My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S2/E18 A Friend in Deed

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Friendship. Friendship everywhere.

Pinkie Pie: What just happened? Meet somepony new- check. Introduce myself- check. Sing random song out of nowhere- check. Become instant best friends... uncheck!

Written by Amy Keating Rogers

It's the start of a typical day for Pinkie Pie: make the Cake twins laugh, say hi to everyone she knows (which is just about every pony, cow, and even donkey in Ponyville), and burst into an incredibly catchy musical number about how she loves to make her friends smile. But what's this? There's a new face in Ponyville, and it's not smiling!

That face belongs to an old donkey hauling a cartload of junk through the center of town. Pinkie Pie tries to introduce herself, but all she learns is that the donkey is named Cranky Doodle Donkey, he's very sensitive about his middle name, and he's not interested in being Pinkie Pie's friend. Confused, she goes over her thought process and wonders what would possess anyone to not be friends with her. She quickly becomes determined to win Cranky over.

Pinkie starts following Cranky through town, offering to show him around, asking about the stuff in his cart (of which he's very protective), and even rolling out an actual welcome wagon: the whole song and dance (literally, in the case of the welcome wagon). Unfortunately, this just annoys Cranky even more, especially when she messes up his toupee in the process and causes him quite a bit of embarrassment while trying to find a new one. After a trip to the spa and the gift of a replacement toupee, Cranky reluctantly thanks Pinkie Pie, but still refuses to crack a smile.

Pinkie ends up following Cranky to his house and offering to help unpack, where Cranky mentions that he's been looking for a "special friend". While unpacking, Pinkie finds an old scrapbook with one page in particular that intrigues her... unfortunately, Pinkie accidentally sets fire to the scrapbook, and makes an even bigger mess of it trying to put out the fire. Furious, Cranky throws her out of the house and vows that he will never be her friend.

Pinkie Pie: Never, or never ever?
Cranky Doodle Donkey: Never ever ever ever ever! (slams door)
Pinkie Pie: That's four "ever"s. That's, like... (tears up) forever...

At the library, Pinkie Pie seeks sympathy from Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash, who tell her that she should just let things go and give Cranky some space. Pinkie agrees that she should leave Cranky alone... once she gets him to accept her apology, that is. She proceeds to hound the old jack-ass across Ponyville and its outskirts, begging forgiveness, but he ends up barricading himself in his house and stubbornly refusing, protesting that Pinkie ruined the only thing he had to remember "her" by. Pinkie is suddenly struck by inspiration, and finally leaves, only to return with someone special in tow: Matilda the donkey, who had a scrapbook to match Cranky's, with matching contents... including a ticket stub and a menu from the Grand Galloping Gala!

Cranky and Matilda met at the Gala years ago, but after Matilda left the next morning, Cranky missed the note she'd left him and spent his whole life trying to find her. Finally reunited with his long-lost love just when he was about to give up, Cranky manages a smile, and accepts both Pinkie Pie's apology and her friendship. Pinkie is ecstatic that she finally made Cranky happy... but quickly realizes that he'd be even happier if she gave him and Matilda some time alone.

The episode ends with Pinkie mentally preparing a letter to Princess Celestia, courtesy of voice over. In it she mentions that while some folks are as social and outgoing as her, others prefer to have some space to themselves now and then. Either way, she can be friends and make them smile.

*Cue... a piano rendition of Yankee Doodle?*

Tropes used in A Friend in Deed include:

