Episode Re-Review: The Break Up Break Down · 3:41pm Jun 27th, 2021
Season 8 really went off the rails hard when "Non-Compete Clause" hit the airwaves, and it saw Applejack and Rainbow Dash sink to a low you never would've thought possible while also unintentionally proving the "antagonist" Neighsay right. And now, picking up the pieces was this episode by Nick Confalone that was both the second episode in the Guy's Night trilogy and the second episode in the SugarMac trilogy. But these days, even with the knowledge of what was to come for both trilogies conclusion, most seem to regard this episode as pretty weak. Has it deserved that reputation though? Well, let's find out.
The episode begins with Big Macintosh trying to bake a pie for Sugar Belle in times for Hearts and Hooves Day, but it's taking too long. Fortunately, Spike has a solution in the form of calling on Discord. Although Discord is initially dismayed he's not participating in another Ogres & Oubliettes session, he nevertheless agrees to help. Big Mac is apparently putting a message into the pie to invite Sugar Belle over for a Hearts and Hooves Day celebration. However, Discord takes a rather cynical approach to the whole thing, not unlike Rick Sanchez's views of love.
Spike then opts to make a bet with Discord to prove he's a real softy at heart, and if Spike loses he agrees to clip Discord's toenails. But we'll never see this bet again. Instead, we have a subplot where the ink on Big Mac's package gets smeared and so Derpy returns to Sweet Apple Acres where the CMC think the pie is for a secret admirer of Sweetie Belle's. It would be more interesting if we the audience didn't already know the pie is not for Sweetie and this is all just a misunderstanding. Also, I know it's a kids show but it's weird that they only ask colts. And while this is going on, Spike and Discord eavesedrop on a conversation Sugar Belle is having with Mrs. Cake that ends with her saying "We're finished". Naturally, Spike and Discord assume that means Sugar Belle is breaking up with Big Macintosh and they tell him the news. And Big Mac takes it personally.
Spike then stupidly suggests that Big Mac just hide since as he puts it "Sugar Belle can't break up with you if she can't find you", which even he should know is not something that works. Discord then more or less convinces Big Mac to break up with Sugar Belle before she can do the same to him, after previously showing no concern at all for his friend's lament and claiming only "No one can hurt you if you only ever love yourself."
So Discord teleports Big Mac to Sugar Belle's location, and Big Mac refuses to let Sugar Belle get a word in edgewise before breaking up with her. He's still very upset because of this and lashes out at the CMC when they ask him for advice on figuring out who Sweetie Belle's secret admirer might be. He even claims that he doesn't want to talk because "Maybe he used to talk and all it did was get him into trouble.", a far better explanation for him becoming silent compared to what "Where The Apple Lies" might suggest.
This time, even Discord thinks Big Macintosh has gone too far. And Big Mac then decides he needs to find Sugar Belle and apologize as Discord mysteriously vanishes. Later, a heartbroken Sugar Belle is having wagon trouble when Big Macintosh comes to her rescue. It turns out that of course the conversation Spike overheard was misunderstood, and the outlandish idea Spike suggested earlier was in fact the truth. Sugar Belle is having this "wacky cousin" of hers watch her bakery so she can come to Ponyville and take baking lessons from Mrs. Cake. It really feels weird that between this and "The Perfect Pear", Mrs. Cake has become such a prominent character in the story of the Apple family (and a teacher in her own right) whereas her husband has been inexplicably absent. I know Brian Drummond didn't voice any characters either old or new this season, but I don't know if that explains the complete absence of Mr. Cake. Anyway, Big Macintosh learns Sugar Belle never got his pie and offers to escort her to Sweet Apple Acres for a "Hearts and Hooves Day Surprise".
As for the CMC, they find out that the pie was not meant for Sweetie Belle and she has no secret admirer. So their entire role in this episode was a throwaway plot that went nowhere, and it wasn't even a mystery because we the audience knew the answer.
That night, Spike learns that Discord was the one who broke Sugar Belle's wagon wheel, giving Big Mac a chance to actually catch up to her. And thus Discord reveals that he does indeed care about others and can appreciate love. Then the episode ends with Spike getting ready for another Ogres & Oubliettes session, and apparently crushing on a paper cut-out skeleton.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Quite honestly, it's a waste just like "The Parent Map". This just uses the painful sitcom cliches of "Misunderstanding due to out of context statements" that got old by the time of the first Shrek. Supposedly, this episode is meant to be "Slice of Life" but for "secondary characters", which is a problem when "secondary characters" is a catch all term for the show. I mean, the CMC's subplot feels like it was done solely to fill up time when it could've and should've been its own episode (or even a comic for the Ponyville Mysteries series). And for most of the episode Discord is a real jerk, yet again seeming to regress as a character.
Sugar Belle is reduced to just a plot device that seems to cheapen Big Macintosh's character, making him all mushy and sobby. And Spike seems to be a complete idiot, proposing things he knows won't work. Also, the bet between him and Discord is never brought up again after it is first mentioned. It's like so many ideas for stories were all just hastily jumbled together. Quite honestly, this should've been an episode given to one of the student/young six, ideally Ocellus. Think about it, the atoner for her race on the holiday that probably most reminds her of her race's past. That's a whole lot better than sitcom cliches and a mystery that we the audience already know the answer to. This episode gets a borderline D+/C-, it's just bland, uninteresting and like "The Maud Couple", "Fake It 'Til You Make It", "Grannies Gone Wild" and "The Parent Map" it just seems like the writers were filling up episode slots with generic, unpolished stories when the show used to be so good at taking weak concepts and making them look good. And when we did focus on the school it seemed like we were only seeing it bring out the worst in our established characters.
Well, things should pick up a bit with the next episode in the form of "Molt Down", which seemed to strive to do right what "Dragon Quest" did wrong.
This is the one episode that I've never seen all the way through.
Every time I end up watching it, I always skip the part where Mac breaks up with Sugar Belle because the cliches used are just that painful.
The show's used cliches well before, but this was not one of those cases.
This episode is one that shows just how erratic season 8 is.
I love it as a whole, but it's got some really high highs (Parent Map and some other upcoming episodes among them), but also some really low lows (this episode, and a few others coming up as well)
I don't mind this episodes but not my favorite
Actually, the bet was Spike had to mow Discord's lawn for eternity with a pair of tweezers if he lost.
And yet despite that, he will look like a saint here compared to his other focus episode from this season.
I really don't mind the cliches here I'm gonna be honest. I thought they were used to great comedic effect.
5542830 There's nothing "comedic" about Big Macintosh interrupting Sugar Belle because Discord's logic seems to be "If someone's gonna be a dick to you, be a bigger dick before they can be one to you.", which is absolutely assine logic that makes no sense even for someone like Discord! Break ups suck, but even if the reason behind it is a bad one you gotta take it as best you can!
5542845
It's cringe comedy.
5542849 Emphasis on the cringe. And cringe comedy is not something this show excels at as so many instances can attest.