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MLP:FIM S5E20 - "Hearthbreakers" - Grading & Discussion

Episode Grade

  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
A

Amaris

Guest
Episode Title: "Hearthbreakers"
Air Date: October 24th, 2015, 11:30 AM Eastern Time (3:30 PM GMT/UTC)

Summary: "Applejack is excited to celebrate Hearthswarming Eve with Pinkie Pie's family but finds that her friends have different ways of enjoying the holiday."

Live Streams:
HaxMega
BronyState Theaters
Brony Network
Equestria TV
Otaku Ascended

REMEMBER: DO NOT POST OPEN SPOILERS UNTIL 48 HOURS HAVE PASSED SINCE AIRTIME.
This gives everyone a chance to see it without being spoiled by our excited little hooves tapping away.

=-

Ruminations:
For some reason, various sites list this as episode 19, when it is in fact episode 20. So if you're confused, I've now straightened it out for you. If you weren't... carry on. Anyway, this looks cute! We get to see Applejack with the Pie family celebrating Hearthswarming Eve! From what I can tell of the description, I get the idea the Pies do things a little differently from what Applejack is used to, which means we'll get some fish out of water moments, and hopefully some feels. On that same note, it seems we're getting the Christmas episode before we're getting the Halloween episode (which is next week). I wonder if that means Hearthwarming actually takes place before Nightmare Night? Anyone want to shed light on that one for me?
 
Winter travels Equestria in rotation. Heartswarming may not happen on the exact same date every year, and season 2 may just have been Canterlot's turn so they held the pagent that year. So they might only run it when the two coincide.

That and much like season 2 the NMN episode was meant to happen before this. The same as EQG 3 showed the season was meant to be over weeks ago, the order is just totally out of whack now.

Just hope Legend of Everfree doesn't worsen the problem April next year and we find out season 6 was meant to be underway by then lol.
 
Wow, so the whole timetable is out of order. Thanks Discovery Family, why don't you guys Discover how seasons are supposed to work?
 
But in Hearthswarming Eve, Rarity said pageants were going on all across Equestria. So it's an Equestria wide thing...
 
Pinkie's family really aren't the most pleasant ponies around. :wtf:

For all the fun we poke at Pinkie for being weird, she's the sanest of her family. That's...unsettling.

Well, it's official, they are Equestria's version of the Amish as I thought since CMChronicles in season 1. Only even more soul suckingly boring.

So is Maud the oldest or Limestone? since Limey is running the farm but going through her emo phase it's hard to tell.

Marble is so sweet, it's a pity she gets no development in the story except awkward semi-incestuous weirdness with someone much older than her. Her mane seems very crystal pony-ish, there could be some ancestry there going way back, which would explain a couple of things. Also, twins, aww.

The fault line makes no sense as, well, they're not that small, and if it was so dangerous, wouldn't mining a massive quarry right on it not be completely stupid too?

Applejack did nothing wrong this episode, the Pie's were making everything painfully one sided and resorted to threats (Limey) and throwing them out when they tried to be nice (Pa and Q) or taking no stand to help at all (Maud).

Their dedication to rocks to help masons is fine, their continuous semi-religious projection of sentience onto them is not. Maud was the oddity, now Limestone is even worse?

Pa and Q get bunched up over tiny signs of affection, colour, friendliness, etc but that goes out the window with their whiney little brat Limey who hasn't been horsewhipped yet for that behaviour?

I just...earth Ponies are weird.

The Apples were cute, Marble much more so, Pinkie was her usual self, the rest? wow.
 
Applejack cries on the INSIDE... Of caves, apparently. :)

You know, this was fun and all, but I can't shake the notion that AJ should have known better than to try to force her own traditions onto the Pie family. As dull and wackbards as they were, the Apples were the invited guests. I guess that in Equestria you're expected to share everything..?

Mark
 
Firstly, I'm going to burst if I don't point this out:

It's Neal and Del from "Planes, Trains and Automobiles! You can tell by Del's cutie mark of the shower curtain rings. I laughed my ass off at this!

Planes_Trains_Automobiles_MLPS5_E20.jpg



Now on to the episode itself:

What a fantastic episode! It was so sweet, with so many heartwarming moments! I love that Twilight got Spike a book, because we know how adorkably sweet and predictable Twilight is, and it makes her even more endearing.

My favorite non-Pinkie Pie is still Maud, but Marble Pie is making a run for her money. I mean, how sweet is she? Look at how she looks at Big Mac and he looks at her! They're adorable, and would be so adorable together! I'm sure I'm not the only one already shipping them in my head.

I love the traditions the Pies have, and I love that Applejack only wants to share her traditions. Sure, she was wrong headed for trying to force the issue, but I get where she came from, and she honestly only meant well. It was heartening to see the Pies and the Apples warm up to one another. What a sweet Christmas episode!

All in all, this may be my favorite episode of the season, save for Slice of Life which is just light years beyond everything else. This episode gets an "A" from me!
 
Peach Wookiee said:
That redheaded pony... that's the mom from the first two Home Alone movies...
Click to expand...
Yep! I was just coming here to add that, because someone on another board said that she looked familiar. I was so focused on Neal and Del, I didn't even realize that she has to be Kate McCallister, Kevin's mom, from the Home Alone movies! Look at her red hair, and the overcoat.

Man, this episode has some great easter eggs for this 80s and 90s kid! :D

(Also, good eye, Peach!)
 
Peach Wookiee said:
I can't get over how good Steve Martin and the late John Candy look ponyfied!
Click to expand...
Oh, I know. It actually made me tear up a bit, and I think it's because John Candy was such a kind, sweet soul that he would have fit right in with the ponyverse.
 
You had to give her credit for trying to hard to make things work. Applejack tried, too, but she just couldn't wrap her head around the idea that people do things differently, even if they seem the same in other ways.
 
Oh yes, definitely. Not just because I love Maud (a lot), but because I now adore Marble. :adore:
 
Limestone Pie was definitely adorable. She tried to be angry, but I think she's a bit like Rainbow Dash, in that deep down she cares very much for her friends and family, but she likes to show a tough exterior in order to be seen as an authority.
 
I think you might be right. And Pinkie's parents... once you get past certain things, they're quite nice. :)
 
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