Review: Steven Universe Future “Little Homeschool” , “Guidance”, “Rose Buds”, “Volleyball”

Our Take:

Steven Universe Future takes a little after the movie, when Steven is now 16 and older, the war with the Diamonds has ceased, and he is trying to put all the gems into a better home.

Despite saying that he isn’t a savior figure, Steven is kind of trying to be. He is genuinely well-intentioned and trying to help, but he has also latched onto the idea that his way is the best. The gem school is working out, and it is important for gems to challenge what roles they fit into. However, Steven makes two misconceptions: that he knows what’s best off the bat, and that gems would want to do something entirely different from their roles.

In the first lesson he learns from Jasper, who has no interest in mingling with people, but Steven thinks that she should. She doesn’t, and in forcing Steven into combat, not only does that awaken powers in Steven, but he realizes that she’s satisfied being a soldier. He has things to learn from her, not the other way around. The same with the healed gems’ jobs– not everyone is interested in trying something new. Some are, and it’s worth giving those people a chance, but some are perfectly okay within their fields of expertise, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, Steven’s the one with inflexible thinking.

The latter two episodes, however, deal directly with Steven’s trauma regarding his mother. Steven, despite saying that he’s fine, really isn’t. He is tired of living in his mother’s shadow, especially following the movie where he realizes that Rose truly did a lot of unintentional damage, even in her quest for freedom. He thinks he’s moved on, but as he comes to realize, he hasn’t. Seeing the other rose quartzes that his mother created, that resembles her, was too much for him. It was even too much for the other Crystal Gems. It isn’t until Steven is able to admit that no, he’s not okay, is when he connected with the quartzes who feel the same way. Rose caused a lot of damage for a lot of people, and being able to say that no, she still is a sore spot, is a real step forward.

The last episode, Volleyball, is where this hits the hardest. It has to do with Pink Pearl, who had been under White’s command. She has a large crack on her eye, and goes to Steven to get it fixed– but his healing powers don’t work. Upon speaking with Pearl, they recall the old pearl repair station, the Shell, and go there to be repaired. Pink Pearl, dubbed Volleyball, is very similar to Pearl in their infatuation with Pink/Rose, and their attachments to their pasts. Pearl has some contentious moments with Volleyball in the same vein too. The big reveal is that Rose has hurt another person, her own pearl. Back when Rose couldn’t control her powers as Pink, her frustration was enough to cause shockwaves that damage her surroundings. One of those shockwaves harmed her pearl and damaged her so psychologically that it became part of her appearance.

The two pearls reconciling that they were both making excuses for someone long-dead, and fusing into one massive princely pearl felt extremely validating after all of that. Most importantly is that Steven himself has a lot to learn. His frustration at dealing with hearing more terrible things about his mother was so lash out– and recreated the same damage that Rose did.

The season introduction felt very validating on multiple levels: showing Steven’s growth but also showing that he’s not as in control as he’d like to be. He keeps trying to stretch himself thin, but he doesn’t have the capability to take on all these responsibilities. He’s not a messiah figure, as much as people have expected it of him, and he’s not the center of the universe. He’s still a kid who’s figuring things out, who unfortunately now has a significantly large responsibility. He has a lot to learn and doesn’t have it all figured out, but he also still needs time to wrestle with his trauma. This shows that Steven doesn’t have it all under control and sadly, there is an urgency to that. But we can only hope that he continues to improve himself going forward.

Altogether, a good chunk of episodes that got even stronger towards the end. A great start to the season.