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After having HapHazred take over last week with “Sonic Rainboom”, I’m back for another rewatch!
This week, we have Chris Savino’s “Stare Master”. This is actually the first episode to feature the cmc for the whole episode, and between this and next week, pretty much lays down what the Cutie Mark Crusaders are going to be like.
Naturally, I’ve watched both multiple times in the past, so there probably won’t be too many surprises.
Let’s get into it!
So, we start out with Rarity rushing around not letting Sweetie Belle help her with anything. Typical.
Rarity does need a ribbon, though, and she springs into action! And the whole place goes to pieces. I’m pretty sure that would have happened anyways, but Sweetie Belle’s going to stand aside and not do anything.
So Rarity’s got a complicated order, and can’t afford to lose any more time with interruptions. So obviously, an interruption comes to the door.
Actually, it’s Fluttershy. “Oh, sorry. I thought the ‘open’ sign meant you were open, but I must have been mistaken.” I love this line.
As it turns out, she’s bringing a demon from the furthest bowels of hell back from being groomed. Also known as Rarity’s pet cat Opal.
And Opal is nice to Fluttershy, where she’s usually nasty to even Rarity, so Rarity thinks she might have used “the stare” on her. This was originally going to be a thing in Dragonshy too, IIRC, where she used the stare on the dragon, but it was cut.
“Oh, no! I wouldn't! I couldn't! I-I don't really have any control over when that happens. I-It just happens.” And I’m sure that line’s been quoted many many times.
“Ooh, ooh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Maybe I can be good with animals, too!” As Opal sadistically slices off part of Sweetie Belle’s mane, and takes pleasure doing it...
Rarity has to make twenty special robes by tonight. “See? I've lined them in a special gold silk. It took so long to make, but I think it adds just the right touch, don't you?” So glittery.
And along come Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.
Apple Bloom: “I’m ready! Are you ready?” Scootaloo:“Very ready!” CMC:“Cutie Mark Crusader Sleepover at Rarity’s! Yay!”
And Sweetie Belle’s made CMC capes for all of them. Lined with special gold silk that adds just the right… oops.
Actually, since the silk was intact at 3:38 and the cape is on Sweetie Belle at 4:12, that’s probably not even really possible. There should’ve been a time cut in there. It’s even specified that it was the last of it, so it had to be the intact cloth shown in the earlier scene.
For anyone that wants to say Sweetie Belle is no good at sewing at all, though, remember these capes…
But the sleepover is cancelled because Rarity now has to work all night to make more. But Fluttershy is willing to hold the sleepover at her place (and get them out of Rarity’s mane while she works).
Rarity: “I assure you, they're quite a handful.” Fluttershy: “These sweet little angels?”
“Cutie Mark Crusader Sleepover at Fluttershy’s Cottage! Yay!” “So cute. W-wait for me!”
“Oh, won't this be ever so fun? We can have a nice little tea party, and braid each others' tails, and sit quietly and color, and tell each other fairy tales, and—” This tells us a lot about Fluttershy right here, and what sort of night she’d like to have.
And don’t forget, Twilight is off to the Everfree Forest to Zecora’s to get her favorite tea. This was back when they still thought Zecora was going to be used more on the show.
Of course, the cmc have zoomed over to a well, with Scootaloo on top of it. Probably not the safest of places.
Fluttershy, of course, thinks the Everfree Forest is dangerous and tells Twilight to be careful.
And off to Fluttershy’s cottage to rampage around a bit. Everyone’s going to stay up all night! Sweetie Belle nearly gets her head stuck in a birdhouse, and Scootaloo displaces Angel on what seems to be Angel’s bed?
And Sweetie Belle perches on top of Fluttershy’s head.
Fluttershy: “Mmm, I don't know... how about a nice quiet little tea party?” Scootaloo: “ Or... we could go adventuring in the Everfree Forest!” CMC: “Yeah!”
Yeah, there’s no topping this dialogue. I’ve always loved this scene.And we still have Squeaky Belle.
Naturally a table accidentally gets broken, which leads to… carpentry! The hammer bit is a classic, too.
Sweetie Belle: “Um, that doesn’t look like a table.” Scootaloo: “We were making a table?” Apple Bloom: “Somepony needs to put this thing out of its misery.”
