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Crack the
Whip
One thing I admire this show for is how many of its stories bring
a wide range of emotions so seamlessly. You never feel just one emotion
while watching which feels well-rounded and relatable to reality. This cartoon is one of the strongest examples
on this.
Amethyst’s worldview drives everything when Steven and Connie, all
prepared for training, find they have the whole day to themselves when Pearl and
Garnet look for Jasper.
This is especially a sting for Connie who’s still disappointed in her performance
in her first Gem mission. This is where
Amethyst lightens the mood when the kids use all their time to practice
bringing the best fighting they can. She
says it’s not necessary to try too hard to make the right move since in the
heat of battle, what they know to do won’t always be the right thing. Not only does this advice feel fitting to
Amethyst’s go-with-the-flow attitude, but through analyzing her advice, it’s very
accurate since life is so full of surprises and all.
It’s this piece of advice that brings about much
high-spirited fun as Steven, Amethyst, and Connie spend the day going to
various spots in Beach City having as much fun as possible. The positive vibes from their fun are
especially strong through mostly no dialog and just a chipper music piece in every
activity. It’s an atmospheric move to show and
not tell how much featured characters are enjoying themselves.
Then comes one of the show’s smoothest
transitions from light-hearted enjoyment to heavy action. While playing at the beach, one of the
corrupted Gems from the Great North arrives, and Amethyst takes it out easily
with all the fighting skills she knows coming naturally in the
heat. It would appear that going with
the flow is the best battle strategy, but the intensity builds when Jasper
shows up with the other corrupted Gem intending to fight Steven.
When Amethyst fights her, everything she
knows isn’t strong enough. If that’s not
enough, Jasper admonishes Amethyst for not being built the way Quartz soldiers
are supposed to be which stings even more since we now know that this is accurate. If you think the intensity
cools down after this, you’re dead wrong as Jasper poofs Amethyst after saying
Rose Quartz's claims that Amethyst was perfect as she was had low standards . Not only is this some of the show’s
most brutal fighting, but adding on these harsh insults that have a trace of
validity really puts the already high intensity over the top.
The fight itself comes to a great end when
Amethyst’s advice works for Steven and Connie.
When they rush to fight Jasper, everything they know clicks as they fuse
into Stevonnie, charge towards Jasper on Lion, and poof her other corrupted
Gem minion. These moments are great and
interesting ones to add to the exciting action, but the heavy sympathy is very
much intact. Amethyst reforms with a
design clearly hastily put together just as Steven and Connie win. She’s proud for them, but the last shot is
of her feeling disappointed that her advice didn’t work for herself, making her
feel useless.
It’s ultimately a
bittersweet ending where you’re satisfied by the great action and sympathetic
that for all her good, Amethyst couldn’t put up a good performance. However, that plays to this cartoon’s
strength of playing with your emotions effectively allowing you to take in the
fun and excitement and harshness and sorrow all at once.
A+
The Ranking
- Mr. Greg
- Monster Reunion
- Crack the Whip
- Gem Hunt
- Greg the Babysitter
- Alone at Sea
- Gem Drill
- Super Watermelon Island
- Too Short to Ride
- Beach City Drift
- Barn Mates
- Hit the Diamond
- Same Old World
- Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
- Steven Floats
- Restaurant Wars
- The New Lars
- Drop Beat Dad
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Steven and Amethyst realize they have more in common than they realize.
If you would like to check out other Steven Universe reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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