Retrospective Review: Hearts and Hooves Day and A Friend in Deed · 6:45am Jun 7th, 2021
S2E17 Hearts and Hooves Day
The writers have chosen, once again, to feature a holiday or celebration in this episode. Arguably, this is the seventh time (Summer Sun Celebration, Winter Wrap Up, Running of the Leaves, Grand Galloping Gala, Nightmare Night, Hearth's Warming, Hearts and Hooves Day), and the third time directly referencing a major American holiday.
One thing I appreciate fanfic authors doing is developing this holiday further. Notably, it's clearly not in the middle of winter like Valentine's Day, so I like the idea of Hearts and Hooves Day being in spring, and corresponding to estrus.
The Cutie Mark Crusaders have their hearts in the right place, but it's really presumptuous of them to think they're the right ones to find Cheerilee a very special somepony, when they likely have no idea if she's looking for a relationship, or if she's even interested in stallions at all. The same thing applies to Big McIntosh.
There is 0% chance the show's writers thought anything would come from picturing a colt in a beanie playing video games. It's yet another example of the inconsistent technology levels seen in the show.
Something I just noticed is that in the old book, the prince and princess are pictured in the book, and the princess appears to be an alicorn. Evidence of alicorns other than Celestia and Luna?
The Crusaders come up with a surprisingly good plan to keep the two separated.
We see another example of non-pony ungulates working in the pair of bulls pulling the wagon.
The one thing this episode did is give Big McIntosh a canonical pairing for the benefit of shippers. I remember Fluttershy being a popular choice before this episode debuted. And though the episode is fine, in the end, it's unnecessary, given his later relationship with Sugar Belle.
S2E18 A Friend in Deed
Oh, great, it's a Pinkie Pie episode.
I appreciate Pinkie Pie's morning montage straight out of the 80s.
Another instance of a talking cow that I forgot about.
The Smile Song is good.
Is there any particular reason why Cranky needed to be a donkey in this episode? Would this episode have worked just as well with a pony in the same role?
I didn't remember the ending theme for the episode getting replaced by a version of Yankee Doodle.
So much like other Pinkie Pie-focused episodes, I don't like this one. Pinkie Pie is visibly and obviously making someone else uncomfortable, and only at the very end does she even think of tempering her normal mania. She's exhibiting extrovert privilege.
Personally, I like how it helps slot Cadence into a one-alicorn-per-season setup of major holidays. Though it does get fuzzy with Luna, since she'd theoretically have a Winter Moon Celebration on the solstice that feel out of favor in her millennium of exile, but that's neither here nor there. And we're a little early for Twilight's festival on the first day of school.
No doubt part of why it's a popular origin theory for Chrysalis.
And yeah, everything after the Smile Song in "A Friend in Deed" is... problematic. But before that is a master class in Pinkie's mindset and personal philosophy.
man, I hate being the only person who liked A Friend in Deed :(
Even though Pinkie is my favorite after the Smile song I skip to Pinkie bringing Matilda to Cranky.