Look Before You Sleep

Look Before You Sleep
Season №:	1
Season episode №:	8
Overall episode №:	8
Original airdate:	December 3, 2010
Written by:	Charlotte Fullerton
Storyboard:	Francisco Avalos & Mike West[1]
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Dragonshy	Next Bridle Gossip

Look Before You Sleep is the eighth episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, Applejack and Rarity are forced to stay at the library where Twilight resides for the night due to a thunderstorm. Twilight takes this opportunity to drag them into having a slumber party. The title of the episode is a play on the saying look before you leap, meaning acting only after careful planning.

Development

According to episode writer Charlotte Fullerton, this episode was originally titled Opposites Attack.^[2]

Summary

Caught in the rain

The episode opens in a field outside the Golden Oak Library; several Pegasi are seen moving clouds into place to create a downpour. In preparation for this, trees are being pruned to avoid damaging the town. Rarity helps out, but her contribution to the cleanup effort involves making topiary out of the loose branches. This puts her at odds with Applejack, who insists on taking the branches down. When Rarity voices her disapproval of Applejack making a mess, rain starts to fall, much to Rarity's further displeasure.

Applejack suggests that Rarity use a bench to shield herself from the rain, but Rarity refuses out of an unwillingness to get her hooves muddy. As the two argue even more over their situation, the rain and wind pick up speed. Twilight Sparkle, noticing the two caught in the storm, offers them shelter in the library until the storm passes.

Slumber 101

"'Slumber 101: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Slumber Parties But Were Afraid to Ask'."

— Rarity reading Twilight's book

With Spike away in Canterlot on royal business, Twilight is alone for the evening, and sees this as an opportunity to have her very first slumber party. Rarity and Applejack are far from eager to spend the entire evening in each other's company, but find themselves unable to leave due to the worsening storm. After a brief argument about mud masks, they agree to try and get along so they don't ruin Twilight's first sleepover.

Twilight is oblivious to Applejack and Rarity's silent bickering, checking off each game in her book as they're played. However, for each game played, the two grow more and more frustrated with each other.

During ghost stories, Rarity and Applejack suggest stories that allude to why they don't like each other before Twilight tells the legend of The Headless Horse, succeeding in scaring both of her friends. Applejack sickens Rarity by burping when they make s'mores. And in a game of Truth or Dare, Applejack and Rarity only dare each other to do humiliating things, such as Applejack daring Rarity to get her mane wet in the rain and Rarity daring Applejack to wear a gaudy, ridiculous outfit.

Twilight, now sensing conflict, tries to move things along. Unfortunately, the conflict comes to a head during the next game: a pillow fight, which in no time turns into an all-out pillow war between Rarity and Applejack. Caught in the middle and bombarded with pillows, Twilight suggests that they call it a night and go to bed.

Bickering in the bedroom

Applejack and Rarity's petty arguing continues even when the ponies try to go to bed. Exasperated by their constant back and forth, Twilight at last decides to intervene and voices how upset she is that her friends are fighting too much to have any fun, thereby ruining her slumber party. Just as Twilight asks if anything else could possibly go wrong, a nearby tree is hit by lightning and begins to topple towards a neighboring house.

Applejack, not heeding a warning from Rarity, lassos the falling tree and instead of stabilizing it, sends it crashing through Twilight's bedroom window. Rarity focuses on cleaning up the mess of books and Applejack tries to push the tree back out of the window while Twilight desperately searches through her slumber party book for a section on dealing with fallen trees in the middle of the bedroom.

When Applejack fails at moving the tree out on her own, she eventually apologizes to Rarity for criticizing her attention to detail and convinces her to focus on helping with the bigger task instead. She gets Rarity to not worry so much about getting her hooves dirty. Rarity uses her unicorn magic to turn the treetop into tiny bush sculptures, clearing the house at the cost of getting dirt all over herself. Applejack, at Rarity's insistence, proceeds to gently toss the broken tree trunk out of the window.

Getting along

With the storm, and their differences, finally settled, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight are finally able to have fun, rounding out the evening with a game of 20 Questions. Applejack and Rarity exchange apologies, and in the end, Twilight officially declares the slumber party a success, to her friends' delight.

In a letter to Princess Celestia, Twilight writes that it's possible to get along with someone very different from you if you embrace each other's differences. She proposes another slumber party the following night, and her proposal is met by two pillows thrown in her face. The episode closes as the sky clears up, revealing a bright sunny day.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Rarity: You know, there's messy, and then there's just plain rude.

Applejack: You know, there's fussy, and there's just plain gettin' on my nerves.

Rarity: Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate and be sure it's centered -- that's critical -- and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And done. Ta-da! [laugh]

Twilight Sparkle: Ooo!

Applejack: Nah, ya just eat 'em. [munch] Mmm-mmm! [belch]

Applejack: I'd like to tell ya'll the terrifying tale of the prissy ghost, who drove everypony crazy with her unnecessary neatness! OooooOOwwoOOO! I'm sure ya'll are familiar with that one?

