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A Canterlot Wedding

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"A Canterlot Wedding"
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic episodes
Pinkie Pie (back) staring forwards angrily as she fights the Changelings by using Twilight Sparkle (front) as a "gun" by waving her tail quickly to make her shoot beams of pink magic. The two are surrounded by clouds of dust representing other ponies and changelings fighting.
Pinkie Pie (back) fighting the Changelings by using Twilight Sparkle (front) as a "gun"
Episode nos.Season 2
Episodes 25 and 26
Directed byJames Wootton
Written byMeghan McCarthy
Produced by
  • Sarah Wall
  • Lauren Faust (consulting)
  • Chris Bartleman (executive)
  • Stephen Davis (executive)
  • Kirsten Newlands (executive)
  • Blair Peters (executive)
Featured music
  • Songs by Daniel Ingram:
  • "B.B.B.F.F."
  • "This Day Aria"
  • "Love is in Bloom"
Editing by
Original air dateApril 21, 2012 (2012-04-21)
Running time44 minutes (combined)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"The Crystal Empire - Part 1"
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (season 2)
List of episodes

"A Canterlot Wedding" is the name for the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth episodes of the second season of the animated television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, as well as the fifty-first and fifty-second overall. The episodes were directed by James Wootton and written by Meghan McCarthy. "A Canterlot Wedding" premiered on The Hub on April 21, 2012, as an hour-long event. Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) learns her brother Shining Armor (Andrew Francis) will be marrying her foalsitter Princess Cadance (Britt McKillip). The news excites Twilight; she becomes concerned about the marriage, however, when she notices Cadance is not behaving like the friendly, caring individual she remembered her to be.

"A Canterlot Wedding" was the last time series developer Lauren Faust had any involvement in the show. She was involved in the inception of the story and helped develop the villain Queen Chrysalis. The episodes are a direct reference to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. They deal with themes that have been considered serious and complex for a children's television series. Additionally, the episodes have been subject to feminist analysis.

Before the premiere of "A Canterlot Wedding", The Hub began a major marketing campaign. This included interactive content on the network's website, promotional events, and a print advertisement in The New York Times in the form of a ceremonial wedding announcement. The episodes' debuts attracted almost one million combined viewers. Critics praised the episodes' ambition, music, and visual sequences.

Plot[]

Part one[]

Twilight Sparkle is surprised to learn her older brother and Captain of the Royal Guard Shining Armor is to be married. Princess Celestia has requested Twilight and her friends from Ponyville to help organize the ceremony. Twilight is resentful; she considered Shining Armor as her "Big Brother Best Friend Forever" ("B.B.B.F.F") but had only learned of the marriage at this late date. She also is displeased that he sent a letter rather than visiting. Twilight and her friends arrive in Canterlot. They are surprised to find security has been increased; a magic shield-shell cast by Shining Armor protects the entire city from an unknown threat.

Twilight berates her brother for not informing her sooner and only sending a letter; he apologizes and asks Twilight to be his "best mare". Shining Armor reveals he is marrying her "foalsitter" Princess Cadance, cheering Twilight up further. When Twilight meets Cadance, however, she finds her to be cold and distant with no memory of a special rhyme they had shared when Twilight was young. As Twilight observes the preparations for the ceremony, she further doubts Cadance's purpose; the latter criticizes every aspect her friends are planning. Twilight's friends dismiss her claims as pressure from the ceremony mounts. Twilight approaches Shining Armor with her concerns. However, Cadance interrupts and takes him aside; she casts a spell upon him that she says will help him deal with the migraines caused by the casting of the shield spell around the city. Twilight thinks Cadance is evil.

During the wedding rehearsal the next day, Twilight barges in and decries Cadance as evil. Shining Armor is furious with Twilight and explains the apparent reasons for Cadance's behavior. He, Celestia and her friends refuse to believe her claims and leave her alone with Cadance. When Twilight tries to apologize to her, Cadance casts a spell around Twilight that transports her beneath Canterlot.

