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| Twilight lets her regal smile slip for one second after Sassy's "Everypony loves royalty!" |
S5E14: "Canterlot Boutique"
My original rating: ★★★
IMDb score: 7.9
Thoughts: After the first of FiM's irritating mid-season hiatuses, we did at least have the stalwart Amy Keating Rogers in the writing saddle for the show's return. It's a good episode, too, albeit perhaps the least of the run from "Amending Fences" to "Rarity Investigates!" We see Rarity in her fashion designing mode more centrally than since "Suited for Success", and personally I prefer Canterlot as the big target for her than Manehattan as happened later in the series. Sassy Saddles (voiced by Kelly Sheridan, incidentally) is a decent sidekick, albeit not one with enough sass to be truly memorable. A hint of a troubled past career ("another failed boutique"?) but she was neither unpleasant enough to be a "love to hate" pony or sympathetic enough for the redemption to really click. I still don't like the very last joke, which is a bit too close to "let's make fun of the weird-looking pony" for comfort, though it wasn't AKR's fault. A couple of the other shop customers were fun, though, especially the gothy Moonlight Raven. One small criticism of Rarity: the customer who complained her Princess Dress wasn't what she ordered was correct, yet she was portrayed almost as the bad guy for saying so. Still, overall the episode's core plot of "creative job made into a chore" was fine and appropriate. It was executed pretty well, there's a nice song by Jona Lewie and even though it's not an outstandingly memorable episode it is good. I think it's perfectly worthy of a very solid three. No change to this ep's star rating!
Choice quote: Rarity to Twilight: "In every poll Sassy Saddles took, you were the most popular princess!"
New rating: ★★★
Next
up is another Rarity-centric episode, "Rarity Investigates!" – it's widely seen as an excellent ep. Certainly in 2015 I agreed with that consensus. I hope I shall have at least as much fun with it this time around!
On rewatching this episode, I was struck anew by how much this one came close to greatness, but couldn't quite get there. Sassy Saddles is definitely a contributing factor (plus, her vocal tics remain the worst – Amy Keating Rogers/Meghan McCarthy, what were you thinking), but the main reason was an imbalance in the focus and pacing.
ReplyDeleteAs had been pointed out since the episode first aired by many, it basically writes out the Mane 5/Spike (who yet again got his few speaking lines cut for time; getting Season 4 'Nam flashbacks here) at the halfway point (technically slightly more than that), and even if they hadn't been super-involved, it still comes across weirdly. What's going on here is the episode's first act (structurally, at least) takes up far too much time, and thus it leaves Act II (Rarity's work and losing inspiration, sandwiched around the song and its first reprise) and Act III (Rarity gets inspired once again, and doubles down on her Rules of Rarity) a bit rushed. Not "Magical Mystery Cure" level-rushed (in fact, the song is a lifesaver here, getting across information development and arc changes beautifully in a short space of time), but one does have the feeling, when watching it, of wanting just a bit more breathing room, given almost all the best moments comes after the Mane 5/Spike leave.
Otherwise, this episode is honestly really good. It's got a complex moral about business ruining creativity that, while still idealised in its conclusion (in reality, the Boutique would never be able to sustain business and rent prices keeping to Rarity's "I make every dress unique all by myself" – if an assembly line off off the table, she needs to get a few more fashion ponies nearly as good as herself she trusts to make dresses), doesn't take away from its impact and nuance. I find it hard to appreciate much of the fashion designs in this show (ghosts don't need fashion, we don't wear clothes, y'know), but there were truly stunners in this one. The bit parts, especially Fashion Plate, were fantastically delightful (yes, Goth Pony too, and to a lesser extent Bright Pony – they are meant to be Celestia/Luna analogues, and were sisters according to a cut line). And of course, seeing Rarity move up the social ladder and progress her career in ways which, I'm sure, were unimaginable even a season prior at the time, are really nice.
For all her vocal tics are the worst, there's enough depth and angles to Sassy that make her mildly intriguing to watch (maybe we could have used more on her past failures at other boutiques, though it gives the foundation for her desperation here, all we really need). Though, yes, she does fall between not being bad enough to love to hate, nor truly sympathetic, instead hitting a middle ground that doesn’t nail either.
