Steven Universe Future Returns

Steven Universe Future Episodes 11-12 Review

After a three month break, Steven Universe is back for it’s final round of episodes. And as the first half of this epilogue established, there’s a lot of unfinished business, especially with regards to Steven himself. He needs help, but has no idea how to communicate that. This week, though, he seemed to take a few steps closer to that goal while also wrapping up the secondary characters plots.

In Dreams

Having been out of focus for the first half of Future, I’m thrilled to see Peridot take center stage again. She’s one of the best characters in the show, and her arc has been a fan favorite. If this episode winds up being her final hurrah in the show, then it’s fitting that her story gets wrapped up with her favorite show, Camp Pining Hearts.

Steven and Peridot are thrilled that Camp Pining Hearts is getting revived, but that turns to disgust when they hate the revival. So they use Steven’s ability to project his dreams into the TV to remake it their way. Things take a turn for the weird, though, when Steven’s desire to be needed interferes with his dreams.

Steven Universe Future has shown us that Steven has no idea how to tell everyone he needs help. As a result of this inability to communicate, Steven’s problems manifest in his unsettling dreams. At one point, he wakes up from one Dream only to find himself in another, With Peridot about to leave him behind. The message is clear: Steven’s doing this because he thinks without Camp Pining Hearts, he’ll lose his friendship with Peridot.

Thankfully, Peridot gets the message, whic leads to a tearful moment where both acknowledge they don’t need the show to be friends. Considering how Peridot started as cold and insensitive, this moment shows how far she’s come as a person. And the fans couldn’t be prouder.

Bismuth Casual

In the second half, Steven comes face to face with an unsettling prospect: he doesn’t know how to be normal anymore. That fact becomes evident when he goes with Connie, Bismuth, and Pearl for a night of roller-skating. While everyone else has no trouble hitting it off with others, Steven struggles, as evidenced by his inability to roller skate or talk to Connie’s cram school friends.

Considering how friendly and open Steven can be, it hurts to see Steven struggling with making new friends. In fact, this episode drives home how unconventional Steven’s life has been. He never went to school, and most of his family consists of alien gem-people. With a life like that, a “normal” life is hard to come by. As a result of this revelation, Steven gets bummed out and think he’s holding Connie and the others back.

However, I don’t see it like that, and neither should he. Connie probably knows Steven better than anyone else, and she doesn’t see him as holding her back. While I hope the show clarifies if they’re a couple or not, they’ll always be best friends. After all, they manage to fuse into Stevonnie again and tear up the skating rink!

Two Steps Forward

So, the first of Future ended on the bleak notion that Steven was going to go through some tough times. Thus, I think it was a good call that the staff uses the return to remind us how Steven has his friends to support him. He just needs to learn how to ask for help.

It’s sad that one of the best cartoons of all time is coming to an end later this month, but it’s leaving behind a powerful legacy. People will be talking about Steven Universe for generations to come, and Steven Universe Future is a great epilogue to a great show.

I Give “In Dreams” a 4/5 and “Bismuth Casual” A 4.5/5

Stray Observations

• I now ship Pearl and Bismuth!
• If this was Stevonnie’s last hurrah, then I LOVED IT!
• I don’t get why the Diamonds were in Steven’s dream. What was the point of it?

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