The project of “Change Your Mind”—fully theorizing the Gem empire as a business run by an abusive family, with similarities to the various families Steven has encountered on Earth (the Crystal Gems, the Maheswarans, the DeMayos, the Deweys, the Onion family, etc.), all done while extending that comparison through intense action sequences—is a big lift. It’s especially heavy when it’s surrounded by an extended robot fight, the introduction of several new fusions, and a climactic moment of self-awareness on Steven’s part, seemingly resolving his anxiety over his relationship with his mom, all while wrapping up almost every other loose plot thread the show has.
Looking back on the first couple of seasons of Steven Universe, it seems clear that Pink created her own version of the twisted Diamond family in the original Crystal Gems team. The younger Pearl is broadly analogous to Yellow Diamond, keeping her emotions tightly-wound and living her life to please her authority figure/romantic object. Garnet, as a fusion who lived her life on the unflinching premise that she should never question or contemplate the emotions that drove her, unwittingly took on the role of Blue Diamond. And Amethyst, as a goofy child who ate everything in sight and made everyone laugh, became the new version of Pink.
This was an okay setup as far as it went—Rose may have kept things from everyone and often acted selfishly during her tenure as leader of the Crystal Gems, but she was certainly nowhere near as tyrannical and abusive as White Diamond—but it left everyone with a lot of unresolved emotional issues. Issues that were only identified because of Steven, a person who has no analogue in Gem society. And with his years of practice, Steven basically plows through the Diamonds’ problems, like a video game character who has been dramatically over-leveled for the final boss.
At least emotionally speaking, the Diamonds fall like dominoes. Blue demands that Steven remain in prison until he’s ready to apologize for fusing, but Steven and Connie refuse to do so, and get her to realize that that unyielding nature is exactly why Pink left Homeworld in the first place. Yellow attacks Blue, outraged that another Diamond would give up her obligation to White and to the Gem ideal. (Yellow also feels hurt that Blue would betray her after the way the two have been bonded, both through their relationship with White and their shared grief at losing Pink.) Eventually, Yellow sees that her dedication to following orders and living for someone else is destroying her from the inside. And White—well, we’ll get to that.
Do these epiphanies happen too quickly? Maybe! As thrilling as all of this is, and as bold as it is that it’s all happening at once, there are some moments in “Change Your Mind” that veer a little too much into outright corniness, above and beyond the normal level we should expect from the show. I’m thinking specifically of Connie analogizing her mom’s harsh rules to White’s conduct in her conversation with Yellow: The comparison makes sense broadly, but the transition to Connie’s dialogue—and, especially, the sharp change in sound design, which tones the intensity of the scene down a lot and sends it outside the space of action—makes it feel like almost a parody of the type of quiet emotional moment Steven Universe is known for. It doesn’t help that the shot is static, with Steven just kind of blinking and listening next to her. (Also, Connie’s mom and dad letting her come to space to help Steven is still probably bad parenting, I’m sorry!)
It’s hard to know what, exactly, is supposed to happen now. Are the Gems going to stop conquering other planets to create colonies? If stripping the natural resources of other worlds is the only way they can reproduce, does this mean their numbers are supposed to just remain static, or die out? These are, I think, interesting topics for Ronaldo-level nerds like me. (You could even call them questions for an… expanded… Steven… Universe.) Given the years of conflict and destruction that form the Gem backstory, there are probably some open questions about how the Diamonds can make amends and fundamentally change their society, ones that might even be addressed in the upcoming movie and beyond. But they’re also outside of the scope of “Change Your Mind,” and of what the series has been building to.
If being a bit rushed and leaving some big questions for the future of the show are my most substantial problems with “Change Your Mind,” though—well, then it’s still a pretty damn good and impressive episode, and a really wonderful, hectic capper to Era Two of Steven Universe. (Besides, as Steven tells Yellow Diamond, if every pork chop were perfect we wouldn’t have hot dogs.) And beyond all of this plot, thematic material, and character development, “Change Your Mind” is still an animated episode of television—one with some pretty visually stunning sequences.
Here, the Steven Universe crew’s anime influences come out in full force. In particular, I love the shot of Yellow and Blue flying out of the tower where the bubbled Gems are kept. They slowly fall onto a bridge with Steven and Connie following behind them in a bubble of their own, which gives the shot a lot of kinetic energy and (literal) gravity. Really, everything with Blue and Yellow is deftly done here: Showing the Diamonds changing, right before our eyes, is a huge visual challenge, and the team rises to the occasion—from Blue’s enormous face sliding into repose and softening as she realizes what life was like for Pink, weeping in an entirely new way, to Yellow’s dueling internal anger and sadness as she confronts what she’s been doing with her life, to the pair’s scared faces, dripping with (presumably metaphorical) sweat as they prepare to tell White how they really feel.
Largely, that’s because of Patti LuPone and Lisa Hannigan, who both do fantastic work. LuPone was originally great casting as a villain, but of course she can give a character more depth than that, and proves it in the moment when Yellow demands that Blue stop making her cry—only to realize that those are really her tears. Hannigan, meanwhile, moves Blue Diamond through rage, sadness, and acceptance, to settle on a sort of brittle tenderness that fully emerges in her plea to White: “I know my purpose isn’t to be happy, but I find it harder and harder to enforce your rules when they make me miserable.”
Hannigan also gets one of the more on-the-nose, moving, lines of the episode. When Blue forcefully tells Yellow, “She prefers to be called Steven,” she’s finally listening to Steven when he says that he’s not his mom—but she could just as easily be talking about a trans relative asking to be called by their chosen name. I’m definitely not the right person to write this, but I’d be really interested to read an essay that digs into the way this arc reframes the show as, in part, an extended transition-slash-coming-out story for Pink/Rose/Steven, and what changes about the series when you approach it with that in mind.
White Diamond continues to be the perfect villain to make that connection. Blue and Yellow act like scared children once White’s Pearl arrives to stop the escape. (“Blue, don’t make her any angrier than she already is.”) Her giant robot is a domineering, overpowering force that manages to exude creepiness while also providing grist for a very fun fight. And, as we discover, her Gem ability is literally turning other people into copies of herself, something that’s foreshadowed by an early sequence of Steven’s face alternating with Pink’s original face and Rose’s, culminating in a searing shot of White’s eyes. This goes a long way toward raising the tension of the final, most intense action moment the show has ever had: White Diamond ripping Steven’s Gem out of his body.
