Steven Universe: Secret Team
Operation Hush Hush is a Go, Complete with Pizza Membership Card.
A-
I really love how silly but morally driven these recent episodes have been. Granted, I have missed a multitude of episodes so this might have been a recurring theme throughout Steven Universe. That being said, I love these gals and I love Steven. This episode plays very nicely to each character's strengths to bring us a relatively sweet episode that reminds us that no one messes with Garnet, even if there is a promise of getting a free pizza out of it.
Amethyst and Pearl easily have the most hostile relationship on this show. There is no doubt that they love each other but like most sisters frequently they want to wring each others necks.There polar opposites in personalities, makes for great conflict and of course humor. Amethyst does not deny her childlike persona which makes her Stevens favorite playmate. One of their favorite pastimes is jumping through puddle loopholes some of which enter other gems rooms. When they catch Pearl in the act of sketchy business involving Garnets personal things, she panics and breaks an unnatural force. The three of them solve the problem and make a pact not to tell Garnet. Steven loving the idea of being part of a mysterious team and thinking it will bring them closer together, grabs at the opportunity to make it official. However, when the tension of Pearl and Amethyst causes distance between them, Steven asks for the help of the gem with the fewest words but by far the most stable member to bring balance to the gems once again.
After the emotional heartbreak of last episode it was nice to take a breather and take the tone to a more light hearted affair. It was really fun to see that even though there is no official leader of the gems, Garnet takes the reins in bringing tranquility when the gems need it most. Sometimes Steven can figure it out on his own like demonstrated in Space Race but sometimes you just need the help of a stoic giant to help restore peace to the gems once more. Besides, Garnet seemed more hurt by the pact of secrets than the actual toying around her belongings. In her eyes, the four of them have already made a team called the Crystal Gems and in their pact there are no secrets.
Cool Things Noticed
- I would love to have a french fries take out place. Everytime I see Steven ask for fry bits I always wonder why no one has thought of making this a reality.
- The film noir aspect of the show was fun to watch. The shadows, Stevens trench coat, and music were all cool tactics. Also having the secret meeting in the fry place was great. Again, can someone make this a reality?
- “You know with all four of these, we could of gotten a free pizza.”
- Thinking about adding Over the Garden Wall to review. Thoughts?
This show just keeps bringing the hits!
ReplyDeleteGarnet has been my favorite Gem since "Bubble Buddies", so it's a little disappointing that she doesn't seem to get as much play as Pearl or Amethyst - probably because she is the most stable of the three. But her calling the other two out for the childishness of the secret-keeping and their constant bickering was a beautiful thing. As was her calling Kiki "Pizza Daughter." As was the possibly-missing shard turning out to be a red herring.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and providing a place for discussion! I would most certainly read an Over the Garden Wall review.
I wasn't as big a fan of this episode, mostly because it treads over familiar ground. I'll fully admit to being spoiled rotten by the show's run of recent episodes, and its overall quality in general, but I still can't help but feel a little disappointed when it rests on its laurels. As you mentioned, the Amythest-Pearl conflict is one of the defining conflicts of the series, and even Garnet as the voice of reason that keeps them stable isn't exactly a new development; most of the character beats in this episode also appeared in "Giant Woman". I was similarly disappointed by "Rose's Room", even though I by no means dislike either episode.
ReplyDeleteOver the Garden Wall looks very intriguing, I would love to see some coverage of it. Since it's a limited series over a relatively short time frame, would you cover it episode by episode or in one fell swoop?
Garnet is definitely one of those "less is more" characters. Sucks if you want to see them in the spotlight more, but it typically means every one of their lines or appearances is a hit. It may also be because they've yet to really nail down a character flaw for her that is easy to build a story around. The closest I can think of is her lack of tactical thinking, as seen in "Serious Steven". Her response to finding out about the pyramid's looping hallways was to keep running them over and over; a bold, decisive move but also one that played right into the pyramid's hands. It's been brought up a few times since then, but building an entire episode around it is challenging.
ReplyDeleteYeah, like I said since I have not been watching this show regularly I probably would not have mind it as opposed to someone who has kept it with it. I can see why you would not like it as much as it treads familiar ground.
ReplyDeleteAs for OTGW I will probably do the two episodes in one review than do it day by day. AV Club might cover it though. But I am game to review!
You are very welcome! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts as well.
ReplyDeleteI think I will do an Over Garden Wall review! :)