Bunnie the Hare Off

Griffon the Brush Off is the fifth episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, Rapunzel and Sally Acorn bond by playing pranks on the other animals, but when Sally Acorn's old friend, Bunnie the rabbot, shows up for a visit, Rapunzel gets left out. The title is a play on the phrase "given the brush-off", which is an abrupt and rude dismissal.

Production
Comcast's On Demand television guide referred to Bunnie Rabbot as Grizelda when this episode was first scheduled to air. Hubworld's listing of the episode also referred to Bunnie as Grizelda. Grizelda was Bunnie's original name, and was used in an audition script for Sheriff Lonnie.

The Zap2it, Dish Network, and Bright House Networks episode descriptions for the episode are in Spanish. Similarly, the Zap2it and LocateTV  descriptions for the Spanish version(s) of the episode are in English.

The scenes when Sally Acorn and Rapunzel prank their friends, and when Sally Acorn and Bunnie Rabbot first fly together reappears in Deep Tissue Memories.

Opening sequence
The episode starts with Rapunzel and Kairi Sparkle spending time in a park, with Rapunzel enthusiastically relating some story about Sally Acorn's aerial acrobatics to Kairi, who is reading a book and not paying Rapunzel much attention. Rapunzel spots Sally flying up above and calls to her, but Sally tells her "not now". Rapunzel pursues Sally and calls out to her, until Sally slams into a mountainside and slides down next to Rapunzel, who tells her she was going to warn her about it.

Pranking Spike
Rapunzel starts asking around Multiville for the whereabouts of Sally Acorn. Once she finds her, Sally tries to escape, but Rapunzel catches up with her instantly whenever she stops. After several failed hiding spots, Sally gives up and asks what she wants. Rapunzel reveals that she was trying to find her so she could help in playing a prank on Olaf. Using a nearby thundercloud, they wait for the baby snowman to exit the town square pavilion. Once Olaf is out, upon a signal from Rapunzel, Sally kicks the cloud to ignite a thunderous boom, scaring him. The scare causes him to hiccup repeatedly, making him breathe his magic fire at a set of scrolls and transporting them to an unsuspecting Princess Palutena.

The pranking spree
After making sure he is okay, the two commence a pranking spree on the rest of their friends. They use water colors on the apples in some of Sheriff Mulan's apple trees, switch Twilight's pen ink with disappearing ink, and use sneezing powder on Nene Amano. The "victims" are annoyed but still amused by the good-natured practical jokes. At a nearby lake, when Rapunzel learns that Sally sees Spectra Vondergeist as their target for a fake squirting triceratops toy, she immediately stops her. She warns Sally that Fluttershy is too sensitive for even the most harmless of pranks. The two end the day by pranking each other instead.

Gilda
The next day, Rapunzel arrives wearing an arrow head band, a pair of glasses with a red clown nose, a droopy mustache, and a party kazoo near Sally Acorn's cloud-house in the sky, where she meets Bunnie Rabbot, Sally Acorn's old hare friend from Junior Speedster Flight Camp. Rapunzel has prepared another series of pranks for her and Dash to pull. Bunnie reminds Sally about a promised flying session, and Sally excuses herself, promising to hang out with Rapunzel later. Rapunzel accepts this, but as she tries to catch up to the two in the clouds later, Bunnie intercepts her and tells her to buzz off now that she is around to keep Dash company.

"Don't you know how to take "get lost" for an answer?! Dash doesn't need to hang with a dweeb like you now that I'm around. You're dorkin' up the skies, "Stinkie Pie". So make like a bee. BUZZ OFF!"

- Gilda

Rapunzel goes to Kairi Sparkle at the library for advice about Bunnie's mean behavior, but Kairi believes that Rapunzel is simply jealous of Bunnie. The only advice she can give Pinkie is to try to improve her own attitude. Rapunzel is upset at Kairi's refusal to take her side but reflects that maybe Kairi's assessment is true and enjoys a milkshake alone at Corona Sugarcube Corner.

Rapunzel observes Bunnie
Sally Acorn and Bunnie Rabbot show up in town and, not noticing Rapunzel, part ways briefly so Rainbow Dash can attend to some weather jobs. When Rapunzel observes Bunnie scaring Grandmother Fa and stealing an apple from a produce stand, she tries her best to justify the situation. The last straw falls when the griffon roars at and drives to tears a well-meaning Spectra, who was guiding a family of ducks. Spectra flies away and passes two animals on the way making strange faces, which an animator on the show described as a "derpy-sorta look". Tired of the bird-lion's mean streak, Pinkie Pie vows to fix the problem "Rapunzel-style."

The welcome party
This entails throwing a welcoming party at Corona Sugarcube Corner in Bunnie's honor. At the party, the griffon is greeted by Rapunzel's joy buzzer handshake. Bunnie warns Rapunzel that she knows what the pony is up to, but the latter simply brushes it aside and officially starts the party by having everyone in the party welcome Bunnie. After the party starts, Bunnie falls for most of the pranks set up for the party, to which she hides her growing irritation from the other animals, including Sal.

