Boast Busters

Boast Busters is the sixth episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, season one. In this episode, a new unicorn going by the name of the "The Great and Powerful" Trixie arrives in Ponyville, claiming to be the greatest pony in all of Equestria.

Summary
The episode begins in the Ponyville library, where Twilight Sparkle is busy practicing a new set of spells, twenty five in total. Her most recent one involves creating a mustache on Spike. The baby dragon admires his new look, hoping to show it off to Rarity, but Twilight points out that it was just for practice and makes it disappear, much to his disappointment.

They both stroll through Ponyville later, contemplating on the links between magic and talent. While Twilight believes that the amount of magic depends on certain talents, she also believed that magic itself can be a talent if one is born with it. Spike responds that he thinks that because of Twilight's vast knowledge of magic, there is no other pony in Equestria like her. As if right on cue, two unicorn colts by the name of Snips and Snails spread the word that a new unicorn has arrived with even greater magic. "It seems we have some "neigh-sayers" in the audience. Who is so ignorant as to challenge the magical ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie?""

- Trixie

In the town square, where a traveling stage unfolds from a trailer, the new unicorn has made herself known to the populace. Apparently a traveling magician calling herself "The Great and Powerful Trixie", she claims to be the most magical unicorn in all of Equestria among the explosions of various small fireworks from the stage. The ponyfolk are in awe of her magic tricks. Twilight's friends, however, are unimpressed because of the newcomer's constant boasting. Twilight asked if there is something wrong with being talented: Applejack and Rarity say that it wasn't, as long the person doesn't try to show off and make themselves out as being better than the rest of them. When Spike tries to say that Twilight is more magical, the purple pony stops him, saying that she didn't want to face the same looks from her friends as they did with Trixie. When Rainbow Dash demands to know what made the robed unicorn so special, she responds by claiming that she had once saved the town of Hoofington from the "Ursa Major", sending it back to The Everfree Forest. She then challenges anyone in Ponyville to step up, saying anything they can do, she will easily do better.



Applejack is the first, performing a rodeo rope trick. Trixie counters by using a snake rope trick, hog-tying the southern equine. Rainbow Dash comes in to gather enough moisture to create her own mini-rainbow, but the braggart manipulates that very rainbow to dizzy her. Rarity declines, saying that she was "above all this nonsense". But when Trixie insults her mane, she decides to show off her usual elegance by creating a costume out of stage curtains. Trixie uses her magic to mess up Rarity's hair, turning it green; her friends try to hide the fact from her, but the dignified unicorn runs off in humiliation. A green-haired pony appears, taking offense of Rarity's dismay of her hair. Spike again tries to get Twilight to confront the arrogant unicorn. Trixie overhears and challenges Twilight, but Twilight runs away without accepting the challenge. With no one left to face her, she once more declares herself the superior pony.



With the show finished, Snips and Snails show up near Trixie's trailer delivering a smoothie (with extra hay, just how she likes it), wanting to hear how the star defeated the Ursa Major. However, she casts them off, claiming so that she can get some rest. A skeptical Spike meets the two colts, saying that unless there was some proof, there was no way Trixie's claim would be true; if there was an Ursa Major to walk up the road and she were to vanquish it, only then could he ever believe her. This gives the two an idea of finding the creature in the Everfree Forest.

Back at the library where Twilight is studying, Spike tries to convince her that she can use her magic to stand up to Trixie and help her friends. However, Twilight fears she would be no better than Trixie and she would end up losing her friends in the process by showing off. Spike is frustrated about the situation and leaves.

In the forest, Snips and Snails find a giant blue bear in a big, dark cave, but accidentally wake it up and lure it all the way back to Ponyville. They wake up Trixie, who starts panicking after seeing the bear, who then easily crushes her trailer underfoot after she runs off with the two colts behind her. After a few terribly failed attempts to stop it, she finally confesses that she never really vanquished the Ursa Major, saying she made up the story to help with her image. Before the bear can wreak serious havoc on Ponyville, Twilight (who was alerted by Spike about the bear's arrival) finally steps up to use her magic. Using the wind and cat tails as a lullaby, and the town's water tower filled with warm milk from a passing barn, the bear drifts off into a deep sleep before it is magically carried back to the forest.

