{"id":6002,"date":"2016-11-28T08:00:11","date_gmt":"2016-11-28T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=6002"},"modified":"2016-11-22T10:22:29","modified_gmt":"2016-11-22T18:22:29","slug":"mark-watches-steven-universe-s01e43-maximum-capacity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2016\/11\/mark-watches-steven-universe-s01e43-maximum-capacity\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Steven Universe’: S01E43 – Maximum Capacity"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the forty-third episode of the first season of\u00c2\u00a0Steven Universe<\/i>, Steven helps his father clean out an old storage unit. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Steven Universe<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For discussion of loss\/grief<\/b>.<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not an easy thing to let go of emotional baggage. I say that as someone who has the full set, plus the carry-on luggage and all the cute matching accessories. It becomes an even harder thing to move on when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re constantly reminded of the thing that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve lost. In that sense, I see \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maximum Capacity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d as a sequel of sorts to the last Amethyst-centric episode, where we learned more about who she is and where she came from. If we accept that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got a lot of trauma surrounding her origin and her identity, then it makes sense to me that she latched on to Rose because of how Rose viewed the world. Rose loved all living things, and even though we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never seen it, she was instrumental in Amethyst coming to see herself as more than just what she was created for. (At least that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the sense I got from the show. I COULD BE WRONG ABOUT ALL THINGS.)<\/p>\n

Now, this is a pretty heavy topic for a show that made an episode about binge-watching shows from long ago. But that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the whole point here! While\u00c2\u00a0Lil\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Butler<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0is a spot-on parody of the ridiculous sitcoms we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had in America, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a vehicle for Steven to discover the complicated relationship between Greg and Amethyst. Why is it complicated? Because Amethyst believes that Greg took Rose from her. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a sad and heartbreaking turn in the midst of an episode that I thought was going to be about Steven being disappointed that his dad didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t watch fireworks with him. IT WAS NOT ABOUT THAT AT ALL. And in true Steven fashion, once he realizes what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going on, he more or less abandons his own concerns to help his friend and his father.<\/p>\n

Which I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get to in a second. I wanted to talk about that ridiculously uncomfortable confrontation scene. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s super revealing on a number of levels! We find out Greg doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like it when the gems shapeshift, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m guessing it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s because that was\u00c2\u00a0not<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0the first time that Amethyst had teased Greg by appearing as Rose Quartz. How long had she been resenting him? My guess is THE ENTIRE TIME. She was only able to be in denial about it while watching\u00c2\u00a0Lil\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Butler<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0because it reminded her of the time she spent with Greg before he fell in love with Rose. Of note is the fact that this is not the first time we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen Amethyst lash out when she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s uncomfortable, either. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a big fan of being emotional in front of anyone else, and GOOD LORD. Once Greg insists that they stop their marathon, she FLIPS OUT. It was so hard to watch because, frankly, her behavior felt so\u00c2\u00a0cruel<\/i>. She knew it would upset Greg to see her in Rose\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s form, and\u00c2\u00a0that<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0was a sign of just how resentful she was.<\/p>\n

And bless Steven, for the record. His angry outburst is just so beautifully mature, and I love that this show continually gives us scenes where a kid is able to teach\u00c2\u00a0adults<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0lessons as much as the reverse. He understands difficult feelings! And sad histories! He may not always know how to deal with them, but he was able to recognize here that how Amethyst and his father dealt with them were not healthy.<\/p>\n

Jesus, this episode was HEAVY, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Maximum Capacity\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded\u00c2\u00a0here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– I am now on Patreon<\/a>! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.<\/b>
\n– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates \/ Appearances page.<\/a>
\n– My Master Schedule<\/a> is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often.\u00c2\u00a0My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.<\/a>
\n<\/b>-\u00c2\u00a0 Mark Does Stuff is on Facebook!<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0I’ve got a community page up that I’m running. Guaranteed shenanigans!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"