If you like this review and want to stay updated for what else I have in store, become a follower of this blog, click here to like the official Facebook page, and click here to follow me on Twitter. Now on with today's review:
The New
Lars
It’s hard to believe that Lars hasn’t been given anything to
do in the previous season, especially with how relevant he later becomes. His starring role here, in a way, is a strong
ways to bring his future change, but it falters from roles of other
characters.
If you would like to check out other Steven Universe reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
When Steven hears Lars sound
determined to not hang out with Sadie, Steven barges in by pushing Lars to
admit he loves her. There
is weight to Steven’s actions since he has heard of Lars being intimate with Sadie and has seen him confide in her.
Still, Lars doesn’t treat Sadie well on a regular basis and even Sadie has harmed him at times, so them being an item isn’t exactly worth
supporting. Plus, it’s wrong to
interfere with romance matters that don’t involve you. You’d think someone as
mature as Steven would already know this.
That said, we do get a creative scenario out of this. Coming off of his dream powers allowing him
to connect with people he cares about and taking control of other bodies,
Steven takes control of Lars. Steven really
should be trying to get out of Lars’ mind, but even if the right thing isn’t
done, there’s interesting things to take from this move. For one thing, Steven learns about Lars’
family where both Lars’ parents are loving and caring, but somewhat scared to even
talk to him. This reveal kind of makes
you feel sorry for what they put up with.
Regarding the portrayal of Steven controlling Lars, there are some
key standout elements. Most cases of
controlling someone would have the voice of the controller from the mouth of
the victim. Here, even though Steven is controlling Lars, everything he
says is in Lars’ voice. It’s amusing for
Lars to say and do things more upbeat than normal, even going so far as to
converse with the Cool Kids, something he’s too self-conscious to do on his
own.
Given his earlier concerns,
Steven’s main priority is having Lars go over to Sadie’s to explain his true
feelings for her. After a few charming moments
with Sadie, Steven enthusiastically lets out a love confession to her as
Lars. This instance brings a new insight to this relationship regarding exactly how Sadie really feels about Lars' behavior. She's actually enraged by
this confession, because when others are around, Lars won’t be open his true feelings and treat her badly
. This even gets
her to make the ultimate move to demand that Lars get out of her life.
Fortunately, seeing the trouble forcing love
has caused gets Steven to act fast to fix everything. He tells Sadie the truth about possessing
Lars, and they rush to get the real Steven to wake up. While they bring the real Lars back, events
get concerning. Lars’ parents and the Cool Kids misunderstand what’s
going on and are madder at Lars for yelling at Steven and breaking into his home than Steven.
However, Steven caused all the trouble in the first place, and Lars still gets more scorn even after Sadie tries
to explain everything.
While the
concerns are still present, they’re less of an issue with what happens
next. The following day when Steven
tells Lars about what possessing him was like, Lars laments that not being open
with his feelings is why people prefer him when he was possessed. He reflects on his flaws which suggests he
wants to improve, and the last scene of happily stating he wants to hang out
with Sadie while Steven is around is a good first step. Considering how much Lars really improves
later on, this cartoon is an example of a problematic watch made better by a good
conclusion.
I can’t write off how
uncharacteristically pushy Steven is or how no one realizes he was the cause of
the conflict. Nevertheless, with the fun moments and character growth that comes from the
story directions, the flaws are worth sitting through.
C
The Ranking
- Mr. Greg
- Gem Drill
- Super Watermelon Island
- Too Short to Ride
- Barn Mates
- Hit the Diamond
- Same Old World
- Steven Floats
- The New Lars
- Drop Beat Dad
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where the return of Stevonnie leads to a race with the one being Steven actively despises.
No comments:
Post a Comment