought it had some great pacing, fun comedy, fantastic animation, especially at the end, and some very unexpected but very appreciated suspense and action, complete with a top-notch baddy in the form of the chimera.

 

To start things off, let's cover Apple Bloom and Applejack, since they were so interconnected in this episode.  I think we can all agree that Applejack learned the primary lesson here, even if Apple Bloom had a sort-of lesson at the end about how, just because she can do some things on her own, it doesn't mean she has to do everything by herself, especially if it puts her in danger, but, to be fair, that was mostly AJ's fault.  And yes, I DO think that this lesson that AJ learned, that she doesn't have to be overprotective of her little sister as she starts to mature and grow older, doing more and more things on her own, WAS not only a good lesson that was delivered quite well, but was ALSO something she really had to learn.  Consider past episodes.  The one time we'd really seen Applejack overprotective of Apple Bloom was in "Bridle Gossip", which most concede made perfect sense since they were dealing with somepony who they didn't know and were very afraid of, not to mention that Apple Bloom did run off on her own there.  Some quick to criticize this episode have pointed out that we haven't seen that since, ergo, so the argument goes, AJ being overprotective was OOC.  But consider this; when else has Apple Bloom really had any responsibilities to handle or been involved in very dangerous situations on her own, that Applejack actually entrusted to her.  I'm not talking spur-of-the-moment crises like the float they made getting out of control in "One Bad Apple", that happened in a span of 5 minutes and AJ had no idea it was coming, I'm talking about a responsibility that AJ had time to entrust to her.  Can you think of any?  Cause I sure can't.  Apple Bloom regularly helps around Sweet Apple Acres, even with some hard work, she has to, BUT Applejack, Granny Smith, and Big Mac have always been there to keep an eye on her.  Playing with the CMC doesn't count either, Applejack usually is aware that they're either on the farm, at one of the CMC's houses, or at least in Ponyville, so there's reason for her to get worried there.  This was, as far as I can tell, the first time that AJ has entrusted Apple Bloom with a weighty responsibility to handle on her own for at least a day, maybe two.  So, why does she freak out as much as she does, even after entrusting her with the responsibility?  Well from what we learn it's clear that Big Mac and Granny Smith convinced AJ this was a good idea in the first place, most likely Granny Smith especially.  On her own, I don't think AJ would've felt comfortable with that decision, and as soon as she gets away from Granny Smith's consoling presence and starts over-thinking everything, she works herself up into a fretful state.  Again, the question is WHY?  Why does AJ get so very worried?  I think, if you read between the lines, you can discern why she does and Big Mac and Granny Smith, and it makes perfect sense I think.  We know based on what DHX writers have said in the past that the Apple siblings parents passed away some time ago, probably while Applejack was an older filly and Apple Bloom a foal.  Now, Granny Smith has seen children and grandchildren grow up and grow into handling responsibilities on their own countless times, so she obviously wouldn't be concerned about Apple Bloom being able to handle this on her own.  Big Mac, being the oldest Apple sibling, already saw his first little sister, Applejack, grow into a fine young mare herself no sweat, even after losing their parents, so that explains his cool approach to the situation as well.  But Applejack?  She's really never seen that in anyone younger than her in her immediate family.  One has to imagine that, after losing her parents, Applejack would not only be very protective of all of her family, but especially Apple Bloom, who was no longer just a little sister to her, but, given the new responsibilities suddenly thrust upon her in both running the farm and raising her sister, almost something like her very own child, her FIRST CHILD even.  As a first child myself I can tell you that parents are always most protective of the first child since everything's new with the first one.  Take that into account with the tragic experience with her parents, along with the fact that AJ's now, more or less, the acting head of the Apple family in the field (seeing as she's more sociable and outgoing than Big Mac and handles much more farm business than Granny Smith), and it suddenly makes perfect sense that AJ would be so overprotective of Apple Bloom when she's for the first time given the responsibility of running the farm all on her own for at least 1-2 days.  She's always been there before to make sure Apple Bloom was just fine while helping around the farm, or at least Big Mac or Granny Smith were, so there was no reason for her to fret.  But in this situation, deep-buried fears and insecurities of AJ's surfaced quite dramatically, to the detriment of the precocious young Apple Bloom, and even though it was obviously wrong for AJ to worry so much, I understand given both her past and the fact that she's AB's older sister why she became so overprotective.  In conclusion, I think that this perfectly explains AJ's behavior here; like I said, it takes some reading between the lines, but I for one think it makes plenty of sense.  So even though we didn't get any explicit allusions to their parents, I think that this episode had plenty to do with their parental situation all the same, and I'm glad to see that Applejack learned this lesson about trusting her little sister and not fretting so much as she grows older, eventually into a fine young mare herself ready to take on the world.

