Points of Canon: S7x09 - Honest Apple

This is being written up immediately after the Canadian airing, so burn before reading.

You have been warned appropriately.

• Rarity is still making a show of not being aware that Spike has a crush on her.
• The amount of leaflets involved is, by eyeball, between 3000 and 5000. Which should cover every pony in Ponyville.
• Notably, we don’t see any other means of promotion beside those leaflets, and we don’t see them distributed anywhere else. The aspiring young designers would have to be Ponyville residents if there really were no other means. And since Canterlot designers wouldn’t be likely to want to debut in Carousel Boutique quite as much, I think this is limited to Ponyville.
• And the fun part is that finding even one designer beside Rarity in a town of ~4000 should be unusual, but they found three. Rarity’s success is probably quite inspiring.
• Pinkie is interested in guitar lessons. Which is somewhat strange.
• I think that’s the first time ponies actually say the word “guitar.” Correction, Maud said it recently. Various similar instruments have been observed previously, but that is also the first actual guitar-scale guitar. Nope. Slice of Life has an electric bass in Vinyl and Octavia’s house. The number of strings on this one doesn’t seem to match any reasonable guitar, but we’ll have to chalk this up to cartoon resolution, because the sound does.
• Pinkie hides the guitar in her mane. So what happens if she needs to wash her hair, does the portable hole flood?…
• Rarity got Hoity Toity and Photo Finish to participate solely based on the weight of her own name, rather than Spike’s connections, this time.
• Chronology points: Pinkie Pie mentions Sassy Saddles as a potential contest judge, which requires Canterlot Boutique to exist. Spike mentions Coloratura as a potential judge, which would only happen after Rarity got acquainted with her.
• Why didn’t Rarity talk to AJ before just announcing her participation like that?…
• Pinkie complaining that something doesn’t make sense. Turnabout is fair play, but I thought I’d never see the day. :)
• Applejack states she has “20 versions of this hat.” I thought there were more in that closet, I’ll need to count one day.
• Pinkie screams “Appeal!” I wonder what exactly did she mean by that.
• According to Applejack, Apple Bloom has at least some understanding of fashion. That’s the first I heard of it.
• Applejack says “I’d be as useful as a bird out on a zeppelin trip.” Notably, a zeppelin is both a specific type of a lighter-than-air aircraft – one which we didn’t see on screen yet – and is derived from a name…
• Apple Bloom has never used this hat before. It will be a marker if she ever uses it after, since she says she wanted it to be a signature hat, but I doubt she ever will.
• Once again we see a ponyquin in a bridle in the background. These haven’t turned up for ages.
• So when exactly did Rarity get so friendly with Photo Finish and Hoity Toity that it’s up to cheek kissing?
• Hoity Toity refers to “Miss Pommel’s debut in Manehattan last week.” This could have happened both before and after the opening of Rarity’s Manehattan boutique, though, but is somewhat more likely to have happened after.
• So Coco made a disco ball costume and sold it as high fashion? That’s true salesmareship.
• That gesture of waving a hoof at the fainted Photo Finish is quite dubious.
• Inky Rose is the confirmation that ponies do have the goth stereotype. See red-and-black alicorns. And she has a cutie mark in it, so that’s kinda forever.
• Pre-torn clothes are a thing.
• One thing Pinkie apparently can’t do: tune a guitar. Which is very strange, considering the range of instruments she has been shown to play.
• Rarity shreds like nobody’s business, using a distortion-sustain-something-else pedal combo on an acoustic guitar. Magic has to be involved, only, her horn is not lit at the time… Actually, maybe that entire flame background is her horn aura. Where and when did she even learn to? Did she have her own rebellious teenager period?…
• How exactly does Applejack tell a belt from a necklace? Correctly?
• Lily Lace “literally can’t even.” Applejack’s reaction confirms that ponies also have a literally-figuratively problem.
• One of the construction workers is drinking from a juice packet with a straw. That requires aseptic packaging technology which didn’t take off in our world until 1960s.
• Strawberry Surprise sounds like she was explicitly invented to be a counterpoint to Applejack’s apples starting with the name. :)
• Applejack goes red in the face. We’ve never actually seen what it looks like before, I think, not on Applejack. Pretty spectacular at that.

