Steven Universe Reviews: Season 1 (So Many Birthdays/Lars and the Cool Kids)

After Steven discovers some photos of the Gems (including his mother, Rose Quartz) that are hundreds of years old, Pearl explains to him that gems are immortal. At least, they’re immortal in the sense that they won’t age and they won’t die naturally, but they can be killed. She also tells Steven that they don’t really celebrate birthdays, which shocks him. He insists on throwing birthday parties for all of them, despite Pearl’s protests. It doesn’t go quite as planned, however, since the Gems have a hard time understanding human customs to begin with and they’re too mature for a lot of the things Steven planned. This causes Steven to reflect on whether he himself is too old for all of these birthday traditions, and as he does so he starts to age rapidly until he is an old man on the brink of death. The Gems, upon finding him, try to return him back to normal, but end up arguing over the right way to do it. Steven scolds them for arguing and becomes younger as he speaks. They realize that Steven’s gem is reacting to his state of mind and they assure him that he does not need to force himself to grow up too quickly. Finally, Steven manages to return to normal.

This episode starts out lighthearted and funny, and then it gets weird and kind of dark.

First let’s point out some of the funny stuff, namely this scene:

God, Pearl is adorable here. She looks so distraught when she says, “Steven, are you telling lies?” I also love the disgusted look on Amethyst’s face.

Toward the end of the episode is when things start to get less lighthearted. It’s kind of disturbing watching Steven age like sixty years in the span of a few minutes, and seeing him almost at the end of his life when he’s supposed to be a kid. The Gems’ desperation and hopelessness doesn’t help. Seeing Pearl cry was especially sad for me. Pearl is too cute, I never want to see her cry.

This does raise some questions about Steven’s mortality, though. He can age, unlike the Gems, because he’s half-human, and presumably he would be able to die in ways that they can’t (food poisoning, for example). However, Steven’s Gem was affected by Steven’s mental state in this episode and aged him accordingly. If Steven always feels like a kid, will he always stay a kid? That’s actually kind of creepy, but then again immortality in any form has always been a little creepy to me.

Anyway, interesting episode overall, and probably the first one that’s made me think “This is a kids show, right?” in the same way Adventure Time used to.

Rating: 7.5/10

Because every kids show needs to have an episode about peer pressure and popularity, right?

We begin the episode with Steven and the Gems visiting a lagoon filled with dangerous, fast-growing, clinging moss that’s basically like Devil’s Snare in moss form. Apparently Rose planted it, because despite how dangerous it was she saw beauty in everything. The Gems put some police tape around the lagoon to prevent humans from wandering in.

Later, Steven runs into Lars, that asshole teenager who’s always picking on Steven even though Steven is never anything but friendly to him. Lars is apparently waiting for some “cool kids” to notice him. The cool kids are Jenny, who appears to be their leader, Buck Dewey and Sour Cream. When the cool kids leave without noticing Lars, Steven goes up to them (despite Lars’ protests) and starts talking to them. Apparently the cool kids like Steven, so they invite him and Lars to go for a ride with them.

Lars keeps trying way too hard to get the others to like him, resulting in them not taking to him. Lars keeps blaming Steven for his failure. Steven, on the other hand, is just being his offbeat self, so they take to him much more readily. At least until they get to the lagoon, where Steven warns them that they shouldn’t go in. Lars and the other laugh him off and enter the lagoon. Steven manages to restrain Lars but the others go into the moss and are immediately overtaken by it, which leads to one of my favorite moments so far.

• Steven: *gasps and notices hill in background* Lars, I know what we have to do.
• Lars: *ignores him* This is all your fault! *sighs, tears up* I knew if something went wrong today it would be because of you! Now I’m never going to be friends with these guys. All because of your…weird mom!
• (Steven’s eyes narrow in shock, and partially in rage, his posture and expressions become extremely aggressive, Lars backs off in surprise)
• Steven: *pokes at Lars’ chest* What do you know about my Mom?! I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO KNOW MY MOM! But I do know, she saw beauty in everything! Even in stuff like this *points at moss* and even in jerks like you! *Lars looks away ashamedly, Steven sighs* Now help me get them to the car.

I love this, not only for how the way-too-nice Steven calls out Lars for being a jerk, but for what Steven says about his mom. Whenever Rose Quartz is spoken about on this show, especially when being it’s being said to Steven, there’s always this sort of reverence and wistfulness to it. It’s clear that everyone loved and admired her, and Steven seems to realize how important Rose was to everyone. However, Steven himself never knew Rose. He’s learned about her from other people, but no matter how much people talk about her, he has never and will never really know her. I loved getting this little emotional outburst from Steven, it gives a little insight to how difficult his feelings for his mom must be.

So, Lars and Steven grab the others and make their way up the hill.  As the sun rises over the hill, the moss blooms into beautiful flowers that drift away. The cool kids are impressed, and Steven tells them that it was all Lars’ idea. So Lars gains their approval after all.

Lars. Let’s talk about this asshole. I actually like the character, at the moment at least. He’s sort of like Lumpy Space Princess or Zapp Brannigan in that he’s not likable but he’s such an exaggerated character that I can’t help finding him funny. Plus, I think it kind of helps that Lars is actually really pathetic so his bullying is rendered ineffective most of the time. Not that that makes it excusable, but it does make it easier to tolerate from an audience perspective. I don’t know, maybe Lars will grate on me in later episodes, I do feel like he’s a character I don’t want to see too much of, but right now I find him amusing.

I also want to talk about his relationship with Steven, though. Steven is obviously like Rose in at least one way: he also wants to see the good in everything and everyone. Even people like Lars, who Steven is unfailingly friendly to. Lars clearly knows he can advantage of Steven because of this. He’s constantly teasing Steven and is really quite mean to him, but Steven either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. However, I think Lars has gotten so used to getting away with anything where Steven in concerned that he didn’t realize that yeah, he can eventually cross a line even with Steven. That comment about Rose Quartz did cross a line with Steven, and Lars is obviously surprised by the reaction. This is a pretty common relationship dynamic, actually. If one person is able to get away with a lot, they’ll start getting bolder and pushing their luck, and then one day they push it too far and they’re surprised to find that the other person does in fact have limits.

I liked this episode a lot, I liked seeing some vulnerability from both Steven and Lars (the guy is obviously really insecure despite his attitude), and of course there’s the obvious message about how trying too hard to fit in is never a good idea. It’s an obvious message, but it is still a good one for kids.

Rating: 8.5/10