My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S2/E14 The Last Roundup: Difference between revisions

The ponies look for Applejack and find her trying to get out of Dodge (literally) via stagecoach! They give chase, accidentally losing Pinkie Pie and Rarity in the process. Applejack thinks she's safe when a Friendship Express Train passes and blocks her friends' pursuit, but Rainbow and Fluttershy fly over it and knock her over, revealing the real reason Applejack didn't return: She won ribbons in every event, but not one ''blue'' ribbon -- and no prize money for the town hall repairs. Applejack was too ashamed to return empty-hoofed after everypony's build-up, so she took the job at Cherry Jubilee's so she could earn money to send home.

 

 

 

{{quote|''"It's a tad easier to be proud when you come in first than it is when you finish further back, but there's no reason to hide when you don't do as well as you'd hoped. You can't run away from your problems. Better to run'' to ''your friends and family!''}}

 

 

Meanwhile, Pinkie and Rarity are making their way back on a hoofcar after being knocked off the cart during the chase to catch Applejack. Pinkie is chattering incessantly, and Rarity is muttering dire implications for Rainbow Dash, who refused to go back for them.

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* [[Absentee Actor]]: Only Spike doesn't appear in this episode, although his voice actress is present as the Mayor.

* [[Actor Allusion]]: [[Tabitha St. Germain]] voices Derpy Hooves, a pony who can't even ''move'' without causing a major disaster? It's Generation 3 all over again. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKtqDI4R_-A Good thing the Twinkling Balloon wasn't in this episode].

** Outside of ponies the allusion actually goes further back then that. Tabitha, in one of her few live-action roles, played [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=f5EQsk_eAiI#t=159s Cousin Catastrophia] in ''[[The Addams Family|The New Addams Family]]'', who is also a blonde, ditzy [[Walking Disaster Area]].

* [[All Deserts Have Cacti]]: Possibly [[Justified Trope|justified]], since the location is clearly paralleling the desert of the Southwestern USA, where cacti grow on a regular basis.

* [[Ascended Fanon]]/[[Ascended Meme]]: Rainbow Dash calls a certain wall-eyed grey pegasus "Derpy" on-screen. If it wasn't canon before...it is now.

** Pinkie briefly forgets about her [[Potty Emergency]] after spotting Applejack, but soon has to excuse herself again.

* [[Bruiser with a Soft Center]]: Big Mac is as tearful and heartbroken as Granny Smith and Apple Bloom at the idea that Applejack isn't coming home.

* [[Call Back]]: Pinkie Promises have returned, and this time, we see what happens when you break one.

** Applejack rattling off all those cherry dishes is reminiscent of how she first introduces herself to Twilight. This time, however, she's more matter-of-fact than enthusiastic.

*** Not only that, but Applejack seems to have learned from experience how terrible she is at lying and instead resorts to refusing to talk at all to avoid it.

* [[Chase Scene]]: The ponies chase Applejack's stage coach in a cart.

* [[Cool and Unusual Punishment]]: Pinkie's constant chattering is used as a torture device to make Applejack talk.

'''Rainbow Dash:''' Yeah. It's a mystery. }}

* [[Defictionalization]]: Within a few hours of airing, at least one fan had prepared [http://askwhiteoutpony.tumblr.com/post/16235535421/so-pinkie-inspired-me-and-i-made Pinkie's Chimi-cherry-changa recipe]; [http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/01/chimicherrychonga-compilation.html several more had appeared] within a day of airing.

{{quote|'''Fluttershy:''' ''Being surprised can be nice, but being startled can be very... startling.''}}

 

{{quote|'''Coach ponies, visibly upset:''' [[Speak in Unison|Lady, you're trouble!]]}}

* [[Exasperated Perp]]: Rainbow Dash's plan to get Applejack to talk is to let Pinkie Pie annoy her into submission.

** Though it might be a case of [[Shipping Goggles]], [[One True Pairing|Bon-Bon and Lyra Heartstrings are standing together and can be seen trading glances]].

* [[Follow That Car!|Follow That Stagecoach]]: As if Pinkie had to tell them.

* [[Furry Confusion]]: The whole chase scene.

* [[Furry Reminder]]: Ponies in this show rarely clap when they applaud -- they stomp.

** And again, when Pinkie discovers Applejack has welshed on her Pinkie Promise.

* [[Genki Girl]]: [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] in that they actually ''weaponize'' Pinkie's hyperactivity to coerce Applejack into talk.

