Character Analysis: Spinel (Part 2: Relationships)

Image Source: SU Wiki

Something I want to start this analysis off with is the context with which Spinel enters the SU movie. Spinel’s resentment and movement towards earth began only the day the Diamonds broadcast Steven to all of their colonies. That was the scene at the very beginning of the movie. So the time it took Steven to shake off the Diamonds, return home, chat with Connie, and sing Happily Ever After with the gems, was the same time it took Spinel to formulate a plan, grab hold of the Injector, and travel to Earth, and begin her Other Friends monologue. 

In the larger scheme of Spinel’s life, this is a blink of an eye, in fact, it is no time at all. That tells us that Spinel’s actions were somewhat a knee-jerk reaction to finding out she was abandoned for good. And that’s where I want to begin with this analysis. With that, let’s get to it.

1. Spinel had yet to process her emotions

Image Source: SU Wiki 

When we first see Spinel, her appearance is accompanied by an almost exaggerated plot to destroy all of Earth because of one Gem’s betrayal. Granted, she was always in the presence of Diamonds, who always talked on the scale of colonies and entire planets, but she herself was never in a position to act on that scale, which would have conditioned her thinking to a large extent. 

Her arrival, her dramatic entrance, and the very dramatic rendition of Other Friends all speak of acting based on gut feel. The entire song, as musically complex as it is, has lyrics that are quite simple in contrast. In a way, it’s as if it’s saying the feelings she had were complex (confusion, hatred, sadness, regret, resentment, anger, a little relief from something ending-- more on that later), but she didn’t exactly know where to direct them. 

The abruptness of her arrival and how quickly she acted tells us (about how she got the injector and found out exactly where Steven lived let’s chalk it up to she knew where the Diamonds kept everything for the moment), that she hadn’t processed her emotions yet. So she instead fixated on one that could power her through all these things she’s never done before: Anger. 

Source: SU Wiki

Without a clear direction, Spinel was fixating, holding onto anything that could help her vent out this anger. And without Rose to direct that anger towards, without anyone to blame, she pinned her anger on Steven and the Crystal Gems. 

Image source: SU WIki

What we also see is something very different from any other Homeworld antagonist Steven has encountered before. Spinel doesn’t conflate or equate Steven with Rose Quartz. She knows very well that Steven is a completely different life form, and his own individual. When she tries to poof him with her scythe, she isn’t that surprised when his physical form stays together.

Source: SU Wiki

It implies she knows something about organic life. We also get a hint that she’s aware of how Gems start out with their abilities. “You weren't always a powerful hero, were you?” She teased him as her physical form poofed. Spinel spent a lot of time with Pink Diamond, who at this point we know is relatively younger. She couldn’t control her powers when her emotions flared, as we saw in SU Future, but this also means Gems must, to some extent practice and train to perfect their abilities. There’s always room for learning, as the Lapises demonstrated in Why So Blue? Even Peridot had to learn and master her metalokinesis because she didn’t know she had it. 

Moments later, when he poofs her in turn, she doesn’t seem scared that the Earth will end with her still on it. Spinel, at this point, isn’t acting based on some grand scheme for vengeance. She’s angry, hopeless, and very lost. She doesn’t see a future for herself, but it would be satisfying for her to take down everything PD left her for in the process. 

Image source: SU Wiki

Spinel doesn’t have a plan for after Earth is destroyed. And that leads to the second idea.

2. Spinel’s resentment predated the events of the movie 

Image Source: SU WIki

Relationship Analysis: Diamonds (Part 1- White Diamond)

After watching the Diamond Days episodes, I was really excited about writing this post. In some previous asks around the airing of Bubbled, I’d answered that there was no clear evidence that there was an unequal sharing of power among the four Diamonds.

At the time, that did seem to be the case. What we’d seen of the Diamonds all together at that point mainly came from the mural in the Moon Base. In the said mural, all four Diamonds were presented with the same aesthetic, with similar sizes. What we had determined at that point was that each Diamond had different numbers of colonies, particularly with White holding onto Homeworld, and Pink having only one colony, Earth. What we could have theorised at the time was that Pink may have been younger, or there may not have been planets with the right conditions for her colony. 

Since the events of Jungle Moon, though, we’ve had more insight into the relationships between and among the Diamonds. Upon first glance, it would be easy to say White dominates over the Great Diamond Authority, and the GDA in turn is a dictatorship over the rest of Homeworld. Things are far more complicated, though.

While Pink’s early infantilisation has a lot of similarities with Steven’s early relationship with the Crystal Gems, there are still differences in the way the Diamonds conduct themselves, by virtue of their having a much longer history together and their position in Gem Society, and aside from the parallels, that’s something I want to discuss.

