The Big Mac Question (Spoilers for American Fans!) · 9:10pm Sep 5th, 2019
Well, this is the only other early review you're getting out of me from the last batch of episodes. I'm waiting to watch the last three episodes when they air in the U.S., for I decided up front not to see the season and series finale early if it should air or be leaked ahead of schedule. And with Episodes 24 and 25 being the season finale and Episode 26 being the series finale, my decision has been made. Anyway, Josh Haber and Michael Vogel teamed up for this episode, and after the last couple of episodes were low key at best Season 9 is in need of a strong episode to keep from falling apart. Haber and Vogel have worked well together in the past and have boasted some pretty good solo writing credentials this season including "Common Ground" and "Frenemies". But were they able to rescue Season 9, or is this another casualty of not knowing when to leave well enough alone? Well, let's find out.
We begin with Discord, Spike, Mrs. Cake, and the CMC all talking in what looks like a bush. They seem to be talking about how everything all went wrong, which harpens back to the interviews after the fact in "The Saddle Row Review".
The episode is told in two connecting stories. The first is Big Mac's intended proposal to Sugar Belle. He picked out a diamond ring but since he's not that good with words he planned to invite her up to Sweet Apple Acres, under the tree overlooking the farm. And he planned to build a replica of the shelf he fixed up for her when they first fell in love. He also has fixed messages to apples to lead Sugar Belle from Sugarcube Corner to the farm. And Spike and Discord are given their own tasks, Spike is to pick up some special orders from Mrs. Cake while Discord is to place the apples where Sugar Belle can see them (even though Discord finds the riddles corny). Hey, at least it's not one of those overly long fetch quests with a ton of back tracking.
When Sugar Belle and the CMC rush past with a pie they fail to notice the apple, so Discord tries to make Sugar Belle notice it while Spike goes to see Mrs. Cake. When Sugar Belle again fails to notice the apple while shopping for flowers, Discord decides to make the apples talk and seems to do what sounds like an R. Lee Ermy impression.
Mrs. Cake is busy baking twenty one different desserts and putting a message into each one, which is quite taxing to her as she can't remember what goes in what or what she added to what and when. Spike tries to speed things up by putting the messages into the desserts all on his own with his fire breath, which burns them all and makes Mrs. Cake quite unhappy.
It only gets worse when the talking apples start running all over Ponyville because Discord didn't specify who they were supposed to talk to. He sends them all back to Sweet Apple Acres and teleports Sugar Belle to Big Mac right as he arrives at Sugarcube Corner. Then the CMC and Granny Smith end up chased by a giant apple monster as everyone argues and shouts at each other.
Then we get the CMC and Mrs. Cake telling their story about Sugar Belle's intended proposal to Big Mac. She decided to use pies and other desserts to lure him to Sugarcube Corner so she could propose to him. The CMC were going to take the pie to Big Mac at Sweet Apple Acres while Sugar Belle went to get flowers to spruce up the place. Mrs. Cake, however, is quite overworked and has trouble keeping up with the orders. I have to wonder why she doesn't call on her husband or Pinkie Pie for help.
The CMC and Sugar Belle plan to leave but see Spike and Discord right outside. So the CMC set off first to distract the guys so Sugar Belle can slip away. The CMC go right to Sweet Apple Acres but don't find Big Mac and Apple Bloom suggests they check in the barn. There they learn about his plan to build a replica of the shelf he built for Sugar Belle, but Apple Bloom says that they should check in the places they least expect to find Big Mac and leave before they can run into him. Scootaloo goes to the bowling alley and messes up a game. Apple Bloom goes to Sweet Feather Sanctuary and disturbs some resting animals. And Sweetie Belle goes to the spa and gets chased out by a screaming mare. So I guess Sunburst isn't the only one who forgets ponies don't normally wear clothes.
Apple Bloom then suggests they just go back to Sweet Apple Acres and stay there, which prompts Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to give her death glares.
They go back to Sweet Apple Acres anyway and find Granny Smith, who recounts a most unusual dream she had about going to space with Grand Pear and Mudbriar. So I guess Pinkie Pie isn't the only one with that kind of fantasy.
