Ginger Mint

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Oh my glob! Twilight's face in that second comic... its actually the expression she has in the episode too!

Anywho... Its time for Green isn't Your Color! This is one of my very favorite episodes, probably number three if I had to place it in order. (Rating episodes in order is pretty hard to do though, so I might be wrong about that.) Watch, I'll end up not being able to say much about this episode.

Love how excited spa pony looks when rarity says "the usual" I bet Rarity spends a bit of bits. Once again, another good example of how ponies truly enjoy the work they do. I'm really quite envious of the cutie mark system Equestria has going.

I only just noticed this now, but there's some really cool ambient music that I can barely hear unless I crank up the volume playing during the spa scene. I'd never turned up the volume for this episode before, but I'm glad I did.

Even though Fluttershy didn't really like being in the spotlight, it fits Rarity so perfectly to be able to recognize her grace and poise. Seeing the very best in somepony is right in line with the Element of Generosity, especially when you consider how closely tied generosity is to having an appreciation for things above and beyond yourself.

I tried jotting down notes for things to remember to write about, but sweet merciful celestia, the bit between Spike, Twilight and Pinkie Pie about his crush on Rarity is just too good for words. If you ask this ponynaut's humble opinion, the running "FOREVER!" gag and everything that goes with it is right up there with "who's on first," in the class of universally funny routines. The interplay between characters who know and characters who should but are either pretending or are unable to catch the hints that the audience is clued into plays a big part I think.

Also, 100% the truth: Trust is super duper extra important in just about any relationship, be it friends, family, romantic, etc. Losing trust really is a surefire way to lose a friend. Important life lessons, as demonstrated by ponies.

(Interesting thing to notice: did you see the way that assistant pony jumped into the background after opening up the camera case? Crazy perspective work there.)

When I go to a photo shoot, I often end up taking hundreds of pictures. Sure, thats really easy with digital photography these days, but even back in the days of film, not using a full roll of film at an assignment would have been crazy. I wonder, do they use magic to develop photos? I bet that would make things easier than sitting in a dark room for hours.

I can understand why Rarity would have Twilight's gala dress on her dress hanger, but why does she have the dress Twilight wanted her to fix a button on too?

I love all of Photo Finish's assistant ponies, they all have such clever designs. I'm not sure if they've had another pony in the show with their tail done straight up like the orange haired assistant.

"Don't be ridiculous, you're only facing a large crowd of ponies who will be watching your every move and silently judging you." One of the best lines in the episode.

During the Fluttershy fashion montage, seeing that carrot flavored drink on the banner that was being pulled through the sky really makes me wonder what a carrot flavored soda would taste like. I mean, I absolutely love carrot cake, so I bet someone could make a delicious carrot soda.

Fluttershy's reaction to being a star in this episode really exemplifies a sort of duality about her character. She may not stand up for herself and she does feel its important to help out her friends, but at the same time, she doesn't like being pushed around or having decisions made for her. Even simple things like Spike fussing over her dress was enough to get a grumpy look on her face. I remember some people saying back in season 1 that Fluttershy raging was contrary to her character, but I think its an integral part that makes a lot of sense. She has strong feelings but tries to keep them bottled up inside, but when she can't hold it in anymore, she ends up bursting out (as it were.)

I know I said this before when this episode came up the first time and everyone was talking about it, but I loved how they got the whole "letting it out," thing right. Contrary to popular belief, catharsis doesn't reduce anger or stress. "Letting it all out," by screaming or punching a pillow (or kicking a vase) doesn't help. All it does is make you feel more comfortable with being angry, and that leads to anger management issues when you make a habit of it.

"Who is saying these things?" Oh my, I love the total deadpan way those lines get delivered.

I don't know what it was, but watching this episode again, even though I'd seen it plenty of times before... That part where Rarity confesses that she wanted Fluttershy to fail? I got a tear in my eye. Call me sappy if you must, but I think that is a really heart touching moment.

I think I'm going to have to watch this episode again sometime soon, but for now I must sleep. Before I go though, its time for the remix of the episode:

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I laughed at the Twilightlicious part, and d'awwed at the Derpy Hooves fan.

