{{Infobox television episode | series = [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]] | image = Fixing_barn_waving_S3E08.png | image_size = 280 | image_alt = | caption = The Apple family fix the barn while singing "Raise This Barn". | season = 3 | episode = 8 | writer = Cindy Morrow | director = | music = | editor = | airdate = {{Start date|2012|12|22}} | length = 22 minutes | prev = [[Wonderbolts Academy]] | next = [[Spike at Your Service]] | season_article = My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 3 | episode_list = List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes }} "'''Apple Family Reunion'''" is the eighth episode of the [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic season 3|third season]] of the [[Animated series|animated television series]] ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic]]''. The episode was written by Cindy Morrow. It originally aired on [[Discovery Family#As Hub Network (2010–2014)|The Hub]] on December 22, 2012. In this episode, [[Applejack (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Applejack]] takes over organizing the Apple family reunion from Granny Smith.
== Plot == {{External media |headerimage=[[File:YouTube 2024.svg|alt=YouTube logo|x20px|center]] |video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjQ92RM3RZ0 Apple Family Reunion (full episode)] — Official upload of the episode onto [[YouTube]] | float= left| }} {{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic sidebar}} [[Applejack (My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic)|Applejack]] volunteers to organize the Apple family reunion when Granny Smith expresses concern about handling the massive number of relatives who plan to attend. Determined to create the most memorable reunion in family history, Applejack studies photographs from previous gatherings and plans elaborate versions of traditional activities like quilting, racing, baking, and group photos.
Dozens of Apple family members arrive at Sweet Apple Acres, and Applejack immediately herds them through her meticulously planned activities without giving anyone time to relax or socialize. The seven-legged race becomes an exhausting multi-stage [[obstacle course]], the quilting circle gets disrupted by noisy sewing machines that prevent conversation, and the baking session turns into a rushed assembly line for [[apple fritter]]s. Family members grow increasingly frustrated as Applejack's rigid schedule prevents them from simply enjoying each other's company and catching up.
Noticing that her guests look tired rather than entertained, Applejack decides to escalate the excitement with an unplanned hayride. She kicks a tree to create a spectacular display of rainbow-colored [[fruit bat]]s, but the swarm becomes aggressive when they spot apples in the riders' belongings. The panicked ponies bolt as bats attack the wagon, which careens out of control and crashes directly into the family barn, destroying it.
Devastated, Applejack despairs that she has ruined the entire reunion, but Granny Smith points out that the family actually welcomes the break from her hectic schedule. Applejack remembers they still need the barn for their group photo and she suggests rebuilding it together as their final activity. The Apple family members enthusiastically collaborate on the construction project, finally getting the chance to bond while working toward a common goal and singing a song ("Raise This Barn"). They complete the new barn and take their group picture, and Applejack writes to [[Princess Celestia]] that it does not take much to have a memorable time with ponies you care about.
== Reception == Sherilyn Connelly, the author of ''Ponyville Confidential'', gave the episode a "C" rating.<ref>{{harvp|Connelly|2017|p=80}}</ref> Hillary Busis of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called the design of baby Applejack in the episode "adorable".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://family-room.ew.com/2012/12/21/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-exclusive-video-applejack/|title='My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic': Applejack's family reunion -- EXCLUSIVE|website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|first=Hillary|last=Busis|date=2012-12-21|access-date=2025-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222182713/http://family-room.ew.com/2012/12/21/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-exclusive-video-applejack/|archive-date=2012-12-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> Daniel Alvarez of ''Unleash The Fanboy'' gave the episode a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and called it a "fine episode and probably the best Applejack-centered one." Alvarez praised the song "Raise This Barn" and predicted it would be remembered as a classic.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unleashthefanboy.com:80/news/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-apple-family-reunion-review/38205|title=My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic 'Apple Family Reunion' Review|website=Unleash The Fanboy|first=Daniel|last=Alvarez|date=2012-12-22|access-date=2025-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213152803/http://www.unleashthefanboy.com:80/news/my-little-pony-friendship-is-magic-apple-family-reunion-review/38205|archive-date=2013-12-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In a critical analysis of the episode, author Jen A. Blue positioned "Apple Family Reunion" as a transitional episode that carefully establishes the absence of Applejack's parents through the appearance of paired [[shooting stars]] and their deliberate omission from the reunion, comparing Applejack to [[Batman]] in terms of being an [[orphan]]ed character. Blue analyzed the episode within the context of the show's declining quality following [[Lauren Faust]]'s departure, arguing that "the magic is leaking out of the show—and it's flowing into the [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|fandom]]," and compared Applejack's attempts to force magic into the reunion to the show's own struggles to recapture its original spark. Blue further interpreted the barn's collapse and rebuilding as [[eucatastrophe]], arguing that the episode demonstrates how the show needs to calm down and return to what it does best rather than pursuing experimental directions.<ref name="Blue-S3-AFR">{{cite book |last=Blue |first=Jen A. |title=My Little Po-Mo: Unauthorized Critical Essays on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Season Three and Derivative Works|pages=52–56|date=2016-01-20 |chapter=Now hold on, everypony. We've done our best to improve supply this year. (Apple Family Reunion)}}</ref>
== See also == * [[List of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes|List of ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' episodes]]
== References == {{reflist}}
===Bibliography=== * {{Cite book |last=Connelly |first=Sherilyn |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Ponyville_Confidential/E3VPDgAAQBAJ |title=Ponyville Confidential: The History and Culture of My Little Pony, 1981-2016 |date=2017-04-01 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-6209-1 |language=en}}
== External links == * {{IMDb episode|2479838}}
{{My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes|3|state=expanded}}
[[Category:My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes]] [[Category:2012 American television episodes]] [[Category:2012 Canadian television episodes]]