History Recap / StevenUniverseS4E9ThreeGemsAndABaby

Greg tells Steven about their first winter together.

* ArcSymbol: Steven gets fussy when his onesie covers his gemstone, so Greg adjusts the buttons to expose it, in a way that looks like the diamond symbol.

* OffModel: Amethyst's current outfit is rounded at the bottom like her old outfits, instead of shredded. Considering she barely moves from her spot and her flashback self (who ''does'' have a rounded shirt) is prominent in the episode, it's understandable.

* HalfHumanHybrid: Much of the flashback deals with how Greg and even the Gems were confused at Steven's exact nature, not quite understanding that he's some sort of half-human/half-Gem hybrid (if it can even be described as that), especially after his gem glowed. The three Gems' interpretations range from the reasonably plausible (Garnet, thinking what happened is analogous to Gem fusion, which is ''loosely'' similar), to comically missing the point (Amethyst, thinking Rose just shape-shifted into baby form and got stuck), to the frankly ''murderous'' (Pearl, who thinks Rose is trapped inside Steven, literally in that his body surrounds her gemstone... and theorizes that removing the gemstone might restore Rose, ''not realizing it could kill the baby'').

* AdultFear:
** Greg, despite having money to care for Steven and being more responsible, is still new to the father business. On top of that, he's doing it while grieving for Rose; the song that accompanies this scene is called "I Could Never Be Ready."
** Greg has the Gems, apparent friends, take Steven, steal his van, and leave without saying anything to him.
** The Gems have zero experience dealing with children, and no experience of ever 'being' children. When it's becomes apparent to them that Steven isn't just Rose, they realize they have a small human they know nothing about taking care of.

** Greg, despite having money to care for Steven and being more responsible, is still new to the father business. He's reading up on the new task, and the song he accompanies it with is "I Could Never Be Ready".

* ChristmasEpisode: Zig-zagged, as this is a world where Christmas doesn't exist, but there are constant allusions. It aired on the first day of December, features heavy snowfall in both the past and present, and Greg holding Steven in his van, huddled in a blue blanket and surrounded by the Gems, is strongly reminiscent of a Nativity Scene (with Greg, Steven, and the Gems as Mary, Jesus, and the Three Wise Men, respectively). The Gems in the flashback even come bearing gifts!

* BornAsAnAdult: When Greg says that he never had a gem when he was a kid, Pearl sadly responds that they (Gems) never ''were'' kids. Because babies and children don't exist in Gem society, the Gems have no idea what kinds of gifts are appropriate for baby Steven, and get him things that are intended for adults (a shaving razor, a box of adult diapers and a dictionary.)

* BornAsAnAdult: When Greg says that he never had a gem when he was a kid, Pearl sadly responds that they (Gems) never ''were'' kids. Because babies and children don't exist in Gem society, the Gems have no idea what gifts are appropriate for baby Steven, and get him things that are intended for adults (a shaving razor, a box of adult diapers and a dictionary.)

* BornAsAnAdult: When Greg says that he never had a gem when he was a kid, Pearl sadly responds that they (Gems) never ''were'' kids.

* EasilyForgiven: Greg is angry that the Gems kidnapped Steven, but he quickly accepts their apology.

** Amethyst apparently spent an unknown amount of time ''in the form of a toilet.''

* BabiesMakeEverythingBetter: Deconstructed. In the flashback, it's clear that both Greg and the gems are ''scared'' by Steven, and they don't automatically love him - Pearl in particular just sees him as something between her and Rose, and even her ultimate decision not to tear his gem out is made for Rose's sake and not his. Steven ''did'' ultimately bring them together and help them grow and change - but it took time and hard work on both their part and his, rather than happening magically as soon as he was born.

* ForgottenFirstMeeting: This episode reveals that Garnet did once show Steven that she was a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, thinking that he was also a fusion. Justified as he was only a baby at the time, so he wouldn't be able to remember it.

* ForgottenFirstMeeting: This episode reveals that Garnet did once show Steven that she was a fusion of Ruby and Sapphire, thinking that he was also a fusion. Justified as he was only a baby at the time so he wouldn't be able to remember it.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Compared to the other flashback episodes, anyway, though "Awkwarder and Sadder" might be a better fit. Case in point: The three songs that opened the last flashback episodes were positive and rocky, while this one is downbeat and bittersweet.

** The Gems thought that Steven's babysitter kidnapped him (she really took him to the park). Their attempt of getting him back apparently involved throwing a ''jungle gym'' at her.

* RealityEnsues:
** Steven, having been only a baby at the time, has no memory whatsoever of the depicted events.
** Garnet unfuses in front of Steven as a demonstration, but as a baby, Steven [[NoObjectPermanence lacks object permanence]] and doesn't understand where Garnet went.
** Due to Steven being a one of a kind HalfHumanHybrid, both Greg and the Gems are confused when his gem glows. Greg worries it might be a fever while the Gems kidnap him, thinking it might be Rose trying to get out.

* BornAsAnAdult: When Greg says that he never had a gem when he was a kid, Pearl sadly responds that they (Gems) never 'were' kids

* StockSoundEffects: The sound of baby Steven crying when he wakes up is recycled from "Steven's Birthday".