S01:E20 - Green Isn't Your Color

[~Brenden~ 11]

Well, I would have to say I really enjoyed this episode because it has the "jealousy" plotline and it reminds me of the jealousy-type things that circulate around people at school and reminds me "jealousy sometimes can really drive you mad".

 

The only problems I have with this episode is this: 1. If Fluttershy didn't want to keep doing the modeling stuff, was it REALLY necessary to purposely screw up during the fashion show? No, it wasn't because Fluttershy could've simply just said to Photo Finiish "Um, Photo Finish, I don't want to do this anymore sorry, I'm taking off now." But NOOO, she couldn't have done that.

 

2. If I remember correctly, there are a couple animation fails in some places nobody can really see...

 

3. The title for the episode doesn't really fit or make sense but actually, I think in a way it makes sense because the dress or whatever she was wearing was green, just like her wearing her nice dress to the Gala, but this also doesn't make sense because I think green fits Fluttershy. Anyway, that is my little "review" on Green Isn't Your Color.

[-Lyra Heartstrings- 100]

personally, i love this episode. It has a good friendship lesson and my two favorite ponies. Also, I love Pinkie in this! "FOREVEEERRRRRR"

[kelseymarie805 300]

Another one that was good, but not part of my favorites. I did like Pinkie Pie in this episode, but I didn't like the whole, "You can't tell the other about this." I hate it when their are moments when you can solve so many problems with one simple thing but you won't do it. Netherless, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were awesome. Rarity had her moments as well.

 

I agree completely, I liked this episode, but I wasn't crazy about it, and Pinkie Pie was kind of irritating in this episode yes. I hated the fact that Twilight couldn't say anything to EITHER or them, and I felt bad for both of them, really frustrating imo.......

[TheJLeeTeam 914]

This was a decent episode. It centers around Rarity trying to impress Photo Finish but Fluttershy gets all the attention. And also Spike reveals she has a crush on Rarity. By the way Photo Finish reminds me of Lady Gaga.

[CC_Maud_Pie 6,431]

Many good catchphrases such as Spike confessing having a crush on Rarity, Pinkie Pie's Pinkie promise, Pinkie saying "forever" and "mmm juicy", and Twilight yelling Spike's secret happens in this episode.

[Tameless 979]

This episode was great!

 

Rarity's career was beginning to up-rise. Though her outfits didn't get much show, she still got noticed heavily. In the beginning of the episode I thought it was very sweet how Rarity and Fluttershy have their weekly visits at the spa. Such good friends.

 

Overall very good episode about friends keeping secrets and confessing the truth on what your interests are.

 

(This was just too funny and cute.)

[Pastel 7,627]

FOREVER!!

 

I love this episode, Photo Finish is a great character, and the main characters were at their best. (especially Pinkie Pie )

Only flaw: Spike....

[Rohinar 72]

I love this one!!  It's so well done, imo.  I can't even count how many times I've been in Twilight's position before.  And Pinkie... she was so funny in this episode, even though she was throwing a wrench in the communication.  I lost it literally every time she popped out of somewhere.

 

Also it's really funny that the moves that make Fluttershy really awkward were what Photo Finish liked so much in the modeling and runway stuff.

[KiwiPony 125]

FOREVER!!!

This will probably be my favorite quote from any episode It was the first time I had seriously laughed hard at this show, and I like the way it leads up to a later episode in the season where we learn about how Fluttershy knows a lot about sewing. Well scripted Besides those it was an all around good episode

[RainbowTashie 378]

Another one that was good, but not part of my favorites. I did like Pinkie Pie in this episode, but I didn't like the whole, "You can't tell the other about this." I hate it when their are moments when you can solve so many problems with one simple thing but you won't do it. Netherless, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were awesome. Rarity had her moments as well.

Pinkie made this episode i agree!

[The Second Opinion 269]

I really didn't like this episode back in the day. But I got a lot of objections, and I did want to consider it again.

Here's my perspective (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIORsxPIk84);

On one hand:

- I thought it was boring and stagnant. Rarity is apparently our main character, as she's the one who has to grow, to overcome her insecurities and save the day, but she spends most of it just jealously watching the action happen on the sidelines.

