• Member Since 7th Feb, 2012
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Alex Warlorn


Just your average Brony who happened upon an idea that might actually turn out to be clever enough for guys to love.

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Jun
11th
2016

MLP:FiM Spice Up Your Life (S06E12) · 9:04pm Jun 11th, 2016

Spoilers head. Play by play commentary.

Know nearly nothing about this episode except maybe one of the guest characters and MAYBE the theme, but I seriously doubt it.

After reading a 'the mane six minus Twilight, were never the elements of harmony' fanfic last night... Ugh.

Well this isn't going to watch itself.

We learn that since season 5 finale, the friendship map has shut down. But through Starlight and Twilight's combined efforts, they're ready to kick start their time unquestionably obeying the orders of a tree and what it decides is disharmonious or not. (I never liked the opening of season 4, and I never will. I don't care, that you don't care).


Starlight and Twilight combine their magics, and zap the cutie marks of the mane six.

We might have gotten a chance to see Los Peagus at last, but it's apparent the map is on the fritz when it shows 'Twilight and Twilight at Twilight's castle' (if it was Pinkie and Pinkie in Manehatten on the other hand).

Finally, we get Pinkie and Rarity (at least they've stopped constantly pairing Rarity and Applejack). Pinkie wants somewhere far away none have gone before. Rarity just hopes it has modern indoor plumping. Canterlot.

Rarity goes epic. Her friends deadpan look at her. (Yes even Starlight, it would be bloody nice if they had bloody left her some of her 'sophomore college political student' traits and she doesn't like Equestria's elitism). Pinkie Pie gives us the flawless hypocritical-humor. "Some ponies get excited over the silliest things."

In Canterlot, Rarity thinks they should start asking at the castle. Pinkie Pie meanwhile knows that the narrative will just hand-deliver the conflict of the episode right in their laps if they just aimlessly wander around.

Also, we see Twinkle Shine in the background talking to a dark gray unicorn stallion with a gray mane and a crescent moon cutie mark.

Rarity compromises and go along with Pinkie Pie's idea. Then Pinkie Pie compromises and asks Rarity who know Canterlot better than here where they should go for the flow.

Pinkie's stomach growl decides where to go.

Rarity explains that you can spot the best restaurants for the three hoof sign on the shops... (why not four hooves? Why use a three hoof rating system?)

Zesty Gourmand. A mare who is THE restaurant critic. She judges by food, decor, and presentation. (Okay, now that makes sense). No shop can stay in business for long without her approval.

They try one of the shops... but the food tastes mediocre at best! They try two more restaurants... which are all cookie cutters on a theme, and the food is as bad as the rest.

Then Rarity puts on her strawmare shirt and Pinkie Pie puts on her 'the narrative says I'm right' hat. Apparently trusting a food critics opinion is wrong, and you should just sniff around town like a dog until you find the smell of something you like. *checks time 4:41* Have a way to go into the episode. Maybe it WON'T be as blatant as "Bats?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . *faux hopeful but doomed grim on face*.

And Rarity is depicted as the xenophobic american who is uncomfortable around anything foreign. -_- *$#($*#($*#($#. 4:56

Pinkie Pie and Rarity, two mares who have VERY DIFFERENT tastes when it comes to food. Pinkie Pie loves the east indian unicorns food... and so does Rarity (the white unicorn) when she gives it a shot. -_-

I feel MORE sorry for Rarity more than for the poor unicorns who shop is devoid of paying customers because they aren't on the rating board and apparently "no one in this town wants to try anything new." Why? But she's been given the 'proven wrong' position in this episode.

Seriously, a rating system is a good way to avoid bad restaurants, when a critic is giving good marks repeatedly to shops that you don't like, you know not to trust that person's opinion.

The father and daughter owners are butting heads (apparently they're from the other side of Equestria).
Pinkie Pie figures they've just stumbled on the friendship problem. Rarity doesn't get what they can logically do however.

Zesty Gourmand apparently won't even TRY the shop. -_- Seeing how empty it was. Catch-22.

The father has a defeatist attitude and is already packing, figuring Rarity won't be able to get Zesty Gourmand to come along. Pinkie know Rarity is the social queen.

