Dream Analysis: Diamonds in the Jungle Moon Base

I was a little torn on whether to lead with this post or the post on the gem placements and gemstones of the three Diamonds we’d already seen. I’d decided to start with this because an analysis the specific memory that Stevonnie saw helps lay the foundation for characterising the Diamonds later.

This post aims to dissect the dream that Stevonnie had while asleep in the Jungle Moon Base and navigate some of the symbolism and stylistic choices in storytelling. 

With that said, let’s get started. 

1. The Moon Base as their Home away from Homeworld

The dream begins with Stevonnie waking in what appears to be Connie’s living room. Upon first glance, everything is familiar and comforting. Even though Stevonnie is much smaller than everything else, it’s fluffy, it’s soft, it’s safe.

Stevonnie had just come from survival mode, trying to navigate a totally foreign planet with organic life that wasn’t always friendly. Although jolted by the change in surroundings, they exclaim, “I’m... home?” 

At the same time, though, we know it isn’t truly home, as evidenced by the photos on the walls having Stevonnie’s face with the Maheswarans instead of Connie’s. While it can be said that the motif of “home” is present in the dream, we have to take what happens with a grain of salt, that the blurring between Stevonnie’s memories and Pink Diamond’s memories are a little more liberal than just a split down the middle of the sequence.

What this opening shot establishes is that Stevonnie is understanding the rest of the dream through the matrix of what they already know. We see that later, the Maheswaran house falls away to reveal the very Jungle Moon Base in which Stevonnie fell asleep. That says something about the Moon Bases that were established for the colonies. 

I’d mentioned before that of all gem infrastructure, the one constant for each colony would be the Moon Bases. It is now confirmed that before beginning the colonisation of a planet, Gems would first establish a Moon Base, because for the most part, there probably wasn’t life on the moons, with the Jungle Moon appearing to be an exception.

Given the Moon Bases’ functions as a site for communication, relaying information, and planning, it would be the first familiar thing Gems would encounter upon getting into a new colony. Given the similar layout and colour scheme of the Moon Bases, it would also stand to say that there would be a feeling of constance amid everything that was foreign and different.

Moon Bases were the gem’s, particularly the Diamond’s, “Home away from Homeworld,” as Peridot said of the Barn. It also speaks of how hands-on the Diamonds were with their colonies, showing that one Diamond would take over one planet at a time. 

For a brief aside, I want to discuss why this exchange took place in a dream instead of another channel.

It’s been established that Steven can communicate with both humans and gems through their dreams. He’s entered the minds of Malachite, Lapis, and Jasper in Chile Tid, Lars in The New Lars, Kiki in Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service, and Blue Diamond in Steve’s Dream.

One thing to note is that with the Gems, they needn’t be asleep for Steven to enter their minds. Usually, though, they’re in a very distressed or stressed state, which makes it more susceptible for someone else to walk in their mind. 

Another thing is that with the Diamonds, such as Blue Diamond, Steven wasn’t actively searching for them. Immediately before falling asleep in Chile Tid, Steven and the Crystal Gems were frantically searching for Lapis, Jasper, and Malachite. In contrast, Steven wasn’t even aware of BD’s present existence when he saw through her eyes. 

I’ve mentioned before that one Gem ability of Diamonds may be to influence how others are feeling, a forced empathy, which would come in handy for their role as leaders. We’ve also seen that it’s not exactly something they can control, especially when they feel very intensely. As such, Steven’s ability, an extension of his being very perceptive of others’ feelings, may pick up these signals more easily.

It tells us a lot about Pink Diamond’s mental state during the exchange she had with Yellow. Undoubtedly, we were seeing this memory through PD’s point of view, and there are definitely implications to that, about whether these memories can be picked up residually, or whether someone is actively recalling them and reliving the emotions.

2. Connie amplifies Steven’s gem abilities

When we bring Connie into the equation, it makes sense that Stevonnie would still retain Steven’s gem ability, because they can summon Steven’s shield and his bubble, float, and use his enhanced physical strength. They retain Connie’s sword fighting skills and trained reflexes as well.

For the setting of the dream in a “familiar” place, it could be in large part due to Connie’s own experiences with her mother, bleeding into the way Stevonnie understands the relationship between YD and PD.

