Star needs to find a way back to Mewni! Monster Temple is being attacked.. by an old foe! | Wraith's Journal #59 [S4E17/18 - Sad Teen Hotline through Ready Aim Fire]
Journal #58 Pt. 1 [S4E15] Pt. 2 [S4E16]
Something really bad is happening on Mewni. Everything seemed fine, but there's one thing left unresolved... First of all, Tom and Star finally have a talk. The group takes Janna on a journey to remember how she got to Mewni. Star, Marco, Janna and Tom try to resist losing their memory to magic! And Eclipsa duels a spell created by her own mother... It just keeps getting more intense!
~
Tom has come back from his and Star's trip to visit Star at her home on Earth. Star has prepared a picnic for Tom, but Tom tells her,
Tom: I think we should break up.
Star is caught completely off guard. Her gift of a 'panda cat' doesn't change Tom's mind.
Tom: ...it's not about what you do or what you don't do. It's about where you're headed. [stands up] And you and me.. we're headed to different places.
Star starts to cry, and hopes they can still be friends.
Tom: No, I can't do that. You're a really great person. That's exactly why I think being friends would be.. too painful for me. [starts walking away] So, maybe I'll see you in another life, where we're both cute panda cats.
Star: [crosses her arms] Yeah...
Tom opens a fire column to leave, and steps in
~Did Star honestly think things were cool? She ditched Tom for Earth and just kind of hung out with Marco for a while. She could do 'whatever she wanted' and needed to "figure things out".. guess Tom figured out some things, too.
~Different places.. what have they both been thinking about? To be fair to Star, she's been wondering what her life is supposed to be ever since she found out she's not a legitimate princess. Eclipsa is Queen and the people accepted her, so Star honestly has no responsibility to Mewni anymore - she's "free". For Tom, he's talked about 'not really doing anything' (Boy and His DC-700XE). Again, to be honest, I get not knowing what to do with your life. He might be a prince, but that still ties him to Mewni, or at least the Underworld. And, he still needs to figure out the rest of his life - his hobbies, his friends, and more.
~And 'friends'... Kind of the same with Jackie and Marco, Tom and Star never had that foundation of friendship before. They met at a Silver Bell Ball and jumped into a relationship together - they never had a chance to connect and get to know each other properly. I don't blame Tom for wanting a clean break. It's something I wish the two of them had realized, together, much sooner.
Tom's fire column doesn't work. Star reckons their emotions are messing with his powers. Star tries her butterfly form in the house, but she can't open portals with it, either.
Rafael comes down and sees Star and Tom upset. Star slowly tells that she and Tom broke up. Rafael, too, gets upset, and calls the Sad Teen Hotline. All the adults present recount the romantic shortcomings in their past, so Star and Tom retreat outside for some privacy.
Tom still can't open a portal and gets frustrated. Tom tells Star that this is the "hardest thing" he's ever done and that he 'doesn't know what he's doing'. Tom finally breaks down, too, and he and Star finally soften a bit:
Tom: Man, this really stinks.
Star: Yes, this whole day has just been.. yikes.
They both share a nervous laugh.
Star: What happens now?
Tom: Well, I would still like to be friends with you, Star. I.. I just.. I feel like I should be dating someone who I could be best friends with... You already have one of those.
Star briefly looks away and tears up a bit.
Star: Yeah. I understand.
Marco crashes the party. Star tells him she and Tom are breaking up.
Star: It's... it's complicated. But it's the right thing.
Tom: For both of us. [turns to Star] I should go. I feel like I'm ready now.
Star: ...Me, too.
Tom opens a fire column. Star tries to kiss him before realizing. She kisses him on the cheek instead.
Tom: Catch you later, "Starship".
~The moment is good. Again I just wish it happened sooner. I am glad they both realized it's for the best, and that they can start a friendship. Honestly, I think it'll be better for them. I think they could be good friends.
~And Tom sees how close Marco and Star are. 'Best friends with' implies he knows Star's best friend is Marco, and Marco's best friend is Star. It also lit the spark for Star that she should be with her best friend - as more than best friends. I think Star knew this deep down, but things just got 'complicated'.
