Friendship is Card Games: Yakity-Sax · 11:13am Jul 22nd, 2018
Technically speaking, the hiatus doesn’t end until the start of August, but Discovery Family saw fit to give us a taste of things to come. And it apparently tastes like Seussian bagpipes and bleeding ears. Let’s take it from the top.
Huh. Fluttershy gathering flowers. Shades of “Swarm of the Century.” Especially since it leads to Pinkie playing an instrument.
I do appreciate the use of “chimerae,” but I wouldn’t expect a group of predators to be called a herd. Given how the one we saw in “Somepony to Watch Over Me” seemed to be as alone as a creature with three minds can be, perhaps the herd consists of creatures other than the tiger-goat-snake mix.
I also quite like how it sounds like Pinkie’s trying to recreate a horror movie soundtrack as the suspense builds.
I’m choosing to spell the instrument “euvitaphone.” It’s a nasty case of hybrid etymology, what with the Latin sandwiched between two Greek syllables, but “good life sound” does describe how the yaks view the instrument… though it admiteddly doesn’t answer the question of why a quasi-Mongolian/Siberian society would use Greek or Latin.
Also, the instrument was slated to be called the “Zenithrash” at one point. I can see why they changed it; that sounds more appropriate for something with strings. And possibly an amplifier.
Wow. Rarity sounded about ready to kill something with the “Yes I can.”
To be fair, Twilight, many interactions with you involve the other pony waiting for you to finish talking. 
I would give even odds that the “Applesolutely” was a flub on Tabitha St. Germain’s part that they chose to leave in
I have to wonder how the featherless bird climbed… well, anything, but particularly that gazebo.
That giraffe again… What is the nature of your mind!?
It really is nice to see Dash competing in a Wonderbolt derby. It’s a sign of just what she’s achieved. Now if only security were a little tighter when it came to potential disruptions… though at least it wasn’t a vuvuzela.
That said, credit to High Winds for pushing through the pain.
I’m assuming that that was one of the major races on the Wonderbolt circuit if trophies were awarded… though even so, that still feels pretty darn incestuous for an in-outfit event.
Rarity, the stitching was ruined long before the dress got to that point. Why did you keep making it?
Way to kick your friend in the face, Dash.
So, Pinkie’s been playing for moons… but all this obnoxiousness happened to coincide within the span of a few days, given Fluttershy’s fatigue and the fact that Dash hasn’t even taken off her uniform yet. And there’s the issue of how the montage and this scene could’ve been folded into each other, but that’s a whole other can of worms.
I deeply appreciate Applejack cutting through multiple layers of bullcrap, complete with a nod to “Horse Play.” We’re not going through that again. Though I do have to wonder just what spell Twilight had in mind.
Nice use of Pinkie’s honorary yak horns.
Pinkie’s incredible obsession with her euvitaphone… Well, I’ll get to that at the end. Suffice to say, I have a hypothesis.
Want to pass that buck any more, girls? I think you could get a perpetual motion machine going. Though I can’t honestly blame them; Pinkie is second only to Fluttershy when it comes to the guilt induced by saddening her.
Isn’t that the janitor from Wonderbolts HQ? Maybe this a case of Nurse Joy Syndrome… or just a reuse of preexisting Flash assets.
Why would Spike open with “When’s the last time you say Pinkie Pie?” The real concern here is “Hey, Pinkie’s over there and she’s lost the will to live.”
Ooh, a demonstration of earth pony necromancy. Granted, it’s Pinkie, so it’s unclear how much of this is standard and how much is left-hoofed party magic, but still.
Hi girls. Thanks for that utterly unnecessary bit of just-established news.
Poor Twisty Pop. It seems he only shows up on screen when he can suffer.
This does seem like a reasonable plan. Special talent therapy doesn’t just seem like a great way to help ponies, it’s essentially part of the Crusaders’ job description. Granted, it’s not as good as talking to Pinkie and learning why she loves the euvitasphone so very, very, very much, but still, good plan for any depression short of clinical.
Unfortunately…
Welp, Applejack just failed at basic firearm safety, recreational or otherwise.
It’s honestly disturbing how Pinkie desaturates over the course of the montage. She’s discording herself.
So, is Pinkie Pie Appreciation Day truly official? Like, on Equestrian calendars henceforth official? Will this be known as the Day of Laughter a hundred years from now, when the Bearers are all either memories or alicorns?
