Fridge / A Triangle in the Stars

Fridge Brilliance

• Bill spends most of the story utterly confused by kind, empathetic Steven. Canonically, he doesn't get empathy at all, if his interactions with Mabel and Stan are of any indication. BUT, take a look at what this story reveals of his past. He was raised in a horribly abusive family and equally horribly abusive, hierarchical realm. His adopted, literal and metaphorical star brother betrayed him, started treating him unkindly, just like the rest of them, sans Kryptos and Hectorgon, but what's two against millions? No wonder he doesn't understand Steven like he does everyone else when they don't display empathy. He's used to betrayal, deceit and ulterior motives!
  • Not only that, but he was or, rather, became a sociopath. He'd been out of touch with empathy for trillions of years. Of course he'd be confused and/or pained when he experiences it himself, inwardly or not.
• There was a gash on Bill's statue. Steven healed it with his spit. Later on, Bill himself doesn't act much like himself, as is pointed out in his introspection in Chapter Thirty-Two. The spit heals corruption, which is mental illness/insanity given physical attributes among Gemkind. The spit must have detected Bill's insanity as corruption and healed that too.
• Steven talks to Bill's statue as if it's alive. It seems funny but cute, but remember he's experienced his family in gem form before, Pearl especially. And he talked to her gem. Let that sink in.