S06:E12 - Spice Up Your Life

[Luminance 2,181]

I see it as a great episode to introduce new ponies with diverse backgrounds.

 

The map doesn't pick AJ too often?

[Jeric 46,834]

You might be on to something there. Also, I noticed the Las Pegasus mention, as that seems to be one of the upcoming episodes thanks to the leaked titles. Wonder if those brief glimpses were the map giving away several forthcoming episodes by accident?

Completely forgot about the Las Pegasus mention. Who was assigned to that one?

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

Wonderful!  Spectacular!  Stupendous!

 

Really great episode.  Well, to be fair, it might not be quite as good as I thought; it may partially be an effect of recovering from Zephyr The Train Wreck Breeze.  Anything was going to seem great after that.  But really, this was a very solid episode.  I can scarcely say one bad thing about it.  Who couldn't love a ponified Dream Café?

 

 

 

 

I cannot believe that this isn't where they got the inspiration for this episode.  It has to be.

 

Anyway, I loved the adding of cultural diversity to the show.  That was a fantastic idea.  And Saffron has to be one of my favorite ponies now.  She's gorgeous.  I thought the whole execution of the episode was great.  I liked the initial divvying up of the jobs, which seemed logical, and then the following epiphany that they were doing the wrong jobs.  That worked really well.  And I loved the fact that Rarity's influence as a well known pony of fine taste in Canterlot paid off.  This continues the excellent S6 trend of the mane 6 being openly acknowledged for the successes they've had throughout the show, which adds to the believability and realism of the universe.

 

The only thing that would have made it better is if they had just been visiting Canterlot anyway, and came upon the problem serendipitously, rather than having the Daemon (a.k.a. the map) send them.  I hate the Daemon.  I didn't know it was broken.  They should have left it that way.  I've discussed my ethical objections to it at length elsewhere, but my bias aside, the Daemon just isn't necessary for these kinds of stories.  It's just a convenient plot device that enables them to cut story corners by not having a reason for them to travel to different places.  And having the 'lights fix the Daemon at the beginning felt like a very contrived plot device to me.  Why bother with it?  Why not just have Rarity announce that she's taking a business trip to Canterlot, ask who wants to come, then everypony says they're busy but Pinkie, and off they go, then have a quick scene to indicate time passage followed by a throwaway line by Rarity saying that she's concluded her business with Sassy Saddles, and the boutique looks great, and suggests they grab a bite.  There you go, same episode, no Daemon.  Much better.

 

Also, I'm not at all impressed by the songs so far this season.

 

Anyway, still very pleased.  And I just couldn't stop snickering throughout the episode, picturing Babu the whole time.

 

"QUIET!  You shut up!  You make me change restaurant!  You say make trendy like Canterlot and we get three hoof rating!  But do you see ponies?!  Where are ponies?!  SHOW ME PONIES!  THERE ARE NO PONIES!!  You bad mare!  You very, very bad mare!"

Edited June 12, 2016 by Justin_Case001

[Jonny Music 3,307]

This episode was really good. It's a cool thing to see some Indian ponies in the show to add some more ethnic diversity.

 

Moral and lesson-wise, it's definitely relatable in my case.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Jonny Music

[BlackWater627 700]

@@Jeric, I really hope you're just talking about fan-made stuff or something because I don't think most people want future spoilers dropped without warning in these episode threads. 

[mccuish1525 55]

This episode fits me very well. I have a unique adventurous taste when it comes trying new foods. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by mccuish1525

[Brainstorm 4,092]

I'm glad they got the Cutie Mark Map back.

[Thrond 3,257]

Not spectacular or anything but I found this thoroughly enjoyable. Easily the most formulaic episode this season, even more so than "Gauntlet of Fire," but the charm dial was cranked up and those restaurant owners are delightful.

 

Full review here. 

 

Additional thoughts:

 

Not only does Rarity use her platform to promote a struggling business, she does so for a business owned by (ponies inspired by) marginalized people. Shout out to that. 

