Episode Re-Review: Suited For Success · 6:46pm Feb 2nd, 2021
And now we come to the point where the show seemed to really take off and the point where Rarity would become the show's breakout character. Ironically enough, it's with an episode that involves dress making and it's written by Charlotte Fullerton who almost everyone considered the weakest link of the original group of writers. So, does this episode live up to the hype surrounding it? Well, let's find out.
We begin with an introduction to Opalesence or Opal for short, Rarity's pet cat. And Opal is the pet who undeniably got the short end of the stick, almost always being used for the typical cat jokes. Anyway, Rarity is hard at work on her dream dress when Twilight and Applejack barge in and basically state the obvious. Rarity does her best not to let her frustration show as she turns to face her guests. And I have to ask, is it just me or does anyone else think Rarity looks more attractive with her ruby red sewing glasses? Anyway, Twilight reveals that she just stopped by to have Rarity fix the buttons on an old dress that she's going to wear to the gala (no word on where she got it from or how long she's had it). Rarity insists that Twilight can't wear something so outdated and offers to make her a brand new dress for what I assume is free. Twilight refuses but Rarity won't take no for an answer. Then she assumes Applejack won't want a dress, and Applejack reveals she was just going to wear her "old work duds" (that we've never seen her wear before). Rarity agrees to give said "duds" a makeover, just before Rainbow Dash comes dropping in quite literally.
In a reminder that Rainbow Dash is a girl too, Rarity is inspired to make her a dress as well and since she's already doing it for over half her friends she figures why not complete the set and make one for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as well? She even proposes the idea of a fashion show (probably to drum up business to make up for the fact that she's making five dresses for free). Applejack realizes how big a workload this is, but Rarity scoffs at the idea that it'll be hard. Then we get into "Art of the Dress" which is Rarity's first solo song (but not the first time she sang, that was in "Winter Wrap Up"), and it reveals just what makes this episode work. It's not about girls trying on dresses and having a fashion show, it's about an artist's perspective. The technical details that go into creating not necessarily a dress but kind of work of art. How it feels to be "in the zone". Also, although I've mentioned it several times before it bears repeating that some of the terms they use are ones that would be used if one were designing actual dresses for horses. And again, I appreciate them doing that. It's easy to make stuff up and try to pass it off for a rhyme, but doing actual research and weaving it into the song in a natural way takes effort.
There is also a bit of foreshadowing when Rarity mentions that in her dress "Rainbow won't look like a tank" which would be a nod to "May The Best Pet Win" in Season 2 (likely in the early stages of development at the time). There is also possible foreshadowing to both "Pinkie Pride" and "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies", but I think that was just coincidence since I don't think either idea was even thought of yet. Anyway, the song ends and Rarity shows off her creations to her friends. They're rather hesitant to say what they feel originally, until Rainbow blurts out that hers just isn't as awesome as she wanted it to be. Against her better judgement, Rarity agrees to redo the dresses free of charge. Later, she calls Fluttershy in since she got her "new" new dress done and asks Fluttershy for her honest opinion.
Fluttershy reveals that she's surprisingly knowledgeable about sewing and dress making, much to Rarity's surprise. Then she sets to work on redoing the dresses for the rest of her friends as we get a reprise of "Art of the Dress" that shows that each of her friends have different problems when it comes to their preferences. Twilight wants every little detail to be accurate, Applejack prefers function over form, Pinkie Pie keeps wanting to add more stuff, Fluttershy gets lost in the details without thought for how they fit together and Rainbow Dash has no regard for the technical details and only cares about a vague perception of "cooler". This is what spawned the meme worthy line "20% cooler". There is one line that feels kind of odd though, a mention of "Stays within our budget", as far as I can tell Rarity's doing this for free even though she could probably charge quite a bit for her services. Anyway, the "new" new dresses are done for everyone and Rarity hides her distaste for them since it makes her friends happy. Then Spike shows up and reveals that he managed to convince fashion counsier Hoity Toity to show up for the fashion show, kind of a shame they never again bring up the possibility of him having Canterlot contacts. As for Hoity Toity himself, he's fine and everything but as he's voiced by Trevor Devall (who has moved to LA and does a lot of voice work there now) I can't unhear a stuffy variation of his Thunderlane voice.
The fashion show gets underway with Spike providing a narration that's actually par for the course as far as fashion shows go. It goes about as well as you expect, the dresses are a disaster. Hoity Toity comments that they're a "mismash of everything but the kitchen sink" as Rarity kicks what I assume is a kitchen sink away (joke aside, why does she have one on stage?). Spike, oblivious to what's going on, calls Rarity out to take a bow that's really a walk of shame. But Spike isn't present when the rest of the mane six go to try and cheer Rarity up after it's revealed she hasn't come out for several days. Twilight argues that they can't just leave Rarity alone and Pinkie Pie comments that if they do Rarity will "become a crazy old cat lady". When Rainbow points out that Rarity has just the one cat right now, Pinkie replies with "Give her time".
Fortunately, a solution comes to the rest of the mane six when Twilight peers through a keyhole and sees Rarity's unfinished dream dress. Somehow they're able to work on it without Rarity finding out, and Rainbow Dash also manages to steal Opal and strand her up a tree without getting caught by Rarity. It's all so they can lure Rarity outside to see her finished dream dress, and she tells them that she doesn't like it, she loves it. Her friends realize that they should've trusted her judgement and let her make the final decisions on the dresses, asking if it's not too late to go back to the original designs. Rarity says it's not but laments that her career is ruined. However, that might not be the case since Hoity Toity is willing to give Rarity another chance (I'm guessing Spike played a role in convincing him). This time the fashion show is just a private one for Hoity Toity, with Rarity using her magic to provide various special effects. Hoity Toity is impressed and Rarity's career is saved. With everyone still in their dresses and having a good time, Twilight is dictating a friendship letter to Spike for Princess Celestia about not looking a gift horse in the mouth (get the joke?). Then Hoity Toity tells Rarity he's so impressed by her dresses that he wants copies of the designs so he can sell them, and makes a lot of extra requests on a tight deadline.
And that's the story, so what do I think of the episode? It's definitely as good as everyone says. And this is where the show went from just being a good kids show to being one of the best shows of the 2010's. Whereas Adventure Time and Regular Show were quick to run away from their label of "Kids Show" as if it were a death sentence, this show with this episode decided it would embrace that label and strive to prove that just because something is for kids doesn't mean it has to be dumbed down. Everyone is in character, with Rarity finally getting a chance to show why she's the element of generosity and turn many of her previous aspects into a positive. There are a couple of minor problems, with the only ones that really could use an explanation being why Hoity Toity came around again and how the rest of the mane six were able to work on Rarity's dream dress without her knowledge or permission. They don't sink the story or anything though. This episode easily gets an A+, undisuptetably the best episode of the whole lot so far and a true gem!
Well, the next episode is going to be quite a ride because we have "Feeling Pinkie Keen" and the show's first (but certainly not its last) bout with controversy.
Definitely a great Rarity episode, but I actually enjoy a handful of episodes before this more.
5446421 Why?
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Mostly because I find them a bit more wholesome/amusing, so I can go back to them just a bit easier.
Anyone who's familiar with The Mysterious Mr. Enter's earlier reviews knows that Charlotte Fullerton is his least favorite writer for MLP: FIM, and out of all the episodes with her name attached to it this is the only one that he genuinely likes.
I believe Cinemare Sins’ video on this one proved that most of Fluttershy’s criticisms were obsolete, so that’s another point in the episode’s favor.