TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Steven Universe

Go To

Mullon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
#49076: May 10th 2017 at 8:52:23 PM

I still don't like Lars.

Never trust anyone who uses "degenerate" as an insult.
thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#49077: May 10th 2017 at 9:22:56 PM

Colin Howard's "The Good Lars" promo comes with some surprising news: this was his last episode as a storyboard artist.

This may be related to how (this is from a leak but not any kind of spoiler) Zuke boarded "Stuck Together" solo. Molisee may be Liu's partner for their first episode of next season. But then, Zuke also left about halfway into boards for season five. This seems to be happening much faster than before—the last boarder to leave the show entirely was Jo back in early season two, and then Johnston was promoted to Supervising Director.

I can't figure out how this work, are these a sign of production winding down? Like maybe the guys who were boarders then got promoted to something higher (Morris, Sugar, Romanillos, the aforementioned Johnston) will go back to boarding episodes because they'll have more time. As I said before, we are getting to the point where the show will get more episode greenlit soon, or it will end with season five.

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49078: May 10th 2017 at 10:02:49 PM

Already? He's had like what, five episodes?

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49079: May 11th 2017 at 12:53:56 AM

The two minutes and screenshots of "Stuck Together" leaked already, right?

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
SilentColossus (Don’t ask)
#49080: May 11th 2017 at 12:57:20 AM

The entire episode is out as well. So be careful about spoilers.

edited 11th May '17 12:57:44 AM by SilentColossus

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49081: May 11th 2017 at 1:08:40 AM

Wait, officially or also by a leak?

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#49083: May 11th 2017 at 4:34:10 AM

It's on the website but not Video on Demand, so it may have been an accident.

Either, while I'm not sure to count this as a leak with regarding to TV Tropes examples, let's keep discussion in the spoiler thread for the same reason we kept it there for the last week.

Already? He's had like what, five episodes?
Counting the season four shorts as one episode, he boarded ten episodes.

edited 11th May '17 4:57:56 AM by thatother1dude

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49084: May 11th 2017 at 7:44:39 AM

Yeah that's what I thought, I just thought I was over shooting it a little.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
xanderiskander Since: Mar, 2012
#49085: May 11th 2017 at 9:49:07 AM

I've kind of realized the problem I have with the antagonists in this show. Most of them don't challenge Steven's morals & beliefs in any meaningful way, and the ones that do just get sidelined before he gets a chance to make a case for why they're wrong. Most of them have been too easy to convert (which has gotten stale after awhile), and the ones he can't overcome aren't that way because they oppose his beliefs and actions. They're that way because they oppose Rose's.

And the thing is it doesn't have to be that way. There are ways they could challenge Steven's morals without using generic black and white villains. They could put him up against prejudice, and inequality but the show likes the pretend it doesn't exist. They could put him up against a character that beleives Status Quo Is God, and tries to prove to him that people don't really change by making some of his newer allies betray him. And I'm sure there's routes I haven't thought of they could take too.

edited 11th May '17 9:51:27 AM by xanderiskander

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#49086: May 11th 2017 at 9:55:08 AM

But the truth is that Steven's newer allies are essentially out of options, as Jasper pointed out: a bunch of strays, misfits, and outlaws. That, and there's nothing Homeworld can offer them that they really want, as far as we know. They didn't change so much as bloom. They expressed sides of themselves they didn't know they had, underwent experiences they didn't know existed.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Bocaj Funny but not helpful from Here or thereabouts (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Pining for the fjords
Funny but not helpful
#49088: May 11th 2017 at 9:59:58 AM

We had Navy betray Steven.

Forever liveblogging the Avengers
xanderiskander Since: Mar, 2012
#49089: May 11th 2017 at 10:03:07 AM

[up][up][up]And that's actually another problem with the show. Once those new characters "bloomed" they stopped doing anything. So they have to keep introducing new characters to keep the show interesting,

Nothing seriously challenges Steven after that. None of the new characters have any long term issues integrating. It's resolved in an episode or two, and then they're mostly forgotten barring a couple cute episodes that acknowledge they still exist. And if any of them have hang ups that would cause them to actually harm someone or cause a conflict, they just get sealed away so he doesn't have to deal with it.

edited 11th May '17 10:12:42 AM by xanderiskander

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#49090: May 11th 2017 at 10:12:47 AM

Good point. Gems without a mission tend to act like retirees. Lots of wasted potential there. Not that farming and the fine arts aren't interesting, but they don't bring much conflict.

