Mini Re-Reviews: "Winter Wrap Up" & "Call of the Cutie" - Season 1 Episodes 11 & 12 · 10:56pm Nov 30th, 2019
TWILIGHT: "Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up, our song is so iconic that even the show itself referenced it twice in Season 4!"
This episode starts off plainly enough: Twilight rises too early to prepare for her first time at a traditional Ponyville community event, while Spike would rather sleep. They show up to the town sqaure, Mayor Mare kicks off the day with some words of encouragement and everyone goes to work as Twilight tries to figure out where she should help out.
The scene then blacks out in a manner that is somewhat startling, but with enough stillness thereafter to resettle the viewer. Then the music begins, and we are treated to what many would still argue is the crown jewel of Season 1, if not the whole show - the Winter Wrap Up song.
You know, ask any fan of Friendship Is Magic about their love for this show, and there's a pretty good chance the music (the songs, specifically; as much as I appreciate the work on the score done by William Anderson and the others, it's not something most fans pay heed to) will be mentioned. And there is no episode as responsible for that as "Winter Wrap Up", both for the amount of Brony music that there is, excitement over the show's songs, and how they would be used in the future of the show - as loveable and as charming as the Pinkie ditties up to now have been, it's easy to see why the Winter Wrap Up song became the codifier for the series music. Anecdotally, both the song and the episode is often the make-or-break point for new viewers, the spot where they either realise they're fans of the show or decide it's just not for them and move on.
But that song, though: upbeat, catchy, fun, and such an earworm that the show itself referenced it twice later on. It's not just the music either: extra effort was spent on the visuals here (and I don't just mean the cinematography choice of starting in black with spotlights; I mean effort that clearly cost more time), with all the moving extras on screen, effort to make recycled walk and flight cycles less obvious, and tons of clever and effective camera pans and transitions. While I don't know that I could say it's my favourite song of the show (I can't, really, though I'm not sure yet what is), no Best Song list for FiM is complete without Winter Wrap Up.
Oh, there's an episode attached to that 3-minute masterpiece, and it's pretty fantastic too. After the song, it follows an easy enough formula of Twilight trying to help out with the tasks of the rest of the Mane 6, but, in Spike's words: “You are a natural, Twilight. A natural disaster!” Given she's doing it without magic to fit in, it's only when she uses it and goes overboard that she breaks down (though with subtle, nuanced crying and a hilarious exchange with Spike as she hides in a bush) Following that, she notices work's not getting done fast enough and hits on the notion of using her other talent to help - organisation! Following an instrumental reprise of Winter Wrap Up, the event done's on time, Twilight's given a special vest in acknowledgement, and an especially sweet report is sent off to Princess Celestia.
There are many things this episode does other then the song that make it especially great, but you'll forgive me for focusing on just two: other then having a song that defines the series' music very well, the episode kind of does that too, as it does a fantastic job of crystallising what the series is about: friendship, teamwork and finding your place, more so then most episodes if I'm being frank. The nature of this being a proper community event that is fleshed out in detail does a lot to facilitate that direction. In fact, I would almost go as far as to say that Winter Wrap Up would be a great first episode for the series (continuity notwithstanding) except that without the pilot and the other episodes before this one to throw the characters together and get to know them, this episode would ring much weaker, as the character relationships would be pretty nonexistent. Much like "Dragonshy", its placement in the series is pretty perfect, not so early that it's too much, either for the viewers or the characters, but early enough to both win over viewers and so Twilight being her early adorkable self fits. Speaking of which, the arc it follows of Twilight's organisational nature being the key to streamlining things applies too: not only have other episodes highlighted it enough that it fits, but it pops up in small ways throughout, like her freaky-fast material arranging when making a nest for Rarity. Point being, on the character end of things, it's a very well-layered episode.