Rarity: Never heard of it. But I have a much better one... It's the horrifying story of the messy inconsiderate ghost, who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! OoooooOOOwwwwOOOoo...

Rarity: (after getting hit in the face with a pillow) IT! IS! ON!

Applejack: Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Geronimo!

Rarity: You did that on purpose.

Applejack: Um, yeah.

Rarity: Get up so I can fix it again.

Applejack: Can't hear ya, I'm asleep. [fake snore]

Applejack: I'm mighty sorry, Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle: It's... Well, it's not okay. There's a giant tree branch in the middle of my bedroom, and the book doesn't say anything about having a giant tree branch at your slumber party. Or at least I haven't found that entry yet. Ooh... ah!

Twilight Sparkle: Well, they do have a section about backyard slumber parties. Is that what we're doing right now? Does this count as camping?

Twilight Sparkle: Oh, pretty! Where did these come from? They're not in the book either.

Applejack: Is it... a six-legged pony with a purple polka-dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of his eyes?

Rarity: Who flies through the air all over the world to hide magic, sparkly eggs?

Twilight Sparkle: That's it!

Applejack and Rarity: It is?

Twilight Sparkle: No.

Gallery

Look Before You Sleep image gallery

References

1. ↑ Raven Molisee's DeviantArt journal (2012-02-23). Retrieved on 2012 February 23.
2. ↑ MLP Writer Charlotte Fullerton's Panel at Midwestria. YouTube (2012-10-20). Retrieved on 2015 August 13.

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Season one
Episode 1 Friendship is Magic, part 1	Episode 2 Friendship is Magic, part 2	Episode 3 The Ticket Master	Episode 4 Applebuck Season
Episode 5 Griffon the Brush Off	Episode 6 Boast Busters	Episode 7 Dragonshy	Episode 8 Look Before You Sleep
Episode 9 Bridle Gossip	Episode 10 Swarm of the Century	Episode 11 Winter Wrap Up	Episode 12 Call of the Cutie
Episode 13 Fall Weather Friends	Episode 14 Suited For Success	Episode 15 Feeling Pinkie Keen	Episode 16 Sonic Rainboom
Episode 17 Stare Master	Episode 18 The Show Stoppers	Episode 19 A Dog and Pony Show	Episode 20 Green Isn't Your Color
Episode 21 Over a Barrel	Episode 22 A Bird in the Hoof	Episode 23 The Cutie Mark Chronicles	Episode 24 Owl's Well That Ends Well
	Episode 25 Party of One	Episode 26 The Best Night Ever

Season two
Episode 1 The Return of Harmony Part 1	Episode 2 The Return of Harmony Part 2	Episode 3 Lesson Zero	Episode 4 Luna Eclipsed
Episode 5 Sisterhooves Social	Episode 6 The Cutie Pox	Episode 7 May the Best Pet Win!	Episode 8 The Mysterious Mare Do Well
Episode 9 Sweet and Elite	Episode 10 Secret of My Excess	Episode 11 Hearth's Warming Eve	Episode 12 Family Appreciation Day
Episode 13 Baby Cakes	Episode 14 The Last Roundup	Episode 15 The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000	Episode 16 Read It and Weep
Episode 17 Hearts and Hooves Day	Episode 18 A Friend in Deed	Episode 19 Putting Your Hoof Down	Episode 20 It's About Time
Episode 21 Dragon Quest	Episode 22 Hurricane Fluttershy	Episode 23 Ponyville Confidential	Episode 24 MMMystery on the Friendship Express
	Episode 25 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1	Episode 26 A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Season three
Episode 1 The Crystal Empire - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystal Empire - Part 2	Episode 3 Too Many Pinkie Pies	Episode 4 One Bad Apple
Episode 5 Magic Duel	Episode 6 Sleepless in Ponyville	Episode 7 Wonderbolts Academy	Episode 8 Apple Family Reunion
Episode 9 Spike at Your Service	Episode 10 Keep Calm and Flutter On	Episode 11 Just for Sidekicks	Episode 12 Games Ponies Play
Episode 13 Magical Mystery Cure

Season four
Episode 1 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 1	Episode 2 Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Mane-ia	Episode 4 Daring Don't
Episode 5 Flight to the Finish	Episode 6 Power Ponies	Episode 7 Bats!	Episode 8 Rarity Takes Manehattan
Episode 9 Pinkie Apple Pie	Episode 10 Rainbow Falls	Episode 11 Three's A Crowd	Episode 12 Pinkie Pride
Episode 13 Simple Ways	Episode 14 Filli Vanilli	Episode 15 Twilight Time	Episode 16 It Ain't Easy Being Breezies
Episode 17 Somepony to Watch Over Me	Episode 18 Maud Pie	Episode 19 For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils	Episode 20 Leap of Faith
Episode 21 Testing Testing 1, 2, 3	Episode 22 Trade Ya!	Episode 23 Inspiration Manifestation	Episode 24 Equestria Games
	Episode 25 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 1	Episode 26 Twilight's Kingdom - Part 2

