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| Phones are canon. I prefer to imagine this with the H absent |
S4E08: "Rarity Takes Manehattan"
Written by Dave Polsky
4 Jan 2014
My original rating: 8.5/10 (=★★★★)
IMDb score: 8.3
Thoughts: We move into 2014 with what is arguably Dave Polsky's best episode. I remain equivocal about the increasing prominence of "modern" Manehattan in FiM from this point on, but it works pretty well here. It's a good-looking episode, too. This is a good Rarity ep that gives her plenty of moments to shine but doesn't shy away from the slightly less attractive facets of her character, as seen most obviously in the "sweatshop" scene and her later rain-soaked remorse. The song is a very solid one, which I'd place just one notch below outright classic status. (Fun fact: the stallion with the orange scarf is voiced by Daniel Ingram.) Downsides? There's the odd bit of irritatingly dated "hey, funny meme", eg the Grumpy Cat cutie mark, but only the odd bit. Perhaps not the subtlest moral in the world. Prim Hemline also has the world's weirdest accent, albeit less annoying than Suri's, but I suppose as "mid-Atlantic-ish fashion designer" it's defensible. But there's a really big plus that outweighs all of that: we get Coco Pommel's debut. (Coco will never, ever be simply "Miss Pommel" to me!) This was the first "key" episode; Meghan McCarthy hinted at the time that the rainbow flash was important, but back then we didn't know why. Overall? This is actually better than I remember. I was expecting to bump it down to three stars – but no. It's keeping the four. Congratu-pony-lations, fillies.
Choice quote: Rarity: "Isn't friendship magic?"
New rating: ★★★★
Next up is "Pinkie Apple Pie". I remember having a bundle of fun with that one first time out. I hope I do again!
First! (Cos I'm a child like that...)
ReplyDeleteI rewatched this one this evening in preparation for this going up and for me it sits solidly one notch below absolute top tier, but still very good. Probably the second best episode of this season so far behind “Flight to the Finish”. Four stars feels about right.
I remember Dave Polsky saying he pushed himself to write a more emotional episode with this one after his previous episodes were a bit more comedic, and it really shows. It's probably his strongest script for the series. Rarity's tiff with her friends is a scene that plays to FiM's strengths, pushing the characters to their limits and exploring their relationships. It's FiM doing what FiM does best.
Whatever would we do without our childishness? We wouldn't be in this fandom, for a start!
DeleteCould definitely agree with this being Polsky's best, as he didn't have too many hits. :B Kinda feel like if not for the song and introducing Coco and the start of the Rainbow Power arc (what a joke!), this would be forgettable, though.
ReplyDelete...I mean, there's a lot that's memorable, so it ain't that bad, but still. :)
I didn't think of the term "Rainbow Power" once while doing this write-up. Says it all, really...
DeleteMostly simple script changes for this one. But interesting all the same, I think!
ReplyDeleteMerriweather Williams wrote the Premise, though Dave Polsky took over by the Outline (might explain why it doesn't feel like an episode of his). The big Premise difference is that Rarity, after making up to her friends, gives up the Winner's window display to Suri on condition Suri changes, something she makes good on right away by rightfully giving Coco credit for her part. The writers were still working out the Key arc, as this early it was an actual Key that just appeared in Rarity's bag after returning to Ponyville. Twilight instantly pegs it as a key and why it appeared, for Rarity staying true to her element and passing it onto another.
Suri reforming was in the Outline but was scrapped by the script - probably because they felt she was too nasty to change that quickly and to show that some people will see the error of their ways and change (Coco) and others won't. The Key difference also changed by the script - in the outline, it has a motif of a rainbow appearing at the moment Rarity gives Suri the fabric, as well as a cryptic line Twilight found in the opening about the chest, "Let the Rainbow Be Your Guide", that Rarity recalls at several points. The Outline highlights the financial cost of the trip, with Rarity having saved for months and banking on the cash prize to make it back (when she gives up the window display, she keeps the money, remarking "I may be generous, but come on!"). There is also some weight given to the others worried they'll be a distraction to Rarity.
The script's 1st draft has some juicy bits! The above differences are all gone, except the others' worry about being a distraction to Rarity. The song has totally different lyrics that are changed by the 2nd draft, though all versions have backing vocals from the city citizens that Daniel Ingram must have cut. In the 1st draft, the scene of making the dresses overnight is different but has the same purpose.
The big difference here is the lack of Suri tricking everypony into thinking Rarity lost, as there's a scene of the others arriving late for the show, and then Prim presenting the trophy to Rarity's friends for her - thus, once Rarity arrives, Suri keeps trying to take the trophy for herself with smooth talking, remarking that she should try having friends for free assistant help, with Rarity remarking she just doesn't get friendship. Thus, Coco's appearance at the play later is to announce she quit, and she's confident enough to offer herself for the costume job - we get a hilarious insert of Suri being unable to operate a sewing machine to make more dresses for Hoity Toity without Coco's help.
The above changes were reworked by the 2nd draft, with virtually no notable changes thereafter, until we get to the usual cuts at the animatic stage for time. These include:
* The others arriving backstage and being hoodwinked by Suri before Rarity arrives - an easy cut as they repeat it all to Rarity anyway.
* Rarity coming up with the new design in the hotel suite while the others strip down the hotel decor to use (she doesn’t appreciate the untidy pile).
* The song featuring backing vocals from the city's citizens.
