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| "Whaddayamean, ya never heard of batway surfin'?" |
Written by Cindy Morrow
22 Dec 2012
My original rating: 5/10 (=★★)
IMDb score: 7.1
The one with firelighter Spike
Thoughts: Surprise afternoon episode review! Back when I first reviewed this, I didn't think much of "Raise This Barn". My opinion of that song has improved quite a bit since, but what about the episode as a whole? Well, that has too. I still wouldn't put this in the same class as "Sleepless in Ponyville", but these days I find its down-home feel comforting in the way I do much of S1. Applejack also gets a proper letter to Celestia after her amusing get-out last season, and the moral she finds in the Reunion's events is one that I think has a lot of resonance for many of us in 2020 looking forward to seeing our family and friends again. There are some nice little touches – the fruit bats, baby Applejack, and of course the shooting stars representing AJ's absent parents – and Cindy Morrow gives the character interactions a warmth that I didn't quite grasp first time around. It's a real shame Babs never had a proper role again, as she had potential. Oddly, Braeburn doesn't get a speaking line, either. All in all, this goes into the "superior filler" category for me nowadays, and instead of the original two-star rating I gave it, I'm bumping it up to a solid three.
Choice quote: Applesauce: "A lady never reveals the age of her teeth."
New rating: ★★★
Next up is "Spike At Your Service", one of the worst received episodes of the first half of the show's run – but one I didn't actually mind too much at the time. Now? We shall see!
I would put this in the same category as Sleepless in Ponyville. In fact, I'd say it's my favorite episode of S3, and much like you, I never thought of it much until a rewatch.
ReplyDeleteA.K.A. the one where AJ overworks everyone, learns her mistake, and redeems herself by overworking everyone. :P
ReplyDeleteSimply put: I love this episode. In a season rotten with missteps, it's easily my favourite of Season Three (though fair dos: "Sleepless in Ponyville" is right behind it, and does lots of individual things such as character exploration and worldbuilding grace notes a whole lot better).
If I had to sum up the appeal of this episode, it would be "domestic".
Like you said, there's a definite warmth to the episode, to the point where it feels less like we're learning anything particularly groundbreaking about Applejack, and more that we're just being allowed to hang out with her and her family for a day.
Like how Granny's going over the traditions the night before through the photo album, or how Applejack tucks Apple Bloom into bed while brainstorming, or the little Candy Caramel Tooth and Apple Flora noogie and hoof-slaps, Apple Bloom and Babs Seed having an instant connection (FAR superior to their last outing), Granny and the older relatives, even little stuff like Big Mac eyeing up the treats and the background gags during the catchy-as-hell song...
God, I could go on.
Getting glimpses of her and her family's traditions and rapport, the ostensible narrative about AJ learning a lesson against overworking herself just sorta gets lost in the shuffle, really. It's not a bad story, and its simplicity means it can slot in unobtrusively and give the overall direction a definite sense of purpose that keeps it sharper than it might otherwise have been.
And the whole two-shooting-stars thing, which I think was stated by someone somewhere to represent the "spirits" of the Apple parents. What an amazingly thoughtful yet subtle touch!
I think that's what I really love about it. It's one of the simplest and bluntest slice of life episodes, sold entirely on making the viewer feel like just another family member. In a very loving and close - and flawed! - family. It's hard for me to think of any other episode that really captures that wonderful, endearing immersion so perfectly.
Calling it "filler" is something I strongly disagree with: that suggests it's some unimportant fluff until the "Big Important Stuff" comes along (and, if I may take a moment: stuff the "Big Important Stuff"). This IS an important ep, in its own way: perhaps not on its own, but as a sample of what the show's aiming for at its best: intimacy, good humour, cute little details, overwhelming camaraderie in spite of the need for antagonism and conflict, and just simple feel-good entertainment. it feels like the closest Season Three gets to the heart and soul of the show, and I for one consider it a valuable addition, far more so than the status-quo shake-ups elsewhere.
I really damn love this episode, in case that wasn't clear. The "Raise This Barn" country finisher just seals the deal for me! YEE-HAW! :D
Something else I really like about it is the sense of Granny Smith passing on her role to Applejack over the course of the episode. I can't remember if any other episode had done it, off the top of my head, but it's a nice little dynamic they've got here, including how Granny comforts AJ near the end as well as gets suspicious when she says she's got an idea.
