Nov 19, 2013

-Steven Universe" Compilation - Flyboy

When I went to the Guide this week, I thought it was the painkillers, but no, there was only one new Steven Universe film, not the usual two. But I would have liked the second one to be a different, older (and strange to say about a film that is still fresh in my mind) short, so that the two could be more cohesive as a package.

"Flyboy" began, as usual, with Steven not knowing anything. This time it was because he didn't know where his pants were. Pearl was also looking for something, but unlike her pantsless roommate, she was fully clothed. She was looking for a piece of jewelry and rambled on and on about the piece and its power. Like Steven, I only listened to the "monster" part. Of course, that later turned out to be a direct hit to Steven's buttocks. It turned out that the shard could turn clothing into an active object.

On my way to return the shard to Pearl, I ran into yet another character: PeeDee. He was the same cute boy from the 90's that was in every classroom... Blond hair, shaved sides, and a wife-beater to show his lack of interest in material things. PeeDee has a brain that is smarter than his age and tries to make his father proud while dressed as Flybo, the mascot of the family business, and questions the world. It is unclear if Steven has any friends in town. Only time will tell, but at least Steven was able to interact with someone other than Gems as he saved his new friends from an afternoon of Flybo duty by putting a piece in Flybo's costume and saying, "Make everyone eat fries."

The two ran off to the arcade and let the lively Flybo costumers take care of Pee Dee's business. As they rode the coin rides in the arcade, nothing happened, but a conversation ensued that depicted the mental state of a 20-something who had graduated from college a few years earlier. While Steven was happy to be "paid with a smile" for his work at Gems, Pee Dee's declaration that "cash can't buy you a job" was perfect. He also touched on the mindset of those who work 9 to 5 versus those who work unconventional jobs. Those who work hard will miss out on life, but those who find something they truly love will have the most fulfilling careers.

While they were going deep, Flybo was terrorizing the town. Okay, he concentrated on one area, but it was still terrifying to see and imagine. Seriously, imagine a local restaurant mascot coming to life and having their wares shoved down your throat. That's exactly what Frybo did as Steven and PeeDee looked on in horror. When told to "feed them fries," Frybo took it too literally. The fries in his costume held restaurant patrons hostage like tentacles, including Pee Dee's father, who was quickly thrown out the window onto Stephen.

Flybo soon got smart and used ketchup as ammunition. The ketchup attack temporarily blinded Pearl, and Steven looked for a way to defeat Flybo. How to destroy a frybo controlled by a piece of jewelry: If you were Steven, you would go down to a pair of underwear and fight back by putting the other pieces of Pearl in the clothes you had taken off. You decide that you also need underwear, so you take on the flyboats in your buff. The battle is won in the nude, and the pieces of Flybo are removed, leaving you with a lifeless costume.

When Pee Dee and his father reconciled, I was reminded of Steven's father. We had not seen him since the premiere and the repeat that night was "Gem Glow." So we didn't even get to revisit his character. They should have included a "laser light cannon" to make this half hour more substantial, and they should have made Steven think about his own father as he stared at his new friend. Also, Amethyst and Garnet should be back next week in "Cat Fingers."

The episode "Frybo" was written by Raven M. Morrissey and Paul Villeco.