Part two[]

Twilight is in the long-forgotten crystal caves beneath Canterlot. An image of Cadance taunts her, saying the marriage will continue without Twilight's interference. Using her magic to shatter a crystal wall, she finds another Cadance, who is disheveled and battered. Twilight attacks her but she proves to be the real Cadance by reciting the shared rhyme from their youth. She explains she was abducted by an imposter in the castle who wants to marry Shining Armor. The two escape from the caves and try to stop the wedding. Meanwhile, the fake Cadance secretly plots against Shining Armor and the others.

Just before the ceremony is completed, Twilight and the real Cadance arrive to expose the deception. Enraged, the fake Cadance reveals her true image is Queen Chrysalis,[a] ruler of the shape-shifting, insect-like Changelings who feed on love. She has been usurping Shining Armor's power, weakening the shield to allow her Changeling army to invade Canterlot and take over Equestria. Celestia attempts to stop Chrysalis but is overpowered. The former implores Twilight and her friends to recover the Elements of Harmony to stop the Changelings. They fight their way through a group of them and go to the Elements' vault but are soon outnumbered and returned to Chrysalis as her captives. With no further resistance, Chrysalis gloats that everyone has been too caught up in the wedding to realize Twilight was correct. Twilight uses the distraction to free Cadance so she may be with Shining Armor. Cadance's magic and love break the spell on Shining Armor and he recasts the shield, expelling Chrysalis and her army from Canterlot.

Princess Celestia commends Twilight for her instincts and conviction that saved the day. The real wedding goes on as planned; Twilight, who becomes best mare again, eagerly oversees preparations for a much happier and appreciative Cadance. After the latter and Shining Armor are married, a celebration with Twilight as the wedding singer ensues.

Production[]

Prince William (right in red) and Catherine Middleton (left in wedding dress) smiling at each other with a child atop a balcony during their wedding
"A Canterlot Wedding" directly references the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton that occurred a year before the episodes' airing.

"A Canterlot Wedding" was series developer Lauren Faust's final involvement with the show.[4][5] Faust had served as executive producer during season one, and consulting producer during season two. She did significant work on the inception of the story.[6][7] Series musician Daniel Ingram wrote three songs for the episodes. He wanted to make "This Day Aria", a duet sung by Princess Cadance and Queen Chrysalis, darker and more emotional than previous work he had done for the show.[8] The episodes are a direct reference to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[9]

Faust, writer Meghan McCarthy, and story editor Rob Renzetti developed Queen Chrysalis.[10] Rebecca Dart from DHX Media designed the character. The character was envisioned as damp, hunched over, weak, and rotten-looking; and "like she crawled out from under a log".[11] Hasbro, however, found her design non-intimidating; Dart reared her upwards and made her more upright, making her appear more commanding. Due to the intended likeness to a bug, holes are abundant in Chrysalis's design. Her decaying aspects are deliberate contrasts to Princess Celestia and Cadance's vigor.[11] The latter and Shining Armor are intended to display strength, honor, and fearlessness.[12] Faust stated she was surprised when seeing Cadance as a winged unicorn, a decision made after she left the show.[7]

Promotion[]

In the lead-up to its premiere, The Hub heavily promoted the episodes through a "Royal Wedding" advertising campaign. This included a microsite with games and digital content themed around the episode, previews of the episode posted on social media including The Hub's pages on Twitter and Facebook).[13] An advertisement was placed in The New York Times' wedding section on April 13, 2012, formally announcing the marriage of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor. McCarthy said the ad was placed because the series wanted to "justify something big and crazy and exciting".[14] Actor and wedding aficionado Tori Spelling also appeared at promotional events for "A Canterlot Wedding", and in segments aired on The Hub during the episodes. Though she was scheduled to host a "bridle shower" event in Culver City the week before the episodes' airing, Spelling canceled due to pregnancy sicknesses; television personality Brooke Burke took her place.[13][15]

Themes[]