The griffon strongly suspects that Rapunzel was the mastermind behind the party pranks. The pink monkey then preps the hare for "Pin the Tail on the Donkey". As she guides the guest of honor to the picture, Bunnie suspects this is yet another prank and goes the other direction, resulting in slipping over a fallen piece of cake and having the 'tail on the other end'.

Bunnie finally loses her temper, calling all the attendees at the party "dweebs" and proclaiming Rapunzel as "Queen Lame-o" for setting up all the pranks. She then attempts to bail the party with Sal at her side, but Sally Acorn doesn't move after seeing Bunnie's true nature. To everyone's surprise, Rainbow Dash reveals that she is the one who set up all the pranks (not all meant for Bunnie). Contrary to the rabbit's view of the party as a way to get back at her, Rapunzel reveals that it was meant to improve the hare's sour attitude. Disappointed over her old friend's mean behavior towards her new friends, Dash tells Bunnie to go find some "new cool friends someplace else" if being cool is all she cares about. Rather than apologize for her behavior and having no proper response to this, Bunnie calls Dash a 'flip-flop' and storms out, slamming the door behind her. Sally Acorn then apologizes to the party attendees for Bunnie's behavior, and she and Rapunzel make up with a joy buzzer handshake.

Kairi Sparkle apologizes to Rapunzel for accusing her of misjudging Gilda, and learns that, rather than try to influence who your friends spend time with, you yourself should try to be a good friend, and trust that the true face of a false friend will eventually be revealed through their behavior. While sending her report at the end of the episode, Kairi plays a prank of her own by tricking Princess Palutena into trying to write with disappearing ink.

Quotes

 * Rapunzel: Sally Acorn.
 * Sally Acorn: Not now, Rapunzel.
 * Rapunzel: But, but Sally Acorn–
 * Sally Acorn: I'm in the middle of something.
 * Rapunzel: But–
 * Sally Acorn: I said not now--[grunt] [hits a mountain]
 * 'Rapunzel: I was gonna tell you to look out for that mountain.
 * Sally Acorn: (groans)


 * Rapunzel: Is someone over there? Who are we gonna squirt? Who are we gonna squirt?
 * Sally Acorn: Spectra...
 * Rapunzel: WHAT?! Nonononono! We can't prank Spectra; I mean, she's so sensitive! It'll hurt her feelings; even our most harmless prank...
 * Sally Acorn: Yeah, you're right. Huh, we need another victim who's made of tougher stuff. So, who's it gonna be?
 * Rapunzel: Oh, I've got someone in mind. The toughest around.
 * Sally Acorn: Oh, awesome! Who, who? Do I know them?
 * Rapunzel: Oh yes, you're very close.
 * Sally Acorn: Good one, Rapunzel.


 * Sally Acorn: Rapunzel, this is my hare friend, Bunnie Rabbot.
 * Rapunzel: What's a hare?
 * Sally Acorn: She's half-rabbit, half-robot...
 * Bunnie Rabbot: And all awesome!


 * Sally Acorn: Hey, remember the chant?
 * Bunnie Rabbot: Yeah... They made us recite it every morning. I'll never get that lame thing out of my head.
 * Sally Acorn: Soooo...?
 * Bunnie Rabbot: Only for you, Sal...


 * Bunnie Rabbot: So, Sal, ya got new moves in your Tricktionary, or are you 100% old school?


 * Rapunzel: Hi! It's later! And I caught up!


 * Rapunzel: Maybe Kairi is right. Maybe Bunnie isn't a big meanie grumpy mean-meanie-pants. Maybe I'm just a big jealous judgmental jealous-jealousy-pants.


 * Rapunzel: Don't you worry your pretty little head about mean old Bunnie! Your auntie Rapunzel has it all taken care of!
 * Spectra Vondergeist: I'm a year older than you.


 * Bunnie Rabbot: I know what you're up to.
 * Rapunzel: Great!
 * Bunnie Rabbot: I know what you're planning.
 * Rapunzel: Well I hope so! This wasn't supposed to be a surprise party.
 * Bunnie Rabbot: I mean, I got my eye on you.
 * Rapunzel: And I got my eye on you!


 * Bunnie Rabbot: Hey. I'm watching you... like a rabies.
 * Rapunzel: Why? Can't you watch me like a hare?


 * Bunnie Rabbot: This.. is your idea of a good time?! I've never met a lamer bunch of dweebs in all my life! And Rapunzel... YOU! You are "Queen Lame-o" with your weak little party pranks! Did you really think you could make me lose my cool? Well, Sal and I have ten times as much cool as the rest of you put together! Come on, Sal. We're bailing on this pathetic scheme... Come on, Sally Acorn, I said we're leaving!
 * Sally Acorn: You know, Bunnie? I was the one who set up all those "weak pranks" at this party...
 * Bunnie Rabbot : ...What?!
 * Rapunzel: Ooh...
 * Sally Acorn: So I guess I'm "Queen Lame-o"...


 * Sally Acorn: You know, this is not how I thought my old friend would treat my new friends. If "being cool" is all you care about, then maybe you should find some "new cool friends" someplace else.
 * Gilda: Yeah? Well... You... You... You are such a-a-a "Flip-Flop"! Cool one minute, and lame the next. When you decide not to be lame anymore, give me a call...
 * Sally Acorn: Not cool.