 

Starlight and Twilight resurrecting the map no questions asked only underscores what a horrible, horrible plot device it is. Why don't they ask any questions about it? I get why they trust it now, but why did they just go with it at first? Why does as formulaic an episode as this need such a lazy excuse to exist? 

 

This episode is so lean that it's almost the opposite of "The Gift of the Maud Pie." I enjoyed the latter's density more, and it proved that you could easily come up with another explanation than the map. 

 

I hope there isn't any equivalent to the terrible running gag last season where Twilight complained about not being summoned by the stupid map. That would be the worst. 

I missed this while watching, but casting white VAs as Saffron and Coriander... not impressed, guys.

[SoulHarmony 43]

Absolutely adored this episode if I am honest -

It was really good to actually see the Cutie Map make its return and not just be a Season 5 thing.

 

After a few episodes we also got to see Starlight Glimmer make her return although brief.

 

The Song "It's gonna work" was by far one of the most enjoyable and fun Musical numbers that I had heard in a while - I am not saying it's the best but I think it could get into my top 10.

 

The Message that you should be yourself rather than try to be like the others around you is a solid lesson for children (and Adults) to learn in todays modern society.

 

And Lastly, Cumin and Saffron are nice additions to the Pony fandom, it's great to have more cultural diverse characters in the show and may even open the doors for even more fans to join the community.

[Radiance64 7,051]

Thinking back I guess the song in this episode wasn't really that bad, had a nice rhythm to it. The lyrics left a little to be desired though (yo it's gon wurk, gon wurk I tells ya ) and I still don't like how Rarity was portrayed during it, but that's just me.

[Dark Qiviut 22,160]

DHX was trying to paint Zesty Gourmand in the wrong in this episode by making her the "petulant critic" stereotype and highly rating generic fine-dining restaurants with poor flavor quality, but in the beginning of Act 3, I found myself agreeing with her harsh words. By trying to make The Tasty Treat succeed, Rarity stripped the place of its authenticity and forced Coriander and Saffron to rip off the others. The New Tasty Treat was a substandard ripoff of the other places with poor service. She had every right to leave and call out Rarity for her creative choices.

[GiFTGewEhrSCHutzen-4 8,827]

*Notices Saffron's first appearance. Mind blown away and adds her to the 'Ponies I Like' list* Okay, back to business. Seriously, Zesty? Your going to make them eat food that don't even taste good? I mean, if you want the inside to look clean, and presentable and stuff, that's fine. But with the food? Come on!

[cider float 2,535]

They attempted Bollywood... and failed :/

[Hazy Skies 1,010]

Though the plot was a little slow at the start and the song was kinda boring.. I really did enjoy this episode ^-^
I really like the new characters it introduced.. That cranky and fussy food pony, and the 2 indian-esque ponies
 
Especially Saffron Masala    I don't know why but i really like her design, accent, character, and color scheme 
It seems that a lot of new and unique ponies from Canterlot have a unique design.. Fleur Dis Lee and Sassy Saddles both
had that Alicorn-like design to them making them quite unique in that sense, but in the base of Saffron, her design is very
standard, yet it has some distinct changes, such as the slightly pointed ears, the eye shapes and the puffy hair style..
 
 
It's kinda funny if you think about it.. Last episode has the introduction of a character that i really disliked..

Yet the very episode afterwards there is the introduction of a character that i really did like

 

But yeah.. totally don't have a crush on Saffron now because of this episode.. Yeah..

Edited June 12, 2016 by AURAequine

[Thaliel 116]

Am I the only person irritated by rarity's and pinkie's cm not lighting up before they were sent off?

[Wind Chaser 4,767]

Am I the only person irritated by rarity's and pinkie's cm not lighting up before they were sent off?

They did at the end, you'll have to watch it again.

 

Anyway, still very pleased. And I just couldn't stop snickering throughout the episode, picturing Babu the whole time.

 

I can only hope this doesn't end with Coriander and Saffron getting deported.