 

- Instead, they focus on overloading Fluttershy's cutesy antics, trying to make everthing she does oh-so precious, as though it wants to be about timid squinting. (Wasn't this generation of the franchise trying to evolve beyond just relying on that?)

- Pinkie Pie's subplot about keeping secrets was an annoying an unecessary way to drag out the conflict. Nobody's going to watch this thinking the right thing for Twilight to do was pretend she didn't know that Rarity and Fluttershy wanted the exact same thing.

 

On the other hand:
 

- I could be missing the appeal of Fluttershy, who bronies in general seem to love for her cutsiness, while I just see her as a decent character in the main cast who still isn't my favorite.

 

- And what's more, the antics here do try to show off more than just her "cute" faces, throwing in some comedy and some goofy characters for her to play off of.

 

- So maybe it's just a good "day in the life" episode for fans.

Thoughts?

[Guest]

@@The Second Opinion, as your thread is exclusively related to this particular episode, the FiM staff team and myself feel that it is more appropriate for that episode's dedicated thread. Please keep in mind that singular episode discussions are better suited for the Show Discussion's Season sub-forums which hosts a thread for each episode. Many thanks

[Dulset Tarn 441]

@@The Second Opinion

I found this one of the best episodes of season 1. It showcases just how close friends Rarity and Fluttershy are, and manages to show quite a lot between them even from primarily Twilight's perspective. I can't really address your points directly, proving them wrong or anything, but I will add a bit that I enjoyed related to those points.

 

Rarity spends most of the time on the sidelines being jealous, yes. Here's what I absolutely love about that. In any other show, we'd get this exchange:
"Rarity, don't you think you're just being jealous of Fluttershy?"
"Of course I'm not jealous, I just deserve success more than her!"

But this show is smart enough not to just do the same thing as always, and we get this:
"Rarity, you don't really want Fluttershy to fail, do you??"
"Oh of course not! I should be happy for her and instead I'm just... jealous! I'm a terrible friend!"

 

Rarity's struggle is not with Fluttershy but with herself, and most importantly she's completely aware of this. She agonizes inwardly because she's trying to cope with her own feelings, and in the end decides that just because she's jealous that doesn't mean she can't support her friend. From beginning to end, Rarity does not want her friend to give up on an opportunity just to spare her feelings.

 

 

Fluttershy's cutesy antics, I dunno what to say, I mean it was a plot point. At the very least I can confidently say this was done VASTLY better than in Filli Vanilli, Fluttershy becoming a model is drastically more believable than becoming a pop sensation.

First, she actually is visually appealing. I don't think anyone can really deny this, her delicate features and long hair is clearly supposed to be "pretty" compared to Twilight or Dash. Conversely, she is simply not a great singer. Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie are the singers of the group, shown by how the recording studio has actual singers do their songs rather than just have the VA's sing it. They have a singers' voice, while Dash, AJ, and Fluttershy do not. Of course I'm not saying they can't sing, but they're clearly not meant to be great singers.

Second, it's not Rarity or another friend telling Fluttershy how great a model she is, it's someone she doesn't know, Photo Finish. And here's the important part, we're clearly shown that Photo Finish has a particular preference that Fluttershy satisfies. She prefers the demure, unconfident modeling and that is why Fluttershy is chosen to be a model, not because she's prettier than Rarity or some nonsense. But in Filli Vanilli, Rarity just goes up to Fluttershy and says "Wow Fluttershy you're the best singer ever." It's simply not plausible by any stretch of logic.

 

 

And Pinkie's subplot with Twilight, wasn't that the whole moral? I mean there was a lot more than that between Rarity and Fluttershy, but the moral is about Twilight's perspective of events. It's like Dragonshy, the story isn't at all about Fluttershy overcoming her fears, no she comes out the same way as she comes in. The episode is about Twilight observing and learning that sometimes your friends will surprise you in the most unexpected ways. I mean, unlike that episode, Fluttershy and Rarity really do learn a lesson, but Twilight's involvement (and by extension Pinkie's) is still important to the episode.

 

 

Meanwhile there's plenty more to love. Remember when Rarity saved Fluttershy from humiliation with dishonesty, by pretending to enjoy the performance and manipulating the socialites? Remember a season later, when Fancy Pants does the exact same thing to save Rarity? Talk about karmic absolution! And hey, who's to say Fancy Pants wasn't at the modeling show, and saw what Rarity did for her friend? Heck, even Cheese Sandwich pulls the same stunt to save Pinkie from her own jealousy.

