MLP Episode review: Baby Cakes · 11:08pm Apr 12th, 2015
So... ready for the d'aww? Ready for the cute? You may think you're ready, but you're not. Pound and Pumpkin Cake make their debut and Pinkie levels up in...
Baby Cakes
We open in Ponyville General and the Mane Six looking into a maternity ward. We see carrot Cake inside, his Lantern Jaw of Justice covered in stubble. Nice touch. :) First, we meet Pound Cake. He yawns and my blood turns to sugar. Then he reveals Pumpkin and I keel over. Pinkie is right there with me. She pops down, then pops up inside the ward, complete with hat. not cool, Pinkie! They need quiet in there! Redheart is there to stop her, thank goodness. Pinkie sings a bit, and fortunately gets tossed out. Sorry, but like I said, those babies need quiet.
Applejack asks why Pound is a unicorn and Pumpkin a pegasus. And carrot gives some convoluted explanation about their family tree, complete with "And that makes sense, right?" And shifty look to the audience. And... this needed explanation? Really?! We fansneeded that? Anyway, both Dash, Twilight and Rarity drop some foreshadowing concerning pegasi and unicorn foals having flight/magic surges, which unfortunately flew under several viewers' radar. Pinkie's back inside with a cake. No candles, since they're zero years old. And I'll give her an A for effort.
Back from commercial, we zoom in on Sugarcube Corner. God, every time I see that place I get hungry. :p Pinkie has a cake because they're a month old and sings them a song. And as much as in other instances I'm not fond of her, here... I can't help but smile as she plays with Pound and Pumpkin. :) <--That's me in front of my computer. It makes a sad sort of sense since, if you think about it, she didn't have this when she was a foal. She wants them to have the happy childhood she didn't have. Carrot looks on while Pinkie plays "Here I am!" with the twins, which is a good game for their development. The Cakes' busy themselves with getting ready for work, but suddenly Pumpkin needs a diaper change! And Carrot changes them... WITH HIS MOUTH! Badass of the year, folks? Then Cup Cake feeds them. And Pinkie has a watch with 'party time' at the twelve o'clock.
The foals go off to play, and we do see Pound pounding and Pumpkin chewing. Uh, uh! No pounding or chewing. Pinkie says except food, but no! They've got a huge catering order and have to find a babysitter! Pinkie wants to do it, but... first Fluttershy, but she has a picnic with Angel. Fluttershy, I'm sure everyone would understand if you kicked the bunny away and babysat the twins. Twilight has to write a report summarizing all the other reports she's sent to Celestia and... screw it. Fourteen. Applejack is picking apples ahead of caterpillar pests. Hmm, wonder what Fluttershy would think of them. Dash has tickets to a Wonderbolts air show this afternoon, and Pinkie fails at juggling a cloud baby. And Rarity says no, because no. Finally, they cave and ask Pinkie. She says she'll have to check her schedule. Oh, and just when I was starting to like her...
Back at the Corner, Carrot asks if she understands the responsibility of babysitting. It's not like playing with them, after all. Responsibility is her middle name! No, it's 'Diane'. :p Cup makes sure to reinforce that it's not just play. She gives them a rather long list that would have Twilight drooling. Pinkie shoves her out, but as soon as the Cakes' are gone the twins begin bawling. Pinkie's response? "Uh, oh." She tries the 'Here I am!" game, but nope. Then she tries a standup routine. Tough crowd. "Tell me about it." Folks, it was a wipe. Not her being in two places at once. She then tries a pig song. It's... not quite what the twins want. She trips, rolls and gets flour doused on her. It's her ancestor, Surprise! And they laugh.
Now, snack time! Pumpkin... goes to suck on the tablecloth. And Pound pounds the baby chair. Flour bag time! "I think I can see where this is going." Bath time, and Pinkie has to chase them all over. They end up in the medicine chest, then Pinkie gets them inside, but they cry. Pinkie almost gets them calmed down, but a bubble pops on Pumpkin's horn and they cry. She tries massive toys, and Pound breaks the shower faucet. Unfortunately, a sopping-wet Pinkie has to go for the flour and ends up a mud golem.
Pinkie's perusing the list when she gets a whiff of something pugnacious. It's time for a diaper change, but Carrot Cake-STALLION OF ACTION!-isn't there. She slips the diapers onto her hooves... for some reason and tries to get the drop on them. They end up behind a dresser with a typical ball of crazy obscuring most of the action, and Pinkie ends up with a diaper on her head and butt. The doorbell rings, and thank Celestia it's Twilight! She finished the work, so stopped by. Pinkie is ecstatic! Twilight figured she'd need some help and Pinkie takes umbrage at that, despite being very grateful Twilight stopped by. Twilight makes a slightly-thoughtless remark about Pinkie not being up to the responsibility, and gets pushed out. Pinkie, so close there. You ALMOST had it. Pinkie has a brief realization that she hadn't been able to handle things on her own, so she determines to handle things!