That was a very nice episode.

No new squares this time either.

Chronology: Starlight or Twilicorn or the Friendship Castle are not in evidence, but there are quite a few minor remarks that hard lock against season 5 and 6 episodes. Without those, it could fall through very far into the past. Even with those, it probably needs to be backdated to before Forever Filly.

Chronology project has been updated accordingly.

Comments

[DannyJ]

I liked it well enough, although it runs into the increasingly usual problem that this is a lesson that probably should have been learned already. Drop the references to Coloratura and Coco, and it would've been an excellent fit for mid to late season two.

[Oliver]

4532422

Drop the references to Coloratura and Coco, and it would’ve been an excellent fit for mid to late season two.

Amen to that, but apparently someone told them every episode must reference at least one previous episode of season 6 explicitly.

[DannyJ]

4532434

Yeah.

Not that I'm complaining about that. If anything, I'm glad that they're making actual attempt to keep the continuity straight, even if they're bad at it.

[FanOfMostEverything]

Pinkie hides the guitar in her mane. So what happens if she needs to wash her hair, does the portable hole flood?…

Don't be silly; she just folds it shut for a bit.

According to Applejack, Apple Bloom has at least some understanding of fashion. That’s the first I heard of it.

Apple Bloom is likely acquainted with a staggering variety of subjects through failing to get her cutie mark in them.

I'm iffy on this episode, mostly because we just had one on the importance of picking the right expert for the job. Between this and her recommendation of Dandy Grandeur, it seems like Rarity has no sense of how to match ponies and tasks.

[Meta Four]

4532672

I'm iffy on this episode, mostly because we just had one on the importance of picking the right expert for the job. Between this and her recommendation of Dandy Grandeur, it seems like Rarity has no sense of how to match ponies and tasks.

Rarity may have learned something about picking the right expert for the job, but that struck me as just a side thing. (Much as it was apparently an unintentional message on "Fluttershy Leans In".) The central message here was just tact: how to be honest without being a jerk.

4532422

I liked it well enough, although it runs into the increasingly usual problem that this is a lesson that probably should have been learned already.

I'm honestly baffled that it took this long to do an Applejack episode with a message about tact. I recall at least one other guy calling for a tact episode as far back as season 3—the bad old days when it looked like AJ would be upstaged by her own family in all her focus episodes until the end of time. I can give the old writers a hard time for overlooking such an obvious plot; I can't fault Kevin Lappin (this episode's head writer) for finally fixing his predecessors' oversight.

[howard035]

The amount of leaflets involved is, by eyeball, between 3000 and 5000. Which should cover every pony in Ponyville.
Notably, we don’t see any other means of promotion beside those leaflets, and we don’t see them distributed anywhere else.

But 3-5K flyers is way more than Ponyville needs. I mean, is Rarity going to give one to literally every household in Ponyville? Even if we accept that Ponyville has exploded in growth over the last five years (which it has), I would guess maybe 8K ponies live there, I can't imagine every single household gets a flyer about a fashion show. I think it's reasonable to assume Rarity mailed some off to Sassy and Coco to be posted around her other shops, based on the number of flyers.

And since Canterlot designers wouldn’t be likely to want to debut in Carousel Boutique quite as much, I think this is limited to Ponyville.

I disagree. At this point Rarity is as big a name as Hoity Toity it seems. Who in Canterlot hasn't bought her Princess dress? For a new aspiring designer, getting your designs featured in a suburban outlet store by a famous name is still a big boost to their career.

Why didn’t Rarity talk to AJ before just announcing her participation like that?

The single weakness of an otherwise great episode. Rarity springs this on Applejack, then shows zero remorse when Applejack has no tact. She's as much to blame for Applejack for once again picking the wrong person for the job!

According to Applejack, Apple Bloom has at least some understanding of fashion. That’s the first I heard of it.

Intro scene of Bad Apple, Apple Bloom tries on like a dozen elaborate outfits to impress Babs Seed. (Which also makes me suspect SWA is doing well financially, and they spend a lot of that windfall spoiling Apple Bloom).

