SPOILERS? Mariusioannesp Reviews: "Made in Manehattan" · 5:40am Sep 28th, 2015
Just so you know, there are spoilers here for "Made in Manehattan." Probably doesn't matter that much since it’s a day late.
Now, without further ado, here is my review of “Made in Manehattan.”
Rarity and Applejack are called by the cutie map to solve a friendship problem in the great city of Manehattan. There, Rarity meets up with once more with Coco Pommel. Coco Pommel is trying to put together a community theater project to help bring her neighborhood back together again, but she’s been unable to find the time and volunteers to get everything together. Rarity and Applejack take it upon themselves to help Coco in this regard, but it may be too much for them, especially Applejack, to handle. Will Rarity and Applejack be able to help out Coco Pommel?
So, what’s the verdict?
The final installment of the “Rarity Trinity” was quite successful. So yeah, I liked it!
We begin this episode Twilight bored of reading her books. You read me right folks. Twilight is bored of reading. When Rarity and Applejack rush in with their backsides aglow, Twilight is quite excited that cutie map has called them to solve another potential friendship crisis. That is until she realizes the map isn’t calling her… again. Twilight is a bit down that she won’t be going to Manehattan. There were still so many things she’d like to see there, like the libraries. But she accepts the map’s decisions. They’ve made this into a recurring thing now where Twilight is particularly excited about the places that map sends her friends and wishes she could join them.
Anyway, Rarity is excited that the map has sent them to Manehattan as she’s been meaning to make a return visit. She’s particularly excited that the specific neighborhood they’re being sent to is located in the vicinity of the Fashion District and the Haypacking District. Haypacking District! I had a chuckle at that. If I’ve got my geography of New York City correct, that sounds about accurate. Applejack, though, isn’t too sure about this. She’s not sure what a country pony like her can contribute in a big city like Manehattan. They both though lament that they will be missing out on the upcoming Sisterhooves Social.
Wait a minute! Applejack missing the Sisterhooves Social is the subject of next week’s episode “Brotherhooves Social.” Could it be that this and next week’s episode are set simultaneously?! That hasn’t happened since “Just For Sidekicks” and “Games Ponies Play” back in Season 3.
Moving on, Rarity and Applejack make their way to Manehattan where Rarity mounts a lamppost as she has a tendency to do when in Manehattan.
Neither Applejack nor Rarity are sure how to proceed when it comes to finding this friendship problem they were meant to solve. Rarity even sets up a friendship advice booth in hopes of finding who it is that has the friendship problem.
Yes, this is clearly a parody of Lucy’s psychiatry booth from Peanuts. There’s even in the corner what appears to be a Charlie Brown pony. Rarity even says "Good grief" when that doesn’t work. Rather timely these Peanuts references with The Peanuts Movie coming in November.
Rarity and Applejack are stumped. Applejack still isn’t sure why she was called there by the map, but Rarity assures her that the map must have had a reason. It’s at that moment that a flyer flies into Rarity’s face. It’s asking for help putting together the Midsummer Theater Revival. (Midsummer huh. Once again, the writers are making note of time. This episode must take place around the middle of the summer.) The contact on the flyer is none other than Coco Pommel!
Yes, Coco Pommel makes her triumphant return to MLP! She was quite the breakout character in Season 4’s “Rarity Takes Manehattan.” That is until she was overshadowed by Cheese Sandwich and Maud Pie. Well, I was happy seeing her back.
Rarity and Applejack meet with Coco at her apartment and get the necessary details about this Midsummer Theater Revival. It was started years ago by a costume designer on Bridleway named Charity Kindheart as a way to bring the neighborhood together. They held an outdoor play in the community park with a local theater troupe and ponies would volunteer to design costumes and build sets and provide food and stuff. However, Charity Kindheart eventually moved away to be closer to her grandchildren, and the Midsummer Theater Rival went away with her as well as the sense of community it fostered. Coco took it upon herself to revive the Revival due to the fond fillyhood memories she had of it. She ended up though getting a last minute order to alter the costumes for the cast of My Fair Filly. (My Fair Filly! I’m bet it’s based on the play Ponymalion. Theater humor. Tee hee.) Anyway, Coco hasn’t made much progress, and she wasn’t able to find any volunteers. Now certain that this is the problem the map sent them to solve, Applejack and Rarity take it upon themselves to find volunteers to help out with the Revival. That does not go very well. Nopony seems to think they have the time for it. One notable pony in the oat and hay import/export business, despite his fondness for the Revival, turns them down because he’s far too busy… floating in the middle of a pond it seems.
So, that was a bust. Coco starts to panic because the costumes are barely ready and the theater troupe for the Revival the Method Mares are supposed to do a rehearsal the next day. Rarity agrees to help with the costumes, and Applejack volunteers to fix the park and the stage and build the sets. She figures since she’s pretty good at fixing things that may be the reason the map called her here. They figure that since the map sent only the both of them that it must be something the two of them can handle on their own. However, it turns out the park is in a serious state of disrepair so there is some doubt. Applejack does her best but has barely made much progress by the time Rarity and Coco return with the costumes and the Method Mares arrive to rehearse. Applejack never even got a chance to reinforce the stage so it collapses once the actors step upon it. After this setback, Coco is despondent, and Applejack and Rarity are wondering why the map just sent them. It could have sent Twilight to just magic their problems away. Applejack suggests that instead of focusing on what they can’t do, they should focus on what they can do. With that, Applejack concocts a plan. It won’t be on the scale that Coco had intended, something is better than nothing.