Tom finally starts to leave and Star gets sad watching him. Marco cheers her up with an offer of nachos and TV...
Except, Tom's portal still isn't working. Star explains that they're "too emotional" to open portals, and Marco slips that he's "not upset at all" (lol!). Marco tries his scissors but those don't work either - Tom has to spend the night.
~Real quick I just realized: This means Tom was able to get here before the portals stopped working. So whatever is happening is happening literally right now.
Marco and Tom can't sleep. Tom in particular, is "emotionally exhausted". Marco empathizes that it took him "months" to get over Jackie, which Tom doubts.
~How long DID it take for him to get over Jackie? Marco ran off to Star pretty quickly, got a job as her squire, and was pretty busy. I'm not sure he even mentioned her at all...
Star bursts in - nearly giving Tom a heart attack - and tells the boys she can't reach anyone via phone, either. Star realizes something is very wrong:
...there's definitely something bigger going on here. I don't know what it means or why it's happening, but I think it's really bad. [sighs] We have to go back to Mewni.
~The breakup that had at least three moments to possibly happen finally happened. Even though I shipped Starco from early when I joined the fandom, I just want good writing above all else. For the final time, all I wish is that the progression of the 'shipping subplot' actually made progress earlier this season. Better late than never, I guess?
~I will again emphasize the good thing: Star and Tom are friends now. This is kind of a low-key theme of this season, and the series as a whole. Friendship, in this story, is very important. Not just Star and Marco's friendship, but everyone being friends with one another.
~Marco reconnected with his old friends, and gained a new friend in Jackie after everything they've been through. Tom, after 'not having many friends' earlier in the story, has called Marco a friend, and has finally gained Star as a friend, too. He wants his own "best friend". He's grown a lot. Him being the one to let Star go - even going as far as to let her be with the one he knows is right for her - shows that. It completes his journey within the show (though, he can still improve, we all can). I think he'll find that best friend in time.
~What's going on with Mewni? Not everyone was happy with Eclipsa being coronated. Hekapoo's warning seems to have come sooner than expected...
~
In the morning, on the dawn of the final day Star wakes up Marco after realizing Janna is the key to getting back to Mewni (remember how she just showed up [and stayed] randomly?). They wake up Tom, who is.. floating naked for some reason.
Star calls Janna. Marco and Tom think she's 'some place weird, like a monster truck graveyard'. Janna is, in fact, at a monster truck graveyard. Janna tells Star she doesn't know how she got to Mewni and hangs up. The group decide to meet her at her house.
Janna shows up, so they follow her to her room which is full of weird stuff. Janna comments on Tom and Star's breakup, and Star warns of them getting distracted by her "Jannanigans". They press Janna for info on how she got to Mewni, but she still doesn't know. She leads them around town and tries to recreate the day: Feeding possums which destroy her hat, going to get a new hat in the back alleys of Echo Creek, and collecting tennis balls to pay for said hat. Tom and Marco have a moment to chat:
Tom: Man. A week ago, I was staring at a thousand sunsets, in the Dimension with a Thousand Sunsets. And now I'm here picking up tennis balls.
Marco: Yeah, sorry it ended like this.
Tom: It's cool. And you know what? [puts hand on Marco's shoulder] We're cool.
Marco: Wait, were we not?
Tom: Well, with Star and I broken up now, just saying it's cool if...
Marco: If.. what?
Tom: I mean, if you.. and your best friend.. [points at Star] ..ended up being something else, I wouldn't be mad.
Marco: What? Tom, the Blood Moon Curse has been lifted! I mean, you were there.
Tom: Come on, dude. I think we both know, that what you two have.. is something better than a curse.
Marco stares meaningfully at Tom. Star breaks Marco's train of thought.
Star: Guys! I think we gotta-- What are you staring at?
Marco: [stammers incoherently]
~After all the talks Marco's had with Tom to help him improve, Tom finally returns the favor and then some. Of course Tom was going to want to be happy with Star if he could. The next best thing is wanting both his friends to be happy together, if that's what they want. I think Tom saw this coming for a while. Marco and Star are just meant to be together. He wants what's best for his friends.
