Channel Awesome
Garnet’s big secret is finally revealed. What are Doug and Rob’s thoughts on it? Check out today’s Vlog on Episode 52 of Steven Universe – Jail Break.
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The way I saw it, the reason the reveal was so big was because it puts all of Garnet’s actions in a different light. The character that we thought was one was actually two characters all along. And as for us only seeing Ruby and Sapphire for a few minutes, we’ve already seen plenty of them from the beginning, because they are what make up Garnet.
Well said.
Exactly. I couldn’t believe how Doug and Rob completely managed to miss it.
It really puts that phone call garnet had with connies parents in perspective. Who panicked?
Oh no the children are bleeding there dead.
Also, Garnet’s song doubled as a form of character development, specifically developing how it feels to be the kind of fusion she is. Evey episode that has brought up fusion has also brought up how big of a deal it is, that you’re sharing your entire being with someone, and the fusions we’ve seen have always been in only one episode, and usually don’t get a ton of dialogue, so up till now we haven’t got a great idea of what being a fusion for an extended period feels like.
Couldn’t have said it better, yes .. we already know a lot about Ruby and Sapphire because they ARE Garnet, i don’t know how they missed this.
Also, speaking of character development, the song “Stronger than You” IS chuck full of character development for Garnet, she is finally open about who she really is, she expresses pride and joy about the fact she is a fusion and taunts her opponent about it while saying very interesting lines like that she is more than the two of them and that she is everything they care about, or my fav line “I’m the fury, i’m the patience, I’m a conversation” (damn, i love this line so much).
All these lines clearly explain who she is, what she feels and puts all her previous actions and interactions in a very new light … how is that NOT character development i really don’t know.
Just to be nit-picky, Garnet is saying “I’m their fury, I’m their patience”. This illustrates one of the best parts of the song, how Garnet is constantly switching between first person and third person plural pronouns. And for me, one of the more interesting lyrics is “And I won’t let you hurt my planet”. As we’ve learned more about the Gems, we’ve seen how they seemed to be more loyal to Rose than to Earth or humanity, but this line is one of the first and few straight confirmations that at least Garnet has fully adopted Earth as her home.
Yeah… this episode was a lot better before everyone started holding up as THE GREATEST EVAR and could just appreciate for what it is: a very good cap off to a season that wraps up most of the most pressing plot threads and leaves enough open to make a good second season. Personally, I still love Garnet’s song and the fight, perhaps even more than the Walkers, but, being honest, I kind of prefer “Ocean Gem,” if only because Lapis was a bit more of an interesting nemesis than Jasper. I realize getting turned off by something by it being too popular might come off as horrifically hipster, but it’s not like I preferred “Jail Break” at first and then changed my mind, and it just gets exhausting having to deal with people being at a 11 when you’re at an 8. Still, it’s a great episode and a nice climax to the events of the season. It does sort of lose its meaning when it’s the first thing you see, though…
Have to agree. When I first saw this (regular watcher from the start), I was super afraid of this episode becoming Steven Universe’s “Blink.” I do enjoy it, but there was so much of a great show to enjoy up to that point. A bunch of people suddenly pouring in because “something happened” is not a logic I can get behind.
The reason I found Jasper more interesting as an enemy was because she was the first enemy that wasn’t morally grey like Lapis or a aloof worker like Peridot. Jasper was the first opponent that directly and physically outmatched them and couldn’t be reasoned with.
I’m not surprised the hype killed it. This reciew is the Ice King’s glasses all over again.
I think they’re just over thinking it. That Garnet was a fusion was the big bomb of this episode. Of course we’ll find out more about Ruby and Sapphire later, but we just learned a lot about one of the main characters. And the heart of the episode was in the song, so I was disappointed hearing them refer to it as “just a fight.”
Rob, you habe no idea what the relationship between Rose and Pearl is, because all the hints till now go right over your head. You are lucky because in the next 20 ep the hints will become so obvious that no one can ignore them.
Honestly, I’m sad the hyper killed the enjoyment of this episode, but they aren’t wrong either. It’s a building up of a bigger story with who Garnet is.
That being said, I adore this episode for the song most of all. It gave insight into Garnet, plus the voice actor is the one who sang it. That was the big moment for me.
I do hope they keep going on these Vlogs because from here, the show really takes off.