 

So besides her mistake which, I for one think was both believable and hardly OOC (and I hope that others find my reasoning sound, but if you didn't that's fine), there were a lot of other things to love about AJ and AB here.  Applejack was pretty hilarious when she was fretting and baby-proofing Sweet Apple Acres, especially with that checking-in gag when she thought AB was taking a nap.  On top of that, she was AMAZING at the end when she took down that chimera.  Applejack's really been proving this season that she is probably the most physically adept member of the Mane 6, to say the least; sure she might have her strength, but she doesn't have wings, magic, or a ridiculous amount of natural talent like a lot of the other Mane 6 do.  She has to work for everything she gets, and it shows; she took down that chimera with both brawn, moves, and smarts, so like I said earlier, ninja AJ was friggin' Batman in that scene and I loved it!!!  As for Apple Bloom, she had a great episode too; it was actually the first episode she's had that specifically focused on her alone out of the CMC since "The Cutie Pox" way back in Season 2, and it was far better than that episode.  She's really grown in that time and showed yet again why she's the leader of the CMC; she really is quite mature at this point and was very earnestly trying to prove that she could handle herself.  The best part of it all?  She was doing so at the beginning, and a great job at that!  Unfortunately, as so often happens to children or younger siblings, as soon as her older sister came back it just seemed like she couldn't do anything right, or that AJ always found her at the wrong time or in the wrong place (so I could actually empathize with her quite a bit).  I also loved the mistake that she made, because it was both AJ and AB's fault, her wandering off into the woods at the end, and those are the most realistic kind of mistakes, especially between family.  Oftentimes both parties are to blame for some kind of mistake made, especially something as bad as that one; AJ was being too overprotective, and AB, justifiably upset, made a poor judgment and rushed into a very dangerous situation that she wasn't ready for (though did handle far better than I or AJ thought she would).  Basically, what we got here was an Apple Bloom who has significantly grown as a character since Season 1, an Applejack who understandably had to deal with that and accept it, and, what I thought, was a heck of a good episode as a result.  As far as sister episodes go, I'd say it's right on par with Rarity and Sweetie Belles "Sisterhooves Social" and Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo's "Sleepless in Ponyville".

 

Besides those two, there were plenty of other things I loved about this episode.  Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had quite a bit of solid comedic bits, especially in the middle of the episode (that aborted song bit was to die for, seriously!).  The comedy, in fact, was, all around, quite delightful, and it was especially fun seeing Applejack being so over-the-top protective, just because we so rarely see her being a silly pony (reference totally intended).  The pacing was great, helped largely by the fact that they limited the characters in the episode (something that, at times, has been a problem this season, so it was very wise of the writers here to only utilize the Apple Family, the CMC, and some other minor characters).  The chimera was a very B.A. and surprisingly silly antagonist, awesome in design, even if she got her flank handed to her (unsurprisingly) by AJ.  That whole sequence in fact was awesome, complete with some great animation, action, and suspense.  The Cajun ponies at the end had some great and silly designs, and were a very silly but fun way to round out the episode.  All in all, I thought that this was a very different but excellently handled episode.  At some points it was slice of life, other points straight up silliness, and at other points it even had some unexpected but very well handled action and suspense.  But overall, what I loved most about the episode was the interactions between Applejack and Apple Bloom, and the very good lesson learned by AJ and wonderful character growth evident in both Applejack and Apple Bloom.  I thought that the last thing AJ was here was OOC, and I hope after reading the reasoning behind my conclusion that others who've thought otherwise might feel the same, if only because it might make the episode more enjoyable for you.

 

I couldn't agree more To be honest, I hope that you'll post this comment on Equestria Daily. You made some very good points and I've got an impression that some fans are too quick to judge this episode as a bad one.

[Rift enchanted 380]

I just have to say that most scenes were too clichéd and dragged out. Otherwise it was a classic lesson and nice to see the cmc wanting to grow up

Edited March 8, 2014 by Rift enchanted

[Sweetie Bot117 4]

After watching the episode I thought how did Apple jack know there was a fire swamp with that lion snake goat thing living there.

[Anilewe 2,178]

 

 

-When Twilight snaps, it's because she's a control freak and suddenly loses control of everything.

-When Fluttershy goes into rage mode, it's because she's an introvert and can no longer bottle her emotions up.

