Episode Re-Review: Maud Pie · 5:10pm Apr 9th, 2021

Season 4's second half was running the risk of causing Season 4's overall reputation to slide downhill. It seemed like all the creativity and interesting ideas from the first half had dried up and gone away, and what we were getting could never pass for above average at best. The last of the new writers for Season 4 debuted here with Noelle Benvenuti, also a relatively unheard of writer before this. And it was a Pinkie Pie episode, the first such since both "Pinkie Pride" and Pinkie's horribly OOC performance in "Filli Vanilli". Considering that the titular character here became a fan favorite just like Coco Pommel and Cheese Sandwich, this episode must've been doing something right, right? Well, let's find out.

We begin with all of Pinkie's friends (except Spike for no explained reason) being called over to Sugarcube Corner before sunrise. She asks specifically for them to meet her at the back entrance, which leads directly to the loft where she lives. They show up and Pinkie brings them all inside to reveal that she needs them to taste test rock candies. This is because the rock candies are going to be used as special friendship necklaces, and this is because Pinkie is getting a visit from her older sister Maud. Pinkie explains that Maud taught her how to make the necklaces and even found the rocks used on said necklaces. But now Maud is going away to get her rocktorate, so this will be the last time Pinkie will have a chance to see Maud or exchange necklaces for a long time. She also mentions how great her sister is, though she's never mentioned her before. So we've got another Shining Armor on our hands.

Pinkie goes to the train station to pick Maud up, and her friends gather to have a picnic to be with Maud. However, Maud isn't as fast as her younger sister and seems more interested in rocks. She also displays a good deal of literal mindedness when asked about the frock she's wearing. And she reveals that she has a pet she keeps in her pocket, a pet rock named Boulder.

Maud later ends up eating a rock that fell out of Rarity's hat and tumbled into a basket of specially made muffins, and then opts for a variation of hide and seek with Boulder. Except it turns out she "forgot" to take him out of her pocket to hide him. Soon afterward, all the pets (except Gummy) are tired out (even though we didn't see them do much) and Pinkie leads Maud away. I would assume Maud is staying at Sugarcube Corner while in Ponyville, seeing as she ended up doing that the next time she came to town.

The rest of the mane six are put off by how "different" Maud is compared to how Pinkie described her, but Twilight thinks that it might have been because Maud was overwhelmed meeting them all at once and proposes that they spend time one on one with Maud to get to know her better. Rarity tries to see if Maud is interested in fashion but she really isn't (she even wants to use a dirty dishrag as a scarf), Fluttershy takes Maud on a nature walk but Maud only seems interested in the rocks, Twilight tries to see if Maud likes books and Maud reveals that she is somewhat of a poet (again, Spike is completely absent even though this scene is taking place within the Golden Oak Library), Applejack lets Maud help with cider making only to find that Maud crushes the apples with rocks instead of peeling them (she says the cider tastes like apples, and what else is she supposed to say if she's likely never tasted any kind of cider before?), and Rainbow Dash competes in a game to see who can throw something the farthest but Maud says she isn't really into winning. So the one on one bonds are a bust, and the rest of the mane six confront Pinkie about this while Maud is away looking for more rocks. However, during this scene Rainbow Dash doesn't speak up at all and just goes along with the whole group, and prior to this she's spent most of her time complaining. So much like in "Princess Twilight Sparkle Part 2" she kind of comes across as a jerk.

The news comes as a shock to Pinkie, whose mane and tail partially deflate as she shudders and retreats back inside Sugarcube Corner. But the very next scene, after the rest of the mane six wonder if maybe they should've just pretended to be nice (and Rainbow Dash grumbles about not knowing if Maud would've told the truth or not rather than showing any concern for Pinkie's feelings), Pinkie Pie is back to normal because she's come up with something she thinks will bring everyone together as best friends. They probably could've trimmed the scenes with the mane six trying to bond with Maud to fit in something to transition properly to Pinkie coming back to normal and getting her idea. Her idea ends up being a combination of various activities all meshed together like a race, culminating with a literal rock slide. But then Pinkie gets her hoof trapped as a huge boulder on top of the rock pile falls down. Before anyone else has a chance to react, Maud Pie rushes through the obstacle course, destroys the huge rock and sets Pinkie free.