I think the issue with Rob’s thinking of Rose and Pearl being a lot more compelling than Ruby and Sapphire right now is the fact that neither Rob or Doug are considering the context of Ruby/Sapphire or Rose/Pearl in the gems’ societies (because they haven’t quite hit that point in the series where they go in depth into it). They’re not quite picking up the subtle drops that the crewniverse drops either – they’re immediately assuming things in relation to how things are usually presented in the media. Which is okay! But it kind of keeps them from assuming or thinking other possibilities… and Steven Universe is ALL about challenging conventional kids’ show media. Rob is immediately interpreting Pearl’s love for Rose (rightly so) as romantic love but he’s not considering Rose past the (incredibly) biased perspective that Pearl tends to often present to us.
These two seem incredibly susceptible to hype. You can see it in a lot of Doug’s videos and I guess it extends to his brother too. It kind of blinds them to the stuff that is in the episode. They focus on one aspect of the episode instead of what everything builds to.
The fight was full of character development since it was about a couple taking on a greater threat than either one of them can face on their own. Reducing it to “just a fight” seems laughable.
They did make the good point that it didn’t really make much sense for Garnet to be so easily defeated (poofed) in the last episode, but suddenly now that her secret is revealed she has the special power to kick Jasper’s butt, and with a smile? It was a very anime thing to do, when a character suddenly gets some kind of extra strength or power enough to win their battle through the power of Heart!, or being reminded of what they’re fighting for, or because they needed a reason to shout (in this case sing) about what makes them so much better than their enemy. And not a moment before!
Well, there’s that, and also Garnet didn’t know about the destabilizer before. One could argue that once she knew about that she could fight Jasper more effectively.
I’m thinking that maybe Garnet used future vision to see the outcome of the battle and realized that letting herself be defeated was the best option because, after reforming and fusing again, they would be able to destroy the ship from the inside. Remember, Peridot can contol the ship without even having to be inside and Steven got exhausted after blocking the first shot. Even if Garnet defeated Jasper, Peridot still had the ship.
Garnet was easily defeated the first time because Jasper had a weapon that she had never even heard of. The second time around she had time to figure out its weaknesses, and without it Jasper is no different from the warrior gems of old. The gem technology may have advanced, but their own abilities have not.
I also figured that Garnet, having newly refused, was full of Love and positive feelings as apposed to the fear from earlier. And since we know that 1. Gems are influenced by their emotions and 2. Fusions are expressions of a relationship, Garnet was tangibly more powerful than before.
I figured I’d include this as a separate comment since the topic has become so big it’s kind of eclipsed the episode itself. I thought the reveal that Garnet was, in fact, a permanent fusion was neat and surprising… but not exactly earth-shattering. I enjoyed it, but I honestly enjoyed the following song and battle sequence far more as a part of the episode. Honestly, the reveal about what happened to the fallen Crystal Gems (those who know, know) was a lot more shocking for me, and also a lot more intriguing, although that may just reflect my fondness for dark turns. I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoilers.
As for the Ruby/Sapphire thing… Look, I’m as big a fan of LGBTIQ (is that all the initials?) rights as most right-minded people (right as in correct, not politically), but, if I’m being honest, I’m kind of tired of people flipping out in joy when a non-straight couple is confirmed in a show’s canon. I’m happy about the shifting cultural landscape too, but I got really annoyed when, for instance, the lingering look between Asami and Korra completely overshadowed the rest of the events of the show’s finale in most of the reviews and vlogs. Maybe it’s just because I hear so much of that kind of thing that it’s not that big a deal for me personally (I know, I’m privileged, but I can’t help that), but I prefer analyzing the relationship as a story element over its place in the cultural landscape. That’s why I agree with the Walker brothers that the Ruby/Sapphire thing is better than the Korra/Asami thing, because here we actually can talk about that. I guess what I’m saying is, while I’m usually happy whenever diversity is represented in a show without over-stereotyping (measured stereotypes can be useful, especially in rapidly communicating concepts or characters), that’s pretty much just what I expect, not what makes me giddy. It’s more a thing that I just kind of accept unless its blotched, so it doesn’t win many points from me, if any. Sorry if that offends anyone.
so you are tired of people being overjoyed when we see themselves represented in mainstream media, a thing that helps validate our existence? especially representation that younger kids will see, so maybe the currently staggeringly high rate of teen lgbtqia+ suicides will go down?
i’m not offended. i’m disgusted.
