Deconstructing is Magic: A My Little Pony Retrospective (S1E3)

Grrrrrrrrrreetings, friends! It is I, Mystic Mind, once again for my continued review and analysis of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, seeing how the show evolved and changed over the years to become an animation juggernaut, defining the 2010s era of animation. Today, we are tackling the first Slice of Life episode of season 1, being "Ticket Master". No, not the price-gauging concert ticket website, but the fued over who gets to attend the Grand Galloping Gala!

So, without wasting any more time, let's get into it! I am the Mage of Mind, reminding you, as always that even a cheeseburger can be deconstructed to its source.

When Twilight is given two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala, a rather exclusive, high-class ball which everypony wants in on! But Twilight must make the agonising choice. Besides herself, she can only bring one other pony, and all of her friends have different reasons for going!

This episode sets a president for much of Season 1 going forward. Every member of the Mane Six acts in a much more selfish manner than they would in later seasons, as one would expect that they all have a ways to go before they build their bonds with each other. Though this isn't to say that all their reasons are entirely selfish, just mostly so. Applejack, for example, wants to set up shop for apple-related catering, making enough money to do up the farm, and give Granny Smith a hip replacement!

(Man, Capitalist Healthcare sucks, even in the magical land of Equestria.

I mentioned last episode that Friendship is Magic is a feminist show, in the sense that it highlights how there are many ways to express femininity, beyond stereotypical gender roles. Well, this episode builds on that idea more. A common misconception people have with third wave feminism, is that it seeks to destroy traditional gender roles or family units, when nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, our philosophy is one of expansion, not destruction.

It's perfectly fine to love dresses and want to find love, just as it's fine to love parties and games. All of these reasons are equally valid, and no one second guesses a character's gender for having different priorities. It makes each character distinct, re-emphasising some of their central ideals that were set up in the first two episodes.

(Spike speaks for many of us, prior to becoming bronies.)

Spike represents the antithesis of this idea, outwardly insisting on old, worn-out gender roles that expects boys to not just reject "girly" stuff, but to be outright disgusted by it. Applejack reprimands spike for this, and we also see that Spike is largely putting on a front, in this case. Being one of the only main male protagonists in the show so far, he is the surrogate for potential young boys in the audience, incidentally doing the same for many of us. His desire to hide his feminine desire to go to the Gala is not what makes his behaviour bad, in this situation. But rather, it's his framing that femininity is gross.

Spike also shows one of his better traits in this episode. He helps to keep Twilight grounded, supporting her and helping to reel in her neuroticism when she's getting lost in her own head. I relate to Twilight on this matter. When you're in a bad headspace, it's easy to get carried away and think that everything is made to specifically hurt you. Having a friend to help you keep a reality check, while also empathising with your situation, is invaluable for those on the autism spectrum.

(Yeah, Twilight. No need to be such a Karen!)

As with the various shades of femininity, none of the specific reasons for wanting to attend the gala are bad, in of themselves. The episode does well to give them all a subjective weight, which makes Twilight's decision ever harder. It invites the viewer to put themselves in Twilight's (horse)shoes, helping kids to understand how many different ways an event can be important to someone.

My primary criticism is, as with the previous two, relatively minor, but perhaps carries more weight, as well. The episode is creative with all the different "favours" the mane six try to earn Twilight's favour, but in that respect, it follows a formula which doesn't do each individual character justice. Yes, the methods of each favour is absolutely distinct. But the fact that they all had the same, basic idea, and all come to see their error at the same time is perhaps a bit overly-reliant on plot convenience.

(YOU NO TAKE SANDVICH!)

This demonstrates how the earlier seasons hadn't quite distinguished themselves from other kids shows that came before them. Not to say that they completely lack originality, but there are some well-worn story beats in these early episodes compared to those later down the line. Even so, this doesn't make the format bad, it just shows there was more potential for growth to come.

What I enjoyed most about this episode is the use of comedy. From classic TV intro references, to a full-on Benny Hill chase montage, the early episodes of FiM excel in the usage of physical and visual comedy to amplify the excellent character writing. It's a shame Spike often becomes the butt of most slapstick comedy, but there will be more of that to go around for Twilight in later episodes!

(Spike in particular is an expert at getting naked quickly.)

Conclusion

"The Ticket Master" is an example of early-instalment weirdness for FiM. It lays the groundwork for slice of life stories to come, while also adding on to both the worldbuilding and character depth. While the plot is a little formulaic, and we don't learn a whole not new about the Mane Six, we do still get an excellent illustration of the show's feminist values. Add to that some creative comedic influences, and you have an episode which, while not outstanding, still sets the bar high going forward. This episode gets a 7/10.

What did you think of The Ticket Master? How do you think it holds up after all these seasons? Feel free to comment below, and I shall see you next time!