Winter Wrap Up

Winter Wrap Up is the eleventh episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, season one. In this episode, winter comes to an end, and Ponyville prepares for an annual cleanup to make way for spring.

Summary
Long ago, the town was founded by the earth ponies, and as such, no magic was ever involved in the Winter Wrap Up, an annual "spring cleaning" community event where winter ends and spring is introduced. In this case, the ponies literally clean up winter to prepare for spring.



At the start of the episode in the Ponyville library, an eager Twilight Sparkle awakens ready to take part in this activity and is willing to keep with tradition by not using her unicorn magic. Spike is annoyed about losing sleep over his friend's excitment. Twilight checks off everything (even Spike complaining and going back to sleep) before heading outside, only to sheepishly discover that it's not even dawn yet.

In the morning, with a sleepy Spike in tow, Twilight arrives at the center of Ponyville where the Mayor finishes her final speech before the cleanup is divided into three teams: Weather, Animals, and Plants, all wearing Rarity-designed vests of blue, tan, and green respectively. However, Twilight is unable to find an appropriate team to work with. She volunteers to help Weather Team leader Rainbow Dash and her flight crew, but she is gently reminded that she has no wings to fly with. Twilight finds Animal Team member and offical nest designer Rarity outside the Carousel Boutique, just as she finishes her first nest. Rarity explains that she is nest-weaving for the birds being guided back from the south. Twilight tries her hoof at it, but the one she makes is messy; Rarity tries to commend it, but Spike finishes her statement by calling it an outhouse. Twilight leaves to find another line of work while Rarity tries to fix the nest.

Twilight then runs into Weather Team member Pinkie Pie on one of the frozen lakes, where she finds out the energetic pony has been an expert skater ever since she was young. She is tasked with scoring the ice so that it will melt more easily when the weather pegasi clear away the clouds. Twilight tries to help, but it's her first time on skates and she lacks the balance and finesse to ice skate without falling. After Twilight causes them both to crash into a snow bank, Pinkie Pie suggests that Fluttershy could probably use a hand with the critters.

Next, Twilight tries to assist Animal Team member Fluttershy with waking all the animals from hibernation. She seems to have an easy job ahead of her, until she is scared by a den of snakes. Panicked, she backs away into a cave of bats, gets stung by bees, and is sprayed by skunks. While Twilight is busy cleaning herself up at home, Spike suggests that she should break her "no-magic" promise so her work would be easier, but Twilight refuses.



That changes when she helps Plant Team leader Applejack and the plant team with clearing the snow from the fields in order to prepare for seed planting. Despite her best efforts, she is unable to push the snow plow. Twilight cracks under the pressure and decides to use a "come-to-life" spell to move the plow. Unfortunately, the spell soon goes out of control, resulting in an even bigger mess than before. Applejack berates Twilight for her use of magic, who runs off in tears. Applejack clearly regrets speaking rather harshly to her.

With no options left, Twilight decides to stay out of the way, hidden in a bush in the Town square until the Winter Wrap Up is over, but she soon overhears that no one else in Ponyville is faring much better. Applejack wants Rainbow Dash's weather pegasi to get the snow quickly melted for seeding, but Fluttershy wants Rainbow Dash to wait until she can clear the animal homes beforehand. The ice covering the lakes is not melting quickly due to poor scoring. Rarity was so focused on fixing Twilight's nest all day that she hadn't made more, and she was supposed to have finished several hundred by now. Big McIntosh leads Caramel to Applejack, to which she guesses correctly that the other stallion had lost the grass seeds again, and somehow, a member of Dash's team had gone north to guide back the southern birds. The mayor laments that her motivational speech from earlier had fallen on deaf ears. It appears that Ponyville will finish their Winter Wrap-up late, yet again. In fact, to Twilight's surprise, the mayor notes that the town has been late in cleaning up winter every year, and it will soon be sunset. At this point, the unicorn remembers her one other talent besides magic: organization. She breaks up the argument and volunteers to guide everyone in their tasks.



With careful planning, teamwork, and everyone working through the night, the residents of Ponyville are finally able to finish their work on time. Thanks to her exceptional organizing and leadership skills, Twilight is designated the new position of 'All-Team Organizer', along with a new and unique vest by Rarity as all the ponies celebrate their accomplishment.

Twilight Sparkle relays her report to Princess Celestia, learning that everyone has hidden talents, and if they're patient and diligent, they'll find them. Also, she learned that everyone can accomplish anything when they work together and treat each other as friends.

Story points

 * Twilight tries unsuccessfully to find her place in the Winter Wrap Up.
 * After several failed attempts, she witnesses the ponies' lack of orgaization, and helps organize them.
 * With Twilight's help, winter is wrapped up on time.

Quotes
Spike: Huh? Mommy?

Twilight Sparkle: Winter Wrap-Up!

Spike: ...You're not mommy.

Twilight Sparkle: Scarf? Check. Saddle? Check. Boots? Check. 'Spike refusing to get up and go back to sleep'? Check. It's a good thing I'm so organized. I'm ready!

Spike: That nest needs to be condemned!

Rarity: Oh Spike... It's not so bad. Uh, maybe the birds can use it as a...

Spike: An outhouse?

Spike: You are a natural, Twilight... A natural DISASTER.

Pinkie Pie: I'm sure my first time was just as wobbly and bobbly and crasherific as yours.

Twilight Sparkle: Really?

Pinkie Pie: ...No.

Applejack: Nuts Twilight, you used magic.

Spike: The nerve. Can you believe her?

Applejack: That's not how we do it 'round here, Twilight, and especially not on MAH farm.

Twilight Sparkle: Well, see, I just wanted to...

Spike: Well, you're good at a lot of things... Just not nest-making... Ice-skating... Animal waking... Snow clearing...

Twilight Sparkle: Oh, thanks a lot for making me feel sooo much better.

Spike: That's what I'm here for, sister.

Gallery

 * Winter Wrap Up image gallery

Trivia

 * The musical number in this episode is perhaps the biggest and most elaborate yet, rivaling the season finale's The Best Night Ever musical number. The sequence was leaked to Youtube a month before the episode aired by the series composer.
 * While the weather and plant teams were led by main characters, the animal team was led by a background pony, despite the fact that both Fluttershy and Rarity were on the team.
 * Cherry and Cheerilee are both seen on both the plant team and the animal team.
 * Bon Bon is seen on all three teams. In one scene, she is seen helping both the plant and animal teams simultaneously.
 * While the team vests are introduced, Linky is seen wearing a team leaders vest, although earlier Applejack is shown as team leader.
 * This is the only episode where Twilight Sparkle goes into an emotional breakdown after being scolded.
 * During the Winter Wrap Up song, pegasus ponies are on the roofs of other ponies, holding out shovels with their hooves.
 * When the song is playing, Cheerilee is seen with only 3 legs, and later there is a discrepancy between her shadow and her distance from the "camera".
 * In the beginning of the episode when Twilight walks out there is no snow, and also when Twilight opens the doors, they disappear but reappear in the far shot.
 * Right before Twilight's finale in the musical number, you can find clones of Cherry, Bon Bon, Daisy, and Berry Punch.
 * Big McIntosh seems to be working with the Plant team, but is never shown wearing a vest. This is likely because he is too big for a regular vest.
 * The scarf Twilight wears in the beggining is the same scarf Rarity wears in Dragonshy.