I try to grab a CMC episode every season and so for my last CMC Followup for Friendship is Magic I present the aptly named, "The Last Crusade"! Just in time for Father's Day, is a special surprise for Scootaloo and fans!
Please join me below for Equestrian breeding pairs, cragadiles, not Daring Do, the Everfree Banshee Beast, a splash of Derpy, more CMC episode references than I can count, and lots and lots of crying.
Episode morals first!
So the moral of the story is "running away and taking a train can solve all your problems" and "enough pony tears lubricate the rails of change." That was your take away too right? But honestly the moral is "if you're important enough, people will bend over backward to help you." So be important to someone and try your hardest to make them see what you're capable of.
Either that or the moral relates to how Scootaloo had a lousy foalhood because her parents' cutie marks called them to their destiny, researching strange flora and fauna. So in Equestrian society, this gave them carte blanche to abandon their daughter, pawn her off on friends and family, and pursue their dreams regardless of how it affected Scootaloo because 🎶 It's what my cutie mark is telling me 🎶. Starlight Glimmer was right about cutie marks being the worst thing ever.
Anyway...
The episode's title of "The Last Crusade" is, of course, a reference to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Which in anyone's-opinion-who-matters' opinion, was the last Indiana Jones movie.
Hey! That's not Applejack. Let's call him Two Strings.
Enter Skeedaddle, we first saw him in "Marks and Recreation" at the Crusader's summer camp trying to earn his cutie mark. Seems he's still an outdoorsy pony with all the sailing, canoeing, and fishing he's been doing. What do ponies do with fish anyway? Oh, right. They're opportunistic carnivores. Also, congrats Skeedaddle on condemning yourself to a life at sea on a ship away from your friends and family tying knots for a living.
Or he could make rugs.
Alrighty, here are the two ponies that have caused all the hubbub. By now you should be aware that these two lovely ponies are in lesbians with each other. And they're pretty cute together too. A big congratulations to Mike Vogel and Nicole Dubuc on getting their characters off the comic pages of Ponyville Mysteries and into the show. This was a big deal to them.
While Auntie Lofty, gets her name from a G1 pony and is very similar in design to Prim Hemline and Stormy Flare, Aunt Holiday, on the other hand, appears to be all original. Neither ponies' design, however, is similar to their comic appearance.
This isn't the sort of thing you bring up in Season 9, but what hour is that clock pointing to? Is it a 24-hour clock?
It's not very visible but this is the rug they are sweeping Scootaloo's upbringing under. Sounds like Scoots gets a new foalsitter every day between her Aunts, the Cakes, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and likely the Apples too. Also, Lofty can bake and in Scootaloo's opinion better than Pinkie, the Cakes, and the Apples.
Here it is. Small orange flappy horse has parents. The last nail in the coffin that is my headcanon that Scootaloo is an orphan foal living under a bridge. No wait, that wasn't my headcanon, that was what one of the writers told me at Las Pegasus Unicon after a few beers.
Back in Luna's day, they would drag orphans off to start a new colony. Sorry, I'm dating myself with my old fandom references.
Anyway, skipping the intro...
Cheerilee teaches about the Rainbow Factory.
Anyway, Nicole Dubuc we've covered and you know she's written a lot of episodes the past couple seasons.
What is Scootaloo so excited about for show and tell?
Yeah, her parents of course. Apparently, Scootaloo's parents hunt for dangerous creatures like King Kong on Skull Island.
A cragadile! We first saw them in "Princess Twilight Sparkle - Part 2". Applebloom there almost took on the name Applesnack.
Yo buddy. Do you have a permit for that thing? You better not let Fluttershy catch you doing that. Also, the crags' name is Marshmallow.
So Scootaloo's mom and dad finally came back from buying that pack of cigarettes. Enter, Mane Allgood and Snap Shutter.
According to Jim Miller, they were modeled after Jane Goodall and Steve Irwin. And by the looks of it, Crocodile Dundee's hat.
Equestria really must be 90% female since its taken us nine seasons to see all the breeding pairs.
If you notice, Cheerilee is still shaking from the cragodile attack while Applebloom stole Scoots' desk.
Also, does this mean Scootaloo is officially Australian? I think it does.
I've watched 9 years of this just for the plot.
So caged up here, from the bottom up, is a bugbear, the cragadile, a cockatrice, and a bufogren. If you recall the bufogren can talk, so it's kinda messed up that they have it caged. It can at least pass half of the Harkness Test right?
"Crikey!" Look how happy Scootaloo is. It's so great seeing her this happy after some of the dark nonsense we have seen from her in previous episodes.
Can't wait to ruin that in the next scene...
But first, these two ponies will be sucking while staring at each other this entire scene and this pony in the foreground has his cutie mark because he's lockin' it down with all the mares.
