Rating:
Without a strong character like Maud Pie, Noelle Benvenuti’s
Made In Manehattan achieves very little.
Coco Pommel returns, while Applejack and Rarity must somehow improve New
Yorkers’ attitudes. Their task involves
a community theater revival which will reignite Manehattan’s neighborhood
spirit, but the play is so dull that no one could possibly find it
captivating. And that goes for the rest
of the episode also, which doesn’t offer any character development, story, or
reason for existence as nothing remotely compelling happens. Benvenuti still has decent characterization
and some moments are watchable, but there are too many coincidences, odd
references, and moments of Applejack wondering if this “could be the reason the
map called me here”. An “anti”-montage
of Applejack accomplishing nothing is balanced out by her wondering if they can
make it off a street “corner”. While
obviously satire, this could be legitimate after an earlier tense street
crossing. And that’s indicative of Made
In Manehattan’s problem, since Benvenuti’s incredibly dry script fails to
produce tension or interest. The (almost
forgotten) map’s god-like properties feel odd, Rarity and Applejack still
aren’t convincing together, and Coco only frets about her stupid volunteer work
which couldn’t possibly be important.
Obviously Benvenuti had a good heart and message behind this episode,
but that lackluster play would have only further divided everyone. Made In Manehattan is more frustrating than
disappointing then, since few episodes are so boring and poorly thought out.
