The Random Review [No. 3]: Shill, Sheep & Shunting (Brass Polish)

The One-Sentence Summary

There's nothing exciting about probably being related to Silver Spoon[.]

The Substance

What on earth is going on? It's a mishmash of half-baked plot and in-jokes. Is there supposed to be a lesson, or is it just a piss-take of the show's formula? A bit of fun for the writer more than the reader? No character gets any development except Silver Shill. He's portrayed as a will-less have-a-goer who'll jump off a cliff if you ask. Until he isn't and, suddenly, he calls out Applejack, who ends up thinking she might be. I don't know. At times it's surreal. The second chapter is far more enjoyable than the first. Something about the idea of sheep on strike with picket signs and blocking the train is funny to me. And I'd like to read more about it. The conflict – getting the sheep off the tracks – is never truly exploited. You could have had all manner of exchanges between everyone and the Apples, whom the sheep are protesting and the railway staff could be fuming at. But it dies as quickly as it teases coming alive.

The Skill

No high-quality execution here regarding – well, anything. It seems like one of those that were whacked out in an hour or two. It's tough to pin down where in the story you're meant to be. Dialogue's a bit of a headache because it's hard to follow. Characters hop through topics like Discord. Building Shill up as more than what he was in the show, at least, is a clear goal, and the writer's done that with deeds, which is to be commended. Shill shows the qualities of a limp rag by turning up to check his ancestry at a word from his boss and by getting swept away in someone else's protest and holding their signs (written in 'sheep font', hah; I like that). What I don't like is how he comes clean. He tells us he's thinking for himself. It's executed so chaotically that, first, I thought it was a wilful change of character for the laughs – or that the writer just didn't care at all. On reflection, the twist makes sense in itself. In context, however, it's a clumsy turn-of-the-tables on both Applejack and the reader. And it leaves you feeling dissatisfied.

The Gestalt

I have to be lenient with it because it's a low-effort throwaway tagged 'random'. You know, it has a nice gestalt; it does. A nice, fun feeling. But it doesn't deliver in the end, more's the pity. Moments made me smile. It's a feel-good snippet rather than a story. I like the sheep strike. I'd read more about the sheep strike.

The Lowdown

3/10

All-in-good-fun nonsense that'll help you smile.