History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E3TheMaudCouple

* InsistentTerminology: Mudbriar. He takes a long time deciding to say either "goodbye" or "see you later" to a shop clerk (since "See you later" implies an event in the near future wherein they would see each other again, and "goodbye" expresses good wishes where parting or at the end of a conversation). He also tells Pinkie that her Party-Planning Cave is actually a cavern, due to the speleothems growing from the ceiling, and later points out that her "olive branch" is actually a quercus.

* MentalWorld: Mudbriar has a "mind palace" where he has all the facets he knows about Maud. Visually, this is shown to the audience à la ''Film/MinorityReport''-type interface, though Pinkie herself cannot see it.

* OppositeDay: Pinkie's inability to get along with Maud's boyfriend makes her wonder if it's Opposite Day and she didn't notice. Then Pinkie imagines the rest of her friends each saying something wildly out-of-character for them.

* BlackComedyBurst: When Limestone gives Pinkie advice on how to accept Mudbriar, using a geode as an example, Pinkie thinks the point of the lesson is to crack open Mudbriar like a rock to understand him better. Limestone quickly informs Pinkie that it is just a metaphor. Credit to Pinkie though, she actually realizes the literal interpretation makes no sense even before Marble explains that its a metaphor.

* SelectiveObliviousness: Pinkie isn't fond of Mudbriar's stoic attitude and mannerisms, ''despite'' her sister Maud's own personality being similar to his. Case in point, when Maud and Mudbriar take out their [[CompanionCube pets]] to play, they marvel at the fun they have together. Pinkie, however, whispers to Maud that Twiggy is just a stick even though Boulder itself is just a rock. When Starlight points this out to her, Pinkie retorts that Boulder has "ten times the personality of some random stick!" Similarly, Pinkie thinks Starlight is joking when she points out that Maud is undeniably awkward and strange just as Mud Briar is.

* ShownTheirWork: From the shape of the leaves, the stick that Pinkie offers Mudbriar ''is'' in fact a ''Quercus'' - though actually a hybrid between ''castaneifolia'', which he guesses, and ''cerris''. In layman's terms, just a twig from a random oak tree.

* SelectiveObliviousness: Pinkie isn't fond of Mudbriar's stoic attitude and mannerisms, ''despite'' her sister Maud's own personality being similar to his. Case in point, when Maud and Mudbriar take out their [[CompanionCube pets]] to play, they marvel at the fun they have together. Pinkie, however, whispers to Maud that Twiggy is just a stick even though Boulder itself is just a rock. When Starlight points this out to her, Pinkie retorts that Boulder has "ten times the personality of some random stick!"

* BlackComedyBurst: When Limestone gives Pinkie advice on how to accept Mudbriar, using a geode as an example, Pinkie thinks the point of the lesson is to crack open Mudbriar like a rock to understand him better. Limestone quickly informs Pinkie that it is just a metaphor.

''Pinkie Pie:'' See? ''[beat]'' Wait, what?!

* DroppingTheBombshell: Maud Pie revealing to Pinkie that the reason she's been so busy lately is that she got a boyfriend. You get the feeling she's been trying to tell her that for a while now, but it isn't easy for Maud to open up, nor is it easy to get a word edgewise with Pinkie Pie.

* FloatingAdviceReminder: After wondering if it's OppositeDay, Pinkie hallucinates the rest of the Mane Six as ghostly floating heads.

* {{Hammerspace}}: Mudbriar producess Twiggy out from his side, despite lacking anything to keep it in.

** Despite her bad attitude, Limestone manages to give Pinkie some healthy advice on how to understand Mudbriar better, explaining Pinkie sees him one way while Maud sees him another, and even if Pinkie never sees him the way Maud does all that matters is that Pinkie understands what he means to Maud.

* ComplexityAddiction: One of the few ways Mudbriar contrasts with Maud. While Maud's words tend to be short and sweet, he can't seem to go one conversation without going off on a lengthy tangent about proper terminology. His "vision board" even reflects this, being an elaborate Mental World to recall something rather simple.

