It feels like Steven Universe has been in one of its lengthiest hiatuses ever, but it’s back on the air with Doug Out , a humble little episode starring Steven, Connie, and Connie’s dad, Mr. Maheswaran. The set-up? Mr. Maheswaran, a private security agene, has been called in to investigate a series of after-hour break-ins at Funland. It’s the perfect chance for Steven and Connie to tag along for some investigative fun, which is exactly what they do.
Mr. Maheswaran is a cheerful and goofy fellow, so it’s clear where Connie got that wide dorky streak from. He lets Steven and Connie play with a box full of costume gear he’d confiscated from a teen shoplifter and they announce their alter-egos: Veronica Kookamunga for Connie, Peter Pizzapopolis “from Italia” for Steven.
Suddenly they hear clattering as the gate to Funland is broken open. The chain looks like it was torn apart; surely that was no kid? Mr. Maheswaran and the kids enter, and Connie thoughtfully snatches a pink piece of fabric and sticks it in her pocket. (Very Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.) They proceed again, following the sound of some creaking to its source: a centrifuge ride shaped, appropriately enough, like a spaceship. They go on inside like a bunch of dumb-dumbs, the door shuts behind them and they get plastered to the wall as the ride starts spinning.
“Oh no, the laws of physics!” Mr. Maheswaran tries throwing his flashlight, succeeding in missing his target and in repeatedly smacking himself in the face; relatable.
Steven, equally relatably, yells, “We’ve got to get out of this spicy meatball!” He manages to shut off the ride and they collapse outside as Mr. Maheswaran commands the intruder to show themselves. Steven and Connie wonder if the intruder might be some manner of Gem monster or mutant, though Steven points out that those creatures wouldn’t be smart enough to trap Steven & company rather than try to murder them. The intruder manages to disable Mr. Maheswaran with part of a chain-link fence, then flashes past the group. Steven and Connie give chase.
After a dramatic show-down at the end of an alley, the intruder… is Onion! Onion runs to Steven in a panic, miming wings and giant figures, but Steven laughs it off. Oh Onion, you were terrified of me and Mr. Maheswaran, but we weren’t strangers, it was just us! Onion looks relieved, and even the piece of fabric is from Onion’s pants. But Mr. Maheswaran is disappointed that the culprit wasn’t anything more out of the ordinary than some kid. Compared to Connie’s intergalactic swordfights and his wife’s lifesaving hospital adventures, Mr. Maheswaran’s private security job just isn’t that nifty.
But Connie’s just glad to hang out with her silly ol’ Dad: “You’re a keeper, Veronica Kookamunga,” says her pops. He warns Onion about breaking the fence, though Onion shakes his head to protest his innocence. After the kids intercede, Mr. Maheswaran lets it go. Then two forms emerge behind Onion: one massive and square, and one tiny, with floating wings…
Confession: That’s when I woke up. Not all Beach City citizenry episodes are fillers - the people of Beach City are critical to Steven’s life and development, grounding his battle for Earth against Homeworld just as they did with Rose - but I’d be lying if I said I found them as interesting as the Gemtastic episodes. I’m just another space-rock-obsessed scrub, still waiting for Jasper. But until the chunkiest hunka burnin’ rock shows back up to get her thing fixed, we’ve got the set-up for new non-human characters, and that makes my ears perk right up.
(Plus, Connie really is a lot like her dad, and it really was adorable to see them interact. But something about this episode put me to sleep. Pacing? Seeming lack of stakes? Not enough fart jokes? I’ll have to get back to myself on this. Oh, and yes, I know the episodes leaked. Please watch the show through legitimate channels, y'all!)
Looks like Cartoon Network’s five-night special event is going to kick off some new Gem threats - or future friends! A new episode airs tomorrow at 7 p.m., so make sure to give it a watch and check back with iDigitalTimes for a spicy-hot recap straight afterwards.
