Butterhope Toastal [episode spoilers!] · 6:48pm Oct 3rd, 2015
Ugh, didn't we just do this? Episode-movie-episode makes me forget the tribulations of MID SEASON HIATUS. D: And Made in Manehattan, I didn't even watch a third time (mostly because Friendship Games was airing in its place). I need to readjust the bottom of my list, I think. (Note: it's by no means finalized, so no whingeing about the details. :B)
As for today's episode, I actually took the time to watch the promo video this time, because EQD hyped it well. My body was not ready. It was, however, ready for the episode, and boy, was it just everything I wanted. I expect it will be somewhat divisive, but let's save that for the analysis below, shall we?
Rating: Really Good
I anticipate this episode will be divisive, and that saddens me. Someone is going to complain loudly about Big Mac being in drag. Someone is going to whine about the fact that the first time he gets what can be considered his own episode, he spends most of it in drag. Both of these people are going to be demonstrably wrong, because this was awesome.
See, I've been tossing around an idea in my head recently to write a piece about male characters in MLP:FiM and why representation matters. That, with very minor exceptions, male characters in this show tend to be villains, bad influnces, comic relief or general buttmonkeys (see also: Spike). That the primarily male fans who decry the way these characters are treated are experiencing what women and others experience with just about every minority character in every major release of anything ever. That, hopefully, this would make them think twice about things like inclusion when those people complain about the way they're portrayed. (c.f. my recent praise of Ponyville Confidential)
Anyway, I love this, because it's the first serious look at a male character, for all that entails. And it's Big Mac, and he absolutely deserves to have an episode centered around trying to reconnect with his little sister. I adore the fuck out of his emotional gushing at the end. And yeah, Orchard Blossom was pretty funny, mostly because nobody bought it (and because he tore shit up). This is a real surprise from Dave Polsky, whose name I was ever-so-slightly dismayed to see attached to it. I really have no qualms, though. Well, Apple Bloom got knocked down a few pegs in the best pony list because she's just the most annoying thing ever, but yeah. I loved this. Big Mac got lines. REJOICE!
Also Apple Bloom in the jar. (What's with this season and ponies in jars?) So much good visual humor, but that's Polsky for ya!
Amending Fences
The Cutie Map
Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
Rarity Investigates!
Brotherhooves Social
Make New Friends but Keep Discord
Castle Sweet Castle
Canterlot Boutique
Appleloosa's Most Wanted
Tanks for the Memories
Slice of Life
The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Made in Manehattan
Bloom & Gloom
Princess Spike
Party Pooped
Our Town
I'll Fly
Sisterhood
The Rules of Rarity
Hush Little Sister
Make This Castle a Home
Dream Flower Song
That final scene, though.
And the Rainbow Dash/Scootaloo bond.
No words can describe it.
I found the Mac-in-drag shtick cringeworthy in itself, but it was halfway redeemed not just because everybody saw through it, but nobody gave a damn about a stallion competing anyway. The last five minutes, though, post-competition, made up for everything.
It's cute?
I had mixed feelings. I usually do, these days. Some parts of it seemed overly contrived, some parts I had to remind myself that my headcanon isn't the same as the showwriter's headcanon, and some parts were awesome. Like the ending. That was beautifully visually and emotionally.
Also, registration mare was cute, and headcanon confirmed that Noi is Golden Harvest's little sister. If there's a more adorable sister pair, I don't know what it is.
pre14.deviantart.net/81d6/th/pre/i/2013/230/f/3/golden_harvest_and_noi_by_bluemeganium-d6ip9p9.png
Also also, this kind of thing being the norm in Ponyville is why Berry Punch drinks. Just sayin'.
I was anticipating that Mac would show up at the end and Orchard Blossom was a real cousin that he'd convinced to help out.
I'm glad to see this dynamic in the show. I'd been intending to write a story like this for a long time but could never come up with a good plot. Now I don't have to! Thanks,
M.A. LarsonDave Polsky!3439890 This, pretty much. The episode as a whole was weird to say the least. The last section was wonderful.
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Yeah, come for the brother/sister bonding, stay for the Scootalove! What's with that? :D
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Yeah, the fact that it totally didn't work is why the dress joke worked. (FIgure that one out!)
I liked this episode a lot; it wasn't as good as Rarity Investigates, but it was the second or third best episode this season. The CMC's reaction to Big Mac - and Rainbow Dash's, for that matter - were great, and it was neat that we finally got a Big McIntosh episode (even if he was pretending not to be Big Mac for most of the episode).
If it had a weakness, it was Apple Bloom, who wasn't very strong in the earlier parts of the episode and felt pretty Scootalooish, to be honest. But Big Mac (and the reactions of everyone else to "Orchard Blossom") sold the episode, and worked very well, and the physical comedy was actually quite good.
I also enjoyed how almost everypony knew... except that one old wrinkly stallion.
Are they going somewhere with this Scootaloo/RD thing? I mean it kinda stuck out here did it not?
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Oh yeah, that was one of the best parts. I would have ragequit if nopony had figured it out . . . the fact that everypony did and just didn't care made me chuckle.
It's a shame Rarity is away in Manehattan. I would love to see what sort of dress she would make for Big Mac.
Yep, this one was great. It actually gave us something new to chew on, in the form of Big Mac's inferiority complex (and, potentially, more fodder for interpretations of gender/gender roles in Equestria...but I ain't goin' there). If there's been anything missing in S5 for me, it's been the fact that the world and its characters have felt fairly static throughout. We've had plenty of interesting situations and entertaining moments, but very little has actually changed about our knowledge of the MLP world or its characters as we've progressed through them. But...the fact that Big Mac is so deeply affected by his more auspicious younger sister, and so desiring of greater closeness with AB but due to his difficulty expressing himself has continued to grow more distant from her...now that's new.
And I think this was the first sincere emotional moment we've had this season, too. So glad that was handled correctly, unlike the melodrama that hurt the endings of both Amending Fences and Tanks for the Memories (I liked both of those episodes, mind).
Great job, Polsky.
I haven't laughed that hard at an episode since probably Pinkie Pride.
3439890 a song can, though
I find it interesting that Big Mac almost made a new persona for himself as Orchard Blossom. He tripled the words he's ever said on the show before because he was pretending to be somepony else.
Also, for some reason I thought this episode would be about him competing with Shining Armor to see who's the better older brother, before I started watching it and saw how Apple Bloom would be involved.