Given the lidded eye on Pinkie Pie’s portrait banner, I can’t help but think that this is how I’d picture her funeral.
Gummy is clearly grappling with a philosophical quandary far greater than any equine mind can fathom at the moment. Shouting “Where is Pinkie Pie?” at him will only make him add metaphysical considerations of space and identity to the mix.
Maud’s relationship with Mudbriar has done her interpersonal skills no favors. Though I suspect some of this is deliberate, passive-aggressive obtuseness after the other Bearers crushed Pinkie.
Rarity, repeated denial isn’t becoming. Or funny.
I do love how distressed Twilight looks as she contemplates even the possibility of Pinkie never coming back.
“We’re almost there.” Thank you, Twilight. The giant yak statues weren’t enough of a tipoff.
That shot of the crying yak was honestly amazing.
I see Yakyakistan has become more open to trade since “Not Asking for Anything,” going by those banana splits.
First Yona, now Yigrid. I really hope this isn’t becoming a thing as with griffons.
Speaking of, I’m rather disappointed that Yona wasn’t involved in this episode. It would’ve been a great opportunity to get her to stand out from the rest of the Student Six for a bit, similar to how “Molt Down” handled Smolder. Indeed, she might still act as a tutor for Pinkie after the episode given how poorly the attempts to self-teach are going. (Learn Euvitaphone in Six Days With These Simple Tips! by Yakov Yakovich, Flimflam Publishing Ltd.)
Euvitaphone playing is apparently yak jazz. There’s no wrong way to play as long as you do it with passion.
This doesn’t resolve the whole “actively harmful noise pollution” issue, but I suppose they can figure something out. Maybe have Pinkie do patrols of the Everfree to bolster security, or use her as a disciplinary measure at the School of Friendship… though that might be considered an act of war for non-yak foreign exchange students.
In any case, this one was… odd. And as I said earlier, I have a hypothesis about why:
I think Pinkie is mourning. Or more accurately, she isn’t allowing herself to mourn. I suspect that she took up the euvitaphone as a distraction from her loss and an attempt to cope with it.
Who died? One of her grandmothers. Whether it was Granny Pie or Nana Pinkie*, she was clearly close to both. Losing one, especially without having the chance to say goodbye, would devastate Pinkie. The euvitaphone could be a combination of denial and bargaining. (“I’m not sad. I have my euvitaphone! And maybe if I play well enough…”)
*Presumably Cloudy’s mother, who was possibly named Rose Quartz. To really drive home the Steven Universe reference, she might have been named Pink Diamond before her marriage.
The Kübler-Ross model says that the next stage would be anger, but Pinkie doesn’t do unfocused anger. When she’s mad, she’s mad at someone, and for a clear reason: Applejack for breaking a Pinkie Promise, Cheese Sandwich for upstaging her, Mudbriar for being insufferably nitpicky and not good enough for Maud, and so forth. But here? Here the only viable target is death itself, and that’s a no-go. Thus she goes straight into depression when the bagpipe-shaped dam breaks and releases moons’ worth of repressed grief.
It’s a shaky hypothesis, I know, but it’s the best explanation I can think of. Still, that doesn’t forgive the repetitive writing and torpid pacing, nor the lack of any chase sequences involving a molting Philomena. In any case, hopefully the cards turn out better than Pinkie’s playing.
Day of Laughter 1W
Instant
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
Hoofcraft — If you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns, instead prevent all combat damage that would be dealt by creatures you don’t control this turn.
Who celebrates the celebrators?
Derby Disruption 1W
Instant
Derby Disruption deals X damage divided as you choose among any number of target attacking creatures, where X is the number of attacking creatures as you cast this spell.
Sky Stinger was never allowed on security detail again.
Tragic Misfire 1W
Instant
The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, that damage is dealt to that source’s controller instead.
”Leave the partillery to the professionals.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Exhausted Caretaker 2W
Creature — Pegasus Citizen
Flying
Exhausted Caretaker doesn’t untap during your untap step.
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, untap Exhausted Caretaker.
An ecosystem manager’s work is never done.
3/3
Applesolute Authoritarian 3W
Creature — Pony Soldier
Applesolute Authoritarian’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control.
Applesolute Authoritarian has trample as long as you control a green creature.
”Do not speak to me of strawberries.”
*/*
Pack Up 3U
Instant
Return any number of nonland, nontoken permanents you control to their owners’ hands. Each other player returns that many nonland, nontoken permanents they control to their owners’ hands.