But then they end up chased by the giant talking apple monster and somehow lose the pie (we never find out what happened to it. Sweetie Belle has it in her magic when they're at Sweet Apple Acres but not when they arrive at Sugarcube Corner. Did we somehow skip a scene?). And everyone argues and yells at each other as that story ends. Then we learn that Discord sent the apple monster away and Big Mac and Sugar Belle left, which gives everyone else a chance to realize they were working for the same goal without knowing it (once again proving that poor communication kills). Big Mac and Sugar Belle meanwhile stroll through the orchard and stop in front of the joined apple and pear trees. Big Mac expresses his regret that his proposal wasn't perfect like his parents, but Sugar Belle points out that they didn't have it easy either. The two finally confess and propose to each other, and they both accept. Everyone else has accepted their responsibility for the mess and have tried to fix it, but they realize that they really don't need to. However, at the very end of the episode we learn that they've all been telling the story to Applejack (for some reason). And then we get the wedding, which while it has Grand Pear doesn't have Cheerilee or any of the mane six/seven. Sugar Belle's only guests are her three friends from the village (Night Glider, Double Diamond, and Party Favor). And Mayor Mare officiates a very brief ceremony. Hey, at least this one ends without drama like Bright Mac and Pear Butter's.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well it's basically taking aspects of the previous SugarMac episodes and adding in the framing device from "The Saddle Row Review". However, while everyone is mostly in character and the story does the comedy of errors plot nicely, there are a few minor details that get in the way. It feels like some scenes lasted longer than they really needed to while scenes that we probably needed got cut out. For example, we don't know what happened to the pie or why everyone was telling Applejack that story. I have to wonder if there are notes detailing why and how that never got put into the script because of time constraints. The CMC's plot also feels like a little bit of a stretch, particularly with how Apple Bloom keeps misleading them. Apple Bloom may not be as street smart as Scootaloo or as much of a genius ditz as Sweetie Belle but she's not dumb. Granny Smith's inclusion was really weird and out there, it had some good comedy but I really don't see what she contributed as a character (Tabitha St. Germain voices Mrs. Cake too so it's not like Tabitha needed a voice role). I do wish we could've seen more of the wedding, even though I understand that wasn't the focus. It feels kind of like the Equestria Games in that regard, an event that could be used as a backdrop for the season finale that ultimately ends up being its own stand alone thing instead. Still, for the first time since "The Summer Sun Setback" we have an episode that is not only fun to watch but also has an enjoyable plot and character moments (as fun as "She Talks to Angel" is it does follow the "Freaky Friday" body swap story pretty straightforward, and FiM has always shined best when it takes old concepts and puts a new spin on them). So in the end I give this episode a solid A, putting it just below "The Summer Sun Setback" which remains the high point of Season 9's second half for well it showed Twilight's character growth and put an end to her constant Twilighting.
Now, I know that the season finale is next, but again I'm waiting until it hits the U.S. airwaves in October. So come back then for my review of the final two parter of the show "The Ending of the End", a bit of a confusing title.
For me, while this episode is fun, it's one of the more average episodes of the season.
Which, considering the overall quality of most episodes of the season, is still pretty great.
As far as the Guys Night Trio Trilogy (as I've decided to call it) is concerned, this is by far the best episode.
And as far as the Sugar Belle Trilogy goes, this is my second favorite episode, with my number one being Hard to Say Anything.
For me, the best episode of the second half of the season, discounting the last 3 episodes, is Trivial Pursuit, mostly for how insane it is.
5116610 I never noticed that this episode was part of that Guys Night Trilogy. But I have to agree that it's definitely second best in the Sugar Belle Trilogy simply because this one is the culmination of all that's come before it. But I think for the Guys Night Trilogy "Dungeons and Discords" was better even if the actual game wasn't the focus.
5116612
Eh, for me, Dungeons and Discords isn't as enjoyable, mostly because of how dull the second act felt.
At least Big Mac and Sugar Belle are now happily married.
5116730
Caught a peak at the final 3 episodes. Gotta admit, didn't see those twists coming. Will not say what they are to avoid spoilers, but the generation ends in a way I at least find satisifying. Now I wait for the movie and G5...... and that will be a while.
I also found this episode to be very heart warming.
With the remaining three episodes consisting of the two-part final battle followed by an epilogue, this episode certainly has a few final aspects to the overall series.
* The last to have a normal slice of life story.
* The last to have the CMC in a starring role.
* The last to focus on a non-main character.
* The last in which not all of the Mane Six are present.
* The last in which Applejack and Fluttershy have no speaking lines.
* The last in which Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie are absent.
It was a good episode as one of the things I wanted to happen in Season 9 actually happened (Big Mac marrying Sugar Belle). I just wished that Grand Pear had a bigger part in the episode besides the small cameo and being mentioned in Granny's dream. But still, I'm glad that Big Mac and Sugar Belle finally proposed to each other. I also liked that Granny mentioned some of the Star Trek references as the voice actors of Grand Pear and Discord used to be part of Star Trek.
5132609 Oh yeah, I forgot that John De Lancie was Q from Star Trek: The Next Generation which is what Lauren Faust based Discord off of.
Discord's antics were funny, and this episode had a lot of fun bits, such as the Star Trek references and everyone's takes the setbacks. Glad that Big Mac and Sugar Belle got married.