Steven Universe Recap - S04E07 - "Onion Gang"


One of the show’s longest running gags was Onion’s criminal career and his growing reign of terror. This episode, thematically following up from season two’s "Onion Friend," seemingly puts an end to it and shows the child underneath all the wanton mayhem and quiet strangeness.

We open up with Steven spending time with Onion, having fun together (...okay, only Onion seems to be having fun). Steven is under the impression that he’s the only person who’ll spend time with the little fellow. But, as he discovers the very next day, he couldn’t be more wrong, as Onion takes him with a whole group of friends. Those are Garbonzo and his little sister Pinto, Squash and the protagonist of Undertale lookalike, Soup.


(On a side note, Soup’s choice of accessories wouldn’t look out of place with the game's choice of armor and weaponry.)

All four of Onion’s gang share his odd and harmless sense of fun, which  – as usual – makes Steven confused and uncomfortable. His breaking point comes when, after a bug race, he’s asked to smash the winning insect. Steven has always been a friend to all living things, and his recent near-death experiences would only increase his unwillingness to do pointless harm unto others.

It's worth pointing out how perceptive Onion has become of whenever Steven gets uncomfortable with the group’s antics. He may not know the cause of Steven’s outburst, but he’s able to recognize there’s something going on and tries to mend fences. The boy has grown since "Onion Friend."

The entire event makes Steven leave the group and look for other people to hang out with, only to learn that, contrary to what he previously thought, he’s the boy without anyone to hang with, not Onion. Which... honestly, only works in an episode featuring none of the Gems, like this one. Sure, there aren't many kids in Beach City that are Steven's age, but when both Connie and Peedee are busy with their own things, he still has his Gem friends to spend time with, particularly Amethyst and Peridot.

In any case, Steven starts sulking, and only snaps out of it when Onion makes him visit the forest meeting spot again. As it turns out, the four kids were only in Beach City for the summer and with the end of holidays, they all have to go back home. United in their shared relative loneliness, Steven and Onion end up bonding and become closer friends.


And that’s the last episode for now. After about two months of new Steven Universe almost every day, we’re back to a hiatus of indeterminate length. And I wouldn't put it past Cartoon Network to withhold release until 2017. In the meantime, we've got a new animated show returning - Star Wars Rebels, which I’ll be recapping for you, starting next week. I’ll see you then, and whenever SU returns.

Dominik Zine is a nerdy lad from northeastern Poland and is generally found in a comfy chair with a book in hand.