The other thing is the series' lore; there is probably not another episode in the whole series where the ponies controlling nature is such an integral part of the proceedings (for "Fall Weather Friends", it's only really the second half to which that applies). We've all heard the story about Faust taking one look at early development art of a pony controlling a cloud and decreeing that they were the keeping of nature in their world - and not just the weather, this meant things like the raising and lowering of the sun and the moon too. It's such a fascinating aspect of Equestria that, alas, was emphasised significantly less within just a few seasons, almost ceased altogether to be a thing by the show's last few years. But in this episode, it makes for a unique problem that adds so many nuanced layers to their world, yet without ever getting in the way of the story that's being told - the lore-building never feels like exposition for the sake of plot. Maybe all that doesn't quite explain it, but the point remains that this episode is an excellent example of why the world of Equestria remains so enticing from a fantasy perspective.
So, yeah, even all these years later, Winter Wrap Up remains one of the show's best. About all that seems odd in Fluttershy's explanation of hibernation, which despite being worked around Spike not knowing what it is and his reactions, comes across as a bit too e/i-slot friendly. But this is, for this show, on the razor edge between a 9 and a 9.5. Despite how much I adore Dragonshy personally, I can be fair and give this one the higher score - it's the series first 9.5/10!
APPLE BLOOM: If y'all can tear your eyes away from me for a minute, ye'll notice dat Rainbow Dash over there is this close to being a Naruto cameo in the show.
I think "Call of the Cutie" is actually an even better example then "Dragonshy" as to why Meghan McCarthy was so quick to rise through the ranks of those behind the scenes. Because this is an episode that seems very ordinary and by-the-books when you look at it on paper, but in practice it's so richly-crafted. I'm not a little girl, nor have I ever been one, but it makes for a wonderful parable of the struggles of tween girl social politics (in ways that, though relevant to boys as viewers, wouldn't have the same resonance with viewers of either gender when done with boy characters - our interactions aren't quite the same). Apple Bloom's desperation for a cutie mark is used as an allegory for girls that don't yet have something their peers have - puberty, your first smartphone, and so on - as well as allowing for those of a snobby, mean elite to define one's worth by whether they have these things yet or not. Toss in anxiety and even a little bit about close friends initially united by being on the same side of this divide now not being, and you've got yourself one layered episode.
Helps that this episode's really fun too, full of not only great gags and sequences, from Rainbow's training montage to Apple Bloom being too overenthusiastic of a salespony in the market. Apple Bloom herself is established a bit more strongly as a character here, but her presence and plot relevance in "Bridle Gossip" does wonders to give the viewer a foundation for her. Having acted as the voice of reason there, here we get to see her in her element - or, well, how she reacts when that element is collapsing around her. Being our first episode with the Mane 7 in the background (Fluttershy, Spike & Rarity remain offscreen altogether), it nonetheless does a fantastic job of using them where they fit - AJ's presence is altogether obvious given she Apple Bloom's sister, but the way Twilight is involved in a failed attempt to get Apple Bloom her cutie mark prematurely actually gives a largely-organic reason for Twilight's report at the episode's end when the lesson learned not only didn't involve her but is one she (probably) already knows. There are a few episodes this season that do not do that nearly as well, so it's little surprise the friendship reports were changed up next season to apply for other characters.
Cutie Marks are another huge part of the series' lore, and while not something FiM invented, it's something it runs with. Equestria is a society heavily defined by a person's marked role, so the identity crises that results from being a blank flank would be a big deal (and isn't is so lovely that it wasn't resolved by the end but embraced; double so now that the CMC did, many seasons later, earn their Cutie Marks). Even us adults can relate to that, being that we're still bouncing around trying new things that we may or may not settle with. Cutie Marks are basically a visual representation of purpose, and the series has always done a good job of making episodes out of that, but none perhaps do it as much and as well as this one does.
This is also the episode that first introduces us to Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, and... well, Diamond's just another one of those snobby girlish brats that everyone can hate very easily due to having had someone like that in my youth (Myrtle from Lilo & Stitch and especially Princess Morbucks from Powerpuff Girls are other examples; the latter is an especially good one, also being a show Faust worked on, though I don't think more then one or two Princess episodes were ones she wrote on). By now, she's most well-known for her reformation and being quietly banished from the show thereafter, but for five seasons, there she was, popping up in most CMC episodes and being a main problem or at least a side one. That said, she's written far better then similar "jerk" character would be late in the show's run, and while Silver Spoon has less to her, the little hints that she could be a good person were it not for Diamond Tiara's influence go a long way. They serve their intended character purpose well enough, is all.
