I figure I should write a review of “Gone To Seed”.
It was pretty bad. I think the setup is right, but the characterization, plot and moral are all wrong. The first problem is that the episode is extremely repetitive. On their own, I think the episode has enough ideas for maybe seven minutes, but it just keeps repeating the same things but with minor variations. We get it. The Great Seedling is awesome and Apple Bloom wants to capture it. Do something with this instead of repeating it.
My second problem is with the characterization. Applejack and Apple Bloom keep dumping more and more work onto Big Mac. Here’s a thought: instead of trying to catch a creature that will just give you more work to do, why don’t help your poor overworked brother with the work he’s already got. It’s unfair to Big Mac, and irresponsible of Applejack. She should have applied the lesson she learned in “Applebuck Season” about overworking a pony. On top of that, the idea of actually catching it and having crops that are always in bloom goes against everything Applejack has learned about using magic to solve problems.
I don’t often say “Oh f*** you” to this kid’s show, but the moral that you’re never too old to just dump a bunch of work onto someone else so you can goof off, managed to piss me off. It feels like an unintentional middle finger to people with co-workers who do that. And for what? They don’t succeed at catching it, and they never had any problems bonding.
Those things are enough to plant the episode firmly in “bad” territory. If I really feel like overthinking it, then there’s also a lot of missed potential. The blessing of The Great Seedling sounds more like a case of “Be careful what you wish for” than a legitimately useful blessing. The orchard would be overflowing with rotten fruit, the Apples would be overwhelmed trying to keep up with it, and it would drive down the value of their crops.
Instead of regressing Applejack’s character and treating that like a good thing, the episode should have been a coming-of-age story for Apple Bloom. She wastes time and gets in other ponies’ way trying to capture it. Then, when she finally has it in her sights, it gives her a vision about the actual consequences of its gift. Ultimately, she decides to let it go. It turns out the goal was never to catch it, but instead to learn a lesson. It turns out that trying to catch it and having this vision is a rite of passage in the Apple family, symbolizing a transition from wishful thinking to practical thinking.
Overall, it’s boring, repetitive, has a bad moral, and squanders its potential.