History YMMV / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E13HearthsWarmingEve

* SuspiciouslySimilarSong

** And another one of the jingles (used primarily for Princess Platinum) is extremely reminiscent of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUmcMsGPGe0 opening tune]] of nothing less than ''{{Film/Exodus}}''.

* UncannyValley:
** Pinkie shows another one of those [[http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/218/871/pinkeh.png?1324185519 weird smiles]] similar to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's in "May the Best Pet Win!", but mileage varies, especially when one considers her 'about to be brilliant' face adorable.
** [[EldritchAbomination The windigos]] also inhabit the valley. Suddenly cutting from the show's usual style to relatively realistic horses with BlankWhiteEyes and ''no back legs'' is quite jarring.

* {{Narm}}: A possibly intentional case of it (seeing as how the characters were acting in a play) but the cave scene was filled with this.
** NarmCharm: It still manages to grip at a great deal of hearts.

* HilariousInHindsight: Five years later, Disney would also use a [[ShowWithinAShow play within the show]] that tells the story of how different races that were traditionally enemies came together to found a new land where they would all live together in harmony to introduce viewers to the world of ''Disney/{{Zootopia}}''.

* EarWorm: That song at the end was so sweet and heartwarming; how can one not hum along to it.

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[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E13HearthsWarmingEve Return to the main trope page]]
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* AlternateAesopInterpretation: "''Our leaders are idiots and politicians are useless''".
** "''... Al Gore was right, Climate Change will kill us all unless we work together to solve it.''"
** "''...Barack Obama's right, we all got to come together to forge a solution or else everything will only get worse.''"
*** "''[[SpaceWhaleAesop ... and it will accomplish this via the Giant Flying Snow Horses that are attracted to arguing.]]''"
** In addition to their general hostility toward the other pony races, each leader has a flaw that represents a common criticism against government: overly aggressive and war-mongering (Commander Hurricane/Rainbow Dash), aloof, pampered, and out-of-touch with the people (Princess Platinum/Rarity), and incompetent or even idiotic (Chancellor Puddinghead/Pinkie Pie). Is this a simple holiday myth about friendship, or a multifaceted fable about how to maintain harmony, both among individuals and in a greater community?
* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Some fans interpret that the play isn't 100% percent accurate to the history it's depicting. Either because the play was operating under HollywoodHistory in universe or the ponies were [[ThrowItIn ad-libbing]].
** Breaking it all down, [[OriginalFlavor there is the play as is]], [[PragmaticAdaptation what was not possible to depict in the play,]] [[TheThemeParkVersion the contemporary outlook on what happened]], [[{{Bowdlerise}} what might have been taken out for the foals]], [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis what actually happened at the event,]] and whatever filter [[WordOfGod the show writers had on the events]]. Plenty of ways to cut this one up.
*** Another theory is that the characters were the [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Ancestors]] of the Mane Six. One doesn't actually need to be familiar with ''Webcomic/MSPaintAdventures'' to understand what that means but it might help.
*** It might have been made as a LighterAndSofter version of the real events as well, so they wouldn't have to show ponies starving and dying.
*** Also note parallel founding myths in the real world. It doesn't help that the word wendigo, whatever it means in Equestria, in our world describes a being found in certain indigenous North American stories.
** Were the windigos evil spirits intentionally causing the ponies suffering and grief or non-sentient beasts who were merely feeding and their natural way of survival made them a dangerous threat?
*** A couple of fans have interpreted the windigos as ''good'' spirits who were punishing the ponies for fostering such hatred.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic + EarWorm: That song at the end was so sweet and heartwarming; how can one not hum along to it.
** Came off as a ShoutOut to ''WesternAnimation/HowTheGrinchStoleChristmas'' because it sounded like SuspiciouslySimilarSong of the "Welcome Christmas" song the Whos sing when the Grinch has changed his ways.
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* FauxSymbolism: The fiery heart in the sky at the end of the episode could be seen as representing the [[Literature/TheBible Star of Bethlehem]].

* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments: Literally, given the heart-shape to the magical fire that saved the ponies.

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* UncannyValley: Pinkie shows another one of those [[http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/218/871/pinkeh.png?1324185519 weird smiles]] similar to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's in "May the Best Pet Win!", but mileage varies, especially when one considers her 'about to be brilliant' face adorable.

** Breaking it all down, [[OriginalFlavor there is the play as is]], [[PragmaticAdaptation what was not possible to depict in the play,]] [[TheThemeParkVersion the contemporary outlook on what happened]], [[{{Bowdlerise}} what might have been taken out for the foals,]] [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis what actually happened at the event,]] and whatever filter [[WordOfGod the show writers had on the events.]] Plenty of ways to cut this one up.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: While Spike narrates the story of Equestria's origin, the scene is changed from stage to real life.

*** Another theory is that the characters were the [[Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} Ancestors]] of the Mane Six. One doesn't actually need to be familiar with MSPaintAdventures to understand what that means but it might help.

* HarsherInHindsight: After seeing "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E22HurricaneFluttershy Hurricane Fluttershy,]]" one can't help but be amazed the poor pegasus managed to finish the play at all.

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*** "''[[SpaceWhaleAesop ... and it will accomplish this via the Giant Flying Snow Wolves that are attracted to arguing.]]''"

* CompleteMonster: The windigos (if you believe they're fully sapient). They cultivate hatred between the 3 pony tribes and attempt to [[OmnicidalManiac turn the whole world into a frozen wasteland]], freezing all the ponies in ice in the process. Unlike Discord, they're played ''dead serious''.

* AesopAmnesia: Before the pageant with Rainbow Dash and the lesson of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E8TheMysteriousMareDoWell The Mysterious Mare Do Well]]". Applejack's "This isn't the Rainbow Dash show!" is a LampshadeHanging that aseop's brokenness.
** The mane six forgetting the moral of the play that ''they just performed''. Good thing it did not last long.

* AesopAmnesia: At first before the pageant with Rainbow Dash and the lesson of "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E8TheMysteriousMareDoWell The Mysterious Mare Do Well]]".
** [[BrokenAesop ...WHAT lesson?]]
** Applejack's "This isn't the Rainbow Dash show!" is a possible LampshadeHanging
** Not to mention the mane six forgetting the moral of the play that ''they just performed''. Good thing it did not last long.

** "''... and Al Gore was right, Climate Change will kill us all unless we work together to solve it.''"
** "''...and Barack Obama's right, we all got to come together to forge a solution or else everything will only get worse.''"

* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: The writer of this episode was the Merriweather Williams who was the writer for "The Mysterious Mare Do Well," an episode that had gotten an unhappy reception due to its odd writing and negative characterizations. This episode was very well received and is considered Merriweather's redemption as a writer.
** Williams ''had'' written for several other shows before; just that "The Mysterious Mare Do Well" was (as best we know) her first outing with the ponies. While still a great turnaround, it's not as drastic when you consider that she's not an unknown in the industry...especially when you consider that the episodes of previous shows she had written for were fan favorites (You can thank her, Aaron Springer and C.H. Greenblatt for amoung other things that "'''[[WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants CHOCOLATE!]]'''" meme, the fan-favorite episode ''Band Geeks'', and ''Literature/TheUglyBarnacle'').

* LargeHam: Spike slips into this a bit during his narration.
** All 3 pony tribe leaders are equally dramatic; just in different ways.