Steven Universe S05E23-E24, "Reunited"

[kate_nepveu]

Reunited, I see what you did there, show.

AH CLIFFHANGER AH

The Cluster coming out, before it formed into an arm, was very FMA.

And in a way it's fitting because this reunion between the Diamonds is the same kind of resolution that the Cluster was, of course! No fighty-fighty, meaningful mental and emotional connection. Via psychic ghost stuff. Is this a little repetitive? Yes. Is it maximally SU and therefore necessary? Yes.

Trying to go in a little bit more order:

That wedding, ugh so cute. Loved who wore the suit and who wore the dress. And everyone hanging out, and the song, it was great.

(I kind of can't with ex-Mayor Dewey/Jaime, however, because I have an intergenerational squick. Putting that aside.)

It's very satisfying when a show set things up well enough that you spot them just before they're explicit. Steven crying big tears with more than half the episode left? Hi, Blue!

Lapis! I knew you were coming back, and your timing is helpfully explained by the spy device thingie, so while I'm not surprised to see you, I am glad. And that was a great moment when you weren't affected by Blue's emotional whammy.

Steven leading with emotional support of all the non-poofed Crystal Gems in psychic space, that was so quick but so well done.

Is it possible that we might get out of this without anyone dying or being shattered? NOTE I deliberately turned off the TV before the promo, because we don't have a date for the last two episodes, but sheesh. Where are we going next? Where are we going to go for season six?! (Don't answer that.)

AH COME FLAIL WITH ME

Comments

[skygiants]

IF ANY SHOW can get us out of this without anyone dying or being shattered I believe that SU can!!!

(I have no idea if this is what they're going to do but I'm wondering if the last season conflict is going to be, like .... conflict between family members who care about each other and also are enemies? I assume that going on from here they are not going to try to kill Steven, in fact they will actively want to protect Steven, AND ALSO will still try to colonize Earth/oppress off-color Gems/continue all the unfortunate practices that have been ongoing for five thousand years, and somehow that will have to be dealt with .... like, what does that conflict look like when all the secrets are out and mysteries known and everyone still just genuinely disagrees?)

[kate_nepveu]

Yes, this is very true, the colonizing-planets-with-organic-life was a thing even pre-Pink!

Also: corruption; Jasper; and as below, White!

[rosefox]

MUCH FLAILING

The song is a vital anthem for our times, thank you, Crewniverse. And the suit and the dress and the suitdress! And BISMUTH'S ARMOR. We had to keep pausing to squee.

I am 100% shipping Bismuth/Peridot and I generally loved how much they did with Peridot, a character I usually find very annoying.

Poor Connie. The sword shattering must be so hard on her. And I missed Stevonnie—I can't imagine what the Diamonds would think of her! I was a tiny bit hoping they would all fuse into a megabeing but it was not to be.

Pink's wave of love overcoming both Blue's sorrow and Yellow's anger a) is extremely SU and b) makes me wonder what emotion White is. (And whether we'll see her before the end of the season.)

It's interesting that Steven's physical form appears to be almost invulnerable—there was no sign of injury on him at all—but when he's felled, for lack of a better term, he poofs like a Gem. At least I think that's what happened. But if he was in "poofspace", wouldn't Peridot and Lapis also be there, since they were poofed?

...will Steven re-form his physical self?!

I found it a bit disorienting to have SU, of all shows, rush through emotional development in favor of plot and action. But the plot and action sure were fun!

[skygiants]

lol I wrote my whole comment out above and COMPLETELY FORGOT WHITE DIAMOND WAS EVEN A THING

[rosefox]

She has really been Sir Not Appearing in This Film.

[thingswithwings]

yessss Bismuth/Peridot! It is such a sunshine ship!

[kate_nepveu]

I don't think that it could be poofspace because the poofed Gems weren't there and the unpoofed Gems were! I think it's psychic ghost nonsense, alternatively, connecting with consciousnesses. Or something.

I also do not think that Steven can poof and re-form his physical self, because it's not a projection of light, he gets bruises and such.

[boxofdelights]

I don't know much about the voice actors, but it sounds like Steven's singing has leveled up.

[kate_nepveu]

I thought it was lovely!

[thingswithwings]

Yes to all of this! I had the same feeling when Steven started crying, just "Oh, OH!!!" and then it happened. :D I love that the theme here is a wedding, which is OFTEN a time when different branches of the family have to reconcile - so the townspeople are there, and Greg, and . . . the Diamonds. Garnet's "so this is a wedding reception" made me laugh, because, yes, a wedding reception OFTEN involves fighting and weird combinations of relatives.

I was interested to see Peridot and Lapis get poofed, and I am excited to see how they reform - not just how they choose to look and what they choose to wear, but if they have stars on their outfits now. But for both of them it'll be the first time they've been able to make a choice about who they want to be.

The super-quick emotional support in psychic space was so cute - Steven yelled the same thing at Pearl that I am always yelling at Pearl! It was almost extra sweet because it was so quick - "we've been over this, Pearl, you're valuable and worth fighting for too, k bye!"

You're really right that this is ultra-SU as a way of dealing with the Diamonds. Not that no one punches anyone, but the punching is always just a way of buying time till the real emotional work can be done.

[rosefox]

Bismuth has stars on her armor! I am desperate for all the fanfic that's going to fill in the emotional processing gaps.

[thingswithwings]

Oh!!! I didn't notice that!

[kate_nepveu]

Oh, I missed that, thanks!

[kate_nepveu]

Excellent point about the wedding reception!

Oh, good point about the poof and re-form for Peridot and Lapis! (New opening theme, next season?)

[minoanmiss]

*beams*