S04:E17 - Somepony to Watch Over Me

[Pixel Stick 927]

I get the lession but did it really have to involved getting killed for AJ to realizes that. Hell it was applebloom who went up to zecora first, and AJ was the chicken there. that liek the only time you hear AJ call applebloom a baby.

 

...it was enjoyable but seemed AJ was sort of out of character, though I could be wrong.

I'm actually not as convinced that AJ was out of character - as you pointed out, Apple Bloom went up to Zecora first, while AJ actively feared her. AJ is generally courageous for others, but extremely proud and stubborn for herself. And as such, she doesn't ever want to admit that she's afraid.

 

So she projects her fear onto her little sister. She did it in Bridle Gossip. She did it here too. As for her stubborn pride, she showed it in Applebuck Season, The Last Roundup, Apple Family Reunion, and Pinkie Apple Pie. And notably, her pride and her unwillingness to accept the truth presented to her are what Discord took advantage of to turn her against her own Element.

 

So IMO, Applejack was quite in character here. In that her character flaws are quite a bit deeper and greater in magnitude than we necessarily realize.

[BlinkZ 1,151]

I'm actually not as convinced that AJ was out of character - as you pointed out, Apple Bloom went up to Zecora first, while AJ actively feared her. AJ is generally courageous for others, but extremely proud and stubborn for herself. And as such, she doesn't ever want to admit that she's afraid.

 

So she projects her fear onto her little sister. She did it in Bridle Gossip. She did it here too. As for her stubborn pride, she showed it in Applebuck Season, The Last Roundup, Apple Family Reunion, and Pinkie Apple Pie. And notably, her pride and her unwillingness to accept the truth presented to her are what Discord took advantage of to turn her against her own Element.

 

So IMO, Applejack was quite in character here. In that her character flaws are quite a bit deeper and greater in magnitude than we necessarily realize.

Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Crystal Edge 42]

This wasn't one of my most favorite episodes. I liked the lesson but not so much how it was played out. The opening was interesting and the song that got cut.

[Pastel 7,630]

It was OK.

The chimera was weird in my opinion, and Applejack's behavior is very boring throughout the episode.

But the end is decent, and there're some great scenes when Applebloom is home-alone.

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

Not my favorite Episode. The unfinished song was the best thing. 7/10

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

The unfinished song was the best thing.

 

 

That was pretty funny.  When it started, I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be a real song.

[Flutter-Power 8]

They were right to leave her in by herself- she's very responsible!

 

But crazy Applejack has to come in and ruin it.

[RainbowInk 2]

I though it was good but the plot was a little bit off when the three headed monster came in... iI felt kinda like the episode started going all over via a weird monster.  

[SnowSunbeam 41]

Not entirely, it mainly focused on Applebloom being responsible by being home alone, that is until Applejack came home and being over-protective of Applebloom

 

Was Applejack too Over-Protective?

[Guest]

I love this episode. AJ's overprotectiveness reminded of me with my siblings. As AJ's parents are pretty much confirmed as deceased, her worrying is understandable as she has conceivably assumed both a sibling and parental relationship with AB. 

 

Plus this scene always amuses me

 

[Yuntao 3]

You broke the 4th wall Scoots

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

This was a pretty good episode. It involves Applebloom proving she can be by herself and she tries to deliver pies to a place beyond the woods.

[ShyPie 164]

I love how over protective Applejack got in this episode. It was very funny and really cute too, like when she puts the protective gear on Applebloom or keeps checking in on her in the room every 5 minutes 

 

And I think special mention needs to go to Applejack in her fire proof boots 

[Ember Scales 43]

This...was worst episode. It had so much potential for a good Apple Bloom Episode but then the overprotective big sister was shoehorned into the episode. Applejack, I though I knew you better. And the message was complete crap. This is supposed to be a show with good lessons. Apple Bloom being rewarded for recklessness is not a good message to send to kids!

 

By far Worst Episode EVER!

[Buttonmash1973 1,026]

Double posting,  derp.

Edited April 2, 2017 by Buttonmash1973

[Dulset Tarn 441]

How to make this episode not suck in the easiest, simplest way possible:

Have Applejack realize at the end that she's only being irrational and overprotective because she doesn't want to lose her "baby sister". She's likely taken care of Apple Bloom pretty much since she was born, and Apple Bloom has always looked up to her and relied on her. But as the cold open sets up, Apple Bloom is growing up and the family is letting her be more independent. But AJ, it turns out, doesn't want to lose the relationship she had, and so forces herself on Apple Bloom to baby her and be important to her because she's afraid of being let go by her younger sibling. The episode was already set up to go in that direction in the beginning, but apparently the writers forgot and had nothing to explain it with so they just didn't. Might have actually given the episode some emotional depth, but instead we just got total crap.

