S04:E19 - For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils

[Obsidian Sky 14,004]

I thought the lesson learned was nice for what it accomplished in the end but honestly did Sweetie Belle really need another reminder how much her sister, the Element of Generosity, actually cares for her?

 

Hello? Rarity ran through an obstacle course drenched in MUD to prove how much she cares for her.

 

Then again, she's basically a kid and kids do forget stuff like that from time to time I suppose so her initial reaction to everything was realistic but...meh. Yknow.

Well, not only kids tend to forget that, there are more than enough bronies that seem to have a hard time remembering this. 

[Singe 2,111]

Sweetie Belle's anger was misplaced. Those ponies in the crowd doesn't know a good play when it hits them in the flank. There is one solution she should have taken to the theater house.

Edited March 23, 2014 by Singe

[Argumedies 1,748]

So, during Luna Artemis Dickens' replay of A Christmas Carol... Do you guys think that she actually did show Sweetie Belle the future? Or was it just a scenario she created to get her point across?

The future is never set and so was but one of many possible outcomes and with that kind of power it may have been the most likely outcome

 

 

The real question should be... if Luna can see future events... why couldn't she see her own a thousand years ago?

 

Mull that one over

[sby 347]

luna is now:

.. hearing all dem secrets

 

Another interesting sidenote, luna probbaly knows the true nature of everyone, the good and the bad.

Edited March 23, 2014 by sby

[Bright Honor 2,671]

I just watched the episode and I loved it! It helps that my favorite pony/princess and favorite filly were in it.

[Espurr 449]

New favorite episode! I think luna is so cool in this episode because it shows an even greater extent of her powers and luna is my favorite princesss!!!

[FlutterDash4072 189]

This was a great episode. I love seeing the sibling rivalry between Rarity and Sweetie Belle, but I like how it always ends on a positive note. The dream sequence was a great idea, I was afraid they were just putting Luna in because of how popular she was, but she helped bring it all together really well.

[Forlong 1,726]

Was it just me or did Sapphire Shores have one two many bends in her arm in the final scene?

Gumby Ponies are now canon.

 

I'm going to take a few extra days to work on my review.  Not because I have nothing to say about it, but because I have far to much to say about it.  I'm hoping that the other analysts will cover some of my thoughts so I don't have to.  Honestly, there is just so much to this episode.  Anypony who wants to try their hand at analysis should try this episode first.  It will be very easy to come up with something new to say about it.

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

Great episode, I see Sweetie Belle takes after the ol' sister even more now, building on all three Crusaders' characterizations mirroring their big sisters from "Twilight Time", now she's learning her lessons about becoming an Attention Horse.

 

As expected, Luna all but stole the show, but seeing as how she can look into the past, present, and future of other ponies, one has to wonder if there's any privacy in Equestria.

[OtakuBrony 349]

Howdy all!

 

Great episode with Sweetie Belle & Rarity.

 

Clare Corlett did awesome as SB while Tabitha St.Germain doesnt miss a beat as Rarity & Princess Luna.

Good to see Sapphire Shores again.

 

SB's Dresses Dresses DRESSSES!! reminded me of the Brady Bunch episode as Jan saying Marcia Marcia MARCIA!!

 

Meghan wasnt kidding about the dream scenes she tweeted before the ep aired.

See ya!

[Arctic Night 884]

I was honestly nervous when Rarity was about to pull out the ruined headdress. 

 

Overall it was a good episode. It's always nice to have an episode with Luna in it.

[Radiance64 7,053]

So, during Luna Artemis Dickens' replay of A Christmas Carol... Do you guys think that she actually did show Sweetie Belle the future? Or was it just a scenario she created to get her point across?

Hm, my bet's on it being a hypothetical dream scenario. I think it was a bit too exaggerated to be something that would've actually happened on the show.

[Shanks 10,816]

This is now my favorite Sweetie Belle episode, a bit of sibling rivalry here but you can really see the love that Rarity has for Sweetie Belle in this episode which made for some adorable moments and of course Luna being involved really gave it that nice finish, tre magnifique.

[ChocoTaffy 0]

I liked it! 

Loved the part when Luna came in. 

And when she said that she was outshined by Celestia, she was right. I felt sorry for her. 

