Steven Universe Future
Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen. Recently, Steven Universe Future, the new limited series meant to serve as an Epilogue to Steven Universe, which, if you read my previous articles on the subject, you’ll know has become one of my favorite shows. I finally had a change to sit down and watch the first ten episodes and I figured I’d give my brief thoughts on each individual episode. Since the series is still on going, I’ll try to keep spoilers to a bare minimum, but there will still be some here and there so, fair warning.
Episode 1. Little Home School
Taking place sometime after the events of Steven Universe The Movie, Steven and the Crystal Gems have started up a school to help Gems adjust to life in the new era created after the events of Change Your Mind. The school is mostly a success some aren’t adjusting well to life on earth, namely the previously villainous Jasper. Steven tries to change Jasper’s mind, but the two ended fighting instead, Steven unlocking some kind of new power during the fight. Little Home School is a solid opener and it’s nice to see what happened to Jasper. Steven’s new power is kinda cool but has yet to be fully explained within the series. I also appreciate that Jasper doesn’t completely come around to Steven’s way of thinking by the end, as that would have been out of character, but they do come to a sort of unspoken understanding. So far, this is Jasper’s only appearance in the show, but I sincerely hope that this plot point is followed up on.
Episode 2. Guidance
To help the new Gems adjust to life on Earth, Amethyst pairs the Gems with humans in Beach City for a sort of job training program. Steven thinks this is a good idea but feels that the Gems are only taking jobs that align with their original purposes and thinks it might be better for them to step outside their comfort zones. This, of course, ends up proving disastrous.
It’s really nice to see the Gems integrating into human society, but to me this feels very much like a season one episode. That’s not a bad thing, it just means it’s a little simplistic. Steven does something that he thinks is a good idea, it backfires horribly, and a lesson is learned. It’s fine, but I’ve just seen it before. Still, there was a lot to like here. Also, Larimar is probably my favorite new character introduced so far and her weirdly innocent love of human screams got a big laugh.
Episode 3. Rose Buds
Pink Diamond’s Human Zoo, now converted into a cruise ship, comes to visit earth, bringing Steven face to face with the now un-bubbled Rose Quartzes. Naturally, the fact that the Quartzes so closely resemble Steven’s Mother makes things really, really, awkward for everyone.
This is a really nice episode. It’s understandable that Steven and the others would have their fair share of reservations seeing people who remind them so much of Rose, but I also like that Steven really doesn’t want to hold it against them. This episode also has some great moments from Greg, particularly his interactions with the residents of the Human Zoo and his hilarious reaction to seeing three Roses in one room. Good stuff all around.
Episode 4. Volleyball
We finally follow up with the Pink Pearl, whom Steven nicknames Volleyball to avoid confusion. When Steven’s magical healing spit is unable to heal the crack in her eye, Steven and Pearl take Volleyball to an old Pear repair facility. We also learn that Volleyball’s crack was caused not by White Diamond, but Pink in a fit of rage.
This is a really good episode that gives a lot of insight into Pink Diamonds history, and even subtly hints at the nature of Steven’s new power, something that’s been and will remain a constant thread throughout these episodes. It’s also really cool to see Pink’s two Pearl’s interacting, especially given how they were equally devoted to Pink despite very different histories with her. The two Pearls fusing at the end was also a big highlight of the series so far.
5. Bluebird
A new Gem named Bluebird has arrived on Earth, and it’s obvious to everyone that she’s actually a fusion of two previous villains, Aquamarine and Eyeball. However, despite a few very lame pranks, she doesn't seem to have any malevolent intent and Steven tries to give her the benefit of the doubt even though Bluebird's very presence makes him extremely paranoid.
This episode was another great one. It was especially cool to see a new fusion and even cooler to see the return of two villains from the show’s past. I like how Steven wants to give Bluebird a chance but can’t help waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it finally does (spoilers, sorry) it leads to a pretty cool fight and some funny moments, particular given something that happens to Greg.
6. A Very Special Episode
Steven has to divide his time between babysitting Onion as Rainbow 2.0 and teaching a safety class as Sunstone and hilarity, as well as exhaustion, ensues.
I don’t really have much to say about this one. It’s probably the weakest of the show so far. Though, it was still nice to see more of Rainbow and Sunstone beyond their single appearance in Change Your Mind. Also, Pearl having to babysit Onion alone and Garnet telling all of the students in the safety class the multitude of ways they can die is pretty hilarious.
7. Snow Day
Steven tries to take advantage of a Snow Day to get caught up on his lesson plan for Little Home School, but all Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl want to do is spend time with Steven like they used to back in the old days. To that end, they lure Steven into a violent and high stakes game of Steven Tag.