Weirdly, I think I like this song more than most. I totally understand why Rarity songs started to bleed together by this 4th instalment, and truthfully Daniel Ingram started getting clever and experimental in his music just for the sake of it. But it's always stuck with me. Perhaps it's just my entry time into the fandom, but I've heard this and "Generosity" far more than "Art of the Dress" and "Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know)".
It may suffer from being sandwiched between two excellent episodes, but that shouldn't take away from this one's achievements. Though I do find myself wanting more unexpected side characters, given how much they rocked here. Just… not that large pony at the end. Board artists, your additions are normally so good!
P.S. Timeline geeks: this episode doesn't have the friendship castle in it, and makes more sense regarding Twilight being so popular if we set it back in Season 4, when she was freshly a Princess. Just set "For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils" back further for continuity.
Were people making the comparison to "Stop the Calvary" even back in 2015? That's a new one on me!
Were people making the comparison to "Stop the Calvary" even back in 2015?
DeleteWell, I was. :P I don't think the song is well known in North America, so it wasn't a big meme or anything.
"Canterlot Boutique" – Production Changes
ReplyDeletePREMISE
Condense the episode down to 252 words, and omit Sassy's character such that her actions are all on Rarity's part, fighting against her own dream. That's the Premise, fully accurate otherwise.
OUTLINE
Pretty close already, and all the major changes carry through to the 1st draft.
SCRIPT
The 1st script shares about half its dialogue, but the rest differs through a mix of incidental changes, shifted focus, different sequencing and a few different scenes, as follows:
* Sweetie Belle is in the opening scene, getting in some zesty asides about Rarity going nuts.
* Before the grand opening, the focus is less on Sassy's plan for success, and more on her doling out setup duties for the Mane 5, whom she recognises based on their sense of fashion. Annoyingly, all Spike gets to do is read the letters Rarity was too busy to write to him (he fretted she never responded for six weeks) but which Sassy had noted down from Rarity the past several weeks. There are lots of other subtle differences, like more worry about the opening on Rarity's part, and Twilight being unsure about modelling the dress.
* Oddly, the song doesn't even have prototype lyrics in this draft, just vivid descriptions of what the lyrics should say. Which works just as well, given Amy Keating Roger's musical theatre experience.
* After Rarity decides to close up shop, there's a scene of her distributing flyers for the sale throughout Canterlot.
* Rather than the joke on the overly large pony, the episode ends with an epilogue back in Ponyville, where Pinkie and Twilight (just Pinkie in the outline) deliver two orders from Sassy to Rarity, just how Rarity likes it. She suggests they go out, she feels like getting inspired.
* There is far less of Sassy being overbearing and dominating at this stage. This got incorporated more with each future draft.
The 2nd draft does the expected, removing all major differences while still having some chunks of different dialogue/sequencing (one thing exclusive to this draft is Rarity adding another reason for not asking for her friends' help: she learnt her lesson in Manhattan about not taking advantage of their good nature). And song lyrics are added too. The next draft changes the last chunks of different dialogue.
ANIMATIC-STAGE CHANGES
Though the script is the usual 29.x page length, the extra time required for the proper pace of the song segments means a lot of cuts were made. Largely tiny trims of minimal consequence. The highlights:
* When Pinkie first turns green at her nauseating cupcake recipe, she perks up, saying it’s grown on her, before offering Rarity some. After Rarity politely declines, Pinkie remarks she can’t even give them away, but oh well, it means more for her!
* As the Mane 6 leave the station, they all remark on Rarity’s guts to do this, with Spike extra glad her home base will remain in Ponyville. Pinkie, who has been lagging behind, as though dragging something, dashes ahead, eager to set up the party. She is gutted upon entering to see it’s all set up, saying she didn’t need to “drag this thing all the way”, and we see her party cannon being pulled by her tail. But since she did, she exploded it, scattering balloons and streamers everywhere. It’s possible this was cut for layout difficulties – framing Pinkie dragging something we can’t see without making that fact obvious might require more time than the storyboard artists had.
* When Sassy first enters, she lists off descriptive endearment for the Mane 5/Spike, with Rarity explaining she may have talked about them a teeny bit. After Twilight asks if Sassy's from Canterlot, she explains she was originally from Trottingham (hence the saucy English accent), and saved up to move here when she was young, and has seen more shops open and close than she can count.