:comeatus:

[Jangocoolguy 433]

Oh hey, call back time!
Never show Rarity badly made clothes. Gives her fits!
And just hope things go better than with "Reginald the Sly"...
Tired of being in everyone else's shadows, Sweetie Belle takes action!
Sounds like SB's been reading William Sheakespony
Backstabbing background bastards!
Is that headdress for Sapphire Shores or Pony Gaga? You decide!
When's the next Sisterhooves Socials?--crap
SB vents the frustrations of anyone who's ever been forced to tell hues apart (such an ass pain!)
When Opal gets nervous, you know things are grim...

No, Sweetie Belle! Your magic is supposed to bring a great, big smile, not this!
This is what happens when don't cook your awards thoroughly
Arabus' sex change operation was a great success
Princess Lunas: Princess of Night, Guardian of Dreams, and Ghost of Hearth's Warming Eve Past, Present AND Future!
*cue "Inception" theme*
Coming soon: black light pony toys!
Sapphire, Rarity had to deal with Diamond Dogs to make your costumes. Talk about ungrateful
Man, it really doesn't take much to go crazy in Equestria, does it?
There, There, Sweetie. I prefer showtunes to pop too *hugs SB*
Funny, that's the exact thing the critics said about "Spiderman: Turn off the Dark"

It's about time Sweetie Belle came into her own. After years of playing second fiddle to Rarity and her fellow crusaders, it's high time she gained some more needed depth and traits. Some might feel like her actions after the play and before the dream were OOC...but that's puberty for ya!

My issue is with the birthday party. Wouldn't someone have noticed that the birthday girl never showed up? Wouldn't someone have gone to check on her? Was it just cancelled anyway since she spent the whole(?) time crying in bed? Poor thing

Also...was that Rarity's rainbow item thread they used to fix that headdress with???

Edited March 23, 2014 by Jangobadass

[Pixel Stick 927]

I just finished watching this episode, so now I can participate.   I haven't fully decided yet, but I'm thinking this may now be my new top-favorite episode of Season 4.  Yes, part of it's because I'm a Luna fan, and Luna finally got her most significant screen time since Luna Eclipsed.  But even putting that aside, I was VERY pleased with the story and the lesson in this episode.

 

I peeked at the synopsis at the beginning of this thread before watching, and immediately I went "FINALLY, an episode about guilt and conscience!"  It's a topic they've touched on before, but I know from first-hand experience how effective confronting your guilt in a dream can be, so I was very much looking forward to this.  My main fear was that Luna would be too involved in acting as Sweetie Belle's conscience - just telling her she did wrong and that she should be ashamed.

 

Well, the writers did NOT disappoint me in the slightest.  The Christmas Carol trope, while a little cliche'd, was put to GREAT effect here.  Luna simply directed the dream and showed Sweetie Belle what she needed to see, but otherwise said very little directly.  She pointed to her own experiences to put things into perspective.  And she sympathized with Sweetie Belle.  But she never once condoned Sweetie's actions, nor did she pass judgment on them - she simply showed her the whole story.

 

In my opinion, the writers simply could not have done a better job with this.  It was extremely important for Sweetie Belle to face her guilt and to understand what she'd done herself, and Luna was simply there to be her guide.  This is what a conscience is.  THIS is how you teach children about consequences.  I really can't think of anything more to say here.

 

I also enjoyed the references to The Brady Bunch (the "dresses, dresses, DRESSES!" thing), as well as the zip-lining reference to Cutie Mark Chronicles.  Fits the theme of Season 4 being very self-referential and full of pop-culture references for the older folks - and in this case, the references were tastefully done and not too obvious.

 

My only conflict with this episode (I'm not sure yet if I consider it criticism or simply mixed-feelings) came in the resolution, when Princess Luna appeared in person to help Sweetie Belle not only repair the damage but to make an improvement to it.  It makes sense that Luna knew something deeply personal and intimate about Sapphire Shores - the dolphins in her dreams - so that explains both why the dolphins appeared in Sweetie Belle's dream and why the dolphin stitching worked for Sapphire at the end.  It was also a way for Sweetie Belle to return Rarity's favor in improving her costumes, especially given Rarity put her job on the line to help her sister with what was evidently a disaster of a play.  I thought it was a cute and sweet touch.