Despite being the episode that introduces the CMC, it's kind of startling how little a role Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo play, popping up at the party only once they're needed (having being hiding under the table and mysteriously invisible prior to that. Not only were they absent at school earlier (sans hilarious animation errors, including palette swaps of them that already had Cutie Marks for some reason), but they introduction is a bit abrupt, whatever that it ends up serving the episode fine. Thankfully there's other future Season 1 episodes to get more used to this character dynamic, but by this one alone, the most noteworthy thing about either of them is Sweetie Belle being, well. Squeaky Belle.
"Call of the Cutie" is a pretty great episode all things considered, another Season 1 episode that's better then memory may have you believe. As always, I left many gags unmentioned so as to not spoil them, so rest assured all this layering is integrated into the proceedings exceedingly well (Cheerilee's 80's hairdo and her reaction to it is a good one). An 8.5/10 is the call of the day here.
STRAY OBSERVATIONS
- Of all the ponies, Rarity's moment is the briefest in Winter Wrap Up, though still lengthy enough that she doesn't feel sidelined necessarily.
- Applejack has a moment in "Call of the Cutie" that would, alas, come to define her in many an Apple Bloom episode to come. The moment where she pushed Apple Bloom back inside the party while remaining oblivious to her obvious anxiety is, alas, not something that will reflect well on her similar moments in future episodes, such as pretty much all of "Somepony to Watch Over Me".
- Oh Twist, where did you go? Well, your voice actress moving away has something to do with it, I'm sure.
- Amusingly, the CMC were seen cuddling together in fear when Nightmare Moon made her appearance in Episode 1. A layout artists has owned up to this being a mistake, of course. But it's something that's amusing all the same.
- Also amusingly: the story of Earth Ponies managing Winter Wrap Up without magic initially, and that tradition being kept up for hundreds of years doesn't match with Granny Smith's origin story for Ponyville in Ponyville Appreciation Day a season later. Oddly enough, it's not a bother - sometimes I miss the days when the writers weren't so concerned about making connections between episodes when they didn't have to be made (looking at you, S8/9 and your incessant reminder to remind us when in the timeline you take place).
No "Stray Observations" for "Winter Wrap Up"?
I can't offhand remember whether the magic-induced changing seasons in Canterlot were ever shown on screen.
As you already know, I share that disappointment. "Tanks for the Memories" in S5 is one of the last times it was really a major feature of an episode, beyond perhaps pushing a few clouds around here and there.
All the odder in later context, as in "Sleepless in Ponyville" AJ very clearly understands that Scootaloo is anxious. Mind you, that's a stellar episode in my book, with a great deal to enjoy.
I'm sure you're right -- but I still would have liked just a few words from her before the show ended. Bon Bon managed with multiple VAs in the early years, after all, and we've had two Flutterguys as well.
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Ah, this was the last review post where the Stray Observations for both episodes was at the end, and where I typically wrote it only after writing up on both episodes. It became clear to me after this post that it was a big mistake, as it meant I said very little on the first episode of the pair reviewed here (though there is one “Winter Wrap Up” point above. For every review pairing after this one, I give each review it’s own Stray Observations part, such that now is it just just separate reviews in one post.
The only reason I started doing it that was was because I was following along with the EqD rewatches, but once they started being inconsistent in playing the right episode, I watched them on my own means, though still the same two on the given Saturday. Given that, I could probably split these paired reviews into separate posts... though as I only have four episodes to go after today, I’ll probably hold onto the end of Season 1, I reckon.
I don’t believe the magic-induced changing seasons of Canterlot’s were ever shown onscreen, no. Another crying shame, alas.
Thanks for checking in again, my friend!