Season 5, Episode 17 Thoughts and Review · 3:42am Oct 5th, 2015
There will be spoilers for yesterday's episode and for next week's! Be prepaaaaaaaaaaaared!
This episode was a wild ride, but DAMN did that ending sneak up on me. I cried. Really hard. Just... THE APPLE FAMILY GIVES ME SO MANY FEELS OK. Alright, on with the review!
The episode opens with the Apple family preparing for the upcoming Sisterhooves Social. As he helps Granny Smith search their attic for a blue ribbon to use in the competition, Big McIntosh looks wistfully outside to see Applejack playing with Apple Bloom, who is confident that she and her sister are going to sweep the competition. Granny Smith stumbles upon an old dragonfly toy Bic Mac and Apple Bloom used to play with together. Big Mac quickly grabs the toy and departs.
Big Mac brings the toy outside to show Apple Bloom, but she is so caught up in heaping praises upon Applejack for all her accomplishments—including saving Equestria "a gazillion times"—that she barely pays any attention to the toy. Dejected, Big Mac sulks back inside the barn. Applejack notices her brother's sour mood and asks him what's wrong, but before he can answer, Applejack's cutie mark begins to glow, indicating she's been summoned by the map in Twilight Sparkle's castle. Apple Bloom worries this means Applejack won't be able to take part in the social, but Applejack assures her that it might just be a false alarm.
Unfortunately for Apple Bloom, Applejack has indeed been called to the city of Manehattan with Rarity and won't be back in time for the social, sending Apple Bloom into a slump. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle come over to invite Apple Bloom to cheer on Scootaloo, who is participating in the social with Rainbow Dash even though they aren't related. Granny Smith mentions that the social has a loose definition of what counts as a "sister", musing about the second cousins that could have participated with Apple Bloom, which gives Big Mac an idea.
Dat scheming face, tho.
As Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo register for the social, Apple Bloom arrives and unenthusiastically announces to her friends that she will be participating in the social after all, explaining that her "long lost cousin" Orchard Blossom has come to take Applejack's place. "Orchard Blossom" then appears, and it is immediately apparent that "she" is actually Big Mac disguised as a mare, much to Apple Bloom's embarrassment.
He actually looks quite lovely in a dress.
"Orchard Blossom" introduces herself to Apple Bloom's friends and Rainbow Dash, but they all see through the disguise instantly. Still, they decide to humor Big Mac as he signs up for the Sisterhooves Social. Apple Bloom quickly excuses herself, afraid that the events judges will also call Big Mac's bluff. To her surprise, the two are approved as a pair and allowed to compete.
Big Mac, you ain't slick.
Apple Bloom and "Orchard Blossom" compete in a singing event, during which Big Mac accidentally drops his falsetto voice and nearly blows his cover. The two continue to fail at every event they take part in, including chanting, jumping rope, and juggling. Apple Bloom wants to call it a day and wait for next year's Sisterhooves Social with Applejack, but "Orchard Blossom" has none of it and assures her that she will win a blue ribbon before day's end.
I'd call it a day after that kick, omfg.
The competing teams enter the social's final event, the obstacle course race. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo take the lead while Apple Bloom and "Orchard Blossom" lag behind. Determined to win, "Orchard Blossom" overtakes the race by picking up Apple Bloom and plowing through every obstacle in their path, including the other competitors.
JESUS CHRIST.
After managing to pass Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, "Orchard Blossom" and Apple Bloom reach the finish line first, with Big Mac's disguise falling apart as he celebrates. The judges interrupt their celebration, stating that while they have knowingly turned a blind eye towards Big Mac's disguise, they must disqualify him and Apple Bloom for his destructive and unsportsmanlike behavior in the race. Yeah, that's right, the judges didn't give two shits about Big Mac being a stallion, they were just pissed that he had acted so poorly. I feel like that's important to note.
Instead, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo are declared the winners while Apple Bloom bitterly leaves with Big Mac.
YES, THIS IS EVERYTHING I EVER WANTED, YESSSSS.
Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom finds Big Mac sitting alone by a tree, assuring him she is no longer upset since she and Applejack can still participate in the next Sisterhooves Social. She asks why he wanted to win so badly, but Big Mac refuses to talk about it. As Apple Bloom prepares to leave, Big Mac finally speaks up and admits that he wanted Apple Bloom to look up to him like she used to as a filly, before Applejack became "the hero of the Apple family". Apple Bloom gives Big Mac, saying he has been and always will be her hero, and apologizing for making him feel left out.
I'M NOT CRYING, YOU'RE CRYING... SH-SHUT UP.
Granny Smith later announces that Applejack has returned from her trip to Manehattan, but Apple Bloom replies that she is spending quality time with her brother.
OK, that episode was wild and it upset some people (most of whom on tumblr, BUT WHAT ELSE WAS EVERYONE EXPECTING?) These people are jumping, screaming obscenities because they feel like the writers were making fun of trans individuals or making fun of the idea of a boy wearing "girl's" clothing. Like... No. No, I don't think that's quite right and LET ME TELL YOU WHY:
1) Big Mac is not trans. (Canonically speaking, of course, headcanons are totes up to y'all)
2) He was not made fun of for dressing as he did “I can’t believe you ran through an obstacle course with high heels!” Was referring to how hard it is to run in heels and how much he must have cared to do it.
3) When he was disqualified from the event it was because he displayed bad sportsmanship. Not because he "sullied the entire meaning of the social" or "impersonated a mare" but because HE ACTED POORLY.
4) The characters who knew didn’t say he looked silly or gave him weird looks for that. They were wondering why he was pretending to be apple bloom’s cousin when she clearly didn’t want to go along with it and COULD HAVE EASILY PARTICIPATED WITHOUT DRESSING UP.
5) If trans girls watch this episode they will see a character dressing up as a girl so he can be seen as a hero in the eyes of his little sister. Not a character discriminated against for wearing a dress. That did not even happen. I mean, seriously, every trans person (that I saw) who gave commentary on this episode DID NOT GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT IT LIKE OH MY GOD.
6) oH NO! A NON TRANS CHARACTER DRESSED UP LIKE A GIRL AND WASNT MADE FUN OF FOR IT??????? TRANS-MISOGINY!!!!!
But, I CAN understand why people are so upset over it because Big Mac being in a dress could have EASILY been avoided (but damn if he doesn't look good in it). The episode could have very well been about Big Mac being allowed to compete under the condition that he keep his strength to minimum as to keep things fair and THEN the whole mess with the obstacle course could happen. This could be used AND still pertain to what the episode was trying to convey.
Now, onto the whole "boys wearing a dress joke" thing I mentioned. You see, in lots of modern media, a man wearing a dress or dressing up as a woman is used for comedic purposes, and this is kinda shitty to do 'cause... There's nothing really funny about a guy wanting to wear a dress. Now, if a man wears a dress and DOES something funny while wearing a dress, you have to ask yourself: Is it funny because he's wearing a dress or is it funny because the act he did can be considered funny without the dress?
And I think another reason why people got so up and arms over this is because there are lots of people in this fandom who are involved in other fandoms, and one fandom specifically, the Steven Universe fandom, flipped their shit because about three weeks ago, Steven performed a song while wearing a skirt and makeup onstage.
And the thing about this scene right here? Literally no one laughed at him for it. People CHEERED for Steven and they were all so excited to see him having fun onstage and perform. The audience both in the show and the literal viewing audience felt no obligation to laugh because it wasn't put in a humorous light. It was just Steven wearing a skirt and it was FINE.
However, Big Mac wearing a dress WAS put in a humorous light. Big Mac was acting DRAMATICALLY like a mare "would" act and while the characters in the show themselves didn't or make fun of him, the viewing audience was probably expected to either be laughing or cringing along with everyone else. However, Big Mac's pretending to be a mare isn't to be seen as transmisogynistic and people just kinda need to chill out because that's not what the intention is.