Edited June 12, 2016 by Wind Chaser

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,237]

After not enjoying last week's episode much at all, this week comes along and makes me feel wonderful again. ^-^ There were soooo many great things in play here. The characters were all wonderful, I especially loved the new ponies in the restaurant. The chemistry between Pinkie and Rarity surprisingly seems to work most of the time and this was no exception. We also now have the map back which it is nice to see it back form the grave, I liked the idea of it and was saddened by it being tossed to the side, but it seems there is more to be done with it. The song was really catchy too and to top it all off, I loved the overall theme of it. Being yourself, not trying to 'fit it' just because so many others are doing something. Life is about being you and doing what makes you happy. Definitely a great moral lesson for anyone. There were even some very funny parts too, mainly with the father. :3

 

This could be one of my favorite episodes of the season. Also, I spotted a Gordon Ramsey pony near the end. XD

[Teavvi 627]

:D One of my favorite episodes! I loved Pinkie and Rarity!

[Lambdadelta 1,462]

What I learned from this ep: Critics are not that bad, it's your faults for letting their opinions dictate you.

This is a good ep, im happy to see the map again. There is one scene that I will rate it a 8.5 instead of 8.0 - the critic pony didnt give the restaurant a chance and just go away, an asshole critic but I really respect that pony, better than Ego in Ratalouille

[SilverDusk 43]

The only thing I didn't like about this episode is that Rarity already had an episode where she learned that going with whats popular isn't the right thing, with her episode when she opened the Canterlot Store. I think they missed an opportunity to have another good development for Rarity.

 

Also the animation in the song was the laziest thing I've seen from this show. They didn't even update the big guy's outfit when they recycled the split screen thing for the 3rd time. I mean I liked the song though. I'll just say it was poetic because they made each scene the same on purpose.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,282]

I liked the episode a lot, but hold on a minute. Rarity is backsliding. In season five episode 14 "Canterlot Boutique" Rarity asserted her individuality when Sassy Saddles wanted her to just keep making the same dress over and over. She relearned the important lesson that variety is the spice of life. (Apt lesson for this episode!)  Now, she tried to make Tasty Treats just another bland cookie cutter copy of every other eatery in Restaurant Row.

 

I really love the new character of Saffron Masala. She's lovely. The artists did a great job showing how full bodied and radiant her mane is, and she dresses with a style Rarity would seriously approve of. Now for her father, Coriander Cumin. What can I say about him?

 

BEST NAME EVER!

 

I loved him. A hard working gruff pony, who at heart just wants to make his daughter happy.

 

You know what? The show is really starting to do a nice job at showing multiculturalism. I give two thumbs hooves up to the episode, even though Rarity revisited a lesson she already learned. 

The only thing I didn't like about this episode is that Rarity already had an episode where she learned that going with whats popular isn't the right thing, with her episode when she opened the Canterlot Store. I think they missed an opportunity to have another good development for Rarity.

 

Also the animation in the song was the laziest thing I've seen from this show. They didn't even update the big guy's outfit when they recycled the split screen thing for the 3rd time. I mean I liked the song though. I'll just say it was poetic because they made each scene the same on purpose.

I read your post after what I wrote above. I'm glad somepony else noticed that Rarity seems to have needed the same lesson twice.

[Cleverclover 1,525]

I think that Spice Up Your Life offers plenty of good concepts. Having a failing business that can't compete in a sea of competition is a very relatable problem, as is possessing a work of genuine quality that is largely ignored because it diverts from what the masses consider to be quality. In addition, I'd also have to commend the stylistic choice for having the restaurant being Indian-themed. That certainly wasn't something I expected, and it really does make you curious about the world outside Equestria.

The problem with this episode, as is always with the case of episodes that have terrific premises at their core, is its execution. And I have to say, this one really missed the mark.

We're quickly introduced to the notion that restaurants in Canterlot must receive a "three-hoof" rating from Zesty Gourmand, and any restaurant that doesn't have said rating is simply crap that should be ignored. This kind of mindset is honestly to be expected. It's been established in various episodes (including two from last season: Princess Spike and Canterlot Boutique) that Canterlot is a very hive-minded society. They easily and willingly conform to a single social norm and shun just about anything that opposes said norm. So this doesn't exactly come as any surprise. 

