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Storm in
the Room
A key factor to this show’s high quality is how it can easily
get emotionally investing, maybe the best out of any show. One big way it accomplishes this trait is
having a cartoon to take in the emotional effects of a recent big adventure.
At this point, Steven has just come back from
the human zoo. It’s not enough that he’s seen more disturbing views on Earth
from Homeworld Gems. Now he’s under the impression that his mother, Rose
Quartz, shattering Pink Diamond moved the other Diamonds to be more hostile than ever towards
the planet. Keeping the stories of
her greatness he’s heard from the Crystal Gems all his life in mind, this no
doubt leaves complicated feelings Steven understandably doesn’t want to think
of. The opening sequence of thinking of
fun things to do with Connie as she waits for her own mom may seem long, but
works through how he’s trying to avoid his complications. This is further shown when after Connie’s mom
does arrive to take her home, there’s a silent sequence of Steven seeming deep
in thought. His somber look as he takes
off his human zoo loin cloth and stick-on earrings and makes himself dinner are
a big indication that he’s really not as cheerful as he seemed earlier.
Then everything clicks when he looks up at
the portrait of Rose, saying he wants to know the real her. As past events have shown, there is a place
for Steven to fill the void left by his mother, and he’s drawn exactly
there. Rose’s room in the Crystal Gem
temple, as many may remember, is a place full of clouds that can give Steven
anything he wants. For that, it easily
fulfills his desire to show him his mother.
Then much of the cartoon looks into Steven’s emotional satisfaction of
going through what it ideally feels like to have a mom. The image of him and Rose doing things like
playing video games and sports is the perfect image of what people would want
family bonding to be like. It also helps
that there’s a touch of Rose’s own qualities as she gives a passionate speech
about the beauty of sports and how they’re different yet still the same.
There’s also a natural tonal shift from
light-hearted to emotional as Steven decides to take a picture of him and Rose,
but only he himself shows up on his camera phone. This awakens the hard truth that Rose was
never really there. It was just the room
projecting what Steven wants her to be like, and now it forms a storm to
reflect all the dark secrets he’s learned about her.
Bubbling away Bismuth, causing Homeworld to want to destroy Earth, abandoning her friends without warning, and keeping secrets has broken Steven’s view on Rose. With everything he’s learned, he can no
longer see her as the perfect Gem everyone called her. On a side note, with everything he will
learn in time, he’s very accurate at calling her a liar who hid from the messes she
made. There is some hope for goodness in
her when the vision of Rose reminds Steven of the genuine love for him in a
message in the tape she left him inside Lion.
That’s certainly meaningful then, and it still is now although Steven is
still understandably confused by her albeit calm for the moment. Nevertheless, it’s highly satisfactory when
his dad and the main Crystal Gems appear at the end, the very image of a loving
family he knows he can depend on.
Even
without big action sequences or direct ties to the plot, this cartoon adds
plenty of weight to everything by exploring the emotional after effects. It’s well-staged, well-written, does justice
for the characters, and helps make the show one of animation’s marvels.
A++
Season 4 Ranking
1. Storm in the Room
2. Mindful Education
3. That Will Be All
4. Steven’s Dream
5. Last One Out of Beach City
6. The Zoo
7. Gem Heist
8. Gem Harvest
9. Three Gems and a Baby
10. Adventures in Light Distortion
11. Buddy’s Book
12. Know Your Fusion
13. The New Crystal Gems
14. Kindergarten Kid
15. Future Boy Zoltron
16. Onion Gang
The next Steven Universe review moves away from the world-building, plot development, and solid emotions with a less than satisfactory showing of Ronaldo thinking he can be a Crystal Gem.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "The Voltron Show" from what else but Voltron: Legendary Defender.
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