The episodes' themes have been described as serious and complex for a children's television series. New York Daily News' David Hinckley compared the plot twist to those of science fiction television series Fringe.[16] Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club highlighted sincerity, hope, growing up, and the "power of love" as primary themes of the episodes. She stated Twilight's anger at Shining Armor for not informing her about his wedding sooner is "a great example" of the way children, while working towards their futures as adults, cannot completely understand their elders' activities.[17] VanDerWerff also believed the episodes recognize the concept of growing up might be frightening and lonely; and that making and keeping friends may be difficult.[17]

The episodes have also been subject to feminist analysis. In a chapter of Orienting Feminism, Kevin Fletcher said the episodes both exemplify and resist the "princess stereotype". He suggested that "A Canterlot Wedding" undermines the typical fairy-tale wedding by focusing on Twilight and her friends rather than the royal couple. He likened Chrysalis's retrogression to evil Disney queens and noted "matriarchal societies are often modelled on termites in science fiction ... [that] contribute to the function of 'A Canterlot Wedding' as a retrogressive text".[18] Fletcher said the reprise of "This Day Aria", in which Chrysalis celebrates her victory and "hav[ing] it all", relates to post-feminism.[18] A study by Christian Valiente and Xeno Rasmusson found the episodes challenge gender stereotypes. Females drive the action and dialogue, while males are incompetent or under their control. Females are also in positions of authority, and primary and active roles.[19]

Broadcast and reception[]

Ratings[]

Both parts of "A Canterlot Wedding" premiered on The Hub in the United States on April 21, 2012; the episodes aired in an hour-long special presentation hosted by Spelling.[13] Several sources noted their broadcast was close to the first anniversary of the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[9][16][20] The episodes became rating successes. The first part was the highest-rated telecast among children ages 6–11 and 2–11, and households, as well as the second-highest among persons aged 2+. It received a viewership of 483,000, and triple-digit and quadruple-digit year-to-year delivery gains.[21] The second part became The Hub's second-highest-rated telecast among children aged 6–11 and households, and the third-highest-rated among children aged 2–11. It was viewed by 475,000 people aged 2+ and double-digit and triple-digit year-to-year delivery gains.[21] The Hub, driven by the performance of "A Canterlot Wedding", earned its second-best Saturday rating in the network's history; an average of 184,000 viewers in 129,000 households watched the channel between 6 am and 12 am.[21]

Responses[]

The episodes received positive reviews. VanDerWerff gave "A Canterlot Wedding" an "A-" rating, considering it to be one of the reasons she felt Friendship Is Magic was one of the best children's programs.[17] Other critics called it heartwarming, "surprisingly complex", and "biggest, most expensive, action-packed ... episode ever".[16][22] Hinckley and Entertainment Weekly writer Hillary Busis commended the ambition, complexity, captivation, and enjoyability, believing they would appeal to all audiences.[16][14] The Friendship Is Magic fandom initially chastised Cadance for being a "pretty pink alicorn princess", which was contrary to their desires; according to Shaun Scotellaro, founder of fan site Equestria Daily, the fandom enjoyed the episode and it was perfect.[23]

The music garnered critical praise as well. It has been called "one of the best things about this show" and "just breathtaking".[17][22] Reviewers often singled out "This Day Aria" for particular acclaim. For example, VanDerWerff favorably compared it to the Disney villain songs;[17] similarly, Sherilyn Connelly of SF Weekly considered it to be showstopping and approvingly likened it to "La Resistance" from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and "Walk Through the Fire" from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.[22]

The visual sequences were sources of praise. VanDerWerff complimented how "the bright colors and beautiful backgrounds contrast nicely with the more simplistic Flash animation that drives the program".[17] Multiple writers enjoyed the fight between the ponies and the Changelings: Connelly found it thrilling, especially Pinkie Pie's usage of Twilight as a gun,[22] and VanDerWerff considered it to be vibrant and pleasurable. Other sequences singled out by critics include the "bouncy and fun, filled with real joy and heart" wedding;[17] the climax where Cadance and Shining Armour defeat the Changelings that "gets [Connelly] gooey inside every time"; and the scene where Cadance transports Twilight to the caves, described by the latter critic as "the most disturbing the show has yet produced".[24]