Rarity returns to admit it took EVERY social trick she knew, but she did it. The father asks right away what the catch is. Tonight is when she's visiting. And she has very specific tastes (no wonder all the dinners are cookie cutters, but then why is the food so awful?).

And Rarity is still wearing the strawmare hat by missing the point of making the restaurant the same as all the other restaurants. Seriously, they talk so much about the evils of Starlight Glimmer's commune, and yet they think it's alright for the same for the shops?

What sincerely ticks me off is that the white unicorn if SHE was the new comer in a homeland not her own, SHE WOULD be expected to assimilate. But here, the newcomers to the white mare's land are expected to and encouraged as in the right by the narrative to ya know, HOLD ONTO their individuality. It ticks me off.

And back to the story, Pinkie Pie thinks Rarity will make the restaurant the most unique and beautiful place, unlike all the stuffy places they'd been to... and if Rarity wasn't wearing the strawman's t-shirt, I'd agree. Rarity PRIDES herself on custom beauties... she DIED INSIDE when she had to make the same dress over and over... (which again did more to show the horrors of conformity more than Starlight's strawmare ad hominid two parter EVER could) THIS IS BAD WRITING!!!!!!!

At least the east-indies music during the song is nice.

But Rarity is a business mare, she KNOWS owning three store that there's a fine line between following the trends and NEEDING TO STAND OUT. Heck, a 'save this business' reality show pointed out how the guy's shop was the same as every other curry shop in town, so OF COURSE it was failing.

Again, it's SAD to see Rarity reduced to a straw character like this.

"You must be what they want you to be." Okay, Rarity knows about 'giving the customer what they want' but the phrase is of course, meant to imply "give up your identity to fit the views of others." -_-

Ya know? I'm being reminded of friggin' web comics. I realize I don't like it early on, but I hope against hope that what ticks me off will get subverted or won't be mentioned again. (The only time this has ever happened was the Legend of Zelda series where the whole 'Ganondorf singular God' thing in Twilight Princess was thrown overboard after the game was done, sank to the bottom of the ocean, and was never seen again, and hopefully never will). But instead just gets worse and worse as the comic goes on. That's what I'm feeling in this episode.

Ironically TWILIGHT would have been a better pick for Rarity here, sure she'd still be there just to be proven wrong, but at least Twilight has faith in statistics and numbers and so would go with the majority opinion (which wouldn't make it less cruel to the character, but would be SLIGHTLY less painful).

10:00 12 minutes to go on show.

"Don't ever change." Pinkie, that's called stagnation.

"Trust your heart, it'll know what to do." Not all hearts are good Pinkie Pie, and feelings all by themselves can led you astray just as easily as thoughts without empathy (which is a feeling too).

I wonder if the voice actors ever cringe when they do their lines, or just think, 'Meh, I'm getting paid, I got bills to pay, whatever.'

FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE! Pinkie Pie! You work in a bakery!!! Shouldn't you know that giving out free samples is a surefire way to reel in customers?!

I predict a 55% chance of an ending similar to the fanfic 'Ah ain't go no accent.'

Seriously, I feel like I'm reading one of the cruddier IDW comic Non-Friends-Forever issues. I know I shouldn't judge an episode halfway through, but I already sincerely hate this episode. I know I bellyache about particulars in a lot of my commentaries, but this feels just insulting.

Pony reminds me like Ego from Ratatouille. A lot. Complete with 'best shot' line.

And PINKIE PIE is written as the voice of common sense?!?! "What kind of food expect doesn't want flavor?! THAT'S INSANE!?" There's something wrong when Pinkie Pie is being the voice of reason.

"When it comes to fashion, you are adequate." -_- She's the best there is.

Zesty Gourmand says she wants SUBTLETY in her meals. Of course she says it as a standard issue 'stuck up jerk who doesn't know what they're talking about' instead.

So five minutes left, Rarity is finally allowed to take her strawman shirt off and starts agreeing with everypony else.

So Rarity works the crowds instead of Pinkie, and Pinkie works the shop instead of Rarity.
I don't mind the idea that they realize the other is better suited to the other task, I just wish I hadn't had to sit through 17 minutes of Strawmare Rarity.

Twinkle Shine, Minuette, and our pepper unicorn are all present.

