My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic/Recap/S2/E10 Secret of My Excess: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Secret-of-My-Excess_7322.jpg|frame|[[The Lord of the Rings|It's my birthday, and I wants it.]]]]▼
▲[[File:Secret-of-My-Excess_7322.jpg|frame|[[Lord of the Rings|It's my birthday, and I wants it.]]]]
{{quote|
▲{{quote| '''Spike:''' Hey there, Lickety Split! That's a pretty cool ball you got there! Did you know it's my birthday?}}
Lights dim around the library as Twilight Sparkle prepares for the highly arduous task of... [[What Do You Mean
▲{{quote| Written by M.A. Larson}}
▲Lights dim around the library as Twilight Sparkle prepares for the highly arduous task of... [[What Do You Mean Its Not Awesome|re-shelving her books]]. Her concentration is broken, however, as Spike giggles in anticipation of eating a near-flawless fire ruby for his birthday dinner next week. When Rarity drops by, she spots the gem, and her admiration turns to distress when she learns he plans to eat the precious jewel. Sensing her discomfort, Spike graciously gives it to her instead, and earns a peck on the cheek.
A week later, it's time for Spike's birthday party, and Twilight uses the timely arrival of Pinkie Pie and the others to ''finally'' wash the kiss off his cheek. Spike, celebrating his first birthday in Ponyville, is astonished at the numerous gifts he receives:
{{quote|
[Twilight smiles sheepishly and then hides the gift-wrapped book she was carrying behind her back] }}
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His spirits uplifted, Spike writes his own letter to Princess Celestia:
{{quote|
''Well...'' almost ''anything.'' [Spike turns, revealing he has framed Rarity's last kiss.] }}
----
=== Tropes ([[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* [[Adult Fear]]: When Twilight sees something's wrong with Spike, she's quite clearly scared for him. This continues throughout the episode.
* [[Adults Are Useless]]: Only Zecora really knew what was happening to Spike; the doctors just made him angry. When the Wonderbolts were called in, they were pretty quickly and easily defeated.
* [[Affectionate Nickname]]: Spike is called "Spikey-wikey" by Pinkie Pie, then Rarity.
* [[All Animals Are Dogs]]: When visiting the pony vet, she speaks to Spike like a dog, even giving him a dog treat. It doesn't help that Spike responded like one.
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* [[Anguished Declaration of Love]]: Spike tries to confess his crush to Rarity while both are plummeting to their deaths...
** [[Interrupted Declaration of Love]]: {{spoiler|...but is interrupted halfway through by Rarity herself, as she knew already, and was okay with it!}}
*** {{spoiler|[[The Not
* [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking]]: We have this lovely little quote from Rarity:
{{quote|
* [[Ascended Fridge Horror]]: Up until now this show had been pretty much stepping around the potential issues that could arise from a dragon living in a pony community; this episode addresses them thoroughly.
** [[Subverted Trope|...for about ten minutes, then brushes them aside again.]] The real Fridge here might lie in why everyone in town is so quick to accept Spike again after he caused what might be the only crisis in the show brought about not by outside trickery or a misunderstanding, but willful violence and crime. The fact that this will apparently be [[In the Blood]] for Spike forever and we see more adult dragons in the background than children only makes things worse...
* [[Ash Face]]: Happens to the pony pediatrician when Twilight takes Spike to see him.
* [[Attack Backfire]]: When Pinkie throws a pudding at Spike, he just catches it and adds it to his growing hoard.
* [[Attack of the 50
** The [[Working Title
* [[Baby Talk]]: The doctor and the vet talk baby talk to Spike, much to his annoyance. And then there's the fact that Pinkie and Rarity repeatedly call him Spikey-wikey.
* [[Badass Mustache]]: Applejack gets one made out of leaves after Spike bypasses them with all the apples and leaves.
* [[Behind the Black]]: Spike makes off with pretty much anything not nailed down in Zecora's hut while she and Twilight are talking. Including the cauldron they were looking over seconds ago.
* [[Blah Blah Blah]]: While a kidnapped Rarity endlessly berates him, Spike just rolls his eyes, and motions his hands in the "Blah, blah, blah" manner.
* [[Blessed
* [[Call Back]]: We had some idea how large adult Spike could get from [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** Fluttershy's able to fly [[Chekhov's Skill|almost as fast]] as Rainbow Dash, as seen in [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** The Water Tower used to feed the Ursa Minor in [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** From [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
*** Spike climbs up the same mountain that the dragon lived in.
** In Spike's initial hoard we see: Applejack's trophy from [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** The whole episode actually lends context to the jewel-hoarding dragons we've seen in "Dragonshy" and "Owl's Well that Ends Well."
