Revisionist History · 4:48pm Sep 19th, 2015
Well, like Rainbow Dash, I get to be geeky about something. Just saw Rarity Investigates and my head nearly exploded. Sometimes I am complete flabbergasted. When I was growing up, children's cartoon never had this quality nor attention to detail.
Business first: We got a really good look at the Canterlot Carousel façade. I made a minor tweak to Pins and Needles to reflect this. (Can you believe it, Pins (aka Sassy Saddles), is a continuing character!?)
Now back to gushing. Mind you. I am a science fiction author, but I often write my stories in mystery format. For example, Pins and Needles, I present the mystery of Pins cutie mark and how it effected her life. Perceived mystery can grab a read and carry them through the story intellectually just as strongly as adventure and danger can. So...
THAT was the best written episode of the series. Not only was it a great mystery story, it was perfectly plotted with all the clues and methods properly foreshadowed. Fantastic. Even though I guessed in was Wind Rider, I wasn't entirely sure he was a red herring. It worked equally well as a whodunnit and as a howdunnit.
AND the attention to detail and aesthetics was impeccable. Starting with little things, like castle guards that weren't simply white. New backgrounds, new bit players. Sassy Saddles got her continuing role. And a John Wayne middle-aged stallion pony; a new character form on top of it. And mystery B&W detective noir sequences. AND... a jazz version of the MLP theme over the credits, and the DHX and Hasbro inserts at the end. Detail, detail, DETAIL!.
EVEN the characterization was top notch. Though Rainbow Dash turned out to be a bit of a Wonderbolt geek, it was perfectly in form. And Rarity, from her costume changes, to attention to detail (established in the hook), to knowledge of hair and perfume--all spot on.
I never thought a Rarity episode might become my favorite... but I guess it has.
Rarity has always been my least favorite character, but this episode played to her every strength. She out-Twilighted Twilight as a sleuth, and you could doubt for a moment that she was capable.
Oh, wow. Didn't catch that when I watched the episode.
For a while there I thought Wind Rider was the obvious red herring and it was going to turn out to be that delivery pony as the real villain for some reason.