"But with all that's happened lately – Sombra's return, the destruction of the Tree of Harmony – we decided our family should be together."
I died laughing right here. So Jungle Navigation Co. here wants to be more included with their daughter and have her move with them to their new job in Shire Lanka, particularly because of recent unsafe events. Just Sombra's return and the destruction of the Tree of Harmony? Not Chrysalis's return? What about Discord a while back? The Everfree Forest your daughter wanders into constantly? Tirek maybe? A castle springing out of nowhere even?
These kids have been through hell and Sombra's recent and likely permanent defeat and the inconvenient rearrangement of the tree of harmony into a frat house are what concern you?
Parents of the year.
It was rather surprising Scootaloo's parents never used the "well, you're just a foal and you'll do what you're told" line.
The remaining episode time is dedicated to pony tears and ugly-cry faces.
That back wall. I wonder if it's trying to hint at something.
I seem to recall an episode where Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo built a meaningful bond over a waterfall or two, so why is it now Rainbow isn't rushing out the door to help.
This face. Also, did Scootaloo just say that her parents don't mess with things like cockatrice and bugbears? They just brought some of those with them!
Spider ponies with their plots up in the air.
The Everfree Banshee Beast, everypony.
Some theorize that ponies can't see the magic auras put off by spells such as telekinesis. This gives it some credence.
Also, sorry Sethisto, this is as close as it gets to Bat Ponies this season. Enjoy.
I love Shutter's shut down about how the cutie marks are not the same but they are special enough that they'll remain friends regardless of how far away Scoots moves. It is hard to argue with that logic.
Also, three cutie marks that are mostly the same, can't beat...
...three pairs! This was way back in "The Best Night Ever".
Anyway, back to the episode!
That wall again. Is it plot important?
Applebloom accidentally stumbles across kinky bedroom time potion. Stumbling ensues.
All fillies for sale have been "SULD".
I usually make a face compilation at the end but for this episode it was mostly crying so I'll spare you. Instead, have this super pissed off chicken face.
Classic cartoon moment when they can just slip out of the cuffs at any point.
This entire episode might be the biggest emotional rollercoaster of the entire series. Let me know how I'm wrong in the comments!
Look at that setting. Now that is a portfolio shot.
Just like her house, I'm loving Holiday's design. Can she beat out Button's mom and Stellar Flare as the fandom's favorite older mare?
Let's see. Lofty's quilt contains Big Mac, Gabby, Tender Taps, Babs Seed, the CMC, Diamond Tiara, Feather Bangs, Pipsqueak, and Silver Spoon.
Speaking of whom...
The CMC chants were great. Starting to get some feels.
Ponyville print shops have an amazing turnaround. Must be Pinkie's doing. There's obviously cupcakes behind everypony. Also, how you can get Babs Seed from Manehatten that soon? Twilight must have intercontinental teleportation now.
Anyway, I'll go over who's showed up below in some closer shots.
Triple handled. I want to remind our readers that Mayor Mare's mane and tail are actually pink. A fact we know thanks to the CMC.
Starting to realize that Scootaloo and friends are kind of a big deal. They're the type of pony every pony should know.
Also, Rainbow Dash should have just done a Sonic Rainboom.
More foals from the CMC's camp: Tulip Swirl, Mocha Berry, and Cucumber Seed.
Now we see Rainbow Dash coming to the defense. Did it finally click Dashie? Your #1 fan was leaving?
Gabby still cute as ever. None of y'all forgot Gabby. Terramar you remember from "Surf and/or Turf" as just recently "Student Council". This was likely in another followup (but I didn't write those now, did I?) Terramar's name derives from Latin and means 'Land Sea'.
Tender Taps, of course, showcasing his moves.
Ponies who follow their hearts. Diamond Tiara's song is still one of my favorites from the series.
In here we see Pipsqueak, Troubleshoes, Zippoorwhill, Mercury with the afro he got in "Forever Filly", Chip Cutter, Feather Bangs, and the rest you should know.
All of the Student 6 and Mane 6 are here as well the Cakes.
So Scootaloo's parents have finally realized just how important Scootaloo is, and the work she's been doing with her friends. Guess Cheerilee has some more to teach Scoots about communication if those letters of hers her parents read 20 times each didn't properly convey just how awesome their daughter is.
"Yeah if only there was a house someone could have sold us for cheap."
Don't worry Scoots, you can always move back under that bridge.
Did I mention Derpy was here too?
Ah, the passing of the hat. This could be another subtle parallel to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where Indiana was given his iconic hat as a boy.
Also parent snuggles. This maybe the first time Scootaloo has made Applebloom jealous of her.
Your voice actors everypony!
I hope you all enjoyed this episode and my followup and please let me know what you thought about either in the comments.
