Honest Apple Review · 5:25pm May 29th, 2017
Well, it turns out I was premature about the hiatus, it won't be until after "Not Asking for Trouble", but this was an episode I wasn't going to wait for anyway. The synopsis made it sound like a bland RariJack filler episode that we really don't need (RariJack has been explored to death, there's nothing new you can do with it anymore). Before we go any further though, if any of you are still waiting on the U.S. airing of this episode.
Anyway, the episode is penned by another new writer, three in a row for the show. But the writer is Kevin Lappin who has only written for two American sitcoms, both of which are live action! This is as bad as picking David Rapp, a guy who's only written for live action crime dramas, to write for a children's cartoon! Live action and animation are different, there are things you can do with one you can't do with the other! It's one thing to pick writers from other cartoons, regardless of quality, since at least those writers know about animation and the dos and don'ts when it comes to animation! Live action writers won't necessarily know the same, and considering how terrible David Rapp's debut turned out, I can't imagine why they'd think it was okay to pick up another one (guess this is what happens when you order another season while your current one is in production, instead of waiting for that season to be finished).
So, was this episode setting itself up for failure from the get go, or did it somehow manage to do something to keep itself from falling apart? Well, let's find out.
We begin with Spike helping Rarity pass out flyers for an upcoming fashion competition she's hosting, with the winner having their works featured in Carousel Boutique. Apparently, Spike just happened to be passing by when Rarity roped him into helping (the joke seems to fall flat, but I guess they're trying to imply Spike is still crushing on Rarity and is now stalking her for some reason). Rarity tells Pinkie Pie she's managed to get both Hoity Toity and Photo Finish to be judges (haven't seen them since their background appearances in "Rarity Takes Manehattan"), and her third judge is going to be, Applejack.
To be fair, the episode tries to justify this decision by suggesting Applejack's honesty and eye for practicality will make her a good balance to Hoity Toity and Photo Finish, but there's a problem with that thinking. The episode immediately makes it clear Applejack doesn't really know about fashion. It's fine to get an outsider's opinion on a subject sometimes, but you don't hire someone to judge a contest if they're not at least knowledgeable about the subject matter. I mean, would you hire someone who knows nothing about baking to judge a baking contest, or someone who doesn't know anything about music to judge a musical competition? Of course you wouldn't. Besides, even if the judges in a contest are experts, they're always expected to be impartial (unless you're Simon or Gordon Ramsey where the intent is to offer harsh criticism to see if the contestant can handle the pressure).
Applejack tries to back out of being a judge, but Rarity tells her to sleep on it. Then the episode quickly goes through a scene where Applejack changes her mind, after solving a problem with Apple Bloom's hat, where she gives an opinion that pretty much anyone could give even without knowing about fashion "You don't need a bow to keep your hat on.", but Applejack thinks that because she gave such an obvious solution, she's qualified to be the third judge. She goes back to Carousel Boutique to see Rarity, just as Hoity Toity and Photo Finish arrive.
Then after a scene confirming that Coco Pommel has indeed been forced to be legally called Miss. Pommel on the show (it's stupid, if there was really a problem with her name the legal department should've addressed it before her debut, it's not like she was a one-shot character, the entire fandom went nuts for her), we get a scene that tries to make us sympathize with Applejack when she makes a funny remark about a contestant dressed up like a disco ball, and apparently Toity and Finish disapprove of it. Then we meet our three contestants, the stereotypical valley girl Lily Lace, the future thinker Starstreak, and the goth Inky Rose. Hoity Toity and Photo Finish are impressed with what they see, but Applejack offers her honest opinions to the contestants who aren't very thrilled. But the thing is, the episode shows her being frowned upon for making honest opinions that might actually be helpful, such as pointing out the pointlessness of poking holes in a dress, or using so much fabric that the dress will drag and collect dirt. Those feel like legitimate concerns, but the episode seems to imply Applejack's honest opinions are hurtful.
We get a filler scene with Pinkie Pie that mostly confirms what we could already deduce for ourselves. But the sad thing is, said scene is actually more enjoyable and a welcome distraction, if only because it's great to see Pinkie be handled well (she's not hyperactive or shouting) and Rarity shred a guitar (despite it not being electric or plugged in). In fact, Pinkie is quite surprised at how vicious Rarity's guitar shredding is.
The day of the contest, Applejack starts making honest opinions even without being prompted to do so, and it's clear that these are just the opinions she thinks and not necessarily what anyone else believes. She goes so far as to chew out Inky Rose for putting buttons on her dress, and shake out all the feathers from Lily Lace's hat because she doesn't see a need for them. Then the episode attempts to justify her criticisms by having Hoity Toity and Photo Finish complain about two similar looking belts (there are times where the difference between two items is very miniscule, like two slightly different shades of the same color), but she then outright states that "Fashion is completely ridiculous!", insulting the judges and the contestants into leaving! This is something Rainbow Dash would say and do, not Applejack! Heck, this is the same problem people had with her in "Somepony to Watch Over Me" and "The Cart Before The Ponies", her honesty doesn't come off as well meaning, it comes as stubborn and pretentious, which is something no one can stand (no one likes a know it all, because no one ever has all the answers)!
