The Cutie Mark Chronicles

Did You Know?

• The episode is part of the Season 1 DVD set, released by Shout Factory, on December 4, 2012.
• It is also part of the "Adventures of the Cutie Mark Crusaders" DVD, released on February 24, 2015.

Plot

The Cutie Mark Crusaders—Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle—continue their search for cutie marks and decide to learn how other ponies earned theirs. Scootaloo insists they start with her idol, Rainbow Dash. On the way, they encounter the other five main characters and hear their cutie mark stories through flashbacks. Applejack moved to Manehattan to live with her Uncle and Aunt Orange but disliked the high life; a rainbow guided her back to Ponyville, where she received her cutie mark upon arrival. Fluttershy, a clumsy pegasus at flight camp, was teased by bullies until Rainbow Dash defended her and challenged them to a race. The race's start knocked Fluttershy off a cloud, but butterflies caught her, and she discovered a love for ground animals. After a distant explosion frightened the animals, she found she could communicate with them, earning her cutie mark. Rarity prepared costumes for a school play but felt unsatisfied; her unicorn horn dragged her to a giant rock, which a distant explosion shattered, revealing gems. She used the gems to improve the costumes, earning her cutie mark as the audience cheered. Twilight Sparkle, fascinated by magic, was enrolled in Princess Celestia's school for gifted unicorns. Her entrance exam required hatching an egg with magic, which she failed until a sudden explosion triggered an uncontrollable surge that hatched the egg, revealing Spike. Celestia reversed the side effects and offered to mentor Twilight, who then earned her cutie mark.

Reception

Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club cited the episode as an example of the show's theme of children looking up to teenagers despite their insecurities, praising its complex story where flashbacks tie together to reinforce a sense of destiny. Sherilyn Connelly, author of Ponyville Confidential, gave the episode an "A+" rating, calling it one of Season 1's most complicated and carefully constructed stories that expands character backstories and builds the show's world, adding it would have been a strong season finale.