STEVEN UNIVERSE 4X16 "Storm in the Room" Full Length Reaction
Added 2024-06-13 17:16:00 +0000 UTCHere is my full length unedited reaction to Steven Universe 4X16!
Streamer: Max
Comments
Okay, finally sat down to leave an actual, full comment. It's harder to fully convey my thoughts on this one because it's one of my all time favorites of the show. (Easily top five for me.) In sum, this whole episode rips my soul straight out of my body. Just... augh. The way that Connie's reunion with her mom makes Steven start thinking about his OWN mom... the way that Steven doesn't fully take off the zoo clothes (and also, his "mask" of being fine) until he's entirely alone... the way Steven even admits HIMSELF that he knows what the Room manifests isn't real, and yet... and yet. He's still sucked in by the illusion of Rose, of his mother, still enticed to pretend that maybe it IS really her, all up until he points the camera of his phone at himself and the illusion is shattered. And my god, the accusations he makes to his own mother here are devastatingly cutting. "I know what you are! You're a LIAR!" "Did you make me just so you wouldn't have to deal with your mistakes?! [...] Is that all I'm here for-?" What a horrid, horrid thought to have to comprehend as a kid. Hell, at ANY age. Something I've noticed with many a reactor is that folks often forget that Steven is already fourteen at this point, even though he had a birthday episode back in season 2- and in many ways I think the consistent visual ambiguity of his age makes moments like these all the more jarring as a viewer (in a way that heightens the story!). Because he canonically does not LOOK his age, and thus it's alarming when these very strong, very complex emotional moments- things you might expect from a teenager (which he is), but not from a young child- rear their heads. Also, I think a lot about Steven's admission that he's considered dyeing his hair pink before. Back in an earlier s4 episode, Steven explained how hair dye works to Pearl- well, now we know how he knew this very specific bit of information. He'd done his research already. Love it, love it, love it. The most fascinating Steven moments to me are always the ones where he's entirely alone, and has no one to put up a cheery facade for.
Novantinuum
2024-06-20 04:04:18 +0000 UTCNice musings! I also really like the idea that some sort of faint coded echo of Rose’s actual self remains in her room. It lines up nicely with the moment in the first Rose’s Room episode where the tiny floating whale (it’s overtly Rose’s VA, even though Steven will not knowingly hear her voice yet until S1B it was her), asks “What DO you want, Steven?” as he’s falling.
Novantinuum
2024-06-15 02:43:37 +0000 UTCSteven: "The Last thing i need is more SPACE" eh? eeeeeehhhhh? ok i'll stop xdd. I loved that detail of Connie making the meditation position and breathing deeply to calm down just like Garnet taught them in "Mindfull Education". This episode was a very heavy one, people in the fandom were always speculating about Rose's Room being able to replicate Rose herself just like it did with Greg and Connie in the past. This episode also pretty much confirms what i explained in those 2 episodes back in season 1.... that the more a person or gem spends in the room the more data the room collects about them and the more authentic the copy becomes. that's why Connie's copy was so devoid of personality and just following what Steven told it to do... because Connie had only been there for a couple of minutes, and that's also why Greg's copy did imitate the side of him that's wise and always gives good advice.... because Greg probably spent a reasonable amount of time in that room. But this is Rose's Room.... so obviously Rose herself spent A LOT of time in there... therefore why her copy was so convincing. Althought her initial attitude which reflected the "idealistic" side of her character i think had more to do with Steven's command "I want to see my Mom", if Steven had said "i want to see Rose Quartz" then i think the Room would've given him a more complete and real copy of her personality. But of course.... the room reflects Steven's desires and state of mind.... so when he finally started to confront the uncomsfortable reality of what Rose did and the consequences of her actions... the room reacted accordingly... giving him a dark and ominous side of Rose, but then at the he ended his accusations with doubt and anguish which i believe is what triggered the more "real" side of Rose's copy. And if you're wondering.... Yes, i do believe that the Rose that spoke at the end was her real self, like.... not actually her because... she's gone.... but i do believe that the Room did reflect Rose's actual persona at the end in order to answer Steven's questions. At the end of the day.... even if Rose's actions and decisions were really questionable.... the undeniable fact here is that.... she really loved her son Steven, and that she really wanted to give birth to him so that he could enjoy life and just... exist and be himself.
Julio Castillo
2024-06-13 23:25:05 +0000 UTC
