Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash

**"Johnny Teatime's Be Best Competition: A Quest for the Sash"** is the seventh episode of *Centaurworld*.

## Official Synopsis

*Zulius brings the herd to Cataur Valley, where the shaman is fuzzy but fierce. To earn a piece of the key, Horse goes glam for a silly competition.*

## Plot

The episode opens with a group of cataurs doing a group chant about aspects of themselves and Cataur valley, which is cut short by an unusually disheveled Zulius, who seems to have some history with the area. He tells the herd that the resident shaman is difficult, and that they should simply steal the key piece and leave, an idea Glendale supports and Wammawink opposes.

In the valley proper, Zulius explains that the Shaman, Johnny Teatime, presides over a daily competition, with the winner being awarded with the winner's sash; in explaining he suggests that he previously lost, and still feels bitter about it. A cataur then shows up and further explains that the daily competition is a way that the cataurs distract themselves from the emotional strife the war caused. The cataurs quickly demonstrate this through song as they showcase their individual talents.

After the song, Durpleton spots a poster advertising the competition and Horse realizes that the sash has a piece of the key sewn onto it, much to her dismay as she doesn't want to enter. Zulius tells her (and the audience via his "Hot Goss" spell) that Johnny lives at the top of a ziggurat. However, he will only give the sash to somebody who wins his contest. Horse attempts to take the key piece but is charmed by Johnny's cute appearance until she reaches for the piece and quickly gets blasted off the platform by Johnny's magic.

When Zulius suggests that he should try winning the sash, shedding his unkempt appearance in the process, the current winner appears: a tigertaur man named Splendib, who Zulius clearly has bad blood with, though both insist they don't know each other. Splendib tells Zulius that he is too old to enter the contest, with nobody else stepping in, Horse decides to enter and Zulius excitedly goes to prepare her, while continuing to vent about his previous loss.

Horse struggles through the first round of the competition, save for one challenge that is only difficult for cataurs, and needs to score well on the performance round to win. Zulius explains that this means being the best version of herself, but Horse isn't certain what that means since all of this pageantry is so far removed from who she is, Zulius advises her to "fake it til you make it" and sends her off in high heeled boots and with her hair in an up do.

Though Horse tries to follow his advice for her performance, when the Glitter Cats trip her, she declares that she can't do the competition like this and instead sings a hearfelt song about who she is and her goal of returning home to Rider, with her transforming fully into a Centaurworld design during the finale. While this wins her the favour of Johnny & the other cataurs, and her friends love her new appearance, Horse is mortified at having "fully turned". Even worse, when she is about to be given the sash, Comfortable Doug shows up and effortlessly wins the sash instead. Zulius is furious at this and retaliates by pushing Splendib over, grabbing the sash and putting it on Horse (much to Glendale's delight).

The herd then flees cataur valley as Johnny pursues them in his flying teacup, he catches up to them on the edge of town where he tells them, now glowing with magic and speaking in a deep voice, that they are free to take his key piece, but also warns them that it will lead them to the Nowhere King. A group of cataurs follow with a reprise of the Nowhere King song, before Johnny returns to his normal, cute appearance and leaves the terrified herd behind.

## Features

### Locations

* Centaurworld
	+ Cataur Valley
	+ Rainbow Road

### Songs

* Everyday
* And We Do This Everyday
* I Don't Know Him
* Who Is She?
* The Nowhere King (reprise 2)

## Trivia

* In an interview, series creator Megan Nicole Dong says her favorite episode changes frequently, however this very episode is a major favorite because it was one of the most fun episodes to work on.
* This episode was heavily influenced by the musical *Cats*, with the opening number being similar to a song in the actual play. Other similarities include the unusual names of the cataurs, a musical refrain from the play being similar to the music following Horse's performance, and the nature of both the Be Best Competition and Jellicle Ball, which both involve cats performing in a competition to win a prize linked to leaving their world (In *Cats* this is in the form of ascension to the "Heavyside Layer" to be reborn, while in Centaurworld it is a piece of the key itself).
* Some of the posters seen in the background of the song *And We Do This Everyday* are parodies of actual Broadway performances:
	+ South Purrcific
	+ Meowmilton
	+ A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Litter Box
	+ My Fair Kitty
* This is not the first time Splendib's voice actor Fred Armisen has played a cat; in the musical comedy-drama series *Crazy Ex-Girlfriend*, he portrayed a character named Itchy Cat in an episode that also heavily satirized the *Cats* musical.
* There is a small animation error towards the end of the episode: when Horse is objecting to the cataurs cheering her transformation, the rest of the herd can be seen standing on the ground behind her, near the stands, despite most of them currently being in the stands above ground level.
* **Items stolen by Glendale:** top hat, a cataur

## Gallery

### Production art

Background design, path to Cataur ValleyHorse pose references by Evan Palmer, Lead Character DesignerHorse pose references by Evan Palmer, Lead Character DesignerHorse pose references by Evan Palmer, Lead Character DesignerJohnny's turnarounds by lead character designer Evan PalmerJohnny Teatime pose referencesJohnny Teatime pose referenceJohnny Teatime character concepts
### Screenshots

You're hurting me...The name's a work in progress

## Videos

'Who is She?' Song Clip ✨ Centaurworld - Netflix Futures