 

But I'm also a little troubled by this scene.  It seemed a little far-fetched that Luna would appear in person to help Sweetie Belle here.  Not so much because she should have more important things to do - this fits the charm of Equestria quite well, in that ponies always help one another.  (Also, I'm guessing that Luna was pleased enough with Sweetie Belle having learned her lesson that she was willing to help her make things right.)  It just felt like the assistance was perhaps a little gratuitous.  And had I been Rarity, I would have been EXTREMELY hesitant to show Sapphire Shores the modified headdress because, while the dolphin might have looked great and called out to Sapphire personally, it wasn't what she'd ordered.  That was a big risk Rarity took there, especially when Sapphire was becoming dubious of this project already.

 

In a way, it felt like this scene compromised Luna's integrity a little - up to now, she'd been in a position of minimal interference - simply guiding Sweetie Belle to learn an important lesson.  It was up to Sweetie Belle to make things right.  But when she actively changed the course of events by providing the thread and the design, she (Luna) put Rarity into a more difficult position than if they'd simply repaired the headdress back to the way it had been to begin with.  Therefore, if Sapphire had rejected it, Luna would have been partially responsible for Rarity's failure.  I don't think that would have gone over well back at the castle.

 

I think I'd have been more comfortable with it if they'd either left the design alone (and left out that element of risk), or if it had been clearer that the dolphin was Sweetie Belle's idea.  Had I written that scene, I would have had Luna there solely to assist, but in no way interfere.  (Given that Sweetie Belle has noticeable, but likely still minimal unicorn magic, it's quite likely that she would not have possessed the skill to repair that headdress herself, so having Luna there to help makes great sense.  The "improvement" is the part that doesn't sit quite right with me.)

 

On the other hoof, you could argue that it was only fair, given that Rarity made her own improvements to Sweetie Belle's costumes without her knowledge or consent.  Perhaps Luna did that as a subtle way of sending a message to Rarity as well.  That wasn't immediately clear from the way things unfolded in the episode, but it would make sense if that's what the writers had intended.

 

In any event, I think that was my only significant criticism of this episode.  I absolutely loved this, and I loved Luna's treatment in her second appearance in a child's dream.  Her role here reminded me fondly of My Neighbor Totoro, in which Totoro and the spirits of the forest are revered by all but can only be seen by young children.  I'm beginning to think that, while Luna can see the dreams of all ponies young and old, she only ever appears in those of children, in a similar way to Totoro.  As a moral guide, that also makes a lot of sense.

 

Now that I've gone through all that, I think I'm ready to call this my new favorite episode of the season - even above Rarity Takes Manehattan.

 

Hm, my bet's on it being a hypothetical dream scenario. I think it was a bit too exaggerated to be something that would've actually happened on the show.

 

I'm guessing this is in the same category as Twilight's fears about what might happen to Ponyville if she failed to restore her friends' cutie marks in Magical Mystery Cure (specifically, the downfall of Sweet Apple Acres with Pinkie Pie in charge).

[Singe 2,111]

Celestia tends to be vague and leaves it up to the pony to figure it out.

 

Luna on the other hoof is straight forward and direct. Even going farther by sticking with the pony until it all resolves.

[FlutterScream 180]

xD You left me no choice.

 

Here's a Luna

There's a Luna

and another little Luna

Fuzzy Luna

Funny Luna

Luna Luna duck

 

Luna Luna

cheesecake Luna

tablet, brick, potato, Luna

Luna Luna mushroom Luna

Luna Luna duck

 

I was once a tree house

I lived in a cake

but I never saw the way

the orange slayed the rake

I was only three years dead

but it told a tale

and now listen little foal

to the safety rail

 

Did you ever see a Luna

kiss a Luna

on the Luna

Luna's Luna

tastes of Luna

Luna Luna duck

 

Half a Luna

Twice a Luna

not a Luna

farmer Luna

Luna in a car

alarm a Luna

Luna duck

 

is that how its told now

is it oh so old

is it made of lemon juice

doorknob, ankle, cold

Now my song is getting thin

I've run out of luck

Time for me to retire now

and become a duck

The sad fact is, I could probably find pictures of Luna in most of these lyrics. Luna in a car? Alarm a Luna? Farmer Luna? Yeah. Given the creativity of this fandom in general and the power of creativity, I'm sure they exist

 

 

Or not...

