Hello & welcome back to the Trotting Through The Snow celebration. And today, we close out Trotting Through The Snow by looking at MLP's third holiday episode and it's latest musical episode. This episode takes on the classic Dickens' tale of A Christmas Carol. Now, shows are bound to do this if they are around long enough and that is the case here. However, this episode had one other feat to overcome, As you see three years ago, a group of Bronies and Pegasisters released what I consider the definitive MLP Christmas Carol with A Princess Carol. Now, I reviewed it in 2014 and spoke highly of it.
So, right or wrong, this version was in the back of my mind while this episode. I should also mention that it was a little odd that this episode aired in May and well because of that, I've seen this episode five times now. With that outta the way, let's begin.
The Plot
Again, the basic jist of the episode is that of A Christmas Carol but is presented as a story told by Twilight to Starlight Glimmer as she doesn't get the big deal of the holiday. It's a cute idea and I do like seeing another take on a classic Christmas story from the ponies and after last week's comic, this is better handled. Now, there are a few key differences from the source material such as the ghosts appear as the Scrooge stand-in, Snowfall Frost wants to erase Hearth's Warming as she thinks Equestira would be better off without the holiday. We see that this a lesson that is instilled in her at a young age by her professor, Snape. Yeah, Snowfall's professor is based on Snape.
And the Ghost of Christmas Present is now the Ghost of Christmas Presents but considering that she's played by Pinkie, that works and I like the message of her song. I honestly like the casting for all three ghosts but this does bring me to some issues that I have with this adaption in terms of omissions. I can live with there being no Nephew Fred as I'm not sure, how that would have worked but I am beyond bummed that there's no Marley or Tiny Tim. And considering that Dash play Glim Glam's assistant Snowdash, that would've been the perfect opportunity to have Scootaloo be Tiny Tim. But even worst is that Marley was in the original draft of the episode and was going to be played by Discord.
Sadly, the staff ran outta time to include this. As for Tiny Tim, the closest that we get is a reference with Featherweight.
And even better, we see this story tie back into the history of Hearth's Warming as we Snowfall's plan to erase the holiday would bring about the return of the windigoes.
And the story ends the same as the classic with Snowfall growing from her experience with the ghosts and learning to hold the spirit of Hearth's Warming in her heart and back in Ponyville, we see that the story helps Starlight to better understand what Hearth's Warming is truly about as Twilight invites to take part in the party that was shown at the beginning. And I have to give Twily credit, that she shared something she loved with Starlight but never tried to force it on her.
All in all, this is a pretty decent take on A Christmas Carol. I've seen better but I've also seen much worse and for incorporating this story into the MLP universe, I thought it was handled rather well.
Characters
I'll only be looking at the characters in the story and I should mention that Rares and Flutter get minor supporting roles Merry and Flutter Holly.
Now let's move onto the actual characters.
Main Character
Snowfall Frost (Starlight Glimmer) voiced by Kelly Sheridan
To say that Starlight Glimmer has had a mixed reception since becoming Twilight's pupil would be an understatement. I LOVED her as a villain but hated the reveal of her backstory. And well, her episodes in season 6 have been hit and miss. I did like this episode but more for A Christmas Carol than Starlight and really, I'm sure how this counts as a Glim Glam episode as she's playing a different character. So, let's talk about that character.
Snowfall Frost is an interesting Scrooge stand-in and we learn that she looks at Hearth's Warming as a waste of time and doesn't believe in the story of the windigoes. Though, the results of her visit with the ghosts is still the same.
Supporting Character
Snowdash (Rainbow Dash) voiced by Ashleigh Ball
Yeah, I'm not the biggest fan of Snowdash as she feels like an exaggerated version of Rainbow Dash herself with thinking everything is awesome. Yeah, we do get small moments such as Snowdash complaining about Snowfall Frost's views on Hearth's Warming at the party that she attends with Merry and Flutter Holly.
Ghosts
The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Past (Applejack) voiced by Ashleigh Ball, Singing voice: Ashleigh Ball
I know that I've said this before but could AJ just sing all of her lines as it makes her so much more likable. And it doesn't hurt that Ball is a fantastic singer and as The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Past, she was a great fit as you saw that she wouldn't let Snowfall out of visiting the past. She was determined to make sure that Snowfall saw what set on the path that made her the woman that she had become.
The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Presents (Pinkie Pie) voiced by Andrea Libman, Singing voice: Shannon Chan-Kent
I like what they did here with Pinkie instead of just being the Ghost of Christmas Present, the show used to her to show that when people put thoughts into the gifts that they get for someone else, it can mean a lot for the person that is on the receiving end. And the gifts aren't just about materialism but showing that you care about the people in your life enough to know them and know what they would like. And that a gift can come with a lot of love.
The Ghost of Hearth's Warming Future (Luna) voiced by Tabitha St. Germaine, singing voice: Kazumi Evans
I am sorry as I do not mean this to be a hit on Luna as she was the perfect choice to fill this role but compared to the first two, she just felt kinda lackluster. I think it came in part from the limited amount of screentime, she had when compared to the other two. There was still a sense of fear and foreboding with her but I think with her number being so short, I felt like the episode didn't do enough with her.
Music
Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again
This is a fun song for the opener and there is something nice about seeing all of the ponies gather to decorate. And the harmony between Dash and Fluttershy was great. It's just a rather joyous song, that really puts you in the mood for the episode.
Say Goodbye To The Holiday
I've seen some people compare this to Ursula's singing in The Little Mermaid and I really get that. This song is just such a fun eerie number as Snowfall expresses her disdain for the holiday and it builds as you see her contempt coming out more and more throughout the song. It's just so deliciously evil.
Seeds of The Past
Yeah, AJ once again has my favorite song. This song perfectly encapsulates the feelings of the past and that we can learn from it and help it to shape us. I think what really helps sell this song is it being a country song as those inherently have a feeling of being from the past and being timeless.
Pinkie's Present
This song is just a ton of fun and fits the Pink Party Pony perfectly. And as I said in the characters section, it shows that gift given can go beyond materialistic value and show that when thought is put into them, they can truly mean a lot.
Luna's Future
This is perhaps my least favorite of the ghosts' songs. It's not bad but I just feel that it's too short. It gets the message across fine and has some great imagery but I think that it's short length makes the song a bit more disposable compared to the other. And for being Luna's first song, I wish that the Princess of the Night had given a bit more time to shine with this song. It's not bad but I do think that it could've done more.
Hearth's Warming Eve Is Here Once Again (Reprise)
And we close with a reprise of the song that opened the episode. This time with Starlight joining in, after hearing the story and being able to enjoy Hearth's Warming for the first time. It's a nice and sweet moment to close out on.
My Final Thoughts
As I said, this is a decent take on A Christmas Carol. Not the best but certainly, not the worst. For an MLP take on the story, I liked it and I'll most likely be returning to it on years to come.
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