History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E20ForWhomTheSweetieBelleToils

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: When the Crusaders consider how they should behave toward the audience after the play, Sweetie (the clumsiest of the three) suggests "gracious", Scootaloo (the most arrogant) opts for "modest", and Apple Bloom (the most sassy) goes with "classy".

* DamnedByFaintPraise: Noteworthy tries to give Sweetie Belle a complement about the play, but he can't remember a single line from it.

* DreamWalker: Princess Luna clearly understands why Sweetie Belle would think she was [[AllJustADream still just dreaming]] when they meet backstage, since they had previously met in a similar setting in Sweetie Belle's DreamSequence.

* PhotoshopFilterOfEvil: Just before Sweetie Belle's dream [[NightmareSequence takes a serious turn]], she and Luna are shown as photonegatives.

* PoorCommunicationKills: In the present of the episode, the fact Sweetie Belle didn't tell Rarity about this play weeks ago leads to needing her to rush it and get her own work done in time. In the past, Rarity failed to explain why she passed out the cake and party favors early at Sweetie's fifth birthday party, so Sweetie Belle just assumed she did it on purpose and refused to discuss it further.

* TooUpsetToCreate: Luna shows Sweetie Belle what the consequences of her actions in sabotaging Rarity's headpiece for Sapphire Shores will be if she doesn't fix things. Namely the headpiece falls apart when Sapphire tries it on during a dress rehearsal, Rarity loses her credibility due it, obsesses over the mistake to the point she won't even speak to her friends anymore and ultimately stuck in a fetal position while her dress shop falls into ruin.

* ATragedyOfImpulsiveness: Sweetie Belle pulls one thread out of the headdress in a fit of pique. It turns out to be the thread holding the entire thing together, setting off the chain of events which ruins Rarity's career.
* TravelingAtTheSpeedOfPlot: You have to wonder about how often and fast the trains are from Ponyville to Canterlot if the CMC are able to arrive in time to stop Rarity from giving Sapphire the sabotaged headdress, on a indeterminably later train than the one Rarity took earlier in the day. Especially after the train detoured through a desert for some reason. Possibly justified, as we see Rarity watching Sapphire and her troupe rehearse for what may have been a rather long time.

Luna says that she understands what it is like to have a sister who sometimes outshines her. Within the dream, she takes Sweetie Belle back to a birthday party which she remembers as a time Rarity deliberately upstaged her. Sweetie Belle had put on her best outfit to impress her party guests, but they ignored her and paid all their attention to the party favors that Rarity made. One filly even said that they didn't need the birthday girl when they had the birthday's girl's "amazing older sister," which sent Sweetie Belle back to her room in tears. However, Luna reveals that there was another side to the story: the guests were so bored with waiting while Sweetie primped and preened that they had nearly walked out, forcing Rarity to break out the favors early to save the party. Further, she had told all of them that the party favors were Sweetie Belle's idea.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[Disney/TheLionKing Sweetie Belle, you have forgotten me!]]]]

* OutOfOrder: Aired as the 19th episode of the fourth season, despite being the 20th produced.

* BriefAccentImitation: Sweetie Belle, pacing around the supply room, alone:

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Sweetie Belle first feels this when she didn't learn the complete story behind the fifth birthday incident with a HeelRealization. She feels it even stronger at the end of the nightmare over ruining Rarity's reputation.

-->'''Sweetie Belle:''' Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long! ''[imitating Rarity]'' "Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's ''cherry!'' No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" [normal, muffled] For Pete's sake, it's all ''red!''\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

* BriefAccentImitation: Sweetie Belle, pacing around the supply room, alone:\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

* BriefAccentImitation: Sweetie Belle, pacing around the supply room, alone:
** ->'''Sweetie Belle:''' Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long! ''[imitating Rarity]'' "Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's ''cherry!'' No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" [normal, muffled] For Pete's sake, it's all ''red!''\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

->'''Sweetie Belle:''' Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long! ''[imitating Rarity]'' "Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's ''cherry!'' No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" [normal, muffled] For Pete's sake, it's all ''red!''\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\

->'''Rarity:''' ''[to Opalescence, overhearing the rant outside the closed door]'' I should probably go talk to her, hm?\\
->'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"\\
->'''Rarity:''' Perhaps waiting would be best.\\

->'''Sweetie Belle:'' Ugh, I don't believe it. After everything I put up with all week long! ''[imitating Rarity]'' "Sweetie Belle, get me some red ribbon! No, that's not red, that's ''cherry!'' No, that's not red, that's cinnamon!" [normal, muffled] For Pete's sake, it's all ''red!''
->'''Rarity:''' ''[to Opalescence, overhearing the rant outside the closed door]'' I should probably go talk to her, hm?
->'''Sweetie Belle:''' ''[still inside]'' At least Sapphire Shores won't be all like "Ooh, who fetched you that red ribbon? Because I don't care about anything else you made. All I care about is that amazing red ribbon!"
->'''Rarity:''' Perhaps waiting would be best.

* SevenDeadlySins: An Envy-centered episode, with a side of Pride.

** In title to Creator/JohnDonne's phrase "for whom the bell tolls", where the "bell" is a warning sign from God to the individual to stop their destructive behavior.

* HumanLadder: The Cutie Mark Crusaders do one to try to get into Sapphire Shores's studio, but it doesn't go very well.
* ImprovisedZipLine: The Cutie Mark Crusaders use a rope of hanging banners as a zipline to get into Sapphire Shores's studio, using Apple Bloom's tail to slide.

* SevenDeadlySins: An Envy-centered episode.

* ShowDontTell: This episode describes Sapphire Shores as the Pony of Pop with numerous hit singles, two of which are named by Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. Nevertheless, Sapphire Shores doesn't sing ''at all'' in this episode and the closest she comes to it is counting measure beats.

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Touched upon for both Princess Luna and Sweetie Belle. Luna, who shows traces of TheSmartOne, tells Sweetie Belle about the resentment she feels compared to being overshadowed by Celestia, the Popular One. Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, expresses jealousy over Rarity and has to be taught why shouldn't plot revenge against her.

* ShowDontTell: We hear that Sapphire Shores is the Princess of Pony Pop and that she's released numerous hit singles throughout the episode but whenever she appears, she doesn't sing ''at all''. The only thing she does that comes close to singing is counting measure beats.

* SelfDeprecation: Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are not impressed by Sweetie Belle's love for show tunes, the style most often used for the show's own songs.

** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E19ADogAndPonyShow Sapphire Shores]] reappears.
** Rarity does the costumes for [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles another schoolplay]].

* KeepAway: The Cutie Mark Crusaders keep tossing the box containing Sapphire Shores's costume to one another while Rarity is in hot pursuit.

* EatTheCamera: When Rarity is shown in tears during the nightmare sequence, Sweetie Belle finds herself heading straight for her mouth. And hanging on to her uvula for dear life.

* SassyBlackWoman: Sapphire Shores returns in full style, sounding much like a ponified ArethaFranklin.

** In title to JohnDonne's phrase "for whom the bell tolls", where the "bell" is a warning sign from God to the individual to stop their destructive behavior.
** At one point, Sweetie Belle rants at Rarity about her dresses in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICVXf8Vznec same manner]] that [[TheBradyBunch Jan does about Marcia]].