I'd like to see some Cut Lex Luthor a Check moves. Like Lapis learning to use her powers for human society. But there's nothing humanity can give her that she seems to want, either...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49091: May 11th 2017 at 10:25:20 AM

And if any of them have hang ups that would cause them to actually harm someone or cause a conflict, they just get sealed away so he doesn't have to deal with it.

Remember that this is Steven "Waited two seasons before bringing back Centipeetle" Universe. They're coming back eventually, hang-ups and all.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#49092: May 11th 2017 at 11:44:06 AM

Most of them don't challenge Steven's morals & beliefs in any meaningful way
the ones he can't overcome aren't that way because they oppose his beliefs and actions. They're that way because they oppose Rose's.
First of all, antagonists can contribute to character development without introducing moral ambiguity. Just the threat of Homeworld has (especially near the end of the first season and beginning of the second) been used as a tool to address the issue of coping with an uncertain future.

Second, dealing with people hurt by Rose's actions has introduced an element of moral dilemma because Steven doesn't know if he should make the same compromises she did.

They could put him up against prejudice, and inequality but the show likes the pretend it doesn't exist.
What are you talking about?

(which has gotten stale after awhile)
It hasn't happened since since two seasons ago. Steven befriending his enemies has failed more than it succeeded by this point.

RhymeBeat True colors from Eastern Standard Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: In Lesbians with you
True colors
#49093: May 11th 2017 at 11:55:41 AM

Yeah I'm actually kind of sick of the moral "Steven can't reach out to everyone" because at this point is beating a dead horse to the point where you question if it was ever alive. Steven's only real successes so far are Lapis and Peridot, and the former is a pretty half-hearted redemption where Steven and Peridot are the only C Gs she actually likes.

The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#49094: May 11th 2017 at 11:59:41 AM

And she was his friend before she was his enemy.

xanderiskander Since: Mar, 2012
#49095: May 11th 2017 at 12:03:20 PM

First of all, antagonists can contribute to character development without introducing moral ambiguity. Just the threat of Homeworld has (especially near the end of the first season and beginning of the second) been used as a tool to address the issue of coping with an uncertain future.
And the thing is there's not really any conflict there, because we're essentially just waiting for them to do something, and we don't have any reason to expect anything Homeworld does to the Earth to stick.

What are you talking about?
They use homeworld as a backdrop for those things, but he's never challenged with any of those issues by the human characters.

And the show doesn't want to acknowledge any human fault in history. They basically rewrote Columbus, and have seemingly erased religion altogether with there being no holidays.

edited 11th May '17 12:07:59 PM by xanderiskander

thatother1dude from Land of the Ill, Annoyin' Since: Jan, 2001
#49096: May 11th 2017 at 12:12:44 PM

he's never challenged with any of those issues by the human characters.
Except Marty and Kevin, who are both enormous sexists, with the latter's behavior bordering on sexual harassment.

xanderiskander Since: Mar, 2012
#49097: May 11th 2017 at 12:16:37 PM

Marty and Sourcream had nothing to do with him. And he basically just ignored Kevin, he didn't really challenge him. Steven just decided he doesn't have to deal with him.

Those are the only episodes that really attempted it, and they were really weak ones.

edited 11th May '17 12:24:16 PM by xanderiskander

Crossover-Enthusiast from an abaondoned mall (Lucky 7) Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#49098: May 11th 2017 at 12:49:27 PM

And he basically just ignored Kevin, he didn't really challenge him. Steven just decided he doesn't have to deal with him.
After spending the entire episode hating his guts and wanting to show him up.

Jawbreakers on sale for 99¢
SilentColossus (Don’t ask)
#49099: May 11th 2017 at 1:01:38 PM

and the former is a pretty half-hearted redemption where Steven and Peridot are the only C Gs she actually likes.

What does liking the CG have anything to do with whether she was "redeemed" or not? She is still firmly on Steven's side, and regrets stealing the ocean.

xanderiskander Since: Mar, 2012
#49100: May 11th 2017 at 1:37:00 PM

To be clear I don't hate the show, I just wanted to point out what's been bothering me lately. I feel like I'm just bashing the show at this point though by explaining myself so I'll stop.


Total posts: 63,336
Top