Applejack is able to cobble together a stage overlooking the sidewalk and sets that are apparently made of cardboard. So, the Method Mares put on their play which is apparently the Charity Kindheart story. Slowly but surely, an audience begins to accumulate. 
These are some of the first. But more importantly this mare has like a Nuyorican accent! She sounds like Rosie Perez! You can add her to the list of background ponies with funny accents.
Not only that, but the ponies who’ve sat down to watch the play start being nicer to each other. 
These ponies in particular look like they’re getting ready to hook up. Bow chicka wow wow.
The play is a success. Everypony gives their thanks to Coco Pommel for making everything possible. Coco in turn directs their thanks to Applejack and Rarity for all the help they provided. Applejack explains how they had to simplify after Coco’s original grander plans fell through.
Later, the importer/exporter pony from before shows up. 
Because he’s an importer/exporter of oats and hay, I’d like to christen him Art Vandelhay! It’s a Seinfeld reference. Anyway, Mr. Vandelhay and another pony regret not having helped out with the Revival. They thought they would have to do something big and time-consuming to make any sort of a difference. But Applejack and Rarity have shown them that a little bit can go a long way. Applejack points out that there is a lot that can still be done when it comes to repairing the park, and they promise to help do that in the future. That’s when Rarity and Applejack’s cutie marks go off, signalling that their mission is complete!
Rarity sums up what they learned that day. Rarity realizes why they were sent rather than somepony like Twilight. If Twilight had fixed everything with her magic, it wouldn’t have fixed the real problem. That problem was that the ponies of this neighborhood didn’t think they had the time to do something for their community. Applejack showed them by building her simple stage and set so that the show would go on that sometimes you can make a big difference by doing something small. Interestingly enough, I think that’s something Pope Francis has spoken about on certain occasions. This lesson is quite timely then with the Pope having concluded a visit to New York just this week. If that’s the case, then it’s definitely a message I can stand behind! Applejack also learned that she might have more in common with Manehattan ponies than she initially thought. Still, Applejack would like to go back to Ponyville to see how the Sisterhooves Social went without her.
One of the best things about this episode is that it’s kind of a throwback. It feels a lot like an MLP episode from Season 1 or 2. Even Rarity’s speech in the end where she summarizes the friendship lesson felt like it could have been in a friendship letter or an entry in their friendship diary. The auteur of this episode was Noelle Benvenuti, who also auteured Season 4’s “Maud Pie.” So, it’s no surprise she can write a good episode. I suspect that Ms. Benvenuti spent sometime watching or rewatching episodes from Season 1 and 2 before drafting this episode.
Despite this episode having a lot going on in it, it doesn’t feel rushed or cluttered or anything like that. You spend just enough time in each part of the episode before moving on to the next part. And slowly but surely, it builds up to the ultimate point this episode is trying to make.
It was also wonderful to see Coco Pommel again as well as Manehattan as a whole. Manehattan is proving itself to be just as vibrant as its real world counterpart New York City. Maybe every season from now on will have a Manehattan episode. That would be great.
This episode is the third installment of a “Cutie Map arc” they seem to got going on this season with “The Cutie Map” and “The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone.” Compared to those episodes, this one is certainly less epic in scale. But hey, not all friendship problems have to be epic in scale. Some friendship problems just have to be like the ones we’ll likely face in our friendships.
And now, once again, to the moment that stood out among the rest in this episode. 
And the mare in the street says, “Hey, I'm trotting here!”
Yes indeed. MLP just referenced Midnight Cowboy, one of the most notable films to have earned an X-rating!
Also, if you squint really carefully and look in the corner, you can see what appears to be Babs Seed walking alongside Aunt Orange. 
I knew we’d see Babs Seed again! I thought it would be more than this but beggars can’t be choosers. Being there with Aunt Orange might indicate that she is indeed the Oranges’ daughter. Bad_Seed_72 might be right about that too it seems. 
Speaking of references, obviously this episode’s title is an allusion to the Jennifer Lopez film Maid in Manhattan. There was also a telenovela based on that film that aired on Telemundo some time ago.
As for what is wrong with this episode… I’ve got nothing. This was another solid episode. Season 5 has had a lot of those so far.
Overall, “Made in Manehattan” was a wonderful episode with a wonderful lesson about how even a little bit goes a long, long way.
What did you all think of “Made in Manehattan”?
On a side note for a moment, I did see Equestria Girls: Friendship Games just so you know. I will be detailing my thoughts on the telefilm tomorrow if not later this week.
God bless you all. God bless America. And God bless Equestria.
As you already know from my review, I really liked this episode as well. This Rarity Trilogy/Trinity was certainly an interesting way to kick off the first small chunk of Season 5, Part 2.
I can't believe I missed her! What scene was she in? I was a little disappointed to not see her play a role. I'm sure we'll see her again eventually. Maybe she'll return in the episode where Apple Bloom gets her cutie mark. There have been a lot of hints recently pointing towards the CMC FINALLY getting their cutie marks before this last half of the season is done.
Season 5 is really shaping up to be my favorite season. It's been an especially strong series of episodes. Even this season's "worst" episodes are still enjoyable at least.
3428905 She's in the corner of the picture I have up here with the mare that referenced Midnight Cowboy.