 

Oh, and let's not forget THIS

 

Vital Spark, on 18 Jan 2015 - 4:21 PM, said:

I agree that Twilight's behaviour is unrealistic. In the situation that she was in, it was clear that even if she broke her friends' confidence, they would ultimately both be thankful for it. Twilight is intelligent enough to have realised that, and I don't think Pinkie badgering her would have stopped her.

Really? You have to remember, Twilight is new to having friends, she's still learning the most basic things. Pinkie has more friends than anyone, and she personally attests that breaking her friends' confidence is the worst thing for keeping friends. You really think Twilight would just ignore an expert's opinion? I mean it's not like she doesn't struggle with it, but NOPONY knows friendship better than Pinkie and Pinkie says "DON'T DO IT".

[The Second Opinion 269]

@@The Second Opinion

I found this one of the best episodes of season 1. It showcases just how close friends Rarity and Fluttershy are, and manages to show quite a lot between them even from primarily Twilight's perspective. I can't really address your points directly, proving them wrong or anything, but I will add a bit that I enjoyed related to those points.

 

Rarity spends most of the time on the sidelines being jealous, yes. Here's what I absolutely love about that. In any other show, we'd get this exchange:

"Rarity, don't you think you're just being jealous of Fluttershy?"

"Of course I'm not jealous, I just deserve success more than her!"

But this show is smart enough not to just do the same thing as always, and we get this:

"Rarity, you don't really want Fluttershy to fail, do you??"

"Oh of course not! I should be happy for her and instead I'm just... jealous! I'm a terrible friend!"

 

Rarity's struggle is not with Fluttershy but with herself, and most importantly she's completely aware of this. She agonizes inwardly because she's trying to cope with her own feelings, and in the end decides that just because she's jealous that doesn't mean she can't support her friend. From beginning to end, Rarity does not want her friend to give up on an opportunity just to spare her feelings.

 

 

Fluttershy's cutesy antics, I dunno what to say, I mean it was a plot point. At the very least I can confidently say this was done VASTLY better than in Filli Vanilli, Fluttershy becoming a model is drastically more believable than becoming a pop sensation.

First, she actually is visually appealing. I don't think anyone can really deny this, her delicate features and long hair is clearly supposed to be "pretty" compared to Twilight or Dash. Conversely, she is simply not a great singer. Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie are the singers of the group, shown by how the recording studio has actual singers do their songs rather than just have the VA's sing it. They have a singers' voice, while Dash, AJ, and Fluttershy do not. Of course I'm not saying they can't sing, but they're clearly not meant to be great singers.

Second, it's not Rarity or another friend telling Fluttershy how great a model she is, it's someone she doesn't know, Photo Finish. And here's the important part, we're clearly shown that Photo Finish has a particular preference that Fluttershy satisfies. She prefers the demure, unconfident modeling and that is why Fluttershy is chosen to be a model, not because she's prettier than Rarity or some nonsense. But in Filli Vanilli, Rarity just goes up to Fluttershy and says "Wow Fluttershy you're the best singer ever." It's simply not plausible by any stretch of logic.

 

 

And Pinkie's subplot with Twilight, wasn't that the whole moral? I mean there was a lot more than that between Rarity and Fluttershy, but the moral is about Twilight's perspective of events. It's like Dragonshy, the story isn't at all about Fluttershy overcoming her fears, no she comes out the same way as she comes in. The episode is about Twilight observing and learning that sometimes your friends will surprise you in the most unexpected ways. I mean, unlike that episode, Fluttershy and Rarity really do learn a lesson, but Twilight's involvement (and by extension Pinkie's) is still important to the episode.

 

 

Meanwhile there's plenty more to love. Remember when Rarity saved Fluttershy from humiliation with dishonesty, by pretending to enjoy the performance and manipulating the socialites? Remember a season later, when Fancy Pants does the exact same thing to save Rarity? Talk about karmic absolution! And hey, who's to say Fancy Pants wasn't at the modeling show, and saw what Rarity did for her friend? Heck, even Cheese Sandwich pulls the same stunt to save Pinkie from her own jealousy.

