Apple Family Reunion

Apple Family Reunion
Season №:	3
Season episode №:	8
Overall episode №:	60
Original airdate:	December 22, 2012
Written by:	Cindy Morrow
Storyboard:	Sabrina Alberghetti and David Wiebe
Featured characters:	Apple family
Song:	Raise This Barn
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Wonderbolts Academy	Next Spike at Your Service

Apple Family Reunion is the eighth episode of the third season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the sixtieth overall. In this episode, Applejack has been granted permission by Granny Smith to organize the upcoming Apple family reunion. However, she soon loses focus of the important things, such as spending time together as a family enjoying each other's company, in her haste to put together extravagant activities.

Production and development

Cindy Morrow, the writer of the episode, revealed that in the original script, there were no bats, but rather, Timberwolves.

The episode is listed on both the iTunes Store and Zap2it as the ninth episode of the third season, and the keywords of Hasbro and The Hub's YouTube uploads of a clip from the episode respectively include "Ep. 309" and "309". Layout supervisor Tim Stuby wrote on Twitter "Apple Fam Reunion is 309" in response to an Equestria Daily post that, at the time, listed Apple Family Reunion and Spike at Your Service as the respective eighth and ninth episodes of the third season, Sabrina Alberghetti wrote on deviantART that Apple Family Reunion was slotted as 9 when she "did it, but stuff like that changes all the time", one of the show's layout artists wrote on The Allspark Forums that Apple Family Reunion is episode 9, and show storyboard artist Raven Molisee listed the episode as number 309 on deviantART.

The episode was released on the iTunes Store a few hours prior to its television premiere on The Hub on December 22, 2012, 10:30 AM Eastern Time.

Summary

Introduction

So many RSVP's, Big Mac needs a wheelbarrow.

In the Sweet Apple Acres barn, Applejack and Granny Smith are taking out family heirlooms from boxes. Apple Bloom is sorting through dozens of RSVPs for the upcoming family reunion, sent from family members living in Yonder Hill, Hollow Shades, Galloping Gorge, Foal Mountain, Fillydelphia, Tall Tale Town, and Appleloosa. Apple Bloom is particularly excited to see Babs again. Granny is surprised that so many relatives will be coming, and says that they might need a bigger cider trough.

The preparations

Since Granny has gotten “a little rustier in the giddy-up” since the last reunion, she allows Applejack to take charge of organizing the reunion. Granny shows Applejack and Apple Bloom a photo album with pictures of past reunions, where ponies worked on an old quilt, made apple fritters, ran seven-legged races, and took big family photos. Applejack makes mental note of the supplies needed for these activities. Granny says that the entire family will be coming this time, and not everypony might have time to attend the next reunion. Applejack promises to make this “the most memorable reunion” they've ever had.

Try not to work yourself to death, Applejack.

That night, Applejack can’t fall asleep because she is still anxious about the reunion, and Apple Bloom can’t fall asleep because she is excited about hanging out with Babs. Applejack gets her second wind, realizing the responsibility that Granny Smith has entrusted her with, and continues brainstorming. Apple Bloom falls asleep on the bed, and Applejack tucks her in, saying the reunion will be worth the wait.

The reunion

Members of the Apple family socializing.

The next morning, Applejack pulls Apple Bloom out of bed, saying they don't have much time; preparations for the reunion are underway. They join Big McIntosh and harvest apples by bucking trees. Applejack collects rolls of fabric from Rarity, jars of honey and glitter from Pinkie Pie, and buckets of rainwater with assistance from Rainbow Dash. Big McIntosh chops logs for firewood, and Applejack (with help from Spike) lights a fire under a row of cauldrons of cooking oil. The last of the decorations is put up just as the family arrives on foot and in pony-drawn wagons, carriages, coaches, and zeppelins. Granny Smith hugs her cousin Apple Rose, and dozens of Apple family members exchange similar warm greetings. Among those present are Braeburn from Over a Barrel, and Hayseed Turnip Truck from Sweet and Elite.

Applejack uses a megaphone to welcome the family and give a rundown of the first couple of activities. In the crowd, Babs Seed surprises Apple Bloom and the two start chatting, but Applejack butts in and eagerly shows them the elaborate seven-legged race and obstacle course. The fillies doubt they will have time to catch up while racing against their other cousins, but Applejack urges them to “make some memories” during the race.

The family members aren't exactly enjoying themselves.