She goes into the twin's room. She tells Pound a crib is for napping, sleeping and occasionally an old-timey western fort. She tells Pumpkin to stop slobbering on her rubber chicken. Cheese Sandwich hasn't debuted yet, after all! she tells them to fall asleep, and they do. How con-veeeeenient. She walks out, then looks back in and they're gone! And she freaks. Suddenly, there's a squeak. She checks the closet, and Pumpkin's in there with the chicken. Pinkie goes to find Pound, and the hallway is suddenly very ominous. There's even freaky, echoing noises and laughter. There's a shadow on the ceiling, and even the squeaking gets ominous. Pinkie looks up and... Pound is dancing on the ceiling, next to Lionel Richie! Pinkie, "You can fly?!" And somewhere, Samurai Jack goes, "No, jump good!"
Now there's an idea. Jack visits Equestria for a day. No Aku, just Jack.
Pinkie tries suction cups and gets him down. Pumpkin tries to reach for him, and floats all her toys over. Pinkie locks the toys up, then tries to pull Pound down. He manages to fly all over Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie in tow. Holy cow, this guy's got some wings on him. And Pumpkin floats herself up! They fly around, but Pinkie manages to cage them with their crib. Pumpkin friggin' phases through the netting, and Pound breaks the rope holding it down. And Pinkie loses it. She begins crying, and it's actually pretty damned sad. The twins actually notice this, so they... dump a bag of flour over their themselves to cheer Pinkie up. Aww. :)
We get a montage of Pinkie cleaning up while writing a letter to Celestia about responsibility, and the difference between playing with kids and caring for kids. It's a GREAT lesson and one everyone needs to know. At night, the Cakes' come home and Carrot's astonished the place is spotless. Upstairs, the twins are sleeping soundly. They're shocked, but very pleased. Carrot asks if she'd be willing to become their go-to babysitter. At first she says no... then the twins say her name. "I have some free time next Tuesday." And end.
Thoughts'
Can you tell how much I genuinely love this episode? I really, really do. It's heartwarming, funny as all heck, with some actually appropriate scare moments. The lesson about responsibility is great, not only for the target audience, but for everyone.
And Pinkie, good god she was great. She stepped up, here. She really, really did. A bit of backsliding with Twilight, but otherwise holy cow. If she was like this all the time she'd be number three, maybe tied for the two-spot.
The only things that bothered me about the episode... really weren't about the episode. I guess the whole 'pony genetics' thing was a thing? So glad I either don't remember or it passed me by. This is where my Doylist leanings really help out. There was no need for that convoluted explanation about the Cakes' family tree. The other thing was people calling foul on the twins. We had pretty blatant foreshadowing in the beginning from Dash, Twilight and Rarity, folks! There's also rule of funny/drama, too.
So, yeah. All in all I love this one.
Headcanon
In the Hasbroverse, I won't change a thing here. Maybe a month or two after this episode Danielle will have to sub for Pinkie Pie. "I had to babysit Michelle all the time, and did this part-time. I know all about it." Cue epic-level shenanigans. :D
God knows he needs a break from getting attacked all the time. I'd love to see a fic about that.
Good review. Look forward to reading more
It was one of the few episodes that shows how serious Pinkie takes her job.
Yeah the genetics bit irks me since I am a Biologist by education with a fair amount of genetics background. At least it seems most of the fandom doesn't have Mrs. Cake sleeping around. Genetics get a lot more complicated when ones takes in an account at the unseen traits
The most interesting thing for me was what this indicated about pony maturation. At a month old, the twins were walking and talking, even without surges. (Of course, according to "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils," ponies don't grow much between the ages one month and five years...)
Well, that and Pumpkin Cake. That phasing through the laundry basket really stuck with me. So much so that I had her future self be a fairly major character in several of my stories.
I would do it, but then that would stop my epic "Kenshin Himura teams up with Jack to save both past and future in an epic finale" fanfic that I have had in my head since I was 15...I really nee to work on that.
Well, there was a small joke or a few months, then everyone just excepted it and moved on. After all, Dinky! Also, it made for a good plot point in the awesome sweet taste of cake. Personally though, I didn't really care. Genetics are always weird in cartoons, I mean, have you seen Tramp's and Lady's kids?
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Those four should be ugly mutts and not adorable little puppies as they are. (Ps. I dare you to name the four.) So hey, maybe pony gentics work on a similar level. I mean, I have seen multiple comics and fics that say granny pie is a pegasus.
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Though that was a joke a ew times. Then we have a ew fics where that idea is blasted out the window.
2978279 Yes, those fics are very "ew".
But yeah, this is most certainly Pinkie's finest hour so far. The Cake twins are also adorable, and maybe just a bit exceptional. I mean, surges or no surges, nobody said anything that indicates that Pound's freakish strength is "normal".
You know, I think you're the only person other than myself who has pointed this out. The one thing I've never liked about this episode ever since the first time I ever saw it is how condescending Twilight is at Pinkie at this moment. I know she has her moments throughout Seasons 1 and 2 where she doesn't really take Pinkie that seriously, but that really took the cake. No pun intended. I don't think Pinkie's response was unjustified though. I would not accept help even from a friend who's using it as an excuse to insult me.
I, too, feel the lesson in responsibility when it comes to child care is an important lesson for everyone to learn.