Withering Disdain BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn. Green creatures get an additional -1/-1 until end of turn.
Like any rock farmer, Pinkie was raised to view all plants as weeds.
Nursery Disturbance 1BB
Instant
Destroy all creatures that entered the battlefield this turn.
A bad first impression can lead to Fluttershy never seeing an animal friend again.
Destructive Resonance 2B
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices a creature with the greatest toughness among creatures they control.
”The science is fascinating on a theoretical level, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to see it for myself.”
—Princess Twilight Sparkle
Hollow Soul 2B
Sorcery
Target player discards two cards. That player can’t gain life until your next turn.
”It’s weird. I don’t feel sad. I don’t feel anything.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Increasing Heartbreak 2BB
Sorcery
Creatures target player controls get -2/-2 until end of turn. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, those creatures get -4/-4 until end of turn instead.
Flashback 5BB (You may cast this spell from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Pinkamena in Mourning 2BB
Legendary Planeswalker — Pinkie
+1: Each player discards a card. Each player who can’t loses 2 life.
-2: Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
-7: Exile all cards from target player’s graveyard. That player loses 1 life for each card exiled this way.
4
Cacophonist 3B
Creature — Pony Band
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, you may have target creature get -2/-2 until end of turn.
She takes any request except “Stop.”
3/2
Chimera Pack 4B
Creature — Chimera
Menace
Whenever another creature dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Chimera Pack.
Many young chimerae bicker so much that they can’t effectively hunt, forcing them to become scavengers until they mature.
4/2
Bushel Buster 3RR
Sorcery
Destroy target land. Tap all lands with the same name and controller as that land. They don’t untap during that player’s next untap step.
”At least the vampire fruit bats ate them. This is just a waste.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
Yakyakistani Maestro 2GG
Creature — Ox Band
Finale — Whenever you sacrifice a Song, double the number of each kind of counter on target nonplaneswalker permanent.
Even yaks appreciate elegance. They just appreciate it in large doses.
2/4
Journey to Yakyakistan 4G
Snow Sorcery
Search your library for up to two basic land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Then untap all snow lands you control.
Brave the frozen tundra and you’ll discover a strange sort of paradise.
Object of Obsession 4
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice two permanents.
You have hexproof.
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you.
Wish for a life free of distractions and watch it come to pass.
Pinkie’s Herald W(br)
Creature — Crocodile
When Pinkie’s Herald enters the battlefield, you may discard a card. If you do, search your library for a planeswalker card and reveal it. If it’s a Pinkie, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library. Otherwise, shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
2/1
Cut the Crabapples GUU
Instant
Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered ability. If an ability of a noncreature permanent is countered this way, destroy that permanent. (Mana abilities can’t be targeted.)
“Oh no. We’re not going through that again.”
—Applejack, Bearer of Honesty
The mourning theory is doing a lot of work for this episode, so much so that it falls into full-on fixfic.
There were some problems with this episode, to put it gently.
I honestly don't think you need to come up with some kind of external, unspoken, emotional impetus for the story. It works taken at face value, at least with the caveat that this is Pinkie Pie and the girl doesn't do half measures emotionally. People get passionate about something, get really enthusiastic until the realization that they aren't up to the task, oftentimes people around them will sell them defeatism because it's convenient for the seller in some way, and in end you're left with a depressed enthusiast. That's what this episode was about. I've been through similar cycles in my life with my parents basically constantly putting down my interests/hobbies/hopes and dreams/principles because they were inconvenient for making them money. I've also hit brick walls were I've realized I'm not as good at something as I want to be, and the frustration and despair can make me pretty kooky too. What Pinkie went through, while extreme because, well, Pinkie, and artistic license, was a pretty spot on take on a pretty common phenomena I've seen people go through.
I'm inclined to consider it earth pony necromancy, but admittedly we haven't seen any other earth ponies demonstrate this type of magic in the show.
There's Prince Rutherford, but it's possible that only royalty get special non-Y names. And yeah, why would you introduce a new yak character and not include her in a yak-related episode? It feels more and more like the writers wanted to change the status quo at the beginning of the season, but then they didn't follow through and instead starting using scripts that could just as easily have taken place in earlier seasons. Granted, I still haven't watched all the S8 episodes thus far, but that's the impression I get.