Honestly, this episode’s too much fun.
I bet Fluttershy gets a lot of practice at that game.
After other quick fun bits, Fluttershy decides it’s time to go to bed. Or for the crusaders to go to bed, anyways.
And Fluttershy will sing them a lullaby. Or Sweetie Belle will sing it.
Naturally, vocals by Michelle Creber on the song. Note that Sweetie Belle loses her horn at one point in this song, but gains a very long stretchy neck.
This does seem to have scared the chickens, though, and they are on the loose!
“Cutie Mark Crusader chicken herders! Yay!”
Lots of chicken chasing ensues, before Fluttershy just herds them all back in. But she needs to use the stare to get them back in the coop!
And they all go to bed… until Fluttershy leaves the room, and they start planning more things to do. There’s a break in the fence, and tracks indicate that one of the chickens escaped!
So they sneak out, though Scoots rips her brand new cape in the process.
Eventually, Fluttershy notices that it’s too quiet, and realises they’ve slipped out, and goes after the, and also Elizabeak, who is missing. Elizabeak is a great chicken name.
Now, Fluttershy forces herself to go out into the Everfree Forest in the middle of the night after everyone. Lovely background music there.
And Apple Bloom starts doing chicken imitations, trying to call the missing chicken.
Pity one of the more unfunny memes came out of that one and overstayed its welcome. And Apple Bloom is the one acting like a chicken, not Scootaloo... I wish this had caught on instead:
Anyway, Sweetie Belle lectures Scootaloo and Apple Bloom about arguing, saying that that’s not going to get them a special talent, leading them to deliberately try arguing to see if it is.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy has found Twilight, but she’s stoned, literally, and is now a statue. Maybe the Everfree Forest was a dangerous place after all.
“Oh, no! If you've been turned to stone, it must mean— oh! Oh no, the girls! Don't move. I'll be back for you. Girls!” She’s a statue, Fluttershy. She’s not going to move.
Back to the CMC.
“Girls! Our special talent is not arguing. Besides, what would the cutie mark of somepony whose talent is arguing even look like?”
Fluttershy has found them, though, wants them to get back home right away, because a cockatrice is on the loose. Which does tell you she knows a decent amount about what’s lurking in the forest.
Cockathingies?Sorry if I keep quoting the dialogue in long stretches, but I love the dialogue.
Soo… the CMC spot Elizabeak, and run off after her anyways, and chase her into a bush. Only, there are two chickens in the bushes.
One of which is the cockatrice. And it is scary, it starts chasing them, turning Elizabeak to stone on the way!
Scootaloo trips, and they fall… right in front of Twilight the statue, who has a snail crawling on her face!
When in danger or in doubt, run in circles, scream, and shout…
And the cockatrice has caught up! Fluttershy orders the cmc behind her, who don’t have to be asked twice.
And Fluttershy turns the stare on the cockatrice and starts absolutely giving him a piece of her mind (much like the dragon in Dragonshy). She starts getting stoned, but keeps going, and the cockatrice gets cowed, stops, and turns everyone back from stone!
We even get a title drop here, with Fluttershy being the Stare Master.
And the cmc apologize and agree to obey Fluttershy in the future, as a now unstoned Twilight comes out, not sure what happened.
Cut to the next day.
Fluttershy and Twilight talking here are actually as close as we get to a formal letter to the Princess moral for the episode:
I suppose that handling kids and animals are two different things is a decent moral…
The sleepover is over, though, and Rarity stopped by to pick up the cmc. Though she could use a hand with Opal.
All in all, no real surprises, since it was an episode I was already pretty familiar with, but by the same token, I was pretty familiar with it because it’s one I really like! It’s just a lot of fun, and there’s some good character building with the cmc and Fluttershy and even Opal. This really is our first outing with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo past, say, 5 minutes of Call of the Cutie, and did a pretty good job establishing everyone.
Of course, next week is “The Show Stoppers”, which does even more setup work for the cmc that sees us through the seasons. See you then!
--Sweetie Belle
One little detail I really like about this episode is actually this shot:
If I'm not mistaken, this one maintained its slightly more expressive form from the WIP of the episode... and while I understand the need for the use of puppets with more stable designs (especially in the earlier seasons), this one is just far more enjoyable to look at.
