thedriveintheatre

This is the best day of my LIIIFEEE…!!!

Part of the reason why I enjoy being part of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fandom is that the creators frequently acknowledge and interact with the fanbase. I don’t mean this in the patronising ‘sell merchandise and flog spin-offs’, although MLP: FIM does the former to an extent. I mean it in the honest sense of engaging with the fans on an equal level, as demonstrated by creator Lauren Faust’s replies to comments on her deviantART page, or current season 2 director Jayson Thiessen entertaining an interview by fan site Equestira Daily. Even amongst each other, we collaborate with our own fanartist-celebrities (I recently communicated with the legendary artist ‘Pixelkitties’ to ask her permission to use one of her characters in my fanfic).

The opening of this episode is the culmination of that auteur-audience relationship. What was once a vector error in the pilot episode has been shaped by the collective observation and imagination of Bronies (fans of the show) into a lovable mailmare who has a penchant for muffins and being endlessly accident-prone. Aptly dubbed ‘Derpy Hooves’, the dopey pony with bubbles for her cutie mark has been the subject of countless fanfics and fanart, but her canon name and voice have remained a mystery.

Until now.

For the benefit of those who haven’t seen the episode, I won’t spoil on what she does or how she sounds like - just that the result of her actions provide the ‘driving force’ for much of Applejack’s plot, and that she’s voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, voice of Rarity and a few other characters.

After the spectacular opening, the rest of the episode is equally breathtaking. Unlike ‘Find a Pet’ and ‘Baby Cakes’, in which I saw the moral and ending a mile away, this one actually has a pretty good mystery. Seasoned viewers might still be able to figure out what’s going on with Applejack, but I’ll admit I was thrown for a loop halfway with the introduction of Cherry Jubilee (who shares the name of a G1 pony). There’s lies, there’s deception, there’s cherry-changa and kumquat, and there’s a thrilling stagecoach chase before the tearjerking and heartwarming ending.

Oh, and taking a leak is now canon. But don’t worry, it happens off-screen.

Thank you, FIM creators, for making this one of the most rewarding and delightful all-ages show in recent memory, and giving us the canon-birth of Derpy.