So when exactly did Rarity get so friendly with Photo Finish and Hoity Toity that it’s up to cheek kissing?

When she became as influential in the fashion world as they did.

One thing Pinkie apparently can’t do: tune a guitar. Which is very strange, considering the range of instruments she has been shown to play.

But she couldn't really play them well.

Strawberry Surprise sounds like she was explicitly invented to be a counterpoint to Applejack’s apples starting with the name. :)

We need much more of her, and her new feud with Applejack, in fanfic at least. Rarity knew about Strawberry ahead of time, and appears to have been just waiting to get into an argument with AJ to introduce them.

Apple Bloom was excessively adorable two episodes in a row!

[Oliver]

4533043

I think it’s reasonable to assume Rarity mailed some off to Sassy and Coco to be posted around her other shops, based on the number of flyers.

Only, Spike wouldn’t be hauling the whole stack before mailing them, would he?

I disagree. At this point Rarity is as big a name as Hoity Toity it seems.

Well, maybe. I’m pretty sure the writers don’t know nor care where those three designers came from. :)

I’d love to hear more about how Rarity got there, though. We missed a lot of sweet drama, just getting the landmark shop openings.

But she couldn’t really play them well.

One-pony band is kind of well enough…

We need much more of her, and her new feud with Applejack, in fanfic at least.

Amen. Food fight! Strawberry bombing, apple cannon anti-air!

[QueenMoriarty]

4533066

Only, Spike wouldn’t be hauling the whole stack before mailing them, would he?

How else are they going to get to the post office?

You ask a question involving Spike, unnecessary manual labor and Rarity, you get a 'with a broken spine and an unbroken smile' answer.

This episode was enjoyable. Photo Finish confirmed for having pony eyes, goth clothing with enough buttons to make you a nudist, and Applejack pulling a Hearthbreakers and accidentally insulting the entire lifestyle of ponies who could easily destroy her entire livelihood.

[howard035]

4533066
4533094

How else are they going to get to the post office?
You ask a question involving Spike, unnecessary manual labor and Rarity, you get a 'with a broken spine and an unbroken smile' answer.

Yup. They even show Rarity picking up most of the fliers in her magic at one point. To be fair to Rarity, it sounds like she was going to post them herself, and Spike "happened to be walking past the boutique." To me it sounds like Spike deliberately engineered things so he could help Rarity out here.

One-pony band is kind of well enough…

It wasn't exactly Mozart. There's a reason Pinkie's main focus lately has been rap.

Applejack pulling a Hearthbreakers and accidentally insulting the entire lifestyle of ponies who could easily destroy her entire livelihood.

I thought the ending was sweet, but now I wish the other judges and contestants had just shown up at SWA the next day and mocked Applejack for the way she ran the farm.

[Meta Four]

Rarity shreds like nobody’s business, using a distortion-sustain-something-else pedal combo on an acoustic guitar. Magic has to be involved, only, her horn is not lit at the time… Actually, maybe that entire flame background is her horn aura. Where and when did she even learn to? Did she have her own rebellious teenager period?…

Also worth noting: even though the instrument is only drawn with four tuning pegs and two strings, it's still explicitly a guitar, giving us reason to invoke Cartoon Resolution on similar instruments. Like AJ's guitar from "The Mane Attraction" and this random guitar from "Secret of My Excess".

(The animators actually upgraded the acoustic guitar model for this episode. It's a lighter color and more detailed—except for those strings.)

Oddly enough, the pony Beatles have the opposite problem. Either Pony Paul plays a six-string bass (unlike his human counterpart) or they're a rare ensemble with three guitars, a drum kit, and no bass.

[Oliver]

4534151

Oddly enough, the pony Beatles have the opposite problem. Either Pony Paul plays a six-string bass (unlike his human counterpart) or they’re a rare ensemble with three guitars, a drum kit, and no bass.

Which is even odder when Vinyl owns a proper four-string electric bass…

AJ's guitar is way too small, though.

[Mitch H]

Applejack solves her problems with foalnapping. Has apparently never encountered anyone who dislikes apples, or knows how to tune her up by mocking them. And in general is a stand-in for everyone who's ever seen a high-fashion show, and mocked the clothes. Because designers have feelings too, damnit!

