So, I've 'revisited'
Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6k, and just finished re-watching
The Last Roundup. I
think these were the only Applejack centric episodes of Season 2.
Applejack didn't make my Season 2 top 5 character list (although she did make Season 1's) nor did this episode make my top 10 S2 episode list. The reasons for both of them not making the Season 2 lists are lost to the ravages of time. I do like Applejack though, and this was a pretty decent episode for her. Out of the goodness of her heart, she puts her own happiness aside so she can try and repay the 'debt' she feels she owes to her community.
Applejack excels at the rodeo, and her rodeo exploits have been supported by the Ponyville community since she was young. Because of that, she feels a little indebted to repay her supporters by pledging her winnings from the Canterlot Rodeo to fix up the Town Hall, which is in desperate need for repairs.
The rodeo ends, and instead of a victorious Applejack returning, they instead get a letter saying she's leaving Ponyville but will send the money. Her friends are upset and head off to find her and figure out what is going on. It turns out Cherry Jubilee, a cherry orchard owner from Dodge City, hired on Applejack after seeing Applejack win a ton of medals in the rodeo and hearing that Applejack wanted a change of scenery.
Her friends don't buy it, and they confront her at Cherry Jubilee's cherry sorting facility. They eventually use Pinkie Pie's insanity to get Applejack to confess, sort of. Applejack kept her Pinkie Promise, from a certain point of view, but a wild chase still ensues between Applejack on a stagecoach and the rest of her friends on a cart they stole. Applejack nearly kills the innocent ponies pulling her coach, and her friends (minus Pinkie and Rarity, who 'fell' off the cart and got left behind by Rainbow) finally get to learn the truth: Applejack didn't win a single 1st place prize, therefore she got no money, therefore she hired herself on with Cherry Jubilee to get some cash for the Town Hall like she promised. Her friends comfort her, and even Rainbow Dash ends up in tears from this heart-warming moment.
Applejack heads back home and still gets her 'hero's welcome' of sorts. Having Applejack there with them was more important to them than the money. Or so they claim anyway, we don't hear the Mayor say any such thing, the Mayor that was strongly hinting at Applejack to bring back money earlier.
I didn't really comment on it too much when I first watched it, but Pinkie Pie was just irritating the hell out of every other character throughout this thing. It's almost like they had it planned out as, "Let's make a tearjerker about Applejack leaving Ponyville to find a way to get money, because she wasn't good enough and had promised to donate her winnings." "That sounds good, but it's a bit too serious, what can we do to liven it up?" "Oh, we'll just put Pinkie Pie in there and have her do obnoxious things throughout the episode." =]
This episode was pretty solid, not super awesome like Daring Do's, but
then again not everything can be as awesome as that. =] It still ends up being very sweet, and demonstrates Applejack's gung-ho spirit. It would have
been better if we saw Applejack actually competing in the rodeo,plus Calamity Mane and Wild Bull Hickock.
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