~Marco and Star never needed the Blood Moon. It was never the Blood Moon. They had each other before the Blood Moon, they had each other during the Curse - whether it was affecting them or not, they still have each other now.
Star thinks Janna is stalling, so they press her to figure things out. Janna responds:
Janna: What part of "I don't remember how I got to Mewni" do you guys not understand?! You guys just do not get it! [moves away] I am the author of my own weirdness! But forgetting how I got to Mewni was totally out of my control, and it freaks me out! [sighs]
Star: Aww, Janna...
Janna: I'm sorry I can't help you guys out. I really am. I just cannot remember what happened that day for the life of me.
Marco: Janna, I'm.. I didn't realize how much all of this was affecting you. Plus, I didn't realize that you actually had.. human emotions.
Janna: Yeah, me neither.
~Janna's walls finally got broken a bit. Ending up on Mewni was too weird, even for her.
Marco suggests a food break at Britta's Tacos. Marco and Janna each get 1 taco but Tom gets.. 7?!
Marco realizes Janna's shirt is the mystery prize from Britta's Tacos. He's outraged, but Janna starts to remember more of the day she went to Mewni:
Janna broke into the back room to steal the shirt, which she does again, knocking out Sensei in the process. She went down a ladder - which has a lot of weird stuff on the way down. There's tennis balls and an empty shirt hangar. Janna notes some "grafiti", a stone tablet with Glossaryck, worshipers, crystals, boats and unicorns...
Star: ...Glossaryck?
Janna then notes where she wrote 'JANNA WAS HER-' on a wall. She tries to finish it, but falls into a well with a golden substance in it. Marco and Star pull her out.
Star: Are you okay?
Janna: Yeah. I just, uh.. fell into some secret sauce.
Tom: [gathers some of the golden substance] Uh, I don't think that's secret sauce.
Star thinks for a moment. She notices some purple handprints on the underside of the well cover...
Flashback...
Moon: Let's see what's up there... [pushes on the cover, leaving purple handprints]
Present day...
Star: You guys, I've seen these before! This is a well... that leads to the magic.
\"...a well, that leads to the magic\"
~This was here the whole time?! I guess the Firstborn does a good enough job keeping people who don't belong out, but this well is just.. here. At least the one on Mewni is secured by the Temple.
~Anyway, Marco keeps getting hints that he should be with Star. Gotta wonder what's been going through his head the past few days: 'maybe you were in love with Star all along'; 'you two have something special'...
~And I like the connection of Moon's handprints almost a season ago, although I feel like Star might have figured out that this is the Realm of Magic either way. It's also good that Star has been there a few times and has some experience warding off the amnesia. She'll need that for what's coming next...
~
Star is throwing spells down the Well of Magic, and Marco is analyzing the stone tablet:
Marco: So, if this is the magic well, it's leading to these boats traveling here... Yeah, that's it! Star, if the magic well connects Earth and Mewni, then what if the first Mewmans were actually humans?
Star is distracted trying to get the attention of her unicorn daughter - the Firstborn. She's throwing garbage into the Realm of Magic because the Firstborn is a "neat freak - don't know where she got that from".
~Marco's theory is interesting. Could Mewmans and Humans be related. The lost travelers in the flashback in Meteora's Lesson certainly looked like Humans... And children do take after their parents. Star may be messy, but someone is clean and tidy...
The Firstborn does show up and tells them off for dumping garbage. Further:
Firstborn: Every time you come in here, you sour this place. I cannot help you. Goodbye.
She leaves.
~What about the one time Star was 'drawn' to the Realm of Magic to master her butterfly form? Are people even meant to be in the Realm of Magic, even magic users?
They somehow get Oskar's car down the Well, and Star, Marco, Janna and Tom plan to ride in it to Mewni. The Firstborn tries to tell them off again, but Star magically ties her to the car to pull them to Mewni, lest they lose their minds and run around wild. They refuse the Firstborn's offer to 'zap' them there since they'll end up in random locations (why does it do that? Portals go to a specific location.. usually). The Firstborn also tells of a "major problem" caused the last time Star was here... looking for Moon... The Firstborn begrudgingly starts leading them to the Mewni well.