*we see ourselves
why does this site not let us edit comments sheesh
I think their point was that these kinds of relationships are viewed as so commonplace and normal by most of the adult audience of this show that the gender of characters in a relationship is not relevant to the story being told. Not to speak for anyone, that’s just how I see it. And I think the creators as well since that’s how it’s treated in the story.
I personally didn’t even think about it as anything beyond the actual point, which is that Garnet was actually a fusion all along, which is very compelling and interseting
Depends on the bubble you live in. For many it’s hard to be open about your sexuality because you can be alienated by everyone around you. There’s a high amount of suicides in young people because they aren’t accepted in the society they live in. There’s are families that shame or disown their children for being gay.
Having representation in media is important for starting a conversation and normalizing non-traditional relationships, gender roles, etc. It should be celebrated because it creates a circle of acceptance. The media shows that it should be accepted, that these people are people and that it’s normal. People should celebrate creators willingness to have representation in their works. And when creators see that celebration they become less skittish and allow for more representation. And the cycle of acceptance continues until society at large is more inclusive.
We need a KorrAsami or whatever their portmanteau as well as a Ruby/Sapphire because it leads to a cartoon with larger representation. It normalizes something that should be seen as normal. So when people say they are sick of hearing people being loud and happy because they FINALLY see themselves in a cartoon or video game or movie or whatever then it shows that they’ve completely missed the point. For so long they’ve been the butt of jokes or represented by harmful stereotypes and you’re gonna downplay it when they’re shown as normal? That’s disgusting.
GreekJR: Sorry I didn’t mention you in the other post; you appeared as I was typing.
I fear I might be repeating myself, but I don’t resent anyone for discussing the presence of LGBTIQ characters, or for being happy at there being more of them. I just would prefer that such discussion doesn’t overwhelm any discussion had of the story. I’m also glad that the old stereotypes are being defanged, but is it so much to ask that that not be the only thing we talk about when we discuss these stories? Shouldn’t what the story is actually be about be at least somewhat as relevant to a review of that story as its LGBTIQ cultural importance?
Also, on the topic of downplaying: the episode downplays it too. The relationship is presented as normal, not exceptional. Which is important, because downgrading/upgrading LGBTIQ relationships from exceptional to normal is, of course, vital to normalization. It is, again, not something unworthy of been lingered upon, but there was so much else to dig into this episode (see my response to lacking_psilosynine) that it vexes me that all that was ignored for something that the episode itself doesn’t treat as extraordinary, even if our current cultural climate does make it so.
In short, such relationships should absolutely be commended, and definitely discussed, but not, in my opinion, to the exclusion of everything else.
GreekJR: Sorry to offend if I did so, that wasn’t my intention. I’m only trying to say that people, like the Walkers, seem to be ignoring most of the actual character building ideas of this episode to focus instead on something that, in my opinion, is not really very relevant to the episode, regardless of how people feel about said topic in real life.
This show doesn’t try to make statements or change minds. At the most it gives undercurrents and more general themes on LOVE, without gender being an issue. Which, in my opinion, is the best way to handle said topics, treat everyone the same, because people are just people, no matter what category others want to put them in. The creators aren’t making some huge declaration of some kind, they are writing characters in a real and natural way, and doing very well at it. The fact that they way they portray their characters makes some people feel better about themselves is fantastic, but it has less to do with the actual show and more about the staff being very modern in their viewpoints on gender, which is to say, these things should be a normal part of life. That’s how it’s written, as just normal, not as a huge deal.
My point is that this episode is very much about the relationship between two characters, and not the genders of those characters. If you enjoy that relationship and can relate to it, and want to talk about how it made you feel to see it, awesome, please do so. In the context of a review or discussion of the episode, this is much more relevant than a discussion of the evolution how people are portrayed in media, as important as that may be.