What does come as a surprise is that the food served in these supposed "three-hoof" restaurants actually isn't very good, as evidenced by Rarity's reaction to it in one scene. Perhaps it's just a case of Rarity not liking that particular dish (for whatever reason), but either way, this immediately throws into question how and why Zesty Gourmand is as revered as she is if her rating does not imply actual quality after all. 

When the episode's primary conflict of saving a failing restaurant is finally introduced, the episode takes a massive nosedive. Mike Vogel obviously wanted Rarity and Pinkie to butt heads when it came to what to do to solve the problem, but the main issue here is that he ultimately chose the wrong characters to use. And how he goes on to portray Rarity ultimately clashes with who she is and what she stands for as a character. 

Rarity immediately suggests that the key to the success of the restaurant is to conform to what the masses perceive as quality at the cost of any and all stylistic integrity that made the restaurant what it was. After spending all of Canterlot Boutique rising up against the Canterlot hive-mind in order to preserve her sense of artistry and creativity, she is now adapting to the hive-mind in full force, smiling with glee as she tears down each and every last trace of the Indian-themed decor. 

This is supposed to clash against Pinkie's mindset that being unique (just for the sake of being unique, mind you, not really for the sake of preserving artistic integrity) is the key to being a success. Vogel obviously thought that this was a natural mindset that Pinkie would have. She is, after all, the very epitome of "unique." The problem is that Rarity, under the pen of someone with any semblance of understanding of her character, would never demand another pony to compromise their sense of artistry in this manner. 

Almost instantly, I'm reminded of Canterlot Boutique and how much Rarity came to despise the princess dress because it lost any and all sense of uniqueness it once had after it became mainstream. I mean, how in the hell did we go from that to this?! Even when Rarity inevitably gets called out for her blatant attempts get the restaurant to appeal to the masses, it just seems like she's being told something she already knows. It's almost staggering that someone on the writing staff, who has been given nearly six years and 120 episodes to understand the characters, would write one of them as almost the exact opposite of who she really is. This is like writing Applejack to neglect her farm or family for whatever reason, or go around scamming others for her own personal gain, similar to Flim and Flam. 

 

Vogel definitely chose the wrong character if he wanted someone to clash with Pinkie's sense of uniqueness. A better choice would have honestly been Twilight, who does not have the same value for artistic integrity that Rarity does, and who whose borderline compulsive tendency to organize would have likely resulted in a similar attempt to overhaul the entire restaurant. Hell, and getting Twilight's mission out of the way first would have also granted us the obvious advantage of not having to listen to her complain about not being called by the map. 

I discussed this episode with @@Captain Sorzo, who in addition to expressing his extreme displeasure for Rarity's characterization in this episode, also raised the point of Rarity in this episode being the equivalent of Sassy Saddles in Canterlot Boutique, prior to her change of heart. I can't disagree. In this episode, Rarity took command of a business that was not her own and forced the owners to compromise their stylistic integrity in favor of something that would appeal to the masses, directly for profit. In all honesty, we may as well call this episode the Anti-Canterlot Boutique. 

 

There were just so many good ideas here, and such poor execution.

Oh, forgot to mention that Starlight appeared. Still mostly for Twilight's sake, and STILL her past as a villain has been brought up. Both of these appear to be a requirement for including her in episodes. I'm wondering whether or not she'll have any involvement in one of these new batch of friendship missions. It seems possible that Twilight will bring her along in hers, in which case, I truly hope that they go alone so that whomever else is supposed to be accompanying Twilight won't simply be left in the dust while Twilight and Starlight do anything and everything of actual importance. 

 

Overall, this episode is very dull conclusion to the first half (sort of) of a very lackluster season. I'm seriously hoping it improves in the second half. 

