S06:E09 - The Saddle Row Review

[MLPFanatic34 3,234]

I rather enjoyed this episode, it was nice to have another Rarity episode and she and the rest of the mane 5 were great. I enjoyed seeing Manehattan again and the new characters introduced were great. I also loved seeing Coco again and I loved the facial expressions and references made during this episode. All in all a good Rarity episode 9/10!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2016 by MLPFanatic34

[Justin_Case001 4,881]

A couple things I forgot yesterday that I'd like to mention.

 

One --  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the interview scenes saw some of the most personification to date in terms of posture.  I don't object to this, and I usually rather like it, but I just kinda wish I could encourage the writers to have the ponies do a few more equine-like things once in awhile.  Just little stuff, such as having them lay like this:

 

 

It's adorable, and a small thing like that goes a really long way to reminding us that they are quadruped equines.

 

And two --  I think it's so awesome that Coco is going to be Rarity's sales associate at the Manehattan store.  Not only is it a great new role for Coco, but I just love the fact that they actually used the term "sales associate".  Just stop and think about that for a second.  Perhaps I'm reading way to much into this, but it seems like "sales associate" is not a term typically associated with a little girl's show.  I think many people who are unfamiliar with the show would be surprised at how mature it can be.  Many anti-bronies probably continue to think that it's nothing but prancing in meadows of flowers and baking cookies.  Like some....f*ckin...idk....cabbage patch kids or something.  Honestly, I think that anti-bronyism would decline if they all knew that the show uses the term "sales associate".  Probably over-analyzing, but I think it's awesome.

 

Oh yeah, and one last thing; I don't really care for the name.  Y'know, Rarity For You.  It's okay, but I would have preferred the same naming convention as the other branch.  You know, just call it Manehattan Carousel.  It's not a big deal, but it's just not the name I would have gone with.

 

@@MLPFanatic34, I just glanced through the pictures you posted and....HOLY CRAP, how did I miss the Pulp Fiction ponies?!  That is friggin' awesome!! 

Edited May 23, 2016 by Justin_Case001

[ManyANewDay_36 178]

In my opinion, this was a 9/10. Pretty epic episode!

I loved all the interview scenes and AJ & Rainbow's hoof bump. And obviously the sweep sweep sweep song.

I now await the impending Pinkie clone invasion.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Fluttercord36

[powerpuff-tsubasa 448]

This was probably the funniest episode ever. The sweeping part was hilarious.

ahahah. especially when twilight had the "smartest" idea doing sweeping as dance moves

[Truffles 2,033]

Instead, the interviewees frequently badmouth how Rarity's boutique came together and don't acquit themselves very well during their interviews. No one should be saying things like "It was a plum-puckered, pig-pushin' disaster!".

I want to say that particular line would be accurate for the Element of Honesty; except, AJ has been known to slip in terms of being honest whenever the situation called for it.    

Unless she got religion after Granny Smith got duped by the Flim Flam brothers? But I've lost track of whether she's lied since then...

 

 

Rainbow says "I still can't believe we all just blabbed everything that happened to that reporter!" and Fluttershy says she wishes Buried Lede's behind-the-scenes access had been more fettered, but they have no one to blame but themselves.

 

I think it would be funny (well, criminal actually, but funny in the context of talking ponies) if the reason Buried Lede always gets the inside scoop is because he knows the waitress at the diner and pays her off to spike the drinks she serves to the interviewees.

 

Although the Mane 6 didn't look all that plastered during the interviews, so I know that's a bit of a stretch of an explanation as to why they were such blabbermouths at the time and then realized much later they totally goofed.

 

Another thing about the episode is that I can't see Plaid Stripes as anything but an entitled brat, and it's painful to watch Rarity and especially Applejack indulging her ego, apologizing to her and saying she has "good ideas".

 

I really wanted to like her. I really did - the good parts of her were her eagerness to think outside the box and buoyant optimism. The nerd-factor helped, too.

 

But as you noted there's this whole other privileged side to her that goes to daddy and leverages him to get whatever she wants. A big turn-off that eventually sunk the character for me.

 

 

Finally, the raccoon family, if we are to treat them as sentient like ponies or humans, are clearly squatting on Rarity's rented space and on Mr. stripes's property.