Much of the second half of the episode is an extended lead-up to that moment, taking the form of a battle to enter the Gem Voltron. Without going too deep into the minutiae of every moment of the fight, all of the beats are handled expertly—in particular, I loved the last-minute arrival of Bismuth and the newly reformed Peridot and Lapis. (Cue Steven: “Yellow, Blue, did you have a hand in this?” It’s good to know that, even in the most dire of circumstances, Steven will still make terrible dad jokes.) Lapis, by the way, looks like she’s just discovered athleisure, and I am into it.
The other big headline from the fight is that, attempting to free the poofed Crystal Gems, Steven pulls Amethyst out of her hibernation by fusing, which leads to him fusing with both Pearl and Garnet. This scene is basically the definition of fan service, since it gives multiple long-awaited fusions in less than a minute. Everyone gets new forms, including Pearl’s ’80s jacket with shoulder pads and Amethyst’s quasi-wrestling outfit (with ripped black jorts). Beyond a brief appearance of Smoky Quartz, we get a new version of Rainbow Quartz (voiced by Alaistair James) and the appearance of Shoniqua Shandai as Sunstone, Steven and Garnet’s fusion who seems to be a loose parody of kid-friendly ’80s action characters, with a strong, Sardonyx-like level of metafictional awareness of the audience.
Eventually, the four Crystal Gems fuse into Obsidian, the enormous fusion who forms the basis of the statue at the temple. Peridot yells “They’re huge!” just before White Diamond stomps down, revealing that even Obsidian only measures up to roughly the height of one of the enormous feet. But once the Crystal Gems make it inside White Diamond, things really get cooking.
White does, indeed, think of the other Diamonds as being extensions of herself—with their color only being expressed as a result of their weaknesses. The concept of “gaslighting” has been heavily overused in the past few years, but that’s exactly what White does to Steven, trying to convince him that not only is he someone he isn’t (his mother), his influence serves to bring out the worst in other people, rather than their best. White makes things better. White takes over the other Crystal Gems, and hearing them blithely speak in her voice, claiming that they feel better, is one of the most unsettling things I’ve ever seen on the show. Steven almost buys into it.
Hell, I almost bought into it—partly because Christine Ebersole is such a smothering, soothing vocal presence, and partly because of how psychically connected Steven has been to Rose. The episode opens with a nightmare flashback to another time Pink Diamond’s Gem was trapped in that tower, when Blue warned her that White was going to take away her Pearl—a sequence that ends with Steven seeing himself throw up his mom’s hair.
The nature of White’s ability, and the way her character forms around it (or vice versa), are the cause of so many small, careful moments of storytelling in “Change Your Mind” that it feels like a daunting task to list even half of them. She forces Pearl to fight Connie, forcing the student to confront the master. (I appreciate that nobody calls direct attention to this, instead relying on everyone’s memory of “Sworn To The Sword” to do it for them.) Her Pearl, we learn, was originally Pink’s Pearl—a neat piece of writing, given the way the episode starts. And her ability is a kind of combination of Yellow’s force blasts and Blue’s empathetic field, transforming other Gems into puppet-like extensions of her own being. And she first does this to Yellow and Blue after they express their feelings, in a scene that also confirms the Diamonds’ redemption as Steven refers to them with the formal Crystal Gems salutation, “Guys?”
Certainly, this is a bit of an on-the-nose way of depicting how a person like White might feel about the other people in their life. But Steven Universe has never shied away from this kind of on-the-nose emotional metaphor, and, as in episodes like “Alone At Sea,” the show nails it. After a brief, tense confrontation, we get the best, most gut-wrenching moment of the episode, and probably of the series: The absolutely devastating, black-and-white shot of White Diamond using her fingernails to rip Steven’s Gem out of his body. Folks, I’ve been reviewing this show for a long, long time, and I think I have a pretty good handle on what can and can’t happen—and even I flipped out, briefly thinking that Steven might really be a human boy now, or that Pink/Rose would come back in some capacity, or both. I still can’t believe they really did it.
The ensuing sequence is framed in split-screen, as Steven’s human form watches himself form as a Gem, which, in the same vein as the Gem reformations, moves through Pink’s past forms. The Gem changes from Pink Diamond, to Rose Quartz, and finally to Steven—he is Pink Diamond now, though not the same one the other Gems knew. He’s Steven Universe. This is some deeply Evangelion shit.
The pure Gem form of Steven also has access to an enormous amount of power. His shield, now in an abstracted, quartz-like form, like the wire Polygon Fighters from Super Smash Bros., blocks the entirety of White Diamond’s attack. In front of White’s frightened, teary eyes, Steven fuses with himself, and just begins laughing. White is furious, and tells Steven that he’s acting like a child. Steven responds with one of the better comebacks I’ve heard on this show, or any show: “I am a child. What’s your excuse?”
Embarrassment—pink—flushes its way into White’s countenance, and Steven wins. As it turns out, White had been hiding herself from the world, not because she was so committed to how she could change it, but because she was afraid of how it would change her.
It’s not exactly surprising that this is how everything ends. After all, the show’s position has long been that no one in its universe is fundamentally evil, and that just talking to people is often enough to get them to open up—especially for Steven, who is inhumanly kind and understanding. Last year, I asked Rebecca Sugar if anyone was truly evil on Steven Universe. She said, “I think it’s a fantasy that no one is truly evil. I don’t know if that’s true in reality, but it’s certainly true in my fantasy. Why wouldn’t it be?” What is Steven talking his way into dismantling an eons-old galactic empire but the final realization of that vision?
We move t0 a familiar sight: A concert on the beach. Sadie Killer And The Suspects are playing a cover of “Let Me Drive My Van Into Your Heart,” which is just a perfect to see as the entire Gem Voltron lands, bringing the Diamonds into contact with humans. Moments later, the Sun Incinerator lands, and Lars returns to Earth. There’s so much buildup going into this moment that it would hard for the episode to mess it up, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less meaningful to see the glint of recognition between Lars and Lion, or the well-deployed Paparadscha joke when she sees Sadie and says, “Lars isn’t going to know what to say!” He doesn’t—and though it’s not as intense as we might have expected, it does tell us that Lars and Sadie are going to be just fine.
With all of the human, Gem, and animal characters united on the beach, Steven takes the microphone to sing a new version of “We Are The Crystal Gems.” In a closing montage, we see the Diamonds heal the corrupted Gems, using the healing energy of Rose’s pool as a conduit. In keeping with the Steven Universe ethos, everyone is fine. That includes Centipeetle—sorry, Nephrite—Biggs, and Jasper, who immediately tries to go on the warpath before realizing what has happened. Echoing the long-past scene Blue described to Steven of the Diamond family hanging out in Blue’s pool on Homeworld, here the entire Gem family (or, at least, a representative sample) spends some time on Earth just hanging out and getting to know each other.