** In [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** When Zecora shows Twilight the image of Spike's growth on water's surface, she uses the same brightly green powder that she used in "[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
** Rainbow Dash: "You tied YOURSELVES up?!" [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* [[The Cameo]]: As mentioned below, [[Ensemble Darkhorse|Derpy Hooves]].
* [[Captain Obvious]]: "He's...a ''dragon''." [[Sarcasm Mode|Nooo....]]
* [[Chekhov's Gun]]: Spike's enduring crush on Rarity, more specifically, the good feeling he got when giving the Fire Ruby to her.
** Not to mention the actual fire ruby per se, making it a [[Chekhov's Gift]].
** Rarity's torn cape.
* [[Circling Birdies]]: Spike sees stars after Twilight yanks her globe away and makes him fall hard on his face. And every time she has to yank stuff out of his grasp for the rest of the episode.
** Cheerilee also sees stars after her collision with Spike.
* [[Conspicuous CG]]: The thick black line around the Fire Ruby Spike is holding is ''glaringly'' out of place, drawing attention to the fact that the gemstone doesn't share the same shading style as the rest of the show.
* [[Continuity Nod]]: Rainbow Dash's rainbow-striped football from [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* [[Crash Into Hello]]: Spike is devoting so much attention to happily boggling at his cupcake from Mr. and Mrs. Cake that he collides with Cheerilee, which leads to the conversation that gets him thinking greedily.
* [[A Day in
* [[Deadly Upgrade]]: Dragon adulthood grants immense size and power, but at the cost of becoming a greedy, mindless rampaging beast.
* [[Defictionalization]]: [https://web.archive.org/web/20150428055357/http://lilmissvintage.deviantart.com/art/Sapphire-Cupcake-276392843 Did someone say sapphire cupcake?]
* [[Delayed Reaction]]: Rarity has one upon first hearing Spike intends to eat the Fire Ruby.
{{quote|
'''Spike:''' And totally delicious.
'''Twilight:''' Uh, you guys don't mind?
'''Rarity:''' Oh, of course. I just came by to see if you had any books on historical fashion. Did you say "delicious?"
'''Spike:''' Sure did! }}
* [[Eat Dirt Cheap]]: One pony's priceless jewelry is another dragon's delicacy.
* [[Edible Ammunition]]: Pinkie Pie tries to fight off giant Spike with ''cakes''. Too bad they're ineffective and Spike just [[Stealth Pun|takes the cake]].
* [[Efficient Displacement]]: Spike's departure from the library.
* [[Epic Fail]]: Twilight and Applejack try to tie up Spike but end up {{spoiler|tying themselves to a tree before Rainbow Dash can save them}}.
** The Wonderbolts, whose heroic efforts end with them stuck inside the empty water tower.
** Pinkie Pie's cake throwing just fuels Spike's greed even further and empties the bakery even faster.
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* [[Funny Background Event]]: In one shot, Spike is walking in Ponyville with [[Ensemble Darkhorse|Lyra Heartstrings & Bonbon]] talking in the background, then Derpy pops up between them. From the inside of a well.
* [[Gaussian Girl]]: Rarity gets this treatment when she's lusting over the Fire Ruby.
* [[Gift Giving Gaffe]]:
** Rainbow Dash drops a dumbbell on Spike from above. Implication seems to be it's something from her own gym she stuck a bow on.
** Twilight has cluelessly, but with good intentions, given Spike a book every year. When she hears his thrilled reaction to his presents from everypony else and his dismayed remembrance that a book is all he's ever gotten from her, she backs away, embarrassed with what is obviously another gift-wrapped book..
* [[Good Cop, Bad Cop]]: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, respectively, when they try and get Spike to put Rarity down.
{{quote|
'''Fluttershy:''' I- if you wouldn't mind, that is…
'''Rainbow Dash:''' I mean it, dragon boy!
'''Fluttershy:''' We'll be ever so grateful if you'd be so kind as to possibly consider…
'''Rainbow Dash:''' Drop her, scaly! }}
* [[Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress]]: Of the Dramatic variety: Spike and Rarity remain suspended long enough for Rarity to realize who he is. It looks like Spike and Rarity are falling to their deaths until Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy save them.
** This also happens with the water in the water tower, retaining its shape for a moment after Spike takes the tower before flooding the ground below.
* [[Greed]]: Spike's (and every dragon's) problem. Side effects include compulsive hoarding, loss of complete sentences, and very fast, very massive growth.