[animatic-stage changes continued below, and final thoughts]
[continued from above]
Delete* As Sassy unveils her plan, AJ and Dash whisper that she seems a little intense, and when Twilight admires Sassy’s plan, AJ remarks that Twilight sure loves a good plan.
* Pinkie wheels out the unfinished dress sooner, remarking it’s not quite done, which Rarity states is the wrong dress. The others then gush and remark over the Princess Dress.
* Twilight notes and asks about the Cosmare Magazine step, so it is explained an extra time earlier than when Fashion Plate shows up.
* When the Mane 5/Spike awkwardly excuse themselves at Rarity/Sassy’s first dispute, they all make individual excuses about the buffet food. The dialogue got cut, but the action remained.
* After Rarity’s altered dress is rejected by the customer who ordered them, Sassy points out how Rarity lost both time and made a customer happy, and that she’s learnt a lesson. The final episode let Sassy’s “I told you” expression stand in for this.
* During the closing sale, when a pony asks about the Princess dress, they persist, quoting the magazine. When Rarity repeats the stance, other ponies start to crowd around, and Rarity screeches that there are no more. This tantrum was removed, leaving the pony accepting the discontinuation silently.
* After the Goth and Bright ponies love their dresses, they both remark that the other looks amazing (calling each other sister, driving home the Luna/Celestia nod). We also see the pony who has a magazine prior coming out to admire themselves (Rarity mutters for her to not say she feels like a Rotunda, given her dress was the In-Spire-ation dress).
* Sassy’s apology to Rarity lasts half a page longer, with Rarity admitting Sassy’s research was correct, royalty-themed dresses did sell, and she was happy with that – just not with the exact same gown. Sassy clarifies any other designer would have been happy making a million Princesses dresses to be the top boutique in Canterlot, and Rarity simply says she's not any other designer.
Direct visual inventions were low, as the script was quite descriptive, especially in the song (the Jet Set, Upper Crust and Fleur de Lis cameos were even in the script! – given Meghan McCarthy wrote “Sweet and Elite” and was back as Story Editor, makes sense as a suggestion).
* Many visual moments of Sassy stealing the spotlight, like the swirling mannequins, were board additions.
* The bloated design of the pony at the end was a board invention, no description in the script.
* The main song's lyrics almost fully matched already, but were slightly longer at the end. The two reprises were more different. Guess Daniel Ingram chose to keep them truer to the first version.
Most interesting thing from animatic feedback is Hasbro saying they dream of this episode being shown to marketing executives as a cautionary tale one day, saying there’s a lot to learn from Sassy and Rarity. Jim Miller’s response: “HERE HERE! They won’t learn though.” Otherwise, just concern about a few verbal takes and expressions, restoring a cut line of Sassy's for clarity ("Fine. Go see her reaction.") and not ending on the large pony's reaction, so it's clear Rarity/Sassy aren't laughing at her.
Also, the customer who rejects Rarity's alterations? Named "Posh Pony" in the script. Don't think their design and voice pushed that enough, given other posh ponies in this show!
In the script, Sassy is likened to Emily Blunt in The Devil Wears Prada.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Despite a fair chunk of the outline and 1st script being technically different, it was only matters of mild focus, and as such this is another episode that landed early and only shifted marginally through the process. It undeniably improved – the main issues of changing focus at the halfway point and Sassy's awful verbal tics were there from the start, but the material around them got plussed. And the animatic cuts are quite telling, as most of them come from the 1st half, which still feels overlong in the final episode. Could have been far more draggy!
I've never liked this one. Like Mike said, it is actually close to greatness, and I just adore Fashion Plate, but I hate Sassy Saddles so, so much. I just cannot stand her, and the less I see of her in literally anything, the happier I am.
ReplyDeleteI just cannot stand her, and the less I see of her in literally anything, the happier I am.
DeleteThis reminds me of when I actually offered to use editing know-how to "remove" Starlight from the three shots she's in the opening scene of "Top Bolt", for someone I know who cannot stand her, so it could be 'Canon' for them. They declined, citing it wouldn't change the fact of the official version having her, but appreciated the gesture.
Sadly, no such thing is possible with either next week's "Rarity Investigates!" or "Forever Filly" two seasons down the line. Not without being conspicuous, anyway – the opening boutique scenes have too much important setup to cut without having an effect, and she's too physically present for other editing techniques to splice her out.