Once the rest of the Gems have gone home, Greg barbecues on the beach while Steven noodles on his ukulele and the expanded core group of Crystal Gems, including Bismuth, Lapis, Peridot, Cat Steven, and Pumpkin, celebrate the end of the war. In the same pose from the end of the opening credits, Steven sings “Change Your Mind,” a plaintive tune that appears aimed at White Diamond, but that you could hear just as easily being directed at a hundred, a thousand intolerant parents, siblings, friends. Fin.
If you’ll forgive me getting a little more personal than usual here, I’ve been writing about Steven Universe since episode 16, “Steven The Sword Fighter,” which aired in April of 2014. I was 21, much dumber, and very early in my marginally illustrious writing career. I was also a decidedly goofy, awkward kid with occasionally misfiring maternal instincts who hung out with a lot of very cool queer women and had a lot of anxiety about it. (I still do sometimes!)
I love hanging out with these characters and learning more about them, but it sure does feel like the show has done a lot, if not all, of what it set out to do. Now that Steven Universe has worked through its original five-year plan (the last episodes outlined in Rebecca Sugar’s pitch for the show, and the last ones writers Matt Burnett and Ben Levin worked on), it feels like an appropriate time to hang up my jean shorts.
More than that, it feels like Steven is an adult now, in a way that forces me to think about how I relate to him as a fan of the show, and as a critic. In my review of “Steven The Sword Fighter,” I praised the show’s thematic dedication to childishness, to the ways that curiosity and goofiness and an almost painful earnestness can actually be good things that characters (and people) shouldn’t grow out of. I still think that’s at least partly right, since Steven’s empathy and ability to listen to other people is another form of a childish openness to new experiences. But they’re also valuable qualities in a whole person, rather than a substitute for an entire personality. Being a child, especially the kind of child Steven is at the beginning of the show, also means being selfish. It means hiding things from people. It means being like Rose.
Steven has grown out of needing to be any version of his mother. He’s Steven Universe now. Likewise, it feels like I’ve outgrown the version of myself that identified with a younger, less competent, less thoughtful Steven. I still love the show, but after almost five years and 100-something episodes, I think it’s a good time to take a step back and rethink my relationship to the show. Steven Universe will be back with a movie later this year, with new episodes some time after that. I might write about them in some capacity, but I don’t think it’ll be in this space. Keep an eye out, though—there’s always a chance I change my mind.
Stray observations:
- “Change Your Mind” is written and storyboarded by the large, genuinely epic team of Lamar Abrams, Miki Brewster, Amber Cragg, Hilary Florido, Joe Johnston, Ian Jones-Quartey (!), Christine Liu, Jeff Liu, Katie Mitroff, Kat Morris, Rebecca Sugar, and Paul Villeco. (Everyone is listed in alphabetical order, which seems very cool and of a piece with the message of the episode.)
- Steven, watching Blue storm into the cell just after waking up from his nightmare:“Whoa, déjà Blue.”
- Blue tells Steven that “Your time on Earth has warped your sense of right and wrong.” She’s right!
- Peridot, watching Sunstone: “Unbelievable!” Sunstone: “You’d better believe it.” Peridot: “Okay!”
- Sunstone is awesome, but she’s also basically the Poochie of Steven Universe, and kind of a parody of cool animation characters from the ’80s. Right after she declares that the Gems are going to take White Diamond down, she turns to the camera and says, “But remember kids, if you ever have to deal with a bully, be sure to tell an adult.” While she’s climbing up the legs, she spews lessons like “You can do it!” “Believe in yourself!” or “Always do your best!”
- Absolutely going to note there is an “additional animation by” credit for James Baxter, a.k.a. the inspiration for James Baxter The Horse.
- I genuinely expected Peridot to yell “Why are you hitting yourself?” after Lapis and Bismuth got White to punch her own arm.
- There are some sweet moments in the background of the episode-ending montages, but I think my favorite is Ronaldo and Lars catching up.
- (I have a separate essay that delves a bit further into the way the show has handled childhood that’ll be up at Polygon at some point.)
- And that’s it! This has been the longest-lasting writing assignment of my adult life, and it’s been incredibly rewarding and meaningful to get to spend so much time with such a wonderful and special show. Hope y’all have enjoyed it. Sorry I wrote so much.
114 Comments
Oh my God, oh my stars, oh my goodness, that was amazing. Like, I’m just kind of buzzing right now.
Hey y’all. Big things happening, huh? If you wanna discuss in a more Disqus-y way with some ol’ AV Clubbers, head on to the-avocado.org where we got the latest discussion for the episode up!
I agree the epiphanies came really quickly; but why waste time gettin’ to where we be goin’?
That’s always been SU’s best quality I feel: it gives us the emotional satisfaction without diluting it. I remember people tittering about when we’d see Stevonnie fight and not one season later it’s like “BAM! STEVONNE RIDING LION! YER WELCOME!”
The 11-minute format seems to be as much a liberation for that reason as the limitation it might otherwise seem to be. If you’re going to interrupt proceedings for commercial breaks about that often anyway (or no less frequently than 22, certainly), why not make each chunk its own capsule and use that as a motivation to move the story along more quickly when it’s appropriate? (With the parts which genuinely need a more expansive scope getting a double, triple, quadruple or even 5- or 6-fold slot…)
I have to assume you somehow got to see the episode early, correct?
I can’t even breathe after that. The fact that it’s not even the series finale, even though it damn well could be if it wanted, is all the more insane.A brilliant, beautiful hour of television in every possible way. Thanks, Crewniverse!
You would think, with as rabid a fanbase as Steven Universe has, that it would be a good idea to show reruns at a decent time (i.e. not a single episode at 6am only) in order to bring in new fans, but I guess not.
It’s called the CNapp where most kids watch these shows. So.
But they still bother running an actual broadcast TV station, so it seems negligent to not schedule THAT with any kind of finesse. Plus the app only seems to work in certain countries, which doesn’t include mine… but we do have a local syndication of CN TV…
Cute you think people watch television
There was a lot happening and I was handling it but I definitely held by breath with the gem removal and over the commercial break my head & stomach actually hurt LOLReally I wish this had even just five more minutes because the ending needed it, or maybe I just did? Maybe even another full half hour TBQH. There wasn’t enough time to truly contextualize the extent of White’s terror and even a semblance of a proper apology or the grievances of the corrupted gems in a proper way.I mean, I’m glad things are better and especially that the other gems just promptly removed themselves after fixing their mess but there’s still a bit that feels unresolved for its intended audience. Not every tyrant can change and IDK I was hoping she’d be bubbled at the end or something? I’m excited for the movie and what potentially what more seasons could bring with everyone back now but this definitely strikes me as Rebecca making sure as well as she can to wrap things up since CN loves to play around with her and screw things over for the crewniverse.