I really enjoyed this episode and if it weren’t for an episode we’ll get to a little later, it would have been my favorite out of these ten. I thought it was really cute seeing Steven-ized versions of all the Gems, including Fusions. However, what really grabbed me about this episode was the ending were Steven vents his frustration at the Gems for still seeing him as a child even though he clearly isn’t anymore, something that I personally relate to a great deal. Growing up is all about finding a balance. Take it from a man in his thirties writing an article about a show aimed at children, there’s nothing wrong with doing something childish every now and then, but it’s still nice to be acknowledged as an adult by the people who really matter to you.
8. Why So Blue
Steven and Lapis Lazuli journey off planet to offer two other Lapises a chance to join their new community on Earth. Part of their pitch includes Gems being able to do whatever they want and not just what they were created for. However, it turns out the Lapises really enjoy doing what they were created for, a very bad thing in this case as Lapises were created to wipe out all life on planets to prepare them for terraforming.
It was really nice to see Lapis taking center stage in this episode, and the contrast between her and the other Lapises allowed us to see more into her character. I don’t really have much else to say about this one, it’s just a good episode. It gets a bit repetitive and predictable in places, but still overall a good outing.
9. Little Graduation
The Off-Colors are graduating from Little Homeschool, which Means Lars and his Crew will soon be returning to space. In addition, Sadie Killer and The Suspects is breaking up and the gang will soon be going their separate ways as well. And worst of all, Lars and Sadie are no longer together, and Sadie is dating someone new. Steven can’t help but feel overwhelmed that all his friends are leaving and that night at the graduation ceremony, he’s overcome with emotion and his new powers go haywire.
This was easily the strongest and most poignant episode of the series so far. Not only does it get major props for introducing an honest to goodness non-binary character, but it also does a great job showing how difficult it can be to let go of the people you care about, especially when they’re all moving on to bigger and better things while you still feel stuck. The key word to describe this episode is “Bittersweet.” You want to be happy that all these characters you’ve grown to like are moving on with their lives, but that can also be very sad as well. Lars and Sadie not working out was a hard pill to swallow, but it’s nice that they still care deeply for one another. Lars even acknowledges that Sadie’s new partner, Shep, is much better for her. Sadie killer and the suspects breaking up is likewise a hard pill to swallow, but you still feel good that these characters are pursuing their dreams in other ways. It’s rough to see things not go the way you’d hoped, but life goes on, it’s as simple as that. Finally, I’m Looking Forward Now is the only song from the show so far that I’m considering adding to my Top 20 Steven Universe Songs Article, something I plan to reevaluate once Steven Universe future concludes.
10. Prickly Pair
After the events of Little Graduation, Steven has decided to leave Little Homeschool to contemplate his own future and place in the world. In the time since, Steven has taken up gardening and has gotten really good at it, though Pearl notes that he doesn’t appear to be coping well. When Steven accidentally brings a cactus to life, he vents his secret frustrations to it. However, the cactus soon learns to talk and starts parroting Steven’s secrets to The Gems, leading Steven to mistreat it in his anger. In response, the Cactus transforms into a monster and attacks.
Steven is still clearly having a hard time after Little Graduation and this episode follows up on that excellently. Back when he was saving the planet, he had a purpose, but now, he can’t help but feel he’s no longer needed, and that’s taking its toll psychologically. I actually really appreciate that this issue isn’t resolved by the end of the episode, meaning that this is a long-standing thing that Steven is going to have to confront as the series continues when it could easily have been resolved by the end to the episode. Cactus Steven can be a little annoying, but overall, I really liked Prickly Pair.
And that’s it for the first ten episodes of Steven Universe Future. Overall, I’d say so far so good and the new direction for Steven’s character is highly intriguing. I also look forward to seeing how Steven's strange new power develops and am hoping that Jasper continues to have a presence in the show. I could have done with an episode that focused on Garnet or Greg, but that’s just my personal bias since they’re both my favorite characters. That said, I think the most glaring omission in this series so far is Connie. In all ten episodes Connie is never seen and barely mentioned. In fact, my only complaint about Little Graduation, my favorite episode so far, is that Connie wasn’t in it. How much more powerful would that episode have been if Connie, Steven’s closest human friend and someone he’s shared a deeply intimate connection with, was also leaving. Hopefully this is rectified in later episodes. Overall, Steven Universe future is doing very well at what it’s set out to accomplish and I personally am loving it. I want to thank you all for reading an article I decided to write completely on a whim and wish each and every one of you a very heartfelt happy new year. May your 2020 be everything you hope it will be.