Griffon the Brush Off

Lore & Background

In the episode, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash bond over playing pranks on their friends, including painting Applejack's apples, replacing Twilight's ink, and placing a whoopee cushion on Rarity's chair. When Pinkie visits Rainbow Dash's cloud house, she meets Gilda, a griffon from Rainbow's past at Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Gilda becomes annoyed with Pinkie and tells her to "buzz off," claiming Rainbow doesn't need a "dweeb" now that she is in town. Pinkie seeks advice from Twilight, who suggests Pinkie give Gilda a chance and not jump to conclusions.

Reader's Guide

The episode has been analyzed for its portrayal of friendship dynamics and geek culture. Author Sherilyn Connelly gave it a "C+" rating, noting it as another example of outsiders causing trouble and leaving without learning lessons. Jen A. Blue described it as "passable, but not hugely impressive," and analyzed it through the lens of "Geek Social Fallacies," arguing that Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Gilda demonstrate common false beliefs about friendship. The episode is part of the Season 1 DVD set released by Shout Factory on December 4, 2012.

Did You Know?

• The episode was written by Cindy Morrow, her first for the series.
• Gilda is a griffon who attended Junior Speedster Flight Camp with Rainbow Dash.
• The episode features a party at Sugarcube Corner where pranks are played on Gilda.
• Sherilyn Connelly's book Ponyville Confidential gave the episode a 'C+' rating.