Tanks for the Memories

Tanks for the Memories
Season №:	5
Season episode №:	5
Overall episode №:	96
Original airdate:	April 25, 2015
Written by:	Cindy Morrow
Storyboard:	Jason Horychun and Carrie Mombourquette
Featured characters:	Tank
Song:	I'll Fly
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
Previous Bloom & Gloom	Next Appleoosa's Most Wanted

Tanks for the Memories is the fifth episode of the fifth season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the ninety-sixth episode overall. The title is a play on the song "Thanks for the Memory" by Bob Hope and Shirley Ross; the title is not a reference to the Fall Out Boy song, nor is it a reference to The Big Broadcast of 1938.^[1]

To prevent her pet tortoise Tank from going into hibernation, Rainbow Dash tries to stop winter from coming to Ponyville.

Development

Fluffy Clouds and the Cloudsdale winter lab were previewed in different ones of the animation images shown at Ponycon NYC on February 16, 2015.^[2][3]

On March 3–5, 2015, an unofficial My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic[sic] season 5 episode listing on IMDb titling the fifth episode as "Seal Deal" was discredited by Jim Miller.^[4][5][6][7]

M.A. Larson tweeted "There's something in tomorrow's ep that I told Hasbro I'd take full responsibility for. So, in advance, it is entirely my fault. #MeaCulpa" on April 24, 2015.^[8] Larson later specified it to be Twilight's "winter is coming" line.^[9][10]

According to Larson, the concept of lightning kept in glass jars was originally written for the season one episode Sonic Rainboom but was cut for time.^[11]

Ashleigh Ball was nominated for a 2016 Leo Award for Best Performance in an Animation Program or Series for this episode.^[12]

The scene when the Mane Six try to cheer Rainbow Dash up reappears in Deep Tissue Memories.

Summary

Prologue

Cloudsdale settles in the sky over Ponyville, signalling the beginning of the winter season. As ponies shake leaves from the trees with the Running of the Leaves, Rainbow Dash is excited about her first winter with Tank. However, Tank is unable to stay awake. Twilight Sparkle doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary about Tank, but his constant yawning makes Rainbow Dash nervous.

Tank needs to hibernate

Rainbow takes Tank to Fluttershy's cottage for a checkup. After examining him, Fluttershy says he's perfectly healthy and that he's only getting ready to hibernate for the winter. Despite Fluttershy's expertise on the subject and insistence, Rainbow Dash doesn't accept that tortoises hibernate and leaves to get a second opinion.

At the Castle of Friendship, Rainbow gets a second opinion from Spike, who insists that tortoises and dragons aren't in the same animal family. Rainbow dismisses Spike's opinion as well and takes Tank out to the cloud fields, hoping that hard work will keep him awake. As her friends take notice of Tank's behavior, the increasingly stubborn Rainbow begins to lash out at them in anger, and she storms off.

Stopping winter

At Rainbow's cloudominium, Tank gets even sleepier, and Rainbow tries to think of another way to keep him awake. Reasoning that Tank is only hibernating because of winter, she decides to stop winter from coming.

In an attempt to keep winter from coming, Rainbow Dash tries to keep the sky clear of snow clouds. As she sings the song I'll Fly, she also stops a flock of ducks from flying south for the winter, disrupts the other Pegasi from making snow, puts fallen leaves back on the trees, and tries to keep the weather warm for Tank.

Unfortunately, her efforts are made futile as the Pegasi bring in more clouds from Cloudsdale. Rainbow decides that the best solution is to stop winter at its source, and she sneaks into the Cloudsdale weather factory.

Winter is coming

Posing as a factory employee and keeping Tank on a leash, Rainbow sneaks into the laboratory where the clouds and snow are manufactured. She ties Tank's leash to a snowflake-inspecting magnifying glass on a nearby desk and looks for a way to shut the lab down, eventually finding a giant water storage container used for creating the clouds and snow.

As Rainbow drains the water from the container, Tank—in his state of heavy drowsiness—accidentally knocks into things around the lab. Rainbow tries to stop him, but she ends up causing even more damage as stuff breaks or gets knocked over. The entire lab soon overloads with power, causing chaotic weather over Cloudsdale and drawing attention from the rest of the Mane Six in Ponyville.

While the Pegasi struggle to bring the factory under control, a giant snowball—with Rainbow and Tank inside—hurls toward Ponyville, and Twilight tells the ponies nearby to run for cover. When the snowball collides, the entire town becomes covered in snow. Despite Rainbow's best efforts, winter has arrived, and Tank is closer to hibernating than before.

Rainbow comes to grips

Back at her cloudominium, Rainbow sulks in bed as Tank grows even sleepier. Her friends arrive to console her, but their words do nothing to cheer her up. When Fluttershy bluntly points out that Rainbow is going to spend her winter without a pet, Rainbow finally cracks and breaks down in tears. Fluttershy explains to the rest of the Mane Six that Rainbow needs to let it all out in order to accept Tank's hibernation.

Rainbow continues to cry, and Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie briefly share in her sorrow. When Rainbow finally stops crying, she feels better, and she thanks the ponies for helping her through her grief.

A short while later, ponies around Ponyville have fun in the snow. Rainbow arrives with Tank, having finally accepted his hibernation. At the base of a tree, Tank digs a small burrow for himself to sleep in, and the Mane Six say their goodbyes until spring. Before joining her friends in having fun, Rainbow Dash reads a bedtime story to Tank.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

Rainbow Dash: Come on! You're practically twins!

[beat]

Spike: I'm purple.