 

The thing I most scratched my head over was - sentient or not - would upper-class city ponies really want their food prepared by raccoons? 

 

 

It's adorable, and a small thing like that goes a really long way to reminding us that they are quadruped equines.

 

Agreed. They strike human poses so often now, if fans saw Lyra sitting like she did that one time early in the series, it wouldn't have even been noticed if the ponies all posed the way back then as they do now.

 

And two --  I think it's so awesome that Coco is going to be Rarity's sales associate at the Manehattan store.

 

I still can't figure out if she's working for Rarity or not.   I thought she was there just to help out with the opening, but I could be totally wrong. I still think her working in a store is a step down for her career since she's already designing costumes for plays on Bridleway, unless selling dresses is just a part-time job to help pay the bills.

 

 

 

One additional bit of happiness from this episode: My worry upon reading the episode summary didn't pan out: They didn't redeem Suri Polomare. Woot! 

[Abstract 832]

Wow. Just wow. That was one of the best episodes I've seen in recent memory. So many good jokes, a solid story and the voice acting was just top notch. I know this is one of those episodes I'll be rewatching for years to come. I lost it at the brohoof between Applejack and RD. Almost perfect, 9.5/10 easy.

[Batbrony 16,051]

Good evening, everypony, and welcome back to another edition of "Batbrony Reviews"!  My apologies for being so late in getting my review out, but I have a good excuse; I spent about 4 hours total driving yesterday so I could spend time with my family celebrating my mom's, grandpa's, and grandma's birthdays in Frankenmuth, MI, otherwise known as Little Bavaria, seeing as all of their birthdays are in May.  I had some great food and a great time with my fam, but the driving took quite some time, admittedly.  Anyways, I have now seen this episode twice and I must say it is absolutely delightful in every which way.  Nick Confalone is proving to be a fabulous addition to the writing staff, and this was certainly the funniest episode in quite some time, possibly the funniest one since "Slice of Life" last season.  Without further ado, let's begin.

 

 

So thankfully, I don't have a whole lot to say about this one because there's not much point in going into specific events or characters.  It was an ensemble episode, but not like earlier seasons where you'd expect really momentous stuff to happen when the entire gang was involved, or even a significant slice of life lesson.  The fact of the matter is that the show is old enough at this point, the story and characters developed enough that they can have an episode like this, one where there's just a lot of silly stuff happening and not much in the way of a lesson or plot.  And it was executed wonderfully in this instance, I am happy to say.  The most impressive aspect of it all was the execution.  Recap episodes like this do not always work, and they were very creative with the timeline here.  I've seen TV episodes like this before where you get events that have already happened recapped by different characters, but the manner in which they did it here, with an ongoing newspaper interview where different characters were getting interviewed (at different times, as SUPER CLEVERLY indicated by the different background characters at booths in the diner, especially with RD and AJ where it was clear they were getting interviewed at almost the same time because they not only appeared together but also had the same background character at the booth behind them in their scenes) was incredibly clever and inventive.  It also helped establish and maintain the pacing of the episode; the episode was essentially just a string of gags that different characters were going through, and we've seen that before, but the interview allowed us to get insight into character's thoughts and reactions to what they did which we normally wouldn't be able to get.  It was like watching a DVD commentary of a show or movie, except instead of the creators, the characters themselves were commenting on themselves.  The cherry on top, of course, was that their interview was being conducted by J. Jonah Jameson pony, which, being the superhero lover I am, absolutely killed me in all the right ways (not to mention they also squeezed a fantastic Pulp Fiction reference in that diner as well).

 

 

LAMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

 

 

See?  These girls know what I'm talking about

 

