In the first episode of the second season of Steven Universe, Steven struggles with the responsibility of the truth. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.
The trope skewered by “Full Disclosure” is one so pervasive in fiction that most of us probably don’t notice every time it’s employed. It’s common throughout genre works, too. How many urban fantasies or sci-fi pieces have we encountered where someone decides to keep a new revelation secret from someone they care about, all in the name of protecting them from the truth? Even Steven Universe addressed it in a straight-forward manner prior to this episode. You can see it in “Political Power,” for example.
Yet the writers twist their usage of it in a fascinating way. Initially, Steven unloads on his father upon his return to Beach City and, understandably, Greg FREAKS THE FUCK OUT. Y’all, his son was harmed by space aliens who tried to kidnap him and imprison him forever. So yeah, it’s only fair that Greg has a moment to try and cope with the knowledge of what transpired in “Jail Break.”
Here’s the thing, though: Steven doesn’t want to hurt people. Ever. And he sees how his father reacts to the truth, and it makes him rethink his general policy of honesty! What if being honest is cruel? I can’t believe that as all this went down, I did not consider Ronaldo, y’all. Like, a ship from space (shaped like a hand, no less!) just crash-landed in Beach City. IT IS HIS EVERY DREAM. IT IS HIS VINDICATION. And it’s also Steven’s problem: Is everyone ready for the truth? Or will Connie freak out like Greg did?
I didn’t actually see Ronaldo’s conversation with Steven as helpful, though, and that’s because Ronaldo thinks of himself as the exception. He’s the only one, aside from Steven, who can truly appreciate what the world is really like. Of course, it’s ironic that he’s not even remotely correct about his interpretation of the world, but that’s not important to Steven. Instead, he finds value in what Ronaldo tells him: if he keeps the truth from Connie, he won’t hurt her. He can bear the burden of it all alone.
And as soon as Steven started acting like the weathered, grim holder of Truth, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s in this that the writers criticize this trope for being ridiculous. Yes, the truth is awkward, uncomfortable, and scary. But hoarding it as if it makes you a better person? As if it’s part of some greater destiny?
Well, that hurts Connie. In fact, Steven’s behavior here hurts her more than the truth ever could. He comes off as condescending, and then he moves on to cold cruelty. How could he tell her that he didn’t want to be friends with her after all they’d been through? How could he assume that after everything she’d already seen and experienced, she suddenly couldn’t handle a story? Fear. He was so afraid that she would fall into endless anxiety over Peridot. And it’s not like that’s an unreasonable thing to be afraid of, you know??? While it was painful to see Steven get so close to rejecting Connie, I still understood why he thought it was better.
Thankfully, Steven gives up the whole thing and tells Connie what happened. (Shout out to my favorite single moment: Steven dramatically approaching Connie, his head down, the mood sober… only to have Steven rapidly raise his head and reveal that he’s crying. I LOVE IT SO MUCH.) Why is it great? Because he has a friend who he can depend on and who knows exactly what happened. Sure, she’s gonna worry, but isn’t that better than not having her at all?
The video for “Full Disclosure” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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