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Yup, AppleSpike is totally my for-real prediction, no lie...

I don't think I've ever met anyone famous before, but I suspect I'm just as capable of "flipping out" as the next person, or as Rarity would say, being quite in awe.

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Rarity #4 is art connoisseur Rarity, from Sweet and Elite during the Becoming Popular song.

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So, um... yeah. I'm not so good at that whole TV trope thing. I guess I'll just have to do another wall of text commentary that maybe one and a half people will read.

I admit this episode was never at the top of my favorites list, but I certainly don't think it is bad by any stretch of the imagination.

And I actually enjoyed this episode a lot more watching it through this time than I did the first time. Knowing what to expect from the pacing made the episode not feel quite as rushed. Also, this may have been the episode when Tabitha St. Germain really started pushing the limits with her voice acting. The way she turns the accent up to 11 during the imagination sequences, and her different squeaks and things. Top notch for sure.

Starting the episode off with something sensational, I gotta say that Sapphire Shores is an awesome character. She's got the voice, she's got confidence practically bubbling out of her mane, and she's got a unique pony model to boot. How awesome is that? Mares don't usually get unique models. I especially like the pointy nose she's got, it reminds me of Woona from Moonstuck (although I think this predates that little filly by a while.)

Elvis costume? ... yeah, I could see it working for Sapphire.

"Spike, a lady is never jealous." That's not what it looked like to me. Seriously though, Spike does manage to pull off some lines that aren't just a self conscious attempt to impress Rarity, so bonus points for him.

The way Spike digs through the ground like its nothing though, perhaps he really is an Earth Dragon or something?

Someone needs to make a Spike version of the Noooooo Button, assuming they haven't already done so and I'm just missing it. If you ask me, Spike was a lot more convincing.

Maybe its just me, but I think Fluttershy's method for getting down the holes is the best. Just stand in the middle and watch (Hey, it worked about as well as anyone else's)

Now for some controversy! Spike may be trying to save Rarity, but after seeing Applejack's reaction after his Dragon Lancer daydream, my money is on Spike x Applejack*.

* I'm not actually serious, but what would an episode thread be without a bit of controversy? Actually, if I remember correctly, this episode drummed up quite a bit of controversy back when it first aired. People thought that Rarity whining was an example of "Females Being Manipulative," which I recall disputing at length. (and would dispute again if anyone tried proposing it now.)

Once again, Pinkie Pie steals the scene by zooming through the tunnels like its an amusement park ride and performing a swan dive at the end.

Twilight Sparkle: "No! I can't use the gem finding spell."

Spike: "No Twilight, you are the gem finding spell."

And then Twilight was Rarity.

I suspect that since friendship is magic, friendship is part of what powers Twilight's special talent for magic. She sure seems to have picked up a lot of new spells since she came to Ponyville anyway. Perhaps the fact that Rarity needed her help in turn helped give her the focus needed to cast the spell? Thats my head-canon anyway.

"Dogs do not pull, ponies pull!" Aaaactually, hate to break it to you Mr. Diamond Dog, Sir...

The lesson of this episode actually works well for kids I think, especially in that context. Kids need to not cooperate with kidnappers as best they can.

Anyway time for the remix of the episode. This one was hard to find, and its mostly for humor value. I thought you wanted whining (DJ D-Dog mix)

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I browsed ponibooru too. It may have had lots of junk, but it was pretty easy to skip over or filter out stuff I didn't want to see, and I never really liked the idea that I might miss a gem by only looking in places where someone else set the filters.

(Its kind of funny, Canterlot is the only place I post my OC images, but I was actually considering posting a couple of my armored pony pictures for people to see as a reference. Guess I don't have to worry about that now. )

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I think the place where someone is banished to has more to do with their own personality rather than the preference of the pony doing the banishing.

Nightmare Moon wanted eternal night, the Elements of Harmony sent her to the moon where (in Equestria anyway) it is always night.