Everyone slowly starts losing their memory. Marco is uneasy, so Star reminds him to relax:
Star: Marco, my man. Sit back and relax. Just let it wash over you.
Marco sits back and has a moment with his thoughts.
Marco: What am I doing here? I didn't want this. [looks at the others] Tom... gets what he wants - gets to go home. Janna... gets to be... weird. I don't get to have what I want. (to himself) You don't even know what you want! Yes, I do! I want, I w.. I want.. I want.. I want to be...
Marco moves over and puts his head in Star's lap.
Marco: ...to be very small. And I want you... uh... I want you to put me in your pocket. (softly) And I want to stay there. And you can just reach in whenever you want and just pat me on the head.
Star plays with Marco's hair.
Marco: ...Because I love you, Star.
Marco is suddenly back in his seat.
Star: What'd you just say?
Marco: (loopy, smiling) [laughs] What?
Star smiles lovingly at Marco.
\"...because I love you, Star\"
~I think I gasped loudly when I first heard him say that!
~Marco's been thinking about this for a while. He's had a while to ponder his feelings after returning to Mewni, after realizing he had a crush on Star, after confessing to her in the photo booth... and then now especially after that weird guy at Britta's Tacos and then the talk with Tom.
~And the bit about 'in your pocket', I think Marco's saying that he wants to be with Star always - not just for himself, but for her, too. They have adventures together. They compliment each other. They make each other stronger. Credit to my friend, Wonder1440, for helping me understand this.
~Love the moment. It's huge for Marco, and his relationship with Star. And Star was totally still lucid and will remember what he said.
Eventually, everyone loses their memory. They keep goofing around while under the influence of the magic, including trying to run down the Firstborn with the car. The Firstborn has had enough and stops the car to yell at them:
Firstborn: Behave! Or I will turn this thing around, so help me! We have nearly reached the Mewni well. Just sit still and--
The Firstborn is dragged under the surface of the magic... which is purple...
The loopy group are unfazed, and want to have fun. Tom somehow activates his Demon form "I didn't even know I could do that!" and blows the cabin off the car. They want to go play, but can't remember how to undo the seatbelts. The Firstborn shows up again:
Firstborn: [gasps, out of breath] The Mewni... The Mewni Well... is just ahead! Go! Go now before he gets—!
The Firstborn is dragged under the surface again.
~This is not good. The last time Star was in the Realm of Magic is when she was looking for her mom. She found her washing the dark magic off her. One baby unicorn was already corrupted by it, and the corruption is still spreading...
Star manages to press the button to release the seatbelt and shows Marco and Janna. Tom is still stuck in his Demon form and doesn't leave the car.
Star and Marco run around and play, holding hands:
Both: Wheee!
Star: You're fun.
Marco: [chuckles] You're fun, too.
Both: I like you!
A baby white unicorn shows up.
Unicorn: I'm lost. Have you seen my family? I don't know where they went.
Star: No, I'm sorry. But maybe... [holds Marco's hand] ...we can be your family!
Marco: ...I'd like that!
Star and Marco play 'family' with the unicorn. Marco tells it to eat the magic so it 'grows up big and strong'. The unicorn does, but the purple magic is mixing with the golden magic...
~This is a funny little scene. The unicorn sees Star as Mama Star! Funny what a little magic does for getting people to open up!
Janna stumbles into a crystal grotto and finds several baby dark unicorns. Their eyes are glowing and they're growling at her, but Janna just finds this cute. She hides one in her hat and takes a bunch back to Star and Marco.
Marco and Star are lovingly holding 'their' unicorn. Marco asks Star the big question:
Marco: I'm.. so happy! Can we have a thousand babies?
Star: [regret]
~I joke, but her face was pretty funny here.
Janna gives Star and Marco some baby dark unicorns. An adult dark unicorn swims up and emerges from the purple magic! Everyone is still loopy, so they don't react to it.
The Firstborn arrives and body slams the adult dark unicorn out of the way. She's badly bruised and collapses.
