S05:E14 - Canterlot Boutique

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

not the best episode ever made. i absolutely detest rarity's "owner"

[Aquamarine453 17]

Who else was waiting FOREVER for this episode??

[Tropical Melody 5,070]

Have just seen this properly all thru for the first time this last week. Then watched it again. Am stoically trying to ignore previous critiques - - cos I reallly like this one. OK there are logical problems with the plot and such, but then we wouldn't have a story would we? Love the song. Really felt sorry for poor Rarity, having been in a similar kind of position - a few years ago I had an idea to produce tube amplifier kits - the design and planning was the most interesting part, but then actually producing the kits was just drudgery. Also in hindsight I was selling them too cheap, so it was like, I'm not getting much out of this.

 

I'd seen Rarity Investigates some months ago before this, and so wondered where the hell the new pony has suddenly appeared from, (Sassy) didn't even know what her name was! Not mentioned in that story.

 

Oh and, Moonlight Raven! The Goth pony. Really kinda cute. (When I was first thinking about my Prairie Princess OC I was toying with the idea that she might be Goth, but in case that idea wasn't original I googled for MLP goth pony and sure enough Moonlight Raven came up.)

 

Oh and, Pinkie Pie's experimental cupcakes - 'cause I think that's all they are - she knows they're horrible but still wants a second opinion anyway, just to be sure. And a third, and a fourth ... I don't have a problem with this scene and am amused by it.

 

 

Usual disclaimer, own opinions only.

Edited November 19, 2016 by Tropical Melody

[Thrond 3,257]

I still feel like Rarity didn't get enough of the blame for bringing all of her suffering on herself. Sassy didn't insist for her to make all of the dresses personally, and at one point she outright suggests putting it on a factory line. The main conflict is simply that Sassy's impersonal methodology is ineffective and doesn't work for the artist, but it's never entirely clear why, as it seems Rarity just sort of disagrees with it, despite most of her suffering being of her own making. I admire that this is one of the first times any character had made real progress in ages, but despite the lovely song, the episode just comes across as unbalanced. Sassy Saddles is one of S5's best new characters tho. 

[Thrond 3,257]

I'm pretty sure that I invented most of the things I find interesting about this episode just so I was a little less bored. Not that it's terrible or anything, as the song's still good, and I'm still pleased to see Rarity expanding her business, but this is an episode where the main character is right from square one and has to share her values with a new character who's defined mostly by the quirks which make them wrong. Sassy Saddles could be so much more interesting than she is here, as she seems to be genuinely interested in helping the boutique, doesn't want Rarity to be miserable, and clearly has some sort of history we don't know, but the episode has zero interest in her aside from as a standard egomaniac. She's there to make life hard for Rarity and so Rarity can help her get over her personality flaws, of which Rarity has very few. I used to think Rarity got herself into this mess, but that would have been interesting, and what actually happens is that Sassy takes more orders than she's prepared for, which is not interestin. It could be argued that the source of the conflict is miscommunication, but the episode has zero interest in that. Rarity's right, Sassy's wrong, and who could possibly give a damn? And, like so many other episodes this season, I'm not sure I could tell you what the hell it's even trying to say. Vet your employees, I guess? Doesn't really make a big deal of that. Not a clue why people like season 5 so much.

 

Score: 

Entertainment: 6/10

Characters: 5/10

Themes: 4/10

Story: 6/10

Overall: 53/100

Edited March 12, 2017 by AlexanderThrond

[Singe 2,109]

At some point in the series Rarity should need to hire additional staff to help with the dress making. This isn't the first time she's been overwhelmed with an order and worked herself to exhaustion.

After Sassy Saddles asks Rarity about her friends to help and Rarity said no, then conversation about hiring additional dress making staff should have come up.

[Moony the Cat 3,695]

I liked this Episode. Yeah. I dont know, was good. I really like..the new character? Yeah, i go with that, i dont have much to say about this one.

[Nye 1,652]

I really liked the “Rules of Rarity” song.

[bigbertha 410]

This episode's story doesn't make much sense. You're telling me that Rarity didn't have a serious talk with Sassy Saddles during the episode to come up with compromise and make sure both of them were happy. She just did what Sassy said just so the episode could manufacture sympathy.

Also, Rarity didn't hire any staff to help make dresses. It's nice that she wants to give every dress TLC, but she also should've realize that she's not a small shop owner in Ponyville anymore. She needs to be more lax about some things. It feels out of character that she wouldn't realize this. Luckily, the song is one of the best of the series and there are a few good jokes so that keeps the episode from being bad.

Score: 4/10

Edited July 30, 2018 by bigbertha

[qwerE 95]

I really think the writers could have put more jokes in this episode. It was still okay, thanks to the nice song and the wonderful dresses. Rarity's design skills seem to be improving even more- the dresses in this episode looked absolutely gorgeous!

[Meushell 52]

I enjoyed the episode, but as others said, the conflict is pretty manufactured. They really should have had Rarity realize she needs to hire more ponies to sew. She could hoof select them to ensure that each dress still gets the love and attention she wants.

I liked that we saw more body types in ponies. I don’t remember if that was in other episodes. Sassy as a tall and thin pony. At the end of the episode, we saw an overweight pony. I would have liked to see her get a dress instead of the “Do you have the princess dress?”/“No *Giggles*” bit. I realize they weren’t laughing at her, but it came off as rather rude.

On 10/27/2018 at 9:23 AM, qwerE said:

I really think the writers could have put more jokes in this episode. It was still okay, thanks to the nice song and the wonderful dresses. Rarity's design skills seem to be improving even more- the dresses in this episode looked absolutely gorgeous!

Yes, I agree. At the start of the show, I thought half of her dresses looked horrible. Now any “flaws” I see are really just me nitpicking. Personally, I liked the Luna inspired one the best.

[bigbertha 410]

This is just not a well written episode. The fundamental problem is that it refuses to acknowledge any blame in Rarity for her situation. Instead of a two sided conflict of Sassy going too far and Rarity having to learn that she's not in a small town anymore and that she needs to adapt, Rarity is right and Sassy is wrong. If the episode was entertaining, such a simple conflict wouldn't be as bad, but like so many season 5 episodes, it focuses on the story and pushes jokes to the side. Not that the jokes that are there are any good. There's maybe a smile worthy gag here and there but that's about it.

Score: 3/10

[Props Valroa 25,947]

Sassy Saddles could have become a villain here, wanting to work Rarity till the death, I'd like to have seen that angle. Moonlight raven! I LOVE her!

[Rosy Moonlight 367]

Oh My, Absolutely Amazing!