#plot twist: Onion killed Pink Diamond

[sawkinator]

calicocantaloupe replied to your post: The Trial

(½) im starting to think rose was just a scape goat for the real shatterer. it would make sense since she seemed so dead set against shattering enemy gems (to the point of bubbling bismuth). pretty certain blue diamond wouldn’t be in on it though. she keeps pushing to find out what happened and seems genuinely lost. if i had to put my money on someone it’d be yellow diamond. she was very eager to just skip over the confessions and get right to sentencing (2/2) even looked surprised when steven said he was guilty. those could have just been a character things but still. if she did do it, it was probably a hard decision to make, given her reaction at the end of “what’s the use in feeling blue”. but im just rambling and this is all probs overlooking some big detail im forgetting haha    

Yeah I think that’s definitely a possibility (one of my friends proposed Pearl being the one who actually did it and that sounds almost crazy enough to be true)

Maybe White Diamond is somehow involved? We still haven’t seen her at all, and you’d think she would help with punishing the killer of her fellow Diamond but she isn’t, for whatever reason.

They do have a sensible motivation for maybe getting rid of Pink, but so did Rose and the other rebels -  there really isn’t a lot to go off of yet >:U

[weedle-testaburger]

Steven Universe for Depth Fandom Questions!

Top 5 favourite characters: Stevonnie, Lapis, Steven, Connie and Amethyst

Other characters you like: Peridot, Pearl, Flourite, Sadie, the Cool Kids, Bismuth, Rhodonite and Greg

Least favourite characters: Ronaldo, Jasper, Holly Blue Agate and Aquamarine

Otps: Connverse, Lapidot, Rupphire and the Cool Kids as a poly ship (including Sadie)

Notps: Jaspis and any other Steven ship besides Connverse

Favourite friendships: Steven and Connie’s, Steven and Lapis’s, Amethyst and Pearl’s and Lars’ friendship with the Off-Colors

Favourite family: Steven, the Gems and Greg

Favourite episodes: I guess I’ll pick one from each season for brevity? :P Alone Together, Sworn To The Sword, Alone At Sea, Mindful Education and Reunited.

Favourite season/book/movie: Hmm... I think season 3, although it’s close between seasons 3, 4 and 5

Favourite quotes: Peridot describing her meep morp: ‘It represents the struggles of inner communication. The tape is the ribbon that binds our experience on Earth together. It has no functional purpose! It just makes me feel bad!” (the way she says that last bit so delightedly kills me), and Steven throwing marshmallows at Peridot and declaring “This is life for you now! Endless suffering!”

Best musical moment: Here Comes A Thought, I do love Mr Greg but that song hits me even harder than all the songs from that episode tbh

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: Steven and Connie making up in Kevin Party (I know that episode had its flaws but I was so happy to see them make up honestly)

When it really disappointed you: Lapis fleeing the moment Steven mentioned the Diamonds in Can’t Go Back, I felt like it sucked that they almost seemed to be abandoning her for the foreseeable future and I was so glad to see her back for Reunited

Saddest moment: Lapis taking the barn and leaving Peridot in Raising The Barn

Most well done character death: Jasper’s corruption (I think it’s the only ‘death’ that counts anyway lol)

Favourite guest star: I don’t think Uzo Aduba counts since Bismuth is back in the regular cast so I guess I’ll go with Nicki Minaj Favourite cast member: I kinda have to say Grace Rolek cause I met her and got an autograph at Birmingham Comic-Con, she was lovely :3

Character you wish was still alive: Can I say Lapis and Peridot since they’re poofed now? If not I guess Centipeetle

One thing you hope really happens: I would love so much to see another full-on Crystal Temps episode, maybe with a special intro or something

Most shocking twist: The Pink Diamond one, I’m still barely over it tbh

When did you start watching/reading?: Early Summer 2016

Best animal/creature: I would die for Cat Steven

Favourite location: the Jungle Moon I think

Trope you wish they would stop using: I feel like it’d be nice if the show didn’t make everyone redeemable, I don’t mind the lead on from Reunited because I do think the Diamonds turning against Homeworld could be really interesting, but I feel like much as kids need to learn respect and tolerance they also need to learn some people won’t respect you no matter how nice you are to them

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: Showing the importance of consent, communication and mutual trust in friendships and relationships