Maud Pie asks Pinkie what she was thinking, giving us an apology scene that "Filli Vanilli" sorely needed (as bad as Pinkie's portrayal was, an acknowledgement from her that she went too far and was sorry would've taken a huge edge off the pain). Maud then decides to go back to the family rock farm to spend the rest of her week before going away for her rocktorate, and Pinkie decides to go with her. The rest of the mane six are left speechless by the display, and it ends up giving Twilight an idea on what they might have in common with Maud. Then we get a pretty heartfelt scene where Pinkie Pie apologizes for putting so much pressure on everyone and shares a hug with Maud, while Maud thanks Pinkie for coming along with her. However, even if Pinkie was pressuring her friends they chose to try and connect with Maud one on one before they concluded that it was impossible. Anyway, the Pie sisters reach the rock farm and find the rest of the mane six waiting for them. It turns out that what they all have in common is their connection to Pinkie Pie, which honestly feels like a stretch. I'm not saying it can't work, but if that's the only thing you have in common with someone it's not enough to make you friends.

After Maud states the obvious about how she doesn't show her expressions outwardly like her sister does, we cut to everyone exchanging rock candy necklaces at the train station. However, Twilight finds out that Maud has been stowing all the necklaces she's gotten away and hasn't eaten any of them. She does this because she doesn't really like candy but still appreciates making and exchanging the necklaces with Pinkie as a result. This is leagues above attempts by "Secrets and Pies" and "The Maud Couple" to suggest that withholding vital information from Pinkie Pie is okay because she won't understand, even though what she values most is the happiness of others.

And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, this episode is again low stakes like "Pinkie Apple Pie", "Simple Ways" and "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" and the characters are what make or break episodes like these. This episode also delves a fair bit into dry humor, which is an accquired taste. If you don't like it I can see this episode boring you quite easily. It may take a rewatch or two to really notice things, particularly the subtle fluctuations in Maud's speaking tone and expressions in contrast to how some of her later appearances played up her stoticness. But in contrast to Shining Armor, who was suddenly established and introduced to us in the midst of a two parter where he wasn't the focus (at least not as the character of focus), Maud Pie is established and given the entire episode to become her own character without anything else to take away from that. And Shining Armor definitely deserved to have something like this, even just a little something on the side or a quick cameo before "A Canterlot Wedding".

However, Spike's unexplained absence even from scenes taking place in the Golden Oak Library is a headscratcher. And it doesn't make Pinkie look good when the episode as a result implies he's not in her circle of friends (I feel like he would love the rock candy necklaces and perhaps would've gotten along the best with Maud). The rest of the mane six are okay, aside from Rainbow Dash who spends the episode as a jerk who keeps complaining about everything. They do try to explain it early on by the fact that she got up early, but when she keeps on doing it even presumably after days of being allowed to sleep in the explanation disappears. The sudden whiplash of Pinkie becoming depressed and then going back to normal can hurt, which would've been easily fixed by trimming the attempted bonding scenes with the rest of the mane six since after a while they get kind of repetitive. But it feels like the episode forces a happy ending, because much like "A Friend in Deed" it doesn't want to tackle the subject that you can't always befriend everyone you meet. If the rest of the mane six were at least shown to be making progress in bonding with Maud but weren't sure it'd be enough to be "best friends" that would be fine, rather than them going from "not even friends" to "bestest of best friends" very suddenly. Maud and Pinkie are definitely the strong parts of this episode, especially when they're just on on their own and it's sad that we wouldn't get something similar for Limestone and Marble Pie despite them being established before Maud. So this episode gets a B. It's not quite flawless and still isn't quite as strong as some of the episodes of Season 4's first half, but it was a much welcome breath of fresh air and a step back in the right direction for quality!

Now, while the next couple of episodes got rearranged in air date, I'm going to be going in production order for them. So up next is "Trade Ya!" which is quite infamous for having some unfortunate implications, perhaps even worse than those seen in "Dragon Quest" or "Spike At Your Service".