Saturday, December 8, 2018

Greg the Babysitter (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 16) - 'Toon Reviews 23


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Greg the Babysitter
Flashbacks of Greg’s relationship with Rose Quartz are always nice to see highlighting key moments that would set the whole series into motion.  This one covers some particularly interesting subjects. Showing younger versions of the Beach City residents involved brings a fresh aesthetic to this look at this part of his days with Rose. 
As Steven wonders how his dad got to run a carwash, the flashback unfolds.  It starts by highlighting the need for all people to get a job while also tying into a previous reveal that Greg literally gave up everything just to be with Rose. This is a nice touch of showing that actually giving everything up for love is not a good idea.  Through the use of a montage set to a catchy song, “I Think I Need a Little Change,” we get an effective way of seeing how Greg slowly realized the burdens of being jobless.  The song itself also comes off as a stimulating double-meaning with Greg needing a little change in life as well as actual money. 
There’s also a reveal of exactly how Greg got by while penniless which makes Onion’s family far more relevant to Steven.  His mother, Vidalia, who was once involved with Greg’s old manager, allowed Greg to live with her and get the nourishment and clean laundry he needed.  Through it all, while Greg is shown to have clearly been a mooch, he remains charming and friendly as ever.  Not to mention, Vidalia allowing Greg into her property adds to her already strong likability. It's honestly hard to believe she ever saw something appealing in a relentless jerk like Marty. 
Speaking of Marty, Greg was further taught the importance of having many responsibilities when asked to babysit the kid Vidalia had with Marty, Sour Cream. By the way, baby Sour Cream has an enjoyable quirk of saying “meh” to everything, standing out from other babies.  Greg’s time watching over Sour Cream gets interesting quick when Rose spotted him with another human. 
Being a Gem who’s known for fighting for all life, it’s fitting that Rose was amazed at humans procreating.   Adding intrigue to the moment, she gives a passionate speech of how new human life can grow and change in appearance and choose who they want to be. Contrasting, when Gems are made, they look the same forever and what they’re supposed to do is set in stone with no alternatives.  In general, this is a moving speech sure to get you to rethink mere life. However, considering events of the series that have occurred as of this review, it leaves a stronger impact with what this means for Rose’s character. That's for another season of this show though.  Nevertheless, the truth about Rose makes her later actions stand out more than before all relating to how she herself didn’t have a true grasp of the human life she was protecting. 
Rose actually thought it was all right to let baby Sour Cream wander around and climb all the way up to the top of a Ferris wheel because he wanted to. She had no idea that this move could kill him.  Thankfully, Greg saved him, but needed to be saved himself due to Rose’s inability to stop a Ferris wheel.  It was during this rescue that Greg realized that he and Sour Cream weren’t much different since he too did what he wanted and needed other people to do things for him.  Realizing this through his entire babysitting experience is what got him to take Rose’s speech to heart and grow up by getting the carwash job when he found it. 
This flashback is one of the more light-hearted ones. Still, out of the featured characters, what they get up to, and the big lessons of life they teach, it’s one of the strongest ones people could benefit from through watching.
A+

The Ranking
  1. Mr. Greg
  2. Monster Reunion
  3. Greg the Babysitter
  4. Alone at Sea
  5. Gem Drill
  6. Super Watermelon Island
  7. Too Short to Ride
  8. Beach City Drift
  9. Barn Mates
  10. Hit the Diamond
  11. Same Old World
  12. Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
  13. Steven Floats
  14. Restaurant Wars
  15. The New Lars
  16. Drop Beat Dad
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where Connie goes on her first Gem hunt with Steven and Pearl in a wholesome snowy setting.

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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