"A tragic look for a pretty mane." I have no idea how to even respond to that it is alien a combination of words.

Isn't the entire point of a critic to give an opinion that's trusted?

And the Antagonist Of the Day walks off camera, ever to be seen again and to vanish into the black nothingness from which antagonists of the day never return. (Except for Trixie and Gilda. And of course Diamond Tiara and Silver got OVERUSED as antagonists for the day on EVERYTHING, making their characterization a criss cross of hate sinks and faulty plumbing until the writers realized they'd run it into the ground, and the Flim Flam were flanderized from manipulative short-sighted business types to outright con-artists).

And the tree is pleased at them having ousted Canterlot's top food critic.

End episode.

I didn't like this episode. End of story.

Comments ( 10 )

In regards to the question about 3 hoofs, it's a reference to Michelin Stars, where the most a restaurant can get is 3.

As for Rarity, I honestly don't mind her behavior here, since she WAS trying to help the restaurant succeed, and the most succesfull restaurants DID fit a mold.

I consider this to be the best map episode outside of the season 5 premiere and finale.

Aw. I thought it was a great episode, and hoped you liked it too. Oh well. To each, their own.

After reading a 'the mane six minus Twilight, were never the elements of harmony' fanfic last night... Ugh.

Are you a masochist?

We learn that since season 5 finale, the friendship map has shut down. But through Starlight and Twilight's combined efforts, they're ready to kick start their time unquestionably obeying the orders of a tree and what it decides is disharmonious or not. (I never liked the opening of season 4, and I never will. I don't care, that you don't care).

Besides, it's worked in their favor so far, so fuck you.

(at least they've stopped constantly pairing Rarity and Applejack).

I wonder why you even bother when I can't remember the last time you liked something that wasn't your own fucking work which is nowhere as good as you seem to think it is.

(Yes even Starlight, it would be bloody nice if they had bloody left her some of her 'sophomore college political student' traits and she doesn't like Equestria's elitism)

Do you WANT soccer moms and 4channers to start beating down Hasbro's door? Because trust me, they will. They can only do so much. So blame the guy who wrote this.

(why not four hooves? Why use a three hoof rating system?)

Because reasons.

They try one of the shops... but the food tastes mediocre at best! They try two more restaurants... which are all cookie cutters on a theme, and the food is as bad as the rest.

Big shock.

Apparently trusting a food critics opinion is wrong, and you should just sniff around town like a dog until you find the smell of something you like.

If you don't like the food, then who gives a fuck what the critic thinks? If you like it, you eat it. LOGIC, Warlorn.

And Rarity is depicted as the xenophobic american who is uncomfortable around anything foreign. -_-

Oh fuck you! She's just not used to this kind of stuff and to be fair, I don't care for Indian food either.

I feel MORE sorry for Rarity more than for the poor unicorns who shop is devoid of paying customers because they aren't on the rating board and apparently "no one in this town wants to try anything new." Why? But she's been given the 'proven wrong' position in this episode.

Opinions exist other than your own.

Seriously, a rating system is a good way to avoid bad restaurants, when a critic is giving good marks repeatedly to shops that you don't like, you know not to trust that person's opinion.

You know, you're only ever consistent at one thing I find. Being inconsistent. Much like the Staney in Death of a Salesman.

Zesty Gourmand apparently won't even TRY the shop. -_- Seeing how empty it was. Catch-22.

You surprised?

(no wonder all the dinners are cookie cutters, but then why is the food so awful?).

Becuase Zety is a snob who's got her head so far up her ass it protrudes from her neck.

And Rarity is still wearing the strawmare hat by missing the point of making the restaurant the same as all the other restaurants. Seriously, they talk so much about the evils of Starlight Glimmer's commune, and yet they think it's alright for the same for the shops?

There's a difference between restaurants and creating a CULT.

It ticks me off.

(which again did more to show the horrors of conformity more than Starlight's strawmare ad hominid two parter EVER could) THIS IS BAD WRITING!!!!!!!