So I suspect that if somepony had a penchant for burning things and causing a general mess through pyromania, that pony might be banished in the sun for a while. Though its clearly more of a metaphysical event, I mean, the mare in the moon showed up as a series of craters, but nightmare moon didn't look very cratery when she returned.

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Yay Angie Cakes! I was wondering if anyone was going to get that one.

I think you're probably right about that Weesh, I don't remember her wearing a pink scarf any other time either.

As for Rarity#2, I do believe that is Gala Dress Rarity, or alternatively, keep anything that stains away from me Rarity.

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Really strange thing I noticed the other day. I was drowsy and I was writing some stuff, and I wrote Zebra on a sheet of paper. But my writing was really sloppy, so the "b" dislodged itself and turned into a "ko." How is this important? Because it turns out that Zebra is just a half a penstroke away from Zekora.

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Now for a quick "The Show Stoppers" commentary.

The opening scene makes me chuckle for a few different reasons. First off, Applejack keeps talking up the club house, even as its falling apart around her. Second of all, when I was a wee young'n myself, we often didn't have much more than a couple of two-by-fours nailed to the fork in the trunk for a tree house. We'd have been ecstatic to have something like that, even in its original form. Assuming it wasn't chock full of spiders anyway.

Also, starting with Stare Master, it was hard for me distinguish the personalities of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and I admit I didn't really notice the differences until Cutie Mark Chronicles, but Scootaloo's "Tender Loving Care or Totally Lost Cause?" line I think is starting to show her personality.

Awesome Scootaloo is awesome, but remember kids: Always wear a helmet when you're doing death defying stunts. (Such as biking down a residential street or something.) And is it just me or does Scootaloo break the 4th wall there for just a moment when she takes her helmet off? She looks right at the camera until Applebloom starts talking, then her eyes move off to the side.

So, who's willing to take bets on whether or not the implied special talents are going to end up being their for real special talents or if its all a big ruse by the writers?

I see the cutie mark crusaders have a map of ponyville right there, I wonder why that hasn't been implemented into the board RP yet.

The cutie mark adventures montage is, for me, the highlight of the episode. I love that tune, and the goofy things they do just make me smile like I'm in a song and dance routine with Pinkie Pie. Speaking of Pinkie Pie, do you suppose the bit where they're testing Applebloom with Zener Cards is them checking to see if she has some kind of Pinkie Sense? (They're both earth ponies, so maybe its possible)

The bit on the tiny mountain top was pretty epic, though it always struck me as funny that Scootaloo's mane was so much more animated than anypony elses. Usually its the gal with the short haircut who's hair ends up being frozen in place during cartoons while long hair is always billowing in the wind.

"No way I'm singing in front of a large crowd!" Stage fright strikes again. Just goes to show that it can strike anyone, even people who shouldn't have anything to fear.

"Coming up with words is like... really hard." I don't know why. I didn't laugh the first time I watched this episode, but this time around when I heard that line I couldn't stop laughing and had to pause and rewind.

After watching the part where they're practicing... not sure if lesson is about doing what you're good at or about helping others improve...

I find it kind of funny that in Equestria, even though they have for real magic, they still have the kind of magic tricks that people would use. Also: Poetry on rollerskates? What will these crazy ponies think of next?

"Uh, good luck!" Nice job Twilight, you just gave them bad luck!

I would pay real money to hear the version of this song where Madeleine Peters isn't purposefully singing badly. Its such a neat tune, but Scootaloo's voice just... ouch.

And now for the remixes of the episode.

Last but not least, a 1min sketch of Applebloom the blank flank. I got lazy this time and didn't bother with color, but what can you do? Perhaps in one of the upcoming episodes, I'll have to try drawing with my eyes closed.

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Alright, time to take a look at the episode known as Stare Master.

Before I get into the heart of it though, I'd like to mention something that I noticed with several episodes starting with Stare Master. The latter part of Season 1 and parts of Season 2 have pacing that is quite a bit different from the first half of Season 1. I would almost dare to say that the earlier episodes had a more casual pacing to them.