Then again maybe the movie will really finish fixing things and I need to chill. Either way I’m watching.
Yeah, it’s a bit of Ghibli Denoument overall. Here’s your climax, now here’s thirty seconds with the entire aftermath compressed into it whilst we roll credits and the ending music, goodnight folks! We can but hope that it gets stretched into a full episode or two in any new season that comes along.
This episode showcased every strong point the series has ever offered. Even when the show becomes a little too ambitious, it always finds a way to rebound and ground itself in organic character writing. And that’s what I truly love about this show.
I’m genuinely shocked that wasn’t the series finale (it darn well could have been). That was a heartwarming, terrifying, hilarious, breathtaking, mind blowing, constantly engaging, stupefying, HOLY CRAP RAINBOW 2.0/SUNSTONE/OBSIDIAN, unbelievable hour of television.
Undoubtedly the show’s finest hour.
Take your star, you animal.
loved the scene where steven universe took his shirt off at the waterslides. there’s a powerful lesson about courage for the retarded queermos that watch this show.
This was a great write up summary Eric. ThanksThat episode was incredible, everyone got awesome new looks and Steven had some of his best moments ever.Steven Universe is undoubtedly the best and most important animated show on Television. It’s not just a good cartoon It’s an important discussion of LGBT rights through the medium of Gay Space Rocks. Steven Universe is one of the best shows of the decade. It has taken its medium and lifted it to new heights.What an incredible piece of work by Rebecca Sugar and her team. We will still be talking about Steven Universe for years to come.
Maybe I am in the minority, but I was really disappointed in the season finale. It felt like everything was rushed. I remember when Smoky Quartz was introduced in a way that added more depth to Steven’s and Amethyst’s character. The fusions in this episode felt like they were there just to make fans happy. I was invested in Lars and the off-colors story arc and it all added to a 30 second scene. White diamond felt more like a monster of the week then the usual multi-layered ‘villains’ the show is known for. I wish they wouldn’t have even bothered to show Jasper in the end. My mind is still racing and maybe I will see it differently after another watch, but for now I give the finale a ‘C.’
Yeah, it kinda feels like they didn’t have as much time to play with as originally planned, when it came down to brass tacks, and so quite a bit of ruthless editing had to happen to properly wrap up the storyline for the end of the season. Rather than (like certain other inter-seasonal climaxes) having it end on an almost unbearable cliffhanger and spill over into the start of an S6 that they initially couldn’t be at all sure was going to happen.
Maybe I am in the minority, but I was really disappointed in the season finale. It felt like everything was rushed. I remember when Smoky Quartz was introduced in a way that added more depth to Steven’s and Amethyst’s character. The fusions in this episode felt like they were there just to make fans happy. I was invested in Lars and the off-colors story arc and it all added to a 30 second scene. White diamond felt more like a monster of the week then the usual multi-layered ‘villains’ the show is known for. I wish they wouldn’t have even bothered to show Jasper in the end. My mind is still racing and maybe I will see it differently after another watch, but for now I give the finale a ‘C.’
AAAAAAAAAGAAGAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!Just EVERYTHING WAS AWESOME!!!!THAT CLIMAX WITH WD WAS SOOO BEAUTIFULLY ANIMATED!I’m over the moon, yo.
Going only by knowing that James Baxter is the guy who animated James Baxter the horse in the Adventure Time episode James Baxter The Horse, I’m pretty sure James Baxter animated the scene with Steven fusing with himself and White Diamond’s opening her eyes to watch it. It had the same kind of smoothness that the horse on the ball did.
Yes, he was brought on specifically to do it… probably because he animated the classic ballroom dance scene from Beauty and the Beast.
Good god, he did that all by hand, with no rotoscoping or any real guidance other than maybe a CGI stick figure? I never knew that it was his work, or that it was all completely trad animation other than the backdrop. It still holds up extremely well the better part of 30 years later.
When White pulled out Steven’s gem?My 12 year old jumped across the living room into my lap crying. Thank goodness that wasn’t a cliff hanger! It would have killed her.I feel settled. Yes, it was a little rushed, and yes, I’m sad it’s (mostly) over, but there’s a nice feeling of resolve, too. Everyone is going to be just fine.
I love how the whole series came around full circle back to “if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hot dogs”.
Between that and reprising Let Me Drive My Van etc., that was some mighty fine bookendin’.
This is my first review (I think) that I have read from you and I thought it was interesting that you pointed out that you have not seen the show as part of the transgender community/ that it could be seen completely differently that way. I agree and disagree with you on that. Those of us who are trans / part of the LGBTQ community I think have always seen this show as a major part of that. There has always been indications / subversions / language / advice (etc the list could go on) towards same-sex relationships / transgender individuals. I don’t know if you could look through that lens for every single aspect of the show, because most of that is subtle, without being queerbait-y because this show is inherently about LGBTQ individuals & their impact on the Steven Universe world. There is so much speculation about fusion being a same-sex relationship/sex itself that it is so queer on its own without having to be specifically pinned down: I feel like you would agree that it takes away from the magic. And steven, hes not technically trans bc he is from his mom, not his mom: confirmed in the final ep. but there is something inherently queer about his experience, regardless if he is queer himself or not, and that is ok because all of us trans individuals relate anyway bc we are trying to establish ourselves from that ‘percieved’ old life (aka Rose) & like that ending scene w steven and steven, we have always been that way, in our true essence of ourselves. ANYWAY great review I could write a whole essay on this & that SU has and always will be queer but I thought if you read your comments this would be a good one to read 🙂
Steven is more like genderf**k than trans (especially when he lets the Pebbles dress him up). Or let’s just say VERY comfortable with his feminine side. Enjoyed your thoughts, write that essay!
Yeah I felt like Pink Steven and Human Steven served as a really good analogy of my experience of being trans, with Pink Steven being “strong” but ultimately damaging both to himself (through his division from Human Steven) and to others, in the way that his unthinking actions rebound on those around him. For me, that felt a lot like my time in the closet, with an exterior that was damaging, while my true self was dying of neglect.
And his “birth family”, particularly the mother figure, being so convinced that it’s all an act, and what lies beneath is still the very different child they thought they knew that they’re prepared to literally pull them apart in order to wash away what they assume is a facade… only to find that it is, instead, the result of the original facade having long since been discarded, and what’s underneath is now a true match.