Home media release[]

On August 7, 2012, Shout! Factory released a DVD compilation, titled "Royal Pony Wedding", containing both parts of "A Canterlot Wedding".[25] They were also released as part of the Season 2 DVD box set.[26]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Queen Chrysalis is not named this in the episode and only referred to as "Queen of the Changelings", but official media since the broadcast, such as the first four issues of the comic book series, used this name.[2] She is later referred to by this name in season 5 episode "The Cutie Re-Mark – Part 1".[3]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Thiessen, Jayson [@goldenrusset] (April 22, 2012). "For All Those Still Wondering, Britt Mckillip Voiced Princess Cadance and Kathleen Barr Voiced Queen Chrysalis" (Tweet). Retrieved May 1, 2012 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Cook, Katie (May 15, 2013). Curnow, Bobby (ed.). My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic – Volume 1. IDW Publishing. ISBN 978-1-613-77605-6.
  3. ^ "The Cutie Re-Mark – Part 1". My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Season 5. Episode 25. November 28, 2015. Discovery Family.
  4. ^ Faust, Lauren (May 2, 2012). "Yes, Season 3 Is Free of My Input. I'm Very Sad about It". DeviantArt. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Fletcher 2018, p. 27.
  6. ^ Faust, Lauren (May 8, 2011). "Thank You!!!". DeviantArt. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  7. ^ a b Faust, Lauren (February 13, 2012). "I Was Very Involved in the Inception of the Story, but I Was Surprised When I Saw She Is an Alicorn. I Don't Know Who Made That Decision, but It Was After I Was No Long Working on the Show". DeviantArt. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Burlingame, Russ (March 1, 2013). "My Little Pony's Emmy-Winning Daniel Ingram on Scoring for Kids of All Ages". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  9. ^ a b Busis, Hillary (February 14, 2013). "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Homages to Star Wars, Bond, More". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  10. ^ Faust, Lauren (May 3, 2012). "Actually, Meghan, Rob and I Came Up with Chrysalis Together. I Understand That You're Trying to Inform People, but Please be Careful about What Is Factual vs. What You Are Guessing". DeviantArt. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Begin 2015, p. 100.
  12. ^ Begin 2015, p. 85.
  13. ^ a b c "Celebrate the Wedding of the Year with Special Two-Part My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic on The Hub" (Press release). Los Angeles, CA: Discovery, Inc. March 28, 2012. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012 – via TV by the Numbers.
  14. ^ a b Busis, Hilary (April 13, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Exclusive: A Royal Wedding Invitation". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 20, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  15. ^ Bryan, Stephan (April 16, 2012). "Dancing with the Stars Co-Host Brooke Burke Celebrates the 'My Little Pony Royal Wedding'". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on April 26, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d Hinckley, David (April 20, 2012). "Hub's My Little Pony Trots along with a Heartwarming Royal Wedding Tale". Daily News. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g VanDerWerff, Emily (April 21, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - 'Royal Wedding'". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on November 3, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Fletcher 2018, p. 30.
  19. ^ Valiente & Rasmusson 2015, p. 94.
  20. ^ Profis, Michelle (April 29, 2012). "Royal Wedding Anniversary -- How It Influenced Pop Culture". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  21. ^ a b c "Hub TV Network Scores Record High Audience with Outstanding Performance of Special Royal Wedding of the Year on My Little Pony Friendship is Magic" (Press release). Los Angeles: Hasbro. April 24, 2012. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  22. ^ a b c d Connelly, Sherilyn (August 15, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Season 2 Finale and Wrap Up". SF Weekly. p. 1. Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  23. ^ Busis, Hillary (January 31, 2013). "My Little Pony: Fan Fury over Princess Twilight". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Connelly, Sherilyn (August 8, 2012). "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Season 2, Episodes 24 & 25". SF Weekly. p. 2. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  25. ^ "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Royal Pony Wedding". Shout! Factory. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  26. ^ "My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic: Season Two". Shout! Factory. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.

Works cited[]

External links[]

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