We Need More Episodes Like "Canterlot Boutique"

I'm frankly burning out on Friendship is Magic as a series. I've never been a fan of sitcoms, especially Aesop-driven ones meant for children. They tend to run out of material at some point, and the delivery of the morals gets rather repetitive. I especially hate the "lose to win" cliche as no one in their right mind would accept the terms the story provides without exhausting their options. I've also grown tired of the characters and their increasingly one-note personality the writers have simply turned the volume up on in the hopes the viewers don't realize they've gone flat. However, what probably gets me the worst, is the conflated drama and forced humor. The creative staff used to know how to make being dramatic and being funny work in this show, but they've lost that.

That is why "Canterlot Boutique" as well as "Amending Fences" are the type of episodes we should see more of. Are they standard? Yes. However, they're far and above superior to "Rainbow Dash commits industrial sabotage so she doesn't have to be without her pet for a couple months" or "Yaks are impossible to please assholes who will declare war on you for using a player piano." In these two episodes, I didn't see the proverbial strings like I have in many recent episodes where the characters do things because the plot demanded it regardless of whether or not it makes sense for the characters and common sense in general.

These two episodes had the characters being people. They were people with hopes, dreams, ways of doing things, flaws, and actual personalities that function. I got the sense that if you pricked them, they would indeed bleed. That's so important, and I feel so disappointed when they show forgets that and treats them like they're just programmable drones that will do whatever the writers feel like to get the outcome they want.

Most importantly, the resolution isn't just learn the lesson of the week. Like with "Amending Fences" where Twilight had to work to regain Moondancer's friendship, Rarity in this episode actually worked out how to resolve things. Sassy Saddles wasn't given the Lightning Dust treatment and tossed out on her ear, but actually learned her system didn't work for Rarity's business model and adopted that business model to become the manager of Rarity's Canterlot Boutique. Yes. Rarity kept her boutique. The episode even played with our expectations with Rarity threatening to close the boutique and Sassy Saddles headed for the door, but instead said everyone could win this time. It just took some communication and revelation.

The show needs more episodes like this past one. We don't need the conflated drama, forced humor, and the characters cranking their most obvious character traits to 11. Was this the funniest, most quotable meme factory of an episode? No. Was it a brilliant character piece that advanced Rarity's characters in her external conflict more than the rest of the series combined while helping her reaffirm her identity. Absolutely.