Before anything, I want to say that I don’t think Connie is part-Diamond. That flies in the face of everything Steven stands for: Someone both truly human and truly gem, not just a half-and-half combination. He is more than the sum of his parts. For him to have his closest human friend be something other than human is a little bit of hypocrisy on the show’s part, as it implies that unless you can claim gem ancestry you’re not worth being a protagonist. The most I’m willing to concede on it, is that Connie’s ancestors had encountered early gems at one point, and may have even fought for Earth. 

The Diamond motifs surrounding Connie are interesting to me, though, because when Connie’s around, it seems to amplify Steven’s discovering Gem things about himself. All the way from Bubble Buddies (Steven summons his bubble), to Lion 2 (Steven finds Rose’s Sword and armoury), to Alone Together (Steven learns to fuse), to An Indirect Kiss (Steven discovers his healing powers), to Ocean Gem (Steven summons his shield and it’s not an accident), it’s with Connie that Steven discovers his gem abilities.

It highlights the idea that gems are better when they work together with human beings, and that being a gem isn’t an exclusive club that automatically means you’re superior to human beings. I would say the Diamond motif that surrounds Connie, such as the teal diamonds in her eyes juxtaposed to the pink stars in Steven’s, emphasise that being a Crystal Gem isn't about being a gem. And it’s heightened by using the image of the most powerful gem there is, the diamond. 

I do agree as well that Connie’s leadership potential is also emphasised through the use of the Diamond symbol, but I don’t think it plays as heavily into this dream sequence. I would say, though that her presence may have helped Steven draw from an older memory, from someone who may not even be present anymore.

3. YD and PD don’t necessarily have a mother-daughter relationship, though

Character Analysis: Lars (Part 2- Lars and his Friends)

So it’s been a bit since I’ve talked about Lars at length. Partly, it has been due to his not appearing onscreen, but I suppose the other part is that I wanted a better idea of where Lars was heading in the show before leaping into an analysis of his relationships with other characters. In the first part of my character analysis on Lars, I focused mostly on him as individual, particularly his insecurities and what drives his character. 

In this post, I want to talk about Lars’ relationships with not only the Off Colours as a whole, but also some of the residents of Beach City. I’ve decided to bookend Lars’s character analysis series with a third post on his relationship development with Sadie and his parents (sort of as a way to come full circle after my first ever lengthy analysis on him).

With that said, I’ll get right into it.

1. Prior to Wanted (With the Cool Kids, Ronaldo, and Steven)

Before anything, I do want to start with my initial reaction to Lars of the Stars. I had told a few people that episode felt a little fast-paced, and Lars’s reactions to what was going on around him seemed to cycle through a lot of feelings very quickly, while simultaneously ignoring the other Off Colours after seeing the photos of Sadie. I was trying to rationalise why this aspect of the episode was unsettling, and to me it was because moments before, he had told Steven and Connie that the Off Colours were much more than just a crew. So in the moment he, Steven, and Connie are in their own small bubble, and he's running through a rollercoaster’s worth of emotions, there were several factors coming into play that might have affected the pacing.

A lot of people have remarked on Lars’s change in character since the Wanted arc, and it appears since then, Lars has changed a little more, becoming a charismatic and bold space pirate. It’s worth noting, though, that these changes may have been done reflexively to the needs of the situation he was in. That’s not to say these aren't genuine changes, because how we decide to respond to situations does form who we are. What I’m getting at is that Lars may not have had a moment to pause and take the time to reflect and think about how far he’s come and compare who he is with who he was. 

Prior to Wanted, we were already seeing changes in Lars. He was becoming more outgoing and less afraid of rejection, because he was gradually getting out of his own head. He was growing closer to Sadie, as seen in small moments in episodes such as Future Boy Zoltron when they went out together or The New Crystal Gems, when they were holding hands. And his relationship with Steven had drastically changed from viewing him as an annoying kid who “didn't understand” to someone he could confide in and respect. Even with the Cool Kids, he was less worried about what they would think of him, and accepted the invitation to Buck’s potluck, something season one Lars probably wouldn’t have done. 

These changes took place over quite a long period of time, and involved a lot of Lars’s accepting himself and listening to the better side of him, as well as his friends, instead of the much crueler noise that could be in his head, his rearing self-doubt. 