* Complexity Addiction: One of the few ways Mudbriar contrasts with Maud. While Maud's words tend to be short and sweet, he can't seem to go one conversation without going off on a lengthy tangent about proper terminology. His "vision board" even reflects this, being an elaborate Mental World to recall something rather simple.

While making preparations for a surprise party for Maud, Pinkie Pie starts to doubt her bond with her "super-best-sister-friend" when she has trouble getting along with Mudbriar. After some uncomfortable re-introductions, Pinkie learns that Mudbriar is just as interested in sticks as Maud is about rocks, having met him at a rock show. Pinkie cannot get used to Mud Briar's mannerisms and goes to complain to Starlight. Starlight suggests that Pinkie spend some time with Mudbriar to help with Maud's party to get to know him better, since otherwise he and Maud have similar personalities.

Pinkie invites Mudbriar to her party cave, and explains what she know Maud likes such as surprise parties, but Mudbriar counters her, stating that that's something he knows Maud doesn't like. Pinkie, further irritated, takes Mudbriar to where Maud and Starlight are flying kites and asks Maud directly about how she feels about surprise parties. Maud says she likes them, but only because they bring Pinkie so much happiness. Realizing that Mudbriar was right, Pinkie runs off, believing she's no longer Maud's "best sister friends forever". She travels to her family's rock farm to get away from Maud and Mudbriar, and talks to Limestone and Marble about how Maud's been behaving around him. Limestone offers Pinkie a metaphor, that Mudbriar is like a geode -- Pinkie may only see the blandness of Mud Briar's personality, but she should know that Maud likely sees something within him that she likes.

* BrickJoke: Pinkie is introduced to Mud Briar while he is spending time thinking whether to say "Goodbye" or "See you later" to a shop clerk. When Pinkie runs off in frustration after trying to determine if Maud likes surprise parties, Mudbriar spends a few seconds before stating "See you later". (Considering that he took "See you later" as a chance to meet again, this is a bit more heartwarming than sarcastic.)

At the store, Pinkie becomes irritated with a stallion that is taking a rather long time just to decide how to say goodbye to the store clerk. Pinkie manages to get him out of the store, but by then, the clerk's on her own lunch break. Annoyed, Pinkie is then surprised to find Maud outside. Maud apologizes for not being there for Pinkie, but explains that she's got a boyfriend, and introduces Pinkie to Mud Briar, the stallion Pinkie had just met.

While making preparations for a surprise party for Maud, Pinkie Pie starts to doubt her bond with her "super-best-sister-friend" when she has trouble getting along with Mud Briar. After some uncomfortable re-introductions, Pinkie learns that Mud Briar is just as interested in sticks as Maud is about rocks, having met him at a rock show. Pinkie cannot get used to Mud Briar's mannerisms and goes to complain to Starlight. Starlight suggests that Pinkie spend some time with Mud Briar to help with Maud's party to get to know him better, since otherwise he and Maud have similar personalities.

Pinkie invites Mud Briar to her party cave, and explains what she know Maud likes such as surprise parties, but Mud Briar counters her, stating that that's something he knows Maud doesn't like. Pinkie, further irritated, takes Mud Briar to where Maud and Starlight are flying kites and asks Maud directly about how she feels about surprise parties. Maud says she likes them, but only because they bring Pinkie so much happiness. Realizing that Mud Briar was right, Pinkie runs off, believing she's no longer Maud's "best sister friends forever". She travels to her family's rock farm to get away from Maud and Mud Briar, and talks to Limestone and Marble about how Maud's been behaving around him. Limestone offers Pinkie a metaphor, that Mud Briar is like a geode -- Pinkie may only see the blandness of Mud Briar's personality, but she should know that Maud likely sees something within him that she likes.

