Party of One

Party of One is the twenty-fifth episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, season one. Pinkie Pie invites her friends to a party, but grows suspicious and investigates when none of her friends can attend. The title comes from "party of one", which is used when booking a reservation for a single person at a restaurant or hosting establishment.

Production and airing
The episode was #6 in the We Heart Ponies Fan Favorite Mare-a-thon, in the leadup to Hearts and Hooves Day. The Treehouse TV airing of this episode mutes out all occurrences of the word "losers".

Singing telegram
The episode opens with a brief shot of Ponyville and of Twilight at her library, who answers the door for Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie starts singing, and fades through a montage of Pinkie delivering singing telegrams to her friends and inviting them to Gummy's one-year birthday party. By the time she delivers the singing telegram to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, she is visibly strained and her voice is gravelly. After the montage she slumps her way back to her party-decoration-filled room at Sugarcube Corner, and tells Gummy in a raspy voice "next time I think I'll just pass out written invitations."

Gummy's birthday party
At Pinkie's room in Sugarcube Corner, the party is in progress with Pinkie and her five friends. The music playing during the party was the same as in Call of the Cutie and The Show Stoppers. Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle dance, Rainbow Dash and Applejack bob for apples, and Rarity and Fluttershy chat. Pinkie tells Dash and Applejack that she's happy they made it to the party, and both of them concur they'd never miss it. Pinkie moves on and Dash and Applejack bob for apples again, but Applejack retrieves a false spring-loaded apple that pulls her back into the vat, and Dash ends up with Gummy clinging to her face with his gums. Over at the punch bowl, Rarity compliments Pinkie Pie about the punch, but spits it out all over Pinkie's face when she sees Gummy dipping in the punch bowl. She smiles awkwardly at Pinkie and hesitantly sips more punch, then spits it out into a potted plant once Pinkie goes dancing. Pinkie joins Twilight and Fluttershy, who compliment her on her party. Pinkie dances wildly and knocks Twilight and Fluttershy into the wall, but afterwards they join her again with Gummy and the rest of the ponies for more dancing. Pinkie Pie's chant to Gummy: "Go Gummy! It's your birthday! Go Gummy! It's your birthday!" is a paraphrase of hip-hop artist 50 Cent's "In Da Club."

The scene cross-fades a shot of Sugarcube Corner underneath the full moon, with the ponies leaving the party and complimenting Pinkie on her party. Twilight suggests that they "do this again soon", and Pinkie excitedly concurs.

It's soon
Twilight wakes up to a knock on the door, with the sunrise visible through her window. She answers the door, and it's Pinkie Pie, who gives her a party invitation that reads "you're invited to Gummy's after-birthday party this afternoon at 3 o'clock". Twilight asks, "This afternoon? As in, "this afternoon" this afternoon?" and when Pinkie confirms, she says she's gotten behind in her studies and uses her magic to make pile books on the library floor. Pinkie Pie cheerfully accepts Twilight's pass on the offer and moves on.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Pinkie gives Applejack a party invitation. When Applejack learns the party is "this afternoon", she asks "This afternoon? As in, "this afternoon" this afternoon?" and Pinkie mentions that it's just what Twilight said. Applejack fumbles for words and eventually says she can't make it because she has to pick apples. She gives a big, forced smile and swallows hard, and Pinkie looks at her intensely for a short while but then smiles and cheerfully says "okie dokie lokie" and goes on her way.

Outside the Carousel Boutique, Spike is taking out the trash for Rarity. Spike fawns over Rarity and literally floats in the air with little pink hearts bubbling from him. Rarity gives him a little nudge and he floats away, then Pinkie Pie joins her and invites her to Gummy's after-birthday party "this afternoon". Rarity asks "The party is this afternoon? As in, "this afternoon" this afternoon?" and Pinkie comments that it's strange that everyone keeps saying that. Rarity declines and says she has to wash her hair, but Pinkie Pie says her hair doesn't look dirty, so Rarity darts over to the trashcan and dips her head in the trash then gallops into the boutique. Pinkie Pie tells herself "a party is still a party even with only two guests", and the scene wipes to the outside of Fluttershy's cottage.

Dash questions, "This afternoon?" and Fluttershy begins "As in–", and Pinkie interrupts with "Yes, as in "this afternoon" this afternoon." Dash says they'd love to but they're house-sitting this afternoon, and the two of them start to fly away. Pinkie stops them and offers to bring them after-birthday cake and ice cream, and asks for whom they're house-sitting. Dash and Fluttershy say they're house-sitting for a bear and he'd be upset if they don't get there soon, and start to fly away again. Pinkie stops them again and asks "There's a bear around here who lives in a house?" The two start piling on more details, adding to each other's fabrication, until they eventually just zoom off.