I think this episode could have worked without Mac wearing a dress and still be funny. Big Mac trying to do the song with Apple Bloom and going overboard with his Ponytone voice? Hilarious. Big Mac accidentally kicking her off the stage during their dance? Hysterical. Big Mac trying to do everything like AJ but failing solely because of the fact that he and AJ are different ponies entirely? A GOOD MORAL AND A GREAT WAY TO SHOW HOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT LIKE SOMEONE ELSE FOR ANYONE, LIKE DAMN.
So, to sum it up, maybe the writers shouldn't have put Big Mac in a dress IN THIS WAY, but I still would have loved to see him or another stallion wearing a dress in a different setting.
"Haven't you noticed how fab I look?"
MORE STALLIONS CASUALLY WEARING DRESSES PLEASE
YES THIS PLEASES ME
I think the best part about this picture is that it was made BEFORE this week's episode. Glorious.
However, I think the BEST part about this episode was the Apple Family itself. Big Mac was feeling left out because his sister was always saving Equestria and he felt like he wasn't good enough for Apple Bloom anymore. Damn, that made me real sad to think about... I mean, I just have so many feelings about this week's episode.
AJ's parents are deceased, as confirmed by the writers, and it's obvious from the Cutie Mark Chronicles episode that they died before then, at least. I don't know how old AJ must have been but since the Crusaders are about 12 in age and she was younger than them when she got her mark, that means she was maybe 9 or 10. AJ and Big Mac had to grow up awful quickly after their parents' death and it's kinda depressing to think about how much AJ and Big Mac must have internalized feeling wise.
This begs me to wonder if one of the reasons that Big Mac doesn't say much is because he's scared of showing too much emotion, so he just keeps quiet instead. It kinda hurts me to watch something like that happen... I mean, guys are under no obligation to hold in their emotions, but they do because society expects for them to keep it all in and to be "strong", even if being "strong" is damaging and toxic. It's just... Big Mac kinda showed that in the episode, at least in my opinion.
And then Apple Bloom reassures him that she still looks up to him, and that even though he may not save the world, HE'S STILL HER BIG BROTHER AND HE MEANS THE WORLD TO HER AND I JUST CAN'T STOP TEARING UP OVER THIS FAMILY LIKE OH MY GOD THE APPLES ARE SO GREAT.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH WANTING TO CRY OVER FICTIONAL HORSES. SH-SH-SHUT UP.
OK, now I'm gonna get over my own sadness for a moment and just think about what's gonna happen next week.
Season 5, Episode 18: Crusaders of the Lost Mark
When Pip Squeak decides to run for class president, the Cutie Mark Crusaders rally around their friend, but find themselves helping their long-time nemesis, Diamond Tiara, in an unexpected way.
Wait... Wait a minute... OK, so you all remember this promo picture released after Episode 13?
Look at it. Look at it RIGHT NOW.
OK, you've looked at it. Now look at previous images from earlier seasons.
OK, season 1, blast from the past...
Season 2, good season, good characters, good villains...
Season 3, kinda short, but good still... Hey, anyone see the pattern here?
You don't see it yet? OK, I'll tell.
The CMC are in all of these promo pictures because they were all in the season. They typically take residence near the Mane Six. Now, look at that Season 5 promo pic again.
The CMC are all in front of the Mane Six, yet they are blacked out, just like the other characters that had not been introduced at the time of this photo's release. This makes no sense, because there has already been episodes featuring the CMC... So why have they been blacked out...?
Do you think...? No, they wouldn't... But, it's been almost five seasons... No, they can't... They... Oh my god. OH MY GOD.
Could they really be getting their cutie marks after all this time?
"But, Harmony, don't you think that Hasbro could milk out more money by prolonging this?"
NO.
"But... They can't get their marks! Not yet!"
"But, if they get their marks, they won't be the Crusaders anymore!"
Let me tell you all something... I have been here since the beginning. For five years I have waited for the CMC to get their marks. FIVE. WHOLE. YEARS. Every time a CMC episode came on, I would hope, pray, beg for their marks. Every time a season was about to begin I would think, "Maybe this will be the season..." Every time a season was about to end, I would crumple in disappointment.
No. No, I will not wait anymore. I will not go another season without marks. I will not live to see another CMC episode if at least one of them doesn't get their mark. I have done my waiting and I will be done with it if next week's episode doesn't end it.