* After Rarity takes out Coco’s gift, there’s a coda of the others playfully tickling her, with Rarity chasing them to return the favour. The animatic emails admit this didn’t land.
* The usual sprinkling of extra or extended dialogue lines.
Discounting Key changes, the big ones here are some realism over the trip's costs and the others being a distraction, Suri being reformed early on, and her getting her comeuppance in the 1st draft. I can see a lot of people not liking her comeuppance getting cut!
Also, most new Proper Nouns had different names originally, not corrected until the Locked Polish:
Hinny of the Hills: Filly Elliot
Prim Hemline: Heidi Grooming
Far Afield Tavern: Russian Tea Groom
Coco Pommel: Originally unnamed
Yeah, Dave Polsky definitely was the weakest old-school writer. At least among those wrote episodes into the double figures, anyway. And I say that as someone who likes some of his episodes more than is the consensus (no, not just "Over A Barrel" here). How much of this one's strengths, and it lacking much of his previous tics, come down to the Premise originating from Merriweather Williams, and how much from his stated intent in Season 4 to write more emotionally probing episodes (and why yes, I am very curious to revisit "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Tolls", why do you ask?), I cannot say. But it doesn't really matter, when the results are this good. "Rarity Takes Manehattan" is the turning point for Season 4 - there are mediocre and even some bad episodes still to come, but the lightweight, largely flimsy stretch of the first seven are behind us now.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, Perfect Present (why is the name mirrored here, curiously?) is correct in that this episode is not especially memorable outside of "Generosity", Coco's introduction and being the first Key episode. I would add Suri to that too, mostly because of Tabitha's unhinged performance, with the verbal tics really accentuating her chummy ruthlessness, aheheh, OK? Just makes her a great "love to hate" character, along the lines of Umbridge. Bit odd Suri produced very little fandom work, there's potential there. Also, Tabitha's few lines as the receptionist are another fun demonstration of how well she can do with bit parts.
Still, even when we have such well-executed segments as Rarity's decent into anti-generosity, something that does play to the strengths of the characters and the show, they don't stick in the mind that much. I suppose by this point in the show, it's beyond obvious that such spouts with be temporary at best (further leading into the mostly-true theory that the more time we spend with characters and the longer the show goes on, the less room it has to surprise us). Mostly, this is just a solid concept done with no real mistakes and a decent amount of panache along the way, though not a lot. Still a few Season 4 niggles - aside from Spike being a butt monkey as usual in a way that doesn't tie into the episode otherwise, Twilight is yet again written as a bland bore as she often in in non-starring roles once she becomes a Princess. And like some others, the episode might have benefitted from what was common in the later seasons, and not bringing all of the Mane 7 along out of obligation (clearly this wasn't a requirement for Key episodes either - "Leap of Faith", you know).
In the end, "Rarity Takes Manehattan" is a really good episode, just shy of overall greatness, though it has several great elements. Easily the second-best so far, after "Flight to the Finish" - as obvious as that is.
Small aside: I've always loved the sweet, demure voice Cathy Wesluck uses for Coco. Perhaps it the contrast it provides to other Manehattan ponies (it is the only place in Equestria where basically everypony needs to have an obvious accent, usually New York), but it always warms me to hear it.
"For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" is the one remaining Polsky episode I think has even a theoretical chance of matching this one in my affections, hence my use of "arguably" in the Thoughts section. I don't think it will, as I think the song/Coco combo beats it out, but it's not utterly beyond the bounds of possibility.
DeletePerfect Present (why is the name mirrored here, curiously?)
It's not! He's Present Perfect here and PresentPerfect on Fimfiction, I think because way back when Fimf used to disallow spaces in usernames.
Spike
I'm going to guess you've read The Carrot Dog Fight by xjuggernaughtx, but if not I recommend it. Takes Spike on a fun little side quest involving that snack the bird pinched.
…Well, even ghosts have their dense moments. Especially when it comes to people's usernames, apparently.
ReplyDeleteI have not read that fic, actually! Consider it added to my RiL (though given it's length, it'll get read sooner rather then later).
As for "for Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils", IMDb at least has a higher rating for it than this (8.7 to 8.3), which only tells us that a select portion of the fanbase, at the time, considered it better. Obviously I don't entirely agree, but it tells us that much, at least. Still, it is very much one of is best episodes, and forms a good pair with this one, is being the Season 4 episodes where he most succeeded in writing more emotionally complex episodes.
Apparently ghosts are also not capable of posting a reply to the comment they're replying to, instead of the main comment box! Welp.
DeleteI remember this one fondly. I always enjoy a good Rarity episode, and this is one of the best ones. Plus her episodes often get quite good songs as well. She's onr of the characters the go most overboard with when having them screw up, but she still often gets away with little to no comeuppance. That didn't bother me here so much as it did in "Sweet and Elite," but I can never stay mad at Rarity. Just look at that face!
ReplyDeleteYes, Coco was a nice addition to the background cast, and one I'm pleased to see they continued to make good, if sparing, use of later on. I also didn't o much like the progression of Manehatten as a much more modern place. The show's inconsistent at technology levels anyway, and while on the one hand it's refreshing to see a place where that's more stable (heh), I still think it changes the overall aesthetic for the worse. Rarity's solution, though... that's another thing that bugged me about the show at times. Comic relief is all fine and good, but when they have someone who should be very fashionable create clothes out of hotel drapes (that awful rock hat she wore in "Maud Pie" is another good example), it undermines her as an authority. Four stars seems right for this, and it might even be a high four in my book.