On the Run
This is one of the most insightful entries in the series, as
well as one of the best ones when it comes to displaying a wide range of
emotions. It starts off on a simple,
charming note with Steven getting into a book series about a group of boys who
travel on the run because they feel something’s out to get them, and Amethyst
gets the idea of acting like those boys with both of them going on the run themselves. There’s even an upbeat song that plays as
they travel which perfectly matches the tone set by what they’re doing. However, it’s during this song where the
emotion starts to come clear. Amethyst
sings of how while she can ignore most things people say about her, some things
are always on their mind and that she doesn’t really feel like she has a
home. Then, when she and Steven get to
where she had them go on the run to, that’s when things really get deep. Before all this, Steven learned that the
reason the Crystal Gems stay on Earth for its protection is because they
rebelled against Homeworld because they were doing something horrible to the
Earth and could never go back to Homeworld as a result, only they never explain
what the horrible thing was. It is
revealed though when Amethyst shows Steven where she was made, which is a dark
barren area full of holes along cliffs referred to as a Kindergarten. This is insightful because it reveals how
different Amethyst really is from the other Gems. While other Gems, including Garnet and Pearl,
were made on Homeworld, she was made on Earth and was part of Homeworld’s plot to
use Earth to make more Gems, even if using its resources caused harm to the
planet. We really see how Amethyst being
a part of Homeworld’s mistreatment towards Earth affects her when Pearl arrives
to bring her and Steven home. She goes
on to fight Pearl while saying how she feels like an embarrassment to the team
and that she never even wanted to be made.
Given the seriousness of the bad thing her creation was part of, it
makes sense for Amethyst to lash out like this and adds a sympathetic layer to
her character. It also adds emotional
depth to how she’s responded to others’ criticisms of her attitude in prior
cartoons as it appears they made her feel worse for what she was part of and
weren’t just due to immaturity. As for
this conflict’s resolution, it comes from a great mature instance from Steven
who has Pearl, the instigator of Amethyst’s rage be the one to make her feel
better, and the whole cartoon is capped off by Pearl letting Amethyst know that
she’s the one good thing that came out of Homeworld’s mess. The embrace from the two Gems that follows
makes for a truly heartwarming finish.
Ultimately, this cartoon is another big winner for its strong sense of
emotion, new layers to the characters involved, and its honesty of how people
can be affected by life’s dark moments. 10/10
The Ranking
- Ocean Gem
- Lion 3: Straight to Video
- Alone Together
- Coach Steven
- On the Run
- Mirror Gem
- An Indirect Kiss
- Space Race
- So Many Birthdays
- Steven the Sword Fighter
- Lion 2: The Movie
- Bubble Buddies
- Monster Buddies
- Laser Light Cannon
- Giant Woman
- Lars and the Cool Kids
- The Test
- Steven’s Lion
- Watermelon Steven
- Gem Glow
- Steven and the Stevens
- Warp Tour
- Island Adventure
- Rose’s Room
- Cheeseburger Backpack
- Future Vision
- Secret Team
- House Guest
- Serious Steven
- Joking Victim
- Beach Party
- Cat Fingers
- Tiger Millionaire
- Together Breakfast
- Fusion Cuisine
- Frybo
- Onion Trade
- Arcade Mania
- Garnet’s Universe
- Keep Beach City Weird
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode featuring one of Ronaldo's better appearances in "Horror Club."
If you would like to check out other reviews on this blog, click here for the guide to all the reviews posted so far.
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