Over a Barrel

Over a Barrel
Season №:	1
Season episode №:	21
Overall episode №:	21
Original airdate:	March 25, 2011
Written by:	Dave Polsky
Storyboard:	Kenny Park and Lih Liau
Featured characters:	Little Strongheart Braeburn Chief Thunderhooves Sheriff Silverstar
Song:	You Got to Share, You Got to Care
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Green Isn't Your Color	Next A Bird in the Hoof

Over a Barrel is the twenty-first episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. The idiom "over a barrel" means being in a helpless position where others are in control. In this episode, the Mane Six and Spike separate and are caught in a dispute between a western town's settler-ponies and the native buffalo herd.

Production

The crew worked with a Native Consultant and did revisions to the episode according to his notes.^[1]

The episode's closed-captions misspell Appleloosa as "Appaloosa".

Summary

A train ride to Appleloosa

The episode begins with Twilight Sparkle and her friends on a train to the recently-built western town of Appleloosa, where Applejack plans to replant one of her trees - named Bloomberg - in her relatives' orchard. Everyone is looking forward to Appleloosa, but during the journey, Spike and Rarity show varying amounts of discomfort: Rarity doesn't like the fact that Applejack's tree was placed in a private cart in the rear, forcing her to bunk with her friends, and Spike is tired from cooking snacks with his fire breath.

When Rainbow Dash complains that not all of her popcorn kernels were popped, Spike burns her popcorn black and goes to bed. Rainbow Dash asks Pinkie Pie if they're going to carry the tree all the way to the apple orchard. Pinkie Pie, wondering if she refers to Bloomberg, is met with a sarcastic response from Rainbow Dash saying they would actually be carrying Fluttershy. Failing to get the joke, Pinkie tells Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy is not a tree. This leads to a rather confusing conversation with Twilight, but in the end, Fluttershy is awake as well, saying that she would like to be a tree. Spike, frustrated with his inability to fall asleep, makes his way to the private cart to bunk with Bloomberg. Fluttershy jokingly calls Spike "Huffy the magic dragon," and the four friends laugh. Rarity, frustrated herself, demands they be quiet, and all of them go to sleep.

The stampede

The next morning, the ponies are awoken by a herd of stampeding buffalo charging next to the train. The buffalo start ramming into the side of the train in an ambush attack. Due to lack of sleep the previous night, Spike sleeps through the attack. A younger, leaner buffalo leaps onto the train and, after outmaneuvering Rainbow Dash, disconnects the caboose from the other train cars. The buffalo then push the disconnected caboose down the line in the opposite direction, with Bloomberg and Spike still inside.

Appleloosa

Upon arriving at Appleloosa, Applejack rushes out to tell her cousin Braeburn, who had been waiting excitedly at the station for their arrival, that they have a problem. Unfortunately, Braeburn insists on giving his cousin and her friends a tour around the new town. Finally, after going as far as showing the group the new apple orchard, Applejack finally gets Braeburn's attention. She tells him what had happened to the train before their arrival, and Braeburn sadly says that he's aware of the whole situation, stating that the buffalo are demanding for them to remove the trees, but they argue that they can't, otherwise the town wouldn't be able to survive in the desert.

Meeting the buffalo herd

Coincidentally, Pinkie has the same idea as Rainbow Dash to find and rescue Spike by getting to the buffalo herd, but the herd manages to get to them first. Just before a fight breaks out, Spike arrives and breaks it up, using his new respect that he has somehow earned from the buffalo.

Pinkie and Rainbow Dash are brought to the buffalo tribe's camp, where Dash meets the young female buffalo Little Strongheart again, and are told that because Appleloosan townsponies have planted the orchard, they can no longer travel along their traditional stampeding grounds. She explains that the theft of Bloomberg was to send a message. Chief Thunderhooves then arrives, confirms Little Strongheart's explanation, and says that the land the Appleloosans now inhabit was stampeded upon by many generations of buffalo. Rainbow Dash feels sympathetic toward the herd of buffalo, and makes sure to talk to the townsponies about it.

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash return to Appleloosa with Little Strongheart just as Twilight, the rest of her friends, and Braeburn are about to set out in search of them. Rainbow Dash urges Little Strongheart to tell them why the Appleloosans should move the trees, while Applejack urges Braeburn to tell Little Strongheart why the trees should stay. Both Braeburn and Little Strongheart are made very uncomfortable by the situation and being forced to speak, and end up not saying anything to each other. Instead, Applejack and Rainbow Dash begin arguing about it. Before long, Twilight intervenes and says that both sides have good reasons to keep the land.

You Got to Share, You Got to Care

Pinkie Pie tries to send out a message about sharing by putting on a quick song-and-dance number, as both Appleloosans and buffalo watch. Pinkie tries to encourage them to share by singing about the similarities between the ponies and buffalo.

"You gotta sha-a-are! You gotta ca-a-are! It's the right thing to do, and there'll always be a way thro-o-o-o-ugh!"

— Pinkie Pie

Unfortunately, Thunderhooves and the town's sheriff Silverstar are not impressed. The only thing they could agree on is that Pinkie's performance was the worst they had ever seen. After declaring a time for action, the buffalo chief gives a clear ultimatum: the townsfolk must uproot all of the trees by high noon the next day, or the herd will be forced to destroy them, along with Appleloosa in the process. Silverstar, in response, simply states that the town will be waiting for them.

