Welcome, all my music loving bronies to the Followup for a sort of surprisingly timed "Yakity-Sax" featuring the yak loving pink party pony herself, Pinkie Pie. In this episode we get a bit of a heartwarming lesson about supporting your friends. Please join me and Pink Pone below on an emotional rollercoaster of Yak culture, yovidaphones, sensual bag rubbing, an OG friendship lesson, and possibly the return of Pinkamena!
So I was sitting there trying to fix a lawnmower, drinking my MLP branded, Stevia sweetened,
Anyway, I digress. As is my way, let me lay out the moral of our story this week. Don't be a butt
On a more important note, this episode also points out the importance of mental health and happiness and how if your friend is not being their-self, hiding, or running away you should reach out to that friend before they do something they might regret. Friendship is magic but can also be life saving.
But now, on to the episode!
I really love the nearly 30 seconds of no dialog in this opening scene. Serene.
"Listen to that suffering, it must be in horrible agony." I didn't crack up this much the first time I watched it but now knowing what she'll find, this line is a gem. No Flutters, it isn't a herd of injured "Chimeri" nor Cerberus with different ailments in each head...
It's Ponyville's own strange instrument connoisseur, Pinkie Pie. I'm a fan of the Mane 6 being the only characters that they got going on in this episode, but it might have been cool to have Yona introduce Pinkie to the instrument or something along the lines. It would have felt more connected with the rest of season.
No rabbits were harmed in the making of this episode.
As a musician herself, I bet Lyra is more offended than anypony else in this scene. She needs to run home and tell Bon Bon all about it.
Another episode by the Fox brothers. Their episodes have had mixed reviews in the past but I think this one will sit well with fans. The simple friendship lesson and Mane 6 focus might feel a bit nostalgic outside of the Friendship School story arc and that's a good thing.
The show title by the way is a play on "Yakety-Sax" a song frequently used in media, even in MLP once or twice, for running or chase montages and most famously used as the title theme for the show Benny Hill.
Anyway, good thing Purple Smart is here to offer up some exposition on the Yakyakistan "yovidaphone" (no Google, not Vodafone), and how it shouldn't sound like the hot garbage Pinkie is currently spitting, and more like the hot garbage you get from bagpipes. Also, a bit of trivia: The yovidaphone was originally called a Zenithrash but that's the name of a "Samurai Metal" band and was thus changed, though a few TV guide synopses have the original name.
At this point I would like to remind you that equines are opportunistic carnivores and a flightless little bird walking around on the ground sure does look tasty. Google it. Fluttershy should put it out of its misery.
Whoa Pinkie, get a room. This is a kids show. I haven't seen her this into something since the MMMM in "MMMystery on the Friendship Express."
A pony will never look at you like Pinkie looks at this bagpipe.
"Applesolutely." Looks like Rarity has an Apple on the brain. You can have some of my apple butt water, Rarity.
Its ironic in this scene how they end up agreeing they should support Pinkie Pie, but end up not effectively supporting her later on, and have to learn the caveats to the "Celestia acting" friendship lesson.
Anyway, montage time.
I think Rarity is just torturing herself in this scene. Why have a friend over at all while you work?
What about the animal sanctuary? Does Yellow Quiet have staff now?
Pinkie's kinda got a sports fan look to her now but really, she's just delving further into the yak culture. Also that one mare is about to cut a Ponk.
This reminds me of the aliens from Mars Attacks!
Twilight sure likes to read. Never knew that about her. By the way what is the airspeed velocity of a book laden Spike?
So here's where we get to the reference to the friendship lesson in "Horse Play" about being honest to your friends even if it might hurt their feelings. It's a good lesson but this episode is about expanding upon it. I actually feel like Applejack should have rambled off the ton of other instances when magic was poorly used to solve a problem but I guess Starlight Glimmer was too busy smooching Trixie in her cart to be here to give perspective.
