Steven Universe episode review: "Sadie's Song"

In its second season, Steven Universe has been on a winning streak, with the only bum notes being a non-canon crossover episode (which I didn't watch) and a pair of filler episodes that Cartoon Network detached from the season at large. Unfortunatly, its latest episode, "Sadie's Song", breaks the streak by indulging some of the show's worst habits, although it does manage to still have some pathos despite that, resulting in an episode that is still above the worst that other shows have to offer, but is disappointing nontheless.

This episode is focused on Steven's friend Sadie. As per usual, the episode opens with Steven approaching Sadie in the doughnut shop, but this time, Sadie isn't at the desk. This isn't exactly a new twist for the series or anything, but it's not conspicuously overused. Steven soon discovers Sadie singing, and is so impressed that he suggests she perform at a local music festival. Sadie hadn't told anyone she can sing, and as such is understandably nervous. From this point, it's pretty clear how the episode is going to play out, and unlike the best episodes of Steven Universe, there's few real subversions of expectation.

A slightly more interesting dynamic is introduced with the awkward relationship between Sadie and her mother, who's revealed to be the mailwoman. Apparently, Sadie's mom has a history of forcing her into doing things she doesn't really want, perhaps as a form of living through her. For most of the 11 minutes, not much is made of this, and Sadie's growing anxiety doesn't rise beyond the usual clichés. Honestly, watching her squirm under so much pressure to do something she doesn't want is generally somewhat unpleasant, making for an awkward and not very fun viewing experience. If nothing else, though, the inclusion of her mother slightly lessens the disappointment of Steven reverting to the role of causing the episode's main conflict through his naivete. In the show's best episodes, Steven steps out of that role and his naivete becomes a bright spot in the intensity surrounding him. Here, it's a little bit irritating-though not nearly to the extent of his worst episodes.

Things pick up a bit near the end, when Sadie explodes at her mother. This bit of emotional release is clearly the central point of the episode, and perhaps its only reason to exist in the first place. If there's one thing this show excels at, it's consistently giving characters depth and complexity, and not reducing them to a small pool of problems and interests. Even though Sadie's pent-up frustration with her mother has taken so long to be revealed, at no point does it not feel natural, and the resolution is handled maturely. Steven decides to take her place, and, in a scene so charming that it almost makes up for the episode's general mediocrity, he's dressed up in drag, wearing the same costume and makeup that he made for Sadie. It's a lovely note to go out on, but not quite enough to prevent "Sadie's Song" from being a relatively subpar episode of a show that can do better.