I'm not saying that I dislike Staremaster, but I always got the impression that they were trying to squeeze more into the episode than 22 minutes would allow. There were a few threads that didn't get developed as much as perhaps they should have, like Twilight going into the Everfree Forest. There's a lot of suspense in the Everfree Forest scene, but they don't keep it up consistently. They mention that Twilight is going there at the start, but the audience is allowed to forget about it until the episode is almost over.

I don't know exactly what it is, and I'm not trying to criticize too harshly, but for whatever reason I feel like the episode could have used another 2-3 minutes of runtime and it would have been better. I suppose feeling like an episode was cut short is better than feeling like it dragged on too long.

Anyway, back to the episode. I suspect that Rarity gets her tailoring supplies from Cloudsdale. Surely that would make them soft and fluffy, but it also means that they can fly!

Does anyone else think the Cutie Mark Crusaders have awesome voice actors? Sweetie Belle's accent just has this intensity that makes me think that she's in a constant state of trying really hard at everything she does.

Rarity weaves her own fabric? That is pretty amazing, especially amazing since she can make it in so many different colors and styles. Do you think she used actual gold in the gold silk? I wouldn't put it past unicorns to be able to do something like that.

"You've seen how well I handle small creatures." Congratulations girls, you've been upgraded to creature status.

Girls girls girls! Has anyone counted just how many times that word is spoken in this episode? I bet its a lot.

Cutie Mark Crusaders Creature Catchers, yay! Its pretty impressive how they managed to go through an entire range of emotions just using Scootaloo's eyes in that little bit.

(Also, does anyone else think that the *yay* at the end of every exclamation is usually the shortest, least exclamatory part? I always though that was kind of funny.)

"Hammer, Hammer!" After seeing Applebloom fix up the old clubhouse in a later episode, I wonder if carpentry will be her special talent? It was kind of a neat sculpture at least. (Also, I remember seeing a funny little comic about the CMCs accidentally making a masterwork of art, lets see if I can find it. CMCs vs ikea)

"How about I sing you a lullaby?" I remember the first time I was watching this episode... I heard that line and my reaction was pretty close to "omygoshomygoshomygosh!" It may not be one of the best songs in the series ever, but it always has a special place in my heart.

Speaking of which, I should pause the video now and do my 1 minute sketch.

Much easier with just one color

My favorite "Cutie Mark Crusaders are Go!" line is the one about being chicken rescuers. The way they whisper it but still take the time to pose is hilarious. I do that on occasion myself from time to time now, saying what I'm about to do in a hushed voice and striking a silly pose, like "Dropping off sister at dorms is a go!" ...My sister thinks I'm a little crazy.

"Good with animals, good with kids." And if they were goats, maybe that would have applied?

On the whole, I think the everfree forest bit is really intense. I don't know if there's any single part that I can say stands out above the rest. Some of the little parts like the tree branch that vaguely looks like a clawed hand is every bit as scary as the actual monster at the end.

However, one thing does stand out as being particularly funny in my book. After Fluttershy finds Twilight Sparkle, its a good time for chills and fright, but they throw in a bit of comedy relief.

• First off: Look at Twilight's face in the part where she is falling over on her side. Its a face forward shot and it looks really goofy. Seriously, pause the video right as she's about to fall down.

• Second: "Don't move, I'll be back for you!"

"Two chickens, I thought only one escaped!" Well you didn't fix the hole in the fence so... oh, I see...

So I have to wonder, did Scootaloo get hit by a stare at the end there? Oh well, I guess we'll never know.

Before I go, time for the remix of the episode. Or more precisely, the remixes of the episode, because I couldn't pick just one.

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• Hush Now (Native American Flute Mix)

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I wasn't the first person to notice this. I had to have it pointed out to me, but I figured I could share anyway.

Take a look at their cutie marks. You've got a judge's gavel representing a Judge. You've got a closed scroll for the mayor. And the third pony has an open scroll with writing on it. Thats pretty much the classic "three branches of government" right there.

• Judicial: Gavel is self explanatory.

• Executive: The scroll is closed and wrapped, implying that the document has already been written. (she's just carrying it out)

• Legislative: The scroll is open with writing, implying that it is still being written.

