Tuesday, June 12, 2018

'Toon Reviews 15: Steven Universe Season 2 Episode 13: Onion Friend


Onion Friend
 
Continuing the damage brought to the Crystal Gems from Pearl’s Sardonyx stunt, we get a cartoon on Amethyst dealing with the mess which also reveals information on her background. 
The thing that brings this on though is Beach City’s creepy enigma, Onion.  This is a kid who’s willing to commit crimes like stealing, property damage, and assault on the town for completely unknown reasons.  The lack of clear reasons for his actions that go beyond relatable deviation give a disturbing feel whenever he’s onscreen.  This trend of his continues when he initiates the plot by stealing Steven’s favorite chips.
Steven chases him all the way to a house with lots of paintings of Amethyst.  When Steven brings Amethyst to this weird discovery, things get interesting when the artist, Vidalia, appears and she and Amethyst instantly recognize each other.  Right from their first interaction, the power of their bond is very clear.  Their joking around, remarks of what they have going on, and their recounts of the past have a charm to them, and are so wholesome, you can’t help but get invested.  It’s also fitting to learn more about Vidalia’s background, especially since we see how important she was to Steven’s dad in later seasons, and not just because she was once intimate with his old band manager. 
Along with having an old friendship with Amethyst, she’s also Onion’s mother.  Under the shock of how such a friendly woman could be the mother of such a destructive tyke, Steven sees Onion’s home life firsthand when Onion suggests that he and Amethyst stay for dinner, which Amethyst is quick to accept.  From Steven’s perspective, the time with Onion is a huge collection of unsettlement.  He puts some of his dinner in his mouth but then drools it out because he apparently hates food and introduces Steven to his pet mouse and then prepares to feed it to a pet snake. 

The most disturbing thing of all comes when he puts on a movie for Steven.  Nothing from the movie is shown onscreen, but Steven gets noticeably uneasy by what happens amidst groans from Vidalia.  As it turns out, it’s a video of Onion being born, and the content being openly stated makes the moment unsettling for the audience as it is for Steven. 
Steven then has the right mind to escape this madness, but then hears Amethyst let out her frustrations on the aftermath of the Sardonyx scandal to Vidalia who gives her the comforting words she needs.  From how honest Amethyst’s turmoil is, especially since she revealed the truth that started the tensions, it’s pleasing that Steven realizes that she needs to spend time with her old friend in this matter.  Even more pleasing is that this is what gets him to put up with Onion’s creepy ways, and this rewards him when Onion presents a secret room used for storing his favorite toys, GUYS.  Onion even lets Steven have one of them and the moment is staged as the most heartwarming moment between these characters, even if it’s not saying much given Onion’s track record.  It gives a believable reason for his strange actions which is that he’s lonely and wants a friend.  It doesn’t justify his behavior, but it still adds some endearment to him, so you can get invested in him genuinely finding one in Steven. 
While Onion’s moments can really test how much of him you can tolerate, there’s plenty of heart in the reveal of Amethyst and Vidalia rekindling their old friendship, and even Onion himself starting to get something to like about him.  His flaws stick out, sure, but all the good in this cartoon brings is thoroughly engaging. 8/10

The Ranking
  1. Sworn to the Sword
  2. Keystone Motel
  3. Chille Tid
  4. Cry for Help
  5. Keeping it Together
  6. Full Disclosure
  7. We Need to Talk
  8. Reformed
  9. Joy Ride
  10. Say Uncle
  11. Onion Friend
  12. Rising Tides, Crashing Skies
  13. Love Letters
The next Steven Universe review follows up on Jamie's theatrical pursuits as he gives some meaningful advice on characterization in plays while putting on one about the founding of Beach City.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is another Hey Arnold review on "Best Man" and "Cool Party."

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