A Friend in Deed

A Friend in Deed is the eighteenth episode of the second season of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and the forty-fourth episode overall. When a newcomer, Cranky Doodle Donkey, moves to Ponyville, Pinkie Pie attempts to befriend him. The title is a word play on the saying, "A friend in need is a friend indeed."

Production
In October 2011 showrunner and supervising director Jayson Thiessen shared two cryptic photographs of the stop-motion setup with his Twitter followers, which later became the scene through Pinkie's imagination animated in felt. The scene was originally intended to be animated the same way as the rest of the series. The shapes were cut out by Thiessen's wife Jocelan, and animated by Thiessen himself in their basement.

Prologue
The episode opens at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie Pie turns on exercise music, dons a workout outfit, and proceeds to exercise while making silly faces. As she pauses for a moment, it is revealed she is entertaining Pound and Pumpkin Cake, who are unimpressed by her antics. Taking a breath after her failed attempt, she accidentally plops her flank down on a set of jacks. Leaping into the air in pain, she gets caught in the ceiling fan and thrown into a pile of stuffed toys, causing the babies to giggle at her misfortune. Finally achieving her goal, she proudly pumps the air in success, before the theme music starts.

Smiling through town
Later, Pinkie trots through Ponyville, spreading amity and glee to everyone she meets: she compliments Rose on her Calla lilies (though they are actually true lilies) and Mr. Waddle on his bow tie; she wishes a happy birthday to Cheerilee, a happy day-after-birthday to Zecora, and a happy birthday 132 days in advance to a donkey named Matilda, who is amazed that Pinkie can remember everything about everyone living in Ponyville. Pinkie explains that everyone is her friend, and above all, she loves to make her friends smile, leading into the Smile Song. Pinkie amasses a large crowd parading through Ponyville, ending face to face with a grumpy-looking donkey hauling a large wagon.

Cranky Doodle Donkey
Upon seeing the donkey, she introduces herself and asks his name. After several guesses from Pinkie, the donkey reluctantly reveals that his name is Cranky Doodle Donkey, which is a reference to the American revolutionary song "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Pinkie sings about his name to the tune of the song. When Pinkie refers to him as Doodle, he angrily tells her never to use the name and continues ignoring her. A confused Pinkie, bemused by being rejected for the first time, shows her logic progression through a scene animated by stop-motion and felt cutouts. However, she resolves to befriend him by any means necessary. As Pinkie tries to strike up a conversation, Cranky reveals that he has moved to Ponyville to "be alone with his memories." Pinkie proceeds to look through all his things in his wagon, annoying the donkey even further.

From bad to worse
Having been denied Cranky's wagon, Pinkie brings out a literal welcome wagon. Cranky reluctantly lets her get on with her greeting. One brief song later, both of them end up covered in cake batter because according to Pinkie, she had mixed up the oven with the confetti cannon. The confetti knocks Cranky's toupee off, which lands on Pinkie. She immediately mistakes it for a spider and tramples it before being confronted by Cranky. Having noticed Cranky's baldness, Pinkie loudly begs everyone in the vicinity for a toupee, before climbing a flagpole and proclaiming his baldness, infuriating Cranky even further. Saddened by his discontent, Pinkie dashes him to a spa, and tops off the treatment with a gift: a new toupee designed by Rarity, which resembles the sea serpent's hairstyle from Friendship is Magic, Part 2 as well as the hair of Johnny Bravo. He thanks her for it, but fails to bust out a smile.

Unpacking to unfriending
Later that day, as Cranky is busy unpacking his things at his new house, Pinkie drops by to see him and plays with a snow globe containing Derpy. As they talk, Pinkie learns that Cranky has traveled all over Equestria, including Fillydelphia and Manehattan, looking for a 'special friend' whom Cranky lets slip to be a lady. Pinkie then discovers a scrapbook and flips through it, finding something that catches her eye. As she tries to ask Cranky about it, a series of mishaps set the book on fire. She attempts to douse the flames, ruining the pages. Cranky is furious at Pinkie for ruining his scrapbook and throws her out, telling her that he will never be her friend.

Massive apology
Cranky's rejection leaves Pinkie feeling dejected and sad, and she goes to Twilight for some advice. Twilight and Rainbow Dash, who is reading a Daring Do book, explain that she just has to accept that Cranky wants to be left alone. The book is titled Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone, although the cover page suggests it's the next book in the series, Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet. Pinkie agrees and decides to leave him alone, but after she makes him accept her apology. As she tries to apologize, Cranky flees her, not wanting to bear more trouble caused by Pinkie Pie. She chases him around town trying everything to get him to accept her apology, but he refuses, saying that nothing she can do can replace the book, which was his only reminder of 'her'.

