In this week's episode we learned that, hidden beneath a kind and soft-spoken exterior, Fluttershy's got one hell of a mean streak.
I'm algernon97, and I'm sorry this is a bit late. I blame my lousy internet connection. Find the followup for The
Note: There's a lot of pictures in this followup, and a couple of GIFs. This might slow down some computers and mobile devices.
It's nice to see the animal sanctuary again. This is about the fourth or fifth time Fluttershy's had a picnic with all the critters she's befriended, and it's a bit of a shame that they always get interrupted by something.
Speaking of which...
We're not even past the title sequence and Rarity's already sent in an entry for Best Face.
I know absolutely nothing about fashion and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it a bit risky to base an entire collection around one dress? I've heard of using one overall theme or idea, but never basing your whole portfolio around one piece.
Also, for someone who just started knitting, that elephant's not half bad.
Somehow, Boulder was overqualified for the job.
I looked up "obtuse fashion" because I didn't think it was a real thing at first.
Fluttershy's reaction here is completely appropriate. That stuff is ugly. It's like a twelve-year old took a home economics class and designed an outfit.
So that's what numbers look like in this universe. This also isn't how mechanical registers work. You have to pull that lever for anything to happen.
Speaking as someone who has family working in retail, it's depressing how accurate this scene is.
Nothing is going to convince me that Rarity isn't just bull[sewing]ing this pony, and that they both know it. This is a sophisticated game of chicken, and Rarity ain't going to be the one to flinch.
The fake laughter at the end is just more proof for it.
"You've conquered your shyness a thousand times over."
I see what you did there, Hamilton.
Rarity must have some amazing balancing skills to pull off those power poses.
Though, now that I think about it, that first pose looks familiar...
And she saves it with the adorable smile. 10/10 top tier cute pone.
I can honestly say that I never expected these three to come back as main characters for an episode. They've got some great silent acting going on throughout the whole story, too.
Whoever animated these guys, you did good.
Fluttershy sends in her first entry for Best Face.
I know that outfit is meant to be a sophisticated thing that only real Saddle Row mares would wear, but I seriously expected Fluttershy to pick up a paint can and start walking down the street when she put it on.
Apparently this guy's based on Tim Gunn from Project Runway. I love it when the show ponifies real people. It's a fun easter egg for people familiar with them, but at the same time it usually isn't blindingly obvious.
Also, if you're wondering, thread count is a way of measuring the softness of a fabric, with 200-800 being "good." 1,000, as this guy wants, is a bit extreme
It's also mainly used for bedsheets.
Also, for someone who just started knitting, that elephant's not half bad.
Somehow, Boulder was overqualified for the job.
This is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.
I looked up "obtuse fashion" because I didn't think it was a real thing at first.
Fluttershy's reaction here is completely appropriate. That stuff is ugly. It's like a twelve-year old took a home economics class and designed an outfit.
So that's what numbers look like in this universe. This also isn't how mechanical registers work. You have to pull that lever for anything to happen.
Speaking as someone who has family working in retail, it's depressing how accurate this scene is.
Nothing is going to convince me that Rarity isn't just bull[sewing]ing this pony, and that they both know it. This is a sophisticated game of chicken, and Rarity ain't going to be the one to flinch.
The fake laughter at the end is just more proof for it.
"You've conquered your shyness a thousand times over."
I see what you did there, Hamilton.
Rarity must have some amazing balancing skills to pull off those power poses.
Though, now that I think about it, that first pose looks familiar...
This is why you don't get mane and tail extensions.
I can honestly say that I never expected these three to come back as main characters for an episode. They've got some great silent acting going on throughout the whole story, too.
Whoever animated these guys, you did good.
Fluttershy sends in her first entry for Best Face.
I know that outfit is meant to be a sophisticated thing that only real Saddle Row mares would wear, but I seriously expected Fluttershy to pick up a paint can and start walking down the street when she put it on.
Apparently this guy's based on Tim Gunn from Project Runway. I love it when the show ponifies real people. It's a fun easter egg for people familiar with them, but at the same time it usually isn't blindingly obvious.
Also, if you're wondering, thread count is a way of measuring the softness of a fabric, with 200-800 being "good." 1,000, as this guy wants, is a bit extreme
It's also mainly used for bedsheets.
And so it begins...
Where the heck was he keeping that bag? That thing's huge!
Fluttershy's second entry for Best Face.
And now her third, which puts her in the lead.
I'm going to sing Andrea Libman's praises for a moment here, because she owns this episode. She had to make Fluttershy go through four different voices, two of which had accents, and sell this story by herself for a large chunk of the runtime. By no means is this an easy thing to do. Most live-action actors never even attempt something like that.
