Mrs. Reg asks if anyone else wants to speak about Cobalt. Stevie says that Carole should because she knew him best (which is honestly quite a mean thing to say in front of Veronica) but Carole is too overcome with emotion and can't do it. She leaves a bouquet of flowers at Cobalt’s tree and glowers at Veronica. That night, The Saddle Club are on a joint phone call (gosh, I remember when this was super innovative technology) and Carole tears down her horse posters and declares that she’s quit riding. Stevie and Lisa are shocked.
At Pine Hollow, Max is teaching a jumping lesson. Sam is reluctant to jump on Pepper, and says it doesn’t feel right to go on acting like nothing has changed. Max tells Sam that it’s fine to sit this one out if he wants to.
Carole asks Lisa and Stevie about the jumping lesson, but they explain they didn’t go out of solidarity with Carole. Stevie and Lisa beg Carole to come back to classes, but she refuses. They say that quitting riding isn’t going to bring Cobalt back, and Carole tearfully says that she already knows this, and that she knows Cobalt wasn't her horse — but it felt like he was.
(I have to interject here. Not to pull my ‘I read the books’ card, but in the books, Carole didn’t have her own horse at the beginning of the series. Part of the reason she was so attached to Cobalt was because she didn’t have Starlight, so it made sense for her to feel like Cobalt was hers and be completely devastated by his death. But the show begins with Carole owning Starlight, so it really doesn’t make sense for her to be this torn up about Cobalt dying. From a writing perspective, this was certainly an odd decision. Why not stick with the books, and have Carole get Starlight halfway through?)
Max is giving Sam a jumping lesson, but Sam keeps pulling Pepper up before he jumps. Max finally seems to realise that Sam needs more than a one-day break from jumping, and tells Sam he should take a rest for the time being, because it isn’t doing him or Pepper any good.
Doctor Judy comes to check on Delilah, and Max explains that she’s been fussy about having her feet picked up lately. Judy tells Max and Mrs. Reg that they shouldn’t worry, and that Delilah’s ‘entitled’ to be feeling fussy. Hmm. Wonder what that could be hinting at? She asks after Carole, and Mrs. Reg explains that Carole hasn’t been back since Cobalt’s memorial, and that she took his death really hard. Judy reveals that Carole quit her work study before Cobalt died, which surprises Max. The three adults reminisce about Carole’s mother, and Mrs. Reg tells Judy not to give up on Carole just yet.
Judy visits Carole at home. She explains that sometimes, keeping an animal alive only prolongs its pain, and the kindest thing to do for Cobalt was to euthanise him. Carole is still in denial. Judy insists that nothing else could have been done for Cobalt, and realises that this isn’t just about Cobalt. She tells Carole that she was becoming a great assistant, and that her mother would’ve been proud of her. Carole says that she doesn’t want to be a vet anymore. Judy accepts this, but tells Carole that if she changes her mind, the door is always open.
Carole tells Lisa and Stevie that she wants them to sell Starlight for her. She doesn't want to see him, so she needs them to sell him for her. Stevie and Lisa are aghast.
Stevie and Lisa are hanging out in the Pine Hollow lounge, and Lisa doesn’t know what to do. Stevie says that she should do what Carole wants — they need to sell Starlight for her. She explains that she has a plan. Stevie and Lisa then go back to Carole’s house and tell her they’ve already found a buyer. And what would you know, but Carole actually knows her: it's Veronica. Carole is horrified, and rushes out of her bedroom.
Carole visits Starlight in his stall, and apologises for not visiting him. She tells Starlight she won’t let Veronica buy him, and she'll find someone nice. She tells Starlight that he doesn't want to be around her, that after her mother’s death and Cobalt’s death, she feels like she’s jinxed. Carole spots Veronica and angrily tells her that she’s not getting Starlight. Veronica’s bewildered, and says she doesn’t want him, but Carole doesn’t believe her. She says she doesn't understand how Veronica could look at another horse, and that it’s her fault Cobalt died. Carole says she’s not going to let Veronica kill Starlight, too. (Which, ouch!)
Veronica starts welling up, and insists she's not getting another horse. The girls end up sitting together in Cobalt’s empty stall, and Veronica breaks down. She explains that her parents wanted to buy her an expensive jumper, but she talked them out of it. Crying, Veronica tells Carole that she’s right, that it’s her fault Cobalt died. She knew that Cobalt didn’t want to do the jumps, but he didn't want to let her down. Carole comforts Veronica. I know I snark on this show a fair bit, but it's a genuinely moving moment.
Mrs. Reg and Sam have a chat, and we finally get to the real reason why Sam’s been nervous about jumping. He feels that it’s his fault Cobalt died because he challenged Veronica to the jump off. Mrs. Reg tells him it’s not his fault, it’s Veronica’s fault for riding recklessly. Now, I would actually argue it’s actually Max’s fault, since he was fully aware she was jumping dangerously and didn’t ban her from riding. I'd also put a fair bit of the blame on Red, because he, an employee of Pine Hollow, was fully aware a jump off was happening with no adult supervision and didn't tell his boss. So in terms of the blame game, I'd put Sam towards the bottom of the list. Nonetheless, Mrs. Reg’s inspirational speech works, and Sam's ready to jump on Pepper again.
Stevie and Lisa are searching for Carole, who they spot walking alongside Veronica. The two girls are consoling each other and walking arm in arm, which shocks them both.
As this is happening, Sam rushes outside and tells Judy that something’s wrong with Delilah, which all the girls overhear. Everyone rushes to Delilah’s stall, and Max is already inside with her. Max explains that ‘they’re both doing fine’ — he reveals that Delilah is having Cobalt’s foal. Mrs. Reg explains that they already knew, but wanted to wait to tell everyone. All of the girls, including Veronica, are excited, and take turns listening to the foal’s heartbeat.
At home, Carole watches the video of her jumping on Starlight that her father took in the last episode. The video then cuts to an older one: Carole’s parents celebrating her birthday with her. Carole’s first instinct is to turn it off, but she keeps watching. As past Carole blows out her candles, her birthday wish is for her mother to not be sick anymore. Carole's dad comes in, and they have a really honest conversation about grief and loss. Carole says that when she thinks of her mother, she can only remember her in the hospital. Her father reminds her of the good memories, before she was sick. She also feels torn about being excited about Delilah’s foal when Cobalt has died. Her dad explains that she doesn’t have to choose; she can feel happy about the foal, and sad that Cobalt's gone. He tells her that feeling happy doesn't mean she didn’t love Cobalt, and that if she chooses to embrace all these feelings, she might feel her mum close by. It's a sweet moment.
At Pine Hollow, Carole gives Veronica a photograph she took of Cobalt. Sadly, the growth in Veronica we previously saw has magically disappeared, and she's back to being her bitchy self. Carole then tells Judy that she’d love to help with Delilah's pregnancy, but this doesn’t mean she will definitely become a vet. It turns out that Carole promised her mum she’d be a vet, and this is why she’s feeling so guilty about not becoming one. Judy tells Carole that she’s certain that all her mother wanted was for her to be happy.
Carole tells Stevie and Lisa that she can’t believe they told her Veronica wanted Starlight, and that she missed them both. The girls all hug.
Overall, I genuinely liked this episode. It's a good example of how a story can model for younger audiences how they can express and process grief in their own lives. I also liked how Carole's dad validated her feelings, that was some A+ parenting there. I know we all talk about Bandit from Bluey being the best TV dad, but IMHO Mitch Hanson deserves to be up there, too.
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