From what I’ve read, the crew and Rebecca in particular make absolutely no bones about it being just such an allegory, and it’s something that’s caused the series some trouble both on the CN corporate side, and particularly when exported to markets that are (even?) less progressive than its home (including, sadly, the UK, though our cuts were some of the more lenient). It’s a fairly common sci-fi trope, and even one used in many previous cartoon series, at least back to the 90s/mid 80s, to cover other moral subjects. What better way to hold a mirror up to current earthly issues, and highlight both their absurdity as well as the damage inflicted by them, by making alien analogues at one remove?Perhaps amplifying them, even… say with a species where biology is a foreign (indeed, distasteful) concept and reproduction happens by mechanical means, romance of any kind is so highly taboo to seem completely absent at a surface level, and whilst there are literally no genders, the different types of Gems effectively act as a wide rainbow of gender-analogues beyond mere female and male… but there’s a cunning inversion: whilst gems temporarily combining to amplify their power for certain tasks (a bit like “sex is only for reproduction”) is a known thing, it is only accepted amongst Gems of the SAME type – and it’s heterogenous combinations that are abhorred. And whatever type you’re “born” as seals your destiny – your effective caste, your gender-analogue, your job, even your name is absolutely fixed other than for an alphanumeric identifier… personal expression is itself outlawed, never mind changing, or having any kind of personal dominion over your very identity, or the Gem parallel to gender expression.It seems absurd to a human observer of Gem culture … in much the same way that the all too real human versions of the same cultural attitudes would seem crazy to an alien observer. By using the example of an alien species embodying such mores, we are placed into that observer’s shoes.
I liked everything but the gems’ new forms. While not outright horrible I think they were all downgrades aside from Peridot’s silly look and maybe Garnet.Oh and I’m also a little disappointed that Greg wasn’t somehow involved in the final fight, maybe in some Bismuth-prepared armor. I know that that would make no sense given his total lack of fighting experience but still, I wanted it to happen.
Greg just gets hurt in gem fights. Now, if Steven fused with him ……. he’d literally be a Rocker! 🙂
That’s the thing I want to see cleared up … we know that Steven can fuse with a range of Gems, we’ve seen that he can at least fuse with Connie (and that he is, essentially, a permafusion himself, between a pure Gem and pure human)… so, can he fuse with other humans? What of another human, AND another Gem at the same time? What happens then? What kind of experience may result?
And, well, things could go full DBZ. All kinds of new threats we never saw coming beyond mere homeworld, and having to turn former enemies into allies in that fight. 20-way Cluster-esque fusion between all the CGs, Connie, Jasper, all the diamonds, and a couple of wildcards to face down some truly epic enemies, anyone?
I’m wondering whether Greg and the other humans will have more of a chance to participate in the action in the movie/season 6 (I half-expected them to be on the arms with Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot). It’s been pointed out that one of the show’s themes is celebrating the value of the “ordinary”, the hot dogs, and that it would be cool to see that played out plotwise rather than just wrapping everything up among the gems.
Greg could be their tech expert… Peridot has a bit of a specialism in that regard, but she seems more of an operator than an actual engineer. Maybe he could have a mech of his own?
I don’t think I’ve ever cringed more watching TV than watching that shot of White plucking Steven’s gem out of his stomach. I’ve been less alarmed/creeped out watching horror movies. Just thinking about it writing this comment is giving me shivers.
I was literally screaming “NO NO NO” at my TV.
I didn’t say it out loud, but I had a visceral, internal “NO NO NO” as it happened.That one the made me shout “NO NO NO” out loud was when White shot Amethyst with an assimilation beam. I was freaking out.
I was so angry! Boiling with rage! Shivering with fear, too.
that was a rough commercial break but having to wait really heightened the experience too.
That was such a freaking incredible 10/10 perfect ride. I don’t even know where to start but it made me bawl.
Don’t know where they can go from here. Maybe keep things low-key with this new status quo for a bit before doing any more major mythology stuff. I’m sure the fans will hate that, though; they like the mythos and all that jazz. I fully expect a new intro sequence though.So, this TV movie. Is it the next bit of the series we’ll get or will there episodes between now and then?
They billed this as “the movie we made before the movie”, so the tv movie in the fall is definitely the next thing.
Seems like the movie is the next new Steven content we’ll get, followed by season 6.
I dunno if I even want to see a series six. I’ve every confidence that the crew can continue to make amazing stuff, and could well completely confound my fears, but this feels like a potential shark jumping moment… they’ve all come to the show from other well received series, and some of them have diversified into others (and just come back briefly to collab on CYM) after all, so it might be time to wow us with whatever new property comes next. Heck, if they got cannibalised by something like e.g. Infinity Train that could have astonishing results…
Hey, just thought I’d bring *SU Observations* back for a little go-round while there’s still content that’s not entirely advertising or celebrity gossip on this site. Like the gem part of Steven, when I ask Kinja what happened to AV Club it looks upon me with a blank expression and screams “SHE’S GOOOONE”Eric, I want to commend you for the fantastic job you’ve done. I really hope you write more reviews for the movie and final season. I’ve really enjoyed your work here and I would miss your perspective on the show’s final end, when it comes, immensely. I hope what you’ve written isn’t so much about reviewing SU as it is about reviewing SU for *this website*. Kinja is an irredeemable White Diamond, you’re so much better than this place.I always knew the cliffside statue was what the fusion of all the gems would look like!Connie’s new sword!Lapis kind of had Ranma pants, and Periodot looked pretty Gurren Lagann to me!Rainbow Quartz 2.0’s umbrella was pretty rad.I like Sunstone, she’s kinda 90s“Stop using your power on me!” “I’m not” <— Tears.God the creepy white diamond puppet faces omg.Was that Jasper’s redemption I saw?I love Peridot’s trash lid hover board. Oh, also Obsidian’s sword was just ... Awesome!I wonder if any of you remember when I used to do SU Observations.... It never had much of a following, but we had some good times, didn’t we?I’m glad we still get more show. It woulda been okay to end it here, but I always appreciate a little more closure. Six Feet Under style, yaknow?
Sunstone gives me Freakazoid/Poochie vibes, and that’s the best fucking praise I can give it. TO THE EXTREME!!
Definitely a heavy dose of Freakazoid in there 😀
I thought the Pink Steven was interesting, for a few reasons. First, he seemed like the exact thing White wanted without realizing what she was asking for: Pink Diamond, with all empathy/joy removed. Power uncoupled from conscience. He was also clearly an example of what Stephen would be if he didn’t care so strongly about following the ideal of talking things out and finding a peaceable solution. They did an excellent job of making it clear that he would be incredibly strong-but also terrifying.