Your theory about Pinkie losing her grandma makes sense for her character, but that interpretation undercuts the lesson the episode was trying to convey about doing what you love even if you're not good at it . . . Although this message is already muddled in the original version. If nothing else, it dispels some of the criticism that cutie marks overpower a pony's free will by forcing them to do what they're talented at.
I'm inclined to think that this episode is about the creative process rather than about the importance of respecting your friend's feelings. Unfortunately this episode is just... not good, in general. The actual lesson clearly should have been that no matter how much you love doing a thing, you're not going to get better at it if you have no clue what you're doing, so find a qualified tutor.
I've tried learning instruments both ways. I made more progress from one hour with a flute instructor than I did in two years of trying on my own and watching tutorials on youtube.
In Soviet Yakyakistan, polka songs parody you!
Could be worse. Pinkie could have taken up the gaffophone...
d3kl303i68us18.cloudfront.net/image/24443/og/tragawdoukoutrrr-ode-to-the-gaffophone.jpg
Wow, Pinkie going through a mourning period? That honestly would have made the episode better and made her come off as less bratty and selfish than the actual episode does. Because her denial game does tend to be pretty strong, and people are irrational when it comes to loss.
But seriously, going Pinkamena over a stupid instrument? She didn't even do that when Cheese upstaged her at partying or anything involving Maud that made her sad, so what makes those giant bagpipes so special? Sheesh, I've known preschoolers less petty!
So, yeah... saying I'm not a fan of this episode is putting it lightly.
Object of Obsession is a card I'd totally build around. Off the top of my head, curving it into Assemble the Legion seems pretty darn good against any deck without a Naturalize effect.
This was one of those... well, it wasn't quite "cucumber sandwhich sea monster" absurdist, but, for the first half, the characters seemed.... "less real", in the sense that their reactions to the situation just... didn't feel realistic, didn't match my internal mental model of how the mane 6 should act here. Was shaping up to be pretty standard formulaic, which doesn't make sense after seven years of friendship lessons, almost like the writers performed a "factory reset" on the Mane6.
It picked up in the second half, which saved the episode somewhat. Still left me conflicted - I never really quite noticed the whole "the new episodes are bad, MLP used to be great, now it isn't" argument until it got pointed out to me, mainly due to my focus lying on the fanfiction based off of rather than the episodes themselves, but I'm starting to see how people are coming to that conclusion.
I imagine Twilight's spell would probably have been a selectively targeted silencing spell on the instrument so Pinkie could've still heard it but nopony else could've, which would probably have lead to ponies trying to pretend they "enjoyed" Pinkie's performance being unable to distinguish her playing, or her just putting the thing to her lips and not producing any sound at all due to some clogged pipe --- and then applauding the thoroughly baffled Pinkie for a performance of silence, which would've shattered the illusion.
Oh. Ooooooh. Now that suddenly adds a whole different layer to the episode.
Suddenly, everything makes sense now.
This is why I love fanficion.
I imagine part of the episode portrayed from Pinkie's view might be interesting. She's the kind of pony who wouldn't want to upset her friends with bad personal news. So instead, she's playing a silly new instrument - and then that's taken away from her.
Or from Maud's view, who knows the reason behind Pinkie's sudden
vuvuzelaeuvitaphone-obsession. Maud did seem quite strongly upset with the Mane 6. Though I suspect Maud respecting Pinkie's wish not to tell her friends about the death in the family.PS: In case you didn't hear, there is an episode leak scheduled for next week (July 29th, 8:25am Australian Eastern Standard time). Australia's airing the "true" episode s8e14 a week early, at least this time we have a warning and DiscoveryFamily will catch up to their schedule when they officially end the hiatus with two episodes a week after.
(Although... since DiscoveryFamily is apparently planning to show some episodes in a different order than the original list-order - which happened in earlier seasons all the time, we just didn't take notice since the entire episode-list hadn't been leaked before the season even started - I suspect there could be somes instance(s) where Australia might show an episode before the US does... hmmm....
)
EDIT: Episode "16" will air in Australia 6 days before it does in the US, on August 5th
Yeah, I'm in the camp that didn't like this episode. Your mourning theory is really quite clever and does a lot to salvage the story, but it doesn't change the fact that the episode itself was badly written.
Mourning? Ohhhh, I LIKE THAT!
Pinkie Pie has always struck me a bit as the Girl With A Broken Smile.
