Points of Canon: S2x24 - MMMystery on the Friendship Express · 2:26pm Aug 20th, 2017
Probably, one of the silliest episodes of the season. And yet, I have a good theory…
- “Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness” Alliterative atrocities abound across the animation. Notably, I’m not sure all these ingredients go together that well, because meringue is solid and brittle, while mascarpone is very soft. Very difficult to eat that kind of cake neatly.
- “National Dessert Competition” is a thing. Notice the word “National.”
- Big Mac has been shown to be able to deal with weights of multiple metric tons easily. This cake can’t weigh more than about 200kg, so why is it so difficult to haul it? Did they hurt his back while loading it or something?
- In our world, the light on Pinkie’s helmet would have to be yellow, rather than pink.
- Cake transportation involves blocking the street and a small cheering crowd. Which, notably, includes Bon-Bon.
- “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, a little pegassistance?” Damn, it took me years to finally figure out what she said.
- Twilight is reading outside for a change. Which is rather uncharacteristic for her and is not commonly seen.
- I question the usefulness of the trampoline for catching the cake in the event it does tip over.
- Getting the cake into the car involves taking the wall of the car down. When reattaching it, Big Mac is using a hammer and holding it in his teeth.
- “Thank you for inviting us all to go with you to Canterlot for the National Dessert Competition.” And seeing how pretty much none of them were present for the start of the process except Applejack, this invitation had to have been spontaneous, issued during the transportation.
- Gustave Le Grand, as I pointed out previously, is the only griffon with speaking lines who is not associated with Griffonstone, and he speaks with a pronounced French accent.
- “Donut Joe! What are you doing in Ponyville?” This establishes that Twilight does not normally see Joe in Ponyville, even though secondary canon tries to blur the line later on.
- “And with these super-sprinkles, my donuts are going to dunk all the other lousy desserts, steal first prize, and make my donut shop famous forever!” Notably, Joe is a Canterlot resident, as Twilight just established. Which means that it would be far more rational for him to just go pick up his super-sprinkles in Ponyville – if they are indeed only available from Ponyville – and leave his donuts at home. For one possible explanation as to why he didn’t, see Conversation 14 of Aporia. It’s pretty readable standalone.
- This episode is the first time we see that portrait of a distinguished elderly earth pony in epaulets. Notably, I think this is the only case in the primary and secondary canon where medals are not worn on a ribbon around the neck, but are, rather, pinned on a ribbon worn across the chest. The particularly bizarre thing about this guy is that the next time his portrait appears is within the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters – so he has to be a pre-classical character.
- The events occur in a unique car with individual sleeping compartments. As well as on an otherwise unique overnight train to Canterlot. There are several potential explanations why this route exists and they all kinda suck.
- “I know for super sure that ‘MMMM’ is the best dessert in all of Equestria, and I know that they know it too. … So… one of them is going to sabotage the Cakes’ cake tonight!” Remember this line, I’m going to use this in an argument.
- This particular train has enclosed connections between cars, which most other trains do not.
- The caboose is a bit strange: It has a wood stove in the corner, next to a sink and mirror. You’d think this wouldn’t be the only part of the train with a stove, if they need to heat it – it doesn’t look like it would be very suitable for cooking. It also has a single fork and a single spoon for some reason…
- Animation error or temporal slip-up: When Pinkie sees the first saboteur, the éclairs and Donutopia are already damaged, but return to pristine state when she returns.
1. Could be sugar, to be honest.
This particular train, at least, runs on coal, or a similar chunky fuel.1
“Well, having read many mystery novels, I know that the only way to discover the culprit is to investigate.”
- Ponies have mystery novels. Not a given.
- Twilight reads large amounts of fiction, not just Daring Do.
- Once again, that bubble pipe. Notably, Pinkie refills it with fluid immediately after donning her deerstalker cap, and spits out the bottle.
- The first of Pinkie stories depicts Gustave in a very specific archetypal mustache twirling movie villain role from silent film. Which I think is a dead unicorn trope, really, but it’s important that it’s a dead unicorn trope for ponies as well, if so. See Owl’s Well That Ends Well
- Pinkie clears Gustave when presented with teeth marks. Griffons are occasionally drawn with teeth inside their beaks, however…
2. Other stuff Con Mane uses is far more plausible given what else we’ve seen in pony hooves.
The Con Mane story implies that ponies have spy fiction, if not spy reality, which makes use of fantastic gadgetry that they cannot yet actually produce – like wristwatches capable of receiving images, and possibly, laser tripwires that can cut cake.2
- The Mulia Mild story presents an example of fiction that only works as an action movie or a comic book, and involves the use of a ninja outfit and a sword held with hooves. Which is, at the very least, an example certifying that it is believable that a mule can hold things in their hooves just like ponies often do.