Marco: Woah, you guys play rough.
Firstborn: No. It doesn't want to play. Its sole purpose is destruction!
The first white unicorn Star and Marco adopted slowly turns purple. Its eyes begin to glow and it tries to bite Star.
Star: Awww. I think they just want to play!
The dark unicorn charges at the group again.
Firstborn: You must leave! I'm sorry!
The Firstborn transports them away. There's a flash of light and then silence.
\"Its sole purpose is destruction!\"
~Destruction? Let's think for a moment. Eclipsa used a 'dark spell' - the immortal destroyer - which she gave Moon to defeat Toffee. Moon got inflicted with dark veins which became a permanent, magical scar. Moon retreated to the Realm of Magic after Eclipsa stopped her from "ending" Rage-Meteora. Star found Moon washing the dark magic off of her. That seems to be the source of the corruption. It's claimed the unicorns, who are now bent to 'destroy'.
~Dark magic has been this nebulous, undefined thing throughout the show. 'Just don't do it' - but why? This is why - it's corrupting the Realm of Magic itself... But even then, it's not certain what the consequences are, or will be.
~The moment with Marco and Star is beautiful. These two have been drawn to each other for a while. Perhaps the time is approaching where they can finally settle down and have that true heart-to-heart on even terms? First Marco was with Jackie so Star missed him. Then Star was with Tom so Marco missed her. Now the stars might finally be aligning. I can't wait!
~
Marco finds himself in the lint catcher at Butterfly Castle, very confused how he's here of all places. He finds a stone crow and uses it to climb to the main level, all the while avoiding Sebastian in its Solarian form.
~Again, why does the unicorn's teleportation spell send people to random locations... or is it 'where you belong'? And why does it put you to sleep? Same happened with Star back in Conquer.
Marco overhears the MHC:
Hekapoo: Shutting down the portals was drastic enough.
Rhombulus: Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Hekapoo: But she's not even following the plan!
Rhombulus: Look, I just want that Monster-smoocher out of Mewni, and she's our best option.
Omni: Some risks are worth taking.
Hekapoo: But she's completely crazy!
Mina: [crazed laughter] Oh, I'm the crazy one? The person saving our kingdom from Monster invaders? Ha! (to Solaria's tapestry) Did you hear that, Queen? Our kingdom used to be great! But not anymore! [flies into a giant suit of armor] It's time to give Mewni back to the Mewmans! [transforms into her Solarian form] And if that makes me crazy... [draws her Solarian blade and points it at the MHC] ...I'm as cuckoo-cuckoo-cuckoo as they come! Sebastian, get me my helmet!
~What was the 'plan' exactly, and who all is in on it? Mina seemed to be operating on her own for a while, but now we have the MHC here. The MHC suspected Eclipsa and went along with things, but now they're taking action. And remember, Hekapoo went to Marco with information of 'bad stuff' happening.
~Hekapoo is the rational one here. I'm sensing a bit of doubt here. Like, Monsters and many Mewmans are now happy that Eclipsa is Queen. The Mewmans who don't seem content with Moon being their leader and living in a nice village in the woods. Why rock the boat?
~And "invaders"? No one believes that Monsters are 'invading' Mewni. They already lived here, for one - and were literally living not that far away from Butterfly Kingdom even a few months ago! The Monsters themselves haven't even done anything - it's Eclipsa who's made the policies to govern the kingdom, and it's the discontent Mewmans who left without bothering to compromise with her.
Marco leaves to warn Star... ...Who is in Doop-Doop's shed (again, why here of all places?). He's excited to see her, but Star notices explosions in the distance and leaves. Star tries to call Marco, but still can't - even in the same dimension.
Star runs into the Yurt Village, which has built a fortified wall very quickly. Moon invites her inside. They're both confused and scared that the portals weren't working, but glad everyone is safe. Moon explains:
Moon: Monster Temple is under attack. Everyone in the village is on lockdown.
Star: What?! Oh! Oh, my gosh! We gotta go now! Eclipsa needs us!
Moon: Star, I can't just leave. The yurt people depend on me to ensure their safety.
