Retrospective Review: Hearth's Warming Eve and Family Appreciation Day · 6:03am May 19th, 2021
(There's a difference between the episode order in the Wiki and on iTunes, so I'll use the Wiki order here.)
S2E11 Hearth's Warming Eve
It's a Christmas episode. When I was young, it was pretty common for Saturday morning cartoons to have a Christmas episode some week in December. (Which would be horribly out of place when it was rerun in April.) Obviously, the ponies don't have Christmas, but the secular trappings of the holidays makes it clear that's what it is.
The best part of the episode is how the writers don't force the story to resemble a classic tale like A Christmas Carol (or worse, a Nativity play), but instead created a tale that fits as a foundational myth for pony society.
Take the worst elements of the characters of Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, make them the entire character, and you get Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Chancellor Puddinghead. That may not be what the historical figures were like, but it's good for the play.
The story involves the wholesale relocation of the three tribes, but we basically only see the six main characters through most of it, including the entire scene in Equestria. This story clearly needs the CGI of modern day movies to show all of the ponies.
I especially love that, no matter the tribe, all ponies hate their bosses/political leaders, and Equestria is forged by this shared commiseration over bad bosses/leaders.
There's one huge issue with this episode, and it's the same one as Dragonshy. The Mane Six shouldn't be the stars here. The Canterlot pageant is the most important production of the most important play in all of Equestria, so Princess Celestia gives the job to six rank amateurs, because reasons. But they're the stars of the show, so that's why we see them in the play.
Overall, a great episode, with fantastic world-building, and given the series finale, an important episode to watch.
S2E12 Family Appreciation Day
This episode features a common trope in children's entertainment, one all children can relate to--children being embarrassed by their parents/relatives. By focusing on the younger characters, the common trope fits the world without feeling forced.
That's one ratty broom.
I have a huge problem with the way Diamond Tiara acts while in the presence of Filthy Rich. It's required for setting up the conflict in the episode, but in reality, Filthy Rich needs to smack some sense into his daughter. "This is our family's oldest and most important business partner, and this product is literally what put Barnyard Bargains on the map and is to this day a major source of revenue, so show some damn respect!"
Granny Smith does the things she does because the strange chaos magic of the zap apples demands it, but she could still act in less embarrassing ways in several instances. I feel for Apple Bloom.
This episode features the first "What are you, a dictionary?", said to Apple Bloom, but to the fans, it's Sweetie Belle who gets the reputation for being a dictionary.
I like the Weekend at Bernie's feel of the Cutie Mark Crusaders trying to fool Miss Cheerilee.
Highlight of Granny Smith's story: her mother scowling at her father as he kissed Princess Celestia's hoof. It's the distracted boyfriend meme years before it happened!
Good for Filthy Rich for finally telling Diamond Tiara to shape up at the end of the episode.
I like the episode for its world-building, though ultimately it's not very important to the series. The element introduced here that is most important for future episodes is the timber wolves. (And where would scores of human in Equestria protagonists be if they didn't have timber wolves to welcome them to Equestria?) The episode has a lesser version of the problem seen in episodes like Sweet and Elite, where people are forgetting about the incredible deeds performed by others. Forgetting that Granny Smith was one of the founders of Ponyville is something like living in the same town as Neil Armstrong and forgetting that he was the first man to walk on the moon.
Bonus picture for FanOfMostEverything:
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Which explains why they stuck with a good one for a thousand years even if she ruins the occasional ball. Or insists on cronyism when casting the biggest Hearth's Warming pageant of the year.
(Actually, given how Celestia apparently loves the theater, she probably considers this one of the greatest rewards she could offer.)
I got the impression that it wasn't forgetting so much as never knowing in the first place. Which is a further indictment on Filthy Rich's parenting and the Apples maintaining knowledge of the family history. Though in the latter case, we know Granny's hiding the full truth about their parents. Who knows what else they'd need to ask Goldie Delicious to learn?
And remember, Pegasopolitan plate will keep you from shattering, but it won't do much else against being frozen solid.
These episodes have always been of a kind in my head ever since they came out: Fantastic stories of the history of Equestria wrapped up in boring episodes. <.< I'm really not sure how that happens, but I could never be excited about either one of them.
Filthy Rich's behavior toward Diamond Tiara in the early seasons really makes the most sense if he's a single parent. Another reason why her reformation was handled poorly.
5521379
I always saw Filthy Rich as a single father who couldn't devote enough time to his daughter, which explained both her behavior and his excusing her behavior. I wish Spoiled Rich had never been introduced.
Manticores. No really, if you look at the old HiE it was manticores.
5521380
Because the alternative is just that he sucks as a person.
I really think the later-season writers just wanted him to be an evil businessman. (See also Legend of Everfree.) Which, let's be fair, businesspeople being depicted as evil is good and proper, but it's also lazy. Him being the Last Honest Businesspony of Ponyville was far more interesting for a minor character. And trying to juggle his family's legacy with also caring for his daughter, clearly spoiling her out an abundance of desire to love her with no idea of how best to do it and no time to devote to figuring it out, well, that's how you get a little shithead playground bully.
5521389
It is far more appropriate for the world of My Little Pony to show businessmen (and princesses, and mayors, and teachers,, and everyone) as good. It's something to aspire to, if we all lived in harmony.
5521393
But not fashion designers, they're all terrible parasites. :V
5521495 Any exception must truly be a Rarity!