Appleloosans vs. the buffalo herd

Twilight and the others try to talk both the Appleloosans and the buffalo out of the fight, but no one is listening. High noon the next day finally arrives, and the buffalo appear on a ridge overlooking the town. Strongheart softly gestures to the chief to back down, and it almost works, until Pinkie Pie appears, singing a reprise of her number from the day before in a last-ditch, last-minute, and horrendously ill-timed effort to stop the fight before it even begins. Thunderhooves, now enraged, signals the buffalo to go on the attack, using nothing more or less than their own brute strength. The townsponies fight back against the buffalo with an ample supply of apple pies, which are surprisingly effective at confusing and stopping the stampeding buffalo. Both groups manage to take out some of their opposition, also damaging the town in the process. The scene shifts to Silverstar making a final stand next to his saloon, and once he runs out of apple pies to throw, he takes off his hat in quiet submission, as Thunderhooves makes a mad charge at him. However, a stray apple pie hits Thunderhooves square in the face, disabling him. Lying on the ground momentarily, Thunderhooves licks the apple pie off of his face, and enthralled by its delicious taste, says they could come to an agreement.

Resolution

The Appleloosan ponies are allowed to keep the land, and in return, the Appleloosans would share its fruit (or more specifically, its apple pies) with the buffalo herd during their stampeding. The townsponies, meanwhile, create a road through the orchard so the herd can continue their stampeding tradition. Both parties find this to be agreeable and the dispute has come to an end. In addition, Applejack is finally able to plant Bloomberg.

Twilight learns that with compromise and understanding, to share and to care, sometimes the worst of enemies can become the best of friends.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Rarity: Applejack! Were you reading a bedtime story to... an apple tree?!

Rarity: Hmph! You talk about it as if it's your baby or something.

Applejack: Who you calling a baby?! Bloomberg's no baby! Don't wet widdle Rarity make you all saddy-waddy. Bloomberg's a big and strong apple tree. Yes, he is. A-coochie-coochie-coo-coo-coo!

Rarity: It's widdle Rarity who's all 'saddy-waddy'! Urgh!

Rainbow Dash: When we get to Appleloosa, you think we'll have to carry that heavy tree all the way from the train to the orchard?

Pinkie Pie: What tree? You mean Bloomberg?

Rainbow Dash: [sarcastic] ...No, Fluttershy.

Pinkie Pie: Fluttershy's not a tree, silly!

Twilight Sparkle: What's going on?

Pinkie Pie: Rainbow Dash thinks Fluttershy's a tree!

Rainbow Dash: I do not think she's a tree! I was just–

Twilight Sparkle: Did you say she was a tree?

Rainbow Dash: No! Well, yes. But not exactly–

Twilight Sparkle: Ya know she's not a tree, right?

Pinkie Pie: She's not a tree, Dashie!

Fluttershy: I'd like to be a tree...

Spike: Oh, for pete's sake!

Twilight Sparkle: Well that was kind of huffy.

Fluttershy: Huffy the magic dragon!

Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy: [giggles]

Rarity: Would you all be quiet... NOOOW!

Braeburn: And here are the horse-drawn carriages!

Brown Carriage Puller Pony: Okay, you pull now.

Noteworthy: Aww, we just switched!

Braeburn: And here are the horse-drawn horse-drawn carriages!

Rainbow Dash: Nobody tricks Rainbow Dash and gets away with it.

Pinkie Pie: Boo!

Rainbow Dash: Yah! ... Pinkie Pie!

Rainbow Dash: Shhshh! What do you think you're doing?! You gotta get out of here!

Pinkie Pie: I do?

Rainbow Dash: You're gonna blow my cover.

Pinkie Pie: I am?

Chief Thunderhooves: Hmmh. We have a long and winding stampeding trail, that we have run upon for many generations. My father stampeded upon these grounds... And his father before him. And his father before him. And his father before him. And his father before him. And –

Little Strongheart: I think they get the idea, Chief.

Chief Thunderhooves: It appears that Sheriff Silverstar and I have come to... an agreement.

Sheriff Silverstar: We have.

Chief Thunderhooves: That was the worst performance we've ever seen...

Sheriff Silverstar: [tisk] Abso-tively.

Twilight Sparkle: [voiceover] You've got to share. You've got to care.

Pinkie Pie: Hey! That's what I said!

Gallery

Over a Barrel image gallery

References

1. ↑ Lauren Faust deviantArt comment about Over a Barrel's Native Consultant (2011-03-25). Retrieved on 2013 May 4.

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

Season nine
Episode 1 The Beginning of the End - Part 1	Episode 2 The Beginning of the End - Part 2	Episode 3 Uprooted	Episode 4 Sparkle's Seven
Episode 5 The Point of No Return	Episode 6 Common Ground	Episode 7 She's All Yak	Episode 8 Frenemies
Episode 9 Sweet and Smoky	Episode 10 Going to Seed	Episode 11 Student Counsel	Episode 12 The Last Crusade
Episode 13 Between Dark and Dawn	Episode 14 The Last Laugh	Episode 15 2, 4, 6, Greaaat	Episode 16 A Trivial Pursuit
Episode 17 The Summer Sun Setback	Episode 18 She Talks to Angel	Episode 19 Dragon Dropped	Episode 20 A Horse Shoe-In
Episode 21 Daring Doubt	Episode 22 Growing Up is Hard to Do	Episode 23 The Big Mac Question	Episode 24 The Ending of the End - Part 1
	Episode 25 The Ending of the End - Part 2	Episode 26 The Last Problem

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
Rollercoaster of Friendship	Best Gift Ever	Spring Breakdown	Rainbow Roadtrip
Sunset's Backstage Pass

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 (season 1)	Equestria Girls: Choose Your Own Ending (season 2)	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