Where The Apple Lies Review · 5:17am Oct 10th, 2016
This episode was going to air early in the U.K., like with the finale and "Top Bolt", but it got pulled due to cider references. And in the U.K. at least cider is predomintely alcoholic (in case you're wondering I'm told "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000" has never aired on television there as a result). But I wasn't too thrilled with it when I learned it was going to be yet another Apple Bloom focus episode. I don't hate her, but she's gotten way too much focus over the course of the show's run and it doesn't help that some of her focus episodes or episodes where she's a major character ("Bridle Gossip", "The Cutie Pox", and "Somepony To Watch Over" for starters) haven't been really good and "On Your Marks" really proved that Apple Bloom is in the same boat as Applejack, she's not developed enough to be a compelling solo character, while her fellow crusaders have had only two focus episodes in six seasons (not counting episodes where they lead the CMC and even then Sweetie Belle only really took point in "Hearts and Hooves Day", "Ponyville Confidential", and "Twilight Time", the rest of the time it's been either Scootaloo or more recently all three crusaders). David Rapp returned to pen this episode, but on the story he was helped out again by Meghan McCarthy who's busy working on the movie. I think Meghan may have helped David handle the mane six well in "Flutter Brutter" which was what kept the episode from failing (Zephyr is an obxonious stereotype and it's amazing how unlikeable you can make a character in the span of an episode) which he clearly needed after "Newbie Dash" bombed horribly. So, was Meghan able to help David do a good job, or like Dave Polsky was she just not up to the task? Well, let's find out.
We begin with a callback to "Family Appreciation Day" one of the most overlooked episodes of the show (a shame considering what it had to offer in terms of world building), Filthy Rich is collecting jars of zap apple jam to sell at his business, and apparently Apple Bloom was in charge of stacking the crates. But Apple Bloom mixed up the crates and gave Filthy cider instead, a mix up that Filthy apologizes for.
Applejack blows up in Apple Bloom's face for her lie, clearly taking offense to an honest mistake that was corrected before any harm could be done. Then Apple Bloom says what we're probably all thinking "As if Applejack ever lied.", this prompts both Big Macintosh and Granny Smith to laugh, as they mention how there was a time when Applejack told so many lies she caused the whole family to end up in the hospital. But as the flashback soon proves the only thing that really could've justified this episode being what it was isn't there, there's no appearance or mentioning of Applejack and Big Macintosh's parents, only Granny Smith who's only a little younger then compared to now. And while chatterbox Big Macintosh is funny, it's not enough to justify this needing to be a story Applejack is telling Apple Bloom, especially when we've had Big Macintosh speak normally before for both serious and non serious reasons.
Turns out Applejack and Big Macintosh were in a dispute about who should run Sweet Apple Acres now that Granny was getting older, and Applejack wanted to prove she could be trusted and that her ideas were actually good. To that end, she made a deal with Filthy Rich, during which point we learn that Spoiled was his fiance by this point and her name was Spoiled Milk. It's also worth mentioning that she doesn't have those lavish clothes she wears in the present, and while she's still quite clearly a snob she at least seems to able to "pretend" to tolerate ponies she views as beneath her. Still begs the question of what Filthy saw in her though, especially considering how she's turned out.
Apparently, Applejack is old enough to make a deal with Filthy to sell some cider to him to distribute in his store prior to the official cider season, without Granny Smith's approval. I should mention that Filthy is definitely an adult by this point, even if he's only in his 20's, while Applejack isn't much older than Apple Bloom is now. Even if Applejack tried to keep Granny Smith in the dark, I'm pretty sure she'd have no legal authority to make such a business deal, Filthy would have to consult a parent or legal guardian. Anyway, Granny protests the idea, revealing perhaps why the official cider season ends up the way it does prior to Flim and Flam's arrival, the Apples distribute cider on a "First come, first serve" basis (and we all know how that turned out). So of course, Big Macintosh's doesn't hesitate to pull an "I told you so" routine on Applejack.
Following a cameo appearance by Mrs. Cake (also without her clothes on), Applejack approaches Filthy who threatens to cut all ties with the Apple family when Applejack tries to tell him why the deal won't work. So she comes up with the lie about how Granny is sick, and it snowballs out of control from there. What's worth mentioning is that the episode claims Applejack brought this on herself for not telling the truth, but she did she just didn't tell the whole truth. She only told Filthy about why selling the cider before the start of the season wouldn't work, not the part about her grandmother (who holds the actual say on the matter) saying the cider isn't to be sold. During this part, Spoiled proves to be perhaps the most entertaining aspect as she comments on how Big Macintosh keeps talking his way around a question (he'd make a great lawyer or politician, especially if he knows the concept of "double talk"). And I suppose that should be a warning sign, since this isn't supposed to be about Spoiled and it's not a redemption or origin story (or anything that really expands on her character), she shouldn't be the most memorable part of the story. But she is (though I would probably like it if she could be written more as she is here, rather than how she's been potrayed prior. This feels more realistic, even the most evil and nasty of people seldom flaunt it publicly they know how to put on a mask).
Applejack tries to cover up her lies by making it sound like Granny has contracted the blight that's hitting the farm, has Granny Smith come to the hospital posing as a specialist on blight, and has Big Macintosh (who she intimidates into silence) take her place on a gurnery. It gets to the point where Granny is going to actually saw off Big Mac's leg to solve the problem (prior to this point we get a joke about Derpy getting eye surgery, but as another person pointed out she was already derped as a filly so it seems the surgery didn't go horribly wrong it just didn't cure her cross-eyed condition).
