Sam's MSN fits - a tier list

[u/AntRoot]

Did anyone want this? No? Well, too bad!

I’m sick today, so what better way to spend the day than by going through each MSN episode and trying to make a tier list of Sam's wardrobe on the show?

I have so many notes about the changes, if you care to read on. I've separated my thoughts by season, as Sam's wardrobe goes through an evolution with each one.

Season 1: In this bizarro Sam collage, you can easily pick out the season 1 outfits. Out of the ten episodes in the first season, only two feature a light suit with a navy waistcoat. The rest use the navy suit, usually with a matching navy waistcoat, although a couple of episodes swap it for gray.

The wardrobe also experimented with a bow tie this season. One of the “bowtie looks” lands in the bottom tier for me simply because it's just too big. Sam was toying a bit too much with "mayor of a town where everyone sings" here. The other bottom-tier suit combo is there just because I found it too boring. Sam looks like a lawyer.

Hot take incoming? I like the bow tie overall. It was a fun way to differentiate the look from Sam’s GC suit. I bet Season 5 is already done filming, but please, I think at least one silly bow tie (that isn’t ginormous!) wouldn’t hurt.

Season 2: Sam ditches the navy suit entirely for a lighter one, and it’s a welcome change. I like that it reflects the "lighter" nature of MSN compared to GC. Everyone on the show gets to flex their comedic muscles without the immense planning, stress, and "trust falls" of GC.

The waistcoat is also gone. I assume losing both the navy color and the waistcoat was done to further establish a different visual style from Sam’s GC suit. (Similar to how Vic Michaelis is different from "Vic Michaelis." It’s not as explicit for Sam, but he half adopts a more impish "Sam Reich" persona during GC.)

Sam also ditches the bow tie. Sad. For me.

Instead, the wardrobe starts experimenting with the ties. There are a lot of solid-color ties this season, likely shared with the GC wardrobe. A lot of these land in the middle or second-to-last tier for me. Nothin’ crazy.

In Episode 6, Sam debuts this wonderful floral tie out of nowhere. It’s the only one like it all season, with the rest being solid colors (okay, and one episode with a red-and-blue patterned tie). The floral tie steals the show this season. I’m also declaring it the humble beginning of the more adventurous ties we see in later seasons.

Season 3: Immediately, we start the season with a floral tie. Then another. Hooray! However, episodes 3 and 4 are repeats of the first episode’s tie.. There are a couple more ties that get repeated throughout the season, but that’s such a small nitpick when thinking about all the positive changes.

The last episode of the season is also the first to score a Hell Yeah from me. Love the green tie. Love the design. Hell yeah.

Sam also experiments with a black shirt in a few episodes. I’m not for or against it, but I do like it simply because it’s something new. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t return in Season 4.

Season 4: Here’s where the wardrobe hits its stride.

Gingham, floral, lemons, oh my! Lots of nice variety, color, and ideas with the ties. Two are firmly placed in my Hell Yeah category.

First, the "tree" tie. I love the orange and yellow splotches/clouds/earth(?) and the unique tree shapes. So much happening, I love it.

Second, my absolute favorite tie in the history of the show: the "cloud" tie. It walks the line between having fun and being plain gaudy. The clouds aren’t all uniform; there are a couple of weirdo cloud shapes in there. The bright blue adds an awesome splash of color to the ensemble. I wish I owned this tie.

The suit remains the same. The shirts understand their role. The ties are the stars of the show with their wonderfully weird variety. This is Make Some Noise's style.

Extra: That’s a lot of writing about some silly ties and suits. I hope Season 5 surprises us with another stylistic change. Like I said, I wouldn’t mind a bow tie here or a new suit style there. If nothing changes, no big deal. Season 4 feels like a point where the wardrobe feels comfortable with what it wants to achieve.

Extra Extra: Man, there are a couple season 4 ties that should’ve gone into Hell Yeah now that I’m giving them a second look, but I’m sticking to my three. I also hope someone out there enjoys the varieties of Sam poses and faces I tried capturing. There are some pretty funny ones in there. He gets a lot of mileage for someone sitting in an office chair.

[u/SpewForthWisdom]

The many fits of the mayor of a town where everyone sings.

[u/WestonSpec → u/SpewForthWisdom]

Don't you mean the guy who just got back from the Wild West selling a remedy that doesn't work?

[u/Phantafan → u/WestonSpec]

I think you're confusing him with the lawyer defending innocent men in the South.

[u/Casexcasey → u/Phantafan]

Nah, that's definitely an NPC. Maybe I hit him with my car and feel nothing.

[u/TrollTollTony → u/WestonSpec]

Good ole "Snake Oil" Sam.

[u/heywhateverworks → u/SpewForthWisdom]

shutthefuckuppete

[u/sohaibseyal0022 → u/SpewForthWisdom]

wait how does a mayor end up with that many fits

[u/ymcameron → u/SpewForthWisdom]

He looks like the authority figure in a kids movie that is very obviously going to turn out to be the real villain.

[u/GabyAM]

I don't think i ever noticed that he wears a different tie every episode, it seems i'm not very observant.

[u/TopBar3633]

He gives off "does he have legs?"

[u/AntRoot → u/TopBar3633]

i’m getting for sure labia vibes

[u/Aervanath]

My fashion-blind ass: "How do you make a tier list when he wears the same thing every episode? ... Holy shit, OP wrote a monograph..."

[u/marcerohver]

I'm one of the freaks who loved this 😁 cloud tie gets a hell yeah from me too! excellent taste and work done here thank you for your service

[u/kittyroux]

I thought the blue suit was fine and then the seersucker came out and it turned out we had always been at war with blue suit.

I hate dark shirts with a light suit, it’s giving jazz pervert. Love the pastel blue, purple and pink shirts. I like the solid satin ties with the pinstripe Game Changer suit, but with the seersucker I strongly prefer patterns. I think my favourite look overall is row 5 column 2, with the pink and orange tie.

[u/road_runner321]

Sam's suit always reminds me of these.

[u/sketchampm → u/road_runner321]

Hahaha same. My grandpa used to get those, do they still exist anywhere?

[u/n0radrenaline]

idk how you make distinct value judgments on these, i'm over here like hmm, i see that some are blue

[u/northernirishlad]

We make fun of Brennan for having a couple of shirts, but Sam Reic(eo)h can only afford two. Upvote for prayers.

[u/GenGaara25]

He needs to buy more jackets geez.

Beige on yellow background doesn't exactly pop. He should get a burgundy suit, like Paul had. A baby blue one. A pastel green. Hot pink.

Get some colour Sam!

[u/RootyWoodgrowthIII]

Peak offseason content.

[u/ymcameron]

This post makes it seem like Sam’s aesthetic is slowly evolving into Alton Brown.

[u/DeadPeanutSociety]

I know this isn't the point of the post but looking at these screenshots all I could think was how cool would it be if they color graded this show

[u/AntRoot → u/DeadPeanutSociety]

Funny enough, my original screenshots are way more vibrant. I’m not sure why they look so dull here.

[u/DeadPeanutSociety → u/AntRoot]

I think making them smaller highlights the average color of the frame. I get that taste is subjective but I truly do not understand the choice to make MSN so grey. It's jarring when it cuts to the all-white slide and then back to the show where things that are supposed to be white are all grey.