As for the gags themselves, again, I see no point in going into the specific ones because there were just so many of them, and most of them worked.  What I think was most notable about these gags, compared to others we've seen in past episodes (because this is certainly not the first time we've seen situations get out of control) is that they not only fit the Mane 6 to a T, but they brought Manehattan to life as a setting.  Every time the show has been in Manehattan we've gotten to learn more and more about it.  BUT I would argue we've never really seen the city in such a normal context.  The girls are almost always either sightseeing or busy with something of their own that just happens to be in the city, but doesn't involve it too much.  Here, Manehattan, as Ponyville has been so many times in the past, was an actual character because everything they were dealing with was just big city, Manehattan problems.  Rarity's in a pretty rundown place where her pushy landlord could easily jack up the prices because real estate is at a premium in the city, there are raccoons, a big city diner, a dance club above Rarity's shop with ponies who apparently spend all day just jamming, the list goes on.  Everything here affected the characters, it wasn't just something to point to for the audience and go "hey look, we got this big city reference in!"  That's not to say I haven't liked Manehattan in the past, but this felt like a great development for it, because everything going on felt normal, not like the girls were just visiting (even though that's exactly what they were doing).  City's being their own characters is important in order for a setting to take on new meaning, that's why getting a place like Gotham City right for Batman is so critical when writing that character.  So yeah, overall, I was really, really happy with Manehattan's depiction here; it didn't feel like a tourist destination for the girls, but really lived and breathed here.

 

 

This is not to say that I think the episode was flawless, I do not.  My biggest complaint is Plaid Stripes, the weirdo daughter of Rarity's pushy landlord.  I have nothing wrong with a character, especially in an episode like this, being weird, but almost all of her humor felt really, really forced.  Like, I know she was young and "eccentric" but I just couldn't buy that even someone like her would propose some of these ideas, and that made the humor from her less funny.  Thankfully, the episode is so quick-paced and funny already that, upon a second viewing, I realized it's really easy to ignore how unfunny her stuff is because so much other funny stuff is going on around her.  Highlights for me in particular would be Twilight's organization fetish (what else do you call it at this point?), Rarity demanding no spoilers, the raccoons freak out when Fluttershy told them they had to leave, the dance club ponies (especially the one with the giant pigtails), Pinkie's Rarity-devil and Rarity-angle, and RD and AJ's brohoof, and that's just to name a few, so with all that, yeah, it's easy to ignore the forced jokes from Plaid Stripes.  What I can't ignore is that for some bizarre reason some bucker decided the last shot of the episode, after a perfectly nice moment with the Mane 6, had to be this 5 second bit with Plaid Stripes in which she did nothing but suck from a spoon and put on this stupid smile.  I don't get it, it wasn't funny, and just felt really awkward.  But again, it's a very minor complaint.

 

 

Overall, this was just the show having fun with its main cast, taking advantage of how phenomenal they know all their VAs are (seriously, every single one of them had some amazing deliveries on these lines here, especially Tabitha, she deserves special recognition), and just giving them a fun episode without much of a plot or a lesson.  It was really just about how much the girls know that, despite how different they are, they can all rely on each other through pretty much anything at this point, even if it's as goofy as some of the stuff they were dealing with here.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with a show this seasoned just taking a break and having fun, and I'm glad they did it here.  It was a blast and a reminder of why we love this show and its characters so much; not just because they're well written and developed and because the show is seriously one of the smartest children's shows on television today, but also because sometimes the show knows when to just kick back, relax, and have unadulterated, pure, unfiltered fun.  That's all I got everypony, until next week (in an episode I have been VERY much anticipating), this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit*

 

 

Ow... they usually go much better than this

[ggg-2 3,552]

This has been bothering me, but the topic title: Saddle Row Review is the name of the paper, not the episode title, which is Saddle Row and Rec. 

[Truffles 2,033]

This has been bothering me, but the topic title: Saddle Row Review is the name of the paper, not the episode title, which is Saddle Row and Rec. 

 

When the episode aired it's title card was changed to "The Saddle Row Review" from "Saddle Row & Rec," so everyone running MLP fan sites have had to slowly update to the final aired title.

[GiFTGewEhrSCHutzen-4 8,828]

Really enjoyed this episode, I mean for me this has replay value and such. Also love the fact that Vinyl is getting some screen time even though she still doesn't talk, well not yet anyways, and also the fact other Mane 6 ponies interact with her too. Also love the part were one of the Pinkie clones is still on the loose. 

[Argumedies 1,748]

Finally, a season 6 episode that I liked.

 

But then, it's Rarity *automatic win*

[CT-1138 3,182]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really feel like they wanted to get J.K. Simmons to do the voice, but couldn't. 

[Rarity Is Best Pony 634]

I absolutely loved this episode!! For starters I loved the way in which this episode was presented with the mane 6 talking to the reporter and then the segue to said events. I also really liked how each of them had a specific purpose in this episode. And do I even need to mention Twilight's excellent dance remix of "Sweep, Sweep, Sweep" I think not. 