1. The Diamonds want to put up a united front

Image Source: joethejohnston’s Tumblr

It’s no surprise that Steven’s first impression of the Diamonds, and by extension ours, was that they were a monolithic entity. In fact, even hearing from other gems like Bismuth, Peridot, and Eyeball (Ruby), one has the sense that the Diamonds were much like any other gem on Homeworld at first glance: Identical and interchangeable. 

Clearly, though, the Diamonds are different from one another. We see this the moment we encounter Yellow and then Blue Diamond. They have different temperaments, different interests, different ways of expressing grief. Later we see Pink Diamond and how she is even physically different from her cohorts. 

In A Single Pale Rose, we see how Pink’s worldview differed as well, and how willing she was to defend it. The first non-Diamond we hear acknowledge the differences among the Diamonds is Pearl, when she says that White Diamond is altogether different from even Blue and Yellow. 

This tells us that only those closest to the Diamonds are able to acknowledge and perhaps even perceive that each Diamond is unique, not just in terms of physical appearance but also in terms of identity and character. 

It makes sense, since many in the lower classes of gems would never even have the chance to encounter a Diamond. Most gems live their lives out on successful colonies, and among the Diamonds, there is a difference in how they perceive leadership and their responsibilities. 

But that isn’t how they are portrayed in the public sphere. For instance, the insignia of the GDA is four diamonds (later three triangles) and they are all of equal size. 

It would make sense that the Diamonds project an air of uniformity, since it is the very doctrine that they preach. A class-based society in which gems are sorted by type, and this defines not only their work but also their social standing, would mean that the Diamonds themselves had to adhere to a class of their own. To do otherwise would raise questions and upset the order. 

What is interesting is how deeply the Diamonds themselves seem to have internalised this. I speak of Blue and Yellow in particular. We've seen how they act in public, such as in the Human Zoo, and how they act when they’re alone, such as in That Will Be All. In the face of the other gems, the Diamonds have to repress their own feelings as leaders, and are expected to remain impartial, rational, and “perfect.” Alone, they cry, they get angry, they laugh, play games, sing songs, and joke around.

And the most interesting thing about this is a one-liner Yellow drops in Legs from Here to Homeworld:

Source: SU Wiki

It isn’t only towards their own that the Diamonds are projecting this unity for. There are other civilisations, other life forms the Diamonds see as equals or even higher, to which they feel accountable, to which they can feel shame and the need to impress. 

The presence of other aliens makes the internalisation of the class system among the Diamonds make even more sense, since there may be little internal pressure on Homeworld (they’re on top after all), the validation that even Diamonds have their own role to play may come externally, albeit indirectly. It’s enough for the Diamonds to feel that things have to be this way for everything to run smoothly, though.

The question then is, where these “standards” come from in the first place, and whether there is anything else enforcing it aside from social pressure.

2.  White Diamond as Authority

Some thoughts on the Maheswaran mother-daughter relationship

Connie looked so much like Dr. Maheswaran in this episode.

It’s adorable because in the canon time of the show, she’s picked up on her mother’s mannerisms in the way that a decade of living with her did not. It’s shows how much they’ve grown together as a family, and how their relationship has changed.

Considering this was how she looked in her first appearance:

There’s a marked change not only in design but also in her expressions.

And it’s been hinted at before, but in this scene, she so explicitly worries about her mother the way her mother worries about her. It’s very touching, especially because we know they started out caring about each other but not understanding one another. Because you  can love someone and never try to understand them. It leads to a lot of conflict but both parties can still come out of it feeling like they did what was “best” for the other.

Connie used to think it was better that her mother knew nothing so the latter wouldn’t worry about her. And Dr. Maheswaran wanted to be on top of everything so that Connie would have an easier life. 

What we learn from them is that to be able to love someone better, we open up to them and let them open up to us. Connie used to act as though her parents were infallible, or at the least, able to manage themselves. Over time, and in this episode, she’s shown to be worried about them because she knows they’re human beings too. They can get hurt, make mistakes, and put themselves in danger.

Knowing these things puts the other person in perspective. It makes their place in our lives mean more. And it makes it harder to take the people we love for granted.

So I would say Connie and her mother interact a lot more now. They probably talk about each other’s days. Notice how even Dr. Maheswaran talked about everything that happened to her prior to picking Connie up. She believed her daughter deserved an explanation. And that’s a far cry from the mother who would proudly bring out the “Because I said so,” and “We’re doing this because we love you,” cards in Fusion Cuisine.