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These 1 minute drawings are fun to see. I like Angie's unimpressed Scootaloo and chicken Scootaloo... actually, there's an awful lot of Scootaloo around here isnt there? Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that she's awesome? I'm not sure. Also, Silly Sweetie Belle, only pegasus ponies can sleep on clouds!

If I were a pegasus, I'm not sure which would be more awesome, being able to fly or being able to sleep on nice, soft, fluffy clouds.

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I'm ok with Dash being rough and abrasive too, it fits with her character, but I like to think that her actions at least stem from noble intentions most of the time.

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I don't think its that bad. You've got a subtle style that suits your soft lines.

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When I think of Fillydelphia sports teams, I usually think of the Phillies, but thats almost too easy to ponify.

These are pretty neat though, I could see Glitz or Baltimare being in the show for reals.

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I used to say it was Gilda, but recently I think I've changed my mind. The rampaging bunnies from Applebuck Season are the best.

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I guess it can be a little bit of a trick to write a full review of several episodes in one week. (Usually takes me about an hour to watch the episode and compose my thoughts.) I've been trying to space them out rather than go all at once, but I could do that if it worked out better. I'm interested, regardless of how you plan on organizing it.

Anyway, on with the review.

Ah, Sonic Rainboom. One of the best (often considered the best) episodes no doubt. There's a lot to talk about so lets get started.

The opening sequence has a pretty interesting setup by itself. I know Rainbow Dash has gotten some flak from people for pushing Fluttershy to assert herself, I get the impression that Fluttershy really does want to learn how to assert herself more. Later in this episode we hear her get excited and say "Did you see that? I was so assertive!" (Putting Your Hoof Down may have been in season 2, but it also exemplifies that part of her personality). And considering how miserable she gets when she ends up being pushed around (like in Green isn't Your Color) I suspect that Rainbow Dash might actually be giving cheering lessons by request. At the very least, I don't think she's trying to impose herself unfairly.

Also, in the last shot, did anyone else notice that crazy blue tree with two trunks? Crazy!

Speaking of crazy, how about that crazy weekend of studying?

I tried to pick out a part of their meeting at Twilight's house that I thought was the best, but it proved impossible. Just about every line that comes out of everypony's mouth is awesome, from Pinkie Pie's antics to Fluttershy's "did my cheering do that?"

No wait, I lied. Pinkie Pie instantly finding the flight spell and Applejack's "How'd you do that?" were pure comedy gold.

Twilight says its a spell that allows Earth Ponies to fly for three days, but Rarity is a unicorn! Dun dun dunnn! (Foreshadowing? No, probably not.) Speaking of which, was anyone else on the edge of their seat the first time they saw Twilight trying to cast the "really difficult" spell? The music was so tense and then kaboom! I think that display of magic might have been more impressive than even lifting an Ursa Minor, and it was all in the presentation.

I did a little bit of research into stage fright/performance anxiety and its kind of interesting. I already knew that it often manifests as an irrational phobia in people that usually don't experience social anxiety at all. Sometimes it comes and goes, sometimes it is a more chronic problem, but one of the key components is a over awareness of one's own appearance. With that in mind, I think its no mistake that Rarity was chosen to make a grand appearance in every sense of the word.

Uncertainty is another big part of the equation, and it is kind of interesting to think about what Rainbow Dash is uncertain about. I don't think she was too concerned about failing the Sonic Rainboom, at least not at the beginning. She'd failed it hundreds of times in practice so she had to have some expectation that it wasn't going to work. Why else have the first two phases anyway? I suspect that it was only later that she started worrying about what might happen afterwards. She may have been confident in herself, but as is commonly the case in Stage Fright, there is a sense of uncertainty about the reaction of others.

Rainbow Dash didn't mind failing all day long in front of Fluttershy, but once other ponies started giving her a hard time, she stopped being certain about how others would respond to her performance. (even failing the Sonic Rainboom was pretty spectacular) Especially the reactions of Princess Celestia and the Wonderbolts, who she isn't personally familiar with.