lacking_psilosynine: I wasn’t saying that people shouldn’t be happy about diversity being represented, I was just saying that I’m annoyed when discussion of that representation overwhelms all discussion of the story itself. Especially when the gender of the characters being romantically involved is ancillary to the episode, as was the case here and with Korra. As I said, I’m happy to see diversity get more representation, but it annoys me when when reviewers I watch to learn their opinions of a story focus instead on an aspect that, while relevant, is, in these cases, secondary at most to the themes and focuses of the tale in question. I’m glad LGBTIQ relationships are getting more coverage, and I certainly would like to avoid suicides, but there is other stuff to talk about here that I feel is often neglected by reviewers. For instance, here’s a brief list of things also important to the episode that was glossed over due to the LGBTIQ in most reviews: Steven’s unique nature as a half-breed that makes him immune to the Homeward weapons and the commentary that might have on the mixed culture now existing in many post-colonial countries; the disgust the Homeward Gems feel about fusion as an allegory for their stunted and colonialist emotional perspective; the adaptability of the Crystal Gems to quickly overcome clearly advanced tech and the importance the teaches to kids about persistence; the Jasper/Lapis fusion as an allegory for poisonous relationships; and, most pressingly, how the seemingly opposite personalities of Ruby and Sapphire combine into making Garnet as a metaphor for how love can both bring out our traits and suppress them, and how those traits can resurface when a couple is apart. All of that would have also made for interesting points of discussion ALONGSIDE, not in place of, the importance this has to the LGBTIQ community. I don’t ask that Garnet’s place as a lesbian icon be ignored, only that maybe we could also talk about some of that other stuff too. Also, and this is a nitpick, but your post’s tone suggests that you are in fact both offended and disgusted. I’m frankly not sure how an internet post could disgust but not offend someone.
LucasWest: I clarified my views for the most part in the response above, but I have to say I don’t think LGBTIQ rights have been extended to the point were such relationships are exactly common in the eyes of many, which is sad, but is also why it good to discuss such relationships, just not to the point where it overwhelms all other discussion. It is interested that the show doesn’t dwell on it, though, which I think is good; for LGBTIQ relationships to become normalized, some shows need to portray them as normal, not as something to be heavily remarked upon.
Yeah, my point was more that the adults who watch this show are less likely to be surprised by something like this, regardless of the global awareness. As you said, the fact that their gender isn’t even a thing in the show is what makes it a good portrayal in the first place.
I guess you can you call garnet a lesbian icon,but the thing is the gems have no gender. They are not female or male. They are just gems.
you should not be overjoyed over something that is considered normal
Funny thing is in terms of the lore itself, Ruby and Sapphire are status quo in their feelings while Greg and Rose would be divergent.
Which is the other weird thing about it. I don’t know if the creators are trying to do something for the LGBTIQ community or not. Clearly their relationship has significance in the eyes of our society without context but in context it is like being mad or overjoyed that flatworms are asexual.
Not necessarily. Fusion is seen as a disgrace, and its implied Homeworld Gems hate the concept of love.
Good point but also not necessarily true. Lapis in her message said that homeworld was very different. So while we have indications from the other gems we have seen, things may have gone south on homeworld and a world of love and peace turned into one of conquest and dominace.
What I am trying to say is that Gem Nazis are a distinct possibility.
Hm… The main issue is that we don’t know who imprisoned Lapis or when. It seems like she was ancient even to the Crystal Gems, so it’s possible the world she remembers hasn’t existed for eons. Sort of imagine if a Han Dynasty scholar somehow got transported to modern China; there’d be a few things they recognize, but not much. Perhaps Lapis was imprisoned just as the Gem interstellar colonization project began, and was thus unprepared for the ruthless lengths the modern Gems colonists would go to.
The reason I’m hedging my bets here is because we know the Fusion Project was started by the Homeward Gems once Rose’s rebellion became majority problematic. Given how well the Crystal Gems have been protecting Earth, it seems likely that the Project was started before the Homeward Gems fled, and has been running automatically ever since. Given that that was several hundred years ago, it feels like Homeworld has been evil for quite some time…
True it definitely could have been a long time ago. I think fusion was commonplace in Homeworld but then some incident went against fusion in favor of other technology and “efficent” fusions.
One thing I have noticed (and I am sure someone has written this down somewhere) is that the power, stability, and humanoid properties of the Gem fusion depends on the personalities of the fusers.
So Garnet is an excellent fusion. Powerful, almost perfectly stable, and aside from the extra eye and extra gem looks “normal”.
Opal, was strong, fairly stable, and pretty “normal looking”. I believe Amethyst’s and Pearl’s personalities balanced each other out
Sugillite was strong, violent, and very crazy looking. Garnet’s violence and Amethyst’s crazy nature magnified each other.
Malachite situation was really forced and the fusion blew up in a horrible way.
Exactly. The internet seems to have a bad habit of fixating on representation as if it were the narrative rather than just a part of it.