YMMV tropes can be found here

  • Abnormal Ammo: As has happened before, Pinkie accidentally loaded her welcome wagon confetti launchers with cake batter.
  • Absentee Actor: Out of the mane cast, Spike is completely absent and only Pinkie, Twilight, and Rainbow receive speaking parts.
  • Accidental Pun: "That's four evers. That's like...forever!"
  • Adult Child:
    • A slightly more disturbing example than usual. Pinkie demonstrates a child's understanding of personal property and personal space. It combines with Innocently Insensitive (see below). It can be quite disturbing when you realize that Pinkie's behavior is intrusive and insensitive. She looks through and handles someone's personal property not only without asking permission, but on multiple occasions in direct defiance of pleas to stop. She attempts to force her way into someone's home, again without asking permission and in direct defiance of pleas to stop. All of these serve to demonstrate a disturbing degree of childishness in Pinkie Pie's behavior.
    • Though played with later on when Cranky's mention of a 'special friend' appears to go straight over Pinkie's head. At the conclusion however she simply laughs and states she wasn’t ‘born yesterday' when Cranky expresses surprise that she worked out he was looking for a romantic partner.
  • A Friend in Need
  • All Animals Are Dogs: Pinkie has a puppy-dog whimper to go with her Puppy Dog Eyes.
  • Almost Kiss: A kiss between the donkeys is interrupted when Pinkie bursts into song right outside their house and getting in the way of their private time.
  • Art Shift: Cranky Doodle's flashback is done in the style of a silent film, ignoring the voiceover, of course.
  • Brutal Honesty: Rainbow to Pinkie, in typical fashion.
  • Busby Berkeley Number: Sort of. It has the requisite overhead shot, but only Pinkie is actually dancing.
  • Call Back: Remember the last time Pinkie had to chase some one all over the place, popping everywhere no matter where she went?
  • The Cameo:
    • This episode, Derpy appears...in a snowglobe?!
    • One of the cows from "Applebuck Season" makes a return and gets a name: Daisy Jo.
    • The old stallion from "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" and "Hearts and Hooves Day" is given the name Mr. Waddle (or possibly "Mr. Wattle(s)", referencing a skin problem sometimes seen in the elderly, but the closed captions use the spelling "Waddle").
  • The Cat Came Back: Pinkie pursues Cranky Doodle everywhere, just so she can apologize.
  • Chekhov's Gun Jenny: Matilda, the donkey that appears in the beginning, turns out to be Cranky Doodle's lost love.
  • Chekhov's Skill: Pinkie's photographic memory of everypony she meets. She not only knew that it was Cheerilee's birthday and the day following Zecora's, but that Matilda's birthday was in 132 days. Near the end of the episode, Pinkie uses her photographic memory to make the connection between Cranky's album she had accidentally destroyed after seeing ONCE and an identical page that Matilda had in an album of her own.
  • Clueless Mystery: Pinkie's deduction at the end hinges on several clues we were never privy to.
  • Crowd Song: The "Smile Song" has the entirety of Ponyville's populace singing along by its conclusion.
    • Something of an instance of Throw the Dog a Bone for Pinkie Pie -- normally, Pinkie Pie's songs inspire confusion and vague horror in other ponies, and the closest she's come to this is having back-up dancers for a song she specifically set up as a stage production.
  • Comedic Sociopathy: When Pinkie starts going through Cranky's stuff despite Cranky pleading with her to stop.
  • Comically Missing the Point: Pinkie throughout the episode, most notably when Twilight tries to explain why Cranky might want some space.
  • Continuity Nod:

Pinkie Pie: And then I said "Oatmeal? Are you crazy?"

