Our Little Steven’s Grown Up

Steven Universe: Future, Episodes 7-8 Review

We all knew that this day would come, but that doesn’t make it any less sad in the end. One of the big themes behind Steven Universe has been characters learning how to grow and change, usually for the better. However, when kids get older, that means they have to deal with boring adult stuff. Now we have to watch as Steven Universe almost falls victim to adulting; and he’s only a teenager!

“Snow Day”

Back when the show first started, Steven was the one who was trying to spend time with the Gems, who were busy with their work. With Earth at peace and Steven running Little Homeschool, the Gems have little to do. Thus, in an ironic reversal, they try hanging out with Steven. Unforutnately, it seems they haven’t fully accepted the fact that Steven has grown beyond cheeseburger backpacks and dogcopter. He wants to focus on Little Homeschool.

When a snow day ends up stranding everyone at home, the Gems take drastic measures to connect with him: STEVEN TAG! The Gems even resort to using fusion to catch him, which we can recognize as taking things too far. In the end, Steven has to flat-out tell them that he doesn’t like them seeing him as a kid still, and the four reconcile.

Steven’s been through more in his 17 years of life than most people go through in their lifetimes. Needless to say, this has led him to mature a lot. aturing isn’t a bad thing, but Steven’s spending so much time adulting that he’s forgotten what it’s like to have fun and be a kid. Thankfully, the Gems are able to remind him something that I think a lot of adults need to remember: that growing up doesn’t mean having to get rid of our childhoods altogether. That’s why I keep watching cartoons even though I’m an adult: it helps keep me in touch with my childhood!

“Why So Blue”

Despite though they’re some of the best characters on the show, Steven Unvierse: Future hasn’t really given much of a chance to focus on secondary characters like Peridot and Lapis. Thankfully, this episode gives Lapis some much-needed focus as we see how far she’s come since meeting Steven.

Steven and Lapis travel to another planet when they hear of two Gems who are still destroying worlds. As it turns out, they’re Lapis Lazuli’s (who I will be calling “Curls” and “Freckles” for convenience’s sake). They enjoy their job of smashing things, thus they question why they need to stop. They have no regard for other life-forms, and they prove hard for Steven to get through to.

In the end, it’s Lapis who does more to get through to her counterparts, while also showing how far she’s come. We never know what she was like before arriving on Earth. Judging by her reaction to Curls and Freckles, though, she was a lot like them. It dredges up some uncomfortable memories, especially when she has to resort to violence to subdue them. It works, but only because they think she’s strong, while Lapis think it’s weakness.

In the end, like with Bluebird, Steven seems to fail with changing Curls and Freckles. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but it reminds us how far Steven’s helped the Gems come. In addition, the episode ends on a hopeful note, as Freckles decides to try out Little Homeschool.

Growing Up vs. Growing Older

The main theme of these episodes seem to be looking at how much the cast has changed over the years. Everyone who’s watched the show long enough has noticed everyone’s character development, but it can be so subtle at times that we don’t always notice it. Seeing where Lapis and Steven came from puts how far they’ve come into perspective. Since the main plot of the series seems to be behind us, epilogue moments like this help to tie up all the loose ends of the series. Few shows seem to do that, and it’s why I like Steven Universe.

I Give “Snow Day” and “Why So Blue?” each a 4/5

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