Chapter 2: Apple's Princess Practice / Lizzie Shuffles the Deck

Here's a better episode for all the girls involved.

Apple White may be the fairest of them all, but there are more than tiaras and tea parties in the typical day of this busy Royal.

AKA: "Please stop hating one of the two people this franchise is built on when we made her really unlikeable because we want your money."

One of the comments at the source wonders when we will see Apple with her glasses. Yes, in the story books and her diary, she mentions needed glasses, but refuses to wear them because it will ruin her ~perfect image and that's all she tries to be.

Never mind the fact that other people wear glasses, like Rosabella, and they're reasonably cute and stylish. "Glasses make you weird and nerdy, girls!" What another nice message that both the visual and written medium fails to resolve.

Also, contacts don't exist in this world?


We open with Apple going "Oh, what another royally enchanting day!" I bet it is, when everyone loves you.

She asks what she should have for breakfast, and six boys immediately throw apples at her. And by 'throw', I mean gasp and present them to her, not actually throw, which would have been entertaining.

Om nom nom

"Look at Apple's easy life," Says Maddie.
"People doing stuff for her all day," Raven replies. "Must be nice."

Apple skips off.

She stops a horse drawing a carriage from hitting a family of ducks crossing a street, thus preventing this show from getting really violent, really fast.

Vowing not to have this happen in the future, she introduces Ever After to the concept of a Crosswalk.

It is there for a reason.

 Bonus Duchess being unimpressed before clapping.

Also, why isn't Apple talking with perhaps the city council about her plans? 

Back in Hocus Latte, Hunter and Sparrow are fighting over some sugary concoction because the Barista put it down without calling out a name, and Apple just bats her eyes at them, which makes them stop physically fighting each other.

"My work here is done," Wow, what a tough thing.

She's walking by a well when someone has thrown a bucket out - "A little help here?"

In the books, Apple has a slight fear of wells, having fallen down one as a child and was trapped in cold water. Here, she throws a rope down. Later, a paramedic (fairymedic?) compliments her on her first aid skills, which is actually far more helpful than shoving your privilege into everyone's face.

Back in the dorm, she says to Raven that her day was fine, because she does like helping people. When it comes to common-sense solutions and doe eyes, I guess it's easy to enjoy.

She goes outside to...sing in the darkness, before her phone rings with more people who need her help!

"On my way!"

 Briar taught her.

I see what the episode wanted us to feel, and to it's credit it's far better than the previous one with Lizzie.

Apple ends up sinking back into her narrow minded and limited ways until Way Too Wonderland.


Lizzie Shuffles the Deck
(Fun fact; her pet hedgehog is indeed named Shuffle)

Lizzie Hearts™ realizes that following her mother’s wicked advice may not be in the cards for her.

Lizzie is practicing croquet with Briar, Blondie, and Apple. She shows them a move and then commands that they beat the Rebel team, of Kitty, Cedar, Raven, and Maddie.

I sound like a broken record at this point, but the dichotomy...Kitty doesn't have a problem with being the Cheshire Cat, and making messes is kind of what that does, right?

Briar says that they're simply not very good, and Apple encourages Lizzie to give them an encouraging speech...

"Okay. Play, better, or...."

You know the rest.

She ends up screaming at each of them in turn, until Blondie says that it's "not just right - we quit!" because your coach and especially your friends, are not supposed to verbally abuse you. We can't all be patient teachers and it's been stated that "off with your head" is more of an expression of frustration than a legitimate threat but still.

She also knocks Hunter out with an errant hit of a ball.

At lunch time, Lizzie is sitting all alone :( and Briar comes to talk with her.

"You know, if you want to have more friends, maybe you shouldn't be so -"

Then Dexter comes over to borrow the salt - "NO! OFF WITH THE SALT!" and he screams and runs away lmao

"Why do you always have to YELL?"
"My mother says it's the only way to rule your subjects!"

Briar rightfully points out that they're her friends, not her subjects, and then asks when Lizzie talked to her mom. Because, if you didn't read the goddamn books or diaries, you wouldn't know that Wonderland was shut down. Even with the previous garden party episode, it still doesn't outline WHAT happened and why the Wonderlanders are there.

Turns out, Lizzie didn't, she has a daily book of instructions from the Queen of Hearts. Like "Chicken Soup for the Screaming Soul".

Briar says that being Royal doesn't mean ruling exactly how our parents did. "I like to think that the details are up to us." and, shock of shocks, the best girl actually made sense. It's not about how you rule, they just care that you take up the mantle and there's another [insert story tale girl here] for the next generation.

Lizzie has a change of heart and apologizes to Briar, Blondie, and Apple, who are at the field, practicing by themselves. So they probably were good enough to not leave Lizzie in the lurch.

It's a good lesson - treating people like equals and not subsidiaries is good. And even people "below" you need to be treated with respect.