A heap of bytes

This episode (very briefly) marks the lowest point for Marco and Star’s relationship in the show, and becomes the beginning of a new arc for Marco, and for their relationship.

Following the events and realizations of Sophomore Slump (which are still a work in progress, Marco knows that he wants to try this new experience, but he hasn’t fully connected the dots between “Mewni” and “wanting to be with Star”) Marco goes back to Mewni, and Star’s greetings are... less than warm. Let’s make something immediately clear: Star is not reacting like that because Marco didn’t warn he was coming back to Mewni - she’s obviously not one to mind something like that, nor because he’s a bit entitled about wanting a better role than being Lavabo’s squire per se. The real problem is that he’s trying to come back into her life as if nothing changed, when in Scent of a Hoodie he broke her heart by not acknowledging her confession in the slightest and implicitly going “this is where our roads split, we’re going on our own journeys now”, when Star would have clearly loved to keep journeying with him, especially during such a moment of change in her life (which, as I mentioned, partially explains why she was so easily attracted back to Tom).

While talking about the end of Jarco and the beginning of Tomstar, Star and Marco quite literally descend to the lowest point (of the castle). The whole scene is clearly awkward and tense, and we know that Star and Marco are awkward and tense together only when there’s something they should talk about to fix things.

Could be just a joke about Lavabo and his interests, but it’s hard not to see some potential symbolism for Star and Marco being together again.

Marco’s objection is reasonable, but sounds also very entitled; and Star’s annoyance is reasonable, but it’s also absolutely not true that Marco never appreciates what Star does. They’re both far from being at their best and they have communication issues right now.

Just like she did in Bonbon The Birthday Clown, Star is trying to rationalize what she feels right now, Mind VS Heart. As I said the real problem is not that Marco came back asking for a job, but that he left Star to begin with (and not because Star ever demanded for Marco to forever be with her, but because he departed in a shitty way, without promising to see each other again, he was essentially running away from having to think too hard about what he wanted to do with Star and what her role in his life was), and Star is trying to blame it on something easier, more accessible and that doesn’t require her to look back at painful recent events or change the delicate new balance of her life.

A new balance that’s clearly sub-optimal, because even if she’s not actively crushing on Marco anymore (thanks to the events from Scent of a Hoodie and, especially, to Tom having provided an easy bandage), deep down she still wants him around.

As soon as the situation gets dangerous, Star and Marco shift back into “autopilot mode” and let their Hearts do the talking, and their Hearts go “You are kickass partners in crime and you can do anything together and love doing it together”, and this gives them the push they both needed to talk.

Marco apologizes, and Star explains (in a way, it’s not like she gives full point by point exposition since she herself isn’t aware about most of what it means) what the real problem is: after having defeated Toffee, Star decided to begin being a princess in her own way, doing something using her powers, and without Marco there to help her she was scared and had to turn her life around, resorting to Tom as a way to get some help (or at least she thought so, since she actually barely ends up involving him in her life during this season), because as I mentioned the person Star needs the most in her life is a companion who can help her feel more grounded and less overwhelmed, a “lifeline” in her crazy life of high stakes and goals. And with Marco’s return Star feared this delicate new balance she made for herself - a second choice balance - might have been ruined, making her feel once again as she did in Scent of a Hoodie. But that’s not the case obviously and she realizes it now, more or less unconsciously.

So what does Star do? She creates a “box”, the Squirehood Box, and puts Marco in it: if her bestie has a clearly defined role in her life it’s going to be easier for her not to feel confused about her own feelings, Tom has the BOYFRIEND label, Marco has the SQUIRE one. Obviously this is not going to work, as I’m going to mention talking about the next segment: if anything soon enough Star is going to start involving Marco in all the parts of her life that aren’t strictly “dating stuff”, feeling naturally attracted by him as a person, while Marco is going to sink deeper and deeper into this box that Star made for him, because it’s going to provide an easy if temporary way for him to conciliate his desire to be at Star’s side with the knowledge about his unrequited crush on her.

And given the dubbing vows (which are interestingly mixed with some wedding vows imagery) it was pretty clear since the beginning just how important Marco’s role in Star’s life is, and how he encapsulates all that is important to her, even if Star herself was unaware just how much she wanted him to be involved in this new life of her in this moment (as evidenced by her words in Trial By Squire, we’ll get to it soon).

I hereby declare that you, Marco Ubaldo Diaz, shall henceforth be my royal squire, to stay by my side in times of peace or danger, as my most trusted confidant and advisor. To go clubbing with me even when he's too tired, to share his late night nachos, but most importantly to be my very best friend so long as we both shall live. Amen.

The vows mention everything that’s important to Star: Marco’s role as someone who is there to advise and help her, but also someone who has fun with her, a peer, not a guide, and someone who is always going to be her best friend, because everything they share stems from their friendship before anything else.

And it’s clear that after this moment their relationship is fully mended, and even if the good ol’ Mind VS Heart disagreement is going to last until... well, Here to Help, they’re now truly able to pick up where they left off, the thing Marco hoped to be able to do at the beginning of the episode, something that is now possible because they both understood their own feelings a little tiny itty bit better. Still a long way to go, but an important and necessary beginning.