MLP:FiM S3E8 - "Apple Family Reunion" Grading & Discussion

[Amaris]

Episode Title: "Apple Family Reunion"
Episode Air Date: Saturday, December 22nd, 2012 / 10:30 AM EST, The HUB

SUMMARY: "When Applejack is granted permission by Granny Smith to organize the upcoming Apple Family Reunion, she is thrilled at the opportunity but she soon loses focus of the important things in her haste to put together extravagant activities."

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So here we go! Season 3, Episode 8 "Apple Family Reunion" is on it's way! Applejack finally gets an episode devoted to her, and I believem if I remember correctly, that she also gets a song! So you know the drill! If you catch it at air time, feel free to discuss, but no spoilers until after 3 PM!

Watch and Grade!

 

[Gepard]

I've seen the preview clips; they're adorable. I've decided I like seeing the episodes without commercials, so I'll probably avoid the live airing and catch it on youtube later.

Applejack finally gets an episode devoted to her...

What, you mean Applebuck Season? Or The Last Roundup? judging from what's been released so far, I suspect this will be an episode more along the lines of Super Speedy Cider Squeezy or Family Appreciation Day if Applebloom were swapped out for Applejack. For whatever reason, Applejack episodes tend to turn into excuses for the writers to do ensemble shows -- which is fine by me, as I really like those kinds of stories, but I suspect we'll still be waiting for the definitive Applejack story after this.

I'm waiting to be proved wrong, of course.

 

[Kemaiku]

Since BK is down I'll post here.

Hmm, 100 moons = 12.4 years assuming the same lunar cycle as our Earth, family increased 10 fold, 10:1 female to male ration.....those poor stallions, no wonder we never see them.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Woke up late, saw the latter half. I saw the AJ song!!!

 

[Gepard]

Well, that was an entirely amicable and otherwise unmemorable episode. I really don't have much of anything to say about it. It was nice to see Babs again, I think we can assume the Apple parents are dead and those song lyrics were terrible.

There's some other, much more cogent than I could manage, observations about the parent situation on the EqD comments; to whit, the two shooting stars represent Applejack's mom and dad. There's some other symbolism in the episode too with photos of two unnamed ponies hanging on the walls that seems to indicate the staff intend her parents to be deceased but they aren't addressing it directly for whatever reason.

 

[Kemaiku]

The moment with the two shooting stars was very sweet, it was nice to at least give a nod to their passing.

I enjoyed the episode, there were a lot of little moments to love, I seem to disagree with everyone about the episodes this season, don't see why all the hate for this one.

 

[Amaris]

Definitely an "A" from me. Baby Applejack just about killed me, Spike being used like a Bic lighter, Pinkie Pie burping a honeybee, Applejack gets a song (yay!), we get to see Babs, and some more Apple Family history. Great episode, can't wait for more.

 

[Kemaiku]

http://derpibooru.org/190535

 

[Amaris]

http://derpibooru.org/190535

Aw. *tears*

 

[Gepard]

..family increased 10 fold, 10:1 female to male ration.....those poor stallions, no wonder we never see them.

I want to be a stallion in Ponyville.

The moment with the two shooting stars was very sweet, it was nice to at least give a nod to their passing.

Confirmed by Word of God:

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

It was a fairly middling episode elevated by some good moments. Applejack finally gets song! Too bad it's not all that clever or memorable. This was really all Applejack's episode, too. Did any of the other mane six even have a line?

Did anyone else notice that Carrot Top and Bonbon were present? I guess they must be Apple family members somehow.

 

[brian577]

This episode is proof that AJ can not carry an episode on her own. I've said before and I'm going to say it again, AJ is boring and that is why she is at the bottom of my rankings. That being said I'm looking forward to next weeks episode.

 

[Gepard]

This episode is proof that AJ can not carry an episode on her own. I've said before and I'm going to say it again, AJ is boring and that is why she is at the bottom of my rankings.

Her fundamental problem is that she has no neuroses to speak of and she's basically happy with her life. That makes her the kind of person (pony) you'd want to befriend in reality, but a terrible TV character. There's nothing you can do with her that's interesting to watch.

It's a shame they couldn't address the dead parents issue directly, because that bit of personal pain would have made compelling reason for her to micromanage the reunion and added some depth to her character at the same time.

I think it speaks volumes that the best AJ episode to date involved removing her from the episode for the first two acts and putting the focus on everyone else reacting to her being missing. The poor girl is boring.

It was a fairly middling episode elevated by some good moments. Applejack finally gets song! Too bad it's not all that clever or memorable.

Yeah. It's not a bad episode it's just completely and utterly unmemorable. It's the "Owl's Well That Ends Well" of Apple Family entries: inoffensive, competently made and nothing worth remembering.

This was really all Applejack's episode, too. Did any of the other mane six even have a line?

Pinkie Pie had a line. "Don't forget your gold" or somesuch, when she threw the edible gold dust at AJ. (BTW, golden blindbag Applejack is now canon.)

 

[Kemaiku]

Yup, I have the golden BB AJ beside me here

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Honestly, I'm with Chem on this. I think this was a wonderful episode (having been able to watch the whole thing). And as Lauren Faust observed, the death of AJ's parents were "too sad for a kids' show."