River is in the middle of town issuing orders.
Moon: You should stay here, too. It's far too dangerous out there.
Star: I've been by Eclipsa's side this whole time. I can't abandon her now.
Star summons Cloudy and starts to leave.
Moon: Star, wait!
Star: If you really want to protect me, you know where I'll be.
Moon watches Star go, with a look of worry on her face.
~Moon's doing her best to lead her people. She's right - she can't protect her people and go help Eclipsa. What to do?
Janna wakes up in Meteora's room with Glossaryck. She goes outside to investigate a commotion and finds a large suit of armor being piloted. It's at least twice as big as any of the houses...
Giant-Globgor fights the suit of armor, and manages to hold his own. Globgor corners it, but the person in the armor pulls out a large, red sword and hits Globgor in the arm. Globgor is in extreme pain, and is forcibly shrunk to his normal size:
Globgor: Huh? What? What is.. What's happening?
Globgor gets picked up and thrown into Monster Temple. He tries to keep fighting, but the glowing red wound inhibits his ability to size-shift. The knights are no match either, so Eclipsa takes over.
Eclipsa levitates, and launches several spells at it, which only manage to slow it down momentarily:
Eclipsa: I hit it with a very powerful spell that barely made a dent! We have to fall back!
Everyone retreats into Monster Temple. Eclipsa tends to Globgor's wound, which seems to be expanding...
Globgor: It's just a flesh wound. It's nothing.
Eclipsa: It is not nothing. I'd recognize that wound anywhere. That soldier... It was a Solarian Warrior.
Everyone in attendance is shocked and worried.
Eclipsa: A Solarian super-warrior. Queen Solaria created them to destroy all monsters. They were incredibly powerful, but that power made them.. unstable. I don't know how one of them managed to survive for this long.
Globgor: So what do we do? Can you fix this?
Eclipsa: I'm not sure. That sword was specially designed to do harm to monsters. But I'll do what I can.
~It's been 300 years. 300 years since the great war that nearly destroyed both Mewmans and Monsters. The Solarians have returned.
The Solarian warrior lays siege to the Temple and punches a hole in it. Eclipsa tells everyone to hide while she goes to face the Solarian. She sneaks outside, behind it.
Eclipsa blasts the Solarian in the back.
Eclipsa: Get... out... of my kingdom!
Eclipsa flies around and unleashes her arsenal on the Solarian. None of the spells do much other than knock it down. Eclipsa is finally struck by an attack.
With Eclipsa dazed, the Solarian draws its sword to finish off Eclipsa. Eclipsa conjures a barrier just before the blow lands. The Solarian hits the barrier several times with the sword, which physically drives Eclipsa into the ground. The barrier starts to crack...
~What a cliffhanger. Mina launches her attack. All the weeks and months trying to subvert Eclipsa have failed - she's only gotten more popular.
~This armor is no joke. Magic seems to do next to nothing on it, and Globgor is now incapacitated. One Solarian warrior did this... how much damage did they do back then against the Monster army?
~Think back to Mewnipendence Day. Star talked about the Queen turning 'peasants into a fearsome army'. They turned the tide in the conflict back then - destroyed the Monsters' homes and claimed Mewni for Mewmans. It's happening again. History is repeating itself.
~
This is it. The beginning of the finale arc. A lot of people focus on just Cleaved but really these 5 episodes (and really the story as a whole) have been building to this moment.
Star's new freedom on Earth is interrupted when she realizes something is very wrong on Mewni. Janna turns out to be the key to getting back to Mewni. Marco and Star have a wholesome moment in the Realm of Magic, but the unicorns are getting corrupted by dark magic! And Eclipsa fights the first Solarian Warrior seen in 300 years, and seems to be losing.
It took a little bit to get here, but we're almost at the final battle. It's intense! I'm reminded of a drawing Daron Nefcy's did before the finale aired showing Star and Marco holding hands and facing off against something - very much like they were getting ready for a final battle. Can Star save Mewni one more time? Or will the forces of division, destruction and evil win out?
Posted Nov 28, 2025, 12:07 AM UTC