Edited June 12, 2016 by Cleverclover

[Redhatbrony 59]

Alright I find this episode quite interesting and I enjoyed it a lot.

Now without further redo, I am hoping you enjoy my menu.

On second look

https://youtu.be/68ACIeoRAcg

[powerpuff-tsubasa 447]

this was such a good episode. especially the song rary and pinkie sang. the moral was well taught and everything went great at a swift pace

[Music Chart Fan 818]

Overall, this episode was okay. Coriander and Saffron are likable characters whom we want to see succeed, and their interactions - including their initial arguing and later cooperation - are entertaining, particularly Coriander's cynical and to-the-point attitude. The episode also comes to a satisfying conclusion: The Tasty Treat appears to be successful now, and other restaurant owners are beginning to rebel against Zesty's overly restrictive standards. However, while I wouldn't say that Rarity's and Pinkie's initial approaches to save The Tasty Treat are obviously wrong, they both take their approaches a bit too unreasonably far, while never seeming to realize the issues with their strategies. Also, Zesty's haughty and egotistical attitude is rather cliche, and it's kind of baffling why Zesty's three-hoof ratings are taken so very seriously when it seems like all the restaurants with that rating are overly bland and essentially identical to each other.

 

When it came to saving The Tasty Treat, I would say that neither Rarity's follow-the-trends approach nor Pinkie's be-yourself approach were obviously wrong. It would depend on what Coriander and Saffron wanted to accomplish in opening a restaurant in Canterlot (and Restaurant Row in particular). Did they want to have a successful restaurant and not particularly care what the decor is or what food they serve to that end? Was the Indian food/decor just something they were familiar with and would be willing to change if it meant getting more business? If so, then perhaps Rarity's approach of emulating other successful restaurants in the area and catering to Zesty's tastes (and thus the apparent tastes of the local clintele) would work. On the other hand, if they really wanted to maintain the authenticity of the restaurant, and believed that it would be successful if they were just more proactive and enthusiastic about selling it to potential customers, then perhaps Pinkie's approach would work. Later in the episode, Saffron says that all she's ever wanted to do is "make food for the ponies of Canterlot like the food we made together when I was younger" (and Coriander more or less concurs), but Rarity didn't know that at the time, and Coriander seemingly didn't object to Rarity's approach.

 

However, one issue with Rarity's approach is that it's not clear (at least to us in the audience) why all of these three-hoof restaurants on Restaurant Row are independently successful. If the food and decor at all these restaurants are bland and so similar as to be essentially identical (in keeping with the strict standards to get a three-hoof rating), then how do Canterlot ponies actually decide which of these three-hoof restaurants to patronize? They're all on the same street, so location wouldn't be a significant factor. Without knowing why the well-established restaurants on Restaurant Row are successful despite being so similar, it's hard to say how, even with a three-hoof rating, The Tasty Treat, being essentially identical to every other restaurant, would still attract and keep customers.

 

But, if Coriander's and Saffron's goal is to maintain authenticity with The Tasty Treat, it seems like a big source of the lack of success might in fact be their location on Restaurant Row. After all, I would think that Canterlot (and the surrounding area) consists of more than just rich, upper-crust ponies who are overly concerned with social standing and treat Zesty's ratings as gospel. Maybe Coriander and Saffron just need to match their restaurant better with the local customer base. For example, value (i.e., amount and/or variety of food for the money) doesn't seem to be one of Zesty's criteria for judging a restaurant, and while that might not make a difference to rich upper-crust ponies who aren't concerned about how much they spend on food, presumably value is an important factor (and perhaps more important than decor and presentation) for non-rich ponies, tourists, etc. So what if The Tasty Treat were located in a more middle-class neighborhood, or near a university, or near major (though not excessively expensive) tourist attractions? In other words, what if The Tasty Treat were located someplace where potential customers wouldn't be basing their dining decisions on Zesty's ratings, or would prioritize bolder flavors and more food for the money? Maybe then they would have had more success without Rarity's and Pinkie's intervention.

