So the winter break is over, and we're all no-doubt back to school or work. Or both, even. But in spite of the daily-life shenanigans that are back in full-force, it's all good because MLP is back too!
And because this season really likes Apple Bloom, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, here's another episode focusing on Apple Bloom, and costarring Granny Smith! Because everyone loves old people.
The review will contain spoilers, as always!
If you've been following Friendship is Magic season two, you've probably noticed that Granny Smith, and the Apple family in general, has been showing up a lot more than they did in season one. Thus, it shouldn't be too surprising that Granny Smith gets her own episode in Family Appreciation Day.
The main plot is pretty simple: Apple Bloom's school is having a family appreciation day where each little pony brings in a family member to present their work, or their life story, or something along those lines. Apple Bloom finds herself in a position where her constant tormentors, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, are mocking her for being associated with the eccentric Granny Smith. Granny Smith ends up being the pony that Apple Bloom has to bring for family appreciation day, and so, out of fear of mockery, she tries to get Granny out of it in any way she can.
The subplot is much more unique, interesting, and more than a little odd. The Apple family is in the middle of harvesting "Zap Apples", special apples that only grow at particular times, and only after certain special signs occur. This is the connector that leads to Diamond Tiara meeting Granny Smith and Granny Smith being the only family member available for Apple Bloom to bring to school.
The Zap Apples are simultaneously pretty cool and incredibly weird. As Granny Smith notes, they're magic so that sort of combination kind of just happens. But, due to the Zap Apples and some other elements throughout the episode, it ends up being kind of an odd episode, to the point where parts of it gave me Homestar Runner-esque vibes.
It makes sense that the episode would be a tad bit eccentric, of course, as Granny Smith is its main focus and she's... well, quite eccentric indeed. Still, it stands out a bit among pony episodes for its oddities.
Or perhaps it just stands out for Granny Smith. She's certainly an odd character, and she's that way in this episode through and through. It seems weird that, even if she is the odd old person-type, she would refer to Apple Bloom multiple times in a manner that is basically insulting. Not to mention there are a few scenes where she pulls off peculiar stunts that would feel right at home as the sort of thing Pinkie Pie might do, or even the kind of thing one might see Homsar performing (see, I told you there were Homestar Runner vibes!).
The end of the episode is when it gets really interesting, though, as we end up learning the backstory of Ponyville and how it was founded. Amusingly, that makes two episodes in a row that are about the founding of various pony civilizations, which is definitely not a bad thing!
All in all, I'd say it's a pretty well-rounded episode. I'll give it a
7.5/10
Pros:
-More backstory!
-Nice to see Granny Smith get a good chunk of characterization and backstory
Cons:
-A bit too silly for its own good
-Main plotline is simple and predictable
---
Thus, Granny Smith happened. What an odd character.
Incidentally, she is the oldest thing in Ponyville. How awesome is that??
What isn't awesome is Filthy Rich's name. Honestly, who names their don Filthy Rich? Someone named Stinking Rich, evidently...
~ C.O
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