In the eleventh episode of the fifth season of Steven Universe, THIS IS CRUEL, WHY WOULD YOU. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.
It’s not often anymore that I keep up with show’s I’ve covered. It’s almost entirely due to time, not interest. (Though, admittedly, my interest in Supernatural has waned because that last season I saw was not all that good.) I know I’ve got more of Doctor Who and iZombie to get to, but I have a different concern that I have to be aware of when I do shows like this. Mark Watches is basically a slow binge-watch. Even if I might take months upon months, I’m still watching every episode in order. So when shows get broken up by airing schedules, I don’t have the fortune of having everything fresh in my mind. I’ve gone months between episodes of Doctor Who, for example. Hell, I’m an entire season behind!
One thing I adore about Steven Universe, though, is how easy it is for me to settle back into this show. I feel like I’m seeing an old friend, but it’s one who is easy to talk to. It’s like we’ve never been apart. And dropping back into Steven Universe after the last couple of episodes felt natural to me. I WAS READY. I COULDN’T WAIT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CONNIE AND STEVEN’S FIRST TRIP TOGETHER INTO SPACE. YES YES YES! But all the memories I had of this seasons arc came rushing back to me: Connie and Steven were friends again. Lars had been left in an uncomfortable scenario, but he had changed so much since the beginning of the show. Getting to see that characterization was so fulfilling, you know?
Thus, the opening of “Lars of the Stars†is a continuation of that journey. When Connie and Steven use Lion to travel to Lars, they don’t expect to be dropping in a space ship in the midst of a battle with another gem, Emerald. I love the shock and awe of this: we are thrown into chaos, and through this, context clues give us the real story of what Lars has been up to since Steven last saw him.
The obvious change is in Lars’s demeanor. He’s far more confident than we ever saw him, and his command of the Star Incinerator gives us a side of him that’s engrossing. He gets along with the “Off Colorsâ€â€”the name that Emerald gives to all the rejected gems who survived in that cave with Lars—splendidly well. They are a team. Each of them works on their specialty, and each contributes to their escape as best as they can. THEY SURVIVED TOGETHER, Y’ALL. And in this, the writers manage to provide a parallel to many of the other groups of friends on the show. Through the power of friendship, loyalty, and support, characters in Steven Universe are able to overcome impossible odds and protect one another. It was striking, too, to see just how happy all these characters were. I mean, they aren’t jumping for joy to be relentlessly pursued by Emerald. What I mean is that you can see just how well they work together. You can see how much they trust Lars, how much Lars respects and appreciates all of them. WHICH IS WHY IT’S SO GREAT THAT STEVONNIE APPEARS. What better expression of friendship is there???
But these are all friendships that exist and thrive because of proximity. We aren’t allowed to forget that Lars is physically separated from his friends and family on Earth. He gets emotional about the gift box that’s assembled for him, but it’s the evidence of Sadie’s life that gets to him the most. The problem is that it’s a snapshot. It is only a piece of the whole, but to Lars, it looks like a joyful piece of the whole. How can she be happy when he’s so miserable, so desperate to return home?
Thankfully, STEVONNIE IS THERE FOR THE RESCUE. I found the ultimate message of this episode to be particularly meaningful right now, especially as our world pitches further into darkness. It sucks being sad and scared and angry. I appreciate those emotions and the ways in which they motivate me, but sometimes, you have to move on. You have to do other things or chase hobbies or dreams because otherwise, the only thing you’ll think about is all the garbage in the world. Lars had to have this pointed out to him because he didn’t even realize that he had moved on in a way. He had found a means to feel happy, if even for a moment. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
THERE IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THE CLIFFHANGER THAT THIS EPISODE DEALT ME. NO, THANK YOU, PLEASE LET STEVONNIE BE OKAY.
The video for “Lars of the Stars†can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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