The Show Stoppers

The Show Stoppers is the eighteenth episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, the Cutie Mark Crusaders believe that winning a talent show will help them earn their cutie marks. The title refers to the term "showstopper", which is either a performance that garners enthusiastic or prolonged applause or an action or event that puts a halt to all other activities.__TOC__
==Development==
According to Cindy Morrow, this episode was originally titled "No Talent Show."
==Summary==
===The Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse===
 At Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack leads the Cutie Mark Crusaders to her childhood clubhouse and offers it to them, though to tepid reception due to its dilapidated condition. Later on, after drawing a rough map of Ponyville, Scootaloo returns to the clubhouse just as Apple Bloom finishes renovating it. Together, the two find Sweetie Belle tidying up nearby and singing an improvised theme song. She teaches them the song, and when Applejack stops by, they announce their resolve to do whatever it takes to get their cutie marks.
The Crusaders go out to perform a series of talent-finding activities around Ponyville: feeding pigs at Sweet Apple Acres, making taffy at Sugarcube Corner, styling hair at Rarity's boutique, attempting extrasensory perception with cards, climbing rocks, and scuba diving. However, none of the activities results in a cutie mark.
===Preparing a musical number===
 Twilight Sparkle and Cheerilee enter the Golden Oak Library to find the Cutie Mark Crusaders atop a large pile of books after an unsuccessful effort to become librarians. Twilight advises them to try things in areas they already like, and Cheerilee suggests that they enter the upcoming Ponyville school talent show. Taking to the idea of participating as a group, the girls proceed to travel around town collecting various items.
Back at the clubhouse, the Crusaders determine to perform a dramatic musical number for the talent show. Wanting to design like her sister Rarity, Sweetie Belle agrees to produce the costumes and scenery. Scootaloo decides to sing a rock ballad, leaving the job of choreography to Apple Bloom, who applies her knowledge of Kung Fu to the task. They all struggle while working but help each other out in turn.
While the fillies practice their act together inside the clubhouse, Applejack comes by to check on them but is dismayed by what she sees. They spot her as she walks away and ask for her opinion, but when she hesitates to express her thoughts, they assume she's speechless from amazement.
===The talent show===
 The night of the talent show arrives. As the Cutie Mark Crusaders await their turn backstage, Twilight Sparkle assures them that they will perform well before learning that they aren't playing to their individual strengths. The Crusaders take the stage and perform an overdramatic rock song, complete with painted scenery and special effects; various accidents occur as the act progresses, however, and the performance ends just as the props collapse on top of them. Emerging expectantly from the rubble, the girls slink backstage in dismay when the crowd breaks into laughter.
Cheerilee presses the Crusaders back on stage and begins announcing awards. To their surprise, they win the award for best comedy act, though their elation subsides when they find themselves still with no cutie mark. After the show, Twilight congratulates them and asks if they learned anything that she might include in a special friendship report. The girls admit their error in not embracing their strengths but end up concluding that their true talent is comedy. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash appear backstage, and as the Crusaders run off to talk with them, Twilight expresses confidence that they will one day recognize their real talents.
==Quotes==
:Applejack: It just needs a little... TLC.
:Scootaloo: TLC as in "Tender Loving Care" or "Totally Lost Cause"?
: Twilight Sparkle: Instead of trying to do things in areas you're not familiar with, why not try doing things in areas that you already like?
: Cheerilee: And I have the perfect place to start.
: Apple Bloom: "Showcase your talents..."
: Scootaloo: "...for all to see."
: Sweetie Belle: "Perform in the Ponyville school talent show!"
:Scootaloo: OK, so that's six wooden planks, 4x8 plywood, a box of nails, four cans of paint, and four brushes. Anything else?
:Sweetie Belle: Yeah... Instructions on how to use six wooden planks, 4x8 plywood, a box of nails, four cans of paint, and four brushes.
:Twilight Sparkle: "Ghosts, Goblins, and Ghoulish Figures"? Good heavens, girls, what do you need a book like this for?
:Scootaloo: You'll see, thanks Twilight! We'll give it back as soon as we're done with it.
:Twilight Sparkle: What do you think they're up to?
:Spike: I have no idea, and I don't know if I should be excited or scared to find out.
:Scootaloo: We fight the fight! Walk the walk! Talk the talk! Eat the... uh... food like a celery stalk?
:Sweetie Belle: Hey, Scoot. How's the song going?
:Scootaloo: [blows raspberry]
:Sweetie Belle: [blows raspberry]? Oh my. Sounds serious.
:Scootaloo: Did you see us practicing?
: Applejack: Uh... yeah.
: Apple Bloom: Well? How'd we do? How'd we do?
: Applejack: Uh...
: Scootaloo: Speechless! See, girls? I told you that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna leave them speechless.
: Cutie Mark Crusaders: Yay!
: Applejack: "Speechless" is right.
:Apple Bloom: We should be embracing our true talent!
:Twilight Sparkle: And that is...?
:Cutie Mark Crusaders: Comedy!
==Gallery==
==References==
ar:عرض المواهب
de:Die Showstars
es:Una Loca Función
id:Penghalang Pertunjukan
it:Applausi a Scena Aperta
ja:ドキドキライブ！
ko:장기자랑 크루세이더
pl:Konkurs talentów
pt:As Artistas
ru:Шоу талантов
sv:Succéshoware
Category:Cutie Mark Crusaders-centered works