I Wish the Apple Dies [non-leak episode spoilers] · 1:02am Oct 9th, 2016
Y'know, I was thinking I wasn't going to enjoy PPOV as much the second time around, but no, it's still lots of fun. "Substanceless" would be a valid criticism, and I'd agree, but the main problem with it is that the excitement level is a downward slope. The intro is dull, Piratejack kicks things into high gear, then the continuing stories get less and less interesting (if still funny), to leave us with a dull third act. That's definitely a problem. Still, Piratejack is entirely amazing, the transition from that to Dummyjack is hilarious, and Rarity's behavior in AJ's story is just great. (So you get improved returns on Rarity -- because that second outfit is amazing -- and diminishing returns on Applejack. Also, do you realize that AJ and Pinkie have low opinions of one another, while Rarity most likely portrayed Pinkie as close to reality as possible? Snacks aside, since the other two stories agree on that.) Our other highlights include Gummygram, Angry Crab, Happy Whale Guy and what I'm sure is a Just for Sidekicks-style shout-out to an upcoming episode. I'd been waiting for more of that!
As for this week, I still haven't seen the finale, though I have plans to later today. You'll hear about that when it happens. Instead, we're saddled with something even lowered expectations couldn't save.
Well, I say again and again this season, that was an episode. And it was barely even that. PPOV might have been substanceless, but this was tedious. Just... yehhh. The emphasis on "here's how things were different ten years ago!" was somehow irritating. Big Mac talking a lot, Deerjack, slightly less wrinkly Granny... Just, who cares.
About the only thing I liked was Spoiled Milk. Like, that reveal was fun. And there's the Shining twins in the hallway scene and like one other gag I liked, and that's really it. What a let down. (What a non-surprise.)
A Hearth's Warming Tail
Viva Las Pegasus
Gauntlet of Fire
Dungeons and Discords
No Second Prances
Spice Up Your Life
Stranger Than Fan Fiction
28 Pranks Later
The Fault in Our Cutie Marks
Buckball Season
P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)
The Times They Are a Changeling
Flutter Brutter
The Crystalling
Every Little Thing She Does
The Cart Before the Ponies
Applejack's "Day" Off
The Saddle Row Review
Where the Apple Lies
On Your Marks
The Gift of the Maud Pie
Newbie Dash
Luna's Future
Say Goodbye to the Holiday
Seeds of the Past
Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again
It's Gonna Work
Pinkie's Present
Derby Racers
A Changeling Can Change
Can I Do It on My Own
Find the Purpose in Your Life
Out on My Own
Also, Derpy's eyes bandaged up in a quick gag.
I liked it, actually. Spoiled Milk and The Shining twins were obviously highlights for both of us, but to me it was just a fun episode, and my wife and I both got a lot of laughs out of it. It was no Gauntlet of Fire or Hearth's Warming Tale, but it was a fun slice of life episode.
4247136 I'm just waiting for all the tearjerker fics. I assume this was just meant to be a gag where she must have clumsily run into something. But given that "Pinkie Pride" showed her eyes already askew as a filly and she's obviously still that way as an adult, this could have been some attempt at corrective surgery that ultimately failed. Brace yourself for the [Sad].
This was a case where there were things I didn't like, and ended up thinking it was fun overall, but not great. Though cringey, Applejack was more interesting than she normally is and her support characters had more going on. The stakes were high, and the fact it was in a flashback doesn't detract much more from that than the simple fact that I don't believe the Apples are ever going to lose the farm in a present-day episode either. Granny was fun, and Filthy Rich came off pretty well. The setup with him at the start helped emphasize the importance of the cider for later, and establishes this (in hindsight) as an important event for him as well as the Apples. A lot worked well together, in a fun to watch sense.
That said, it doesn't work great as a prequel, and as a bigger picture matter looks worse than in the moment. For one thing, it does seem more or less like Applejack runs the farm, regardless of what they say here, and this episode didn't give support for her becoming the key decision maker or for Big Mac's near silence. We never got any indication that Applejack's ideas (at the time, anyway) were good ones, since we only saw the cider distribution one, and that was 1) not hers and 2) maybe an okay idea in general, but not in a year they were going to be short anyway. As far as Mac goes, I loathed his mea culpa in the resolution. The lesson that actually comes out of the events, and his contribution to the whole fiasco, was that he shouldn't have been party to the lies and supporting Applejack, not that he was wrong for failing to listen to her ideas. That he shouldn't have let her pressure him into doing something he knew was wrong. If anything, he should have listened to Applejack less in the part of the story they actually bothered to put on screen. They got his portion of the moral 180 degrees off target on this one.
4247136
I didn't even see that. The gags were all blink-and-you-miss-them, and the rest was just a void of humor.
4247190
The best part was when Big Mac and Granny just laugh in response to Apple Bloom's question in the opening. Like, that's so fucking true, that's just how family members will react.
The rest was "lying is bad" stretched out to 20 minutes while avoiding anything resembling comedy
4247349 Maybe. I still liked it.
By the way, where are you watching the last three episodes?
I liked this one, possibly in part because I'd just seen the finale so was in the mood for "simple story I don't want to pay attention to that closely in case it all falls apart" -- which is exactly what I got. There are several fairly obvious problems, but I'd happily watch it again today; put it up against "Applejack's Doze Off" and it wouldn't even be close.
4247295 You're at least the third person I've seen mention corrective surgery as a possible reason for Derpy to be there -- it may even be on the verge of becoming fanon -- though I think the first I've seen suggest it might have been unsuccessful corrective surgery. Makes an uncomfortably good explanation, though.
4247369
I made sure to go on Youtube after they aired (EQD has links) and rip them before they were taken down. :B
I really liked this one, sure not amazing, over the top great, but still solid, and did do a lot to show why the Apples are like they are today. It did fit in well, made a lot of sense, sure maybe not as over done on humor as most, but was more about the characters, and still had a number of great bits, like the tail end of Big Mac's stories, just seeing him be so talkative, and Filthy Rich... proving to truly be a kind of swell guy. Sure he's a businesspony, but he's not corrupt, doesn't cheat, lie, is totally 100% legit in everything he does, that really is quite the breath of fresh air and I really loved that. He will try to maximize his profits, but not by resorting to underhoofed tactics. And really was concerned about Granny, just because he cared about her, not out of some profit motive deal.
It did some great set up for things later, showed a lot about why the character are like they are, maybe not the greatest, funniest ep, but still solid. My only issue was... where the buck was Applebloom during all this? The fact they are arguing over if Big Mac or AJ would take over means their parents are out the picture by this point, so where is AB? Add to that.. AB is the same age as DT, at least close enough to be in the same class, so figure maybe at most a year or so apart. So.. does this explain why Filthy and Spoiled got married? Given how completely opposite they are and what a self absorbed *apple* she is?
Don't really get what the deal is with this and the last one but.. eh.
4247966 Ah
4248143
I think this episode just proves that I don't care about the Apples. :B
-20 minutes of cringe-humor, which is worst humor.
-Applejack lied so hard she fundamentally altered her brother's personality.
Was nice to see Filthy Rich teach kids "rich male =/= evil." Aside from that, this one was goddamn painful to watch. Applejack remains my fave, but she's been striking out this season.
4247295 4247136 Knowing what we know about ponies, I think it's obvious that Derpy got her bad eye from going to the Ponyville hospital for a stubbed hoof.