Something strange is going on
The scene cross-fades to Pinkie and Gummy at Sugarcube Corner. Pinkie wonders how all of her friends have plans this afternoon. She walks over to the window and sees Twilight sneaking around on her way to Sugarcube Corner. Twilight enters the shop and asks Mrs. Cake if Pinkie Pie is around and says she doesn't want her to know "anything about this." Pinkie listens to the conversation through a tin can telephone and wonders what Twilight wouldn't want her to know about.

Afterwards, Twilight sneaks around Ponyville carrying a package, with Pinkie Pie secretly following her. At first Pinkie puts on Groucho Marx glasses, but she thinks her "cover's been blown" and decides to put on a new disguise. Twilight delivers the package to Rarity, who says she'd hate for Pinkie to "ruin everything". Pinkie spies on her through her new disguise, a bale of hay with Groucho Marx glasses. Rarity meets Fluttershy and they discuss how they avoided Gummy's after-birthday party and that they need to keep Pinkie Pie from finding out about something. Rarity gives the package to Fluttershy while Pinkie watches from around the corner, now with a trenchcoat and a baseball hat on top of the bale of hay. When Fluttershy starts walking towards Pinkie she tries to hop away, but ends up bumping into Fluttershy who gets startled by the costume and flies away.

Pinkie Pie gloomily says to herself "I thought everypony loved my parties" and right then Rainbow Dash passes by and says "Hi Pinkie Pie... uh oh" then darts off to hide from Pinkie, similar to Griffon the Brush Off. Dash flies around the corner, into a bell-tower, and onto a mountaintop, but each time finds that Pinkie Pie is already there, asking her "where are you going", "what's the real reason you didn't want to come to Gummy's party", and "what's in that bag?" Dash eventually flies to Applejack's barn with Pinkie in hot pursuit, but Applejack manages to close the barn door before Pinkie gets to it. Pinkie asks to take a look inside the barn, but Applejack tells her there's construction going on in the barn and she can't come in. Pinkie Pie leaves in anger, and Applejack and the others sigh in relief.

Tell me all about it big time
Pinkie tells Gummy her friends are up to something, and she's going to know about it big time, and she knows just who's going to tell her all about it big time. The scene cuts to Spike in front of a table with a spread of gems. Pinkie brings over a desk lamp and shines it in Spike's face while Gummy secures him to the chair by pulling at his tail. She asks him to talk, then to talk about their friends, then to confess, but each time he tells Pinkie things that are irrelevant to what's going on with the sneaky behavior of her friends. Pinkie gets more and more aggressive, and Spike eventually asks her to tell her what she wants him to say. Pinkie Pie declares her vindication thanks to Spike's "confession", but instantly her hair "deflates" into the straight cut Pinkie has in her flashback in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, and her coloration turns darker and duller. She repeats Spike's confession again, this time glum and disparaged, surrounded by darkness under a cone of light. Spike turns off the desk lamp and hints "so..." so Pinkie Pie hands him the spread of gems, which he happily eats while Pinkie mopes by the table.

Creepy-town
The scene fades in to Pinkie thanking her "friends" for coming to Gummy's after-birthday party. The friends are Mr. Turnip, Rocky, Sir Lints-a-lot, and Madam LaFlour, which are inanimate objects voiced by Pinkie. While making chit-chat and puppeteering the objects, Pinkie experiences strange twitches that are accompanied by musical cues and color-card backgrounds that fade in and out. At a certain point the color-card backgrounds stay, and the scene shows the inanimate objects moving and talking on their own. They convince Pinkie Pie never to speak to her friends ever again. The background returns to normal again with Pinkie Pie moving and voicing her imaginary friends, but she's interrupted by a knock on the door.

Rainbow Dash enters and apologizes for being in such a rush earlier. She invites Pinkie to Sweet Apple Acres, but Pinkie refuses and keeps playing with her imaginary friends. Dash is even confronted by Mr. Turnip and Rocky, and for a moment she replies to them, but soon goes back to Pinkie Pie and tries to forcibly take her away.

Surprise
Dash drags Pinkie by the tail to Applejack's barn. The barn is filled with party decorations and balloons, and Pinkie's friends shout "surprise", wearing party hats decorated with symbols similar to their cutie marks. Pinkie confronts her friends, telling them that they don't like her any more, they decided to throw her a farewell party to kick her out of the group, and they've been lying to her and avoiding her all day. The ponies explain that they were keeping Pinkie Pie's birthday party secret from her, and Pinkie's hair and color return to their ordinary appearance. She pulls all her friends into a group hug and they all sigh in relief. She apologizes for doubting her friends, and they forgive her. Twilight narrates her letter to the Princess while she and her friends enjoy the party. Once she finishes narrating, Pinkie Pie asks her friends to dedicate the party to Gummy too, because he's upset about his party getting cut short; the episode ends with an iris wipe on Gummy playing with a balloon. During this dance, Spike does a dance move made famous by the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever.

