EMy Little Pony Friendship is Magic What If?: Volume 3
MLP: FiM
Anthology
The third installment of a What If series, that involves the rewriting of episodes. This collection contains episodes from Seasons 1-5 (Warning!: Episodes rewritten based on personal opinion, please respect it)
Alt. Universe
Spike
Other
Main 6
CMCs
SuperPinkBrony12 · 86k words · 60 3 · 4.4k views

Episode Re-Review: Appleloosa's Most Wanted · 4:55pm Apr 22nd, 2021

So just two episodes after "Bloom and Gloom" potentially opened the door for the next phase of the CMC's development, we now had this episode involving them looking for an outlaw. Dave Polsky was picked to write this episode, coincidentally around the time he was establishing himself on the then new Sonic Boom cartoon. Considering Dave had undergone a writing metamorphosis in Season 4, shedding his usual comedic ways and branching out into new areas, this should've been a good sign right? Well, let's find out.

The episode begins in Appleloosa with Applejack being established as competing in a rodeo there, taking the place of Braeburn who injured his hoof for reasons unknown. However, the CMC are also there and are once fixated on getting their cutie marks. And Applejack is supposed to be chaperoning them, even though she's also supposed to be competing in a rodeo. Not off to a promising start here.

Eventually, something goes wrong and it looks like sabotage. Sheriff Silverstar concludes based on a trail of hoofprints that must be Troubleshoes. He calls for a town meeting to inform the citizens of Appleloosa about Troubleshoes as we learn that this outlaw has been targeting rodeos for quite some time now. Instead of calling off the rodeo, however, Sheriff Silverstar decides to increase security in the form of patrols.

Applejack prepares to send the CMC back home, rightfully deciding that with an outlaw on the loose it's not safe for them in Appleloosa. But Braeburn convinces Applejack not to worry and shoes her away, promising to ensure the CMC don't leave his sight (at what I assume is his house). Of course, that night he falls asleep and the CMC decide to go out and find this outlaw they've just heard of. Because you know, the last time they snuck out of somepony's house in the middle of the night for their own pursuits it totally worked out fine.

Naturally, they get lost and it starts to rain. So they decide to do the first sensible thing they've done yet and find shelter to wait out the storm. Meanwhile, Applejack and Braeburn rush over to Sheriff Silverstar's office as we find him playing cards with two other stallions. They report the CMC missing and immediately claim without proof that Troubleshoes abducted them. So does Sheriff Silverstar conduct an investigation by asking to see the scene of the crime? Nope. He takes the word of Applejack and Braeburn and assumes Troubleshoes did what he's accused of despite never having done it before and despite having no way of knowing the CMC were around.

As for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, they end up encountering Troubleshoes because they just so happen to have come across his trailer. But it turns out Troubleshoes is apparently misunderstood. He's never actually meant to hurt anyone or sabotage rodeos, he's just been cursed with bad luck because his cutie mark is an upside down horseshoe. And the CMC believe him despite the fact that they have no way to know if he's telling the truth (for all they know he could be lying). I will give "Big Jim" Miller credit for his Troubleshoes voice, it's a good Eeyore homage.

Apparently, Troubleshoes wanted to be a part of rodeos since he was just a colt. But when he finally worked up the nerve to audition for one he got his cutie mark, and since then has been cursed with bad luck. His "sabotage" has just been because of this bad luck. The CMC think he might be looking at his cutie mark all wrong and convince him to go back to the town he's wanted in to clear his name. Troubleshoes agrees and ends up ambushed and arrested.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders try to plead their case for Troubleshoes being misunderstood, but Applejack and Braeburn refuse to listen to them even though both of them are responsible for the CMC going missing in the first place. So the CMC instead somehow sneak away again and Sweetie Belle is able to use her magic to get the keys to the jail cell, freeing Troubleshoes without Sheriff Silverstar being any the wiser. Because you know, breaking a wanted criminal out of jail just because he claims to be misunderstood is totally okay.

Then the CMC decide to make Troubleshoes into a rodeo clown, claiming that he's looking at his cutie mark all wrong even though in his backstory he mentioned ponies laughing at his misfortune. But it works, even Applejack doesn't suspect anything (and she has a huge trophy which I assume means she won the rodeo). However, Troubleshoes' makeup eventually washes off by mistake and his costume rips, exposing him to the angry citizens of Appleloosa.

So the Cutie Mark Crusaders step forward to defend Troubleshoes because of his cutie mark, finally confessing to what should've been obvious to anyone who bothered to look at things: They weren't kidnapped they snuck off of their own free will and got lost. And since ponynapping was the worst Troubleshoes got charged with before since no one got hurt, Troubleshoes is let off the hook and allowed to become a rodeo clown. But the CMC are punished by having to clean up the rodeo grounds as Applejack watches them, even though Applejack is to blame for the CMC even having the opportunity to sneak away and accused Troubleshoes without proof.

And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, Dave Polsky seemed to trip himself up by using "Luck", because before this episode aired there was an episode of Sonic Boom involving Knuckles having bad luck that was just as bad. In fact, some fans compared it to "Feeling Pinkie Keen" and argued it was a more meanspirited take on it. The entire idea that Troubleshoes isn't really an outlaw, he's just misunderstood is really stupid and has aged horribly. Just like in "Stare Master" the CMC have no concern for their own safety at any point, though at least this time they end up facing consequences (even though it feels like others should be in on it too). Applejack really doesn't look good when we never learn why she's supposedly chaperoning the CMC while competing in a rodeo, and Braeburn ends up being a waste when the most he accomplishes is letting the CMC slip away. Sheriff Silverstar does look like a reasonable authority figure, until he doesn't bother to investigate the site of the CMC's alledged abduction (which would've revealed no signs of forced entry or a struggle, and with no tracks you wouldn't be able to prove Troubleshoes was there). Quite honestly, it seems like Dave Polsky regressed here, trying to go back to his comedic ways. This episode gets an F+ as a result, though at least unlike "Bloom and Gloom" there are signs in later episodes acknowledging this one's existence.