Is it just me, or are Doug and Rob not talking about Steven alot? Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not saying that HATE him or anything. They did say he was a good character. I guess I’m weirded out since he’s the MAIN CHARACTER and they don’t seem to talk about him alot. Especially since he did actually save the gems and helped them escape in this episode. No biggie, I’m sure they’re gonna talk about him in the upcoming episodes.
I think that’s the point of the earlier season 2 episodes like Full Disclosure and Joy Ride. The show and Steven have been focusing a lot on the Gems, and now we’re going to start to see the consequences, especially now that the stakes have been raised.
My favorite part of the episode was the song, and it didn’t even get a mention. Also, Peridot is now on earth, we know why the gems don’t fuse all the time, we got to see Lapis (and feel for her a bit)… but most importantly, we now know why all the gems are on earth. Rose did it to save humanity, pearl did it for rose, amethyst didn’t get a choice, and garnet was a ‘pervert.’
Also, what is this lesbian reveal non-sense? If the gems are girls, then all the fusions were lesbian. Gems don’t have a gender, sex organs, or reproduce through sex.
IMO, the whole value of the show is to question assumptions by forcing you to apply your assumptions to aliens. The concept that fusion is wrong or gross never crossed my mind until Jasper and Peridot found it repulsive. This has a direct parallel to sex. To an alien, does it make sense that sex is taboo? It begs other questions too. What are the races of the gems? What are the classes of the gems? What are their genders? What are their ages? If you had no problems with the gems before, do any of those labels really matter?
So you missed the part where they mentioned the song, then? It was brief, but they did.
The reason why people equate Garnet to a lesbian relationship is because even though they don’t have sexual organs, being fused full-time is the equivalent of being in a full-on relationship while just being fused for battle is more equated to just working together as friends. Not only does it work for a parallel with a real-world issue since it’s undeniable that that is what this is meant to convey, but it also makes sense from an in-universe perspective since we do see that this type of relationship does change how gems act for better or for worse and this would logically be a scary thought to the gems. That some people can just get together and be changed as a person.
Also, it does open up quite a few doors that are explored later on pertaining to embodiment of forced rape and abusive relationships with Malachite and the Fusion Experiments, but those are up to the interpretation of the viewer.
I agree that they have a long term relationships on a level that surpasses even rose and pearl. But if they are female, then we must consider that any and all relationships between this all female group to be homosexual. I don’t mind it, but it means the reveal of Garnet isn’t special because of it’s LGBT implications.
I also agree that it is meant to be a sex parallel. Where we differ seems to be whether it is reasonable for the gems to be repulsed or afraid of fusion. I think the way it has been introduced to us as both a tool and a relationship shows very clearly that happy healthy fusion is perfectly fine. And like all malicious things, violent fusion can be very unhealthy. So I think that’s the real reveal, how sex is viewed, not the possibly lesbian relationship.
You’re talking about aliens that resemble specifically female Homo sapiens, on a show made by Homo sapiens.
The “they’re aliens so it doesn’t apply” bullshit can only fly for so long.
In the end, I don’t think gender really matters to the gems, I don’t think that lesbians should label them as lesbians because they don’t identify as human. You’re forcing human characteristics onto them that have been repeatedly shown not to apply to them. If a lesbian wants to relate to them I encourage them as much as I would a heterosexual person. All we can say for sure is that they are an amazing relationship, they have a relationship that everyone can relate to, whether or not they are homosexual or heterosexual. The relationship doesn’t fall into the normal binary relationship (heterosexual/homosexual) that people are used to, you might even say that their relationship is an entirely new one.
On another note I only consider them female because that is what they identify as (I kind of think of them as transgender from aliens instead of previously being the opposite gender), I wont consider their relationship as a lesbian relationship unless they say that that is how they would define it, I also don’t think Greg and Rose were in a heterosexual relationship… Well maybe Greg was.
Maybe I am giving too much credit to the writers in my faith that they will not let their social biases interfere with the message and events in the show.
Thank you the gems are not anything.Male or female. What your suppose to take away is the relationship not the gender espcially when there isint any. Also the fact the gems never identify as female. Gems see each other as gems. They dont see things like gender and age.
Really? I could have sworn that they refer to each other as she/her throughout the series? They definitely don’t use our human concept of age though.
Na the she/her thing is never meant to mean they see themselves as females. I remember sugar saying something along the lines of they could easily be called he/him as well. They just look female so the gems went with that,but since gems really dont see gender you can call them him and they would be fine with it. Plus it makes writing a whole lot easier. Could you imagaine using they/it or just their names constally in writing.