Quotes

 * Pinkie Pie: Ooh, this is my jam!


 * Pinkie Pie: You said we should have another party soon, and… it’s soon! Here’s your invitation!


 * Pinkie Pie: Oh! And Twilight, you shouldn’t hit the books. You should really just read them.
 * Twilight Sparkle: I’ll keep that in mind.


 * Applejack: Um... well... I don't think I can make it because... I have to... You know what? Pick apples! Yep! Apples! That's what we do. With... uh... apples. ...We.. uh... pick 'em.


 * Rarity: [sniff] [whimper] Hmm… perhaps you could take a bath. How do I put this delicately? You smell like a rotten apple core that’s been wrapped in moldy hay, and dipped in dragon perspiration.


 * Fluttershy: [over Rainbow Dash] Collect sea shells! ...Play beach volleyball! ...Collect volleyballs!
 * Rainbow Dash: [over Fluttershy] Play beach volleyball! ...Collect sea shells! ...Play sea shells!
 * Rainbow Dash: Gotta go!


 * Pinkie Pie: Something strange is definitely going on around here, Gummy. Sure Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had to house-sit for that vacationing bear, but what are the chances all my other friends would have plans this afternoon too? Rarity has to wash her hair? Applejack has to pick apples? Twilight is behind on her studies, and has to hit the books? The more I think about it, the more those are starting to sound like… [gasp] excuses!


 * Spike: I’m the one who spilled juice all over Twilight’s copy of Magical Mysteries and Practical Potions!
 * Pinkie Pie: And?
 * Spike: And I’m the one who used up all the hot water in Ponyville yesterday when I took a seven-hour bubble bath!
 * Pinkie Pie: Aaand?
 * Spike: And sometimes… when no one’s around… I do this: Lookin’ good, Spike! Lookin’ real good!


 * [low string instrument whine]
 * Rocky: Not so bad? Please! They’re a buncha losers!
 * Pinkie Pie: Oh, c’mon now. “Losers” might be a little strong, don’cha think?
 * Sir Lintsalot: After the way they treated you? I say “losers” isn’t strong enough.
 * Pinkie Pie: Well, it was pretty rude...
 * Madame LeFlour: Pretty rude? It was down right deeespicable!
 * Pinkie Pie: It was, wasn’t it?
 * Mr. Turnip: If I were you, I wouldn’t speak to them ever again.
 * Pinkie Pie: You know what? I’m not gonna speak to them ever again. And I’m not gonna invite them to another party as long as I live! They don’t deserve to be invited to my parties. [plink] Not after the way they’ve been acting.
 * Madame LeFlour: [clapping] Deeespicable!
 * Sir Lintsalot: Such losers!
 * Madame LeFlour: Yes, zat’s right.
 * Pinkie Pie [as Mr. Turnip]: Well done.
 * Pinkie Pie [as Sir Lintsalot]: Yeah!
 * Pinkie Pie [as Rocky]: You show ’em!

(knock at door)
 * Pinkie Pie: [normal voice] Who could that be?
 * Rainbow Dash: Hey there Pinkie Pie. Sorry I was in such a rush earlier. Had some place to be and couldn't slow down and say hello. You know how it goes.
 * Pinkie Pie: [gritting her teeth:] I know how it goes alright.
 * Rainbow Dash: Yeah, so why don't you come with me over to Sweet Apple Acres?
 * Pinkie Pie: No thanks. I'm spending time with my real friends. Isn't that right, Madame LeFlour? [as Madame LeFlour] Oui, dat is correct, madame.
 * Rainbow Dash: Uh, Pinkie Pie...?
 * Pinkie Pie: Another slice of cake, Sir Lintsalot? [as Sir Lintsalot] I would love one.
 * Rainbow Dash: Alrighty, what do you say we get out of creepytown and head over to Applejacks --
 * Pinkie Pie: [as Mr. Turnip] She's not going anywhere. [normal voice] I most certainly am not. I'm having a wonderful time right here.
 * Rainbow Dash: You should really just come with me --
 * Pinkie Pie [as Rocky]: You heard the lady! She ain’t goin’ nowheres, chump!
 * Rainbow Dash: Who you calling a chump, chump?! Ugh… That’s it. Party’s over. Come on, Pinkie Pie!
 * Pinkie Pie: No!
 * Rainbow Dash: Pinkie Pie, let’s go!
 * Pinkie Pie: I said, NO!
 * Rainbow Dash: You… [grunts] have to… come with… me!
 * Pinkie Pie: No… I… DON’T!
 * Rainbow Dash: Oh, you wanna do this the hard way?! We’ll do this the hard way!

Gallery

 * Party of One image gallery