    • Rose, was also named in "Bridle Gossip". This makes her the first background pony to be named in multiple episodes.
    • When Pinkie talks to Twilight in the library, Rainbow Dash is present, reading a Daring Do book.
      • Notably, the picture is reminiscent of "...Griffin's Goblet," though the title is unclear.
    • Manehattan is mentioned again, as is Fillydelphia.
    • In the "Smile Song", depressed!Pinkie has a shadow over her coat.
    • Rarity's new toupee for Cranky was clearly inspired by Steven Magnet, the effeminate sea serpent.
    • Pinkie wishing Zecora a Happy Day After Her Birthday which just shows how much the two's relationship has improved.
    • We see the full extent of Pinkie's lip exercises, a few episodes after they were teased in "The Last Roundup."
  • Cool Big Sis: Pinkie is this to all the colts and fillies of Ponyville.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Cranky is easily one of these.
  • December-December Romance: Implied between Cranky and Matilda, because it's not exactly clear how old they actually are.
  • Defrosting Ice King: Cranky becomes this by the end of the episode.
  • Dodgy Toupee: Cranky's new toupee could be considered this.
    • Cranky's old toupee is definitely this.
  • Does Not Understand Sarcasm: Making Pinkie oblivious to Cranky's brush offs.
  • Do Not Call Me Doodle: Unless you're Matilda.
  • The Eeyore: Cranky Doodle. Heck, he's even a donkey.
  • Embarrassing Middle Name: Cranky Doodle Donkey.
  • Epic Fail: Pinkie Pie put the confetti in the oven and the cake batter in the confetti cannon, and it apparently wasn't the first time.
  • Expressive Ears: The ears in Friendship is Magic have always been somewhat expressive. In the case of Cranky, they're used to illustrate his dismay at missing the girl of his dreams, and becoming increasingly more miserable until Pinkie finding Matilda makes him happy again.
  • Eye Scream: It doesn't hurt her, but it's pretty nasty to see Pinkie shove her eye through a keyhole.
  • Flat What: Cranky's reaction when Pinkie says she "put two and two and two together, and it added up to Matilda". It Makes Sense in Context, as Pinkie is actually holding up six hooves at this point.
  • For Happiness: Pinkie's goal, as stated in her song.
  • For Want of a Nail: The entire plot of this episode could have been avoided if Matilda had bothered to put the note anywhere else besides on the back of a door.
  • Fourth Wall Psych: In the beginning, it at first looks like Pinkie is shaking and making faces at the camera, but she is really doing it towards the Cake twins.
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: when Pinkie poured water to douse the fire on Cranky's photo album, he was getting teary eyed watching it getting burned.
  • Freudian Slip: Cranky makes occasional slips to his past.

Cranky Doodle: Yes she was, I mean, yes it was, I mean, yes it is.

Pinkie Pie [through a megaphone]: Does anypony have a toupee? This donkey is really, really bald!!

Pinkie Pie: I've never seen you before!
Cranky: Kid, you're smarter than you look.
Pinkie Pie: Thanks!

    • And later on...

Cranky: This was a special friend.
Pinkie Pie: Like me?
Cranky: *rolls eyes* No, you're 'extra special', kid!
Pinkie Pie: Yes! I'm in!