[Justin_Case001 4,881]

@@Dulset Tarn, yes, that would have made it much better.  After the cold open, I was really psyched up.  I thought it was going to be amazing, but I was disappointed.  One problem I have is that is that I never really enjoy episodes where one of the mane 6 acts like an idiot.  I.e. acting way too out of character and doing something that belies their intelligence.  These ponies are not idiots.  Applejack, no matter how overprotective she may feel, would never baby proof the entire house with f*ckin bubble wrap.  Applebloom has lived there for the whole show, and everything has always been fine.  I mean, come on.  F*ckin bubble wrap on the funiture?  Making mistakes is fine.  The ponies are realistic, and real people make mistakes.  But it's another thing entirely to depict them as morons.  If AJ had simply been overprotective and smothered AB, in a slightly more realistic way, and then the moral was done exactly the way Dulset Tarn said, it would have been a smash hit episode.

[TailsIsNotAlone 3,695]

So...was Applejack kidnapped and replaced by a changeling? Because this isn't her. Like, at all. I just don't buy that AJ would be so protective of Apple Bloom. Helmets, bubble wrap on furniture, borderline stalking? Come on, they live on a farm. They put themselves at physical risk for a living! I do buy that AJ would be unsure of Bloom's ability to handle the chores or not make a mess, but unfortunately the episode doesn't go that way. I liked the interrupted song though.

 

Then at the end we get a weird little side episode called "Apple Bloom Delivers Pies to Hell" where she is threatened by a legitimately frightening monster and Applejack has to save her. Realistically, this would only make AJ more protective of her, but instead she magically decides her sister doesn't need looking after because the episode has to end and she has to learn something and how can the episode end if she doesn't learn something at the end GRRRR. I need to lie down.

 

Not bad, but a mediocre episode for me.

[Jokuc 8,173]

I don't really know what to think about this episode. I did like it, but at the same time I did not.

 

Now, let me explain what I mean. I did think that the episode was very entertaining and funny, and I really like that we got an episode that touched the subject of Applejack being overprotective. The episode had a lot of very good scenes that clearly showed things which we heave heard from AB before, such as "I can take care of myself" and that AJ is a bit.... too much.

 

The reason why I did not like it at the same time is because I don't think everything was done in the right way. I mean, sure Applejack said to AB in the end of the episode that "Anypony who can do all that don't need somepony else babysitting" or something like that, but I think it felt a bit... rushed. And not really the way I wished AJ to realize it in. The scene where Apple Bloom went into the woods and met this weirdass creature really made no sense to me and I think the scene was just... Weird. And what's up with the fire geysers? The other times they've been in Everfree forest it didn't have those guys in it.

 

I guess that's forgivable though, I mean it is the reason to why we got to see AJ in those socks/boots outside of that fanart

[Grepper 3,192]

Applejack's protectiveness of her sister was taken to ridiculous extremes in this episode.

 

I say she was flanderized.

[Midnight Justice 70]

I like this episode a lot. I don't think Applejack is acting out of character. I think that mostly she's afraid of something bad happening to her sister and that probably stems from whatever happened to her parents and she just got carried away. Happens to us all at times.

 

But most importantly, and I don't think anyone's brought this up but...

 

Remember Smarty Pants, Twilight's doll from Lesson Zero? It's under Applebloom's bed when Applejack lifts it up when she starts panicking.

 

So THAT'S where Big Mac hid it.

[BrawnyCharger 511]

I liked the episode.

 

I can sympathize with Applebloom for not wanting to be treated like a little filly anymore. But at the same time I found Applejack's antics (especially the helmet gag) hilarious.

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

this episode isway too cringeworthy for a watch. is it me or is applejack stalking on apple bloom. its sooo creepy that AJ is so out of character >.>

[Grtxkkyz 388]

Not gonna lie, the chimera sisters need some more love, heh heh heh. There's plenty of fanart of her (them?) but it's kinda scarce. And yet, the friggin Timberwolves get loads and loads of fanart, XD.

[cmarston1 5,959]

Even if this episode wasn't the best there were still some pretty funny moments in it.