Oh, oh you mean like pitting two of my favorite characters against each other due to a plot twist so stupid both Kingdom Hearts and Shymalan would shake their heads at, turning one of said characters into a Scrappy that would be better off in a Greek Tragedy and then turning said Scrappy into little more than a fucking plot device more obvious that some of the shit you accuse the show of pulling? Oh yees, like you wouldn't know anything about THAT.

At least the east-indies music during the song is nice.

Eh, it was OK. I mean I liked it, but it's not going onto my Ipod any time soon.

But Rarity is a business mare, she KNOWS owning three store that there's a fine line between following the trends and NEEDING TO STAND OUT. Heck, a 'save this business' reality show pointed out how the guy's shop was the same as every other curry shop in town, so OF COURSE it was failing.

And yet, the restaurants blander than your writing were prosperous.

Again, it's SAD to see Rarity reduced to a straw character like this.

"You must be what they want you to be." Okay, Rarity knows about 'giving the customer what they want' but the phrase is of course, meant to imply "give up your identity to fit the views of others." -_-

Considering that the critic whose name I'm not bothered to remember is even more selective than the guy from Ratatouille...

But instead just gets worse and worse as the comic goes on. That's what I'm feeling in this episode.

Oh, you mean like your writing?

Ironically TWILIGHT would have been a better pick for Rarity here, sure she'd still be there just to be proven wrong, but at least Twilight has faith in statistics and numbers and so would go with the majority opinion (which wouldn't make it less cruel to the character, but would be SLIGHTLY less painful).

Perhaps, but Rarity's the socialite.

"Don't ever change." Pinkie, that's called stagnation.

You know full well what she meant.

"Trust your heart, it'll know what to do." Not all hearts are good Pinkie Pie, and feelings all by themselves can led you astray just as easily as thoughts without empathy (which is a feeling too).

Yet the characters clearly have some. You on the other hand, I wonder considering the shit you've put your characters through with your "light at the end of the tunnel" bullshit.

I wonder if the voice actors ever cringe when they do their lines, or just think, 'Meh, I'm getting paid, I got bills to pay, whatever.'

Or, genius, they don't waste their time overthinking this shit and just enjoy their jobs.

I predict a 55% chance of an ending similar to the fanfic 'Ah ain't go no accent.'

So?

I know I shouldn't judge an episode halfway through, but I already sincerely hate this episode. I know I bellyache about particulars in a lot of my commentaries, but this feels just insulting.

Once again, WHO GIVES A FUCK?! Besides, if you feel insulted, then again, who fucking cares?

Pony reminds me like Ego from Ratatouille. A lot. Complete with 'best shot' line.

So that's his name. Never could remember.

There's something wrong when Pinkie Pie is being the voice of reason.

And a hearty 'fuck you' to you too. You saying she can't be the voice of reason just because she's the comic relief despite her having done this exact thing in your OWN stories, and plenty of others and even the show itself? Ladies and gentlemen, pot, kettle black.

"When it comes to fashion, you are adequate." -_- She's the best there is.

Zesty's a bitch, this has been established.

Zesty Gourmand says she wants SUBTLETY in her meals. Of course she says it as a standard issue 'stuck up jerk who doesn't know what they're talking about' instead.

And you figure it out, Bravo.

I just wish I hadn't had to sit through 17 minutes of Strawmare Rarity.

And I wish you wouldn't be so fucking negative but we can't all get what we want, can we?

"A tragic look for a pretty mane." I have no idea how to even respond to that it is alien a combination of words.

Neither do I.

Isn't the entire point of a critic to give an opinion that's trusted?

I dunno, you seem to be trying your hand at it.

And the Antagonist Of the Day walks off camera, ever to be seen again and to vanish into the black nothingness from which antagonists of the day never return. (Except for Trixie and Gilda. And of course Diamond Tiara and Silver got OVERUSED as antagonists for the day on EVERYTHING, making their characterization a criss cross of hate sinks and faulty plumbing until the writers realized they'd run it into the ground, and the Flim Flam were flanderized from manipulative short-sighted business types to outright con-artists).

You could replace this entire segment by "angry Alex Warlorn rant nobody cares about" and it would have the same effect. Plus, bare in mind that there are a lot of writers for the show. Has it ever occurred to you that MAYBE the guy who wrote SSCS6K (or 3K I forget) isn't the same one as the Miracle Cure one?