Not everyone has this experience with their parents. Sometimes things just happen to drive parents and children apart. But in their case it worked out, and now they each have one more person who will always be there for them.

When Connie told her mother that Steven just came from outer space, there was no incredulous reaction. Only an, “Oh?” in an interested and calm tone. 

They're both trying. And I’m certain they still have their share of disagreement, but it’s dealt with in a much healthier way now.

Song Analysis: What’s the Use of Feeling (Blue)?

I’ve been mulling this song over since I'd first heard it. For one, it confirms a lot of things about Homeworld and the Diamonds that I’ve been harping on for a while now. But this post isn't a sermon about how to sympathise with the Diamonds better. I’m not too big a fan of that perspective. Rather, it’s the power that we receive when we empathise with them.

The thing about the Diamonds is that they’re all powerful, huge, and “human.” They err and have feelings, not necessarily in that order. So when they irrationally do something that hurts a lot of individuals and even entire planets, the answer isn’t to excuse them because “they’re sad.” The answer is to reach out to them in a way they understand so that they don’t do it again, and more appropriate to our context, make amends. 

Because the two very polar sides of “forgive” and “punish” aren’t constructive. To side with either doesn’t do justice to the people and gems who’ve already been lost or still are losing. It doesn’t make things better for anyone. 

This post will analyse the perspective Homeworld has of Earth and human beings. At the same time, the song reveals a lot about how gems view themselves and one another. I’ll round it up with how PD’s death impacted both Blue and Yellow Diamond and how their respective coping strategies led to the way things are now. And I’ll speculate on the immediate future of Earth in that regard.

So let’s get to it!

1. The song implies a falling-out among the Diamonds before PD’s shattering

When the Steven Bomb opens in Steven’s Dream, we get a rare moment of hearing Blue’s thoughts. Bent over PD’s palanquin, she expresses deep regret. She says, “If only I had done more.” 

We know that Blue is sad over PD’s death. And we know from the first verse that visiting anything related to PD makes both surviving Diamonds uncomfortable. But we can find, within the lyrics, something specific about why instead of just sad, regret is interspersed in their mourning of PD.

In sharp contrast to Blue’s lament of wanting to do more, later on in the song, YD says, “Now there’s nothing we can do.” That implies at one point in time, the Diamonds were in a position to do something that could have prevented PD’s shattering. And they didn’t do it.

I want to bring back one of my older posts regarding the circumstances of PD’s shattering. In it, I mention that there’s been some sort of historical scrubbing of PD’s memory from Homeworld, such that only older gems are aware of her or feel any affinity for her. The Great Diamond Authority Logo, colour schemes, and even gem factions show no sign of PD’s ever existing, when this wasn’t the case for older structures on Earth. 

But in a slightly contradictory manner, we know the truth to be the opposite. The Diamonds didn’t take PD out of Homeworld’s memory because of the fight. Rather, they erased her because it hurt them personally to be reminded of her existence. 

When we look at the circumstances of their argument, there are a few theories I can posit. The main one being this: PD had an unconventional relationship with her Earth gems. I say this because now we have two Homeworld “subordinates” as examples in contrast.

I brought up before that Jasper felt a deep personal affinity for PD. And this may be even without having met her personally, even with the possibility of her being created after PD was shattered. On the other hand, Peridot and Holly Blue talk about their Diamonds with a sense of detachment. There is a great divide that Peridot puts between herself and YD. YD is perfect; she is not. YD is the most objective; that is what she aims to be. YD is a great decider; she was there to reaffirm the logic of the former’s decisions.

It’s much the same for Holly Blue. BD decides to maintain the zoo; she is grateful for the opportunity to serve. BD is arriving; she wants to assure a pleasant visit for her.

In both these cases the gems don’t feel like they’re coerced into serving their Diamonds. They openly acknowledge that because their Diamonds are superior in different (and at times all) aspects, they’re worth following. It’s very similar to idolising someone and hoping they’d mentor you, or even that you could contribute to their cause in some way. This cause being the betterment of Homeworld. 

2. PD’s close relationship with her gems

Let’s talk about Onion

I really liked the episode Onion Gang, and there are some things I wanted to discuss about it. I put them on hold for a while though because I got some asks that were rather ambivalent about the episode and I wanted to talk about them too.

I think Onion is a very complex character and the way many people have been reading him as autistic-coded, to me, is pretty consistent with the behaviour of some of the people I’ve met with autism. I’m not an expert on mental illness, so I hesitate to conclude that he is autistic, in case I make use of the wrong word, but let’s expound on that further and perhaps a more accurate word can be used based on his character description.