That is, I think, the point. We are meant to think about their gender, and try and project labels, and through a failure to properly categorize them as gay, women, wealthy, old meant to accept them as they are. Then, once you’ve accepted these categories don’t matter or apply to them, we’re exposure to their original society and their views on their analogs of race / class, sex, family, etc. In so doing it becomes natural to reflect on how we categorize our society. Their society says it’s wrong, regardless of gender, and the audience knows otherwise. Love is love.
So I say again. They have no gender despite looking human. That’s part of the point, we struggle with it because we’re meant to question the system.
If you’re interested in the pearl – rose – greg dynamic, you’ll probably like episode 61, “We need to talk”.
Also, fun fact for Rob and Doug (if they ever read this): If you watch Fusion Cuisine and keep your eye on Alexandrite as she separates, you can catch the silhouettes of Sapphire and Ruby in the separating glowing mess right before they become Garnet and hit the ground.
Ok, I haven’t watched the vlog yet, but do they spend most of it talking about how they think the point of the Ruby and Sapphire reveal is that they’re both girls? They tend to take marginally important aspects of shows and use them as talking points, rather than analyse the story and characters, like when they talked about the Korra ending. They will probably talk about that too.
The thing that made the fandom explode wasn´t that Ruby and Saphire are lesbians, but the fact that Garnet is a fusion.
It was a popular headcannon b/c of the clues (like her having 2 gems, on on each hand, instead of 1), and after it was officially cannon, people went crazy. Also it was confirmed the same week they premiered the Gravity Falls episode when they reveal Stan´s twin brother and the KND announced it´s possible spin-off G:KND
Whats G:KND??? I just googled it! Is this real?!?
To answer your question, Rob, you currently have 21 episodes (about half a season) to go before you’re all caught up.
It’s too bad you guys got hype backlash from this episode, though it makes me very grateful that I managed to see it when it first premiered and could see it with fresh eyes. But if I had discovered the show later like you guys and everyone was going on and on about it…yeah, I probably would’ve been a touch disappointed.
What’s funny is that this episode came out the same week as ‘Not What He Seems’ in Gravity Falls where the author was revealed, so we got two big fan theories revealed to be true in one week. That was fun.
Rod: The fight should have been two minutes shorter!
Umm, the fight was two and a half-minutes.
Also, please consider getting a commenting system that lets one self-edit their posts?
Thanks.
I wouldn’t mind an up/down voting system to help hide spoilers from people who don’t want to see them.
The song was my favorite part and I really felt it was the center of the episode. Because yeah the ruby and sapphire thing was an omg moment, but it’s what they do with it results in the song stronger than you.
Which you should maybe listen to again and appreciate the lyrics. For me personallu it’s one of those things that needs a repeat, I swear i feel/learn something different every time I listen to it
For fuck sake stop with the nothing happened this episode bit at this point it is just pissing people off or at least me and one other person so stop beating the dead horse. Honestly I might be done with these if I hear that one more fucking time.
Dragon Loki didn’t get angry or anything.. nah… he’s just gonna continue watching these as normal. That’s what happened. Yep.
no I am serious they do it in another heavy episode I’m done.
Seriously, it’s REALLY annoying. It’s not funny, nor was it ever and they really need to stop it.
I’m feeling the same way. If they do it one more time, I quit watching these. I’m almost ready to stop watching them already, with how they’re being so condescending towards the fans in every. single. vlog.
That was just my lame attempt at doing the sarcastic “nothing happened” thing except towards you. You can smack me if you want.
Ok I do think it’s annoying and not funny, but I don’t see why it’s a reason to stop watching them. It only makes up a tiny part of the vlog.
Sorry you hate it, but try to remember they don’t do the vlogs for the sole entertainment of one person. I keep seeing this mentality rolling around and it drives me nuts ._. I still think it’s amusing, I like running gags though.
It’s a shame you both had the episode watered down by fan build up. I got to watch it ‘raw’ without pre-knowledge and found Garnet’s transformation incredible! When Doug was talking about viewing the previous episodes with this knowledge of Garnet I’m surprised he didn’t mention the previous episode. Looking back to “The Return” was the first thing I did. “Oh, so Garnet wasn’t destroyed by that weapon shattering into two pieces she was split into the damaged Ruby and Sapphire. Whoa”. Garnet’s three eyes aside I thought it would be seeing two gems fall not one that would give away she was a fusion.