And she knocked it out of the ballpark. Give this lady an award.
"And if even one shoppony isn't up to my standards, well, I shall make my displeasure quite plain."
You are the worst type of person pony and everyone that works in stores hates you.
I love this scene. Rarity's not a snobby socialite, and she shows it by being perfectly willing to miss her train in order to help Fluttershy.
She doesn't go back because she hears that everything's fine, but hey, everyone makes mistakes. I've made a few like this when I was in a rush, too.
Also where the heck does she keep that pocket watch? Seriously, it's been bugging me for a couple of seasons now.
I don't know who this pony is, but that is one cute face. And is it just me, or does she sound extremely sarcastic?
This is the first sign that Fluttershy's getting lost in character: "If I had meant chevron, then that's what I would have said."
That goes beyond faking it and into being mean territory. Her decision to push the "snooty-ness" further just lets her push things past the tipping point. She starts subtly insulting the customers right after asking Smoky and his family to serve tea.
If you want a critique on how fickle fashion is, look no further than this pony immediately saying she has to have something pointy at the suggestion of Flutters.
Also I love how that Fluttershy just slams that...hat(?) thing on her head. And once again, there's signs that Flutterbutter's starting to lose herself. Pay close attention to the way she talks about that hat and the way it looks on this pony.
Hamilton, what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
I think this is the weakest part of the episode. I get what they were going for, but the use of real slang is going to date this episode almost immediately.
Five years from now, everything Hipstershy says is going to sound just as silly as all the "daddy-o's" in West Side Story.
I wouldn't be surprised if someone already made art of Flutterbat wearing this outfit.
And the award for Best Face goes to that mare delivering a glorious spit take back there.
This is the moment when Fluttershy completely loses herself in the characters she's made up. No apology for yelling at Smoky's family, no reminder that she's just playing the part. It's honestly a surprising moment since it looks like she'll say something to them for a second.
Also iced tea is the best tea, hot tea is garbage, and I will fight you over this.
"The blackness of this vest is a reflection of your soul."
Sweet pony Jesus, Fluttershy, you're supposed to sell them clothes, not destroy them.
Presented without context.
"Go back to the forest!"
...
I don't even know who you are anymore.
Twilight said what everyone was thinking here. By the way, does anyone else want to see dragon charades? No? Just me? OK, then.
This is some great reaction image fodder.
Hearing Fluttershy calling Smoky's family "rodents" is just... it's just wrong.
This is beyond method acting or getting lost in the part.
This is a friggin' split personality. Or it's a Stanford Prison Experiment situation. Either one's got as much claim for this, psychology-wise.
"Darling, you listen to me, and you listen hard. Six ponies, six jobs, I don't know how many bits, five weeks of sewing, designing, and planning depend on you. It's the lives of all these ponies you've worked with. You've got to go out there and give, give, and give! They have to like you, do you understand? Because your future's in it, my future and everything all of us have is staked on you! You keep your hooves on that walkway, and your head on straight, and darling, you're going out a foal, but you've got to come back a star!"
Pinkie Pie, defying the laws of physics as usual.
It's worth noting that the thing that gets Rarity to drop everything and go to the shop is the "rodents" comment, so much so that she asks why they didn't start with it. I like to think that she's come to view Smoky's family as good friends, since she reacts like someone called a friend of hers a truly obscene racial slur.
Something I haven't talked about so far is the insanely fast costume changes Fluttershy goes through in this episode. I spent six years working as a stagehand and I've seen some quick changes in my time., but this pony takes the cake.
Are we sure she isn't related to Pinkie in any way? I'm pretty sure there's some reality warping shenanigans going on here.
On a more serious note, the editing and framing in this episode is fantastic. It goes a long way toward making it seem like there's three characters walking around the shop instead of just Fluttershy. It's movie/cartoon magic and I love it.
Obligatory Terminator joke.
That's actually a darn good moral. You shouldn't try to be someone you're not, especially when you were wanted because of who you are. This really hit home for me when I was writing this followup.
Again, are we sure that Fluttershy isn't related to Pinkie Pie in any way?
That's actually a darn good moral. You shouldn't try to be someone you're not, especially when you were wanted because of who you are. This really hit home for me when I was writing this followup.
Scrunchy face and snoot boop.
These two are a lot of fun together. I hope we'll get another episode with them later on in the season.
And that about wraps it up. I don't know about you, but I really enjoyed this episode. It had a great moral, the way it handled Fluttershy's different personalities was fantastic, and it had some fun comedy moments all throughout.
What do you think about it?
Thank you for reading, and I'll see you sometime in the future.
algernon97 walked into Mordor.