 

Finally, the ponies that Rarity brought to The Tasty Treat at the end of the episode don't seem to care much for Zesty's opinion, and, in fact, cheer when she leaves without trying the food or rating the restaurant. That makes me wonder about how Rarity found them and/or convinced them to try The Tasty Treat. Are any of the ponies eating there at the end of the episode ones that rejected Pinkie and Saffron earlier? Did any of them refuse to try the restaurant earlier because it didn't have a three-hoof rating? At least some of them are chefs/restaurant owners on Restaurant Row who seem to resent Zesty's standards. So I wonder just how much of Rarity's ability to pack The Tasty Treat was because of her reputation and charm, as opposed to just being able to find ponies who were inclined to disregard or even rebel against Zesty's ratings.

 

Now for a bunch of miscellaneous observations:

 

Does the electronic "sparking" of the Cutie Map, and the fact that it flashed several pairs (including Twilight with herself) before settling on Pinkie and Rarity mean that Twilight's and Starlight's spell to re-activate it wasn't 100% successful? Was the re-activated Cutie Map malfunctioning, and perhaps only barely functioning right now?

 

Rarity's excitement about doing "extracurricular" activities in Canterlot raises the same questions I had when the Cutie Map was first introduced. Are the Mane Six paying for these trips themselves? Or is the Equestrian government covering their travel expenses? Is answering the summons of the Cutie Map considered a job for which the Mane Six are getting compensated by the Equestrian government?

 

Pinkie's line about how "some ponies get excited about the silliest things" after Rarity gets excited about going to Canterlot provoked an "Oh, shut up" reaction from me. So Pinkie can be hyper/random/stupid/annoying about whatever she wants, and the rest of the Mane Six just have to roll their eyes and put up with it, but then they're expected not to get excited about something that Pinkie isn't that excited about? Pinkie is being quite the hypocrite here.

 

As Rarity is saying where she thinks they should start looking for a friendship problem, Pinkie interrupts her to say that they should "go with the flow", but then when Rarity asks where "the flow" is saying they should go, Pinkie says "You know Canterlot, what do you think we should do?". But wasn't Rarity just saying what she thought they should do before Pinkie interrupted her?

 

Does the fancy-restaurant "presentation" of food include not having anything to drink? I couldn't help noticing that Pinkie and Rarity never had water or any other beverage at any of the restaurants on Restaurant Row.

 

I would think that, after just one restaurant with tiny portion sizes and bad-tasting food, Pinkie would insist on going somewhere with bigger portions and/or bolder flavors, especially considering how much we've seen Pinkie eat in one sitting. She and Rarity did do that eventually, but only after going to three "fancy" restaurants. And that's not to mention that eating at those three "fancy" restaurants would surely add up (in both money and time) very quickly.

 

How does Rarity know the restaurant is called "The Tasty Treat" before she and Pinkie go inside? We don't see any signs that actually say the name of the restaurant or anything.

 

When Rarity asks whether they're sure that The Tasty Treat is open, Pinkie says that it smells open - but just because someone is cooking something doesn't necessarily mean the restaurant is open to serve walk-in customers.

 

While I do find Coriander's cynical and to-the-point attitude and dialogue amusing, those aren't really the best qualities for a host of a restaurant to be displaying. I would think that Saffron, with her looks, enthusiasm, etc., would be a better hostess/server.

 

The spray bottle with which Rarity is cleaning the windows seems like another one of those things that's more designed for humans with hands than for ponies.

 

Zesty calls the food at The Tasty Treat "substandard", but she never even ate anything there. Or is that judgment solely from the very little amount of food that she saw without eating it?

 

Finally, a couple of restaurant owners at the end of the episode announce in full view of Zesty their intentions to substantially change the food they serve in their restaurants, going against the standards by which Zesty gave their restaurants a three-hoof rating in the first place. So will their restaurants get their three-hoof ratings revoked? Would they take a hit in the amount of business they get if that happened, or are they well-established enough that most of their regular customers would continue to come and recommend them to visitors?