(The fashion industry is infamous for cattiness, vicious criticism, and in-fighting. Why are all of these ponies such wilting lilies?)

One of those models had a black-widow cutie mark. How did that happen?

[Mitch H]

4532434 You decided that 'Coco' had to be an appearance for the bingo card, not just extensive mention of her 'new' name, and work?

[Oliver]

4556899

The fashion industry is infamous for cattiness, vicious criticism, and in-fighting. Why are all of these ponies such wilting lilies?

They’re new. :)

One of those models had a black-widow cutie mark. How did that happen?

How did the diamond ring on Spoiled Milk’s rump happen? Same thing here.

You decided that ‘Coco’ had to be an appearance for the bingo card, not just extensive mention of her ‘new’ name, and work?

I would say so, yes. Coco’s actual appearance, however brief, is quite likely, don’t you think?

[Orbiting Kettle]

Finally seen the episode. So...

So when exactly did Rarity get so friendly with Photo Finish and Hoity Toity that it’s up to cheek kissing?

Depending on the cultural context that may require just a couple of hours. In our setting, I mean.

I thought the ending was sweet, but now I wish the other judges and contestants had just shown up at SWA the next day and mocked Applejack for the way she ran the farm.

Yeah, no, you don't do that to the incredibly strong psycho who kidnapped you just the day before.

[Cursed Quill]

Hey, it's airdate a week past airdate! Watched, so…time to hit up the PoC thread.

Legend:
Technology!mechanics∃there existsSceneryAbility♪I heard… Magic.Chiropteral notes (lit. hand-wing) or other anthropomorphismAnimation oddments,visual interest Interaction with 'later'.Chronology note. ❧uncategorized.

---

Rarity can stick the fliers to things, almost certainly with magic, or the stack wouldn't be able to fly apart.

The amount of leaflets involved is, by eyeball, between 3000 and 5000. Which should cover every pony in Ponyville.

Rarity can grab that many pieces of paper at once and slide them into a stack neatly, which…I'm amazed.
Pinkie can play ukulele.covered. I guess you're feeling it's guitar-sized, but…

Rarity got Hoity Toity and Photo Finish to participate solely based on the weight of her own name, rather than Spike’s connections, this time.

Or she's glossing over that she abused Spike's connections.
❧AJ having only 20 of her style of hat (gotten from AssHats Stinky Bottom's Hat Emporium) implies she threw out Rarity's dress. Also that Mac was not borrowing her dresses…or she threw them out after "Brotherhooves".

Pinkie screams “Appeal!” I wonder what exactly did she mean by that.

"Aw, booooo"
AJ is clearly not bucking down all the apples in one tree now. This is a change, isn't it? (Also, the mobile bucket by assistant, when before she could/would drop them all in two buckets…)

cheek kissing?

the bise is even something you do to newly-met, in France/French/Romance culture. Which, well, France seems to exist on Equus-planet, by your notes…
❧A hoofclapping applause by Rarity.
❧Hoity Toity doesn't recognize Applejack from the earlier show.
❧Distressed clothing is a thingcovered
❧Rarity shreds covered: Yeah, that was some wicked playing.
…Rarity does not offer to teach Pinkie how to play guitar.
❧Applejack engages in straight-up vandalism. And, of course, kidnapping.

4532672

acquainted with staggering number of things

Which was, of course, referenced lately with her being of actual use as carpentry assistant.
4532974

it took this long to do an Applejack episode with a message about tact.

…wasn't that the point of the FlimFlam tonic episode, that AJ was exercising a "do not crush ponies' spirits with honesty" when she shouldn't have?
4533043

when she became influential

I…eh, it could be intimacy or strange fashion culture or …French.

4556899

black widow cutiemark

Charlotte's web re-enactment, extreme version.
4558069
…I don't see a specific reason to quote you except for rekindling US-airtime discussion.

[howard035]

4567106

I don't see a specific reason to quote you except for rekindling US-airtime discussion.

MLP episodes are like the metric system: Canada is a bit ahead of the US on them and we need to accept that.

[Cursed Quill]

4567313
yes, well, I'm stuck with them for now.