I've had a few discussions with people on the subject of whether or not Rainbow Dash is a self-confident pony or not, and I'm convinced that she is. Stage fright manifests physiologically as a "fight or flight" response, and Rainbow Dash didn't run away. I think this is part of the reason why, especially for physical activities, that the anticipation is so much worse than the actual event. Once she got started she was "Fighting," as it were.

Now that I've got that part out of the way, how about some silly things? Right after Rarity is admiring herself in the mirror, we see a placard advertising high heeled boots. How does that even work for ponies? Ponies are already standing on the tips of their toes!

Clearly there's some kind of pegasi magic that lets solid objects stay up in the clouds. If they can hold clothing up in the clouds then they have the capacity to hold solid objects. Alternatively, if the clothes are made out of clouds, if they can make hardhats out of clouds, then they can make solid objects out of clouds that can hold weight. My guess is that there's lots of different types of clouds (just like in real life)

I the weather factory scene. Every part is amazing, but just like always, Pinkie Pie is the scene stealer with her spicy rainbows. (She steals scenes just as well as she steals corn cakes.)

The Wonderbolts don't get a lot of screen time, but the animators really do a good job making them look awesome. Coordinated aerial moves, or just rushing to action when somepony is in danger. So what if they get knocked out, they at least get knocked out with style.

"She just looked like such a nice pony." Fluttershy would make either the best or the worst judge, I can't tell which.

Why is Princess Celestia awarding the prize? I thought the Wonderbolts were supposed to be the judges.

Also: I am glad that the mean ponies weren't total jerks in the end. They may have had good reasons to be skeptical before, but once they realized they'd been proven wrong, they didn't hold a grudge.

I don't know what else I can say about this episode other than "omygoshomygoshomygosh!"

Now for the remix of the episode: Rainbow Rhapsody - Makkon

Now lets see, time to try to make a picture in one minute... Need to find a stopwatch here...

...Ok done. That was hard! Even using the eyedropper tool to pick colors that was a challenge.

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This is going to be a hard one to review, since we're now getting to the episodes I've already covered the first time they came out. I could probably just copy paste my old thoughts on it, but that doesn't seem like a good idea.

I always thought it was kind of funny that Twilight takes predictions from ancient tome very seriously, but doesn't believe Pinkie Pie can predict the future.

Its my personal opinion that part of Twilight Sparkle's special talent must be falling off of things, cause she does it all the time. She falls off a couple of cliffs in the pilot, falls in a ditch and she falls off another cliff while trying to escape the hydra.

I didn't notice it the first time, maybe because the colors are so faded, but it made me chuckle to realize that Twilight is standing on an actual soap box while she's giving her little "doesn't make sense" speech.

I don't get too involved in the "Electricity in Equestria," debates but I thought it was interesting to note that Twilight's science gizmo thing is actually steam powered. I mean, just watch it go, its spitting out little puffs of steam!

(I really liked Twilight's custom climbing up the stairs animation when they're finished with the experiments, something about it is just really cool.)

I wonder, if Pinkie Pie hadn't predicted it, would Twilight have fallen down the stairs into Applejacks cellar?

Pinkie Pie: "Letting Twilight secretly follow me all day without me knowing!" This is perhaps one of the funniest lines ever spoken by a pony.

Fluttershy isn't a very good flier. She spends all day flying to froggy bottom bog, and the other three run there in just a few minutes.

Love Applejack's deadpan "of course not."

If the episode had just been Twilight getting smashed, stung and otherwise beaten up, I wouldn't have liked this episode nearly as much. Once everyone thinks Fluttershy might be in danger though, everything takes a turn for the heart warming. Spike and Applejack's conversation about what they think might be happening ("Me too, but I'm thinking about it anyway.") is so well played, its hard not to feel some kind of empathy for how concerned they are.

Then even though Twilight Sparkle has spent the first half of the episode being a big grouch, she puts herself in harms way repeatedly to save her friends, going to show just how much she really cares. Saving Spike, grabbing Pinkie by the tail and distracting the Hydra while everyone else gets to safety.

"What would a brave pony like Rainbow Dash do? Charge!" Even though Rainbow Dash could just as easily fly away, she's not that kind of pony.