* [[Innocently Insensitive]]: Twilight Sparkle. The telegram pony was sincerely delighted by the party (it was apparently his birthday). Twilight's actions to point out his mistake included scowling at him and slamming the door in his face, doubling his embarrassment and hurt feelings. Justified from her point of view, of course, because of her worry about Applejack's failure to return home.

** Pinkie makes up for it by giving him a piece of cake immediately afterward.

** For the backing music of the cherry conveyor belt scene, there's a play on the well-known "[[Looney Tunes]] machine music" (more specifically, the second movement of [[Standard Snippet|Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"]]).

* [[Keep Circulating the Tapes]]: If you preferred the original version of Derpy's scene over the edited version, then you'd better keep a vicegrip on that ''Friendship Express'' DVD--it's the only place (outside of DVRs and [[YouTube]] uploads) you'll be able to see it.

* [[Manly Tears]]: Big Macintosh's reaction to Applejack not coming home.

** {{spoiler|Rainbow Dash gets a rare tomboy variant when successfully convincing Applejack to come home.}}

{{quote|'''Apple Bloom:''' [[As You Know|"After all, you're the ten-time rodeo cham-peen of Ponyville! You've got more blue ribbons than any pony in Ponyville...ever!"]]}}

* [[Mood Dissonance]]: The below-mentioned [[Shout-Out]] takes place during what, at first glance, {{spoiler|appears to be a fairly serious scene.}}

* [[Not So Stoic]]: Big Macintosh, natch.

** Applejack ''tries'' to be [[The Stoic]] when her friends badger her with questions, but they see right through her facade and get her to reveal what's troubling her.

** Everypony going looking for Applejack is spurred by how out of character her actions seem. Her being defensive and evasive also tips them off to the fact they're not getting the full story.

* [[Oh Crap]]: Applejack, once Pinkie found out she broke her promise.

** And again, after managing to hide herself behind a train, the two pegusi just fly over it.

* [[Orwellian Retcon]]: The famous Derpy scene [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2CRjPO73Dg has been altered]: Derpy is no longer referred to by name (except in [[The Hub]]'s closed captions, since they weren't updated to match the new version), her googly eyes are much less googly, her voice has been re-dubbed to be more [[The Ditz]], and Rainbow doesn't use as harsh of a tone when speaking to her. This was revealed to be a response to a [[Vocal Minority]] [[Political Correctness Gone Mad|that believed Derpy seemed insensitive to the mentally challenged]], against the show's message of tolerance. While the episode's writer, Amy Keating Rogers, believed changing the episode would only [[Broken Base|complicate things]] (since the praise and thanks she had received FAR outweighed the hate mail), the decision was out of her hands.

** Subcontracted animation teams confirmed the grey cock-eyed pegasus is still around, and that none of her [[Running Gag|upcoming]] [[Funny Background Event|cameos]] will be altered. Time will tell if that continues to be true in Season 3, since the main team in Vancouver isn't talking.

* [[Overly Long Gag]]: Pinkie's mouth exercises.

* [[Potty Emergency]]: Pinkie really needs to go to the bathroom when they get to Dodge Junction.

* [[Something We Forgot]]: {{spoiler|Poor Rarity and Pinkie are accidentally left behind by the rest of the cast when they return to Ponyville}}.

* [[Spotlight-Stealing Squad]]: For an episode ostensibly about Applejack, there's sure a lot of focus on Pinkie. Plus, you know, DERPY!

* [[Stop Helping Me!]]: Derpy's efforts in setting up Applejack's sendoff party end up doing more damage than anything else, and are what ultimately set off the events of the episode.

* [[Suddenly Voiced]]: Derpy finally gets her own speaking lines! And is {{spoiler|(well, '''''was''''')}} officially named, too!

* [[Train Station Goodbye]]: Happens at the beginning when Applejack heads off for the rodeo.

* [[Train Escape]]: Applejack crosses a train track in order to block her friends with an oncoming Friendship Express Train. {{spoiler|It doesn't work, as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash just fly over the train.}}

* [[Unaccustomed as I Am to Public Speaking]]: When Pinkie demands a speech, Applejack says she's not much for speeches, ''but...''

* [[Unstoppable Rage]]: Pinkie after {{spoiler|Applejack seems to break her Pinkie Promise}}.

** Pinkie and Fluttershy both get them when the cherry sorter speeds up too fast for them.

** Pinkie again, upon finding out ''somepony'' broke her promise.

** The fandom, upon hearing Derpy talk for the first time.

* [[Work Off the Debt]]: {{spoiler|Self-inflicted: Applejack takes a job at a cherry orchard to replace the prize money she failed to win at the rodeo.}}