Applejack Is Clothes Racist [episode spoilers!] · 3:44pm May 14th, 2017
After a couple of high-stakes world- and character-building episodes with big reveals, it's nice to go back to something reminiscent of season 1 for a change. :)
So, the plot of this episode can be summed up as "Rarity has a dumb idea and infects Applejack with her dumb so AJ does dumb things". And that's the last criticism I have for it! (Well, okay, other than the 'guitar solo'; who thought that was a good idea?)
What a great episode! I really do mean that it's like a return to season 1. It's focused on the mane six, it's about fashion, it features Hoity Toity and Photo Finish... I mean, shit, I never thought I'd see Hoity again! The stakes are fairly low, the pacing is entertaining, and the moral is overall decent and shown well.
But hot damn. Photo Finish is lit-trally best pony right now. "I FAINT!" God, this series needs more of her.
Every single one of the designers was amazing in their own way. Seriously, I love them all. Though I probably would have picked Lily for the win; Inky Rose's stuff was too similar, the other two had far more variety in their designs. (I love that her model's cutie mark was a spider, though. We have enough goth ponies to start a movement!) And holy shit, that scene where AJ's apologizing to them and the smile one by one... except for Inky, who remains the same on her beat. XD
I will always love pony episodes poking fun at fashion. This one is no exception, and it pokes fun the most directly of any of them. :3
(Little reminder that after we get more than, say, five episodes into a season, I kind of stop remembering what each one was like, so this list shouldn't be taken as anything solid from here on out. <.<)
Parental Glideance
Honest Apple
All Bottled Up
Rock Solid Friendship
Forever Filly
A Flurry of Emotion
Hard to Say Anything
Celestial Advice
Fluttershy Leans In
Best Friends Until the End of Time
Battle for Sugar Belle
I thought the guitar solo was great tbh.
I think the title of this blog should be renamed to:
Applejack is Banned from Canterlot and is Going to be Killed and Buried At the End of the Season...
It's just my honest opinion. Get it?
Rarity is metal, has infectious dumb ideas, and Jesus Christ is cringe humor all they have left?
Still, Rarijack is real, because clearly Rarity is trying to acclimate her lover to the hobby. It's just... damn, Rarity. What did you think would happen?
Applejack's reaction was hilarious until she caught the stupid and went along with it.
And Photo Finish. Mein Gott.
I do sort of agree this felt season 1-ish, and continued S7's trend of referencing old characters and episodes. The low stakes were fun, and while the cringe was present, it was the best sort of conflict - characters clashing naturally, with no one being completely 'wrong.' This was fine, but I'm still waiting for a Rarijack episode to match Look Before You Sleep.
This episode was certainly done very well and I enjoyed the characters moment to moment and the third act, but I found the plot repetitive and dumb, and actually the first episode of this season I'd consider bad. If two out of three judges are saying they like the clothes why did the keep changing everything? It was a good lesson but a bit contrived.
4532409
Cringe humor and recycling earlier seasons' plots are all they have left, yes. Did you expect the writers to care? They're past the point of syndicated reruns.
4532547
SO MUCH CRINGE
EVERY EPISODE
*raises hand*
Honestly, I thought that was the best part. Well, other than the fruit debate and Applejack hijacking the sedan chair. And Photo Finish shouting "KISS!" when she greeted Rarity. And Inky Rose in general. And...
Really, there were a lot of great bits here. The central concept was dumb, but it was coated in hilarity.
4532547
They were past the point of syndicated reruns after Season 3. That's no excuse.
4532679
There really is no excuse except for lazy writing, and staff that don't care enough to do better. I don't really want to put that on them, though.
4532409
Well, I mean, they're never going to have another episode where they try sleeping together. :V Though for my money, the top Rarijack ep is Trade Ya. There's nothing better than best horse girlfriends arguing like old married ladies while shopping.
4532679
Pretty much this. Given that Applejack is apparently a Spa Rat and now a fashion judge, in her next episode I expect her to sub in for Rainbow on the Wonderbolts.
Thing is, this literally would have worked better in Season 1, before Applejack had been kinda involved with Rarity's stuff for a long time. And notably freaking Suited for Success.
And... I agree that there's literally only that one criticism of the episode... but it's the kind of thing that infects literally the entire runtime. (Oh, I guess one more: I get that Pony and main characters not involved therefore god forbid anyone actually lose, but ending up with a tie literally robs the show itself of whatever tension it had as B plot. And Pinkie was good until the very end. So two.) Also Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, possibly Pinkie Pie, and Spike* if he could be convinced not to parrot Rarity's opinions (note: this is literally a major missed opportunity for Spike character development in which he demonstrates that he's picked up a fair amount of knowledge from hanging around Rarity all the time, but has his own tastes due to dragon-whatever, influence from Twilight and the others, etc.; I think there's got to be a story in going through his thoughts on the fashion show and its entrants).
*On the subject of Spike... is what happened that Rarity and AJ got Spiked this episode?
4532269
It was literally my favorite joke from the episode.
It continues to be a glorious time to be a fan of cringe humor.
I loved this episode. It truly could have fit in S1. And I mean that only as the highest form of compliment.
4532923
Using Spike would have been a great opportunity, you're right. :O (Actually, the first thing I said to myself was "It's season 7; Spike still has a crush on Rarity?" Like, it seemed to be cooling down over the last two seasons finally!)
I'm biased because I love AJ, but you know the real wrongdoer of the episode? Rarity. Throw a girl into the exact opposite of her element, tell her to be honest and practical, don't give a peep of constructive criticism until it's too late, then blame her for ruining the show for doing exactly what you asked.
4532923
Fuuuck that stupid tie.
4534173
It's true Rarity is the real wrongdoer, but the thing is it's so phenomenally stupid and--dare I say it--out of character that I categorize her part as more the fault of the writer than her*. Applejack's the proximate and in-focus problem for the vast majority of the run time, and (crucially, to me) once put in the situation she was by
the brain leeches that took overRarity, her actions seemed at least superficially plausible, if exaggerated to the point of flanderization/S4-pinkie-ization.*Granted, I'm biased because I love Rarity. :V
4534181
Goddamn brain leeches. Every time you think they're gone - bam!
4532679
Yeah, me too. Sure, it's random, but Rarity blowing off stress by shredding the guitar? It's beautiful!
Now, whatever possessed her to bring Applejack in on the process, I don't know. I suspect cider was involved, and she charged ahead with an idea that seemed brilliant in the liquor-laced moment, but....
(And what kind of contest lets the judges mingle with the contestants and offer direction throughout the process? The whole thing is rigged!)
4534308
Yeah, the judges having so much input beforehand was honestly the weirdest part of the whole episode. I mean, Rarity's brain leeches are one thing, but that just made no sense whatsoever!