Lars wants to belong, to be accepted, and at the most basic level, to be liked. Even though his parents try to be open and accepting, there seems to be a gap in their communication that is revealed through their interactions. His peers, not his parents, have been getting him to change the most through the show. He wants people to understand him but is too afraid that when they finally see who he is, they’ll turn away. This explains so much of his agreeing to certain activities, such as in Lars and the Cook Kids, and then holding back on who he is, or just bailing on them altogether, such as in The Good Lars.

I mentioned before, that it’s similar to hearing a little nagging voice inside you telling you constantly that you’re not good enough just when things are getting along well, that people don’t really like you and they’re just putting up with you. Overt time, it’s as if it’s convinced him that he was incapable and incapable of being accepted. We see it sometimes overwhelm Lars, which is why in tense situations such as I Am My Mom, he freezes up or panics and runs away. He also deflects a lot using humour, and his brand of humour is sarcastic, which can offend those who aren't as used to hearing it from him. 

A lot of this processing is internal, and since we view the show through Steven’s eyes, we don’t get to see it unless Lars is confiding in Steven. Nonetheless, it’s why Sadie had made more headway with the Cool Kids even before Lars did. They knew Sadie even less, but all it took was one honest experience with them for Sadie to know that they were worth being friends with. This honesty with oneself is why Steven was also able to call these down-to-earth individuals his friends as early as the first season. 

And I would say it’s bothered Lars that “being yourself” comes so easy to other people, but it was exceedingly difficult for him to do it. I suppose the antithesis to Lars’s self-consciousness and anxiety is Ronaldo, who is unapologetically true to what he’s feeling at the moment, at times, to a fault. Anon is right in pointing out that Steven is much the same. While all characters struggle with their own personal issues, this one is Lars’s. It can be frustrating to watch other people’s relationships progress by leaps and bounds when you’re crawling at a snail’s pace. Ronaldo leapt and sometimes fell, very hard, right on his face. Lars preferred to stand still, so that he didn't risk falling.

This is where I want to get to the point I was making before this long characterisation. In the Wanted arc, Lars was pushed to make this progress fast. One moment, Steven and Sadie were both going to the potluck, and he was being open and honest about his baking and ube. The next moment they were kidnapped and the last time he saw Sadie, he ran away and left her to fend for herself. Then he thought he and Steven were goners, and confided in the latter all his fears and regrets, and they manage to get away and meet the Off Colours. He dies and then is left on Homeworld trying to get home.

All of these events transpired in a few days, and in them he was forced to step out of his comfort zone. This leads to the next point.

2. With the Off Colours

I have a flight in a few hours so I can promise three posts between Monday and Friday about the new episodes. These will be:

So stay tuned and have a wonderful week ahead! :D

So, because we can see Priyanka Maheswaran’s hair in the photo, I suppose that means YD’s big yellow headpiece is actually headwear and not hair??

I’ve got posting screen caps out of my system now. 

While the pacing of Lars of the Stars was a little too abrupt for my liking, I did like how it set up Jungle Moon and the message it was trying to relay.

Jungle Moon was very refreshing to me, because the direction of the episode couldn’t be pinpointed from the beginning and there were several twists the episode took to narrate itself, which I enjoyed.

Right now, I very strongly want to talk about developments in Lars, Rhodonite, and Pink Diamond, so expect those very soon!

I had no idea they made a next part to Honey I Shrunk the Kids!!

Edit: You’d think you’d notice that your mother now sounds like Patti Lupone.

WE’VE SEEN HER

“You can’t survive

Without FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!”

This and the “WARNING” signs mean that Lars spent quite a bit of time explaining Earth life to the Off Colours, including the written language on the planet. It’s really heartening.

We should have known Lars was a great performer. How else would he have got out of work at the Big Donut so many times?

“Emerald has a body” CONFIRMED! :)))

In case there was a running assumption that she was only a very large face.

Who knew that a Yellow Diamond-Priyanka Maheswaran fusion was what we truly needed in the world?

I love how in these stills, Stevonnie looks like a video game character.

The angle at which they view the Jungle Moon Base is amazing.

Considering the number of planets YD has conquered, and how much she leaves Yellow Pearl to her own devices, 

There’s an entire album of selfies we need to see.

Stevonnie was so beautiful in this episode. I just want to appreciate their faces.