Inspired, Pinkie returns to Ponyville and makes amends with Mud Briar, and offers to listen to his advice for Maud's party. Later that day, the rest of the town gathers for the party, while Maud, Mud Briar, and Pinkie watch from afar, as Pinkie decided to hold a surprise party that Maud didn't have to be there for, based on Mud Briar's advice. Maud declares it is the best party she's had.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Maud and Mud Briar are so alike it's scary. They both have narrow-minded obsessions with rocks and sticks respectively, they both have a dry sense of humor, and they're both LiteralMinded and have NoSocialSkills.
* BlackComedyBurst: When Limestone gives Pinkie advice on how to accept Mud Briar, using a geode as an example, Pinkie thinks the point of the lesson is to crack open Mud Briar like a rock to understand him better. Limestone quickly informs Pinkie that it is just a metaphor.
* BrickJoke: Pinkie is introduced to Mud Briar while he is spending time thinking whether to say "Goodbye" or "See you later" to a shopclerk. When Pinkie runs off in frustration after trying to determine if Maud likes surprise parties, Mud Briar spends a few seconds before stating "See you later". (Considering that he took "See you later" as a chance to meet again, this is a bit more heartwarming than sarcastic.)
* CallBack: Maud being a stand-up comedian was brought up in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS7E4RockSolidFriendship Rock Solid Friendship]]".
* CompanionCube: Much like how Maud has her pet rock Boulder, Mud Briar has a pet stick named Twiggy.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Mud Briar's impressionable appearance alone foreshadows this isn't the last we've seen of him, especially when Pinkie thoughtlessly shoos him out the door with "See you later" (a farewell that implies they'll see each other again).

* GotMeDoingIt: Mud Briar's habit of [[VerbalTic starting sentences with "Technically..."]] starts to rub off on other ponies.

** Pinkie quickly becomes jealous of Maud's relationship to Mud Briar, not understanding what Maud sees in him or how he seems to know Maud better than her.

** Despite her bad attitude, Limestone manages to give Pinkie some healthy advice on how to understand Mud Briar better, explaining Pinkie sees him one way while Maud sees him another, and even if Pinkie never sees him the way Maud does all that matters is that Pinkie understands what he means to Maud.

* HypocriticalHumor: Pinkie dislikes Mud Briar on the basis he's a strange, monotonous, and unsociable pony with a weird fixation on wood. Never mind the fact Maud is the exact same way, as Starlight points out.
* InstantWristwatch: Upon first meeting Mud Briar and urging him to speed up, Pinkie points to a blue wristwatch that suddenly materialized on her foreleg.

* MeetCute: Maud and Mud Briar apparently met over a display of petrified wood at a rock show.
* MentalWorld: Mud Briar has a "mind palace" where he has all the facets he knows about Maud. Visually, this is shown to the audience à la ''Film/MinorityReport''-type interface, though Pinkie herself cannot see it.

* PromotionToOpeningTitles: This episode debuts a new opening sequence, featuring the Friendship School students from the season premiere and several supporting characters that have appeared through the series.[[note]]In order of appearance: The Wonderbolts (Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly), Cranky Doodle, Matilda, Zecora, Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Trixie, Maud Pie, DJ Pon-3, Ember, Thorax, Sugar Belle, Sassy Saddles, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart.[[/note]]
* SelectiveObliviousness: Pinkie isn't fond of Mud Briar's stoic attitude and mannerisms, ''despite'' her sister Maud's own personality being similar to his. Case in point, when Maud and Mud Briar take out their [[CompanionCube pets]] to play, they marvel at the fun they have together. Pinkie, however, whispers to Maud that Twiggy is just a stick even though Boulder itself is just a rock. When Starlight points this out to her, Pinkie retorts that Boulder has "ten times the personality of some random stick!"

* SidetrackedByTheAnalogy: Limestone tries to make Pinkie understand what Maud sees in her boyfriend by using a geode as an analogy. Pinkie initially thinks she should break Mud Briar open like a rock.

* VisualPun: Mud Briar's cutie mark is a stick standing up in a mud puddle, a ''literal'' "stick in the mud".

At the store, Pinkie becomes irritated with a stallion that is taking a rather long time just to decide how to say goodbye to the store clerk. Pinkie manages to get him out of the store, but by then, the clerk's on her own lunch break. Annoyed, Pinkie is then surprised to find Maud outside. Maud apologizes for not being there for Pinkie, but explains that she's got a boyfriend, and introduces Pinkie to Mudbriar, the stallion Pinkie had just met.

