S06E10: The Saddle Row Review

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Re: S06E09: The Saddle Row Review

Postby Soft Snow (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 3:40 am

I wanna say I like the decision they made to change the hoof-quote with Rarity. If I can remember correctly, the last time they did hoof-quotes was with Applejack where she just moved the tips of her hooves like fingers in a mitten. Looked weird. This one is much better, in my opinion.
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Postby Ragnar (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 3:53 pm

Why is there a dance club with exactly three people in it.
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Postby Sidotsy (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 3:54 pm

Ragnar wrote:Why is there a dance club with exactly three people in it.

Eventually they had five people, but it WAS in the middle of the day.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 9:52 pm

It was extremely exclusive, you plebian. :snobtavia:
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 10:21 pm

Soft Snow wrote:I wanna say I like the decision they made to change the hoof-quote with Rarity. If I can remember correctly, the last time they did hoof-quotes was with Applejack where she just moved the tips of her hooves like fingers in a mitten. Looked weird. This one is much better, in my opinion.
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I don't remember that case with Applejack. What episode was that?
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Postby SlateSlabrock (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 10:41 pm

Dunno about Applejack, but Harshwhinny did 'em:

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Postby PonyHag714 (?) » Wed May 25, 2016 11:01 pm

And very professionally too. Image

I had actually forgotten about that scene until I saw it here. So much for my reputation as an expert on all things Harsh Image
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Postby Daring Do (?) » Thu May 26, 2016 12:50 am

Daring Do wrote:Oh, okay then.

So, did anyone notice Mr. Waddle in the background at one point? (I didn't; I only saw someone mention it in the EQD comments). I guess he's paying a visit to 815.


I wanted so badly for someone to get that.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Thu May 26, 2016 1:49 am

SlateSlabrock wrote:Dunno about Applejack, but Harshwhinny did 'em:

Image

I guess the show's animators have gotten better at figuring out when and how they can have ponies do more human stuff like this and have it not feel weird. Like, this was them figuring out that you can do the finger-quotes thing, but you have to use the whole hoof in it. It's the same reason we don't see stuff like :rariwhat: anymore, too.
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Jun 05, 2016 10:56 pm

Oh my god. Just watched this and that was the funniest, best-characterized, most densely-plotted, highest-joke-per-minute pony episode I've seen. Instant Hall of Famer.

I'm glad I've been watching ponies for (checks calendar) four years, so that I could absorb enough :ponydrugs: to appreciate a late-stage episode like this.

Haven't read the thread yet but wanted to go on record with my rating: A plus plus plus

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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:07 pm

Reading thread...

Mr. Big wrote:That "sweep sweep sweep" scene still gets to me.


I'm glad so many people called this out because goddamn that was funny.

It's not like it's an obvious joke, and on paper it wouldn't necessarily scan as funny, but Twilight doing her "sweep sweep sweep" and AJ & Dash laughing about it behind her back at the cafe and giving each other a high five is 110% :ponydrugs:
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:08 pm

I can't believe I didn't watch this ep two weeks ago
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:28 pm

SlateSlabrock wrote:Raccoons!
Image


Showing the Fluttershy/raccoon conflict, then smash-cutting to Fluts & raccoons sitting in the cafe booth was comedy perfection.

The cafe-as-framing-device was brilliant. Every cut to the cafe came with new visual gags. Big ones, like the raccoons and Pinkie's clone. And small ones like the food everybody was ordering (perfectly suited to their personality):

:vogue: tea
:v: soda in a paper cup with a straw
:twasnothin: a slice of apple pie
:nnngh: nothing, just nervously fiddling with the silverware
:-P every goddamn thing in the cafe, then slides the bill over to the interviewer
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:43 pm



This was funny as hell and not at all how I thought it would go.

In fact a big part of why this episode worked so well is that it constantly swerved to get a "wait, what?" reaction, but the resulting situation always felt like something these characters would actually do.

It's basically my favorite episode premise come to life. You have these six amazing characters. "Okay, [X] just happened, and you all react to it in your own way. Okay...go."
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:05 am

I mean it's not like this is my favorite episode of all time.

A huge part of the secret sauce behind :ponydrugs: is the emotional whammy. The "goddammit why am I crying about cartoon horses" episodes like Hurricane Fluttershy or Filli Vanilli or Testing 1-2-3 or Sleepless in Ponyville.

But this show can also be smartly funny and I don't know if it's ever been as densely funny as this. Dialogue, visuals, and VA performances firing on all cylinders.

Good lord this has got to be close to peak Tabitha. :vogue:
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:09 am



BEST FRENS
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:40 am



Could have been annoying, instead was funny & endearing. Also set up Applejack for a couple of great scenes.

And the gag paid off in prime fashion.
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:51 am

Highbrow Dash wrote:I gotta say, the narrative structure this had was surprising.