I really hope we get to see Twilight burst into flames in a future episode. It'd be like if Pinkie Sense didn't show up again ever.

Before I go, I leave you with a remix of the hydra's theme.

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I just found this today, not a bad explanation if you ask me.

For a more in depth explanation, check out the wikipedia article on polyploidy

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I think whether or not ponies are ok with you or run in fear depends on how you present yourself. If you mail brochures out in advance of your arrival and put on a big stage production, you'll probably get a warm welcome. If you just wander into town from the Everfree forest one day, you'll probably be met with... well, probably won't be met at all.

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With respect, the purpose of a pilot episode is to impress corporate executives. If you were to take a scientific approach, you would probably want to take a random sampling of episodes.

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I'm sorry flutterscotch, but your story about dramatic confessions struck a chord with me and I think I have to make a confession of my own. If I don't air this out in the open now, I'm afraid it will eat away at me until I do. I know you're not a fan of high drama, I'm not a big fan either so I apologize in advance for this, and since its not really relevant to this topic I'll try keep it out of the way.

SPIKE HAS A CRUSH ON RARITY!

Sorry again about that, but back to the topic at hand, I'm pretty sure that if it hadn't been for the show, we would never have a Zecora toy.

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Its one thing to watch a cartoon where characters learn lessons about friendship, but its another thing to see it happen in real life. I saw this on the news and it brought a smile to my face.

Ohio teen helps opponent cross the finish line

Simply awesome.

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Well, I've always said that Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle make a good team

Now, on to my Suited for Success review!

As an artist myself, I have to say that Suited for Success holds a very special place in my heart. I think for a lot of people it was the episode where Rarity proved she was a cool character. My own struggles to break into the art profession have given me a strong empathy for what Rarity is going through in this episode, compromising on her vision to make her friends happy.

Poor opal, Rarity just doesn't speak cat at all

You can't wear this *eh* old thing. Its only a minute or so into the show and Rarity is already making me chuckle.

Rainbow Dash "Oh, I love fun things!" This is just another reason why Rainbow Dash is best pony.

I think part of the message of the episode is balance. (Other than the expressed moral that is.) The conflict swaps from two extremes from the beginning to the end. At the start, Rarity is overconfident and her friends are hesitant to accept her generosity at all, then in the middle it switches so that Rarity loses her confidence and her friends are taking too much advantage of her generosity. By the end though, they realize that they'd have been better off somewhere in the middle. Accepting, but not taking for granted. Offering, but not over-extending.

As a professional artist, I can say that if the client doesn't tell you precisely what they want at the start, it is often a good idea to keep the client involved in the development process, even if you don't actually listen to any of their suggestions. You show them what you've got during the rough draft stage, let them give input and then move on, that way they know what to expect when you're finished. Since the other five ended up being pleased with their dresses in the end, I think part of it was just managing expectations. Which, of course, is foreshadowing for the gala itself. They expected something different and thus weren't able to enjoy what they had even though it wasn't any worse.

Fluttershy's "if you really want to know..." speech is part of why I think Fluttershy is awesome. She may seem like she is devoid of personality because she's so quiet at times, but then she goes and shows that she's actually thinks about things a lot, she just doesn't always express herself.

One thing that always impressed me with this episode was the camera work. The creative cuts during the song and the way each scene flows together along with the music during the second fashion show, its all just fantastic in every way I can think of. Using the twirling lasso or cutting scissors to change shots is excellent. ALso, I know its just a song and dance routine, but Rarity is a pretty talented telekinetic, moving all those things around the room at once.

Honestly, I thought Rainbow Dash's "bad dress" wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't been for the helmet.

The first appearance of dj-pon3, best DJ in Ponyville. No, best DJ in all of Equestria!

(I'm going to have to be honest, I had to fast forward past the first fashion show when I watched this the first time... it was too embarrassing.)

Rarity's monologues are hilarious, she's so melodramatic and even though she's miserable I can't help but laugh at her voice acting.

Fluttershy: Panic?

Rainbow Dash: That's your answer for everything!

Before I finish, I'll leave you with this, my favorite Art of the Dress Remix