Sunday, November 18, 2018

Beach City Drift (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 11) - 'Toon Reviews 23


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Beach City Drift
This cartoon with a racing theme has a lot going for it that makes it quite impressive.  For one thing, the real focus isn’t really the racing, but a conflict Steven deals with that gives layers to his morality.  He’s known for seeing the good in people, even people who are jerks or other Gems trying to kill him.  However, this cartoon remembers that Steven is only human, and even the most loving people have their limits. 
The person he has a lot of scorn for is Kevin who shows up and belittles him and his dad.  In “Alone Together” Kevin was constantly showing off his dancing him and Connie fused as Stevonnie and trying to get them to dance with him even when they didn’t want to.  Basically, he was straight-up harassing them.  It’s a believable reason for Steven’s scorn which is met with strong advice from Greg that people like him aren’t worth it.  This can also apply to harassment and bully victims in real life considering that giving them attention will just make things worse.  Even so, the fact that Steven won’t let up about his feelings on Kevin is a bit much for him since at the end of the day, he’s an overall loving kid. 
Because he can’t forget Kevin’s jerkiness, he gets an idea with Connie, who’s also mad about him albeit to a much smaller extent, to one-up him.  Greg got a new car with some of his new affluence, and Stevonnie doesn’t look like a kid, so Steven and Connie fuse to take Kevin on in a race at night.  The actual race is a particularly exciting highlight which is saying something since I’m a type of person who loves races.  The adrenaline, the nighttime scenery, and the accompanying music add to the exciting atmosphere.  However, what really makes it great is how it shows a lot of Stevonnie’s power as a fusion, something we haven’t seen since their first appearance.  They’re driven by Steven and Connie’s combined emotions and abilities which unlocks an interesting talent of driving as they strive to surpass the harassing hunk. 
Speaking of him, Kevin pulls off a particularly despicable act during the race which can even get to the audience.  When Stevonnie demands to know why he’s such a jerk, it seems like Kevin has a relatable reason for his behavior, relating to a sick little brother.  Given the emotional trauma other characters on the show deal with, this wouldn’t be too far-fetched, and it's nice that the Steven part of Stevonnie feels genuine understanding for this.  Within seconds, Kevin states the claim was a lie and that he acts like a jerk for fun.  He sets himself up to be a one-dimensional jerk who’s bad for no reason.  His actions are so bad, they give Stevonnie enraged visions of the road falling apart much like what they saw when embarrassed and alone at that dance in their first appearance.  It shows what happens when Steven and Connie’s time fused isn’t a good experience. 
Fortunately, they find a way to better their experience of the race by finishing it for themselves and not for Kevin. It’s a good and mature way to get them to move on, though I think it would’ve been better if Steven found that out instead of Connie.  Anyhow, the race comes to a great conclusion when Stevonnie competes to enjoy the drive and they don’t care that they lost.  In an interesting twist, Kevin ends up obsessed as he calls out to them as they drive away ignoring him.  This turns out to be huge since it ties into Kevin getting legit depth later on, which keeps this cartoon from hurting him like how “Drop Beat Dad” hurt Marty.  Plus, Stevonie’s driving skills deserve credit since this isn’t the only time we see them either. 
The cartoon comes together as an exciting race with deep messages on dealing with harassers and reading into people you think you know.
A

The Ranking
  1. Mr. Greg
  2. Gem Drill
  3. Super Watermelon Island
  4. Too Short to Ride
  5. Beach City Drift
  6. Barn Mates
  7. Hit the Diamond
  8. Same Old World
  9. Steven Floats
  10. The New Lars
  11. Drop Beat Dad

The next Steven Universe review covers a light-hearted yet creatively executed cartoon about a restaurant war.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is Episode 49 of Animaniacs.
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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