Funniest moments: The meep morp quote I mentioned before

Couple you would like to see: If Lapidot becomes canon I would go nuts

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Hmm... maybe some well-known voice actresses like Tara Strong or Kristen Schaal voicing fusions would be cool

Favourite outfit: Lapis’s or all of Connie’s and Stevonnie’s (I can’t choose between them aidsfdsh)

Favourite item: Ik it’s cliche but Cookie Cats, if they were a real food I’d eat them all the time honestly

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: A few of the books, a postcard book, all the Pops except the Pink Diamond and Stevonnie ones (I WANT THE LATTER SO MUCH), all the blind box figures except one of the Garnets, Onion and Peridot, the Steven, Connie, Amethyst and Peridot blind bag figures and the Australian DVD box sets (because I love having DVDs of the shows I like and my PC works with all regions)

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I feel like I’d want to hang out with Sadie tbh, she’s kinda dorky and cute and the sort of person I like being friends with irl. Gem stuff is cool but I’m too much of a wuss for it :P

Most boring plotline: Gem Drill wasn’t great imo, the buildup was fun more for seeing Peridot’s big redemption than the actual Cluster and the climax was kinda sneezed at us

Most laughably bad moment: Idk if it’s very laughable but most of the Ronaldo stuff (I actually remember liking Rising Tides, Crashing Skies though)

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: Hmm... either We Need To Talk or The Answer, I think

Most layered character: Torn between Amethyst, Pearl, Steven and Lapis, but I’m inclined to say Lapis cause she’s had the biggest arc proportional to her screentime

Most one dimensional character: Ronaldo, I don’t think there’s any argument here

Scariest moment: Lapis and Jasper fusing at the end of Jail Break was haunting as hell

Grossest moment: The Human Zoo’s machine stripping Steven in Gem Heist :/Best looking male: I think Lars tbh, although young Greg is cute as hell too

Best looking female: Amethyst is the one I find most attractive, but Lapis is very pretty

Who you’re crushing on (if any): Amethyst tbh

Favourite cast moment: Those vines Zach, Deedee, Jennifer and Michaela did with Thomas Sanders were amazing XD

Favourite transportation: Lion

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): the Jungle Moon was gorgeous, although the bit where the Gems all line up to take on Blue Diamond in Reunited was amazing too

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: Much as I love Mindful Education to bits, I do find Connie’s ‘fighting instincts kicking in at school’ kinda weird, and think it would’ve been better if she’d just had a fight with her parents since that’s kinda more relatable.

Best promo: Probably the Lars of the Stars preview from SDCC last year, that got me super hyped for that episode half a year before it aired!

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: I think the moment I went from liking this show to realizing I absolutely love this show was probably Alone Together. That episode is just so nuanced, has so many great moments and lines, and has some of the smartest symbolism SU has ever done, that it really endeared me to it.

Thanks for asking Bia! Sorry I took a while with all the questions :3

[neoduskcomics]

Steven Universe Review: Seasons 4 and 5 (PART 2)

STEVEN UNIVERSE SPOILERS

READ PART ONE HERE.

Lion 4: Alternate Ending

Honestly, I don’t have a lot to say about this one? I guess the episode is supposed to be about Steven struggling with this idea that he has some kind of magical destiny—that Rose made him with a specific purpose in mind—and then it turns out that he’s just supposed to be a normal kid. On the one hand, I kind of get it because the show has sort of felt like it’s treated Steven like this all-important anomaly. But on the other hand, I don’t feel like Steven ever has really been given reason to think that he’s got some sort of grander purpose beyond maybe being a Crystal Gem.

Maybe he just assumes that he does because of how he’s seen that Rose Quartz is such a big deal, but I dunno, I wasn’t super feeling the emotional conflict in this one. I can get that he’s desperate to find answers to mysteries, but I’m not sure this is one where I felt like there was a real sense of urgency. Even if he did have some kind of destiny, it didn’t seem like it was something he needed to know, like, right away or else everything is meaningless. I’m sure there are different ways to look at it, but I just didn’t really connect with this one.

I’m not shitting on the episode, though. I think it works fine. Steven’s desperation is still believable and I did share in his desire to get some answers. Plus it was also sort of an unspoken mystery the whole series, like “Did Rose have a higher purpose for Steven?” and this episode kinda puts that question to rest.

I said I didn’t have a lot to say and then I talked endlessly about it.