Wasn't the original title "Saddle Row and Rec"?

As thematically confusing as that title might have been, if it's real, it makes sense on some level.

This genuinely felt like a modern sitcom in the vein of Parks & Rec or The Office. Not at all like a My Little Pony cartoon commissioned by Hasbro to sell plastic toys to second-graders.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:43 am

PictishBeast wrote:
BEST FRENS

I can't help but look at how Applejack and Rainbow Dash behave towards each other (such as they do here) then look at Applejack's "Day" Off and see how she acts towards Rarity. Even such as they all are now, it's hard to imagine that she and Rarity could ever be friends, whereas she and Rainbow Dash being friends feels a whole lot more natural.
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Postby Wayoshi (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:46 am

PictishBeast wrote:I can't believe I didn't watch this ep two weeks ago

Me either but good job on catching up :jingo:

PictishBeast wrote:
Wasn't the original title "Saddle Row and Rec"?

As thematically confusing as that title might have been, if it's real, it makes sense on some level.

This genuinely felt like a modern sitcom in the vein of Parks & Rec or The Office. Not at all like a My Little Pony cartoon commissioned by Hasbro to sell plastic toys to second-graders.

This is all correct. Based on tweets there seemed to be a very late last-minute title change.
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Postby Aramek (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:19 am

Love ya, Pictish. :hug:
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:38 am

Rainbow Crash wrote:Angel Rarity is wearing a HAYlo :rimshot:


what

WHAT
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:44 am

Mechanical Ape wrote:Image
"OH GOD PLEASE LET ME ORGANIZE"


This is my favorite flavor of Twilight, hands down
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:15 am

Something else worth noting: We're in Season 6, and damn if this episodic-and-only-loosely-serialized show hasn't advanced the status quo in permanent & believable ways.

:vogue: S1 Rarity wanted to open a boutique in Canterlot. Now she's got that, plus another franchise in Manehatten.

:awesomedash: S1 Rainbow Dash wanted to join the Wonderbolts. After a bunch of tryouts and a stint with the reserves, she's officially on the team.

:twiright: S1 Twilight wanted to please her mentor Celestia. Now she's the alicorn princess of friendship and arguably Celestia's peer.

:twasnothin: :allears: :party: AJ, Fluttershy, and Pinkie haven't seen dramatic changes like that, but looking back to S1 they never really had any burning desires like Rarity, Dash, or Twilight. They're still where they were and it makes sense because they've always been okay with that.

I'm just glad that "team of superheroes who save Equestria" isn't the endgame for these characters. The show is focusing on their careers too.
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:37 am

Rewatching the ep now, this is solid stuff.

Regarding FiM, occasionally I'm like "TV shows that run for too long inevitably decline in quality, maybe it would've been better if the show had ended with the S3 finale or something"

...and then SOLID GOLD happens and I'm like :pinkieshrug: "ehh never mind"
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:12 am

It slays me that Applejack is genuinely on board with spoon clothes

:twasnothin: "Personally I think spoon clothes ain't such a bad idea! Useful too. Eatin' soup, stirrin' gumbo, diggin' little holes..."

:gonkity: "HOW ARE WE FRIENDS"
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 4:13 am

:twasnothin: What if it rains? Galoshes!

:gonkity:
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Postby PictishBeast (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:06 am

How great was Dash's subplot?

She's asking all the job applicants to identify swatches of fabric, but it's not helpful at all because they know fabric and Dash doesn't know anything.

So she asks them to race to the river & back because the employee will need to be fast. And if there's one thing Dash knows, it's speed.

This is how story structure is supposed to operate. Dash tried to do it Rarity's way and it didn't work. So she did it Dash's way, and this course correction in the back half of an episode always does the trick. I thought we'd see one of the applicants dashing around the store really fast to take everyone's orders, all thanks to Rainbow Dash and her clever idea to determine the speediest one.

Instead Dash just hired them all. Because she finally realized she had no fucking clue what she was doing. :v:
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Postby Skipper (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 5:31 am

Oh man, the more I read about this episode the more I'm looking forward to actually watching it. :allears:
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Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 6:13 am

PictishBeast wrote:
:twasnothin: :allears: :party: AJ, Fluttershy, and Pinkie haven't seen dramatic changes like that, but looking back to S1 they never really had any burning desires like Rarity, Dash, or Twilight. They're still where they were and it makes sense because they've always been okay with that.


I'd argue Fluttershy's changed a lot. Yeah she's not overcome her shyness or anything, but she's learned to push her limits and be more assertive, while at the same time she realized it's ok if she doesn't, or if she takes things at her own pace :-P

See: this week's episode. That is not s1 Fluttershy.
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Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:16 am

I'm being good and not rewatching this one until I do my post-finale full season re-run. I absolutely loved it the first time around though, so seeing all the positive words here makes me smile.