Season five
Episode 1 The Cutie Map - Part 1	Episode 2 The Cutie Map - Part 2	Episode 3 Castle Sweet Castle	Episode 4 Bloom & Gloom
Episode 5 Tanks for the Memories	Episode 6 Appleoosa's Most Wanted	Episode 7 Make New Friends but Keep Discord	Episode 8 The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone
Episode 9 Slice of Life	Episode 10 Princess Spike	Episode 11 Party Pooped	Episode 12 Amending Fences
Episode 13 Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?	Episode 14 Canterlot Boutique	Episode 15 Rarity Investigates!	Episode 16 Made in Manehattan
Episode 17 Brotherhooves Social	Episode 18 Crusaders of the Lost Mark	Episode 19 The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows	Episode 20 Hearthbreakers
Episode 21 Scare Master	Episode 22 What About Discord?	Episode 23 The Hooffields and McColts	Episode 24 The Mane Attraction
	Episode 25 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 1	Episode 26 The Cutie Re-Mark - Part 2

Season six
Episode 1 The Crystalling - Part 1	Episode 2 The Crystalling - Part 2	Episode 3 The Gift of the Maud Pie	Episode 4 On Your Marks
Episode 5 Gauntlet of Fire	Episode 6 No Second Prances	Episode 7 Newbie Dash	Episode 8 A Hearth's Warming Tail
Episode 9 The Saddle Row Review	Episode 10 Applejack's "Day" Off	Episode 11 Flutter Brutter	Episode 12 Spice Up Your Life
Episode 13 Stranger Than Fan Fiction	Episode 14 The Cart Before the Ponies	Episode 15 28 Pranks Later	Episode 16 The Times They Are A Changeling
Episode 17 Dungeons & Discords	Episode 18 Buckball Season	Episode 19 The Fault in Our Cutie Marks	Episode 20 Viva Las Pegasus
Episode 21 Every Little Thing She Does	Episode 22 P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View)	Episode 23 Where the Apple Lies	Episode 24 Top Bolt
	Episode 25 To Where and Back Again - Part 1	Episode 26 To Where and Back Again - Part 2

Season seven
Episode 1 Celestial Advice	Episode 2 All Bottled Up	Episode 3 A Flurry of Emotions	Episode 4 Rock Solid Friendship
Episode 5 Fluttershy Leans In	Episode 6 Forever Filly	Episode 7 Parental Glideance	Episode 8 Hard to Say Anything
Episode 9 Honest Apple	Episode 10 A Royal Problem	Episode 11 Not Asking for Trouble	Episode 12 Discordant Harmony
Episode 13 The Perfect Pear	Episode 14 Fame and Misfortune	Episode 15 Triple Threat	Episode 16 Campfire Tales
Episode 17 To Change a Changeling	Episode 18 Daring Done?	Episode 19 It Isn't the Mane Thing About You	Episode 20 A Health of Information
Episode 21 Marks and Recreation	Episode 22 Once Upon a Zeppelin	Episode 23 Secrets and Pies	Episode 24 Uncommon Bond
	Episode 25 Shadow Play - Part 1	Episode 26 Shadow Play - Part 2

Season eight
Episode 1 School Daze - Part 1	Episode 2 School Daze - Part 2	Episode 3 The Maud Couple	Episode 4 Fake It 'Til You Make It
Episode 5 Grannies Gone Wild	Episode 6 Surf and/or Turf	Episode 7 Horse Play	Episode 8 The Parent Map
Episode 9 Non-Compete Clause	Episode 10 The Break Up Break Down	Episode 11 Molt Down	Episode 12 Marks for Effort
Episode 13 The Mean 6	Episode 14 A Matter of Principals	Episode 15 The Hearth's Warming Club	Episode 16 Friendship University
Episode 17 The End in Friend	Episode 18 Yakity-Sax	Episode 19 Road to Friendship	Episode 20 The Washouts
Episode 21 A Rockhoof and a Hard Place	Episode 22 What Lies Beneath	Episode 23 Sounds of Silence	Episode 24 Father Knows Beast
	Episode 25 School Raze - Part 1	Episode 26 School Raze - Part 2

Feature films
Equestria Girls	Rainbow Rocks	Friendship Games	Legend of Everfree
My Little Pony The Movie

Specials
Dance Magic	Movie Magic	Mirror Magic	Forgotten Friendship
		Spring Breakdown
Rollercoaster of Friendship	Best Gift Ever	Spring Breakdown

Animated shorts
Rainbow Rocks shorts	Friendship Games shorts	Summertime Shorts	Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 1)
Equestria Girls: Better Together (season 2)	Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending	Equestria Girls Minis	Baby Flurry Heart's Heartfelt Scrapbook
Rarity's Peek Behind the Boutique	Fundamentals of Magic	My Little Pony Established 1983	Friendship is Magic shorts