* [[Grievous Harm
* [[Gross Up Close
* [[Growing Up Sucks]]: Apparently, for a dragon to grow up, they have to give in to their greed.
* [[Heroic BSOD]]: ''Pinkie Pie'' gets one after Spike destroys Sugarcube Corner.
* [[Homage]]: When the rampaging Spike, now immense, gets to Carousel boutique, the bit with him looking in her window and reaching for Rarity is a shot-for-shot homage to ''[[King Kong]]''.
** The same is true for the Wonderbolts diving in like planes and Spike swatting at them.
** His roars bear resemblance to [[Godzilla|another famous giant monster]].
* [[Hulk Speak]]: Spike's articulate vocabulary devolves to "Spike want!" as he gets bigger and out of control. Near the end, he doesn't even use words and is reduced to roaring.
* [[I Meant to Do That]]: Done in pantomime by the Wonderbolts after they're freed from the water tower.
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* [[Kissed Keepsake]]: Spike refuses to wash his cheek after the first time Rarity kisses him. The second time, though, he frames her kiss.
* [[Kitchen Sink Included]]: A [[Visual Pun]], as one can be seen as part of Spike's initial hoard.
* [[Miracle
* [[Mood Whiplash]]: The episode ends with two characters nearly falling to their deaths, with the city destroyed, and a character who we know and love is to blame. What set all of this in motion? A spur-of-the-moment gift from the kind schoolteacher Cheerilee.
** Spike nearly destroys the town, and is rather depressed about it. He gets a kiss on the cheek from Rarity, and then… "Dear Princess Celestia."
* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: Spike doesn't come right out and say it, but the emotion is conveyed by his reaction to seeing Ponyville devastated, and his own giant footprints.
* [[My God, You Are Serious]]: Applejack initially laughs at Twilight's claim that Spike is running rampant…''until she sees it for herself''.
* [[Nice Hat]]: Spike gets a fedora from Cheerilee.
** Let's not beat around the bush: he got a ''pimp hat''.
* [[No Ontological Inertia]]: As soon as Spike remembers he can be generous and how happy it made Rarity, his uncontrolled dragon growth spurt and personality change reverse. Instantly. Leading to the new problem of how high up he and Rarity are with no way down except the [[Gravity Is a Harsh Mistress|cruel pull of gravity]].
* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: A [[Downplayed Trope|minor one]] with Pinkie Pie, with her attempt to assault Spike with cakes only gives him more things to hoard.
* [[One
* [[OOC Is Serious Business]]: Pinkie Pie is completely serious while defending Sugar Cube Corner from Spike. Her [[Heroic BSOD]] afterwards is still played for laughs, though.
* [[Overly Long Tongue]]: How Spike rescues his sapphire cupcake after knocking into Cheerilee.
* [[Paper
* [[Pimped
* [[Playing
* [[Post
* [[POV Cam]]: Several instances from Spike's perspective, including during the [[Flash Back]] mentioned above.
* [[The Power of Love]]: Spike loses most of himself as his greed takes over, kidnapping Rarity in the process. However, when she mentions the Fire Gem was a gift from "[her] dear friend, Spikey-wikey," he is able to remember why he gave it to her in the first place.
* [[Prehensile Tail]]: Spike uses his tail as an extra hand when he's looking for things to hog.
* [[Prop Recycling]]: The objects in Spike's hoard mentioned under [[Call Back]]. It's unlikely that he could have obtained an identical trophy or football from ponies on the street. There's also several other elements seen from earlier episodes [the punch bowl, a scooter that looks very much like Scootaloo's (which he also attempted to take), the [[Kitchen Sink Included|kitchen sink]], and so on.]
* [[Pun
* [[Razor Wings]] : The Wonderbolts
* {{spoiler|[[Relationship Upgrade]]: Spike's crush on Rarity is out in the open, and she really doesn't seem to mind. Not that it was much of a secret in the first place, but this is the first time Rarity seems to return the affection. And he got a ''second'' kiss out of it, natch!}}
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* [[Rule of Symbolism]]: The Fire Ruby forms the shape of a heart when held upside-down, implying that love overcomes greed. Even in Spike's flashback, the stone is held that way.
* [[Rule of Three]]: It takes visits to three practitioners to determine what's wrong with Spike.
* [[
* [[Ship Tease]]: The fans' most popular "fanon" couple got a moment [http://Vanderlyle.deviantart.com/art/Rude-Interuption-273291145 as seen here] before being interrupted by another famous background character. Many fangasms were likely had.
