In the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of Steven Universe, Steven worries he won’t live up to his mother’s legacy. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.
Oh my god, my FEELINGS, y’all. After the revelations in “Monster Buddies” regarding Rose, this was a lot to handle. A LOT. But this episode got me thinking of the challenge of living in the shadow of someone’s legacy. Everything we have heard about Rose Quartz has been positive. Universally so! Everyone has something wonderful to say about her, and her powers are a thing of legend. She didn’t just try to heal gem monsters; her tears could also heal broken gems themselves. So when Amethyst damages her gem (and begins to progressively turn into a nicer version of the creature in The Thing), it seems like Steven’s the answer. He has his mother’s gem, so wouldn’t it make sense that his tears could heal a gem, too?
All of this is framed through a story that Steven tells to Connie to explain why he’s so sad when they have a picnic. Now, this framing is important to the story because it gives us Connie’s attraction to Steven, as well as one of my favorite scenes in the show so far. Steven’s sadness is rooted in something we’ve seen multiple times in the show. What if he’s not good enough? What if he never develops the powers that Rose Quartz had? He’s young and still growing, but the conflict in “An Indirect Kiss” shows us that there’s an immediacy at work here. There have been many situations where Steven could have greatly helped those around him if he’d had his powers.
I admit that this episode pleases me because the main power that’s focused on is crying. As someone who grew up being bullied by pretty much everyone for constantly crying, I feel very validated by this show and Steven’s crying. HE CRIED ABOUT SNAKES BECAUSE THEY DID NOT HAVE ARMS. Do you realize how deeply I understand this show and this character? He’s never demonized for being emotional, and his one goal this episode is to cry. THAT’S THE ENDGAME HERE. Normally, Steven cries every five seconds, but the pressure he’s under… I did not envy him, y’all. Pain didn’t make it work, nor did seeing his mother’s massive fountain.
Which I’d like to talk about, since it made me realize that all of the Crystal Gems had a relationship with Rose, one that Steven never got to experience. I hadn’t thought of it in that specific context. Look at how everyone speaks of Rose in this episode. It varies based on each character, but Steven has difficulty feeling anything towards his mother. He’s had no experiences with her! On some level, I get that. I was adopted, and I remember how nervous I was to meet my birth mother, specifically because I wasn’t sure how I’d feel. And unlike some adopted folks who experience a connection with their birth parents, I felt nothing at all. No connection, no affinity, no affection. She was just another person who other people knew. I had no attachment at all. So what’s Steven to feel about someone that others speak of with such high regard?
Unfortunately, he often feels like he’s a disappointment because his mother did so many incredible things. That’s why he’s so sad about the end result of this journey. His tears probably did not have any affect on that fountain, and it crushes him. How can he ever live up to his mother or his friends? Will he always be the sidekick who needs to be saved by the Gems?
Perhaps not. His magical spit is a huge revelation (and ridiculously silly, so bless this show), as is Connie’s interest in Steven. BOTH THINGS SHOCKED ME. Like, of course Steven has magical spit. It’s so appropriate! Plus, I suppose it’s not actually that surprising that Connie likes Steven enough to kiss him. It’s just that I didn’t expect it in this story, you know?
Ah, so many developments in such little time. I can’t wait to watch more of this show!
The video for “An Indirect Kiss” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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