Griffon the Brush Off

"Don't you know how to take "Get Lost" for an answer?! Dash doesn't need to hang with a dweeb like you now that I'm around. You're dorkin' up the skies, "Stinkie Pie". So make like a bee. BUZZ OFF!"

- Gilda

Griffon the Brush Off is the fifth episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, season one. In this episode, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash bond by playing pranks on the other ponies, but when Rainbow's old friend, Gilda the Griffon, shows up for a visit, Pinkie Pie becomes a third wheel.

Episode Summary
The episode starts with Pinkie Pie and Twilight spending time in a park, with Pinkie enthusiastically relaying some story about Rainbow Dash's aerial acrobatics to Twilight, who is reading a book and not paying Pinkie much attention. Pinkie spots Dash flying up above and calls to her, but Dash tells her "not now". Pinkie pursues Dash and calls out to her, until Dash slams into a mountainside and slides down next to Pinkie, who tells her she was going to warn her about it.

After the intro plays, the scene shows Pinkie Pie asking around Ponyville for the whereabouts of Rainbow Dash. Once she finds her, Dash tries to escape, but Pinkie Pie catches up with her instantly whenever she stops. After several failed hiding spots, Dash gives up and askes what she wants. It turns out that Pinkie was trying to find her so she could help in playing a prank on Spike. Using a nearby thundercloud, they waited for the baby dragon to exit the town square pavilion. Once he was out, Dash kicks the the could to ignite a thunderous boom, scaring him. The scare causes him to hiccup repeatedly, making himself breathe his magic fire at a set of scrolls and transporting them to an unsuspecting Princess Celestia.

After making sure he was okay, the two commence a pranking spree on the rest of their friends. They used temporary paint on some of Applejack's apple trees, switching Twilight's pen ink with disappearing, and using sneezing powder on Rarity. The "victims" are annoyed, but still amused by the good-natured practical jokes. Of course, even Pinkie has her limits. When she learns that Dash sees Fluttershy as their next target for a fake squirting turtle toy, she immediately stops. She warns Dash that Fluttershy is too sensitive for even the most harmless of pranks. The two end the day by pranking each other instead.

The next day, Pinkie Pie meets Gilda, Rainbow Dash's old griffon friend (a bird/lion hybrid) from Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Pinkie Pie has prepared another series of pranks for her and Dash to pull. Gilda reminds Dash about a promised flying session, and Dash excuses herself, promising to hang out with Pinkie Pie later. Pinkie accepts this, but as she tried to catch up to the two in the clouds later, she was intercepted and rebuked by Gilda, telling her to buzz off now that she is around to keep Dash company.

Pinkie Pie goes to Twilight Sparkle for advice about Gilda's mean behavior, but Twilight concluded that Pinkie Pie is simply jealous of Gilda. The only advice she could give was to try and improve the griffon's attitude. Pinkie was upset at Twilight's refusal to take her side, but reflected that maybe Twilight's assessment is true, and enjoys a milkshake alone at Sugarcube Corner.

Rainbow Dash and Gilda show up and, not noticing Pinkie Pie, part ways briefly so Rainbow Dash can attend to some weather jobs. When Pinkie observes Gilda scaring Granny Smith and stealing an apple from a produce stand, she tries her best to justify the situation. The last straw fell when the griffon roared at and drove away a well-meaning Fluttershy to the point of tears. Tired of the bird-lion's mean streak, Pinkie Pie vowed to fix the problem "Pinkie Pie-style."

This entails throwing a welcoming party in Gilda's honor. At the party, the griffon was greeted by Pinkie's joy buzzer handshake. Gilda warns Pinkie that she knows what the pony is up to, but the latter simply brushes it aside and officially starts the party by having everyone in the party welcome Gilda. After the party starts, Gilda falls for most of the pranks set up for the party, to which she hides her growing irritation from the other ponies, including Dash. The griffon strongly suspects that Pinkie Pie was the mastermind behind the party pranks. The pink pony then preps the griffon for "Pin the Tail on the Pony". As she guides the guest of honor to the picture, Gilda suspects this is yet another prank and goes the other direction, resulting in slipping over a fallen piece of cake and having the 'tail on the other end'.

Gilda finally loses her temper, calling all the attendees at the party "dweebs" and proclaiming Pinkie Pie as "Queen Lame-o" for setting up all the pranks. She then attempts to bail the party with Dash at her side, but Rainbow Dash didn't move at the sight of seeing Gilda's true behavior. To everyone's surprise, Rainbow Dash revealed that she was the one who set up all the pranks (not all meant for Gilda). Contrary to the bird's accusing the party as a way to get back at her, Pinkie revealed that it was meant to improve the griffon's sour attitude. Disappointed over her old friend's mean behavior towards her new friends, Dash tells Gilda to go find some "cool new friends" if being cool is all she cares about. Rather than apologize for her behavior and having no proper response to do this, Gilda calls Dash a 'flip-flop' and storms out, slamming the door behind her. Rainbow Dash then apologizes to the party attendees for Gilda's behavior, and she and Pinkie Pie make up with a joy buzzer handshake.

