Hearthbreakers Review · 5:07pm Oct 26th, 2015
Yeah, I know I'm a couple of days late with this. I apologize, it kept slipping my mind and I procrastinated too. Nonetheless, here we go!
So, this is quite interesting! For two reasons. To begin with, we're getting our first genuine Christmas episode of the show. While season two's Hearth's Warming Eve started the idea of Equestria's Christmas equivalent, it wasn't about that. At least not in the same way a Christmas episode would be. It had little sprinkles of it with decorations and accessories, but it was more for a frame of backstory than anything else. But this time, it's an actual Christmas episode through and through.
Secondly, we're getting a Christmas episode in October. A week before Halloween, no less! It tickles me a bit, especially since Halloween will have an actual Halloween episode! If not for the fact it was leaked, but that's neither here nor there. I don't know, it's just kind of funny how this turned out. I'm sure there's a logical explanation for it.
Despite that, let's dive into the holiday magic!
Our episode this time is about the Apple family traveling with Pinkie to the Pie's rock farm so they could celebrate the holiday together. It was a nice little callback to Pinkie Apple Pie with the possibility of both families being distant relatives. Yeah, we're still not given a clear answer about it, but it definitely doesn't matter because it's two blended families coming together for a holiday.
We get to actually see the Pie family in full, which was pretty interesting. Especially since they are all very different from each other. Pinkie's parents are Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, who are very old-fashioned and speak with a bit of a Ye Olde English mannerism. It's quite similar to being Amish, in a sense. Limestone is the eldest, very tempered, and has essentially taken over the family business. Marble is incredibly shy and timid, and also Pinkie's twin sister it seems!
And of course we all know Maud, she's just as deadpan and hilarious as she ever was. I don't know about you guys, but every time she spoke, she definitely stole the show. :D
So this Christmas tale is all about the idea of two families coming together and having to learn each other's traditions. In this case, the Apples are learning how the Pies celebrate Hearth's Warming. To say they do it very differently would be an understatement. But then again, it really works. Applejack is very devoted to family and places importance in their traditions. So when she does see that they do things differently, it concerns her because she wants them to see the beauty of the holiday. The traditions they have are important to her and she would love to share them with the Pies.
Now, it's nothing really new for a holiday episode, but they addressed it in a nice way. It's not just Applejack who feels this way (as it usually would pan out), but the entire Apple family are apprehensive. They're not sure how to take the very different ideals, but also don't want to appear ungrateful about it. So they do their best to keep it to themselves while trying to wrap their heads around everything.
And it's understandable! They're stepping out of their comfort zone, they feel very out of place with these kinds of traditions, and weren't expecting such a radical shift in the usual portrayal of holiday traditions. So when Applejack is trying to share the holiday magic in the way she knows, it's simply that she's acting without thinking about it. Her intentions are good, but she ends up causing a lot of problems and coming off as very imposing about it.
When it all comes together with both families working as a team, it's a great feeling. They may or may not be related, but it doesn't make them any less a family. The Apples get to appreciate the Pie's way of life a bit more, while even the Pies get to step out of their own comfort zones in turn.
Overall, it was a really great Christmas episode for the show. We got a little bit of world building to the Hearthswarming traditions Equestria seems to have, Applejack and Pinkie worked off each other very well, the characters were likable and memorable, the humour was cute, and everything else was quite charming. Maybe the timing of the episode is slightly off-putting, but it doesn't nor should it affect the quality of it. I really enjoyed it!
It even put me in the Christmas spirit! Despite that I realized it's only October and we're a week away from Halloween. :P
It's because of episodes like this that make me believe that MLP:FiM is an anthology of events, and there are a few events that can pinpoint when things happen.
Well how about that? You just made me appreciate this episode a little more! The first time I saw it, I thought it was just good but now you've boosted my opinion of it!