DeleteCalling it "filler" is something I strongly disagree with: that suggests it's some unimportant fluff until the "Big Important Stuff" comes along
DeleteI don't mean "filler" as a pejorative. I know a lot of people do, but not me. "Superior filler" in particular. I actively want some episodes like that; I'd get worn out rather quickly if everything was Big Important Stuff!
(and, if I may take a moment: stuff the "Big Important Stuff")
I suspect our views on "Magical Mystery Cure" may diverge somewhat... ;)
I think your "superior filler" label really does say it all. I liked it, I thought the message was good, the family interactions were nice, but it's not one I've ever made a point of remembering to watch when I saw it was on.
ReplyDeleteFirst things first: A amusing get-out the end of "The Super Cider Squeeze 6000" may be, but this is not Applejack's first proper letter to Celestia - "The Last Roundup" has more going on they Derpygate. (Yes, Logan, I'm fully aware you don't tend to think of Derpygate much either - the joke still had to be made).
ReplyDeleteOkay, now I can talk. The reactions of everyone else so far, but especially Perfect Present and Impossible Numbers, have surprised me greatly - this is always an episode I've really wanted to like (it's an Applejack episode... how could I not want to?). And yet... the mere fact of Farm Pony regressing to a so-dense-it's-silly level of micromanagement (no joke, Applejack is literally Twilight for that section) kind of... not ruins, but drags it down a fake shake.
To be fair, the episode up until the reunion starts is every bit as strong as everyone else here says. It's another case of the episode changing plot every few minutes to great effect, something seen on a few occasions in prior episodes. The start of them browsing through the memories makes it seem like the contrasting of past and present events will be a key factor. While it is present with Applesauce's denture gags and the never-ending quilt, the episode isn't really about those aspects. Not an issue, as it still gives the various Applies some depth and weight. I also have to give the episode immense credit for dangling the possibility of Applejack looking to try and handle the reunion's whole preparation by herself, during the scene of her burning the midnight oil, and then next scene we have the Montage of the four Apples, with help from the rest of the Mane 7, setting the reunion up (and the absence of them thereafter isn't an issue, the reunion needs to be all blood family for the thematic point to resonate).
And, granted, there is some level on which this works as a thematic followup to "Applebuck Season" - AJ's still about hyper-focus and control and living up to the pressure of the expectations of others' as she perceives them. But having gotten past being stubborn and taking on everything herself, now she's micromanaging everything to go just right. It's hurt a bit by the foundation of "Applebuck Season" itself being questionable, but it's a solid foundation.
...you know, I've probably praised the episode more then I've critiqued it so far. I just can't find it in me to believe Applejack, the pony about family, would miss the lesson of "the who matters more than the what" for the whole episode, snapping out of it only when the barn is toppled. It's mostly because of how over-the-top and silly and needlessly complicated Applejack goes in her micromanaging - this is a pony with a straightforward and direct approach to any problem she finds, and she's critical of her friends when they complicate matters beyond the necessary. Just imagine Twilight (or Pinkie or Rarity) was doing what AJ was doing here - Applejack would point out and argue against the very issue she here herself is guilt of (yes, there's some grounds for a person, or pony, not being able to spot an issue in themselves that they spot in others, but that would only work if the episode intended it that way. While it's still done much better here then when the same compromise blighted "Applejack's Day Off", to say nothing of the similarly-plagued "Somepony to Watch Over Me", it still leaves me with an irritating bug.
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DeleteNow, the bones of the episode may be rickety at one crucial character level. But the margins, and the details at those margins, those are really good. Granny Smith is such a delight throughout, n both her soft reminiscing mode, her usual crackly old mentor mode, and her soft tender mode when Applejack messes up. Coolest, edgiest grandma ever, and the sense of her passing the role to Applejack step-by-step throughout, well, it's an interesting approach to their dynamic. Plus, little details like her sideways "Yeah" before recounting they never found Applesauce's teeth, those are gold.