Highbrow Dash wrote:
I'd argue Fluttershy's changed a lot. Yeah she's not overcome her shyness or anything, but she's learned to push her limits and be more assertive, while at the same time she realized it's ok if she doesn't, or if she takes things at her own pace :-P

See: this week's episode. That is not s1 Fluttershy.


I think Pictish meant more in the sense of their standing in the world. Rarity for example has moved up a lot in that department, whereas in terms of personal development Fluttershy has changed a lot more.
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Postby Highbrow Dash (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:21 am

Yeah I figured. I'm just pointing out she's had a lot more character development than AJ and Pinkie, it's not fair to compare them.

It'd be nice to see Pinkie deal with her abandonment issues, or for AJ to... Grow pears? :pinkieshrug:
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Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:32 am

Highbrow Dash wrote:Yeah I figured. I'm just pointing out she's had a lot more character development than AJ and Pinkie, it's not fair to compare them.

It'd be nice to see Pinkie deal with her abandonment issues, or for AJ to... Grow pears? :pinkieshrug:


It would be interesting to see some of her "Party of One" stuff dealt with again; they've not really touched on that since S1 have they?

As for Applejack...

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Postby Headless Horse (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:46 am

PaulloDEC wrote:
It would be interesting to see some of her "Party of One" stuff dealt with again; they've not really touched on that since S1 have they?


It's not in-depth or anything, but I'd suggest that her brief appearance in Flutter Brutter is a fairly direct descendant of the Party of One storyline.

:amazing: HEY! HEY! LOOK AT ME! STOP! COME BACK! IT'S ME! PINKIE PIE!

:rant: YOUR FRIEND

Who knows if they'll ever really do anything substantive with it again (I doubt it, the original went to as dark a place as I imagine the show's ever going to be willing to go); but by this point it feels completely natural for Pinkie to get just a little bit unhinged if she's not the center of attention and thinks she should be.
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Postby Fizzbuzz (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:46 pm

Pinkie Pride was also a big look at how she deals with jealousy (as opposed to mere abandonment, as in Party of One), not just a Weird Al vehicle.
PaulloDEC wrote:I think Pictish meant more in the sense of their standing in the world. Rarity for example has moved up a lot in that department, whereas in terms of personal development Fluttershy has changed a lot more.

That's about how I see it, too. Fluttershy doesn't want to be popular or rich, she just wants to keep living with all the nice animals out by the edge of the Everfree Forest and also do stuff with her friends now and then. She's also not especially outgoing, but she has gotten much better at dealing with others when she has to.
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Postby PaulloDEC (?) » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:23 pm

Headless Horse wrote:
It's not in-depth or anything, but I'd suggest that her brief appearance in Flutter Brutter is a fairly direct descendant of the Party of One storyline.

:amazing: HEY! HEY! LOOK AT ME! STOP! COME BACK! IT'S ME! PINKIE PIE!

:rant: YOUR FRIEND

Who knows if they'll ever really do anything substantive with it again (I doubt it, the original went to as dark a place as I imagine the show's ever going to be willing to go); but by this point it feels completely natural for Pinkie to get just a little bit unhinged if she's not the center of attention and thinks she should be.


It's funny to think they might've pushed that particular envelope as far as they're ever going to back in the very first season. As Fizz mentioned, they do deal with it a bit in Pinkie Pride, though she's able to pull herself out of her funk much more effectively that time.

Fizzbuzz wrote:Pinkie Pride was also a big look at how she deals with jealousy (as opposed to mere abandonment, as in Party of One), not just a Weird Al vehicle.

That's about how I see it, too. Fluttershy doesn't want to be popular or rich, she just wants to keep living with all the nice animals out by the edge of the Everfree Forest and also do stuff with her friends now and then. She's also not especially outgoing, but she has gotten much better at dealing with others when she has to.


Exactly, yeah.

It's actually interesting to think about how the various characters have changed over the six seasons so far. Fluttershy has grown in terms of personal development, but was already pretty much where she wanted to be in terms of ambitions. Rarity is kind of the opposite; she was already pretty emotionally and socially adept as far back as Season 1, but she's been able to realise (and even exceed) her greatest ambitions since then.

Then there's someone like Twilight, who got both. She's grown a lot as a person, as well as found her place in the larger world.
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Postby Mechanical Ape (?) » Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:36 am

I just wanted to note that even though it was a fantasy sequence, Rarity encouraged somepony to "get jiggy" and I feel this should not go unacknowledged because it's fantastic.
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Postby Frith (?) » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:34 pm

I really liked this episode. This was the funniest MLP episode we have had in a long time. The interview sequences worked really well here and gave this episode a fresh feel.
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