In tears, Rarity orders the stage to come down, and complains loudly to Pinkie about how Applejack ruined everything. But it isn't until Applejack gets a taste of her own medicine from Strawberry Sunrise, who insults Applejack's apples (exactly how would you not know about the Apple family if you live in Ponyville, or that they grow apples), that Applejack sees sense. Then she goes around, hijacking Photo Finish's entrouge escort (which Hoity Toity is hitching a ride on, guess maybe that could lead to some ship fuel) and lassoing (a.k.a kidnapping) the contestants and forcing them all to come back to compete. She does apologize, and it does feel kind of sincere to us, but to the contestants they have no way to know for sure Applejack is really as sorry as she claims. And considering she outright had to kidnap them and force them to compete, I'm surprised they believe her. In their situation I would've just walked off. But the contestants compete anyways, and in the end it comes down to Applejack to pick a winner (I thought Rarity was hosting the contest but wasn't being a judge?). However, we get a cop-out ending where she can't pick one contestant to be the winner, so everyone wins. I'm pretty sure if that was actually the case, there'd have to be a tie breaker challenge. And the episode ends with a drawn out scene involving a failed, gaudy dress that Rarity made, and Rarity and Applejack laugh at Applejack trying to be honest without being hurtful.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? Well, it pretty much sucks! Rarity and Pinkie Pie are in character (aside from a scene where for some reason Pinkie spouts what's happening as if the audience can't figure it out for itself), and that filler scene with the guitar was quite funny. Seeing Hoity Toity and Photo Finish come back was cool and I think Photo Finish actually impressed me more here than in her debut episode with her overly dramatic ways (she even says sound effects out loud). But the episode screws up big time on Applejack, even though she can be honest she isn't usually so arrogant and jerkish about it. Heck, Applejack actually does know a little about fashion, she went to Manehattan as a filly, "Simple Ways" showed she can dress up and act sosphicated if she needs to, and she actually thought Plaid Stripe's spoon clothes in "The Saddle Row Review" were a good idea and practical. It's Rainbow Dash who has admitted to not knowing the first thing about fashion, and even seven seasons in still sometimes has trouble realizing that her honest opinions aren't necessarily what anyone is asking for. If you swapped her for Applejack, then even though you'd probably still need to dial up Rainbow's flaws a little, the episode would be a lot more believeable. I think Starlight could've maybe been in this episode, but at the same time I don't know if she could've done much so I can see why she wouldn't be present. The intended moral is a good one (honest opinions can be hurtful, so try to be tactful with them. And just because something isn't exactly what you wanted does not mean it's bad) but the execution is a complete mess, and the justification for Applejack is really contrived. In the end, I give this episode an E, putting it just above "Look Before You Sleep" which had Rarity and Applejack both acting childish and immature for no good reason, but below "The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well" which at least was trying to tell a story in which Rainbow Dash learned a lesson the only way she could, but needed to work on the execution. Bar and none, this is the weakest episode of Season 7.
Now, I'm gonna wait for the next episode to air in the U.S., seeing as for some reason the Canadian airings have some kind of problem with the color pallete to where everything seems grayed out and dulled. At least the Discovery Family airings keep the colors intact. So join me in two weeks, when we'll look at "A Royal Problem", and here's to hoping it can stop Season 7 from sliding downhill.
Yeah... I think that epic facepalm clip summed up the entire idea for this episode. I honestly don't know what Rarity or the writers were thinking here.
4551071 Between this and David Rapp, I have to wonder why anyone ever thought you could pick up live action writers for cartoons. It doesn't work.
1. I'd think that would have made you want to wait to see it, seeing as it would seem like you're not missing much by waiting.
2. I agree that Rarijack has been done to death. There needs to be more RariDash and AppleDash friendshipping episodes.
While David Rapp has only written 3 episodes, all 3 were amazing and easily among season 6's best, so while it WAS a weird choice, he at least proved to be versatile.
While I don't think this is a great episode, it IS better than Fluttershy Leans In for me, which was just kind of dull. But it's still the second weakest among the season.
Dave Rapp wrote some good episodes, like "Newbie Dash" and "Where's the Apple Lies." The only problem that "Flutter Brutter" had was that Zephyr Breeze was obnoxious, annoying, and unlikable.
Spike was probably on his way to Sugarcube Corner or somewhere else when Rarity spotted him and asked him to help. Spike certainly doesn't seem to be displeased. He's always been eager to help his friends.
But that's Pinkie's entire character. She's supposed to be zany and crazy and hyperactive, like she was back in the earlier seasons. This is actually why I don't like Pinkie as much anymore. It's like the writers decided that she should be calmed down, almost as if the Cakes decided to put her on Ritalin.
