History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E26TheBestNightEver

* EatTheCamera: Done on Pinkie Pie as she sings I'm At The Grand Galloping Gala. As she hits her high note, the camera cuts to the inside of her mouth, staring at her pulsating throat and quivering uvula before quickly zooming back out.

* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Fluttershy falls for her own net trap.

* FurryConfusion: Twilight's plan to magically create horses to pull everypony's carriage... and Rarity's alternate solution when it goes wrong. Even Spike gets in on the fun when he attempts to direct the carriage.

-->'''Prince Blueblood:''' Miss Rarity! Stop!\\

** The Wonderbolts recognize Rainbow Dash from the events of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E16SonicRainboom "Sonic Rainboom"]].

** In her ImagineSpot during her part of "At The Gala", there's a whole line of ([[PaletteSwap palette-swapped]]) ponies wearing Pinkie's dress from [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E21OverABarrel "Over a Barrel"]].
** Spike wears the tux he's seen wearing in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E15FeelingPinkieKeen "Feeling Pinkie Keen"]], but without the top hat because in that episode Twilight failed to produce one with her magic.

* PreviouslyOn: "At the Gala" is a stealth version of this, since it reminds the audience of all the characters' expectations about the Gala that had been established in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E3TheTicketMaster "The Ticket Master"]] (though Twilight's isn't introduced until now). They come with brief imagine shots, updated to feature each pony in her gala dress.

--> You're! Going! To '''''LOVE ME!'''''

--->"If you weren't friends with our neighbor Rarity..."

* BarefootCartoonAnimal: Done oddly in that several of the Mane 6 are shown at various times as wearing shoes on their front hooves, but not on their back hooves.

* BittersweetEnding: ''Everyone's'' perceptions about what the Gala would cause for them went ''horribly'' wrong. But Celestia seemed to enjoy it and notes that it will be the most memorable one for her, plus give the Mane 6 plenty of stories to tell back home, and the Mane 6 plus Spike and Celestia end up hanging out at Donut Joe's and have a really good time.

* FoodEnd: The episode (and season) ends with the Mane 6 and Celestia having a meal with Spike at the donut shop.

-->'''Spike:''' (''knocking'') Aw, c'mon, you guys! Let me in!\\

** The˙fruit-based carriage, mice turned into horses, and Rarity's glass slipper are all reminiscent of ''{{WesternAnimation/Cinderella}}''.

* WorstWhateverEver: The Mane 6's best night ever eventually turns into the ''worst'' night ever, and this is said by Spike when meeting him at the donut shop.
* WrongAssumption: The plot comes from the Mane 6 not understanding what kind of party the Grand Galloping Gala is:

* SeriousBusiness: [[FurryConfusion The stallions used to pull the Mane 6's carriage really don't appreciate having their reins snapped.]]
--> "If you weren't friends with our neighbor Rarity..."

* GroinAttack: [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal Part of Pinkie Pie's "Pony Pokey" performance. Pity the poor piano-playing pony.]] Even better, his piano playing jumps up a few octaves when he gets hit.

'''Rarity:''' [[PrinceCharmless AAAAHHH!]] NO! ''[stomps

* CrowdSong: The ponies' arrival at the Gala is marked by one of these, which doubles as a MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber. it''

* CrowdSong: The ponies' arrival at the Gala is marked by one of these, which doubles as a MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber. it]''

* CrowdSong: The ponies' arrival at the Gala is marked by one of these, which doubles as a MassiveMultiplayerEnsembleNumber.

'''Rarity:''' [[PrinceCharmless AAAAHHH!]] NO! ''[stomps it]''

* HeroismAddict: Rainbow Dash flirts with this towards the end of the episode. To be precise, she wants the Wonderbolts' attention and so bucks Caesar into the air and catches him on her back (in a very suggestive -- for ponies -- position). Nopony notices, and she flings him aside in frustration.

** Even in the worst of times, friends help each other through it. Sometimes, they even come out of the experience looking back on it together.

* NiceHat:
** Applejack's ensemble includes a hat similar to her usual Stetson, but with some apple-themed details under the brim.
** Pinkie Pie's ensemble includes a cute little little pillbox hat.

* BatmanGambit: Princess Celestia admits that she never cared for the Grand Galloping Gala and reveals that she invited the Mane Six ''because'' she expected them to liven things up. They never intended to ruin the party, making Celestia's gamble pay off.

* StoryArc: The events of "The Ticket Master" and "Dressed for Success" leads to this episode, which ends the Grand Galloping Gala arc.

* DrowningMySorrows / DrunkOnMilk: Spike does this with doughnuts. It even comes complete with an IllTellYouWhenIveHadEnough exchange.