Twilight Sparkle apologizes to Pinkie Pie for accusing her of misjudging Gilda, and learned that there are behaviors that can reveal who one's true friends are. In sending her report, Twilight plays a prank of her own by tricking Celestia into trying to write with disappearing ink.

Major Events

 * Gilda is formally introduced in this episode.
 * Twilight Sparkle learned that Pinkie Pie is Ponyville's resident prankster.
 * Rainbow Dash mentioned that she once attended the Junior Speedster Flight Camp.

Quotes

 * Pinkie Pie: Is someone over there? Who are we gonna squirt? Who are we gonna squirt?
 * Rainbow Dash: *snickers* Fluttershy...
 * Pinkie Pie: WHAT?! Nonononono! We can't prank Fluttershy; I mean, she's so sensitive! It'll hurt her feelings; even our most harmless prank...


 * Rainbow Dash: Pinkie, this is my griffon friend, Gilda.
 * Pinkie Pie: What's a griffon?
 * Rainbow Dash: She's half-eagle, half-lion...
 * Gilda: And all awesome!


 * Rainbow Dash: Hey, remember the chant?
 * Gilda: *scoff* Yeah... They made us recite it every morning. I'll never get that lame thing out of my head.
 * Rainbow Dash: Soooo...?
 * Gilda: *sigh* Only for you, Dash...


 * Pinkie Pie: Hi! It's later! And I caught up!


 * Pinkie Pie: Maybe Twilight is right. Maybe Gilda isn't a big meanie grumpy mean-meanie-pants. Maybe I'm just a big jealous judgmental jealous-jealousy-pants.

Fluttershy: (Under her breath) I'm a year older than you.
 * Pinkie Pie: Don't you worry your pretty little head about mean old Gilda! Your auntie Pinkie Pie has it all taken care of!

Pinkie Pie: Great! Gilda: (groans) I know what you're planning. Pinkie Pie: (still cheerful) Well I hope so! This wasn't suppose to be a surprise party. Gilda: I mean, I got my eye on you. Pinkie Pie: And I got my eye on you!
 * Gilda: I know what you're up to.


 * Gilda: Hey. I'm watching you... like a hawk.
 * Pinkie Pie: Why? Can't you watch me like a griffin?


 * Gilda: This.. is your idea of a good time?! I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life! And Pinkie Pie... YOU! You are "Queen Lame-o" with your weak little party pranks! Did you really think you could make me lose my cool? Well, Dash and I have ten times as much cool as the rest of you put together! Come on, Dash. We're bailing on this pathetic scheme... Come on, Rainbow Dash, I said we're leaving!
 * Rainbow Dash: You know, Gilda? I was the one who set up all those "weak pranks" at this party...
 * Gilda: (shocked) ...What?!
 * Pinkie Pie: Ooh...
 * Rainbow Dash: So I guess I'm "Queen Lame-o"...


 * Rainbow Dash: You know, this is not how I thought my old friend would treat my new friends. If "being cool" is all you care about, then maybe you should find some "new cool friends" someplace else.
 * Gilda: (growls slightly) Yeah? Well... You... You... You are such a-a-a "Flip-Flop"! Cool one minute, and lame the next. When you decide not to be lame anymore, give me a call... (storms out and slams the door behind her)
 * Rainbow Dash: Not  cool...

Trivia
the "Best Young Flier" competition when Rainbow Dash saves everyone.
 * The title is a pun on the phrase Given the Brush-off in reference to an abrupt and rude dismissal.
 * The game of "Pin the tail on the Pony" is the same one that Pinkie played in her fantasy from The Ticket Master.
 * Fluttershy is 1 year older than Pinkie Pie.
 * When Pinkie Pie finally left Twilight Sparkle alone to read, Twilight turned a page in her book from right to left.
 * When Pinkie Pie is chasing Rainbow Dash, she uses the same bounding gait as Pepe le Pew uses in chasing his unwilling paramour in Warner Brothers cartoons.
 * On Comcast's On Demand, Gilda's name is misspelled as Grielda.
 * When Spike is gathering the scrolls, he can be heard humming the My Little Pony theme song.
 * When Fluttershy runs away from Gilda, two background pegasi (Gum / Dizzy Twister and Cloud Kicker) are shown with awkward expressions. They were said to have a "derpy-sorta look"..
 * This is Gilda's first appearance.
 * At the very beginning of this episode when Pinkie Pie is talking, it is debatable that she is describing the events of