With your headcanon there's a bit of room for a fic in which she breaks open her grief to Applejack, who has been there with her parents and stares senility in the face every day.
Also thanks to you, my far-flung Equestrian future fic has a new holiday.
I'd say the most interesting part for me was seeing Pinkamena again. Note to self: NEVER make Pinkie depressed, lest she become a Walking Wasteland. Wilts flowers with her mere presence? Yeah, earth ponies are definitely overpowered.
I do like your theory of Pinkie grieving for a dead relative, and it certainly paints the episode in a new light. Still, this episode is one of the weakest of the season so far. I don't hate it, it did entertain me at points, but overall it wasn't great.
For Destructive Resonance, SEEING it is fine, and even entertaining! The issue is when you have to hear it.
4905643
Completely agree. An obsession with mastering a creative pursuit would most definitely apply for Pinkie, whose mastered playing 10 instruments at once. Though it went a bit in a different direction by the second half, where it emphasized the source of love and hurt was for the euvitaphone specifically, not dealing with failure. I still found that interesting for how much Pinkie has integrated herself with the Yaks. Another nuance someone brought up on Derpibooru is how Pinkie started out just playing in the forest. Since when does Pinkie EVER try to keep something under wraps? She must have been really self-conscious, demonstrating great care for either her friends, or her craft. Not surprising, given all the effort she's put into her party cave.
FanOfMostEverything compared the euvitaphone to Yak jazz, and I'd honestly never thought of that because I'm not familiar with the soul of music scenes, just the mechanical differentiation. When Pinkie laid out her upbeat, disjointed tune for all the Yaks to hear, and they liked it, I thought THAT was the start of euvitaphone jazz. Or perhaps they interpret Pinkie's playing as an awesome trap remix.
4905647
Massive props to this episode for showing us a different side of the Yaks. It points out how obnoxious they can conduct themselves, but that entire scene in the bar shows the informal, raw emotion they carry with them. It was so revealing I didn't even mind Yona not being in here. I suppose she could have easily delivered the same expository content as Twilight. Although I suspect that there's something gained by having Twilight give the cut-and-dry explanation without any of the nuance or insight a yak would bring.
All in all the humor was really on point this entire episode, with things like Fluttershy's intro, the Yak barflies, everyone giving into the madness of Gummy, and Daisy's "I'm so done" face. With how hungry we are for shipping in this fandom, I'm shocked no one's bringing up "Apple-solutely," or how pleased AJ is that Rarity is picking up on her silly sayings. (With the last EQG special, the Rarijack fans should be swarming right now). What really impressed me was how they were able to go above and beyond the sacrosanct Rule of Three, with both gags of Pinkie's lousy instrument playing, her glumness warping the world around her, and the attempts of Mane Four-out-of-Six trying to cheer her up. (Also I really liked Rarity's denial stacked on denial so FIGHT ME FanOfMostEverything!)
I have no clue where people anyone is getting the subtext of mourning. Maybe I wasn't even looking for that for how much I enjoyed this episode.
Cut the Crabapples may be the most insane card ever. Absolute devastation.
4905698
You should check out the image of the card on Derpibooru, the comment section keeps getting hit by potential breaks.
There's cultural dissonance for you. I had to go back and rewatch that scene to work out what you were talking about there! Though the way Twilight sometimes behaves with her horn-lasers, I'm not sure comprehensive firearm safety is even a concept in Equestria...
I'm in the camp that greatly enjoyed "Traditional Pony", also greatly enjoys "Modern Pony", thinks S8 has mostly been good-or-better, quite liked the old-fashioned nature of this episode, but hated the moral. I suspect that's quite a small camp. :P
So much in this episode that I just did not care about. It started with Fluttershy explaining the joke in the intro segment, and it just went downhill from there. :|
Pinkie takes her honorary Yak status very seriously, it looks like. And I'm drawn between CheesePie and PinkieFord.
The woes of shipping...
I just thought about another reason why Pinkie is so obsessed with the yovidaphone.
Playing it is meant to be an expression of joy. It's not about passion in general, it's about happiness. Maybe it was her Element side that brought her to the yovidaphone, even if she had no idea why.
Something that bothered me the whole episode: why did none of them ever thought of getting Pinkie a teacher? I mean, that's was my first thought when they decided that she should practice more. And when they decided that she wouldn't get any better.
On a completely different note: I didn't think Pinkie was that bad. Her playing was quite nice in certain parts.