Reuniting with Matilda
As Pinkie leaves in defeat, she is suddenly struck with an idea. Speaking through the door, Pinkie tells Cranky that there is still one more thing she wants to give him. He turns her down stubbornly, but after hearing a different, familiar voice in reply, he opens the door to see Matilda, the donkey Pinkie had greeted previously who turned out to be the special friend Cranky had been looking for. Pinkie explains that she figured it out from the items in Cranky's scrapbook: A flower, a ticket and a menu from the Grand Galloping Gala, items she had also seen in a scrapbook owned by Matilda. Cranky revealed the story of meeting Matilda at the Gala. According to his story, he discovered that Matilda has disappeared when she enters her room the next day, and leaves without reading the note that Matilda had left behind. He then spent his life searching for her, and came to Ponyville to retire from his search. Matilda tells him that she has been living in Ponyville the whole time. They reunite and Matilda kisses him, causing Cranky to smile for the first time in years. Cranky gladly accepts Pinkie's apology and finally accepts her friendship. Pinkie literally turns into a rocket and explodes with joy, bouncing about rambling about everything she and Cranky can do together as friends. She calms down as Cranky tells her that he and Matilda just want some time to be together, but he promises that he will always be her friend.

Epilogue
As Pinkie leaves, she muses on her note to Princess Celestia: While some friends may enjoy playing and laughing together, some may just like to be left alone, which is fine too. Whatever the case, one of the best things about friendship is being able to make one's friends smile. The episode ends with Pinkie singing Cranky Doodle Joy, interrupting Cranky and Matilda in front of an open window of Cranky's house. The credits play a piano arrangement of Yankee Doodle Dandy, making A Friend in Deed the second episode not to feature the instrumental arrangement of the show's theme song in its credits, the first being The Return of Harmony, Part 2.

Quotes

 * Pinkie Pie: Let's do this.


 * Pinkie Pie: Nailed it!


 * Pinkie Pie: Looking fit as a fiddle, Mr. Waddle, and you're wearing my favorite tie!
 * Mr. Waddle: Aw shucks Miss Pinkie, you flatterer you.


 * Pinkie Pie: I've never seen you before.
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: Kid, you're smarter than you look.


 * Pinkie Pie: C'mon now, Doodle, give a smile!
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: Nopony calls me Doodle!


 * Pinkie Pie: ...what just happened? Meet somepony new, check. Introduce myself, check. Sing random song outta nowhere, check. Become instant best friends... uncheck. I don't get it. How can somepony not become instant best friends with me? Was it something I said? Was it something I sang? This is no time for the blame game, Pinkie! There's somepony new in town, and you need to win him over! 'Try everything you can to make Cranky smile and be your friend'. Check!


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh, silly me! I must've put the confetti in the oven and the cake in the confetti cannon! Again!


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh. Was that your wig?
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: [growls]
 * Pinkie Pie: I can fix this, I can fix this! [through megaphone] Hey, everypony! Does anypony have a toupee?
 * Ponies: [Huh?, Toupee?, etc]
 * Pinkie Pie: [through megaphone] This donkey is really, really, bald!
 * Ponies: [laughing]
 * Pinkie Pie: [through megaphone] What's so funny? This is serious business, everypony! Cranky needs a new wig to cover his hairless head!


 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: Listen to me, kid, I will never be your friend!
 * Pinkie Pie: Never, or never-ever?
 * Cranky Doodle Donkey: Never, ever, ever, ever, ever!
 * [door slams]
 * Pinkie Pie: That's four 'ever's. That's like... forever!


 * Twilight Sparkle: I know this is hard for you, Pinkie, seeing that you're friends with everypony, but you just have to accept that Cranky is gonna be an exception. He just... doesn't want to be bothered.
 * Rainbow Dash: Yeah, he doesn't want to be bothered by your over-the-top super-hyper antics.
 * Twilight Sparkle: Rainbow!


 * Pinkie Pie: [explodes like a firework] Woohoo! This is just fantastic! Ooh, now we can hang out together, and chat, and sing songs, and [gasps] party! Oh, I can throw you guys a big party! It'll be called a 'Welcome to Ponyville, I found my lost love, I'm BFF's with Pinkie Pie Party'! ...Or maybe something less over-the-top and not so super-hyper.

Gallery

 * A Friend in Deed image gallery