Ooh, I remember! Always nice to see one of the old crowd in this bleak, post-Kinjapocalyptic landscape.
Fantastic to see you too! I hope more old faces wind up here for the movie and last season. Let’s face the end together! I’ve been getting less and less enjoyment out of AV Club. Though muscle memory keeps my fingers typing the URL, at some point I’m just gonna go hang out on Metafilter again. There’s so little left for me here.
Good to see you!(Kinja is worse than White Diamond and Lion Lickers put together)
Good to see you too! I weep to see what Kinja has done to our little community. I know there are places expats gather, but I was never really that close to anyone here. I did what I did and enjoyed the conversations (so much) but it never went much beyond the comments here. The writers (so many of whom are now gone) were a big part of it too. I think that probably it’ll never be like it was again. Mostly I’ve spent my time here since Kinja happened giving the commerce editors crap and complaining how bad the forum software is. Nobody really gives a crap though, so probably after awhile I’ll do what most of the old familiar faces have done and leave. I’ll come back for the last bits of SU though, and I hope to see some familiar faces one last time. I’m so glad you at least remember my efforts at adding more stray observations! It warms my heart. It makes me feel strong, in the real way, that something I did mattered a tiny bit.
I kinda thought this WAS the series finale. I mean… everything is done. The damaged gems are fixed, the Diamonds seem to be getting along, White Diamond is opening up, Steven has been accepted as a individual rather than just Pink and even Lars and Sadie are back together. Kinda felt like the show tied up all the loose ends it needed to… Is there more show after this or was this the finale?
You’re absolutely right, and I *think* it’s because they weren’t sure if they’d get to cap off the show or not, so this had to work as a series finale. The good news is there’s still a movie coming!
i’ve been really lucky to have a family that’s been very cool about me being myself, but i’ve never encountered a piece of fiction that handles what talking to your fucked up family and also, homophobia, as well as this does? and i was just so wonderfully overwhelmed by it.
and also: the fact that the arc for steven universe isn’t just “no such thing as a good war” but also, that at the end, everyone comes home from the war, just really tore me apart. i mostly held it together but the gems being healed— everyone coming home from the war— had me sobbing. the fact that the fantasy isn’t just “no one is really evil” but also “everyone comes back from the war” is this truly magical, sweet thing that this show gave me. god, i am just so thankful. this was such a gift.
I had a Beavis & Butthead moment with Obsidian. “That…is the the coolest thing I have ever seen.”
Which is paradoxical because it’s also so damn *hot*
Oh my heart.
This was so powerful and so perfect. I thought for certain, just for a moment, that White Diamond was going to be right and Pink Diamond would be subsumed by her. So chilling and horrifying when she took the gem out.
If this isn’t the series finale, Jesus Effing Christ, what else will the movie show? Or new seasons? I’m amazed and excited and stunned. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
that was a damn fine hour of tv. i don’t want to get into the the mawkish geeking out where i list all the things i loved, so i’ll just say this could have easily been the end of the series and i actually don’t see where it goes from here. the only antagonists not dealt with are…emerald? aquamarine? i guess some of the ruby squad? i’m sure the movie will add something but i do wonder if we’re in one of those situations where it would be best to just ignore everything that comes out after this point.i was a bit concerned by diamond!steven. his akira powers and whole general aspect seemed a bit dark for something that’s supposedly been part of steven the whole time. he smiled and danced at the end, so that’s cool i guess, but still.bit of a shame that bismuth couldn’t get a redesign with the rest of the skwad. also, i don’t want to act like i actually think steven universe referenced final fantasy xiii of all things, but obsidian’s whole deal was highly reminiscent of that game’s climax, not that anyone remembers that game
We still don’t even know how Diamonds were created, the origin of the Gem race, or how Steven was created (though that last one might never get answered).
Ah, by … sex? That’s why White didn’t know what to do with him.
Out of all the Diamonds, she’s the one with, one presumes, by far the least contact with Organics and anything outside of her own head and explicitly Homeworld business, so it kinda figures.
We also still don’t know what’s inside Lion’s treasure chest!
Oh my gosh of course, we gotta know!
Ah, a New Game Plus chest!
I suspect that the final season might end up being something like a season long epilogue, since showing what happens to the characters AFTER big events is also a big aspect of the show.
Yeah I kinda if the show goes on any further it’s gonna Supernatural itself.
I would be stunned if Rebecca Sugar didn’t have very strong opinions on which was the best Final Fantasy game
Considering Cloud’s appearance in “Sworn”, I’d say you’re right.
Oh come one … like xe’d pick anything later than 7. My money’s on 5, in fact (still relevant in the N64 era that, smartphones excepted, SU seems to be set in, thanks to the remakes of 4, 5 and 6 for PSX and GBA), for … reasons.
It’ll be the Sneeple as the new villians!
Bismuth didn’t get poofed (thank goodness) so no new outfit for her!
As someone else said, Pink Steven is essentially his pure gem side, without any of the softening imparted by his human side, and, by god, it sure shows you do NOT want to get in his way if he ever gets truly angry…
Also, bear in mind: Bismuth *already* got some kind of redesign – Steven had to poof her not long after freeing her from Lion’s mane (which itself would probably have been a new form vs whatever she had before), and she’s only really still around because the Diamonds turned up during Garnet’s wedding. I mean, she may even have chosen to re-poof and be bubbled again if the war wasn’t still being fought, and on terms she could deal with. As it is, she’s had as much design (or at least chance for it) as Lapis.
And, well, from a technical, out-of-band perspective, it’s a bit of a pain coming up with multiple radical costume departures for a secondary character who has probably less than an hour of total screentime during the entire run of the show.
Glad they spent five seasons getting the Space Nazis to cry their feelings out and be a family. Genocidal dictators is peoples too: that’s a totally rewarding and responsible story to tell.
James Baxter was credited? That amazing scene of the two Stevens hugging HAD to be his, then.