The fact that she’s voiced by a popstar is another give away since all of the fusions sans Malachite are popstars.
I agree with them. The fanbase for this show kind of almost kills the show. I heard all this hype, how amazing the show was, etc. I started watching it when they started the vlogs (though I’ve seen almost all of them now) and yeah, it’s a nice show. That’s it. There’s some cool episodes/concepts/characters, but most of it is just alright. It’s not bad. It’s not amazing. But I feel like I might’ve liked it more if it didn’t have all the hype, so I wouldn’t think about what it could have been.
I think if it took itself more seriously like an anime, instead of a typical American kids show, it would probably be amazing. It could’ve focused on plot and characters more. There’s so much potential that the reality is disappointing.
Not really sure about your point since the show is very character driven and takes everything regarding relationships and characters very seriously.
I guess seriously meaning makes it more of the main focus. Most episodes are basically typical kid show stuff speckled with small bits of plot/character development. Not saying every episode has to have something amazing happen, but I feel like I’ve barely learned anything plot wise compared to the amount of episodes I’ve watched.
Adventure time does something similar with the small bits of plot thing, but I don’t know what it is but I just enjoy it more. Maybe because I started liking it because the creativity/silliness of each episode, and then learned about something “more”. With this show the normal stuff of each episode isn’t that interesting to me. At least for season 1, but that’s most of the episodes that have been released. However I guess because its established itself more, but I like season 2 so far more than 1. I’m just rambling haha.
Honestly I felt this episode was way too overhyped, sure there is quite a bit of good stuff in it but to me it really didn’t feel like it deserved even half the praise it gets. As for Garnet being a fusion I kinda figured that out by myself back in “Coach Steven” when you see Garnet and Amethyst fuse into Sugilite, you can quite clearly see 3 gems amongst the light and with the other clues already given it just seemed like that would be the case and lo and behold when I reached Jail Break I turned out to be right.
Rebecca and Ian are on record saying that Steven is the only male gem, and that Rose shapeshifted herself a womb so that she could bring him to term.
Also to answer your question at the end about gay males in kids shows: In the movie Paranorman, the older brother(I think) who the girl crushes on is gay. It’s basically just a joke at the end but it still counts I think.
also, the Cartoon Network show Clarence has a gay couple in it
and they made their first appearance BEFORE the LoK finale
and yes, they appeared again since then
i think it makes sense the tazer thing jasper had didn’t work again. garnet and the other gems have never seen that type of gem-tech before in part 1, so here in part 2 they’re a little more prepared for it.
Once again, hype can ruin things….
This was actually the first episode I saw as well, so like Doug I knew the twist going in. However, I still thought it added a very interesting dimension to Garnet’s character even knowing from the beginning, especially during the fusion episodes (which was something I still didn’t understand until I saw the whole show). So I guess I don’t mind so much that it got spoiled for me.
But yeah, I could see where the hype would ruin it. But I think aside from the twist people also regard this episode as just a general turning point where the show started getting even more interesting. Season 2 has a lot fewer filler episodes (No Lars so far and only one Ranaldo!) and in the newest ones there are some very intriguing developments for several characters.
Personally the ones I’m always most excited for you guys to review are the Greg/Rose episodes (another one is coming up soon!). It’s fascinating to see more of what Rose was like, especially since she is so highly regarded by the other gems.
No, you don’t understand! Ruby and Sapphire are cousins. COUSINS!!
What I liked about the reveal of Garnet being actually two midget (sort of) lesbians stacked together is that they basicly told the audience all the time whats up (3 eyes, two gems, being overjoyed when Steven and Connie fuse) and much like in Hot Fuzz we where still surprised. SU is really one of the shows where paying attention pays off big time.
Since Doug brought it up: I think the problem with Korra and Asami was that they didn’t interacted much with eachother in Book 4 in a meaningful way. I honestly had to rewatch Book 3 after the ending to make sure I didn’t missed anything (I didn’t it’s just that Book 4 lacked interaction). They did build it up but had issues incorporating the continuation into the further story. Also, they announced that there will indeed be a comic series for LoK. Let’s see how that turns out. I myself was a bit dissapointed by the first few ATLA comics. And yes, the creators of Avatar are a fusion. They’re called Bryke. And since it’s basicly on topic: http://orig02.deviantart.net/f34b/f/2015/083/3/5/korrasami_gems_by_darkereve-d8mxlze.jpg
Also, seriously Rob. Do you watch anything besides lesbian anime? Does your wife know that you watch lesbian anime? I feel we’re learning a bit too much about you here. But in all honesty, I feel that relationships in most anime, even some of the most serious ones, are REALLY damn chlischee laden and cheesy. I personally like it more how it’s done in current western cartoons: more grounded and realistic while still being emotionally involving.
