Chapter Text
thoughts before rewatch:
i really liked the framing device of explaining everything to cherry quartz (especially since they acknowledged that approximately zero percent of what steven was saying made any sense whatsoever to her), and i feel like it might be setting up something about that infodump being a bit much? but if not that that's still cool, we'll see what happens
also, the diamond essence bottles? fucking fantastic (and practical!)
the whole thing with jasper was really interesting, especially since, like, it's clear she's tuned out everything anyone has ever tried to tell her about earth (like, "tiny green earthlings"? it's not that deep fam)
and then.... steven. my boy. after what amethyst just said about trying to fix everyone else, and then jasper digging at him as if he only thinks others need his help because he's so weak? there's a lot of emotions there, clearly, and i think pink steven (not gem!steven, just to be clear) is an amplification of those feelings? like, to me, it seemed like he was more, maybe, impulsive? while pink? that's probably not the right word exactly, but like, he was acting on that high emotion instead of thinking about what he was doing-- like, clearly, as soon as he did realize what he'd done, he want "oh shit" and stopped being pink. also, it didn't seem so much anger, like it seemed in the trailer, as, like... embarrassment? and a bit of anger in there, but that wasn't the main emotion. i think he has had those doubts about his powers and his worth for a long time (see steven vs. amethyst, as well as many other times), and even though he knows who he is ("i'm steven universe!"), he still hasn't confronted that as much as he needs to. so, being (in his mind) called out on his weakness would be a really hard thing to deal with, and in that moment, he would want it to be over with as soon as possible, which seemed like what pink powers was doing-- getting the fight over with, getting jasper to stop saying he was weak.
thoughts after rewatch:
the only thing i really have to add is that like, the things jasper's saying about steven– that he's never been able to beat her without his friends, or being a part of a fusion– are things that are true of, say, amethyst, as well, and he would never hold that against her. like, literally, in earthlings, he's talking about how they're both at the bottom of the totem pole, but they're got each other, so it doesn't matter. and maybe now it's a little different given that steven's, y'know, a diamond, but he's being so harsh on himself in a way that he's not to anyone else?? and like, yeah, that tends to be how it works, but it's still just like..... someone help my son and don't let him become a wyrmy boy