Season 6 Episode 23: Where The Apple Lies
We start this episode with the Apple family selling some zap apples to Filthy Rich. Applejack questions whether Apple Bloom packed up the cider into the same crates as the zap apple jam, to which Apple Bloom says that she did, wanting to prove she can handle more responsibility on the farm. She goes on to question Apple Bloom about how she can be sure Filthy Rich got the right crates, as they're not marked. Apple Bloom reassures Applejack, though is quickly found out to have accidentally shipped the wrong crates. Rather than admitting to her mistake, Apple Bloom claims that the discovered jam crates are simply extra, to which Big Mac calls her out on it. Roll opening credits!
Cut to Filthy Rich about to leave, who apologises for appearing to try to steal a shipment of cider. Applejack dismisses his apology, pointing the blame at Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom states that she was simply trying to fix her mistake before anypony found out, and Applejack mentions that lying never fixes anything. Believing her to have never once told a lie, Apple Bloom questions how Applejack could possibly know anything about lying. This is met with rapturous laughter from Big Mac and Granny Smith, who go on to say that when she was younger, Applejack lied so much that the whole family ended up in hospital. And as this episode pans out, this is revealed to not be an exaggeration.
We fade into a flashback telling the story of Applejack's lying past. In the flashback, Big Mac is notably eloquent. Applejack and Big Mac encounter Filthy Rich, and his fiancée, Spoiled Milk. Not only is this a *great* name for Filthy's fiancée (previously only known as Spoiled Rich), but the animators did a great job of making her look far less ravaged by age. For that matter, even Applejack and Big Mac have rather nice character designs in this flashback. Filthy Rich introduces the pair to Spoiled Milk, saying they make zap apple jam - one of Filthy's father's best-selling items. After a bit of sly-talking form Filthy, Applejack offers to give Filthy a deal in providing three barrels of cider early to test the market responsiveness.
Cutting back to the farm, Big Mac is furious with Applejack for agreeing to supply Filthy Rich with cider early without checking with Granny Smith first. Applejack is sure that Granny will appreciate her ingenuity and business sense, though is quickly revealed to be proven wrong. According to Granny Smith, zap apples can be preserved, though cider will spoil almost immediately, and needs to be sold as soon as it comes out of the press. Although Applejack mentions that she sort of 'promised' the cider to Filthy Rich, Granny Smith tells her that she can't make an exception, and Applejack will just have to 'un-promise'.
Returning to Filthy Rich, Applejack tries to retract her offer, claiming honestly that the cider will start to spoil too quickly. Filthy Rich takes this as an excuse, mentions that Granny Smith always kept her word, and that if Applejack can't, the two families might as well not do business together. Big Mac tries to stand firm on this, though not wanting to lose a very profitable vendor, Applejack interjects and makes up a cover lie that Granny Smith is unfortunately sick. Filthy Rich immediately changes his tune, and asks if there's anything he can do. Applejack simply asks for his understanding during the difficult time.
Cut back to the farm again, and Big Mac is once again chastising Applejack. Applejack apologises, stating that if she told the truth, he would have stopped doing business with their family. Big Mac starts to respond, though notices Granny Smith walking into the room, and changes conversation topic mid-sentence. There's a knock at the door, and Applejack is shocked to see Filthy Rich and his fiancée standing there. Apparently they've stopped by to check in on Granny Smith. Coincidentally, Granny Smith is coming into the living room , so Applejack asks to be excused from the guests, and quickly proceed to tackle Granny Smith back into the kitchen. Understandably, Granny Smith is confused, though Applejack apologises, claiming to not have seen her. She asks Granny Smith to go out into the barn, as she thinks she may have left a blight sprayer in the orchard. Granny initially complains that it's suppertime, though Applejack mentions that they need to get it before it gets dark.
Applejack joins Big Mac at the door, who has been telling the guests about how he got his name. Now *there's* an interesting story! Spoiled Milk states that this is strange, as they asked him how Granny Smith was doing. Was Big Mac lying by omission? Applejack claims that Big Mac is just worried about Granny Smith, and rushes back to check on her. Distracting Granny Smith, Applejack asks her to tell her a story about fighting apple blight. As Granny Smith starts into a nonsensical ramble, Applejack rushes back to the guests. Covering for Big Mac, Applejack says that the guests can't see granny Smith, because she's contracted apple blight. Spoiled Milk, shocked, exclaims that she thought it only affected trees. Applejack claims that it's due to Granny Smith spending so much time in the orchard. She goes on to say that they had to take her to Ponyville General hospital, and tries to get the guests to leave saying that it might be contagious. The guests agree to leave, but state that they should rush off to the hospital, as visiting hours would nearly be over. While leaving, Filthy mentions that he's sure he'll see Applejack and Big mac there.