Also, did you know that snail facial massages are a thing?
7133447
I love children, but if I had to watch over these three, I'd be reaching for the scotch early.
I did get a bit annoyed at the CMC during this episode, especially when they dismissed Flutter Butter's warning about the cockatrice. This truly illustrates the fact that kids think they know everything, and that's still a touch irritating.
I really like how Fluttershy was established in this one. IIRC, before this, she seldom stood up for herself, but here she had to in order to protect the children. While they showed their gratitude by promising to listen to her from now on, it still shows they were deliberately disobeying her before. Brats.
All in all, kids' shenanigans aside, I did enjoy this episode. And I liked Sweetie Belle's singing.
7133447
This brings back traumatic memories. I feel the Fluttershy's pain, watching kids is scary.
7133447 Not too big a fan of this one to be honest, the CMC aren't even the least bit concerned for their own safety and some of their antics feel like a stretch. That being said it's leagues above what comes next for them.
7133447
Heh, I had never noticed that Sweetie Belle loses her horn during the song, when she is at the cloud, and I remenber watching this song add nauseum back in the day.
7133447 I'll be real, I struggle hard with episodes with kids in 'em... it took me literally years to stockholm myself into liking the CMC...
I do kinda like this ep despite that, though; I feel I'm just biased. I also do like the cockatrice, though thinking about it for too long kinda reveals it to be a weirdly innocent monster. It's basically a chicken-lizard... turning things to stone can only be a safety mechanism, since how would it eat something it has petrified? Plus, the petrification got reversed in Twilight's case rather easily... one wonders if the main danger associated with cockatrices isn't dying, but rather just getting lost in the forest until whatever search party goes after you finds you... Turning stuff to stone is just something that lets it run away out of danger.
The cockatrice being a coward also in my mind supports why it backed down after being Stared. I think that makes a lot of sense, since otherwise the Stare strikes me as something that Fluttershy honestly ought to just whip out whenever she's in danger... Whatever. Just a headcannon, I guess.
7133447
I like this episode cause it takes place at night. That's really all it takes for me.
7133447
Welcome back!
Given that Show Stoppers is pretty much the actual series launch to Call of the Cutie's Poorly Disguised Pilot, it's a bit strange that this one came first.
Hmm... could the cause of the strange order be so we get this relationship reveal right away?
Also, we waste no time on getting started on our theme for the episode: biting off more than you can chew. Rarity serves as our first example of the possible consequences.
Cut, or just not identified outright? Given that staring down a dragon was Fluttershy's main moment of awesome so far, I'm pretty sure everyone thought back to it when "the Stare" was mentioned.
And this before her magic came in!
Actually, I'll just put this in it's own post.
Pity she wasn't around for Look Before You Sleep, eh? Perhaps she should borrow that book about sleepovers?
Well given what's going to happen to her this time, you can understand her cutting back on the visits.
Gods, just imagine what they' get up to playing Pokemon Go. (Or as actual trainers!)
If, as some suspect, part of Apple Bloom's talent is for craftwork, it seems two other crusaders are more than a match for it.
I am still not 100% sure she is making this up. Actually, after seeing her family, could it have been something her parents used on Zephyr?
Because nothing says "biting off more than you can chew" than wandering into the Everfree alone at night.
Just so much classic dialouge here - maybe because it's the first time we've really heard the three of them talk, but still.
Even at it's lower rating, Season 1 could still send a chill down the spine - this probably being the prime example. Added points for shock factor, too - even if anyone remembered Twilight was in the Everfree too, I doubt anyone anticipated her status.
As well as the classical dialouge, I also love how this show keeps using old mythological mainstays in ways that work. Manticores, griffins, dragons, hydras, and more like phoenixes, minotaurs and chimerae in the future... each fits their role neatly while possibly being a kid's first introduction to a classic concept. and of course, in this case the cockatrice's blend of ridiculous and terrifying is just what the doctor ordered.
One of which is the cockatrice. And it is scary, it starts chasing them, turning Elizabeak to stone on the way!
Scootaloo trips, and they fall… right in front of Twilight the statue, who has a snail crawling on her face!
