I Ship Everything

The scene where Star chose to stay with Tom during his “demoncism” was one of the most moving pieces of storytelling I’ve seen in a really long time, definitely up there with the strong, emotional highs that this show and others (like Steven Universe) are known for.

Both Star and Tom have shown incredible growth in these last few episodes. This season seems to have a running theme of “letting things go” and moving on; Star lets Marco return to Earth, then eulogizes Glossaryck, and that’s exactly what allows them to return to her. Tom, similarly, is attempting to move on with his own life, and having the maturity to self-improve without seeking attention is exactly what makes Star want to be around him! They’re both learning and growing, and they have a real, genuine connection that makes them want the best for each other.

But at the same time, confronting your trauma is hard. Tom has a lot of anger and pain that needs to be confronted, and I read the entire “demoncism” ritual as a shortcut for dealing with those issues. As we saw with Ponyhead’s “demoncised” ex-boyfriend, the results of that shortcut are far from genuine; Seahorse obviously hasn’t confronted his “inner demons,” and is just going through the motions of normalcy. If Tom wants to truly manage his anger, he needs to learn to do so while accepting his gorgeous, demonic self–which, of course, is exactly what he learns by the end of this episode, with Star’s help.

It was Star’s choice to support Tom through the worst of his demonicism that hit me really, really emotionally. Again, confronting trauma is hard, and people relapse. People have episodes. And sometimes the only thing you can do while a loved one is suffering is hold them through it. Star couldn’t fix this problem with magic; she couldn’t “rescue” Tom or end his pain, but she could hold him. In Tom’s most desperate, lowest moment, Star offers him nothing more or less than emotional support, and this is an incredibly important thing to show in media. I am s o b b i n g.