Rainbow Dash: But if you don't have to hibernate, why should Tank?!

Spike: Because he's a tortoise and I'm a dragon!

Rainbow Dash: Same family though, right?

Spike: No!

Rainbow Dash: I'll take that as a yes.

Rainbow Dash: [huff] These things are heavy! Chock full of snowflakes! We're gonna have such a killer time in the snow, Tank. Tank? Tank!

Pinkie Pie: Aww, look at the cute wittle Tankie, all snuggly-wuggly, getting ready to hibern—

Rainbow Dash: Don't say that word!

Pinkie Pie: Which one? "Snuggly"? "Wuggly"? "Tankie"? "Hibernate"?

Rainbow Dash: That one!

Twilight Sparkle: Look, Rainbow Dash, we all know how upset you are about Tank hiber—

Pinkie Pie: Shhhh! Don't say that word! That's what started this all!

Twilight Sparkle: We all know how upset you are about Tank. But you shouldn't take your anger out on your friends.

Rainbow Dash: Who said anything about anger?! I didn't say anything about anger! I'm not upset! And I am not angry! Do I look angry?! [grumbles]

Rainbow Dash: I just have to stop winter!

Sunshower: So where do these clouds go?

Open Skies: Over by Clear Skies.

Sunshower: But there's clear skies everywhere.

Clear Skies: Yo, Clear Skies right here!

Sunshower: But there's clear skies over there, too!

Clear Skies: That's Open Skies!

Sunshower: There's open skies everywhere!

Open Skies: I'm not everywhere, I'm right here!

Sunshower: [sighs] Wait. You're Open Skies, and you're Clear Skies, then what's all that?

Clear Skies and Open Skies: Open, clear skies!

Open Skies: Hey, where'd our fluffy clouds go?

Clear Skies: Fluffy Clouds? He's over there!

Twilight Sparkle: Prepare yourselves, everypony! Winter is coming!

Rarity: Uh, how can I say this tactfully... you've lost your sparkle, Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie: I hate to say this, but, well... you've become...! [hushed] A party pooper!

Fluttershy: Rainbow Dash, your winter is going to be pet-less.

Pinkie Pie: [crying] I'm mostly sad because you're not sad!

Twilight Sparkle: What? Me? What about Applejack?

Pinkie Pie: [crying] Applejack cries on the inside, Twilight!

Applejack: It's true.

Pinkie Pie: You think we could mess up winter every year? It's way less work!

Gallery

Tanks for the Memories image gallery

References

1. ↑ Cindy Morrow (2015-05-02). Cindy Morrow on Twitter: "@ajnrules neither". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 May 19.
2. ↑ 20150216_113643.jpg (2015-02-16). Retrieved on 2015 February 16. Archived.
3. ↑ 20150216_113706.jpg (2015-02-16). Retrieved on 2015 February 16. Archived.
4. ↑ Jim Miller (2015-03-03). Big Jim on Twitter: "@SilverEaglePVL Sorry. Those are ALL wrong.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 March 4.
5. ↑ Jim Miller (2015-03-04). Big Jim on Twitter: "@matt1986wilson @MMeghanMcCarthy It's not.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 March 8.
6. ↑ Jim Miller (2015-03-04). Big Jim on Twitter: "@matt1986wilson Those titles are incorrect.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 March 8.
7. ↑ Jim Miller (2015-03-05). Big Jim on Twitter: "@matt1986wilson the titles are still wrong.". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 March 8.
8. ↑ M.A. Larson (2015-04-24). Stannis Larsareon on Twitter: "There's something in tomorrow's ep that I told Hasbro I'd take full responsibility for. So, in advance, it is entirely my fault. #MeaCulpa". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 April 24.
9. ↑ M.A. Larson (2015-04-25). "I know that reference was dumb...". Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 April 25.
10. ↑ M.A. Larson (2015-04-25). I told Hasbro it was a moral imperative.... Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 April 25.
11. ↑ M.A. Larson (2015-04-25). #TanksForTheMemories fun fact: The lightning in bottles was originally in "Sonic Rainboom" but was cut for time.. Twitter. Retrieved on 2015 April 25.
12. ↑ 2016 Leo Awards Nominees by Name. Retrieved on 2016 May 3.

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Friendship is Magic

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 Clip shows Episode 1 A-Dressing Memories Episode 2 Cakes for the Memories Episode 3 Memnagerie Episode 4 Deep Tissue Memories Episode 5 Harvesting Memories Episode 6 Memories and More

Pony Life
Episode 1 Princess Probz	Episode 2 The Best of the Worst	Episode 3 Cute-pocalypse Meow	Episode 4 How Applejack Got Her Hat Back
Episode 5 Bad Thing No. 3	Episode 6 Pinkie Pie: Hyper-Helper	Episode 7 The Trail Less Trotten Death of a Sales-Pony	Episode 8 Bighoof Walking The Fluttershy Effect
Episode 9 The Fast and the Furriest Disappearing Act	Episode 10 Badge of Shame Discord's Peak	Episode 11 A Camping We Will Go Campfire Stories	Episode 12 Friendship Gems Dol-FIN-ale
Episode 13 Potion Mystery Sick Day	Episode 14 Meet Potion Nova! Pony Surfin' Safari	Episode 15 Bottle Episode The Key Ingredient	Episode 16 I, Cookie Keynote Pie
Episode 17 Ponies of the Moment One Click Wonder	Episode 18 Zound Off Unboxing Day

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	Holidays Unwrapped

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	Hello Pinkie Pie	Stop Motion Shorts