Applejack comes clean and confesses, Big Macintosh claims the problem was made worse by his constant talking and refusing to listen (which isn't true, at no point was it made clear or mentioned that he wasn't listening to his sister, his sister was too stubborn to listen to his advice and get out while she could) and vows to talk less and listen more. Granny Smith furiously chews out Applejack for her irresponsibility and says neither her or Big Macintosh are going to take over running Sweet Apple Acres, and she also makes sure Filthy doesn't get any ideas about cutting all ties with the Apple family. The flashback ends with Apple Bloom revealing that she learned something today about lying, and that Granny Smith is still the big mare in charge when it comes to Sweet Apple Acres.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, I'm going to be honest, there was really no reason at all for this to be an Apple Bloom episode. Heck, not only could either of her fellow crusaders (or even one of their extended members) have learned this lesson just as well and probably more believably (Sweetie Belle did get into trouble for spreading lies, but telling lies to get out of trouble is different from telling them to make someone else look bad, and Scootaloo tried to promise Gabby something that her fellow crusaders pointed out it was all but impossible), but just about any other mane eight member (not Applejack, her honesty test already came in Season 4) could've learned the moral about how telling lies to get out of trouble only makes things worse (there are times when you have to lie to spare someone's feelings, but constantly lying is a bad habit). Not even chatter box Big Macintosh and younger Spoiled's reactions to Big Mac's talking around the subject can save it. And even if the entire family only meant Big Macintosh and Granny Smith, it was really only Big Mac who ended up in the hospital and even then only towards the very end. Applejack's parents were sorely needed to justify this episode, and from the moment it was clear they weren't going to show up, this episode lost all justification for being an Apple Bloom episode (she's had four this season, one more than Fluttershy a main character from the start). It's in the same basic realm as "The Cart Before The Ponies" in that it's not bad, just not very interesting. So I give it a borderline C/C+ putting it above "The Cart Before The Ponies" which was predictable to a fault, but below "P.P.O.V (Pony Point of View)" which sadly seemed to miss the point of the story structure it used and had a conflict resolution that the audience had no way of even remotely guessing.
Maybe things will pick up next week, but it sure doesn't seem likely from where I am. The episode is "Top Bolt" which will air in the U.K. days before it hits U.S. airwaves, it's a TwiDash map mission that sends them to Cloudsdale, in which they find two ponies having a friendship problem and it's preventing them from getting into Wonderbolt Academy. Personally, while TwiDash is a good pairing to explore more in depth, and returning to Wonderbolt Academy could be good if they mention Rainbow Dash being part of them now, two new ponies don't really feel like the proper way to utilize this setting especially if the problem is supposed to be solved by them getting into the academy. Who knows, maybe I'll be plenesently surprised on it like I was with "Buckball Season" and "Viva Las Pegasus". And in any case, looks like we'll be going right into the danger zone.
Honestly, while I too was hoping the episode would delve into what happened to AJ's parents, I'm not really disappointed that that's not what happened, since I consider what we actually DID get to be pretty hilarious.
In fact, because of its comedy, I not only consider this to be in my top ten of the season, but I also consider it to be AJ's best episode of the series.
And it IS an AJ episode.
Apple Bloom was more used as a framing device to lead into the main story than anything else.
Before this episode aired. I've have a feeling that we might see Spoiled Rich again, but not as she was younger.
Oh, this episode isn't even in the same ocean as Cart Before The Ponies (which is still my bottom pick of the season). This episode had an actual story, a conflict that escalates, humor; it built on one of the flaws of Applejack that we know exists but don't see much of; it showed us a period of history that we haven't really seen (albeit not a lot of it, but that's ok too; the story wasn't about that); it has natural continuity with a past episode without retreading old ground; in my opinion it's just quite a solid and enjoyable episode. My only complaints are that they ran the Big Mac joke into the ground, and also that it still doesn't address the time-screw regarding Apple Bloom and the Apple parents - but as a rule, I try not hold it against episodes for things they didn't do.
also it was cute seeing lanky freckly precocious preteen Applejack.
She doesn't look like much of an applebucker at this age though. I wonder when she developed that skill.
4249228 Yeah, like I said before, this episode made the impossible possible, it actually made me feel sorry for Spoiled, what with her unmarried name and all.
4249893 Her name kinda makes sense in a way, do to her sour personally. But if you think about it, it would be sad if you had a name like that.
4250083 If anything, she soured more after marrying Filthy rather than before she married him. I also have to admit it's so weird seeing her without her clothes on, even if it was only in her debut appearance (she had spa towels wrapped around her in "Applejack's 'Day' Off").
I said it once before on another review. It wasn't too bad, but the lack of the points that you mentioned couldn't save this. I thought David Rapp showed great promise after Flutter Brutter, but now I think his place on the writing team is again questionable.
The next episode doesn't sound promising either, considering it will involve Rainbow Dash and the Wonderbolt Academy.
4253748 I don't know if David Rapp or Meghan McCarthy is to blame for this being what it is when there's nothing to indicate it had to be written like this, or if for whatever reason the show is contractly obligated to have so many Apple Bloom episodes no matter what. As it stands, David's out of his league since he previously wrote not for cartoons but for live action crime dramas, that's a huge transition because there are things you can do in live action that aren't possible in animation and vice versa.