For extra horror... seriously, they got away with this?
And of course, the other reason the cockatrice is a perfect foe here - it's cursed gaze sets up the ultimate challenge for our Stare Master. (It's defeat also follows the common theme of all characters in this episode - it tried to bite off more than it could chew.)
I find this a really neat little episode that showcases a lot of the show's appeal, perfectly blending the mundane and relatable with fantasy and peril while holding to a single moral with razor focus. It was good to see Fluttershy being more overall competent than in her first focus, and the formal intro of the Stare fits well with what we saw in Dragonshy.
Of course, this was also the proper debut of the CMC (even if it shouldn't have been) and while they still don't stand out so well here as indivduals, we get a very good sense of their group dynamic helped along by some memorable exchanges. Honestly between this and Boast Busters, I almost wish Savino had contributed to later seasons too - pity he turned out to be a creep.
7133484
But quite realistic, I'm sure many parents, teachers and babysitters would agree. i do recall a line of thought in the early days of the show that since the show had adult protagonists, it's kids were free to act like kids.
7133990
We don't know if there's any way to cure a victim without cockatrice cooperation. Heck, until Student Counsel we didn't even know you could use a different cockatrice. So it's pretty much a death gaze, even if they can't eat you (which is far from certain).
Straight from the horse's mouth. (Although she does get better at doing it on command later, like Rainbow and the Rainboom.)
This was the first episode to feature the Cutie Mark Crusaders. As far as Cutie Mark Crusaders episodes go, I consider this one to be one of the best.
What I love about the Cutie Mark Crusaders is the fact that they act and talk like actual kids. One of the things that really annoys the piss out of me is when writers will attempt to make kid characters “cool” and “hip” in an attempt to appeal to the modern audience. This always makes me groan as it doesn’t come off as anything but cringe-worthy. The writers of this show know how to write kid characters and write them well. I don’t know if the voice actresses of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had anything to do with this. The Cutie Mark Crusaders act and talk like normal kids would. For example, when they’re in Fluttershy’s cottage, they’re running around, laughing, yelling, touching stuff, and being a nuisance. This is the way most normal kids act. Furthermore, when Fluttershy attempts to get them settled down by advising that they play a quiet game, the three of them lose interest literally seconds into the game before running off to do something else.
Like their sisterly counterparts, the Cutie Mark Crusaders have a very strong bond. When Scootaloo and Apple Bloom show up at Carousel Boutique, Sweetie Belle instantly brightens up from her gloomy mood. Later, when Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are having an argument in the Everfree Forest, they laugh about it and move on.
This episode showed us just how much Sweetie Belle idolizes Rarity. When she’s showing off some capes that she made for herself and her friends, she quotes Rarity line by line. My only question is, how did she manage to make those capes in such a short amount of time? Also worthy of note is Rarity herself. When she finds out that Sweetie Belle accidentally ruined the gold silk, she doesn’t yell or threaten Sweetie Belle. In fact, she doesn’t discipline Sweetie at all. If this were real life, Sweetie would have gotten cussed at, followed by getting her ass busted, but seeing as how this is a family-oriented show, no beatings are allowed to be shown. Rarity just realizes that the setback is going to cause her to fall behind and so she’s forced to cancel the sleep over, much to the Crusaders’ dismay. I’m wondering why in Equestria Rarity is trying to fulfill an order at the last minute, and only within a few hours.
Sweetie was also funny in this episode. Her singing of “Hush Now, Quiet Now” was so over-the-top that I couldn’t help but laugh, just as her singing was in “Sleepless in Ponyville.” Like the latter, this may have been a joke on the production staff’s part, because Claire Cortlett can sing exceptionally well, as can Michelle Creber. I really do hope these lovely ladies go somewhere far in their career. I would love it if they did an album because I would buy it in a heartbeat. Coincidentally, this is the first time we’ve heard Fluttershy sing as well, and I was taken aback at just how beautiful Andrea Libman’s singing voice for Fluttershy was. Like Sweetie Belle and Zoe Trent, it’s one of those singing voices that I could listen to all day and never get tired of. Personally, I prefer Fluttershy’s version of “Hush Now, Quiet Now”, though I’m sure Sweetie Belle’s version would sound just as lovely if she were to sing it properly.
