Is Fluttershy suffocating Rainbow there? Her hind Hooves just started kicking back and forth all of a sudden.

Tank smiles with 3 ponies on him crying. Logic.

They kinda went overboard with RD’s emotions.

And there it is, man this is painful.

As usual, ponies gonna be crying at random times, and are just spoiled brats.

@Cerulean  
They pretty much fully committed to it. Literally, if the hibernation part of the script was changed to death, the episode would’ve changed, but not by much. You can apply Rainbow’s behavior throughout the episode and what she learned from it to how she would behave if someone she deeply cared about was slowly dying. The idea is still the same. And, that’s all that counts. In fact, you can say that makes this episode very clever. No character had to die to give us a grieving episode.

This part made me think they really wanted to do an episode about grieving for a dead/dying pet but couldn’t quite commit to it.

@Background Pony #F224  
You guys also gotta remember that Twilight is a very logical pony who also doesn’t mind being alone most of the time. She knows that Tank is just gonna hibernate for a few months and come back. And, she feels that him just being gone for a little while isn’t anything to cry over. She thinks Rainbow can handle it.
 
I’ve noticed that one consistent thing about Twilight’s character is that she doesn’t readily empathize unless she’s caught not doing so as well. And, if she does, she usually doesn’t show it too strongly and tries to comfort somepony in a reassuring way, if it’s a negative feeling.

I wants to snuggle all of them.
 
@Background Pony #75FF  
@Amethyst_Crystal  
What Amethyst said.

@Background Pony #F224  
This. The only time I got a little ticked off by Twilight crying, was when she was crying how much she missed her BBBFF, because I don’t you could still visit him?! I might be a little biased on this though, because my big brother died around 7 years ago, so I just felt like her crying was over-dramatic and unnecessary.

@Background Pony #75FF
 
The latest I remember Twi actually crying of grief was when she thought her beloved mentor had been shot dead.

wow look at rainbows little kicky hooves. That is so fucking cute.

@Background Pony #75FF  
She just doesnt get emotionally involved when ponies are over-reacting (which they’re all doing right there). :P

Wow Twilight. Cold much? We’ll have to keep that in mind the next time you start crying and singing because you don’t know what your responsibilities as a princess are.
 
You’d think she would be a little more sensitive, considering how sensitive her friends were when she lost the tree library. And she got a palace out of that gig!

@Background Pony #0755  
It’s not really cold and more like “Yeah, this is awkward…”  
I would act the same.

Between this and the season 4 premiere Applejack is starting to strike me as a bit cold emotionally.  
In other news look at that little wiggle-kick Rainbow’s hooves do.

@Background Pony #770F  
“You’re supposed to help me keep these whiny weeping willows in line!”

@SaburoDaimando  
Nah, those are more sprinklers.

I dunno if that should be ocular gushers or not coming out of Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy’s eyes.

@Amethyst_Crystal
 
“You’re supposed to be my level headed second-in-command. Don’t start getting soft”

How Awkward.

Yeah, I’m with Applejack in this one.

“Don’t you get sappy on me too, Ms. Stoic Right-Hoof Mare!”

Stuck up.

Oh, have a heart, Twilight! Rainbow’s going through a hard time right now. Her pet’s gonna hibernate, and she failed to prevent that from happening.