  • Kitsch Collection: From Hearth's Warming tree ornaments to windchimes to snowglobes with Derpy in them...
  • Lampshade Hanging: Pinkie Pie is fully aware of the random, out-of-nowhere nature of her songs.
  • Le Parkour: Pinkie and several other ponies are seen jumping along several rooftops during the "Smile Song" and again at the end of the episode.
  • Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone: Pinkie realizes the importance of personal time and leaves Cranky and Matilda alone with each other.
  • Leitmotif: A variant of Yankee Doodle Dandy for Cranky Doodle Donkey.
  • Lens Flare: A very subtle one during Pinkie's song.
  • Manic Pixie Dream Pony: A platonic version. Pinkie sees that Cranky is very unhappy and she makes it her mission to cheer him up and be his friend.
  • Medium Shift Gag: The short sequence showing Pinkie's internal thought process is done as a felt animation, lampshaded in a brief Medium Blending when Pinkie inexplicably pulls out the green felt check. (The felt animation was done by Jayson Thiessen and his wife Jocelan Thiessen.)
  • Mind Screw: If you thought Filly Derpy was confusing, try Derpy inside a snow globe.
  • Mondegreen: Some fans seem to mishear Pinkie's line in the final song "She's his Cranky Doodle joy" as "Jesus Cranky Doodle joy".
  • Monochrome Past: Cranky's Flash Back with Matilda.
  • Musical Theme Naming: Cranky Doodle Donkey = Yankee Doodle Dandy; Matilda = Waltzing Matilda.
  • Musical World Hypotheses: This is the first time Pinkie has utilized an Alternate Universe-style musical number, and later performs three other Diegetic pieces, as is more typical of her.
  • Names to Run Away From Really Fast: A normal person would probably not want to mess with some one named Cranky.
  • No Hugging, No Kissing: Averted! Cranky gets a kiss on the nose from Matilda twice!
  • Noodle Incident: As mentioned earlier, it's apparently not the first time Pinkie put cake batter in the cannons and confetti in the oven.
  • No Sense of Personal Space: Pinkie Pie on multiple occasions with Cranky. Although it's justified in that Pinkie Pie considers him her friend, much to Cranky's dismay.
  • The Other Darrin: Rose suddenly sounds much older than in her previous speaking roles. It seems that even if a background pony has a consistent name, they still won't necessarily have a consistent voice.
  • Overly Long Gag: When Pinkie tries to convince Cranky to accept her apology, she says she's really really really really really really really really (etc.) sorry.
  • Photographic Memory: Pinkie can remember every detail she's ever seen or heard about her friends, no matter how small or obscure.
  • Pinkie Acid Sequence: The felt animation, though short, comes out of nowhere (even by Pinkie standards) and is pretty damned surreal (again, even by Pinkie standards).
  • Public Domain Soundtrack: Both "Yankee Doodle" (ca. 1770), as well "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1904), by George M. Cohan (died 1942). It's hard to say whether Pinkie is singing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" at the end of the episode or The Jimmy Hart Version of it; since she's setting different lyrics to the same melody, she has the right to do so as parody.
  • Punny Name: "Cranky Doodle Donkey" for "Yankee Doodle Dandy".
    • In fact, Pinkie sings the tune of "Yankee Doodle" with his name in it.
    • She later sings a song to the tune of the chorus of "The Yankee Doodle Boy".
    • To drive the point home, the normal credits music is replaced with an instrumental version of "Yankee Doodle".
    • Additionally, William Anderson sneaks in bits of "Yankee Doodle" into the background score in scenes with Cranky.
  • Puppy Dog Eyes: Complete with quivering lip and whimpering. Even Cranky can't completely resist it.
  • Reality Warper / Rule of Funny: Pinkie takes it Up to Eleven, appearing inside a brick wall and from within a gramophone, not to mention holding up six hooves at once and literally blasting off like a rocket in happiness. Then again, this is Pinkie.
    • Pinkie can make a jump rope work without anyone holding the ends (unicorn magic included). It even continues to do so after she leaves.
  • Remember the New Guy?: We've never been introduced to Matilda Donkey in any of the episodes beforehand, and yet it's been shown that Pinkie Pie knows her pretty well since day one.
  • Roof Hopping: Pinkie and all her friends sure seem to love doing it.
  • Shout-Out:
  • Some Donkey Doesn't Love Pinkie Pie: The basic premise.
  • Stalker Without a Crush: Pinkie acts in this way toward Cranky Doodle Donkey.
    • More specifically, she's a Stalker Who Just Wants To Be Friends.
  • Stealth Pun: Cranky Doodle is a sarcastic donkey? I suppose you could say he's a real smart-ass.
    • Cranky Doodle was travelling all across the country with his keepsakes. In other words, he was "Waltzing Matilda".
    • A thought process usually shows how someone felt.
    • When Pinkie misinterprets Twilight's advice, Twilight plants her face in the book she's reading. You might say she's Facebooking.
  • Stock Episode Titles: A number of other shows have used this as an episode title, as diverse as Pokémon, Columbo and The Facts of Life.
  • That Reminds Me of a Song: Lampshaded. Pinkie calls her song "random song from nowhere".
  • Toon Physics: Bordering on Mind Screw. But it's a Pinkie Pie episode, so it's to be expected.
  • Third Person Person: Pinkie switches between first-person and third-person throughout the "Smile Song".
  • Visual Pun: During Pinkie's song when she sings "When you are sad or blue." The filly she was saying that to was blue, in both meanings of the word.
    • Then she sings to a blue-tinged copy of herself on the bridge.
  • When He Smiles
  • Who Names Their Kid Doodle?: Cranky Doodle. Maybe his parents got fed up with his braying and coloring on the walls when he was a foal. Or its just a cute name.
  • Why Do You Hate the Pony?: Though Cranky's exasperation is played sympathetically.
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