- “So why did this criminal devour the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness while leaving this trio of tasty treats untouched?” Remember this phrase as well, I’m going to use it for an argument.
- Twilight wipes the pipe before putting it in her mouth, squashing the dreams of shippers everywhere.
- Twilight is using a singular saddlebag in this scene – unbalanced.
- Limits of cartoon resolution: We see Twilight manipulate the envelope and put the clue inside, but we don’t see the actual clue. The only clue out of three that is readily visible is Rarity’s eyelash.
- “By Jove, I think I’ve got it.” So, who’s Jove? Actually, considering all the Greco-Roman ties pony culture has, it might be the actual Jupiter.
- “I bet you’re wondering why you’re all here again.” “She’s good!” This is a formula in pony literature too.
- This is one rare case of a pegasus losing a feather.
- “That pink hair came from your rainbow-colored mane!” “I don’t have pink in my mane, Pinkie!” Remember that argument that ponies are not actually as colorful as we see them on screen, and these colors either represent something else, or are merely a visual device for us? Scenes like these – this one is not unique at all – force us to also assume a very thick translation lens to accommodate them, if we believe that, which is why I don’t. Rainbow really has a mane with six colors in it.
- Pinkie concludes the episode with a Lesson Zero-pattern report to Celestia. However, this one is weird: She narrates it, uses the word “today” to refer to this particular day, and yet, concludes it with a line spoken directly to Celestia as if she could hear the narration, when she obviously couldn’t. I’m not sure this report was ever actually sent at all, at least.
Anyway, speaking of arguments and theory… One criticism commonly leveled at this episode is that the behavior of the bakers is ridiculous and childish, and while the Mane 6 can be excused in one way or another for not treating the contest as more than an excuse for gluttony, the bakers cannot be.
However, consider yourself in their position:
- You were on the same train with one of the contest entries, who was reputed as a serious contender for the first prize.
- Your own entry remained untouched.
- Despite being the only entry under guard, all of the culprits who chose to take a bite picked this one, and you still don’t know who it was…
The reputation losses on this becoming a news story could be enormous even if law doesn’t get involved, even if the bakers are not directly accused – while dessert business in Equestria is obviously quite competitive. Ensuring that all other entries are likewise half-eaten effectively prevents this reputation loss, even though it costs a potential victory at the contest – but while the potential victory is chancy business, reputation loss would be certain. So the bakers take one look at each other, put two and two together, and dig in with an unspoken agreement.
And that’s why the idea of submitting a joint entry as a team is met with relief and unanimously supported.
P.S. Abstract thought: So why isn’t Princess Twilight using her own feathers for quills?…
Yes, but she didn't clear him because of biology. She cleared him because the damage to the cake wasn't done with a circular saw. Pinkie Logic at its finest.
I've never heard that argument before, actually. And I concur with you; there's way too much evidence against it.
I've honestly never had a problem with the other bakers consuming one another's entries, but I do like your theory for why they did so.
Probably because she knows she'd pluck herself bald within a week. I suspect some combination of Spike, Dash, and Fluttershy made sure she didn't give in to temptation during her first weeks with wings. And maybe Davenport along with him; got to keep that customer base secure.
Alternately, alicorn feathers have very unusual qualities when used as quills. Not like we've seen any of the others use available resources. There may be a story there...
4641710
Check, for example, WufflyTime presenting a variation in comments for my post regarding Triple Threat. I’ve seen several takes on it in multiple stories as well, the idea is not unique.
And now you have to write it. :)
The biggest mystery for me: Why does the episode title have three M’s, while the cake at the center of the mystery has four?
4641976
Because there’s not enough madness in the episode.
Gross strength does not correlate to balancing things. Though, if it could (allegedly) survive a train ride…
*inspects* yeah I think he has to be injured here.
She does it when practicing spells, though.
Perhaps for the same reason that some humans view drinking human milk as weird.
Very nice.
4641976 Because the "mmm mmm" onomatopoetic expression has three.
Aha! It's the planet Jupiter, which has certain magical properties, and is one of the Stars that Will Set Her Free!
I love how this goes from gluttony to collusion at the end.
I've heard fan theories about how angry the Cakes were at the Mane 6 for stealing bites. But I always thought that Pinkie should share more blame. Given her weird powers, it's not surprising that everyone succumbs to thievery after her savory descriptions.
Theres' also the fact that the Cakes may or may not have won that competition on their own, but they definitely won when the dessert was combined, and I suspect that they got a bit of a "harmony boost" to their scores, because otherwise the judge would have been rejecting the dessert made by ponies, mules and griffons working together in harmony. And who wants that headache?
Alliterative atrocities abound across all animation. FiM's foibles fit the form fine, frankly.