My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S1/E03 The Ticket Master



"Twilight: You're not doing this for the ticket, are you? Fluttershy: Oh, no! I'm doing this because you're my very best friend. Right, Angel?

(Angel Bunny glares at Fluttershy)

Fluttershy: Oh... yes, we are just doing this for the ticket."

"Written by Amy Keating Rogers and Lauren Faust"

Twilight Sparkle receives two tickets from Princess Celestia to Canterlot's Grand Galloping Gala, one of Equestria's biggest social events. Unfortunately all five of her new friends want to go: Applejack wants to drum up business for her family's apple farm so she can afford to fix up a few things around the homestead, Rainbow Dash wants to go so she can show off for the Wonderbolts, a troupe of acrobatic fliers who are scheduled to perform at the Gala, Pinkie Pie is just the sort of party animal who would jump at a chance to go to "the most amazing, incredible, tremendous, super-fun, wonderful, terrifically humongous party in all of Equestria!", Rarity dreams of meeting her true love at the Gala a la Cinderella and Fluttershy just wants to see the royal gardens in Canterlot and all the exotic birds and animals kept there.

With all five of her friends arguing over who gets the ticket, Twilight can't bring herself to disappoint any of them by choosing one of the others as her guest. Unable to think straight on an empty stomach, Twilight's efforts to get lunch are further interrupted by her friends trying to butter her up for the ticket: Rainbow Dash makes a hole in a rain storm so Twilight doesn't get rained on, Rarity offers to give Twilight a makeover, Applejack plies Twilight with home-baked goods (which Twilight, even as hungry as she is, finds herself unable to accept in good conscience), Fluttershy and her animal friends straighten up the library and Pinkie (as is her wont) throws a party in Twilight's honor. And when word gets out that Twilight has an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, Hilarity Ensues (as does a big chase scene) with Twilight forced to flee from a mob of ponies trying to bribe her into taking them along.

Twilight escapes the mob, only for her friends to confront her one last time. Twilight finally gives up and admits she can't choose who to take along because she doesn't want any of her friends to feel left out. Feeling guilty, her friends all give up their claim to the extra ticket and Twilight has the tickets sent back to Princess Celestia with a note of explanation. She's pleasantly surprised when Celestia responds with a letter reading quite literally "Why didn't you say so in the first place?" and extra tickets for her and all her friends. There's even one for Spike, who's pleased as Punch despite his earlier claims that he wasn't interested in "any of that Girly Gala Gunk". As a way of apologizing, the other ponies decide to satisfy Twilight's empty tummy by taking her out to dinner.

Tropes (YMMV items can be found here).
"Rarity: Twilight! It's raining. Twilight Sparkle: No, really?"
 * Alliteration: When Pinkie is listing things that are at the gala.
 * Audience Surrogate: For the Periphery Demographic(s). Spike acts as this in more than one episode, but it's especially apparent here when he's completely overcome with glee at getting his ticket to the Gala which he had previously spent the entire episode stubbornly insisting that he had no interest in attending because it was too girly.
 * Apple of Discord: The ticket.
 * Background Halo: Rainbow Dash, looking through the hole in the clouds.
 * Big "Shut Up!": From Twilight.
 * Big Yes
 * Rarity, fantasizing about the prince: "Our eyes would meet. Our hearts would melt. Our courtship would be magnificent. He would ask for my hoof in marriage. And of course I would say...YES!!!"
 * Rainbow Dash when everyone else has given up on asking for the ticket and she thinks that means she can have it.
 * Captain Obvious: Rarity

"Twilight Sparkle: PIIIINKIIIIEEEE!"
 * Everyone Chasing You: When the whole town hears about the ticket.
 * Though all the pursuers seem to be female ponies. Perhaps Spike isn't alone in thinking the Gala is too "girly".
 * Fairytale Wedding Dress: Rarity wears one in her Imagine Spot.
 * First Name Ultimatum: Twilight's reaction to Pinkie's blatant attempt at buttering her up. "PINK-IE!"
 * Foreshadowing: Rainbow Dash mentions that she hasn't perfected her signature move for the Wonderbolts. She is quite likely referring to the Sonic Rainboom, which gets its own later episode.
 * Growling Gut: Twilight's stomach growls throughout the course of the episode.
 * Healthcare Motivation: Applejack's motivation for going to the Grand Galloping Gala is to get enough money to replace Granny Smith's hip, among other things.
 * Humiliation Conga: Twilight and her lunch getting drenched after Rainbow Dash shuts the cloud on her qualifies.
 * Imagine Spot: Twilight's friends each get one as they fantasize about attending the Gala.
 * The Jimmy Hart Version: During the chase scene, the background music sounds a lot like a bluegrass version of "Yakkety Sax".
 * Loves Me Not: Twilight pulls the petals off a flower as she tries to decide which of her friends to give the ticket to. Then she eats the petals.
 * Lottery Ticket
 * Parental Bonus: When the crowd of Ponyville residents give Twilight even more offers for her ticket, one says "I'll do your taxes!"
 * Personal Raincloud: Justified inversion. Rainbow Dash opens a hole in a storm cloud, so it rains on everyone except Twilight.
 * Puppy Dog Eyes: Rainbow Dash gets a slight case of this during her initial effort to convince Twilight to take her along to the Gala.
 * Running on the Spot: "We're... gonna... RUN!"
 * Say My Name:

"Pinkie Pie: ...and then I said "Oatmeal? Are you craz-" ...oh."
 * Seven Minute Lull:

"Spike: "Uehhhh...Warn me next time you're going to do that...""
 * Shout-Out: When Fluttershy is explaining why she wants to go to the gala, she says there will be "loons and toucans and bitterns, oh my!"
 * Also, does Rainbow Dash remind you of anybody peeking though the clouds like that?
 * Story Arc: This is the beginning of the Grand Galloping Gala story arc, which continues in "Suited For Success" and "The Best Night Ever".
 * Sweet and Sour Grapes
 * Take Me Instead!: Inverted, when each of Twilight's friends gives up on taking the extra ticket.
 * Teleportation Sickness: Twilight's accidentally teleporting herself and Spike is a lot rougher on him.

"Fluttershy: Well...hello, Twilight. I hope you don't mind. We're all doing a little spring cleaning for you. Twilight Sparkle: It's summer. Fluttershy: Oh... well, better late than never, right?"
 * Theme Tune Cameo: Hummed by Fluttershy while cleaning.
 * Also a Mythology Gag as that's actually the G1 theme tune she's humming.
 * Trickster Mentor: Celestia sent two tickets, knowing full well Twilight has five friends (and Spike). It's never openly stated, but is widely believed (and possibly correct) that this was a test: she wanted to see how Twilight would react when put in a situation in which she had to exclude some of her friends.
 * Alternative Character Interpretation: We don't know for certain that the first invitation actually was from Celestia herself. Its wording had all the earmarks of a form letter (rather than, say, being directly adressed to her 'faithful student'), so it could just as easily have been penned by some anonymous royal scribe going through a list of names instead.
 * Also equally likely: Celestia knew from experience how boring the Gala was and didn't quite realize that ponies who didn't know would be so interested in going. She didn't include more tickets because she didn't think Twilight would need them.
 * Wanting Is Better Than Having:
 * We Could Have Avoided All This: This is basically Princess Celestia's response after she gives Twilight enough tickets for her and all her friends. And Spike!
 * Yes Pony: Twilight's friends perform various favors and services for her in their blatant attempts to get her spare ticket.