Edited March 23, 2014 by FluttershyFan84

[Whatevs 377]

There are so many things to comment on in this episode that made me like it.

 

I just may have to write a blog on it so i can flesh out my ideas.

 

But I think the parallelism between Rarity and Sweetie was even more significant than the comparisons to Celestia and Luna.

I also liked the character development Rarity got as she was very patient (albeit confused) with her sister this time around.

But at the same time she was not an infinitely understanding saint as she did get annoyed with Sweetie towards the end during the chase(understandably so).

Edited March 23, 2014 by Whatevs

[Cloud Runner 26]

I'm happy to see Luna again (I really like Luna) although I think they should lay off the CMC for a few more episodes. Overall I think it was a pretty good episode.

[CloudSeeker 23]

this episode was just... AMAZING in my opinion, i mean, sweetie belle, rarity aaaaaaaaaaaand luna

 

also those trippy (do you say trippy?!) dream sequences were amazing, especially when rarity slipped

into madness. i cant remember seeing her like this before? i mean we had "mad" twilight, "mad" pinkie

and "mad" fluttershy (maybe "twisted" would be better than "mad"?)

but i think sweetie belle made a little toooooo much drama.

 

 

but i think you get my point

[Khaoios 1,970]

Just saw it today, and all i can say is...............Christmas Carol.......b/c Luna was representing the Ghost of Past, Present, and Future.  However, its nice to have another Luna episode.  Its pretty strange though, usually when I hear Luna speak, she has an accent, but in this episode, it sounded like she spoke normally.  Then again, it was probably done, b/c both Rarity and Luna had an accent, which was weird, imo. 

[Pixel Stick 927]

this episode was just... AMAZING in my opinion, i mean, sweetie belle, rarity aaaaaaaaaaaand luna

 

also those trippy (do you say trippy?!) dream sequences were amazing, especially when rarity slipped

into madness. i cant remember seeing her like this before? i mean we had "mad" twilight, "mad" pinkie

and "mad" fluttershy (maybe "twisted" would be better than "mad"?)

but i think sweetie belle made a little toooooo much drama.

 

 

but i think you get my point

 

That's the neat thing about dreams.  They often convey raw, unfiltered emotions.  Our happiness, sadness, anger and fear are all amplified by the fact that they're not filtered by anything rational, so when we have an emotional dream and perceive someone in distress, that can look AWFULLY dramatic.  I think the writers have done an amazing job in both this episode and Sleepless in Ponyville of capturing the rawness of childhood dreams.

 

In this case, the sequence did a great job of showing just how weird and disjointed a dream can be, and also with the looking forward part, exaggerating what was more likely to happen from Sweetie Belle's point of view.  Luna guided and directed the dream, but I'm pretty certain the projections were all Sweetie Belle's.

Its pretty strange though, usually when I hear Luna speak, she has an accent, but in this episode, it sounded like she spoke normally.  Then again, it was probably done, b/c both Rarity and Luna had an accent, which was weird, imo. 

 

Rarity and Luna are both (normally) voiced by the same voice actress.  In this episode, though, when she appeared in the real world, Luna seemed to have a different voice - almost as though she was being voiced by a different person.  I see that other people in this thread noticed that too.  (I wonder if Tabitha had a cold the day she recorded Luna's lines or something?)

[Khaoios 1,970]

Rarity and Luna are both (normally) voiced by the same voice actress.  In this episode, though, when she appeared in the real world, Luna seemed to have a different voice - almost as though she was being voiced by a different person.  I see that other people in this thread noticed that too.  (I wonder if Tabitha had a cold the day she recorded Luna's lines or something?)

 

Yeah.  TBH, i found it pretty confusing for some reason  

Edited March 24, 2014 by Promethean Alicorn

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

Having watched it a few more times, my opinion remains mostly unchanged. I will admit that I think Sweetie's anger escalated a bit too quickly, and it would have been nice for there to be some more time dedicated to that. But considering the time frame they had to work with they did a really good job of getting the point across.

 

 I also think a few lines of dialogue came across as forced. But I'm mostly just nitpicking at this point. 10/10.