| MMMystery on the Friendship Express | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season №: | 2 |
| Season episode №: | 24 |
| Overall episode №: | 50 |
| Original airdate: | April 7, 2012 |
| Written by: | Amy Keating Rogers |
| Storyboard: | Tom Sales and Corey Toomey[1] |
| Featured characters: | Gustave le Grand Joe Mulia Mild |
| See also | |
| credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation | |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Ponyville Confidential |
Next A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1 |
MMMystery on the Friendship Express is the twenty-fourth episode of the second season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the fiftieth episode overall. In this episode, Pinkie Pie takes an overnight train to transport a cake to a dessert contest in Canterlot, but when it gets partially eaten during the night, she launches an investigation to find out the culprit. The title is a reference to the 1934 crime novel Murder on the Orient Express.
Production[]
On Twitter, the episode's writer Amy Keating Rogers revealed that she wrote a scene in which Twilight Sparkle commends Applejack for her self-control, and Applejack confesses to taking a bite while Pinkie Pie was asleep and leaving no clues. However, it was cut for time.[2]
Summary[]
The cake and its transport[]
Transporting a cake as big as this is always the most stressful part.
At Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie looks upon a large cake called the "Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness" that Mr. and Mrs. Cake have prepared for the national dessert competition in Canterlot. Tasked with transporting the contest entry safely to its destination, Pinkie guides Big McIntosh as he carries the cake to the train station, enlisting the assistance of the rest of the Mane Six along the way.
Cake guarding is serious business.
After loading the cake aboard the Friendship Express, Pinkie extols the qualities of the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness to her friends, referring to the cake as "MMMM". As the ponies gaze upon it with awe, Gustave le Grand boards the train and asserts that his Exquisite Éclairs will win first prize. Donut Joe enters soon after with a tray of sprinkled donuts in the shape of a city that he calls "Donutopia", followed moments later by Mulia Mild carting in a life-sized chocolate mousse moose.
After a brief argument between the four entrants over the best dessert, Twilight Sparkle suggests that everyone settle in for the night. Gustave, Joe, and Mulia retire to their compartments, whereupon Pinkie shares her suspicion that they are planning to sabotage the MMMM and warns her friends that they need to protect it. When they dismiss her concerns and head for their rooms, Pinkie determines to spend the night guarding the cake.
Midnight watch[]
Someone took a bite out of the MMMM.
As Pinkie watches over the cake that night, a shadowy figure rushes past her and into the next train car. Pinkie gives chase only to reach the caboose and find nothing, but when she returns to the cake, she spots another figure in the next car over and runs after it. Reaching the engine room, Pinkie finds the silhouette of a conductor shoveling coal into the firebox and walks back to guard the cake. She arrives only for the shades to close moments later accompanied by the sound of someone fumbling through the pitch-black room. When the shades come back up, Pinkie searches the area but finds only a tilted picture frame, though upon resuming her vigil, she immediately falls asleep.
Pinkie wakes up the next morning and congratulates herself on protecting the MMMM. When Twilight Sparkle enters the car seconds later, however, she points out three large chunks missing from the rear of the cake, causing Pinkie to scream in alarm.
The "investigation"[]
Elementary, my dear Twilight.
The rest of the group arrive in the room as Pinkie laments the damaged cake and resolves to discover the culprit. Donning detective gear and appointing Twilight as her "lowly assistant", Pinkie proceeds to accuse each baker in turn of destroying the cake in fantastical ways: Gustave le Grand ties Pinkie to the train tracks and slices the cake with a buzz saw; Donut Joe gasses Pinkie unconscious before dismantling the cake with lasers; and Mulia Mild knocks out Pinkie with a frying pan before slashing the cake with a katana.
Twilight points out the flaws after each conjecture, and Pinkie admits that she assumed the cake was ruined by one of the bakers so their own entry would prevail in the contest. She goes on to describe each of the other desserts in tantalizing detail, though just as she finishes, the train enters a tunnel that drapes the room in total darkness for a few moments. When light returns, the group are horrified to discover that the other three desserts are now decimated. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Twilight sends everyone to their room except Pinkie, with whom she swaps the detective garb.
Finding out the facts[]
With Twilight's help, Pinkie discovers who did-done-dood it.
Twilight asks Pinkie to retrace her steps from the previous night. After finding and collecting several pieces of evidence, Twilight calls everyone together and announces a series of allegations: Rainbow Dash took the first nibble but dropped a blue feather when she flew to the roof of the caboose; Fluttershy ate second and left a strand of pink hair in the conductor's hat that she wore in the engine room; and Rarity snuck the final bite, using her magic to close the blinds but accidentally depositing a fake eyelash when she ran into a framed painting.
The three suspects admit to and apologize for eating part of the cake, explaining that they were enticed by Pinkie's description and only meant to take a small piece but got carried away. Pinkie forgives them, and following Twilight's example, she begins to search the room for clues as to who ate the other desserts. Finishing her investigation moments later, Pinkie accuses the bakers of eating each other's contest entry after finding matching food residues on their face. The bakers confess and forgive each other as the train arrives in Canterlot, though when they lament no longer having desserts to submit for the contest, Pinkie comes up with an idea.
Everypony loves cake, including Celestia.
In a letter to Princess Celestia, Pinkie reflects that you shouldn't jump to conclusions, and that you should find out all the facts before making accusations. The bakers enter the competition together with a cake made from the remains of their old desserts, which ends up winning first place.
Quotes[]
- For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.
- Pinkie Pie: Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, a little pegassistance?
- Pinkie Pie: All that rich, creamy goodness of the marzipan combined with the tart and tanginess of the mascarpone, blended perfectly with the smooth silky sweetness of the meringue. That's why I call the Marzipan Mascarpone Meringue Madness the "MMMM".
- Rest of main cast: MMMM.
- Pinkie Pie: Who turned out the moon? Stop, thief! Don't go near that cake, thief! [bang] Oh! Are you okay, thief?
- Pinkie Pie: Now I just need to find who done it.
- Twilight Sparkle: You mean, who did it.
- Pinkie Pie: Exactly. Who did-done-dood it.
- Applejack: Uh, you're investigatin'?
- Pinkie Pie: Yes! And Twilight shall be my lowly assistant who asks silly questions with obvious answers.
- Twilight Sparkle: Pinkie! There is no laser beam security system. And Joe is not sleek, stealthy Con Mane! He's big, gruff, and messy!
- Donut Joe: Hey!
- Rarity: Although, you would look rather dapper in a tuxedo.
- Mulia Mild: Why are we all here again?
- Twilight Sparkle: I bet you're wondering why you're all here again.
- Donut Joe: She's good.
- Pinkie Pie: So it was you! That pink hair came from your rainbow-colored mane!
- Rainbow Dash: I don't have pink in my mane, Pinkie!
- Pinkie Pie: So you're wearing a wig?
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Raven Molisee's DeviantArt journal (2012-04-06). Retrieved on 2012 April 7.
- ↑ Amy Keating Rogers on Twitter (2012-06-12). Retrieved on 2012 June 27.
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