Sadie’s Character Arc (a.k.a Why Sadie Killer and Sadie’s Song are important)
As far as townies go, Sadie Miller probably gets the most attention (next to Lars of course). She has had multiple episodes dedicated to her (more than any other townie, again excluding Lars), her and Steven are friends, and the show seems to go out of its way to focus on her and her struggles. And while Sadie is certainly an amazing character, it’s more than her personality that stands out. Next to Lars, Sadie Miller has one of the best character arcs in the entire series.
Every character in this series struggles with something. With Steven, it’s coming to terms with who he is and his mother’s checkered past. With Lars, it’s believing in his own talents and learning to stand up for himself. But one of the most prevalent themes this series deals with is identity. Steven struggling to define himself both inside and outside of his deceased mother’s legacy, Lars coming to terms with his own strengths and weaknesses, Amethyst forging an identity for herself outside of who she was meant to be, Pearl’s refusal to let herself be defined by her purpose, etc. And Sadie Miller represents perhaps one of the most relatable aspects of this theme.
A lot of Sadie’s early characterization is defined in relation to Lars. Her crush on him is a focal point of a lot of her episodes and it’s referred to constantly. In a sense, Lars is the main part of Sadie’s identity. It isn’t until we start to examine her life a bit further that we start to understand her a little more.
Sadie has very little control over her life. This is especially obvious in “Sadie’s Song”, but even before then it’s obvious. And this lack of control is preventing her from finding her own identity. If it’s not her mother, it’s Lars manipulating her into doing things for him. And when Sadie does gain some control over the situation, a chance to act instead of just letting Lars push her around...she massively screws it up with her rash actions. Her desire to get revenge ultimately overrides her sense of logic and she ends up hurting Lars (”Joking Victim”). Her actions were reckless and deep down she probably knew it, but feeling helpless and manipulated is not fun.
Sadie gets a lot of flack for her actions in “Island Adventure” and a lot of it is deserved, but this wasn’t Sadie simply being selfish. This was Sadie trying to take control again. And while what she did was undoubtedly wrong, it’s understandable. Inexcusable, but understandable. Viewing it through the lens of what we know about Sadie’s arc, this episode was about her desire for control again conflicting with her morals and rationality. We’ve seen this side of her before. We know she tends to act rash when it comes to Lars not listening to her. Because this is still a Sadie who at least partially defines herself in relation to Lars. She’s tied up a lot of her identity in him, to the point that she will go to these extremes regardless of the probable consequences.
“Sadie’s Song” explores this often overlooked element of Sadie’s persona in more detail. We find out about her well-meaning but unintentionally controlling mother. This is Sadie’s first solo episode, the first time we see her completely removed from Lars. We fully understand who she is as a character, instead of in relation to Lars. And the episode itself is all about Sadie regaining a bit of control over her life by eventually talking it out with her mother and refusing to perform.
“Sadie Killer” and “Sadie’s Song” share several of the same themes and elements: Make-up, singing, encouragement from Steven, Sadie’s name in the title, costumes, lack of Lars). They are basically the same story, but told at different times in Sadie’s overall arc. For the first time in a long while, Lars is not in Sadie’s life. She’s free to define herself outside of her feelings for him, this time even more than in previous episodes. It is at this point that Sadie at last finds her identity. She has gained control over her life. She casts off all remnants of who she used to be, shedding her old identity and becoming, well, Sadie Killer.
There is a certain level of empowerment to Sadie embracing her passions and letting go of everything she once held so close to her heart (Lars, The Big Donut, etc.). Realizing she can do whatever she wants because she is no longer shackled to either of those. In “Sadie’s Song”, she was playing a character. Underneath all that make-up, she felt powerless. In “Sadie Killer”, she does the exact same thing, but this time it’s completely of her own volition. And this is important.
Sadie’s arc has specific themes that are sure to resonate with almost everyone, but overall it’s about control and growth. The lack of control Sadie has over herself, over her feelings, her life. Trying to find her identity and define herself outside of what certain other people want from her.
She’s also a precious bean who deserves the world. Looking forward to seeing more of her (and the Suspects) once the hiatus ends.