 

Oh, and let's not forget THIS

 

Vital Spark, on 18 Jan 2015 - 4:21 PM, said:

Really? You have to remember, Twilight is new to having friends, she's still learning the most basic things. Pinkie has more friends than anyone, and she personally attests that breaking her friends' confidence is the worst thing for keeping friends. You really think Twilight would just ignore an expert's opinion? I mean it's not like she doesn't struggle with it, but NOPONY knows friendship better than Pinkie and Pinkie says "DON'T DO IT".

Hm... well, which shows are you referring to that gave us that exchange instead? Because I'm not seeing new insight into jealousy here. "Just because she's jealous that doesn't mean she can't support her friend" sounds like every moral on jealousy ever. And granted, it's nice to see Rarity step up to the plate, but that only happens at the end, after she's been playing pretty much the same note on the sidelines the entire episdoe.

 

On Filli Vanilli, I'm gonna have to disagree with you. Besides the fact that Fluttershy was joining an already popular group and didn't become "a pop sensation," her montage in that episode tells the story of her discovering her joy in performing, communicating the sense of elation and how it grows over time very well to us, the audience. Green Isn't Your Color just had her playing the same, ahem, note over and over and over for the sole purpose of making viewers coo. Granted, Filli Vanilli is guilty of using the "we never said she couldn't" card to explain Fluttershy's singing, but that begs the question of why it was under the surface so long more than it hurts any other episode's credibility. The singing itself, as done by the actress, fit the bill just fine. "Likelihood" based on headcanon and reading into side details from other episodes is not something I'm all that interested in debating when discussing the effectiveness of a specific story arc.

 

And as for Pinkie's subplot with Twilight, you mean being able to keep secrets was the moral? Because I don't think ANYONE would walk away from this thinking Twilight pretending she doesn't know the obvious solution to this problem proved anything. I suppose you could skim past the part about jealousy and say it's about being open with your friends, but what does Twilight being pressured to delay the solution because of Pinkie Pie promise chants have to do with that? Of all the ways it could have structured this conflict, why put an obvious solution on the table and then pretend it isn't obvious?

[Dulset Tarn 441]

 

 

Because I'm not seeing new insight into jealousy here.

The difference is that Rarity is self aware enough to chastise herself for being jealous. Every other show treats jealousy as something bad, saying you shouldn't ever be jealous. This one treats it as something natural, that you will be jealous sometimes but there are ways to deal with it.

 

 

 

her montage in that episode tells the story of her discovering her joy in performing, communicating the sense of elation and how it grows over time

Um... no it doesn't? She's elated to sing from the very first minute. It is exactly just doing the same note over and over. And wait, how many times is Fluttershy's modeling actually shown before the climax? Like twice?

 

 

 

Of all the ways it could have structured this conflict, why put an obvious solution on the table and then pretend it isn't obvious?

So you think Twilight should have just told them? That's fine, but the episode disagrees. You can't ask the episode to give the opposite message.

[The Second Opinion 269]

The difference is that Rarity is self aware enough to chastise herself for being jealous. Every other show treats jealousy as something bad, saying you shouldn't ever be jealous. This one treats it as something natural, that you will be jealous sometimes but there are ways to deal with it.

Again, I'm not seeing the difference. Rarity's jealousy isn't supposed to be a good thing here either. It comes across like you're reading into the few seconds Rarity spends saying to Twilight that she knows she shouldn't be jealous but is. Not that there's anything wrong with liking that moment, which is a nice little bit establishing that Rarity is 3-dimensional, but I'm not about to take any great insight on jealousy from that.

 

 

Um... no it doesn't? She's elated to sing from the very first minute. It is exactly just doing the same note over and over. And wait, how many times is Fluttershy's modeling actually shown before the climax? Like twice?

 

 

Well, I'm gonna have to again disagree with you with evidence to the contrary. The first performance shows Fluttershy nervous but then getting into it as the episode goes on. The next few show her enjoying it in new ways, first belting out the song more passionately than she did before, then dancing in her hiding place and changing the words to play it up, and finally in her last performance, pushing Big Mac out to center stage as though she's imagining it herself and going full force in playing it up. The point of Fluttershy's modeling is that ponies think her timid squinting is cute. 