Doug Out

This episode is about the closest thing to filler that you can get in this show. We learn a little about Connie’s dad and the relationship she has with him. It’s not very dramatic and it’s not very funny. There’s a tease at the end about a foreboding threat. I don’t have anything else to say other than wow it sure is irresponsible to just leave Onion alone in a closed, deserted amusement park at night when you were specifically there to get rid of trespassers.

The Good Lars

I like this one. You know Lars has always been a problematic character. He was flawed, but it was like, he was so flawed he was almost unlikable (or just plain unlikable for a lot of the fans). We got character progression, but it was incredibly incremental, and took place over the course of four seasons. In this episode, we finally get Lars earnestly making an effort to change and be a better person and stand up for himself. We also learn that he’s actually good at baking, and that he’s actually somewhat passionate about it. It’s refreshing, redeeming, and endearing. Sure, he chickens out in the end, but this time it feels not like a step backward, but a struggle forward. Lars fails at the end of the episode, but it’s also the first time he’s ever failed because it feels like the first time he’s really ever tried in the first place. It was also nice to sort of see the more relaxed and non-stereotypical-teenager side of the cool kid crew. This episode was the real jumpstart of Lars’ ongoing character arc, and it was a really good place to start considering the crap he does in the next couple episodes.

Are You My Dad? / I Am My Mom

I’m reviewing these two episodes together because they really are just one story split into two halves. Plus, while it’s an eventful part of the story and everything and there is sort of this weird mystery they’re trying to unravel, there’s actually not a whole lot of substance to these episodes in terms of character development or progression. But they’re not bad episodes. Topaz and Aquamarine are pretty intimidating gems. I really like their designs, and I like how posh and condescending Aquamarine is. The mystery is also pretty enticing, though, if I’m being honest, the payoff of “My Dad” being a name from “the list” was a teensy bit on the weak side. I mean it’s neat and everything, but I wasn’t like “GASP. OH MY GOD. IT’S THAT THROWAWAY LINE OF DIALOGUE FROM THAT ONE EPISODE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A MEANINGFUL PLOT POINT.” Maybe that’s because it feels like something that didn’t have to be planned—like someone could’ve just looked at that episode and been like “oh hey we can retroactively make this a plot twist thing.”

Feel free to disagree with me. I think it’s fun and all, just not, like, the mind-blowing revelation Steven made it out to be. Also the fact that he feels like he has to take responsibility for the situation because he said some dumb shit a year ago feels a tiny bit forced. Maybe if they were there specifically looking for Rose or something, and then Steven feeling like he has to specifically own up to Rose Quartz’s crimes, I’d buy it a little better. But it’s sort of just a means to getting Steven to admit to Homeworld that he’s Rose and to set up the next set of events that unfolds. Still, it’s a pretty intense moment when he reveals his identity and they fly off with him and you don’t know what’s gonna happen. It’s a pretty cliffhanger-y cliffhanger, possibly the biggest one that the series has had yet.

Stuck Together

Not a whole lot happens in this one, but I enjoyed it all the same. We get some more character development and progression for Lars, which is nice. He finally really opens up to Steven and Steven in turn opens up to him. It’s a touchy-feely moment where they bond over and in spite of their dire situation that falls just short of going overboard. What really sells this episode is when you find out that Topaz has been listening the entire time and is actually a delicate, soft-voiced softy, which was amazing. When she turns on Aquamarine at the end, it’s actually kind of tense. You almost believe she’s actually gonna do it. But then Aquamarine gets her to come to her senses and the pair of humans is taken off in separate directions. I’m actually kinda sad Topaz didn’t come back, and I hope we see more of her in the future. Overall, though, good, heartfelt episode for right before shit officially hits the fan.

The Trial

Our first episode that fully takes place on Homeworld and boy is it a doozy. First of all, we find out that Homeworld has a judicial system resembling ours and they have Gems who function as lawyers? Gem culture did not strike me as one that held trials allowing Gems to persuade the presiding officials with legal rhetoric. But okay, whatever, I can buy it, and it makes for a more interesting episode anyway than Steven just breaking out of prison (actually, why was he so ready to accept punishment at first and then suddenly he got cold feet?).

The courtroom stuff was pretty neat and incredibly tense. I love how Yellow and Blue Diamond enter the room, and how Steven’s lawyer is just like “I literally have to defend the Gem who shattered Pink Diamond. What the actual fuck”. And then by some twist of plot, she actually comes up with a plausible case for the defendant. Seeing her put it together that “Hey, could Rose have actually shattered Pink Diamond?” was pretty intense. It actually felt like one of those scenes in a detective show where the guy is putting together how the crime was committed—fitting, considering Rebecca Sugar claimed that she wants season 5 to be like a murder mystery.

