In the nineteenth episode of the first season of Steven Universe, Steven discovers a new room in his home right when he needs it. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.Â
I keep having these moments of realization while watching Steven Universe, and I want to talk about that. In the last episode, I hadn’t really thought about how the Gems cause damage to Beach City. Here, I had to accept that Steven is, most likely, alone a lot of the time. I didn’t really have a sense for how frequently the Crystal Gems leave on missions, but I think it’s far more common than I previously realized. If that’s the case, then how often is Steven left alone in the house while the Gems go save humanity?
He’s a fairly independent (if impulsive) kid, so I feel like he knows what he’s doing by himself. Yeah, maybe eating four cans of creamed corn is a bad idea. (I detest creamed corn, but this is not the time for that conversation.) But he’s a kid, and kids do silly things. That being said, he ate all that creamed corn specifically so that he and the Gems could get a discount on miniature golf! HE JUST WANTS TO HANG OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS.
But his friends are important people with an important job, and it’s clear that Steven has developed a routine of sorts for when they’re gone. And that is why I think Steven got frustrated. Yes, the Gems were gone, and there was nothing he could do about it. So he did what he always does when they’re not around: he entertained himself. When the Gems returned, it’s not that Steven wasn’t interested in hanging out with them or hearing their stories. He had just managed to do something on his own because the Gems weren’t there, and once again, they’re asking him to change his plans because of them. It’s irritating to him! When he wanted to hang out, they couldn’t, and now that he’s found something to occupy his time, they’re suddenly demanding his attention.
Of course, it’s more complicated than that, and the Gems probably felt a little guilty that they couldn’t hang out earlier, hence why they were so excited when they returned. Steven lashed out in frustration, which is why he ignored their warnings as he stormed into Rose’s room. (Yet again: Steven experiences an emotional high, and his gem activates. I TRULY FEEL LIKE I’M ON TO SOMETHING.) He probably should have listened to their warnings, but hey, he learned the hard way that Rose’s Room is… intense.
Really, that’s an understatement. Rose’s room, for some reason, can conjure up anything that a person thinks of. Why that’s the case, I don’t know. (I WANT TO KNWO SO MANY THINGS ABOUT ROSE QUARTZ) Maybe that’s how she felt more comfortable, and perhaps whatever part of her still left in her gem opened that room because Steven needed to be alone. Regardless, I most certainly did NOT expect this episode to turn into a surrealist nightmare. As it turns out, Steven’s desire to have an “actual” donut triggers Rose’s room to re-create all of Beach City for him, and it breaks. IT IS A NIGHTMARE, I TELL YOU. Again, way creepier than “Cat Fingers,” y’all. There’s no doubt about that! Oh god, there’s the way Lars and Sadie exit the room in Big Donut. Onion… is exactly the same, actually. Nevermind. BAD EXAMPLE.
But Frybo is haunting, as is Connie, as are the weird faces on all of Beach City’s resident’s. AND THEN STEVEN’S MEETING WITH HIS DAD. Oh god, it was so normal for a moment, and then it was like talking to a computer glitch. Seriously, this show really does know how to ramp up the creepiness factor in a matter of seconds. WHY MUST YOU HURT ME LIKE THIS.
At the end of all of this, though, Steven learns an important lesson: he cannot always get what he wants. Part of life is having to deal with situations that aren’t fun at all. What happens when you get everything you want? THE WORLD GLITCHES AND EVERYTHING IS WRONG AND OUR FACES GET WEIRD AND HELP ME.
The video for “Rose’s Room” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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