It's time, everypony. It's time for our girls to get their marks.
While this episode was hilarious (seeing Big Mac in drag was one of the funniest things in the entire show for me), next week's is one that I've been looking forward to ever since the synopsis was first announced.
I would be upset if the CMC DIDN'T get their cutie marks. It's been their goal for so long that it'd be a crime to deny them their crowning moment. Plus they can finally move onto another story arc in their lives.
Also tumblr is full of hypocrites. Luckily there are more postive popular posts of this episode's tag on tumblr than negative ones as far as I've seen.
I definitely felt like I connected with Big Mac during that ep; if you're a big sibling, you know why. Also, ahem... JUST GIVE THE CMC THEIR CUTIE MARKS ALREADY!
That is all.
Reaction on seeing "Orchard Blossom": "God DAMN!"
Mac wears that dress well. And the makeup. Although it might be interesting to question where exactly he learned to apply makeup and walk in heels. Personally, I like to think he picked it up from all the tea parties that Apple Bloom used to have, because as much as we like to complain, big brother is happy to do almost anything for you (I know I was).
Onto the actual "issue" though, I don't see the issue, and declare that having Mac in a dress for the episode was fine. The event, after all, was the Sisterhooves Social, and while it was obvious immediately that everyone would've let Mac compete without a fuss, facts don't change the perceptions of societal pressure; Mac believed for whatever reasons that the event was only open to mares, so he changed to match what he believed the expectations were. The point of putting him into a dress wasn't to poke fun at a stallion for wearing drag, but to poke fun at the idea that there are certain things that a stallion can't do because "that's for mares."
Little girls can spend time with their big brothers, because that's what family does and it's not weird. And guys can wear dresses if they want to because there's no good reason why they can't and it's not weird (unless they suddenly wear a dress after going their whole lives without, and then it's weird... for like, ten seconds because they just threw everyone off their groove, but then it's not weird anymore), but NO ONE, guy or gal, should ever try to be something they aren't just because they think that's what everyone else wants.
If Mac wants to wear a dress, it should be because he wants to wear a dress, and not because he thinks he'll let everyone down if he doesn't.
He should also wear a dress because I want him to wear a dress, because god DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DA-DAMN!
Well, it's probably not going to be the upcoming episode where the CMC get their marks. But it could be the episode where Diamond Tiara gets reformed.
Can't wait to see them. It'll be a good payoff after five seasons of waiting.
Anyway, I loved that episode, and I even managed to write a story with the same idea a month and a half ago! I'm psychic!
Though the MLP writers did a much better job at treading the social issues connected with such, and just making it better in general, but that's why they get paid and I don't.
Can't wait for next week's episode either!
I honestly think that A: This was one of the better episodes in the entire series and B: the episode was made better because of the dress. If it was a simple keep your strength in check conflict then not only would Big Mac not have as many lines but the moral wouldn't have been delivered as strongly as it was. The sheer lengths that he went to just to help AB were commendable. He showed that he was willing to put on an obviously bad disguise, memorize every one of AJs and ABs previously prepared acts in a mere day what they had to train weeks for, and even bull doze his way through the end just to get her ribbon. Id say the dress was a necessary addition. Anyone who thinks this is social commentary on crossdressers or trannies in general are obviously looking at this all wrong and most likely looking for something bad.
But still though, that dress...
It's times like this where I wish I was a Blind Commentator. My brother said he was watching me more than the episode because my reactions were priceless. God it was hilarious, cringeworthy, and feelsy all at the same time. But beyond the Shezow-esque set up. it was an amazing episode with hilarious moments a completely well written plot and a wonderfully delivered moral. Dave Polsky managed to touch of a previously unexplored relationship. We've had AJ and AB AB and Granny Smith and now AB and Big Mac. The trifecta is complete!!
Also everything with Scoots and Rainbow Dash was amazing and we need more of that. Honestly almost everything about it was brilliant. The set up, the dialogue, the tie in, the comedy, the awesome looking BG characters, the moral and even the secondary Scoots and RD sister action.