So this episode was fun and intense and had interesting stuff happen and you learned things and it’s all around a good episode. Seven out of ten. Would watch again.

Off Colors

Hey, look at that, Homeworld has its own batch of misfit, deformed, defective, or otherwise inappropriate Gem lifeforms. And we always thought they were specific to Earth. While I do like the off-color crew, I do feel as though I did not like them quite as much as the show wanted me to? I mean they’re nice, I’d be sad probably if they got captured, but I don’t feel any particularly strong attachment to them. Of course, they’ve only been in two episodes thus far, so hopefully that changes over the course of the season.

That being said, Lars was definitely the star of this episode. He finally gets a pair and starts being the hero that Homeworld deserves. Or the one it needs. Whatever. Lars was cool in this episode, and it is pretty amazing how much they were able to turn around his character in the span of a few chapters. And not just turn it around, but do it in a way that actually felt believable. I think that you could probably retrospect the old Lars episodes where he’s all annoying and jerky and probably now see the very gradual (maybe too gradual) arc that they had been building this whole time. And when he dies at the end of the episode, I did think for a moment, like “Oh my god. Did they actually just kill a character on screen?” But, no, of course, Steven brings him back to life with his now magical tears. I mean, I’m, not saying I would’ve preferred that Lars be dead, and the tear thing makes sense I guess. It’s just one of those moments, you know, where it’s like “oh, right, kids show.” NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT, AND IF YOU INSINUATE THAT I’M BELITTLING CHILDREN’S ENTERTAINMENT, THEN YOU’D BETTER WATCH YOUR MOUTH, BUSTER. BECAUSE I WATCH MORE CHILDREN’S CARTOONS THAN ADULT PROGRAMMING AND I SHOULD PROBABLY try to grow up.

But yeah, good episode. Good character progression. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Lars’ Head

So, Lars is dead, Lion is dead, Rose is dead, Pink Diamond is dead. Everyone is dead. And now we have to find out who killed them. I mean, we already know who killed Lars—character development. Also Rose was killed by Greg and indirectly by Steven and indirectly by Pearl not being woman enough for her HA. Joke at Pearl’s expense (I like Pearl and hope she’s happy with her new girlfriend, don’t get started with me).

The whole episode is basically just Steven and Lars trying to figure out exactly what the sweet holy honey biscuit is going on now with Lars and his new hue. Turns out he’s got a slow heartbeat and magic hair. Only time will tell if he also farts space portals, or whatever. The fact that his hair actually teleports Steven to the same dimension as Lion’s mane was a pretty interesting tidbit, and it really does kinda make you wonder just what is going on with that business. The show is really starting to build up a lot of intricately connected mysteries, and I really hope that the payoff is worth all this tension and foreshadowing. But, fortunately, in the meantime, the characters are still enjoyable and interesting and the animation is pretty, so it’s still a good watch.

Don’t actually have a ton else to say about this one. It was nice seeing Lars determined to make whatever sacrifices necessary to help with the cause (whatever that cause was) and Steven return home to his family. I’ve complained before about ending heavy episodes with Steven and his mates hugging or smiling, like we have to end it on a happy note no matter what, and while I did get a twinge of that, I think here it felt sorta justified. Steven had just been missing for like days and they were happy and relieved to see each other. It was a good way to temporarily end the show until the next million year hiatus is over.

Closing Thoughts

Steven Universe is still kicking and it’s still got some cool and meaningful character moments and some painfully intriguing mysteries to be resolved. Season 5 is only a couple episodes in, and it’s already got a whole lot of new questions, concerns, and stakes set up. I can only imagine how things will go from here. As for the quality of the show itself, I can’t really say that there’s been an episode lately that’s affected me quite as deeply as, say, Jail Break or Rose’s Scabbard or Sworn to the Sword or anything like that. But it’s still a damn good show and I really want to keep watching it to see where the characters go next and what they’re gonna get into (and subsequently out of). Solid show, and I hope to see more soon.

PLEASE NO SPOILERS/LEAKS ABOUT FUTURE EPISODES IN THE COMMENTS/NOTES. THANK YOU.