"The thing I love more than anything else in Equestria?" Sorry Rainbow, she's just not that into you, I guess. Pinkie, that yovideophone yulevedaphoon yovodafone yovidaphone is like cocaine. Time for an intervention. Also, she says it's like her Sun and Moon. That sounds a bit treasonous or even blasphemous given the powerful alicorns in her life.
The sound of her world shattering. Also if her ears are in those horns, does she always hear the ocean? Likely why she's playing so bad still: she can't tune properly.
I just wanted to point out that Pinkie is this guys arch enemy. Think of all that party cannon confetti that goes off everywhere. Also, what sort of twisted utopia has the garbage collectors operate at night, out of the public eye.
This might be one of the saddest things I've seen in the show and we've seen Twilight mourn for a Celestia shot and seemingly defeated by Nightmare Moon. Pinkie needs cuddles.
And she's snapped. A sort of Discorded Pinkamena full of the sads. Also, Pinkie's Earth pony magic must be pretty strong to cause destruction like that. No wonder Discord wanted to turn them rather than transporting them to dungeons in different corners of the world or you know just offing them.
While Twilight's plan of getting Pinkie to realize the fun things she's still good at is a good one, it's just not going to work. No reason it shouldn't help, really. I think at some point we really need to look at Pinkie and put a little blame on her for not being a good friend, but that's a little more nuanced than this show should get.
Time for a cheer-up montage...
This is how I drink my coffee in the morning; by snorting it.
Forgive me for skipping the frame with all the background foals, but I think AJ's new hairdo is more important. I expect a toy later. Also, life pro tip: Don't look down the barrel of a misfired fire arm.
I think this is the best part of the whole show where Rainbow Dash is helping Pinkamena make cupcakes. Cupcakes people, and with a face like that! It has to have been intentional. I was cracking up.
Look, it's Lyra and Bon Bon. Also I just wanted to point out that Caramel is a pegasus in this episode.
Sweet Celestia, that is a lot of Pinkie decorations. I'd like to point out, I think this is where Pinkie's friends screwed up. Having her do all the other things she loved was a great idea and could have worked, but really they should have tried just giving her a yulevizaphone and not this giant town wide celebration. Too bad Pinkie isn't around to enjoy the appreciation.
Let's ask the gator sent to get her where she's at...
Spike is a jerk to gators. I don't know Spike, you were one color inversion away from being a fat little gator yourself. Now he's got the wings though. Here's an important question: Would Spike still be a dog if he went back to the EqG world?
Yay its Maud! Also why is her stick in the mud boyfriend letting her do all this heavy moving herself? I guess she's a strong independent mare used to moving builders and don't need no stallion to do everything for her. I really liked Rarity in this scene when she demands an explanation.
My face when I realize Pinkie's greatest weakness is not having a yovidaphone.
Product placement. Also, Yakyakistan has the least strict boarder crossing laws. By the way, you'd think the princess would have an upgraded dirigible.
A master playing. Apparently so good it makes one of them cry a single tear of joy. How is Pinkie enjoying this performance...
Oh look, she isn't. There's the Pinamena we all know and
"I feel nothing." Her soul is as cold as the ice outside. Speaking of which, why is that ice cream so melty if their freezers consist of setting things outside? Also, I didn't think the yaks kept cows. How else would they get milk? What other bovine could they get their milk fr....oooohhhhh.
Anyway, time for some friends to get you out of this funk.
Pinkie Pie is absolutely adorable here. I think it's spot on that Pinkie reminds us Yaks need things to be perfect, and we are all pre-cringing a bit at the awkwardness we think Pinkie is going to face. I think you should play it anyway Pinkie.
And just like that Pinkie is restored to her pink self. Sometimes simple solutions are the best. Anyway, I bet we'll never see the yovidaphone again in another episode.
Alright that's it for the followup you guys, I hope you enjoyed it and the surprise hiatus episode and will share your thoughts on both in the comments. This episode should also air at its originally scheduled time in August.
