 |
| "You want it with what alcohol content?" |
Written by M. A. Larson
28 Jan 2012
My original rating: N/A
IMDB score: 7.8
The one with Big Mac's goggles.
Thoughts: A slightly strange episode, this, and not Larson's most consistent piece of FiM writing. The highlight is of course the "Music Man"-inspired song, still a cast iron classic all these years on. This is also the episode that made cider a brony staple, especially over here where cider is always alcoholic – thus causing us some hilarity as we see Apple Bloom serving, and causing UK kids' TV stations some problems. The Flim Flam Brothers make a pretty strong entry, certainly better than some of their later efforts, and the production race between them and the Ponyvillians is very entertaining watching... and note their green magical auras, the colour later associated with evil. But here's the rub: what's actually wrong with the FlimFlams' automated production method anyway? Their shady business practices, absolutely, but the cider itself is apparently good stuff. What is Granny Smith doing when she accepts that all or nothing bet? Isn't Twilight's "honorary family members" wheeze sharp practice of her own? And why should Ponyville have a monopoly cider producer? Sweet Apple Acres seems entirely unable to handle the level of demand, judging by all those queues. (On which note, come on, Pinkie. That's just obnoxious behaviour. First time in a while I've felt sorry for Rainbow Dash.) Admittedly a lot can be forgiven for that wonderful song – and AJ's equally brilliant letter to the Princess, which led to this T-shirt among other things. The ep also gave us the most famous welcome GIF. It's a really fun episode. It's just not an entirely coherently plotted one. Three stars, Flim? Three stars, Flam.
Choice quote: Rainbow Dash: "Is this some kind of cruel joke?"
New rating: ★★★
Next up is "Read It and Weep", which introduces us to Daring Do – albeit the initial version of her, before the screeching retcon of S4 – and is an episode I love, not least because it's Rainbow's first truly likeable performance in ages.
This episode is at P. T. Barnum levels of showbusiness chicanery: so much of the plot is shakey and doesn't hold up to scrutiny, but you have such a good time watching the performance that you don't really care.
ReplyDeleteAll of those questions are perfectly valid. The brothers' only mistake was sacrificing quality for output because they got scared they'd lose. Well, that and forcing a family to nearly give up their livelihood out of pride, that bet was a pretty crappy thing to make. :B
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of Broadway-style musicals, so with the song as this episode's strong selling point, that's just not going to get me interested. I agree, there was nothing wrong with the brothers bringing in a little competition, though they ruined it for themselves by getting greedy. Really, nobody's motivation in this episode makes sense. Not the brothers for wanting a monopoly, not the Apples for accepting that bet, not the townsfolk for implicitly endorsing an all-or-nothing bet by only being willing to patronize a single vendor. It's a mess of logic, and the only positive for me is Applejack's moral at the end, and even that is tempered by the fact that she should have learned something: namely, don't make dumb bets and you're not entitled to a monopoly. It's not an episode I've ever cared to rewatch, ad one of the weaker episodes, imo.
ReplyDeleteThis comment in particular makes me realize that 100% of my love for this episode comes from the song. It's that good. It carries the whole goddamn mess by itself.
DeleteThe scene that crystallises my thoughts on this episode (barrels of fun, makes no sense but it doesn't matter a jot) is the scene where Fluttershy pulls up the covers to hide her bare chest. It doesn't make *any* sense for her to do that, but *that's the joke*.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the whole episode everyone, and I mean *everyone*, is acting in ways that don't make sense, as if the episode takes place in an alternate and more heightened version of reality. And while I can see it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea (and that's perfectly fair) I find the whole episode a blast from start to finish.
Oh yes, with more space I'd have mentioned that scene. I think Impossible Numbers pretty much nailed how I feel about the episode: parts of it make very little sense, but you can't help smiling.
DeleteThis was not one of my favorite episodes during this season, but let it not be said that I don't consider this episode forgettable... Quite the opposite, actually. I don't even have to know about 'The Music Man' to know what kind of episode we could expect, heck I remember something similar during 'The Simpsons' years ago. The song itself is memorable enough and the presence the Flim-Flam brothers proved so popular that it was abundantly clear this would not be the last we hear of those two (Though whether they are truly evil or not, that's always been a subject of debate). For me, it was hard to understand the logic with the episode at times: As shady as their business scheme was, it did work to mass produce enough cider to support a whole town (Perhaps even more). And I did not appreciate Pinkie Pie buying all that cider for herself, when to me she seemed like the kind of pony who would share that for those who waited longer than her... Not to mention I felt this episode was purposely torturing Rainbow Dash. And while I admit Applejack's moral for the episode was not my favorite, heck it still kind of rubbed me the wrong way, all the same I get why fans consider it 'popular' in that it's funny yet at the same time... The whole 'I didn't learn anything' bit makes me feel like it's kind of turning away from the point (Even under the justification that Applejack was right).
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking as a cider fan myself, I can understand how much the ponies would like that stuff even if this were non-alcoholic to fit a kids show.
Still, for all the gripes I make about this episode, as I said it's memorable. It's an episode that 'is' fun to some degree, including the overall face-off for control of 'Sweet Apple Acres' I just felt some elements of the episode could've been drastically improved. But that's just my humble opinion.