Welcome once again fillies and gentlecolts to another edition of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Recap/Review. And boy, do we have a heck of an episode for you all this week. Adventure, secrets, trains, cherries, and one of the most popular ponies in the show becomes official canon. Sounds like one doozy of an episode, right? Well, let’s see just how big a doozy we’re in for when we take on “The Last Roundup”.
We open the episode at Sweet Apple Acres, as Applejack is in deep training for the upcoming rodeo at Canterlot. Exposition Bloom, I mean Apple Bloom reminds Applejack that she’s the 10 time rodeo champion of Ponyville, and has won more blue ribbons than any other pony, and she can’t wait for Applejack to win more. This makes Applejack blush at the praise, as we go to the theme song.
We then go to Ponyville city hall as Rainbow Dash and Derpy Hooves are work…
Hold on a second.
They called her DERPY?
Wait! Derpy talks?
Well, I can tell you one thing, this I was not expecting, and I am damn happy to see it. But we’ll get more on that later.
Anyway, Derpy and Rainbow Dash are setting up a banner to celebrate Applejack’s departure to the rodeo (with Derpy causing much more harm than good). All of the ponies of Ponyville cheer Applejack on, and see her off as she hops the train to Canterlot for the rodeo. Before leaving, she promises to return in a week, with blue ribbons and prize money to help fix the roof for the town hall. Cut to a week later, as the rest of the mane six and the entirety of the Apple family ready a surprise party for the returning Applejack. However, instead of their friend, they get a letter from her instead. The letter states that Applejack will not be coming home. With the Apple family distraught over this, Twilight Sparkle and the gang make a promise to bring her home, as they depart for the rodeo.
The five of them end up at the rodeo, but end up with no answers to the whereabouts of Applejack. One pony does recognize her, and points them to a place called Dodge Junction. The train ride there takes so long that poor Pinkie Pie needs to use the facilities. So, when they finally make it to Dodge Junction, she hauls hoof to the restroom… which Applejack is occupying. Well, isn’t that just convenient?
Despite all their attempts to convince Applejack to come home, the stubborn pony continues to say no, and won’t tell them as to why she doesn’t want to. The ponies meet Cherry Jubilee, who runs the cherry orchard in Dodge Junction. They learn that Applejack has employed herself at the orchard, while once again not telling the others why. So, the other ponies take jobs at the orchard as well. This leads to a hilarious tribute to I Love Lucy, as while the others try to once again get answers from Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy have to deal with a conveyor belt full of cherries. But Applejack remains a stubborn pony. With no hope left, Rainbow Dash suggests that they use their “secret weapon.”
That weapon being Pinkie Pie’s annoyance.
Pinkie constantly talks to Applejack about her creation of the cherrychanga (or chimicherry). It doesn’t take long for Applejack to collapse under the annoyance of Pinkie, and the five once again force her to confess. Applejack tells them that she will reveal all at breakfast tomorrow, even making a Pinkie Pie promise. Well, that’s good. Nobody would be stupid enough to break a Pinkie promise. However, come breakfast time, the five discover that Applejack has run off.
Oh crud.
The big climax of the episode comes in a wagon chase as the ponies try to catch Applejack once again, who tries everything to evade them. Pinkie hops on her wagon, and tries to get an answer as to why Applejack broke her Pinkie promise. Applejack says she’s sorry, which is enough for Pinkie to accept. She jumps off the wagon on to Rarity, as the two fall off, and are left behind. Applejack goes so far as trying to outrun a train, and succeeds. But just as it looks like she’s finally done it, she forgot one teensy little detail… the pegasus ponies were the ones carrying the wagon. They finally catch Applejack, who finally reveals why she wasn’t coming home.
In her saddlebag are ribbons of every color. Every color but blue that is. Applejack never came in 1st place in any of the rodeo events. She also didn’t win any prize money to help fix the town hall roof, which was also the reason she went to work for Cherry Jubilee. Applejack didn’t want to come home a failure, or disappoint her friends and family. The ponies tell her that her losing or not earning the money doesn’t matter, but not having her around would be devastating. Applejack finally gives in, and returns home to Ponyville with her family and friends happily awaiting her as she returns. Applejack writes her letter to Princess Celestia for the week, with the moral being that one shouldn’t worry about what others will think of you if you don’t win, and that you should never run away from your problems. So, it looks like all the loose ends tied up pretty well in the end…
Oh right.
Well, now that we’ve had one rodeo of an episode, it’s time to roundup the pros and cons.
PRO
Let’s get to it first and foremost.
Derpy Hooves is now canon and has a voice. Wow. Just wow.
What once started as an animation error in episode 1 that became adopted and adored by the fans has come full circle, and has now become an official character. That alone should say volumes about just how much the people behind this show really care about these fans. And wouldn’t you know it? What we’ve got was utterly awesome. She’s goofy, clumsy, and has a dopey voice. Pretty much what almost every fan had perceived her having from day one. Whether Derpy will slowly be like Butters and become the unofficial member of the main cast, that’s for the future for decide. But for now, this is a helluva victory for the fans.
Last week, I said that “Baby Cakes” was the return of classic Pinkie Pie. Well, this episode was Pinkie to perfection. Random, adorable, and absolutely insane. It took a while like I said, but the wait was totally worth it.
The pacing was well done in this episode. Nothing felt too rushed, or too slow. Just a perfect balance, of action, comedy, and even a strong moral. Everything a fan could ask for.
The moral, while predictable early on, was probably one of the best this season. For the most part this season, a lot of the morals seem very rehashed from last season, while this one felt fresh and strong.
It was also good that this one involved all of the ponies for once, and not just focusing on one or two only. It’s been a while since we had one of those, and I don’t refer to Hearth’s Warming Eve with that, since that was more a play than a real adventure story for an episode. In fact it feels like the first time since “Return to Harmony” that we had an adventure with all of the characters getting an even balance like this. I hope this isn’t the last we’ll see any time soon.
CON
Absolutely nothing.
This episode was perfect. Perfect action, perfect comedy, perfect writing. Everything balanced out to absolute greatness, and furthered the proof that this show continues to grow in not just writing strength, but in how much it has grown to respect its fans. And for that, this episode deserves only one appropriate rating.
RATING: 10 out of 10.
Next week, more Apple family mishaps. When the Flim Flam brothers challenge the Apple family to a cider making contest for control of Sweet Apple Acres, are the Apple family doomed? Or can a combined effort lead to sweet cider success? Find out when “The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000” is unleashed in seven days.
Until next week bronies and pegasisters.