History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E11FamilyAppreciationDay

** Big Macintosh's name may not have been an obvious reference but now with him harvesting ''[[UsefulNotes/AppleMacintosh rainbow-colored apples]]''... (Granted, they don't have any bites in them.)

* {{Irony}}: Boy howdy does Diamond Tiara get a heap of this when she learns why and how she's rich and who was responsible for it.

Late one night, the Apple family are awakened by Granny Smith banging pots outside, alerting them to the howling of the Timber Wolves. The wolves signal the upcoming Zap Apple harvest, and the family excitedly anticipates the year's most important crop. This year, Granny Smith has promised to teach Apple Bloom the secret of how to make Zap Apple jam.

A lightning storm heralds the beginning of Zap Apple season. Even though the trees are only in leaf, Granny Smith and Apple Bloom have already started making the jam. As they [[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext hop amongst water cans in bunny suits while singing]], [[AlphaBitch Diamond Tiara]] just happens to arrive at Sweet Apple Acres with her father Filthy Rich. While Rich and Granny talk shop, Diamond Tiara expresses mock-sympathy for Apple Bloom for having such an embarrassing relative.

In a last-ditch effort, Scootaloo gives Granny Smith a bogus invitation to visit Uncle Apple Strudel, a day's train ride away, and bustles her off to the station. When class begins, however, Granny Smith ''and'' Uncle Apple Strudel walk in. (He was on the train). All hope lost, Apple Bloom steels herself for embarrassment, but then her grandmother begins to tell her story...

After the story, there is a brief round of surprised silence from everypony -- including Apple Bloom -- and then Silver Spoon is the first to applaud. It spreads to the entire class except Diamond Tiara who insists Granny is "just a kooky old lady!" Apple Bloom is quick to point out that Diamond Tiara's family wouldn't ''have'' their fortune without Granny and the Zap Apples.

** The design of the Timberwolves may have been inspired by the [[http://derpiboo.ru/214386 Timbermares]] from ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''.

'''Granny Smith:''' (''{{beat}}'') Wait fer what?

* AddedAlliterativeAppeal: Part of Granny's silly rituals includes getting honey. As she does, she addresses ''each bee'' by name. Every one begins with a B.

* AnAesop: Your elders are more special than you think.
** Should be worth mentioning that this is the first episode other than the two season premieres and the Christmas episode to not say what was this week's Aesop or have a letter to Celestia. Justified in the lack of letters, as Apple Bloom was never tasked with writing reports; that duty officially falls to the Mane Six.

* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Apple Bloom didn't think so until Diamond Tiara implied she should. Fortunately Granny Smith has one heck of a great story to tell.
** It would have been a lot less embarrassing if someone had bothered to tell Apple Bloom that there were good reasons for acting so strangely.

* MonochromePast: Granny's story is presented in sepia tone.

* SeriesContinuityError: Granny Smith mentions in the flashback that her family was starving, but the next shot shows their house surrounded by grass, which is what real horses eat. It could be construed as ArtisticLicenseBiology, except that these ponies are said to eat hay, which is mostly just dried grass.
** In the flashback the Mare in the Moon is not visible, despite Luna still being imprisoned there.
* SeriousBusiness: Granny Smith has this gem in the episode's beginning: "There's a whooole mess of steps in this process and you gots to get each one of 'em right... *dramatic zoom/head turn* '''OR ''NO ZAP APPLE JAM!'''''" It's eventually revealed that Zap Apples played a direct role in the founding of Ponyville; also, considering that Granny Smith was the one who discovered them in the first place, it makes sense that she'd treat it with such seriousness. Doesn't make it any less funny though.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: While it is usually a carnival sideshow stunt and involves a queen bee in a box under the chin, bee bearding is actually done in real life and is generally safe for the bearder.

* MassOhCrap: A collective one done by the fillies of the Ponyville School (Apple Bloom, especially), when Granny finishes her story and reveals she was responsible for the founding of Ponyville itself.