Is Change Your Mind The End Of Steven Universe

The Epitomize: While he's able to sway Blue and Yellow Diamond to his side, Steven finds his escape from Homeworld blocked by White Diamond. Still determined to speak to her and salve the corrupted gems on World, he slowly makes his way to her ship for a final confrontation: with White, and with himself.

This certainly had the feel of things coming to an end, didn't it? There is some dispute as to whether the Crewniverse is contractually obligated for a season six, and a movie has been confirmed for release in "tardily 2019," but … well. When an hr-long special closes the book on the testify'southward major antagonists and ends past mirroring the final shot of the bear witness'south opening theme, it's hard non to call it an ending of sorts, fifty-fifty if more than content arrives at a after date.

As a finale, it's in fine course. Nigh half of the episode is dedicated to an extended escape/chase scene, with boarding contributions from about every major storyboarder (including Ian Jones-Quartey, who left the series to work on OK Grand.O.!). This leads to some truly dynamic activity beats and creative use of cross-cutting, excelling at pocket-size moments within the grand scope of the action.

The other component of the first half would non exist incorrectly chosen "fanservice," but that feels unfairly dismissive. Yes, speculating well-nigh fusions has e'er been one of the fandom'south favorite pastimes, and you tin nigh feel the creative glee as the show whips out some long-held mysteries in unexpected forms—I don't think anyone expected Rainbow Quartz ii.0 to be Taako, From TV, or for Sunstone to embody an quondam "Sonic Says" segment—but it's well-nigh perfect for the combination of optimistic Steven and wise mentor Garnet to be a walking Very Special Episode, and touching to encounter Rose Quartz be the simply gem fusion to take a male person vocalization actor, with Pearl'southward series-long shift toward masculine presentation.

It'south probably fitting that Peridot'southward new design includes glasses that are an homage to one of the most famously emotion-driven anime out there. All the little touches are things fans have been clamoring to see, sure, but they're too signs of growth for the characters or building the themes of connexion and trust that distinguish the Crystal Gems from the Diamonds. It's a big former feels-fest, and the emotional logic is audio.

It goes from "sound" to "conclusion-sustaining" in one case Steven reaches White. Christine Ebersole is the last of the diva triumvirate, and she is terrifying. Her dialogue also marks the plot'southward total-bore departure into its cleaved family unit metaphor (driven in with extra emphasis past Connie's comparisons to her mother, which is so clumsily awkward that I can simply assume it'south to help the youngest members of the audience).

White equally toxic matriarch is backed by some of the boarders' best horror chops as she slowly erodes Steven'due south sense of cocky, and it'due south upsetting to watch at points. She is excellently built equally a seemingly insurmountable, all-powerful effigy, the way parents tin get in the minds of immature closeted kids.

Steven's confrontation with himself is equally visceral. When separated from his precious stone (another long-standing bailiwick of theorizing) they hammer home how close he is to expiry, drawing him all sweaty, with overly defined teeth and almost green-greyness skin. The corresponding reunion is its polar opposite, warm and fluid and bouncy. And so much love was poured into small details and ideas the Crewniverse has conspicuously had for a long time.

The defeat of White is shakier, particularly on second viewing. The implication seems to exist that considering Steven loses his awe and terror of her, it breaks her hold—she shows weakness, which makes her imperfect and therefore possible to speak to rather than but oppose. As a metaphor for a parent, it makes sense where the writing is coming from: losing that feeling of terrified reverence makes it easier to break free of the need for their approval, and potentially to forgive them for their past cruelties and mistakes.

It's difficult to begrudge given how mutual a struggle information technology is, and how few pieces of all-ages entertainment address information technology even on a metaphorical level. This is the point at which reading the success of this episode hangs somewhat on whether there volition be hereafter episodes.

If this is indeed the proper determination of the story, the render-to-Earth works equally a representational, hopeful image—non a literal closure of everyone's narratives a la "nineteen years later," just singular gestures of goodwill that bear witness us that the world is headed in a hopeful direction. Lars and Sadie have each come into their own, rather than beingness codependent and insecure. The Diamonds aren't perfectly reformed but have contributed to the first step of healing the impairment they did. The corrupted gems are themselves over again. Everyone is abode again, and Steven has made peace with himself, non "Rose's son."

It covers a lot quite effectively, equally closing montages go. There are dozens of unanswered questions, simply what'due south important is that the overall tone is a hopeful one. Each plot thread we encounter touched on is heading in a positive management, implying information technology will continue in that vein. It helps smooth over the cracks of that pure-metaphor defeat of White Diamond, even if it can't undo all the unanswered questions.

If the show wants to acquit on, it has to open those questions back up and answer them. Where are the corrupted gems going to become? How far have the Diamonds actually come in dismantling millennia of toxic mentalities, which "Change Your Mind" only really has to represent as a one-off alter of heart done in an intense moment of connection rather than the hard day-to-day work of becoming a better person. And what about that oppressive totalitarian regime, though?

None of these are things some other flavour could likely address in a satisfying fashion. They're the kind of tedious, small battles that take years and years, and introducing another more powerful, more dangerous, and totally unmentioned adversary,shonen anime-style, would feel cheap after the prove'south protagonist has resolved his inner turmoil. At that place are stories left to tell in this universe, but they're the stuff of fanfiction: "What-ifs" and time skips and character studies that tin play with forms non suited to serialized blitheness.

It feels like time to say bye. Steven Universe has become a contentious series, to put it lightly, since information technology premiered about half-dozen years ago. Information technology was an uneven series that often overextended itself: the sensible cycle of "space action followed past piece-of-life stories" fabricated sense in the thematic balancing of Steven's two sides but also scuttled the prove's pacing equally information technology passed the hundred-episode mark; the "broken family unit" metaphor, strong in isolation, clashes with the long accent on the Diamond Authority every bit an oppressive monstrosity; attempts to go out graphic symbol subplots puttering along offscreen didn't piece of work in the aforementioned way they did for Adventure Fourth dimension (equally we've covered before); and someone thought it was a good idea to make multiple Ronaldo episodes.

It's besides impossible to understate what information technology did for queer representation in all-ages blitheness, and its best moments are some of the strongest of this new golden age of Television receiver animation. Information technology created memorable, deservedly dearest characters that I already miss. It raised the bar immensely for diversity, amid both the cast and crew. The world of animation is irrevocably different because of Steven Universe, and for the better. Even with its flaws and my sometimes-intense frustrations with it, I wouldn't have traded the chance to epitomize information technology for the world.

And I simply hope that people keep discovering information technology for years to come up.

Vrai is a queer author and pop civilization blogger; they've fully embraced their lifetime role as a lover of trash. You can read more than essays and find out about their fiction atFashionable Tinfoil Accessories, mind to them podcasting onSoundcloud, support their piece of work via Patreon orPayPal, or remind them of the existence ofTweets.

(images: Cartoon Network)

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