While making preparations for a surprise party for Maud, Pinkie Pie starts to doubt her bond with her "super-best-sister-friend" when she has trouble getting along with Mudbriar. After some uncomfortable re-introductions, Pinkie learns that Mudbriar is just as interested in sticks as Maud is about rocks, having met him at a rock show. Pinkie cannot get used to Mudbriar's mannerisms and goes to complain to Starlight. Starlight suggests that Pinkie spend some time with Mudbriar to help with Maud's party to get to know him better, since otherwise he and Maud have similar personalities.

Pinkie invites Mudbriar to her party cave, and explains what she know Maud likes such as surprise parties, but Mudbriar counters her, stating that that's something he knows Maud doesn't like. Pinkie, further irritated, takes Mudbriar to where Maud and Starlight are flying kites and asks Maud directly about how she feels about surprise parties. Maud says she likes them, but only because they bring Pinkie so much happiness. Realizing that Mudbriar was right, Pinkie runs off, believing she's no longer Maud's "best sister friends forever". She travels to her family's rock farm to get away from Maud and Mudbriar, and talks to Limestone and Marble about how Maud's been behaving around him. Limestone offers Pinkie a metaphor, that Mudbriar is like a geode - Pinkie may only see the blandness of Mudbriar's personality, but she should know that Maud likely sees something within him that she likes.

Inspired, Pinkie returns to Ponyville and makes amends with Mudbriar, and offers to listen to his advice for Maud's party. Later that day, the rest of the town gathers for the party, while Maud, Mudbriar, and Pinkie watch from afar, as Pinkie decided to hold a surprise party that Maud didn't have to be there for, based on Mudbriar's advice. Maud declares it is the best party she's had.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Maud and Mudbriar are so alike it's scary. They both have narrow-minded obsessions with rocks and sticks respectively, they both have a dry sense of humor, and they're both LiteralMinded and have NoSocialSkills.
* BlackComedyBurst: When Limestone gives Pinkie advice on how to accept Mudbriar, using a geode as an example, Pinkie thinks the point of the lesson is to crack open Mudbriar like a rock to understand him better. Limestone quickly informs Pinkie that it is just a metaphor.
* BrickJoke: Pinkie is introduced to Mudbriar while he is spending time thinking whether to say "Goodbye" or "See you later" to a shopclerk. When Pinkie runs off in frustration after trying to determine if Maud likes surprise parties, Mudbriar spends a few seconds before stating "See you later". (Considering that he took "See you later" as a chance to meet again, this is a bit more heartwarming than sarcastic.)

* CompanionCube: Much like how Maud has her pet rock Boulder, Mudbriar has a pet stick named Twiggy.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: Mudbriar's impressionable appearance alone foreshadows this isn't the last we've seen of him, especially when Pinkie thoughtlessly shoos him out the door with "See you later" (a farewell that implies they'll see each other again).

* GotMeDoingIt: Mudbriar's habit of [[VerbalTic starting sentences with "Technically..."]] starts to rub off on other ponies.

** Pinkie quickly becomes jealous of Maud's relationship to Mudbriar, not understanding what Maud sees in him or how he seems to know Maud better than her.

** Despite her bad attitude, Limestone manages to give Pinkie some healthy advice on how to understand Mudbriar better, explaining Pinkie sees him one way while Maud sees him another, and even if Pinkie never sees him the way Maud does all that matters is that Pinkie understands what he means to Maud.

* HypocriticalHumor: Pinkie dislikes Mudbriar on the basis he's a strange, monotonous, and unsociable pony with a weird fixation on wood. Never mind the fact Maud is the exact same way as Starlight points out.

* MeetCute: Maud and Mudbriar apparently met over a display of petrified wood at a rock show.
* MentalWorld: Mudbriar has a "mind palace" where he has all the facets he knows about Maud. Visually, this is shown to the audience ala a ''Film/MinorityReport''-type interface, though Pinkie herself cannot see it.

* SelectiveObliviousness: Pinkie isn't fond of Mudbriar's stoic attitude and mannerisms, ''despite'' her sister Maud's own personality being similar to his. Case in point, when Maud and Mudbriar take out their [[CompanionCube pets]] to play, they marvel at the fun they have together. Pinkie, however, whispers to Maud that Twiggy is just a stick even though Boulder itself is just a rock. When Starlight points this out to her, Pinkie retorts that Boulder has "ten times the personality of some random stick!".