-When Rainbow Dash becomes weak, it's because her deep-seated confidence comes into question.

-When Rarity ditches her ultra-cleanliness, it's because she gets overcome by sorrow and guilt (Sweetie Belle) or pure want (That hipster pony).

-When Pinkie Pie does anything, regardless of whether its OOC or not, it can be attributed to her sheer random, chaotic nature.

 

Applejack is... well, she's just Applejack. On an emotional scale of 1-10, she hovers around a smooth 5 most of the time; she doesn't have any real quirks either unless you count the accent and tomboy attitude. She really just has episode-specific peculiarities because normally, she's mostly just a blank slate:

 

-Honesty.

-Hard working.

-Apples.

 

Swap out apples for propane and propane accessories, and you get Hank Hill, only Hank is meant to be as interesting as white bread.

 

In my opinion, you're completely wrong Seriously, sometimes I really think that people just don't want to see something more in her. You just reduced her to 3 words, but you can do the same thing with every one of Main 6. 

Twilight: books, princess, magic

Fluttershy: kindness, shyness, cute

Rainbow: flying, Wonderbolts, awesome

Pinkie: paries, laughter, crazy

Rarity: fashion, generosity, style

 

See? You can do it with EVERY character. Does it mean that they're boring or something? Of course not.

 

For me, Somepony To Watch Over Me among with other episodes showed perfectly just how complicated AJ can be as a character. She's very confident, but there are situations, when she freaks out (Apple Family Reunion, Applebuck Season). She's usually rather tolerant and caring, but if something wrong happens she might be even kind of agressive (Bats!). She's patient and understanding, but sometimes too fast to judge something without thinking about it (Bats, Bridle Gossip). While AJ most of the time is really stable and serious, if you take her out of her comfort zone she has a tendency to be just as crazy as Pinkie or Twilight (Too Many Pinkie Pies and Lesson Zero). People like to think that she isn't complicated and that she's all about being serious, but it's not true. It's a mistake a lot of fans seem to make.

Edited March 8, 2014 by Anilewe

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

It wasn't my favorite episode, but it did have a lot of good moments. Foremost among them being Big Mac's "Eeyuuup!" as a way of bidding farewell.

[Batbrony 16,043]

I couldn't agree more To be honest, I hope that you'll post this comment on Equestria Daily. You made some very good points and I've got an impression that some fans are too quick to judge this episode as a bad one.

 

Why thank you, glad you liked it!   I don't have a profile on EQD or anything, plus I got work now so don't really have time to post it, but if you want to feel free to post it yourself, just so long as you link it or something.  I'm not trying to be an attention-whore or anything, but if people are quickly jumping to conclusions about the episode over there then by all means post whatever you think might change their minds, even if it's my post. 

[Hawk Moth 390]

In my opinion, you're completely wrong Seriously, sometimes I really think that people just don't want to see something more in her. You just reduced her to 3 words, but you can do the same thing with every one of Main 6. 

Twilight: books, princess, magic

Fluttershy: kindness, shyness, cute

Rainbow: flying, Wonderbolts, awesome

Pinkie: paries, laughter, crazy

Rarity: fashion, generosity, style

 

See? You can do it with EVERY character. Does it mean that they're boring or something? Of course not.

 

For me, Somepony To Watch Over Me among with other episodes showed perfectly just how complicated AJ can be as a character. She's very confident, but there are situations, when she freaks out (Apple Family Reunion, Applebuck Season). She's usually rather tolerant and caring, but if something wrong happens she might be even kind of agressive (Bats!). She's patient and understanding, but sometimes too fast to judge something without thinking about it (Bats, Bridle Gossip). While AJ most of the time is really stable and serious, if you take her out of her comfort zone she has a tendency to be just as crazy as Pinkie or Twilight (Too Many Pinkie Pies and Lesson Zero). People like to think that she isn't complicated and that she's all about being serious, but it's not true. It's a mistake a lot of fans seem to make.

 

I just don't see what's so interesting about her; she changes in just about every episode. Just about the only trait that's remained constant with her is stubbornness. Other than that, the writers give her a quirk based on the situation at hand. In Apple Family Reunion, she's suddenly myopic. In Bats, she suddenly rash. In Simple Ways, she brings Rarity back to her senses using psychology. I simply see very little substance to her character, therefore the writers have to pull her in odd directions whenever she lands in the spotlight. Also her level of maturity shoots up and down too. In One Bad Apple, she acts like a parent, yet in Look Before you Sleep, she acts like a filly. You can call that complexity, but I call it inconsistency.