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Demoncism
It’s astounding that Star and Tom slowly become more intimate after sharing a dance. I mean, they’re exes where at some point, one doesn’t want anything to do with him and the other wanted desperately to win her back. Nevertheless, in a believable direction, Star isn’t completely won over by Tom again, and as this episode shows, Tom is also acting in favor of his own needs.
Even so, Star is still genuinely
concerned for Tom’s well-being after hearing nothing from him for some
time. In one of her better appearances,
Pony Head lets Star know what’s going on with Tom to make her feel better, even
if it means breaking an apparent promise to keep it secret. It turns out that Tom is planning on getting
a demoncism, a play on what we humans call a circumcision. However, rather than removing foreskin on a
male’s private parts, a demoncism removes anything that makes someone
angry. Considering that Tom is a fiery
demon and his anger is what broke up him and Star in the first place, it makes
sense that he’d want to do this. It
still comes with the problem of stripping him of his individuality and sense of
self which is never a good or healthy option.
Star realizes this and is quick to find Tom to stop him from going
through with the process.
Through it
all, it’s impressive how much of an active player Pony Head is here. Rather than thinking of herself or making
things worse, she moves things along the best.
She tracks down her own seahorse ex-boyfriend who also got a demoncism
to find out where Tom’s demoncism is being held. By the way, the sequence kind of goes on a
bit too long and is made cringe-worthy by the seahorse’s clearly phoned-in
politeness. Pony Head also does a fine
job at distracting a group of robed figures involved in the demoncism by posing
as their leader. Her fake announcements
probably won’t please everyone though.
This buys time for Star to talk to Tom before the time comes. In this confrontation comes the more mature
direction to the demoncism on Tom’s part.
It truly isn’t just a way to win Star back. He genuinely wants to do this because he
knows he has problems with his anger and feels the need to do something about
it. This is certainly noble, and it’s
easy to feel that way from Tom’s perspective, but Star makes a good point that
this is drastic and damaging to his true self.
She’s proven correct when the robed figures perform the demoncism by
chaining Tom to a bed, performing a chant, and leaving him in a painful burning
state. Star tries to stop it, but even
her wand’s magic isn’t enough.
After all
this, only one small piece of Tom’s anger was removed, and it will take years
for it all to go away. In the end, Tom,
on his own accord, decides that enduring this painful process continuously
isn’t worth it. All the way, Star
reassures him that it’s okay that he wants to change, and doing it on his own
is far healthier than forcing his personality out.
From here, Tom’s will to improve and Star’s
genuine concern for him bring a stronger step towards them getting closer once
more, made more possible by them holding hands.
As for the episode, with an intriguing concept and good moments from the
characters involved, it’s insightful, relatable, and an all-around pleasing
offering.
A
Sophomore
Slump
It was a huge step for Season 3’s new Mewni-related direction
when Marco returned to Earth leaving Star to face all oncoming challenges on
her own. This is especially big
considering that Marco’s been there for Star for much of the series at this
point. Now, it’s not quite a surprise
that he would return to Star at some point.
However, doing so in one episode doesn’t give his ultimate decision a
lot of weight.
The way to Marco deciding
to go back to Mewni is still very relatable.
You can tell that after starting out as being deemed as the safe kid,
over two seasons of adventures has made Marco attached to Mewni life. The mission to save Mewni in the season’s
first four episodes only enhances these feelings. The same can be said for Marco continuously
wearing a knight’s cape he got before he left as well as never ceasing talking
about his latest adventure. That said,
these feelings are often met with responses from Marco’s friends that his behavior
may be right for Mewni but not Earth.
They don’t really understand the adventures that Marco shares and it
makes him seem like a total outsider. I
see this as a relatable thing for anyone who’s into one thing as they share it
with other people they know. There’s
always a possibility that other people won’t get what the one person recounts
and make it feel like he or she doesn’t belong.
That’s what makes Marco a compelling lead for this episode.
Admirably,
he makes an effort to show that he can put his ties to Mewni aside and prove he
can readjust to Earth. After Marco
shares everyone’s complaints about him to his girlfriend, Jackie Lynn Thomas,
they plan to truly reconnect with a date to the pier. As Season 2 proved, Marco and Jackie make for
an appealing couple. They have genuine
chemistry through their conversations and time hanging out together. Since Marco was quick to be upfront with his
feelings for her, it’s very refreshing that this couple avoids any hint of
awkwardness other TV couples seem to have.
Even here, this is the case as Marco and Jackie get up to several
endearing moments at the pier through winning prizes, grabbing a bite, and
freeing lobsters. This right here shows
all the promise they have as a couple.
It makes what follows leave a bit of a sting.
When Jackie discovers that Marco has had his
Mewni cape on for the whole date, it proves that his heart belongs to Mewni
more than her. After so much support for
this couple for the series and convincing effort of Marco to reconnect with his
home planet here, it’s disappointing that both were all for naught. It’s
especially sad for Marco and Jackie for ever since they got together in the
last season, they really did have promise.
Jackie does go out with dignity though through maturely letting Marco
out of the couple for his sake and maintaining what makes her a great
character. That’s more than what can be
said for the rest of Marco’s friends like Alfonso, Ferguson, and his Sensei. After sending him off, they’re all brushed aside
like they never mattered in the first place.
Even if this was so, since they got no development or offered anything
valuable to his home, you have to wonder why they were introduced in the first
place.
So the episode ends with Marco
returning to Mewni for many adventures to come.
His true attachment to this dimension probably should’ve been shown in
more episodes of him on Earth than one, but I still like how this point was
made. It’s all in a charming episode
with relatable themes and character moments leaving a good impression more
often than not.
A-
The Ranking
- Moon the Undaunted
- Stranger Danger
- Return to Mewni
- Rest in Pudding
- Demoncism
- Toffee
- Club Snubbed
- Puddle Defender
- Sophomore Slump
- Scent of a Hoodie
- King Ludo
- Marco and the King
- Book Be Gone
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode of Marco's return to Mewni where he becomes a squire, and is taken for a spin at a Quest Buy super sale.
If you would like to check out other Star vs the Forces of Evil reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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