Okay just got and watched the trailer for that brony documentary. and...

It..looks..glorious!

Can't wait for it to be done (They are doe with editing, and are just working on the BGM now. )

I don't mind AJ being an orphan either. My only gripe with the concept as a whole is that people often use it as an excuse to insert a bunch of angst when in canon the characters are perfectly well-adjusted. And that's not really an issue with the show itself.

edited 19th Dec '12 12:26:31 PM by JapaneseTeeth

Applelight: If they aren't dead, they'll come off as really irresponsible, which seems more sad to me.

And yeah, maybe they're alive, but I'm going to assume what's most likely.

I actually like angst, but yeah, it can be overdone. Still, there are perfectly well adjusted orphans.

Yeah.

I'm actually imagining some sort of Gunnerkrigg Court scenario where AJ's parents just left with no explanation whatsoever. Then they come back, and the Apple family has to deal with their conflicting feelings about it. On the one hoof, they missed the parents, but on the other hoof, they're pissed at the abandonment.

But it's one of those plots that would take so long to resolve, it would probably be better suited to fanfiction than to an actual episode.

If anything, it would seem as though Parental Abandonment made Applejack a stronger person, instead of being all wangsty and stuff.

I guess you kind of have to be, if you're saddled with the responsibility of taking care of the family in their stead.

Could lead to an interesting bit of Calling the Old Man Out... I'd say that might be too dark for this show, but hey, if they're gonna go for Parental Abandonment...

Bonus points: Have it from Big Mac(Who being the oldest probably owuld have been hit the hardest). Think of how much you could say in so few words.

"No. Leave. Now"

@Kyler: That's pretty much what my headcanon is. Their parents are dead, but they've long since come to terms with it (except for maybe Apple Bloom, who'd be too young to remember them well and as a result isn't as affected), and if anything it's part of the reason that Big Macintosh and Applejack are both so hard-working.

I don't see AJ angsting at all.

Neither do I. It's a little hard to imagine.

A Js way too strong for angst.

I still think her parents are traveling for whatever reason. Maybe they're discovering new apple recipes. Maybe they're battling the forces of evil.

@Keg: Yeah, that's a cool idea, but I think it's way too dark for the show to handle that way. People would probably take issue to the show using "If your parents suck, disown them" as a message. I'm not saying that there isn't a place for that sort of message (there are definitely people out there who are better off without their deadbeat parents), but I don't think that this show is the place for it, mainly because it's an issue that a kid in the age of the target audience isn't going to find relevant. Anyone young enough to be in the age range the messages are aimed at is going to be to young to be dealing with that sort of thing.

If anything, I think the best message to go with would be "not all families fit the mom/dad/children pattern, and that's okay". Of course, it would be odd to do that now, given that Family Appreciation Day already established that Apple Bloom isn't really bothered by a lack of parents.

I like the idea, but I've always found it really hard to reconcile with the show. The Apple Family is really tightly knit, and it feels really weird that none of them would have mentioned that. Just an off-the-cuff "when Mom and Pop drop in, yadda yadda yadda", or in SSCS 6 K a "what would mom and dad think about you bettin' the farm?" or something. It's hit the point that their absence is kinda conspicuous.

edited 19th Dec '12 1:13:05 PM by JapaneseTeeth

IMO, AJ angsting is just her becoming distant and bottling everything up, which is what we saw her doing in The Last Roundup.

I dunno if I'd even call that angst. She's not really sad or anything, just kinda mad at herself and being ashamed for not being able to hold up her end of the bargain.

@JT: Oh, agreed. I mean granted I was actually considering that as a way to start the conflict - they could make up in the end - but it's still waaaaaaay to dark. I was just doing some 'what if' thinking.

Aj is capable of some angst, as we've seen in Last Roundup, but I don't really think she'd angst over something that's not her fault directly.

Honestly, I don't think the episode is actually going to address it.

On the other hand, dead parents would make AJ the pony Batman. Which would be awesome.

@JT Her breakdown at the end of the episode suggests otherwise, though. Not to mention that blaming yourself for something is a very common form of angst to begin with.

edited 19th Dec '12 1:18:33 PM by PerpetualLurker

AJ's parents went Madoka, explaining why nopony ever even thinks about or mentions them.

Hello everypony, I'm back from school and chores. Maybe I'll try recording a song cover tonight, like that September cover redo I've been meaning to do since forever >_>

Hey Sixth!

Hola Apple

@Perpetual: True, but she got over it fairly quickly. I wouldn't really consider it angst unless she dwells on it for far longer than it actually merits.

:D

And then Soarin' was sued.

-Slumps back in from training- Ugh, just 2 more days.

Soarin, you got a lawsuit on your hooves.