#Hope you enjoyed reading this :)! More to come as my hyperfixations fester.

[conclusiveinterests]

Conclusive interests #1 – Mr Universe (Steven Universe: Future, Season 1 Episode 15)

In this analysis I will show you how I was brought to this conclusion:

“In Mr Universe Steven lashes out on Greg due to association and feels inhuman. He also is too distracted with himself. Greg wrongly tries to compare himself to a situation he doesn’t know enough about.”

Let me break this down.

(Transcript from the Steven Universe Wiki)

Here we see Steven not eating, due to being lost in thought. Steven vents to Greg, but Greg… misinterprets it. He cannot relate to this. Steven had to go through an incredible amount of trauma and pain to convince others (and at one point, even himself) that he was Steven. Now he doesn’t even know who Steven is, besides a diamond, or somebody who helps.

Greg cannot relate to that. He can try (and it’s a good way to try and connect with Steven – I really don’t blame him for accidentally saying the wrong thing. He can’t possibly know what he would say would affect Steven later on in the episode (or on their trip, would be a better way to say it). Steven sees this as “Somebody finally understands what this feels like!”.  But Greg cannot understand what he’s feeling; White (as much as I dislike her) says it best in homeworld bound:

“Half a diamond, half a creature of earth. In all the universe, there is no one else who can know what you’re going through.”

Nobody knows how Steven is feeling right now. They can try and relate, and understand, but nobody will ever, ever know exactly how he is feeling. Nobody.

It probably feels isolating; nobody can understand how you’re feeling, and you feel so guilty (probably due to past traumas) that you don’t even want to try and help them understand.

So no, Greg can try and relate. He can try so hard...

But nobody in the entire universe knows exactly what he’s going through; not on the large scale that he is. Greg’s parents always wanted him to be one thing, like how the diamonds just wanted Steven to be pink diamond. But Greg didn’t come so so close to death; he didn’t have to be responsible for all the after affects of his mom attempting to overthrow a galaxy wide empire.

(I would like to also note that Greg is right; Steven could use a change of scenery. But right now he needs love and support. Not just yet.)

So, (as I’ve probably repeated ten times), nobody can relate to Steven right now. Least of all Greg. This probably feels like he lied, later on, when Steven gets angry. He said he could relate! He had all of this, there’s no way he understands!

Steven and Greg have their road trip (and seem to be having a good time, too). Then Greg wants to (though Steven doesn’t know it) show Steven Mr. Universe. The song that was his intro to being who he wanted to be, a man of music.

Greg breaks in (probably not a good idea to help his teenage sons stress, but hey) and Steven goes to write a note. He finds letters and realizes...

They’re in his dad’s house! This is the house his dad (who he looks up to so much, and has most likely since he even could look up to somebody), one of his favorite people grew up! He’s excited. Most of Steven’s life has been less than normal; his dad, who he’s related to, had some normalcy? He’s excited to find out more about his human side.

He’s excited to feel human. Greg, however, is not excited to be in the house he sees as a prison. Greg grew up with overbearing parents, while Steven’s parents raised him with free range parenting.

(“Free-range parenting is the concept of raising children in the spirit of encouraging them to function independently and with limited parental supervision…”)

They both see how the other grew up as heaven; as an untouchable fantasy. Greg is reminded of all the ways his parents stifled him; Steven simply sees normalcy, and stability.

Which brings us to the ending scene; the climax of the episode, with no resolution.

Steven shuts off Mr. Universe. He shuts off what Greg saw as the key to Steven figuring himself out. After all, this is what helped him! Shouldn’t it work on Steven, too?

No. Steven says it himself. “I don’t need this song, I need what you had.” He needs stability. Structure. Normalcy. Something that isn’t war, and fighting, and trying to reason with people to not kill you. And Greg says, “No you don’t?!”

Greg doesn’t know what Steven needs right now; He’s taken aback. Why would Steven want something that he despised so much. But Steven was right.

He needs what Greg had. 

(And maybe Greg needed what Steven had. Maybe it would’ve turned out better. Who knows.)

“Steven, you don’t know what it was like!”

“It can’t be worse than mom’s family. I went half way across the galaxy for them, and this was right here?!” Steven is starting to visibly get more than just upset; He’s angry, and frustrated. He had to do so much just to reason with them. He may (I can’t tell for sure) see it as so much simpler to just be with them instead of the diamonds. (Who Rebecca confirmed he dislikes/hates.)

Greg explains everything he did, liked or wanted was wrong. He should not have grown up like that, but they both have valid wants and needs.

However, Steven does not see this; Right now, he’s angry and frustrated, at Greg and how he had to grow up. He sees it as Greg taking what he had for granted.

“You’re just like mom!”

This is Steven’s breaking point. His dad is taking his childhood out on his son, just like (in Steven’s mind) Rose took her troubles out on others. Rose changed her name and ran off, just like Greg. The association of Greg to Rose, the comparison, makes Steven start to lash out. He sees them as, somewhat, one in the same.

He didn’t go to school, or the doctor, and lived in a van. He didn’t grow up how most kids did; at this point, Steven feels less human than ever.

Greg sees it as freedom; Steven see’s it as a separation. An isolation away from humanity. Just another abnormal thing in his life.

And then Greg says his next line. “Steven, you’re a gem! You’re not like other kids!”

Greg has emphasized exactly what Steven was thinking. He is a gem. He’s not human, not like other kids. He never will be, and he can’t get his childhood back. But as Steven said, “I could’ve done all that stuff. My problem isn’t that I’m a gem-“ (Greg’s reasoning for Steven not getting an education/healthcare/etc)

“- MY PROBLEM IS I’M A UNIVERSE!”

Around now, I’d like to restate my conclusion.  

 “In Mr Universe Steven lashes out on Greg due to association and feels inhuman. He also is too distracted with himself. Greg wrongly tries to compare himself to a situation he doesn’t know enough about.”

But where does his inhumanity come in?

Steven is now PAST his breaking point. Now he’s angry, angrier than he probably ever has been at his dad. His problem isn’t that he’s a gem. His problem is how he grew up; with no supervision, or curfew, or family dinners. (Remember together breakfast, where he had to beg the gems to just eat with him? And in When it rains, where he’s seemingly cooking his own dinner? He’s 14, he can make his own dinner. But how long has he been making them? Since he moved into the beach house?)

The van skids off the road. Steven blacks out, but when he comes around, he isn’t listening because now he just didn’t care. He may be disassociating, but I don’t believe I have anything concrete to prove this. A lot of people who have disassociated, however, have said that this is at least similar. (A ringing, muffled voices, not paying attention to anything).

Greg is talking about a tow truck, and ice cream, and saying it’ll all be okay. He says he is proud of Steven for telling him off, comparing himself again to Steven needlessly. “You’re having a hard time right now, a-and I get it!”

Greg does not get it though.

Steven is not listening anymore, either.

He deletes the picture.

Steven no longer believes he is human.

#Steven Universe #Greg Universe #Steven Universe Future #Mr Universe #steven universe analysis #Conclusive Interests #cartoon analysis #Steven universe future analysis #Feel free to correct me/send me what you think! I find this episode extremely interesting. #Or if I missed anything that would contribute to my point/conclusion. #Hope you enjoyed reading this :)! More to come as my hyperfixations fester.