Well... last post went down better than I initially anticipated! But now, let's get back to the actual show and share my personal feelings on Honest Apple. Is it as bad as some people say it is?
Well, it would be safe to say that this episode has an interesting reception in regards to Applejack's behavior. Sure, she's rather condescending when it comes to the young designers' fashion, but it actually works here. It's not the most ideal, especially since Rarity ought to know that fashion isn't Applejack's thing, but since the latter represents the Element of Honesty, it actually makes sense that the former would ask her to be a judge.
Speaking of which, I really liked the theme displayed here. Applejack believed she was being honest about what she thought, but she didn't realize she was also hurting their feelings. Did she cross a line? It depends on who you ask...
Which leads me onto the scene with Strawberry Sunrise. There's this trope called Laser-Guided Karma. Rarity brought Applejack to see Strawberry, who claimed she didn't like apples, despite Applejack arguing the positives about them, but Strawberry shoots her opinion down in flames, making Applejack realize that she went too far with her honesty and ended up doing what she could to apologize for her behavior.
The pacing is quite possibly the strongest aspect of the episode. The scene with the Apple siblings, for one, was useful in helping Applejack make the decision to judge alongside Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and Rarity. Not only that, it even doubles as a sisterly moment between Applejack and Apple Bloom. That was great!
The emotions are also handled brilliantly; you feel sorry for Rarity when all of her hard work ends up in smoke, and you feel disappointed in Applejack for taking her opinions too far. And this may be where it affects my opinion, but I can relate to this episode very well. I, like Applejack, can be rather stubborn and abrasive when it comes to sharing my views, and I might've made some people mad over it without intending to. But of course, I know in the end where I should draw the line.
And speaking of endings, I didn't expect to see Rarity make an awful dress - one that's green, no doubt. It even showed how the lesson stuck with Applejack; she knows it's awful, and yet Rarity is the first to admit it is. Just goes to show how you can sometimes laugh at your own flaws.
Oh, and you can't review this episode without mentioning Rarity playing the guitar like crazy; so much so that it even shocks Pinkie Pie.
My only real issue with the episode is that the Applejack/Rarity dynamic feels extremely overused. In the last few seasons, they've had one episode where they're the lead characters - Applejack's "Day" Off, Made in Manhattan, and Simple Ways all featured them together. It's getting pretty old by this point, and we got the message that they're different ponies. We've seen them paired up with different characters before - Rarity with Rainbow Dash in Rarity Investigates! and Applejack with Fluttershy in Viva Las Pegasus, to name but a few.
Speaking of which, I really liked the theme displayed here. Applejack believed she was being honest about what she thought, but she didn't realize she was also hurting their feelings. Did she cross a line? It depends on who you ask...
Which leads me onto the scene with Strawberry Sunrise. There's this trope called Laser-Guided Karma. Rarity brought Applejack to see Strawberry, who claimed she didn't like apples, despite Applejack arguing the positives about them, but Strawberry shoots her opinion down in flames, making Applejack realize that she went too far with her honesty and ended up doing what she could to apologize for her behavior.
The pacing is quite possibly the strongest aspect of the episode. The scene with the Apple siblings, for one, was useful in helping Applejack make the decision to judge alongside Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, and Rarity. Not only that, it even doubles as a sisterly moment between Applejack and Apple Bloom. That was great!
The emotions are also handled brilliantly; you feel sorry for Rarity when all of her hard work ends up in smoke, and you feel disappointed in Applejack for taking her opinions too far. And this may be where it affects my opinion, but I can relate to this episode very well. I, like Applejack, can be rather stubborn and abrasive when it comes to sharing my views, and I might've made some people mad over it without intending to. But of course, I know in the end where I should draw the line.
And speaking of endings, I didn't expect to see Rarity make an awful dress - one that's green, no doubt. It even showed how the lesson stuck with Applejack; she knows it's awful, and yet Rarity is the first to admit it is. Just goes to show how you can sometimes laugh at your own flaws.
Oh, and you can't review this episode without mentioning Rarity playing the guitar like crazy; so much so that it even shocks Pinkie Pie.
My only real issue with the episode is that the Applejack/Rarity dynamic feels extremely overused. In the last few seasons, they've had one episode where they're the lead characters - Applejack's "Day" Off, Made in Manhattan, and Simple Ways all featured them together. It's getting pretty old by this point, and we got the message that they're different ponies. We've seen them paired up with different characters before - Rarity with Rainbow Dash in Rarity Investigates! and Applejack with Fluttershy in Viva Las Pegasus, to name but a few.
Final Thoughts
Rewatching the episode and looking at other peoples' views on it, I think it's fair to say there is an interesting thread about it. I was going to give it a 7, but thinking about it more, I've decided to raise my score. It may not be in my Top 5 for season seven, but I still believe it to be in the Top 10 at least because of how much I can relate to it, especially in regards to how I feel about a certain spinoff that's very much dead.
That being said, I hope this is the last episode where Applejack and Rarity co-star. It would be a great shame if future episodes (as well as both characters) got hated simply because of an overused dynamic.
That being said, I hope this is the last episode where Applejack and Rarity co-star. It would be a great shame if future episodes (as well as both characters) got hated simply because of an overused dynamic.
Rating: 9 out of 10
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