Pinkie Pride

Pinkie Pride
Story: A mysterious pony named Cheese Sandwich arrives in Ponyville, and is enlisted by Rainbow Dash to plan her "Birth-iversary" party. This, in turn, upsets Pinkie Pie, who was originally going to plan the party. This story is just amazing. Aside from the great setup, great comedy, and great ending, 2 things really stand out in this story. The first is the energy that it gives off. It's constantly active, constantly giving us that vibe of "We're planning an awesome party, so we want the viewer to feel excited too." The second thing that really stands out is that for all the energy, there are a few quiet, subtle moments. Even with the excitement of the party, the episode actually takes time away from all the happy moments to really analyze Pinkie's emotions and the sadness she's going through. It's that balance of happy and toned-down, combined with some amazing songs, that really bring this story beyond expectations. And for that, it earns a 5.5.

Characters: There are 3 primary characters that this episode focuses on. First on the list is Cheese Sandwich. Where do I begin with this guy? Well, first and foremost is his voice, provided by legendary comedian/musician Weird Al Yankovic. And oddly enough, Cheese looks just like him. Even in flashbacks, he looks like the younger version of him with the glasses and the big curly mane. Another thing about Cheese Sandwich is that he's really likeable, even though he ends up bringing the attention away from Pinkie Pie, though it was really just an accident on his part. He has so much energy, and the revelation about why he became a party planner is so great, that I'm not going to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet because it really does paint him as a great, likeable character. Next is Pinkie Pie. Her performance in this episode is pretty much a more toned-down version of Party of One. Instead of going mentally insane, she actually considers giving up her status as a great party pony. But instead of giving up, she fights for her honor, and when she realizes that she's letting her pride affect her friends' fun, she forfeits her own challenge and plans to leave Ponyville in a rather depressing scene. But after a pep talk from Rainbow Dash and Cheese Sandwich, she decides to stay and co-host the party with Cheese Sandwich. Lastly, we have Rainbow Dash. While she's not really a major focus, the party is being thrown for her, so it only makes sense that I say something about her. She's actually very likeable, being accepting of both Pinkie and Cheese's services, as well as trying to convince Pinkie to stay in Ponyville. As for the rest of the main six, they have some pretty good moments. I especially liked Fluttershy's funny moments. Pretty much, all the characters, major and minor, provide great performances, and are definitely deserving of a 5.5.

Ending Morals: Pinkie Pie learns that if someone out there is better at something you're good at, you shouldn't let that affect you if it's something you really like to do. This is an incredibly great moral, and I feel this is the kind of lesson that we in the real world need to learn. So, the moral gets a 5.5.

Final thoughts: To say that Pinkie Pride is an amazing episode would be a huge understatement. Even taking Weird Al out of the equation, it would still do an incredible job at showing me a side of Pinkie Pie I never really expected to see. Not to mention the story was written very well, the moral was great, and the songs are a lot of fun. All I can say is: please don't let the rumors I heard about Filli Vanilli be true. I have so much respect for Pinkie after watching this episode, and I REEEEEEALLY don't want to lose it! Final score - 16.5/15