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A JD Review: MLP Special – “The Best Gift Ever” · 3:43pm Oct 29th, 2018
The one where Christmas came early... again. 
Everything is p u d d i n g.
Ho, ho, ho! Happy Halloween! We received a very special Christmas gift from the Great Pumpkin this Holiday Season, Charlie Brown! MLP decided to drop a Hearth's Warming special just in time for Halloween (what is wrong with you Hasbro?). And you know what? It was really good! I didn't think any Hearth's Warming Episode could beat "A Hearth's Warming Tale", but here we are with "The Best Gift Ever", an hour long special for MLP! Let's get started!
We start off with a musical (always appreciated) and the ponies decided to shuffle names around and only get one gift for one pony (like my family does, so that was awesome). Spike wants to trade names in order to get Rarity a gift, Rainbow doesn't know what to get Flutters so Discord helps (with an awesome G.I. Joe reference to boot), Rarity's package to Applejack was mis-delivered thanks to Derpy (hilarious scene by the way), Twilight goes Twilynannas when trying to balance quality time with Shining Armor, Cadance, and Flurry Heart while making Pinkie Pie some pudding, Applejack and Fluttershy stop Flim and Flam from selling Hasbro merchandise, and Pinkie discovers the reindeer (now officially cannon, I expect fan art in the next week).
Such a heart warming Hearth's Warming episode. The ending especially, where everything comes together and Spike gives Rarity her gift in the form of a song (incredibly adorable, especially the kiss 
) was a great touch. Loved the music, the writing, the comedy, pretty much everything about this special. I hope we get more of these in the future, focused specifically on pony holidays.
10/10! What were your thoughts?
By the way, I caught that Elf reference, Hasbro. Clever girl. Also, the Marblemac ship has officially sunk (gotta feel bad for Marble 
).
It was truly a spectacular holiday special. Plus, Discord dressed up as Snake Eyes from G.I. Joe. I love it! AWESOME!!!
There was an actual charlie brown reference in the opening!
I laughed at that Marble scene. And then I felt like an asshole for laughing.
“MLP decided to drop a Hearth's Warming special just in time for Halloween (what is wrong with you Hasbro?).”
I feel like that’s probably Discovery Family fault.
I agree this is my favourite hearts warming special. Just a real nice special with an appearance of all the main characters.
Loved seeing Twilight go nuts and Shining and Cadence getting a bit more character (can we get more of this please?). Flurry was absolutely adorable as a little star.
Loved that Discord actually got to interact with Rainbow since we usually see him interact with Shy, Twi, Spike and Mac. Dash getting annoyed by him and Discord pushing all of her buttons. A lot of fun and Shy giving him a gift was adorable.
Applejack was great being the voice of reason.
Pinkie and the reindeer were good.
I liked Rarity giving the hat to that one pony.
I also really liked that Grand Pear got invited to join. This guy probably had a lot of Heartwarmings filled with regret and could never fully enjoy them. This would be his first heartswarming with his grandkids and is probably the first one he can fully enjoy. Ugh just gets me thinking about it.
This is just a prototype episode for season 9
This was a fun special. Discord was the funniest character and he was surprisingly wholesome.
Also major props to Spike for coming up with a really good song at the last minute.
Not fair, Equestria! You hog the greatest festivities ever for yourself, while we are forced to endure the somewhat boring, hysterical holiday ever before Christmas, Halloween, which you unduly had skipped.
As for those two dinkheaded con vagabonds, you're better off in the dustbowl once the Gauntlet is completed. To quote the mutant with claws:
You lost your money. You keep this up, you’ll lose something else.
This was a very great song, though it almost catches to the charm and glamour of the ones written by Disney, as is other previous songs.
And Hasbro, way to break some ships, you scruffly-looking nerf-herders!
And to supplement that song and the last line by the reindeer, here's a verse taken from the Old Testament:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
ECCLESTIASTES 4:9 - 10
In the name of the Lord, the highest exalted being of the Heavenly Realm, Friendship is Magic, Amen.
Question: Where are you gonna put this special in the timeline of the MCU, surrounding Avengers: Infinity Era?
4959941 So many great moments!
4959964 And an Elf reference, and a Home Alone 2 reference.
4959967 I was just devastated during that scene.
4959993 We need another Grandpear episode.
4959994 Then season 9 started off incredibly.
4960312 Props to Spike!
4960365 This special takes place before Infinity Era.
4960449
Well then you gotta at least make at least a subtle reference to this special one form or another in that story.
If this is before Infinity
Then that is just gonna make things all the more horrible and heartbreaking when the purple grape, aka Thanos, completes the gauntlet.
Marble made me sad
Glad they didn't bring that up again through the episode.