Not sure if you've recently seen season one, but that season also had that problem, to the point where you had to adjust the coloring on your TV to brighten the colors. You'll notice that the color in later seasons is brighter.
4551071 Fluttershy has shown that she is quite knowledgeable about fashion. Why the hell didn't Rarity ask Fluttershy for help? If "Fluttershy Leans In" was any indication, she has no problem voicing her opinions.
4551162 Don't ask me, Rarity wanted an honest opinion so her in mind she would turn to the one pony who's honesty is well known... Despite this being a completely stupid idea.
4551159 Pinkie isn't supposed to hyperactive all the time, that was never the point of her character. I appreciate when writers can remember that she has a personality beyond being flanderized into an annoying ADHD.
4551075
Agreed!
After how well they were portrayed in "Rarity Investigates", I'd love to see more of RariDash, and we haven't had a AppleDash episode since "Fall Weather Friends", all the way back in season one.
He wrote one of the better episodes of season six, "Where the Apple Lies", and I think I'm in the minority camp of people who liked "Newbie Dash", which is one of the better Rainbow Dash episodes.
"Fluttershy Leans In" was just as boring as "It Ain't Easy Bein' Breezies." At least it had a better story than the latter. Fluttershy was awesome in it, but the pacing and bad side characters really dragged the episode down for me.
4551170
While Rarity Investigates was a great episode, I love it more for RD's reactions to everything rather than Rarity's antics themselves.
And there was some AppleDash in Castle Mane-ia, but that's about is.
Of the two, I honestly think Newbie Dash is the superior episode. And for me, that episode WAS RD's best episode, until Parental Glideance aired (which I still think is the third best episode of the entire series).
I'd say FLI is a little better only because it showcased Flutters' development over the course of the series.
And I agree on the pacing being what drags it down.
4551165 My problem with the episode was the moral. I feel like this should have been a season one episode. It felt like Applejack should have learned this lesson already. This would have been a good episode had it been built on the moral of "Where the Apple Lies", where Apple Bloom decides to emulate her big sister by giving her honest opinion on a song Sweetie Belle wrote. Her opinion ends up hurting Sweetie's feelings and she must learn how to keep some opinions to herself to avoid hurting another pony's feelings.
4551166 Again, not sure if you've watched seasons one and two recently, but she was hyperactive pretty much all the time. It's why some people didn't like her; they found her hyperactive personality annoying, and some people like that she's calmed down in later seasons. While she was hyperactive a majority of the time, episodes like "Party of One", "Too Many Pinkie Pies", and "Pinkie Pride" really showed us that she had a personality and there was more to her than just throwing parties. Though, "Party of One" makes me think that she believes that the only reason her friends like her is because of her parties, so she feels the need to throw these parties as a means of feeling loved and cared for. Even "Rock Solid Friendship" implies that Maud only puts up with Pinkie's antics because she's her sister, a part of her family. (Speaking of that episode, what is Limestone's problem? She can't even be happy at her sister's graduation. She genuinely smiles all of two seconds before going right back to scowling. Why is she so pissed off all the time?)
4551180
True. Seeing her getting frustrated with Rarity and starting to believe that she actually did do it. I also loved this episode because it reminded so much of Turnabout Storm, one of the best fan-created MLP crossovers I've ever seen. It's what made me fall in love with the Ace Attorney series. I think it's safe to say that a lot of bronies became fans of the Ace Attorney series because of this series.
I liked "Parental Glideance" as well, though I can perfectly understand if some people hate it.
Yeah, that was what made "Fluttershy Leans In" so enjoyable. It really showcased how far Fluttershy has come as a character since her humble beginnings at the start of the series.
4551233
I've heard a lot of good things about Turnabout Storm, but my biggest issue with even trying to watch it is the sheer length of most of the parts.
4551260
You haven't seen it!? 
Oh, well. The series is nearly nine hours long, so I guess I can understand that. Thankfully, the series comes in separate parts, five precisely. Everyone who has seen it has said that it's a must-see.
4551260
4551314
I can't second hard enough, Turnabout Storm is a masterpiece, and I've never played a single Ace Attorney game in my life. You won't regret making time for it :)
4551609 That's actually what motivated me to play the Ace Attorney games, and I'm glad I did. If you haven't played them yet, scoop up the original trilogy HD remastering for the 3DS if you can, and then play Dual Destinies (Apollo Justice you can play if you want, but if you skip over it you won't miss much, Investigations is a decent spin-off, but only pick it up if you're going to download the fan made translation of Investigations 2, which I still need to do).
4551609 Amen!
Everything about this series is great: the writing, the voice acting, the pacing, the animation, the shout-outs, etc!
4551682 Or, if you can't do that, you can do what I did: watch playthroughs of the games on YouTube. You can find them here.
This episode was really the worst of the season so far Applejack is even so stupid as to insult her friend's career choice. At least the next episode is a lot better after 2 very mediocre episodes in a row.
Definitely the worst episode and a waste of a broadcast signal, let alone production material.
Next episode better make up for this, my future interest in this show has fallen sharply so far.