Edited May 23, 2016 by Rarity Is Best Pony

[Kaleidoscopic Clutch 83]

This is NO DOUBT my favorite episode in quite some time.  Rarity episodes are not usually top episodes for me either but I could watch this episode over and over!!!  LOVED IT! 

A room full of Pinkies watching paint dry?

 

 

That clip popped in my head too IMMEDIATELY when that moment happened!!! 

[Babyyoshi309 1,829]

Why is it that as soon as they changed the name, no one realized it was a parks and rec parody? It was originally called Saddle Row & Rec, and everyone thought it was going to be a Parks & Rec parody. Then when it came out, the changed the name to Saddle Row Review, and everyone became completely blind to the fact that it was a Parks & Rec parody. As in switching from clips from an "interview" then showing the actual thing. The episode is an obvious parody of Parks & Rec, but because of the name change, everyone has become completely blind to that.

 

(Disclaimer: This was the greatest episode ever, and I do not dislike it at all.)

What an awesome episode. The interview style was hilarious and it reminded me of Parks and Rec (which is probably what this episode is referencing?). The episode also had a lot of great jokes and it was just really funny. I love how the Mane 6 all had their time to shine and it had a great ending too. So yeah, overall I liked this episode. Spoon dresses need to be a thing.

 

@PonyLaces Actually, it is what it is referencing! The name of the episode was originally "Saddle Row & Rec" but they changed it before release! 

[Grepper 3,192]

It was a pretty good episode. The problems the others had to solve were ridiculous, but that's not too unusual.

 

What happened to Starlight Glimmer in this episode? I know the chronology is a bit hazy, but I'm sure the events recounted in the article happened after Twilight took Starlight under her wing.

[cider float 2,537]

I really feel like they wanted to get J.K. Simmons to do the voice, but couldn't. 

What's the big deal I can get a nude pic of Luna right now

 

Because you know ponies don't wear clothes

Edited May 24, 2016 by cider float

[Truffles 2,033]

What's the big deal I can get a nude pic of Luna right now

 

Because you know ponies don't wear clothes

 

Because thongs are funnier than being outright naked? I dunno. XD

[MovieLord101 140]

Good episode. Loved the interview/flashback framing device. As for the Pinkie-clone easter egg, I don't think that was meant to be serious; just a joke-reference to that older episode.

 

P.S. LOVED the Jonah Jameson pony!

Edited May 24, 2016 by MovieLord101

[Jeric 46,850]

Regarding comments of Coco taking a step back that I've seen mentioned here and other places ... it isn't.

 

Rarity has basically solidified her brand in one of the largest population centers in Equestria. She is getting ready to open a new shop. Attaching yourself to a popular name is better for the resume than a new sole proprietorship. It is also better for seeking investors.

 

IRL example - internships at Google are ten times better than opening your own dev shop.

[Aquamarine453 17]

But the Pinkie Clone!!!! Didn't see that coming! 

[Sonic5421 423]

But the Pinkie Clone!!!! Didn't see that coming! 

 

Yeah, I did not expect to see that either.

[The Mint Pone 2,294]

As a huge Parks and Rec fan this episode was a dream. It definitely seemed like this episode was trying to push a new benchmark for hilarious and adorable faces too XD 

I'd say this was the best episode of the season so far. And i know someone who agrees with me

[Lukington17 40]

I swear this episode's moral is in direct contrast with the moral of 'Castle Sweet Castle', since this one involves the Mane Six realising they should decorate and fix Rarity's boutique with their own unique characteristics, whilst in Castle Sweet Castle they realise they can't make Twilight feel at home with all their personal touches, and conspire to decorate it how Twilight would want it.

[Jeric 46,850]

I swear this episode's moral is in direct contrast with the moral of 'Castle Sweet Castle', since this one involves the Mane Six realising they should decorate and fix Rarity's boutique with their own unique characteristics, whilst in Castle Sweet Castle they realise they can't make Twilight feel at home with all their personal touches, and conspire to decorate it how Twilight would want it.

 

 

Yes it is 100% in contrast, which is why it worked splendidly for some. Sometimes you have to go with your style and sometimes you need to empathize and put yourself in the mindset of a friend. Some situations require that you try a different approach.