%%** When Psychoshy shows up.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: An entire episode focused around it. A massive event that's seen as the greatest event of the year that anyone who's anyone will get to go to? You're going to run into a few problems:
** Twilight's desire to spend some quality time with Princess Celestia ends up failing because Celestia is obligated to welcome each and every individual guest to the party, leaving her with no time to talk to her and catch up.
** Applejack's desire to sell Apple Family food at the gala gets snubbed because nearly all of the attendees are stuck-up rich ponies who see eating that sort of food as below them. Prince Blueblood actually has the gall to ''spit it out'' in front of Applejack when he eats some, just because it's "common" food. Also she didn’t consider that the event was already catered so the ponies already had food to eat that was free.
** Rainbow Dash gets into the Wonderbolts' VIP area to hang out with them, but finds it impossible to talk to them because the area is so crowded and loud that the Wonderbolts can't hear her talking and are constantly being pulled aside for photos.
** Rarity wants to woo Prince Blueblood, who she sees as the stallion of her dreams. It turns out that he's a stuck-up, arrogant prick who has no idea of how to treat a lady.
** Pinkie Pie sees it as the biggest party in Equestria and wants to have fun, but the event is a formal one where any dancing is going to be slow, rather than high-energy, and the music is all classical. As a guest, she has no say in how to liven up the events. Even when Pinkie Pie tries, only the musicians are into her suggestions.
** Fluttershy wants to go and see all of the animals in the castle garden, but unfortunately the animals are too scared of her and do their best to avoid her, which steadily grates on her until she finally goes nuts.
** And poor Spike wanted to spend the night with his best friends, but with them all busy doing their own things he ends up alone and upset.

** When [[FanNickname Psychoshy]] shows up.

** Applejack's desire to sell Apple Family food at the gala gets snubbed because nearly all of the attendees are stuck-up rich ponies who see eating that sort of food as below them. Prince Blueblood actually has the gall to ''spit it out'' in front of Applejack when he eats some, just because it's "common" food.

* FinishDialogueInUnison: See the page quote.

* RealityEnsues: An entire episode focused around it. A massive event that's seen as the greatest event of the year that anyone who's anyone will get to go to? You're going to run into a few problems:
** Twilight's desire to spend some quality time with Princess Celestia ends up failing because Celestia is obligated to welcome each and every individual guest to the party, leaving her with no time to talk to her and catch up.
** Applejack's desire to sell Apple Family food at the gala gets snubbed because nearly all of the attendees are stuck-up rich ponies who see eating that sort of food as below them. Prince Blueblood actually has the gall to ''spit it out'' in front of Applejack when he eats some, just because it's "common" food.
** Rainbow Dash gets into the Wonderbolts' VIP area to hang out with them, but finds it impossible to talk to them because the area is so crowded and loud that the Wonderbolts can't hear her talking and are constantly being pulled aside for photos.
** Rarity wants to woo Prince Blueblood, who she sees as the stallion of her dreams. It turns out that he's a stuck-up, arrogant prick who has no idea of how to treat a lady.
** Pinkie Pie sees it as the biggest party in Equestria and wants to have fun, but the event is a formal one where any dancing is going to be slow, rather than high-energy, and the music is all classical. As a guest, she has no say in how to liven up the events. Even when Pinkie Pie tries, only the musicians are into her suggestions.
** Fluttershy wants to go and see all of the animals in the castle garden, but unfortunately the animals are too scared of her and do their best to avoid her, which steadily grates on her until she finally goes nuts.
** And poor Spike wanted to spend the night with his best friends, but with them all busy doing their own things he ends up alone and upset.

** In Rarity's case, just because somepony ''looks'' nice doesn't mean he ''is'' nice.

* BerserkButton: For Rarity, getting her nice clothes dirty. Prince Blueblood using her as a shield from Applejack's cake is TheLastStraw.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: Applejack's whole plan for the Gala is to try and raise money for Sweet Apple Acres by selling her home cooking at the Gala. Never stopping to consider that such fancy parties usually include ''free hors d'oeuvres'' laid on for the benefit of the attendees in the first place, or that "hoity-toity types" like the nobility aren't likely to buy such food anyway. She herself realises this when she figures out why her efforts are failing.

* TheDogBitesBack: When Blueblood tops off his unchivalrous behaviour by using Rarity as a shield against the mass of cake, Rarity goes in a furious tirade at the terrified prince. Subverted since it turns out he's only creeped out by her getting cake on him, but Rarity just goes with that and shakes the whole thing off on him to his horror.

** Pinkie Pie sees it as the biggest party in Equestria and wants to have fun, but the event is a formal one where any dancing is going to be slow, rather than high-energy, and the music is all classical.

* WhyWeCantHaveNiceThings: In this case, everything about the Grand Galloping Gala. The snobbish ponies don't approve of Applejack's food or Pinkie's approach to partying, and all of the girls' dresses get damaged in the ensuring chaos. A statue gets smashed to bits.

** The˙fruit-based carriage and mice turned into horses is reminiscent of ''{{WesternAnimation/Cinderella}}''.

* TemptingFate: Twilight and Celestia walk into the grand hall to find it devastated, and with four of the Mane Cast surveying the results of the recent bout of DisasterDominoes. Twilight can't help but utter the classic phrase, [[RockBottom "Well, it can't get any worse!"]] Cue Fluttershy with a horde of frightened animals

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: A quite literal example in that we never find out what happened to the mice/horses that were originally going to pull the carriage after Opal scared them off. Twilight made a passing mention just before Opal's entrance that the spell only lasts until midnight, as appropriate of her genre stealing... so, they most likely returned to Fluttershy's entourage the next morning. Also, Twilight turns four mice into horses, but we only see three run away after Opalescense pounces.