Furious, Big Mac questions Applejack as to what they're supposed to do now. Applejack returns to Granny, to tell her that she's needed at the hospital. Apple blight has started injecting ponies, and the hospital staff need an expert opinion. For some reason, Granny Smith doesn't question this at *all*, and agrees to head over to the hospital *immediately*. Upon arriving at the hospital, Applejack mentions that they need to go in at the back to avoid anyone contagious in the waiting room. She proceeds to wrap Granny Smith up in a dressing gown, shower cap and face mask, as a preventative measure to avoid the blight contagion. granny again agrees to this, without questioning why Applejack and Big Mac don't need the same protection.
Spotting Filthy Rich and Spoiled Milk at reception, Applejack proceeds to rush over. The pair worryingly complain that they can't find any record of Granny's room, nor any nurses who've heard anything about apple blight. Applejack gives them random and confusing directions to Granny's 'room', and states that she'll catch up with them, proceeding to rush back off to Big Mac. Granny Smith waits in the hallway, as Big Mac and Applejack argue further about how deep Applejack's lie has gone. Applejack has a plan to cover Big mac in a bedsheet, bring Filthy Rich in, and tell him that Big Mac is Granny. Big Mac objects, stating that Applejack should be the one to dress up, as it was *her* lie that got them into all this trouble. Applejack angrily counters by saying that if the roles were reversed, Big Mac would ramble on and give away everything until they got caught. She makes him promise to sit still and not say anything for once in his life. Big Mac responds with a single 'Eeeeyup', possibly explaining why Big Mac rarely ever talks.
Granny Smith is just about to walk back into the room, though Applejack quickly directs her towards a broom closet, telling her that the hospital staff need her to wait there. Filthy Rich and Spoiled milk quickly show up, thankful to have found Applejack. While talking, they notice the gurney Big Mac was on is being wheeled away by a staff member. Filthy Rich and Spoiled Milk question whether that was Granny Smith on the gurney, and Applejack instructs them not to lose sight of it. When they're out of eyesight, she opens the closet door, to an angry Granny Smith, who has realised that it was a supply closet. Applejack tells her to follow her, though to be quiet, as she needs to save her voice for the big presentation.
Spotting the gurney, Applejack is shocked to see that Big Mac has been wheeled into an operating room. A doctor prevents her from going into the room, as she is not wearing any surgical gear. This isn't a problem for Granny Smith, who walks right in. Granny Smith proceeds to give a practical lecture on apple blight, stating that the trunk starts to turn red (as the camera pans to Big Mac's leg). The other surgeons gasp at the mention of apple blight, essentially kowtowing to Granny Smith's knowledge and inferred leadership. Granny Smith is just about to *literally* hacksaw Big Mac's leg off (which is rather dark for a TV-Y show), when Applejack interjects by screaming to stop. Applejack admits the whole thing has been a lie, and reveals Big Mac to Granny, and Granny to Filthy Rich.
She admits that Granny was never sick, and she had been lying to protect the farm, stating that the whole thing was her fault. Big Mac speaks up, claiming that what Applejack says isn't entirely true. Oh, the chose of those words! Big Mac claims that if he paid more attention, instead of talking all the time, none of this would have happened in the first place. He comes to the realisation that he needs to talk less, and listen more - further reinforcing this 'turning point' in his life. Granny doesn't know what the pair are talking about, though claims that she isn't going anywhere. She turns to Filthy Rich, threatening him that if he cuts ties with Sweet Apple Acres, she'll be speaking with his grandfather. Filthy accepts this, and Granny Smith proceeds to talk to the ponies present in the theatre about apple blight, as the flashback fades out.
With the flashback over, Apple Bloom cannot believe that Applejack would have told all of those lies. Applejack revels that it's something she's not exactly proud of, and hopes that Apple Bloom learned something. In typical My Little Pony fashion, the writers get the moral *completely* wrong, with Apple Bloom stating that "nopony starts out perfect, and sometimes you gotta make a few mistakes to figure out who you are". Really? This episode doesn't tell the moral that 'lies will always be found out, and that 'honesty is always the best policy'? OK. Either way, they all decide that it's clearly *Granny* who runs the farm, as Granny instructs them all to get back to work. They share a laugh, and the credits roll.
Overall, this is a very hard episode to rate. The episode itself was pretty enjoyable, and fairly believable. However, it *completely* goes against the character of Applejack, and puts the whole harmony of the Elements of Harmony into dispute. Applejack has been seen to lie by omission before, but this episode actively reinforces the fact that she has lied in the past. Having said that, it's important to note her *intent* was pure, and her lies simply spiraled out of control in a chain reaction. Do her ends justify the means? I suppose it comes down to whether you follow utilitarianism or deontological ethics. Also of note is that in the Netflix version of this episode, the word 'cider' is replaced with 'juice'. I wonder how they handled 'The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000'!
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