A little disappointed the article didn’t talk a bit more about the two-stevens sequence and how they were portrayed. Especially Gem-Steven. His expression doesn’t change the entire time he is separated from Human-Steven. Its like he has NO emotion at all. Thus his powers are boundlessly unchecked with no self-concience. In defending against White’s attack, his lack of emotional compassion has him hurt the people he would otherwise regulate himself against doing even unconsciously. We saw that worried aspect expressed in the human half of him instead. And the human half looks like he is half dead with a heart about to give out. There’s a lot of nuance and information in those brief moments. It made me think of the separation of Soul and Spirit and how both the human and gem aspects are so intrinsically bound that neither are a whole being without the other. Steven’s emotional soul still resides in his human half which cannot physically sustain itself without the power of the gem. His spirit has embedded itself within the gem, grown into it, sustained on its immortal power but without the soul element he is just a lifeless ghost of light, driven by instinct and nothing else. Food for thought.Also, let it be said- I did not know “Afterschool” was a type of ‘special’ a person could actually BE, before Sunstone appeared.
Ha, that last line :-DOne thing noticeable about his human half when they’re separated, that I didn’t even fully pick up on before rewinding (I’m a 90s kid, sue me) to double check… the colours are all washed out. Both desaturated, and lower contrast. Almost like he’s only half there, without being transparent, or maybe half taken over by White. Even the clothes…On which note, even Pink Steven is still wearing the same outfit. That might be a bit of necessary handwaving for the sake of not having to animate a naked kid, but could it be that he’s ended up wearing the same gear so much of the time that it’s literally become part of his self image? Or is it actually so ingrained into his Gem side that it’s become a bit like the other Gems’ outfits… not quite to the point where he can’t take it off, of course, but certainly to the extent that anything else he might choose to wear is slowly, inevitably, morphed into blue jorts, brown sandals without socks, and a red t-shirt with a yellow star, by the power of hard light? A bit like a cassette left in a car’s ashtray turning into Queen’s Greatest Hits…
Have they given any confirmation if this really is the end or not? I know Cartoon Network has a Steven Universe movie coming out sometime this year, but this just feels like too good of a finale. Especially with their insane airing schedule, I’d be happy with the show ending here.
There’s still another season of undetermined length, as well as a movie.
There’s a TV movie airing sometime this year, and a 6th season after that. No word on if season 6 is the final one, I guess it’ll depend on whether they introduce a new central conflict or do an epilogue season.
I loved the Crystal Gem re-designs – can’t decide whether I liked Pearl’s or Lapis’ more (though I particularly liked that Peridot is wearing a star now).White Diamond was truly frightening, and I sense that she still has a long way to go. I wonder if the rest of Gem society will be as willing to change as the Diamonds were.
The scream of “She’s GONE.” shook me.
I’m still shaking. That was a perfect episode.
• “I am a kid. What’s your excuse?” > flashback aaallll the way to the pilot: “I can’t help it, What’s your excuse?”
• The beetles! I didn’t realize they were gems! Never thought I’d see them agin.• Is rainbow Quartz the first gem ever with a male voice?• So the temple was the mega-fusion all along.• I liked how peridot was flying on a trash can lid like Static.• Peridot has Kamina glasses and Garnet has Simon glasses.• Sunstone’s suction cups were great. I love how many creative ways they’ve incorporated Steven’s shield.• Loved them bringing it all the way back to the pork chop quote after all this time.• Interesting how the corrupted gems didn’t seem to be completely back to the way they were. I’m wondering if the process just takes time or if they’ll always look like that now.• James Baxter! I knew that animation of Steven hugging himself looked familiar. That was definitely him.
The beetles feel a bit like a retcon of an otherwise dead-end idea from the early and rather wacky episodes, but it’s a *nice* retcon (not all of them are bad), and it kinda helps bridge the gap between the smaller “regular” gems we’ve seen (Ruby, Sapphire, Aquamarine) and the pebbles, showing there’s a continuous size range.Rainbow 2.0 is the *second* Gem with a male voice. I mean… y’know… title character ‘n all. Unless you know something about Zac the rest of us don’t ;-)I think I saw a crew comment to the effect that the leftover traces of corruption in the Gems is meant to be their equivalent of scars. A bit like how they come back with new forms after being injured enough to poof. It makes sense, really – they suffered quite serious and long-lasting injuries, equivalent to a major cancer or virulent infection, psychosis or deep mental illness, or physical abuse sufficient to put you in the ICU. Whilst they have been cured by semi-miraculous means, that kind of thing leaves permanent reminders in the body or psyche of a human patient (wound, surgery or pox-mark scars, bad memories and remnant trauma or behaviour even for those otherwise well into “recovery”*, etc), so why wouldn’t there be something left behind in a Gem’s form?
(* just for further flavour to this, research generally suggests that e.g. long-term depression literally alters the structure of the brain; even if you get better, it permanently changes the way you think and express yourself… and a Gem’s form is somewhat tied to their self-expression, as it’s something produced not by mere physical processes but the core of their spiritual being, ie their gemstone, which is essentially a photonic AI. And, other than Jasper, the corrupted Gems have been suffering the psychic torture wreaked upon them by the diamond beam for *five and a half thousand years*, or, as the bible would have you believe, since basically the point at which humanity departed Eden… and certainly since the time of some of our earliest identifiable civilisations)
Ian JQ has since said in a podcast about the episode that the gems will eventually heal, but the longer they were corrupted the longer they will retain aspects of their monster forms. It’s here at about 45 minutes if you’re intersted: http://podbay.fm/show/1261418557/e/1548313200
Gotta say, watching the pieces fall into place was immensely satisfying. I find it’s easy to forget just how complex and elaborate this shows narrative really is.
This felt like a series finale, though I know it isn’t. But its getting close. Like when Adventure Time turned their own theme song into an extended one at the end.
Wow, this episode was just everything. Just perfect. Major props to the Crewniverse on the animation, the art, the voice acting, and more.And I’ll echo other comments and say how surprised I am this isn’t the finale. I guess the next eps will feature a nice cooldown back on Beach City, and I’m just dandy about that.
There was only one thing I didn’t like – I feel like Lars and the Off Colors should’ve shown up to help out along with Bismuth. Maybe getting them into the fight would’ve required another 10 minutes, but it would’ve been worth it. Having them just happen to show up on earth at the same time as Steven felt awkward to me.
I’m a huge fan of Steven Universe, and this episode was (mostly) a massive let-down. First of all, the show has felt rushed since Blue and Yellow landed on Earth, and it seemed even moreso here. For instance, I was very disappointed that Connie played a background role and Lars played no role in how things shaped up. I thought they were both set-up to be a lot more important than how things played out.Resolution with those two diamonds has been way too easy, IMO. There were even a couple of moments that felt very kids-showy, to the extent that I actually felt embarrassed to be watching SU for the first time ever. Steven’s fusions with Pearl and Garnet were pretty cool, even though they felt a bit perfunctory and fan-servicey. What I did like were parts of the confrontation with White. She was sufficiently creepy and dangerous. Steven’s “out-of-body” experience was chilling. Given how White was blasting gems for speaking out of turn, it was surprising that she didn’t just kill Connie – I kept cringing every time she opened her mouth. If anything, even the resolution with White was too pat, but I’ll take it.