Just some food for thought. Guess you should be glad she's only in three episodes in the whole show! Though now I'm wondering how much more you'd love "Rarity Investigates!" without her (I might as well tell you now, earlier drafts of that episode didn't have her present, but Opal instead – probably Meghan McCarthy's idea, to boost continuity).
She's fine in Rarity Investigates because, A, that episode is good enough to overshadow her presence, and B, she's only in the first scene so it's easy to forget she was ever there regardless.
DeleteIndeed, exactly what I figured you felt, and which I agree with.
DeleteMeanwhile, poor "Forever Filly" over in the corner has B down pat, but not A in any real capacity at all. I've seen it more times they is justifiable, and still cannot remembers much of anything on the jokes or dialogue at all. The Fox Brothers' trademark, making promising episodes dull as rocks (we'll have to agree to differ on "The Last Laugh", my friend).
I did find Sassy Saddles a little irritating, but then I assumed she was meant to be, so she served her purpose. I just like seeing Rarity be Rarity, so I always liked this one, though it did cause people to go into factions. I remember GaPJaxie being entirely sympathetic to Sassy, as he felt she was doing completely as instructed, so it was on Rarity to spell out what she wanted Sassy to do rather than quietly endure it and get mad later. Similarly, how justified Rarity was in varying her design for the customer who didn't want it. The sweet spot for me would be whether Rarity just didn't have enough presence in the city yet for her customers to know she likes to personalize things so each customer gets a unique one.
ReplyDeleteThree stars seems about right, though I might actually like it closer to a four-star level just because I like Rarity-centric episodes.
Just wanted to thank you for that recollection on the minor split into factions. Finding what people said about episodes in the middle of the show's run when they were new, while the fandom was subdued from its early explosion of growth, but still many years behind us now, typically requires a decent amount of digging on my part, so I haven't bothered for every episode.
DeleteThat division makes sense – me, I just take it as the episode presenting things from Rarity's point of view (musical numbers are a storytelling device, filled with rose-tinted idealism in cases like this). Very neutral stance, yes, but that's how I tend to roll with things like this, instead focusing on whether the episode presents its case for its viewpoint well.
I'd also be a high three-star, and its episodes like this which make me, if I was giving numerical scores, generally unwilling to use a five-star system without half-marks. Too much overlap that muddles things unless they're ranked!
One of my favorite bits in this episode is near the end when a pony (Bon Bon, I think?) Takes a look at the price tag on one of the dresses, makes a silent whistle-mouth and rolls her eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe Road of Life often has potholes, and Sassy is one of them. That was kind of her purpose in the episode, though, and she never seemed deep or serious enough for to me dislike as much as most people seemed to have done, though.
Mike sez: "The bloated design of the pony at the end was a board invention, no description in the script." And that sour note dropped the episode a whole star rating for me. Does anybody know of anyone who actually liked that off-tone gag?
One of my favorite bits in this episode is near the end when a pony (Bon Bon, I think?) Takes a look at the price tag on one of the dresses, makes a silent whistle-mouth and rolls her eyes.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't remember any such moment despite having only watched the episode a few weeks ago. Watched the last scene again just now, pausing frequently, and I still couldn't see any background pony doing the actions you described. I'll trust you that it's there (though it probably wasn't Bon Bon, virtually everypony in this one's a unicorn), but my inability to spot it doesn't reflect well, heh.
And that sour note dropped the episode a whole star rating for me. Does anybody know of anyone who actually liked that off-tone gag?
I don't know about anyone, but I do know the backlash against the gag was strong enough that Amy Keating Rogers had to state clearly on Twitter that the gag wasn't hers. The aftertaste of what happened with "Filly Vanilli" was probably still in her mind. So definitely the majority disliked it, anyway.
and I still couldn't see any background pony doing the actions you described.
DeleteNever mind, found it. It happens when Rarity says "I'll come to Canterlot with new designs and to see the customers of course." And the pony in question was Sea Swirl, the Amethyst Star palette swap.
In any case, thanks for spotting such a fantastic gag! Kind of flabbergasting that such a great board artist gag (unless it was an animator's idea?) would be followed not even 20 seconds later by… that ending non-gag. MLP such is a land of contrasts at times, isn't it?