I consider the song to be part of Rubys and Sapphires character development or rather character introduction. It’s about how they stand to one another, how they view their relationship and how well they work together. And also how sassy they are. I mean “But I think you’re just mad ’cause you’re single.” sick burn man. They’re officialy that couple. You know, the one that get’s along really well, finishes eachothers sentences and takes on every hurdle in live together. And if you get right down to it we already know them pretty well because we know Garnet who basicly is their relationship.
And about the fight: Garnet wasn’t even remotly prepared for the first fight. Lapis already mentioned in her message that homeworld Gems have technologically evolved and the Crystal Gems didn’t. She simply didn’t knew of the seperator thingy. One could argue that her future vision should’ve told her but I chalk that up as dramatical convinience. Or maybe she has to concentrate in order to use that power wich she couldn’t during the arrival.
Rebecca Sugar had this planned from the very beginning. The opening of the pilot episode, from like 2010 or so, starts with Garnet standing between two huge red and blue crystals representing Ruby and Sapphire.
And regarding male gays in cartoons: I think there where some background characters in the show Clarence but I doubt that they count since they where just in one episode for like 5 seconds.
My personal assumption for why there are more female gays than male gays in kids shows is that lesbians are considered less threatening since woman by nature tend to have closer relationships in general anyways so there’s plausible deniability all the while manly man love is considered “to hard” or “too serious” for kids shows. It’s just an assumption but I think it makes at least some sense. And Doug, the one thing you’re looking for would be an episode of Postcards from Buster wich was a sort of spin-off with Arthurs friend Buster where he would document the everyday life of real families. I think in this episode it wasn’t said but painfully clear that the camera team visited an lesbian couple with kids.
I think that this is an episode that the more blind you can be to it the better it is. I talked a friend into watching Steven Universe and she hasn’t gotten here yet and its been so hard to not give anything away or hype things too much.
It’s funny but with everything that happens in this episode there is one small moment that gets forgotten or overshadowed which I think is one of Steven’s greatest moments. It’s when he’s found Lappis and she’s given up and is trying to convince him not to fight. She presses on him how strong homeworld is and what they will do to him if he does fight. His response is simply “but that’s why we have to fight.”
With everything else going on in that episode it’s that simple line that is probably my favorite moment in the whole first season.
What the heck is wrong with people?! Don’t give into the hype, guys!!! NEVER give into the hype! Whenever an episode of ANYTHING comes out, judge it by your own standards instead of building it up to be something you know it probably won’t be. If something’s good, you’ll see it’s good and just being hyped doesn’t make the episode any worse, it just makes your view unreliable because you walked into something expecting something much more than what you got.
It’s like if I bought a TV and the guy who sold it to me was like “This is amazing and has all of these features and HD!” and then I went home and got upset because even though it was good it wasn’t the perfect TV I thought it was going to be. I mean, what sense does that make?!
To be fair I would’ve never thought to watch this show if it wasn’t for all the hype. I don’t make it a habit of watching new kids shows.
But there’s a difference between “It’s the best thing ever” hype and “It’s unique and deep and you should check it out”. It sounds like people often talk about the show, especially this episode, like the first kind of hype.
…..I have no idea why everybody keeps saying the ending of Korra ended with them being gay.
I have seen the ending several times and have never thought there was anything homosexual about it.
could someone please tell me what was gay about it? please?
Well, them leaning in to kiss each other as the show fades away is probably at the root of it.
yeah now, it’s probably that isn’t it.
Also, the creators have confirmed it and (IIRC) pointed out that there was subtle subtext throughout the season.
They end up as a couple, it was confirmed. They held hands and gazed at each other in a romantic way. It probably happened the same thing like happened with Aang and Katara and they agreed off-screen to date once everything was over. The creators had to be more subtle about it because Nickelodeon could have canceled the show if they found out or at least they would have forced them to change that.
Probably because it was about as explicit as it could be on Nick standards.