Eric, let me start off by saying your reviews for this wonderful show gave me reason to visit AV Club. Like you I’m a twenty something that in a way grew up with the show, seeing this oblivious but cheerful boy become a determined through so much crap yet still cheerful young guy that sees good and right with everyone (if only it was that easy huh).Besides me rambling, this was just a special hour of TV, I can’t tell u how many times I yelled at my TV and jumped in amazement. I don’t think I’ve ever done that before with TV besides the AT finale (just gonna throw out how amazing that Voltron finale was, really deserved more attention.) This really was a series finale in a way, but more like from one era of the show to the next grand one.I will truly miss your awesome reviews, and the great people who spent time talking and discussing this wacky show about gay space rocks (2014 joke sorry!) When this shows comes back (and goddamn I’m hyped af for the movie!!), I’ll be waiting, hoping that you people can share this jam with me in spirit. Godspeed out there folks.
I don’t care what year it is, they’ll pull that fan name for the series from my cold dead hands.
I think Connie’s parents the Maheswarans know that, on some level, they’re not just sending Connie into space, but Stevonnie as well. Her mom won’t forget the warrior princess who saved her in the hospital that time.
…and, if it didn’t have to sail (just) within the boundaries of PG, if not indeed G, they (and most particularly Priyanka) would have SO many questions to ask re: the fusion experience…
But, yeah, that probably makes the apparent threat level (at least for someone who hasn’t seen Homeworld for themselves, or more than maybe eight different, mostly-friendly actual Gems ever) seem quite a lot less, if your periadolescent kid can combine with another one to form not only a fully formed young adult, but a pretty competent asskicker.
Steven Universe=(Pleasantville+DBZ) x gay
I have one complaint: Lars and the Off Coloreds should’ve shown up early enough to participate in the fight. That little tag on ending wasn’t enough for him so his arc feels incomplete. Otherwise, great episode.
It’s not noted in the review, but wasn’t Steven’s “I am a kid, what’s your excuse?” a direct callback to Steven’s ‘comeback’ right back in the very first episode? Such a lovely touch, made that moment both hilarious and emotional 🙂
THANK YOU for writing so much, Eric.(I was completely expecting a “why are you hitting yourself?” joke, too)
This would have been a near-flawless series finale, but
since it’s NOT the end, I was thinking what some potential conflicts
there could be for future seasons (based just on what’s already
established in the canon.)
* So now there’s thousands of new Gems on Earth, many of which last recall fighting to conquer Earth.
What are they going to do when they find out that the war they risked
their lives for is over, and not only did they lose, but the Diamonds
are Earth-loving peaceniks now? It’s kind of a Sargent Yokoi situation. Will these holdouts try to start another war?
*
Since healing the corrupted Gems requires bubbling them and throwing
them into a healing pool, there are presumably still many corrupted Gems
out there on Earth, which Steven and co. will need to track down and
heal (although the number of monster-of-the-week episodes has dropped
tremendously since season 1, so maybe already they got them all?)
*
Is the Gem Empire done colonizing planets now, or is it just going to
leave Earth alone? If it’s the latter, will Steven need to convince the
Diamonds to change their ways even further?* And if
they DO stop colonizing planets, what the hell are the rank-and-file
Gems going to do with themselves? Most of them were created for express
purposes related to colonization. They’ll need at least two heartwarming
songs about finding your own purpose in life.
* Sunstone and Rainbow Quartz 2.0 each need an episode.* Lars and Sadie are both incredible badasses now. But it’s undeniable that they each became their best selves by spending time away from each other. Will they be able to rebuild their friendship/awkward teen relationship or have they drifted too far apart?* Will we finally get to meet Biggs and Crazy Lace?* What the hell is inside lion’s treasure chest?* How in God’s name am I supposed to process the following information:
Cue at least one filler episode about Steven getting his gem polished…
For some reason, White’s head and torso ship has the same face as Vera from Superman 3 and it’s freaking me out.
The two shows I can think of that continued on after their original long term planned series story line/arc concluded (Babylon5 and Buffy) had so-so seasons (post-epilogue seasons if you will). I just worry with the original vision concluded, the next storyline might not be great. I still put money on Ronaldo’s Sneeple coming true though lol
That would be a real heavyweight brick joke, given that he gave up on the idea and instead came up with the Great Diamond Authority all by himself… can I get in on that bet?
Pearl (our Pearl) needs way more backstory – she was Pink’s, but it looks like sh was White’s first! And what the hell happened to Pink-then-White Pearl’s eye? It doesn’t regenerate when she is released from White’s control. Am I being nitpicky af? Yes – but it’s also because I watched the ENTIRETY of Steven Universe in the past, uh, 3 weeks? From the beginning until this episode, straight through.
How sad is it that there’s only 72 comments here? This community died.
This may have already been mentioned, but I feel it’s worth noting.
In the episode ‘straight to video’ where Steven discovered Rose’s tape to him, there is a phrase that Rose uses;
“Every moment you love being yourself, that’s me loving you and loving being you”
I feel that this is a big part of Steven’s reaction to his sort of self-fusion thing. He isn’t just happy that he is himself, but happy that his mother genuinely loved ‘him’ the individual, not just another part of herself.
I’m just glad someone else was thinking there was something very (and almost certainly deliberately) EVA-like in the climactic scenes, rather than it just being an overly cliché observation of my long-buried otaku side. Total headtrip, of a kind that 20 years ago I would never have expected to see airing on Cartoon Network, least of all in a self-produced series… (remember the Cartoon Cartoons et al?).And much like a lot of other commenters, the gem pluck was very much a moment of yelling “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT” (truthfully, something much more profane) at the screen…If only they’d had 90 minutes to spend on the finale. It just seemed kinda cramped at times, and there’s a few juicy threads left hanging which may never get followed up, because I can’t really see where they’d take the story from here (the movie is at least rumoured to be set *earlier* than Change Your Mind, so I’m wondering if it actually follows what Lars has been up to in the meantime). But isn’t that the way you’re supposed to finish – “Leave ‘em burning, and you’re gone”, dropping the mic with everyone hungry for more, rather than simply bored and tired of your shit?
Is there a future for the show? This felt like a series finale… Everything is basically wrapped up. We got fan service in the new fusions we’d always wanted. Honestly… I think this might have been the final episode of the series and, in my opinion, it went out on a definite high note.