 

And to answer your question, there are 7 different scenes of Fluttershy being photographed, including a 2 1/2 minute montage of 3 different times in the middle, and that's disregarding the opening about her getting the cutesy spa treatment and the several other cuteness gags the throw in. Or, if you don't want to hold it strictly to individual moments and just add up the time spent on sequences centered around putting her in outfits and/or photographing her, it's over 7 minutes, or 1/3 of the episode, including the intro portion, theme song, and credits.

So you think Twilight should have just told them? That's fine, but the episode disagrees. You can't ask the episode to give the opposite message.

You can if it's not a matter of a message, just a case of using stupidity as the driving force to keep the conflict going. The idea of not being able to solve the problem because you've been sworn into contractual secrecy by "cross my heart and hope to fly" is a gimmick dilemma for sitcommy plots that NOBODY is hindered by in real life, save for elementary school kids who only think they should be because of episodes like this in the first place. Even people who wouldn't be comfortable just revealing it would be smart enough to say "in that case, you should tell them yourself. Trust me, it's not what you think."

Edited January 19, 2015 by The Second Opinion

[Drunk Cheerilee 130]

The Pinkie Promise. Aloe and Lotus screen time. Bon-Bon dialogue. 

What's not to love about... De Magiks!

 

I love this reaction:

 

[Rasydan 43]

Fluttershy,being popular. Can't get along.

Feel kinda sad for Rarity though

[~Flash Brush~ 313]

That accent. I knew it was German as soon as Photo Finish said "wunderbar!". Poor Fluttershy though she is even too afraid to stand in a ray of sunshine all on her own. Much less a spotlight!!!!

[Wicked Funky 2,955]

 

Me upon hearing Photofinishes accent: YAAAZ YAAAAAAAAAZ!

 

I love her accent ^^ Allthough i diden't like this episode all that much... Sure it may have been well thought out in plot story and all that, Me personally did have alot of fun watching it...

[Venomous 18,813]

I loved Photo Finish's workers. They were really pretty

[JonasDarkmane 19,777]

I thought it was pretty good, I was really entertained by it . 

[Magic Note 2,734]

At first, I watched it and didn't think much of it. Now, it's one of the better episodes of Season 1. One of the many things I liked was Tabitha St. Germain's voice acting as Anna Wintour...I mean, Photo Finish. "Zee magicks!" indeed.

[ShutterBat 134]

I must say I love this episode! Fluttershy is my favorite pony, and she did well in it. She begins to model to make Rarity happy, but once she realizes they liked her more than Rarity's clothing.. She was conflicted. She wanted Rarity happy, but she hated the spotlight. I am much myself like this. I want to keep my friends happy, even if that means me being unhappy. I feel like Rarity's feelings were justified. I mean, she thought that Photo Finish liked her clothing. Then,her dreams were crushed once the truth came out. She was jealous of the spotlight of course. I think this episode provides a great lesson for friendships: COMMUNICATION IS ALWAYS BEST. If Fluttershy and Rarity had just expressed how they felt to one another, they would not have had to suffer. Rarity would not have boiled in jealousy, and Fluttershy would not have suffered silently in the spotlight. All in all, love it! Plus.. Fluttershy was adorable. We all know it. "I'm just so mad.. I could kick something!"

[Mesme Rize 15,681]

I might've said earlier that i am not really interested in fashion, but that shouldn't keep me from liking this episode.

 

I'll be very blunt here and this will be a bit bias towards me liking the episode. I freaking love Photo Finish. From her antics, from her crazy german accent (that i like to imitade once in awhile) and just her all around appearance, this mare is just amazing.

 

We also had 2 plots going on. One was about Fluttershy and Rarity keeping secrets from each other and the other one was about Twilight and Pinkie, where Twilight tried to keep Spikes secret. I am surprised how well both worked, with one being more serious, while the other one was a bit more funny.

 

I was always a guy who didn't like to keep secrets away from others, since i am a very open person, so the lesson of not holding your secrets from your friends spoke to me.

 

BTW, did Twilight really had to humiliate Fluttershy so bad? I mean, Fluttershy kind of agreed to it, but a bit subtle next time.

 

All in all, great episode, especially because of Photo Finish.