And the tree is pleased at them having ousted Canterlot's top food critic.

Hey, I'd rather have actual food than the shit she called food.

I didn't like this episode. End of story.

What else is new?

4016407

You expect Alex Warlorn to LIKE something that's not his own stuff? That's like asking General Grevious from Star Wars to dance through flowers. Not going to happen.

4017082

fuck

fuck

shit

fuck

I have something in my real life today to ACTUALLY feel sad and ashamed of right now. So I'm bored by your attacks rather than provoked.

What's going on in your real life right now? *hugs* You're clearly in desperate need of an outlet. I want you to know that I'm here if you want to talk about it buddy. And IMHO wailing on me provides you with one that you don't have to feel guilt about. You're not alone dude. And the Alex Warlorn who you've created in your own mind is getting rather disturbing (IE, rather disturbing that your view is that distorted). I care about you. Your responses used to contain actual material for a discussion, now they feel like personal attacks. I know you're a good person inside.

I really think you need to calm down, take a step back, and do some breathing exercises. Because whether you intend it or not, everything you commented here seems designed purely to provoke. I hope you get through whatever is hurting you in real life.

4017147

Uh, few things. I'm not attacking you. Or at least that's not my intention, and secondly, I don't need an outlet, trust me, things are better than ever. I'm just tired of seeing all these cynical negative opinions of episodes, yes, the show's not perfect (it would get boring faster than Rainbow Dash can fly if it did) but seeing so many people dislike Season 6 so far is inexplicably annoying. I'm just glad that the show's gone as far as it has, yet when virtually everyone short of Doctor Wolf is negative about new episodes, I dunno why but it drives me up the wall. Can't we all just enjoy the show?

4017150 Uh, dude, no offense, but when you say 'there are opinions other than your own' and spend an entire long post tearing another person's opinion apart, it does kinda feel like a personal attack, particularly when you REPEATEDLY cuss them and tell them they hate everything but their own work.

I'm kinda with Alex here, it sounded like you were ripping him apart just to do it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm with you and don't agree with you on people tearing these episodes apart cause I like 'em too for the most part (Newbie Dash was the one episode this season I didn't really enjoy because I felt the writing was a bit lazy and they wasted an opportunity that they'll never get back with the episode where Rainbow became a Bolt. That said, Alex actually LIKED that episode, and I accept he has a separate opinion from me) , I just feel like going on a gigantic rant at someone over it isn't helping things. Plus, looking at his reviews, this is the ONLY episode this season Alex actually HATED, the others he either liked or was neutral to.

Some of the intended Aesops might have been "Just because something is critically acclaimed doesn't mean you have to like it," or "Critics may have their own biases and tastes, so verify their reviews instead of treating them as pure gospel."

Thank goodness someone else saw this, I really disliked this episode. The classic "don't change for other people, other people need to change for you" trope gets reeled out again (when someone says "society" or "the world," that's just a way of saying "other people.")

And Zesti Gourmand the reviewer would only become popular in the first place if lots of ponies actually agreed with her reviews! Zesti makes it clear, she likes small portions, subtle flavor, snooty decor, always has, always will. If every pony started trying to follow her guidelines, then at some point a lot of ponies must have agreed with her. But of course they immediately en masse decide they hate Zesti's preference for small, bland portions.

In this episode the antagonist never actually caried the idiot ball, but the collective populace of Canterlot carried it twice as hard on her behalf.

4016382 I noticed the same thing about the Michelin system. The Michelin system also gave out their three stars only to a restaurant that met their very specific guidelines. The idea was that the 3 stars let you know exactly what you were going to get, no surprises. In that aspect Zesti's 3 hooves work in the same way.

4017150 For weeks now you've gone to the trouble of reading everything Alex Warlorn publishes, whether blogs or chapters, so you can leave lengthy comments with personal attacks against him in them. Why? If you now hate his worldview and ideas so much, why are you still commenting?

4017675

Thank you very much for your commentary. And I have to agree, it does create the plot hole that she had to have gotten popular to begin with SOMEHOW.

I'm going to admit I don't put quite that much thought into the episodes, maybe because I've never been able to move past MLP being "that funny horse show I like", but I see your point about Rarity.

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