* SidetrackedByTheAnalogy: Limestone tries to make Pinkie understand what Maud sees in her boyfriend by using a geode as an analogy. Pinkie initially thinks she should break Mudbriar open like a rock.

* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: Pinkie Pie travels all the way to [[GrimUpNorth Yakyakistan]] while searching for Maud and makes it back to Ponyville just as quickly. Later, she arrives at her family rock farm, handwaved by mentioning she arrived during the night and woke up there the next day. and leaves to be back in Ponyville just in time to create Maud's party.
* VisualPun: Mudbriar's cutie mark is a stick standing up in a mud puddle, a ''literal'' "stick in the mud".

At the store, Pinkie becomes irritated with a stallion that is taking a rather long time just to decide how to say goodbye to the store clerk. Pinkie manages to get him out of the store, but by then, the clerk's on her own lunch break. Annoying, Pinkie is then surprised to find Maud outside. Maud apologizes for not being there for Pinkie, but explains that she's got a boyfriend, and introduces Pinkie to Mudbriar, the stallion Pinkie had just met. Mudbriar

While making preparations for a surprise party for Maud, Pinkie Pie starts to doubt her bond with her "super-best-sister-friend" when she has trouble getting along with Maud's new boyfriend, Mudbriar. After some uncomfortable re-introductions, Pinkie learns that Mudbriar is just as interested in sticks as Maud is about rocks, having met him at a rock show. Pinkie cannot get used to Mudbriar's mannerisms and goes to complain to Starlight. Starlight suggests that Pinkie spend some time with Mudbriar to help with Maud's party to get to know him better, since otherwise he and Maud have similar personalities.

* AnAesop: If your loved one has a nice boyfriend (or girlfriend) who makes them truly happy, make an effort to get along with them.

* HiddenDepths: Despite her bad attitude, Limestone manages to give Pinkie some healthy advice on how to understand Mudbriar better, explaining Pinkie sees him one way while Maud sees him another, and even if Pinkie never sees him the way Maud does all that matters is that Pinkie understands what he means to Maud.

* PromotionToOpeningTitles: This episode debuts a new opening sequence, featuring the Friendship School students from the season premiere and several supporting characters that have appeared through the series.[[note]]In order of appearance: The Wonderbolts (Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, and Misty Fly), Cranky Doodle, Matilda, Zecora, Cheerilee, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, Lyra Heartstrings, Bon Bon, Maud Pie, DJ Pon-3, Ember, Thorax, Sugar Belle, Sassy Saddles, Princess Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart[[/note]]

While making preparations for a surprise party for Maud, Pinkie Pie starts to doubt her bond with her "super-best-sister-friend" when she has trouble getting along with Maud's new boyfriend, Mudbriar.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Mudbriar's name is revealed to be a single word in the credits, but it's very common to see it rendered as "Mud Briar".

* FloatingAdviceReminder: After wondering if it's OppositeDay, Pinkie hallucinates the rest of the mane six as ghostly floating heads.

** [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Limestone immediately denies being jealous of Maud having a boyfriend as soon as she learns she has one, even when nobody asked her if she was.]]

* SelectiveObliviousness: Pinkie isn't fond of Mudbriar's stoic attitude and mannerisms, ''despite'' her sister Maud's own personality being similar to his. Case in point, when Maud and Mudbriar take out their [[CompanionCube pets]] to play, they marvel at the fun they have together. Pinkie, however, whispers to Maud that Twiggy is just a stick even though Boulder itself is just a rock.

* VisualPun: Mudbriar's cutie mark is a stick standing up in a mud puddle, a ''literal'' "stick-in-the-mud".

* BlackComedy: When Limestone gives Pinkie advice on how to accept Mudbriar, using a geode as an example, Pinkie thinks the point of the lesson is to crack open Mudbriar with a rock to understand him better. Limestone quickly informs Pinkie that it is just a metaphor.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Pinkie gets to experience a Maud like personality minus the "Awesome sister" filter she applies to her. Suffice to say, it drives her as nuts as Maud tends to drive others.