Given that, I think it’s best to begin with an analysis of his character before moving on to the implications of Onion Gang. With that said, let’s get started.

1. There is a real difference in how Onion interacts with the world

Personally, I would be one of the last people to label a character who just happens to be quirky as having mental illness, because I don’t think it’s a great narrative to reinforce that mentally ill people can just turn it off when it’s not narratively needed, or a comedic punchline. With that said, I do find Onion’s behavioural patterns very unique. The differences between his and say, his brother’s actions are not perceived, but real.

For one, he very rarely speaks. And who does he talk to? His parents, and I’m assuming, Sour Cream. It’s not a failing on his part to understand that people are trying to communicate with him. He nods, gestures, and at times, flat out ignores when people are speaking to him. It’s just that speaking isn’t his main means of communicating with other people.

He talks to his parents because he’s very comfortable with them. In Onion Trade, for instance, he lets Yellowtail carry him. Vidalia does the same thing in Onion Friend.

Source: SU Wiki

He doesn’t really let other people get physically close to him. I feel he becomes uncomfortable when people get close, but when it’s someone he feels safe around, he likes being picked up and squeezed. 

Because Onion doesn’t seem like the kind of character who wants to be alone all the time. For the majority of the show, that’s how we see him. But this episode has shown us that’s not how he’d prefer it. If it were up to him, he’d always be with his friends. Much like most children his age, it’s the time to be very social and explore the world through his peer group. In the absence of that, he fills his time with a lot of activities he likely copies off television and other forms of popular entertainment.

Notice that Onion is given a lot of free reign with regards to doing things. In many episodes, he’s walking by himself even though it’s late (Restaurant Wars), or doing potentially dangerous things like taking a crowbar to the arcade (Future Boy Zoltron) or riding a motorcycle (Onion Trade). 

It’s not that his parents don’t care. The Yellow Fam is a very loving family. But they are very busy. Yellowtail isn’t home a lot of the time. I’ve covered before how fishermen leave before dawn, because that’s when the fish are out. They come back in the morning or around noontime after their catch and even then YT has to sell that catch. And then afterwards, he’s going to have to sleep because in the middle of the night he’s going to set off again. 

Vidalia has begun to rediscover her own individuality after settling down and having a family. And one interesting thing I’d like to point out is that the other people in Beach City don’t reprimand Onion for his behaviour. They stop him when he’s about to do something harmful, but we don’t hear people lecturing him or saying he’s being weird the way Steven has voiced out. In Too Short to Ride, Mr. Smiley reacts with horror, not anger, that Onion is juggling flaming torches.

Recall that Steven Universe is seen from Steven’s viewpoint. At this point, it’s very likely that the town and its adults know about Onion’s condition. And they’re all helping out in the classic “it takes a village to raise a child” way. But it’s not something they felt the need to tell Steven. The show has never made a big deal about details our society has deemed need-to-know, like race and gender. The town also sees Steven as a child too. It’s easy to forget he’s fourteen sometimes. It may be one of those times when raising Steven to just accept that some people do things differently is better than telling a young person, “Hey, this person is different in a way you can’t completely understand so your fear will just alienate that person from you.”

I think this is further reinforced by how Onion is treated at home.

Source: SU Wiki

In any other household in Beach City, this behaviour would have been chastised or at least looked upon with worry. Vidalia didn’t bat an eyelid at it. This isn’t her being a lax parent. Recall that in Greg the Babysitter, there was a very real fear of her murdering Greg if anything happened to Sour Cream. She’s supportive of her children and attends SC’s concerts, probably acting as the bridge between him at YT at times. There’s no reason to say that she isn’t concerned about Onion’s life. But that’s the thing. For children with autism, you can’t “fix” their behaviour. Many therapists will accustom children to socialising with others, so they can be functioning and can look out for themselves, but they can’t erase his autism. Basically, they’re not forcing him to act like “all the other children.” Onion can be Onion, but he also has to act within a reasonable set of expectations.

Additionally, autism, like many mental conditions, has a spectrum and manifests in many forms. Some people don't like being touched or hugged by human beings at all, but they’re fine with hugs from animals. Some never speak, and communicate though other means. It’s very unique. Onion has shown multiple times that he likes the feeling of squishing things. The ketchup packets he drives over, the mashed potatoes, the bugs, I think he prefers pressure stimulation, and that’s why he often grabs Steven or tugs at him. To Steven, it’s an intrusive gesture. But it holds a very different significance for Onion, and that leads me to my next point.

2. Onion looks up to and cares about Steven