Contrary to her fear, Twilight is cheered on by her friends and all of Ponyville, who see her as the better magical unicorn than Trixie due to her modesty. Twilight explains that she had been studying on the Ursa Major after hearing Trixie's bragging. However, the creature that attacked them was actually a very cranky Ursa Minor, a younger version of the Major.

Refusing to admit she was outdone, Trixie goes back to her arrogance, saying that Twilight will never have the same "amazing, show-stopping ability" as her, before she uses a puff of smoke to poorly conceal herself rushing out of town. Rainbow Dash prepares to go after Trixie, but Twilight stops her, certain that Trixie will someday learn her lesson about her bragging.

Snips and Snails arrive to await their punishment for bringing the Ursa Minor to the town and to clean up the mess it made. With Spike's suggestion, she gives them, and the dragon himself, their own mustaches. Returning to the library, she writes to Princess Celestia that she should be proud of her magical talent, and know when to use it. Twilight finally admits to Spike that she was the most talented unicorn in Ponyville, but "it's nothing to brag about..."

At the end of the episode, Twilight encourages Spike, who was disappointed that Rarity did not go for his new look, just to be himself, only to have him speculate that a beard would work better with the mustache.

Quotes

 * Twilight Sparkle: There's nothing wrong with being talented, is there?
 * Applejack: Nothin' at all... Exceptin' when someone goes around showin' it off like a school-filly with fancy new ribbons.


 * Rarity: Just because one has the ability to perform lots of magic does not make one better than the rest of us.
 * Rainbow Dash: Especially when you got me around being better than the rest of us.


 * Rainbow Dash: They don't call me "Rainbow" and "Dash" for nothing!
 * Trixie : When Trixie is through, the only thing they'll call you is "Loser"...


 * Rarity: Rainbow Dash and Applejack may act like ruffians, but Rarity conducts herself with beauty and grace.
 * Trixie: Ooh. What's the matter? Afraid you'll get a hair out of place in that "rat's nest" you call a mane?
 * Rarity: ...Oh! It... is... ON!


 * Rarity: Quick! I need a mirror! Get me a mirror! What did she do to my hair?! I know she did something terrible to my hair!
 * Twilight Sparkle: ...Nothing.
 * Rainbow Dash: It's fine!
 * Applejack: It's gorgeous!
 * Spike: ...It's green.


 * Rarity: No. Green hair! Not green hair! That's an awful, awful color! :*cries*
 * Golden Harvest: Well, I never!


 * Twilight Sparkle: I, uh... I think I hear my laundry calling. Sorry.


 * Spike: The proof is in the pudding.
 * Snails: I like puddin'.
 * Snips: Hmmm... A Ursa Major waltzing down the street, ehh. Snails! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
 * Snails: Why do they call it a flea market, when they don't really sell fleas?
 * Snips: Yeah!....Oh come on.
 * Snips: Yeah!....Oh come on.


 * Snips: Trixie!
 * Snails: Trixie!
 * Spike: Twilight!


 * Snails: Don't worry, the Great and Powerful Trixie will vanquish it.
 * Trixie: ...I can't.
 * Snips/Snails: What?!
 * Trixie: uh, I can't, I never have. No one can vanquish an Ursa Major. I just made the whole story up to make me look better.
 * Snips/Snails: Made it up?!


 * Trixie: Huh. You may have vanquished an Ursa Minor, but you will never have the amazing, show-stopping ability of the Great and Powerful Trixie!

Gallery



 * Boast Busters image gallery

Trivia

 * The title of the episode is a play on the title of the Ghostbusters franchise.
 * Trixie's description of herself is shared by "The Great and Powerful Oz" in "The Wizard of Oz".
 * This is the first episode of the show to not have all of the main ponies talk. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy only appear sporadically in the crowd.
 * Trixie doesn't just turn Rarity's hair green, it's a mottled or "camouflage" form of green, is no longer neatly groomed, has a stick poking out of it, and sports two worms sticking out of the top like a 'rat's nest'.
 * When this episode aired on Treehouse TV in Canada, the word "losers" is censored when Trixie is taunting Rainbow Dash.
 * After Trixie turns Rarity´s hair green, Golden Harvest appears with her hair green too. However, earlier she is seen in the crowd with her normal colors.
 * The episode's premise called for a boastful boy unicorn, but writer Chris Savino came up with the character Trixie instead.
 * Trixie's challenge to the audience, "Anything you can do I can do better," is a phrase that originated with the song of the same name from the 1946 Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun.