History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E8JustForSidekicks

* OnlySaneMan: Owlowiscious seems to have the most sense out of all the pets, not to mention more sense than the pet''sitter''.

* NeverWorkWithChildrenOrAnimals: The main lesson Spike learns in this episode since 'don't be greedy' didn't stick.

* LudicrousPrecision: Rarity proclaims that Opal requires a precise 81.4 degrees (scale unspecified, presumed to be Fahrenheit) to be comfortable. When she is in the library to hand Opal off to Spike, she states, "It's a chilly 81.2 in here."

* ComicallySmallBribe: Played with. Rarity pays Spike with the tiniest jewel, so it's the smallest payment he gets, since he wants to use it for food. Later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders use that same gem to buy a humongous and obviously quite expensive hairdryer, so this jewel obviously has a very high monetary value. For comparison's sake, Spike used two of the biggest gems to pay for train tickets (though cross-country, round-trip train tickets for four people and a bunch of pets wouldn't be at all cheap) and ''a tray of donuts''. [[labelnote:explanation]]This is FridgeBrilliance, however, when you consider that the size of the gem ''doesn't'' indicate its monetary value. The jewel that Rarity gave to Spike could be a [[http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/5583/8530676_1s.jpg?v=8CBB4EBD63309F0 Pigeon Blood Ruby]], which is one of the rarest gems in existence, and therefore valuable. What Fluttershy gave Spike looked like [[http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/crystals/images/em2.jpg an emerald]], and emeralds are more common than rubies.[[/labelnote]] At the same time, as a dragon, the monetary value of a gem doesn't matter nearly as much as its size and taste. Spike using the smallest gem as payment to the CMC is much less a sacrifice to him than would be the largest.

Once they get to the empire--and Spike gives away his second-to-last jewel to pay for a wrecked donut cart--Angel sees Fluttershy and friends at the station, and once again gets loose to reunite with his owner. Spike desperately throws his final, biggest jewel and knocks down a tower of luggage to block Angel's path so he can catch the bunny. Spike, the pets, and the Crusaders all board the train back to Ponyville but, unluckily for them, all have to hide in the same car as the six ponies.

!!Tropes present in this episode: [[YMMV/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E8JustForSidekicks YMMV tropes here]]

* EasyComeEasyGo: Each of the Mane Six give Spike a jewel for babysitting their pets. He loses each of them by the end of the episode.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Spike selfishly persuades his friends to give him jewels just so he can make a cake for himself. So each time he finds himself in a mess and needs to get out of it, he fittingly loses a jewel.

** This isn't the first time the Crusaders have had to [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E17HeartsAndHoovesDay use one of Scootaloo's feathers to get the job done]].

[[caption-width-right:350:[[AceVentura Spike Ventura: Pet Defective]]]]

* AndYourRewardIsEdible[=/=]FoodAsBribe: Spike goes to great lengths for a jewelry feast.

* BadassAdorable[=/=]CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: Spike goes to sometimes elaborate means to keep the pets in line. Not to mention proves to be MadeOfIron throughout.

* EasilyOverheardConversation[=/=]TrickDialogue: Spike really gets a good scare when accidentally overhearing the Cutie Mark Crusaders discussing how they take care of the pets.

* LickedByTheDog[=/=]PetTheDog: Literal examples. The whole episode is a PetTheDog occasion from the writers to all the pets, giving them the chance to shine by their own.
* LooseLips[=/=]SayingTooMuch: When greeting Rarity, Sweetie Belle mentions the snow globes at the Crystal Empire's train station. Rarity immediately gets suspicious of this, and it's obvious she doesn't buy Sweetie's excuse.

* StockSoundEffects: When Spike throws his last jewel to stop Angel at the end of the episode, the accompanying sound [[TheSixMillionDollarMan might be familiar]].

* MassOhCrap: Spike, the pets and the Crusaders when the Mane Six step into the same car they're using to take back home. They each have another when Spike's GrowlingGut threatens to expose them.

* BalloonBelly: Spike's stomach bulges after Angel forces him to eat a huge gem.

* ComicallySmallBribe: Played with. Rarity pays Spike with the tiniest jewel, so it's the smallest payment he gets, since he wants to use it for food. Later, the Cutie Mark Crusaders use that same gem to buy a humongous and obviously quite expensive hairdryer, so this jewel obviously has a very high monetary value. For comparison's sake, Spike used two of the biggest gems to pay for train tickets (though cross-country, round-trip train tickets for four people and a bunch of pets wouldn't be at all cheap) and ''a tray of donuts''. [[labelnote:explanation]]This is FridgeBrilliance, however, when you consider that the size of the gem ''doesn't'' indicate its monetary value. The jewel that Rarity gave to Spike could be a [[http://media.liveauctiongroup.net/i/5583/8530676_1s.jpg?v=8CBB4EBD63309F0 Pigeon Blood Ruby]], which is one of the rarest gems in existence, and therefore valuable. What Fluttershy gave Spike looked like [[http://www.mysticfamiliar.com/library/crystals/images/em2.jpg an emerald]], and emeralds are more common than rubies.[[/labelnote]] At the same time, as a dragon, the monetary value of a gem doesn't matter nearly as much as its size and taste. Spike using the smallest gem as payment to the [=CMCs=] is much less a sacrifice to him than would be the largest.

** In "The Last Roundup," Golden Harvest (a.k.a. Carrot Top) and a gray unicorn stallion ([[FanNickname nicknamed]] Written Script by the fandom) were in a few scenes together and implied to be a couple. In this episode, they can be seen nuzzling affectionately at the Crystal Empire train station.

* [[BadlyBatteredBabysitter Badly Battered Petsitter]]

* [[ChekhovsSkill Chekhov's Lack of Skill]]: The sequence of photos with Peewee show that Spike isn't that great a pet sitter even if his heart is in the right place.

* [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Pet]]: Owlowiscious seems to have the most sense out of all the pets, not to mention more sense than the pet''sitter''.

* [[RealMenHateAffection Real Tomboys Hate Affection]]: Rainbow Dash doesn't really want to be seen showing affection but does nuzzle Tank anyway. Going right back to her awkward stance after it is done.

* {{Tsundere}}: Tank attracts them

** The crazy, barking pony from "Read It and Weep" (Screw Loose), along with Nurse Coldheart, can be seen during one of the shots in town.

* ShipTease: Doubling as FunnyBackgroundEvent -- as Spike gets tied up around the tree, Cherilee and Big Macintosh are walking together down a Ponyville street, eventually disappearing offscreen.
* SilentSnarker: Owlowiscious can't 'hoo' but that's it.
* SkewedPriorities: Zecora tricks Spike out of one of his gems to preserve him from his dragon greed, then walks off leaving him tied to a tree at the mercy of six rambunctious housepets.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: For "[[SynchronousEpisodes Games Ponies Play]]"; Twilight's comment on being a good leader by being calm and collected foreshadows her own lesson on keeping calm in that episode.