Applejack goes to check on the quilt. Granny Smith, her cousin Apple Rose, and Auntie Applesauce are reminiscing when Applejack tells them that she replaced their traditional rocking chairs with sewing machines. The three elderly mares are put off by the sudden change, but Applejack insists that they can finish the quilt that they’ve been working on for many reunions. The elderly mares start sewing, but the sewing machines are too deafening to permit conversation. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Babs try to catch up, but are too occupied with the race's complicated legs. Applejack checks on the ponies making apple fritters and tells them to pick up the pace, leaving no time to socialize. Everypony except Applejack is becoming aware that very little fun is being had at this reunion.

The hayride

Fruit bats attack the wagon.

When Applejack finally calls for a break, the quilt is practically an acre long, enough fritters have been made to feed all of Ponyville, and everypony is utterly exhausted. Applejack wants to take some photos for Granny Smith's album, but sees that no one is having much fun. She organizes a hayride around the farm (once again preventing Apple Bloom and Babs from hanging out) and, in an effort to shake things up, makes the ride much faster than expected. The wagon barrels down the road toward Sweet Apple Acres' west orchard where, according to Granny Smith, something has taken up residence. Applejack bucks an apple tree and stirs those "somethings" from their sleep: fruit bats of assorted colors. They fly over the wagon and form a rainbow across the sky that impresses the family members. But disaster quickly strikes when the fruit bats notice the apples in Auntie Applesauce's hat. They swoop down and cause the wagon to swerve off the road. The ponies riding in the wagon jump ship just before the runaway wagon crashes into the barn, completely destroying it. Realizing what a mess of things she's made, Applejack hides her face in teary shame.

Raise This Barn

The Apple family fixing the barn.

Applejack tearfully looks at the ruins of the barn, lamenting that everything is ruined. She apologizes to Granny Smith for ruining the reunion, but Granny tells her that she had everypony "so caught up in all the doin'" that they were unable to simply enjoy each other's company. Even then, Applejack remarks that the only thing anypony will remember is that it was the worst of all reunions. Granny assures her that there's still time to make good memories. Applejack recalls that at the end of each reunion there was an Apple family photo taken in front of the barn, but the barn is no longer there. Applejack announces she has one more activity to remember for the right reasons.

Looks like the reunion was memorable after all.

Applejack rallies the family together with Raise This Barn, a square dance-like song. The family works together to rebuild the barn from the ground up. Unlike the previous activities, however, everypony has fun working and dancing together. At the song's end, the ponies gather before the newly finished barn for the family photo, and the reunion closes on a high note. Apple Bloom and Babs say their goodbyes, and Granny congratulates Applejack on a job well done.

Epilogue

That evening, Applejack writes her friendship report to Princess Celestia. She writes that when you're with family, you don't have to do much to make that time memorable because the simplest activities will be meaningful.

Two shooting stars representing Applejack's deceased parents.

Two shooting stars pass over Sweet Apple Acres. The shooting stars represent Applejack's parents, according to storyboard artist Sabrina Alberghetti. Lauren Faust had previously mentioned that the whereabouts of Applejack's parents have not been planned, and that the show is unlikely to mention that they've passed away. Faust stated she wanted that to be the case.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Applejack: You may be a tad old Granny, but you're as feisty and full of spark than eve—

Granny Smith: Who you callin' old!?

Apple Split: Hey, where did all them apple fritters go? And who are you, little one?

Baby Applejack: I'm Applejack! More apple fwitter?

Apple Bloom: Babs!

Babs Seed: Cuz!

Apple Bloom: I know it hasn't been that long since we've seen each other, but—

Apple Bloom and Babs Seed: —It felt like forever!

Applejack: Alrighty, ponies! Ready to have some fun?

Babs Seed: Whoa, is that the finish line? It's like a mile away or somethin'!

Applejack: Actually, that's just the marker where you go on to the next leg of the race.

Apple Bloom: There's more?

Applejack: Much more. Trust me, I have put together somethin' you are never gonna forget. After the seven-legged race you're gonna wanna hurry up and head over here, where you'll be bobbin' for apples!

[splash]

Applejack: Then you'll run around these trees fifty times until you're real good and dizzy, then you'll jump these big wooden hurdles, and then there's the final leg, where you'll balance plates on your head while sayin' "Pappy pony picked a pluck of prickly pluffnuggets" over and over and over again. Last pony standin' wins!

Apple Bloom: ...Seriously?

Applejack: Seriously! C'mon, y'all! Let's start makin' some memories! On your mark... get set... go!

Gallery

Apple Family Reunion image gallery

References

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