Steven Universe Future is shattering our hearts

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“Now that I do know I’m me, it’s like I do not know who that’s.”

All through Steven Universe Future, our titular hero has uttered some variation of this sentiment in almost each episode. And on the finish of each episode, his coronary heart hurts as a result of nobody has a solution for him. Steven Universe is on a journey of self-discovery that has remodeled the present into one thing that’s greater than slightly troublesome to observe. Not less than, for adults. I believe that the children watching—if they’re nonetheless watching—are getting one thing that they want. They’re getting a frank, uncooked journey about coping with ache, confusion, and trauma. Judy Blume did that for a number of generations of youngsters, together with mine. Her writing nonetheless resonates right this moment as a result of she handled rising up with the gravity it deserves. And it’s clear to me that Rebecca Sugar and their collaborators have the identical hopes for Steven Universe Future.

Sadly, it feels just like the restricted collection selected to front-load the lighter tales whereas leaving a lot of the meat for the second half. That stalling has made this final stretch of episodes all of the extra jarring. Perhaps that’s the objective—to make us really feel off-balance. However the additional it goes, the extra emotional these recaps grow to be. And it’s arduous to inform how a lot of myself I ought to put into this stuff. We adults have a behavior of creating all the pieces we watch about ourselves and our previous. We consider that responding to a baby’s issues with our options is one of the simplest ways to narrate to them. I’m at present very responsible of this. I’ve three youthful sisters—13, 10, and 6—and I usually discover myself recommending books, movies, and music I skilled at these ages with the hope that they will even discover magical therapeutic qualities in them. More often than not I’m incorrect. It’s a grounding expertise. It’s necessary to know you’re incorrect typically, and youngsters are the perfect reminders.

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In “Mr. Universe” (A), Greg is totally incorrect. His infantile strategy to parenting Steven was charming earlier than, but it surely’s time for a change. There’s a purpose why Greg left Steven within the care of the Crystal Gems. A whole lot of it has to do with who Steven is and who his mom was, however there’s extra to it than that. From the start of the collection, it’s been abundantly clear that Greg Universe didn’t know a lot about fatherhood. He’s reckless with cash. He by no means units any boundaries for Steven or himself. He’s by no means tried to purchase or lease a house. Hell, he can’t even bear in mind to placed on sunscreen despite the fact that he lives on the seashore. All of this stuff make Greg cool, enjoyable, and unpredictable. However none of these traits actually work when elevating an adolescent, particularly one as totally different as Steven.

When Steven blew up at Greg, it felt like a launch. We love Steven for being a pleasant boy, however that doesn’t imply he needs to be a doormat. His dad didn’t put together him for maturity. He didn’t give him construction or a way of stability. These are issues that he wanted and he has each proper to be mad at Greg for not offering them. Probably the most fascinating factor about their confrontation is that at no level does Greg contemplate the truth that his structured upbringing was integral to him changing into who he at present is. It wasn’t “Mr. Universe” that made him into who he was. His complete being is reactionary—he doesn’t need to be his dad and mom. And he’s outlined his complete life by that mantra. Maybe if he had grown up like Steven, he would discover himself at 16 yelling at his dad and mom too. The entire dynamic is harking back to Lorelei’s relationship along with her dad and mom in Gilmore Girls. She thrives on hating her dad and mom, so when her daughter Rory finally ends up loving them, it seems like a betrayal. I don’t suppose it might be off-base to contemplate that Greg hid Steven from his dad and mom as a result of he was afraid his son would forge a reference to them that he by no means may. So, he will get what he desires, however Steven doesn’t even get to decide on.

Steven is dealing with private alternative for the primary time, and the burden of it’s rising inside him. That’s the rigidity that fuels “Fragments” (A), a jaw-dropping episode that left me speechless. Steven deliberately shattering Jasper is a nightmarish picture I gained’t quickly neglect. And it’s a disgrace as a result of Steven actually does want somebody to work with to harness and management the complete extent of his energy. We all know now that Jasper can’t be that particular person; all she is aware of find out how to train is struggle video games. Steven must discover ways to use his powers offensively in addition to defensively, however he wants to coach with somebody with the emotional maturity t0 know when to cease pushing him. There’s a center floor between being a marshmallow and a battle ax.

Will Steven discover that center floor? Frankly, I’ve been apprehensive that the present ends with him changing into a villain. Wouldn’t that be bittersweet? Bringing peace to the universe solely to disrupt it once more? It looks like that’s what Jasper has been ready for, too. I preserve interested by her thanking Steven for basically murdering her. How is a child supposed to answer that? As nice because the episode is, it seems like a big trauma dump on a child who has seen sufficient demise and despair to final a lifetime. Hopefully, the fallout of this results in extra therapeutic. Steven can’t deal with far more ache. Somebody must get by way of to him, and quick.