* [[Shout
** The way Twilight magically rearranges her book shelf calls to mind [[The Sword in
*** It's also reminiscent of ''[[Fantasia
** Spike's rampage takes cues from [[Godzilla]], [[King Kong]] and [[The Incredible Hulk]] ([[Hulk Speak|Spike want!]]). The Wonderbolts show up to fight him probably just because, when you have the [[King Kong|giant monster carrying the lady and climbing to a high place]], you [[Stock Parody|just have to]] include the airplanes.
** Spike the dragon capturing Rarity the maiden reminds one of the legend of Perseus and Andromeda, as well as the legend of St. George and the Dragon.
** The hat Cheerilee gives to Spike is similar to [[Michael Jackson]]'s from "Smooth Criminal."
** Spike's monstrous corruption after greedily demanding extra birthday presents is similar to the fall of [[The Lord of the Rings|Smeagol]].
** The scene of {{spoiler|Spike and Rarity in free-fall after he returns to normal size}} bears a resemblance to the climax of ''[[Spirited Away]]'', especially {{spoiler|Rarity's [[Sparkling Stream of Tears]]}}.
*** It also bears a remarkable resemblance to the ending sequence of the computer game [[Toonstruck]]. [http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/705/tsmlpcomparison.png Comparison]. Particularly note the similar color scheme between Spike and Flux Wildly.
* Might be coincidence, but Rarity's mane after Big!Spike roars in her face bears a striking resemblance to [[The
* [[Skewed Priorities]]: Played for laughs when Spike tries to swat the Pegasus ponies with Rarity.
{{quote|
* [[Space Whale Aesop]]: Spike learns that it's better to give than receive… or else he'll get greedy and turn into a giant rampaging monster and destroy the town.
* [[Stock Sound Effects]]: When Twilight backs away sheepishly with yet another book as her gift to Spike, there is actually a sheep baaing sound in the background.
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** She's also got a copy of ''The Art of the To-Do List''... which she sets aside to read again.
** Later on, she locks Spike in a different room, then [[Skewed Priorities|realizes that he'll probably make a mess of the books in there by adding them to his horde.]]
* [[Super
* [[Taking Advantage of Generosity]]: Spike's dragon greed kicks in this way.
* [[Talking Is a Free Action]]: Even though Spike is on the loose and tearing Ponyville apart Rainbow Dash takes her time to thoroughly make fun of Applejack and Twilight Sparkle, who managed to {{spoiler|tie themselves up when chasing Spike with a rope}}. She only snaps out of it after hearing Fluttershy being in danger.
* [[Talking the Monster
* [[Teleport Spam]]: Twilight gets particularly spammy in this episode, most obvious in the scene where she tries to wipe Rarity's kiss mark off Spike's cheek, ''and keeps teleporting Spike to her as he tries to run off''.
** The sequence ends when Pinkie Pie is randomly teleported in instead!
* [[Tentacle Rope]]: Just with a tail.
* [[Visual Pun]]: Spike plans to eat his Fire Ruby. He holds a tuning fork to test its readiness.
* [[Wham! Episode]]: This episode brought a double Wham: First of all, we are revealed that Spike is ''way'' more dangerous and unstable than we could have ever imagined, and second, Spike finally {{spoiler|confesses his secret crush to Rarity, who ''reveals that she already knew, and then accepts it with teary eyes''.}}
* [[Wham! Line]]: A minor example that's a [[Double Subversion]]: {{spoiler|"I've always sorta had a crush—", [[Subversion|which Rarity interrupts]] and replies to with [[Double Subversion|a teary-eyed smile]]. }}
* [[What Do You Mean
** A broom makes a fantastic gift!
* [[What Do You Mean Its Not Symbolic]]: Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash trying to convince Spike to calm down, [[Good Angel, Bad Angel|the sweet and gentle Fluttershy over his right shoulder (angel) and brash, impetuous Dash over his left (devil).]]
** [[Scarface|One of the first things Spike obsesses over is a globe. Which, y'know, represents ''the world'']].
* [[What Have I Become?]]: Spike has this moment right before he changes back.
* [[The Worf Effect]]: The Wonderbolts fail to [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
* [[Working Title]]: [http://www.equestriadaily.com/2012/01/we-ponies-my-little-pony-friendship-is.html Had] [http://mutatingraven.deviantart.com/journal/MLP-216-quot-Read-It-and-Weep-quot-282956344 two]: first "Giving Dangerously", then "Attack of the 50 Foot Dragon".
{{reflist}}
[[Category:My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic (Animation)/Recap]]▼
[[Category:Recap]]
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