After a four month hiatus, we’re finally getting new episodes of Star Vs. The Forces of Evil, so join us for our review of the eighth episode of season three!
Continuing the trend of this season, “Lint Catcher” picks up right after the last episode left off. Marco shows up in Star’s room on Mewni, and it’s not quite the reunion he’s hoping for. Star is surprised to see him, but not necessarily happy. To make things worse, she was in the middle of hanging out with Tom and Marco is mistaken by the guards for an intruder. However, when Marco claims he was a “knight” of sorts, given the cape by the King, the guards simply laugh at him.
Turns out, Marco’s beloved cape, which he’s been wearing for weeks, was actually the King’s meat blanket. Don’t ask us what a “meat blanket” is (besides perhaps a double entendre) because all we know is that there also exists a “cheese doily.” As hilarious as this is, it is also disheartening to Marco, who’s brave acts now feel worthless. But, he rallies and offers to start as a squire by the suggestion/teasing of the other knights. But who should he squire for? Star knows.
This is where things get dramatic in the best way possible. During the long decent into the basement of the castle, as Star leads him to a knight in need of a squire, Marco reveals he and Jackie broke up and Star reveals she and Tom are back together. The drama pot is stirred both by these revelations and by the awkward interaction, punctuated by Star’s blunt, to the point and glossed over admission of her and Tom’s rekindled relationship.
But, the subject is quickly changed as Marco is introduced to the knight he is going to squire for, none other than the knight of the wash, Lavabo. Lavabo is a bit too excited to have a squire, and Marco doesn’t really want to work for the laundry guy. Star storms out of the basement in a huff, angry at Marco’s ungratefulness. Star finds Eclipsa enjoying the castle garden, albeit chained up, and vents to her about Marco barging into her life. It’s nice to see this story thread progressing, even in a small way, and the growing relationship foreshadows something to come. Eclipsa says Star’s problem will “take care of itself” since no squire of the wash has survived more than a day in the laundry room.
Star rushes to help Marco, assigned to clean the lint collector, only to find him cornered by a magical lint beast. Marco and Star fight off the monster just like old times, working together with magic and wits to come out alive. The episode ends with Star bending the rules as a princess and assigning Marco to be her personal squire. This gesture, along with their monster fight, marks a fantastic return to form for the series. As well executed as the drama of the past few episodes were, this familiarity is welcome, continuing in the next episode.
Trial By Squire
Once again, we pick up pretty soon after the previous episode. Marco and Star, back to being friends, are prepping for the Quest Buy annual Squire Blowout Sale. This event is a contest of sorts, a test for squires to prove their worth to their knights and each other. The goal, to get every item needed to for their knight to be prepared and fabulous-looking for battle. Marco has every detailed planned out for the sale, ready to prove himself to Star. Star, on the other hand, isn’t as concerned with the “trial” as she is with having fun.
This is where the conflict forms. As the sale descends into a vicious competition, specifically between Marco and Higgs, a highly determined squire, Marco becomes more and more stressed. Higgs has a problem with Marco, whom she feels did not earn his squire position, leading Marco to further want to prove himself. As a result, Star’s fun is taken away. This is important because Star made Marco her squire for the sake of reigniting their friendship, assigning him to her side so they could hang out and do silly stuff together like they used to.
Marco thinks he has failed as a squire until Star explains this, and he finds a way to make things right. The two make their way to the checkout pushing a cart full of fun junk and silly purchases (including two Gravity Falls-looking gnomes), a successful Squire blowout in their eyes.
This episode truly marks a return to form for the series, it feels like an episode from season one, but with a twist. Now, instead of Star being the “exchange student,” it is Marco. However, the setup is still the same, a “slice of magical life” that finds comedy in the clashing, yett accentuating personalities of Star and Marco. It’s a great way to set up some fun, adventurous episodes, with some possible drama bubbling to the surface later on.
We’ll have to wait till next week to see where this all leads, so stay tuned, folks!