The other family members, I'm not as sold on - Babs' absolutely has a better outing here, and her and Apple Bloom's interactions are nice, I just remain unsold on her as a character, though that Bronx accent is partly to blame, it just doesn't feel natural within context for some reason. Past that, the visual consistency with all the Apples is nice (down to that one gag family member from "Family Appreciation Day"!), and there's visuals gags and subplots aplenty throughout that are quite satisfying in there own way. And, of course, the semi-confirmation as to the whereabouts of Applejack's parents with the shooting stars, that's truly beautiful.
And "Raise this Barn", though not a song I've ever listened to much, is a real hoot.
The Season 1 feel is really in full force here, excepting the more nuanced visuals in subtle ways. I really feel I shouldn't be bothered by Applejack's short-sightedness - even now, I'm wondering if I really feel that way, or I'm just convincing myself I feel that way (anyone who says that've never had that debate with themselves, tell the truth). I do agree episodes like this are often much better then the big status-quo changers. But even if my recent rating of a 6.5/10 is a little harsh, that problem still feels present to me.
However, I feel compelled to rewatch it again to be sure. That probably says a lot!
I was looking forward to seeing what you wanted to say about this one, after your last comment re: the "Wonderbolts Academy" episode and Season Three going forward.
DeleteHaving read the problematic issue you pointed out for this episode... I have to admit I see where you're coming from.
For me, though, I think AJ's "exaggeration" at least feels more believable here. It seems to fit how she's behaved before: when stressed out by expectations (real or imagined), she goes all in on challenge, achievement, efficiency.
Pressured (if only by herself) to make this the biggest, most memorable reunion yet, it seems natural to me she'd go big and go impressive, despite how naturally she'd also fit the laid-back kinship approach too.
Whereas with something like "Somepony To Watch Over Me", there's a kernel of a plausible idea in there, but it's blown so ridiculously out of proportion for cheap comedy that it snaps me right out of the episode.
AJ babying Apple Bloom has been hinted at before, but what she gets up to in that episode is downright Pinkie Pie levels of lunacy. The only time her overprotective side feels natural is when the threat is as big and genuine as a pony-eating chimera threatening her sister's life (which is one reason among many why the chimera scene alone makes the episode worth watching).
Still, I at least get a sense of where you're coming from via that route. And at the end of the day, to each their own. That's fair enough.
Indeed, as do I you, regarding where you're coming from. We can both agree that there are many an episode in this series, especially in the back half, where characters act as they shouldn't to facilitate plot or comedy. But the severity of this varies - it's not episode-ruining here, just episode deflating, I find. As such, I can see, and even somewhat agree with, the viewpoint of you and the others, as can you for I.
DeleteWhereas with something like "Somepony to Watch Over Me" (to say nothing of "Applejack's Day Off") the exaggeration and different-character-writing-for-the-sake-of-plot-or-comedy is, baring a certain cimera-heavy Act III, actually episode ruining. Or at least enough to make it not one to really rewatch, excepting that third act (it's a prime candidate for only rewatching certain scenes for sure!).
But again, there remains the point that sometimes an episode's odd writing of a character is mild enough that it's in the eye of the beholder as to whether it's really an issue, or even there at all, and this is one of those episodes. It does, for me, mostly come down to the exaggeration being too silly (Apple Bloom's "Seriously?" after Applejack explains the obstacle course is as good a sign of that as any for me). Has it been less so, I would probably have bought it 100% for the reason you'd mentioned above.
Of course, just as often, we have the reverse - I know a not-small number of people find Pinkie's behaviour in "Filli Vanilli" to be quite the problem, but I just don't see it. Being problematic, that is.
Be interesting to see what you say next episode! I anticipate a return to "Season 3 is riddled with problems, and this episode is a key example of why", even if I'm generally a mild fan of "Spike At Your Service" and have always found the hate directed at it overblown, though not without cause.
I'd go with "Slice of Life" in place of "filler," but otherwise I'm pretty much in agreement here.
ReplyDeleteAs I said to Impossible Numbers above, for me "filler" isn't a pejorative. I'd be fine with SoL as well, but it can get a little confusing when in two seasons' time that's an actual episode name!
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