Once again, I have to give mention to Fluttershy, who once again has an awesome moment. Without hesitation, she gives the cockatrice a stern talking to, demanding that it turn Twilight back to normal, and she does this all while she herself is being turned to stone. I don’t think she even noticed. As “Dragonshy” did beforehand, this episode showcased Fluttershy’s way with animals and her power over them. Unfortunately, the Stare hasn’t been utilized very often. I think the only other time it was used was in “Bats,” a Fluttershy episode that I hated.
Many people believe that after how horrid “Boast Busters” was, Chris Savino never wrote another episode for the show. This was the second episode he wrote for the show and I personally consider his second outing far superior to his first. It just goes to show you that a bad writer can write something good, and a good writer can write something terrible. Not all of us can be the next Stephen King.
7155248
Agree on the "actual kids" thing. just some minor quibbles...
Certainly a possible result, but plenty of people just... don't do that. In reality.
I've never heard of such a thing... and it being bad is hardly consensus.
7155549
True, this is nowhere near as commonplace as it was back when I was growing up.
It's believed by many that Chris Savino'z only contribution to the show was writing "Boast Busters,", but he also wrote this episode. And it's pretty unanimous across the board that "Boast Buster's" was a terrible episode. But, like most bad episodes in this show, this episode could've been salvaged with a bit of tweaking.
7155587
I really think most who knows of him contributing to the show at all knows both his eps, but I admit I haven't done a poll. And I don't recall such unanimity, even if some people thought trixie got a raw deal.
7155601 Sure, but she would probably be more likable if she actually learned from her mistakes and took some lessons from Rainbow Dash about humility, but she doesn't.
7155608
Humility isn't really her thing, but she has grown a bit at least. And she was massively popular right out of the gate.
7155614 As far as I can see, she didn't do much growing at all. And, yeah, her popularity with the fandom was why she was brought back in season three and again in season six, to the point where she became a series regular thereafter.
7155623
Well, recurring. And everything she does in Season 9 is for friendship - unimaginable for her earlier self.
7155629 Actually, no. Both "Student Counsel" and "A Horse Shoe-In" portrayed her at her worst. She didn't care about the students; all she cared about was fulfilling her own selfish desires.
7155637
yes, her selfish desire for friendship. And I do think Starlight is good for her and vice versa, even if they don'v always look it. Having Sunburst in the mix might help keep things saner, though.
7155643
So we're just going to completely ignore her actions in both episodes, then? Okay.
But all of their episodes show why they're not good for each other. They do nothing but bring out in each other's worst qualities. I highly doubt that having Sunburst in the mix is going to do anything to improve that.
7155684
No, just note that her motivations for being an obnoxious idiot have changed, and she's probably one less often nowadays. If they were like that all the time, they wouldn't stick around.
7155637 Glad someone else noticed. I absolutely can't stand what became of Trixie after she returned and became a series regular. Her friendship with Starlight was a friendship in name only, it's very much what an abusive relationship looks like. I know that's not what they intended, but unfortunately great voice acting chemistry can't make up for bad writing.
7155708
But they were like that all the time, to the point where Starlight finally got fed up with Trixie's crap and told her off. Though, not like Starlight is exactly innocent in this.
7155752 Hindsight will do that to you. And yet some friendships are just like that, where they deliberately out of their way to deliver playful jabs at one another, like Applejack and Rainbow Dash's friendship,
7155831
I do think that they tend to get on better when not the focus of an episode. It's just that since Trixie is only a recurring charcter, we don't really see them when they aren't. But they do seem to be getting on well when glimpsed in cameos.
7155897 Except that's the problem, we only ever see the bad and not the good. We never see how they could bring out the best in each other, we only see them bringing out the worst in each other and constantly making things worse for one another. Show, don't tell is a rule.
7155918 Honestly, episodes like "On the Road to Friendship" and "A Horse Shoe-In" showcase them at their worst.
7156431
in the former case, them being driven mad bi each other was the point. Not so much the latter, though - it was a fun ep, but perhaps not the right not to end their story on. (And I can't see her as a counsellor...)
7156453 I hated both of these episodes due to how infuriating they were.
7156476
I liked them OK, but they're not the duo's best.