Aspiring Equal Oppertunity Feminist Granola girl.

Ice Cream a la Pie

Steven’s treat from the Steven Universe Future episode “Mr. Universe.” If you, too, would like to eat comfort food from your well-meaning but a little out of touch dad, read on.

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So in "Mr. Universe"..

Greg came up with some good advice in the beginning. Staying in Beach City was only going to keep reminding Steven of how everyone has found a purpose except for him. Seeing the world outside of his home was definitely a step in the right direction. And on that trip Greg tries to explain to Steven how his journey to self-discovery happened, and what it took to get there. But what surprised me was how at every step of the way, as Greg let's him in on his homelife, Steven can't seem to put together what went wrong. The audience is given MAJOR hints about how troubling Greg's home was like, and how hurt he must have been. But Steven seems to unintentionally glance over them.

Family photos are usually happy, but here Greg looks uncomfortable, it's a half-hearted smile. Steven doesn't see that, he sees two parents.

Greg had to seek music elsewhere, mostly from his friends in secret. His parents banned music altogether. Steven doesn't see that, he sees that his father had actual friends.

Greg was pushed in to subjects that he wasn't passionate about at all, and was given NO outlet for his interests. Steven doesn't see that, he sees that his father had an education.

Greg's parents forced him to shave his hair, the one thing besides music that allowed him to express himself.. he couldn't even force a smile in his graduation picture, he looks absolutely miserable. Steven doesn't comment on any of it.

They never opened his letters. They never reconnected with their only son. They didn't care to know who their son had become, because it was outside of everything they allowed him to be. Allegedly .. they've disowned Greg. Steven doesn't make this connection at all, and doesn't really think twice about why his grandparents never contacted his father back. They most likely don't even know Steven exists..

Half of Greg's old room is in boxes, most likely with the intent of being put into storage. His parents didn't see the point of leaving their son's personal items as they were because they never intended for Greg to come back, and probably weren't going to welcome him back either.

Steven can only see that his father had a real home.

In the car, Greg shows Steven the song that he got his name from, and this probably the first time we see that Steven (who is usually enthusiastic about music) doesn't nod to a song and listen to the lyrics. He just stares silently at his dad with not much to say, who appears to be getting pretty emotional. This song worked for Greg, but it can't for Steven.

In the midst of Greg trying to explain how little his parents cared for him, how he couldn't salvage his support system and had no choice but to break away from it altogether - all Steven can think of is that "you're just like mom". The connection to Rose triggers his anger like it has before, and in that moment he can't sympathize with his father because he is clouded by his frustration and resentment.

The same way that Steven ignored all of his fathers troubles, Greg doesn't read too heavily into Steven's either. It's not at all that his father doesn't care - but it's that he doesn't know the full weight of it all. Greg should have been shocked by the fact that Steven is starting to see certain aspects of his childhood in a bad light, and should have known that making such a broad comparison would be carelessly minimizing Steven's distress. His reaction to the crashed van confirms just how lost he is about what Steven needs right now. And at this point Steven feels that he'll only fail in explaining himself, even though Greg says that he's always open to talk. It's frustrating to see him do this, but it's become obvious that he's going to have to find his own answer. His fear of not being understood has sadly pushed him away from his support system.

What we need to remember is that neither of them were maliciously trying to hurt the other with the words they said, they just failed to express them in a way that the other could fully understand. Steven wasn't calling Greg a horrible father, but a father that may not have been aware of his missteps in parenting. Greg wasn't trying "compete" with his son on which had a better or worse upbringing, or shove his found freedom in his son's face. Neither of them could recognize why the other was upset because one has what the other never got as a child. Both were trying to express their pain, something they never really learned how to do effectively, so their messages were muddled in the process. Steven still loves his dad very much, but sometimes you can't get everything you need from a parent, sometimes you have to find it elsewhere.

And that's okay. That's exactly the point that the show is trying to get across.

I finally caught up on SU and this analysis is so on point! But also ... it fits in with the rest of SU Future in that Greg is like the others - trying to help Steven the same way he has successfully helped Steven before. But Steven has changed and his situation has changed. He needs something different, and even he doesn’t really know what.

The big change came when Steven saw Connie has had this whole normal human life this whole time that he didn’t even really notice. He used to think he was part of Beach City, but Lars and Sadie have grown up. The Cool Kids have grown up. They’ve been going to school and working toward a future adult life, and Steven just ... hasn’t. Suddenly Steven sees what his life has been missing, for so many years.

So naturally Steven resents his dad for not even trying to give him a human half to his upbringing. But he knows there’s no way to catch up - there’s no way for Greg to make up for all those lost years. Steven gets that Greg gave him the childhood he wishes he had had, but that childhood is what’s separating Steven from Lars and Sadie ... from the Cool Kids ... and from Connie.

Steven understands his dad but he knows that there’s no point in getting upset at him. Steven understands that he needs something, but there’s no way for his dad to provide it. Getting mad at him wouldn’t change that. So that’s why Steven just keeps it to himself and simply goes out on his own to try and find answers.

Some van adventures because it’s been years since I posted on here. Follow me on Instagram for more frequent posts @ cosplaymutt!

He wasn’t though, there are some similarities and he might not have made the best choices all the time, but there are a few things to note. 

 1: He clearly comes from a toxic home environment that made him feel like running was the only way.  In this way he was like pink.  However, we see a stack of unopened letters to his parents, Greg reached out, he tried to mend fences, his parents rejected that. 

 2: When it became clear he couldn’t make his way with his music and stay with the person he loved he got a job, and started earning enough to take care of himself, and eventually his son. All the money for everything, building the house around the temple, groceries etc, all came from a pre millionaire Greg.

3: Steven is the first human Gem hybrid in existence, there was no way to be sure what the right calls to make were.  Couple this with the fact that Greg felt the need to run away before he learned how to really be an adult, all he knew was to be the opposite of what his parents were to him.  He made the mistake of thinking what was right for him would be right for his son, in that way he’s not unlike his own parents.  Though I would say he was better intentioned than they were.

Greg of course is a bit like the woman he came to love, but he wasn’t like her in the ways illustrated above, he was loving, responsible in the best ways he knew how, and open and honest with his son.  What this was, a damaged young man lashing out much like both of his parents

I’m torn between Greg not knowing how good he had it growing up, or his parents really being straight up awful and Steven just not having all the context to see that. I think it was done intentionally that we won’t really ever see for ourselves. But I WILL say it is pretty messed up his parents never opened up Greg’s letters.

They weren’t actually listening to each other- like the usually do. Greg was so stressed with being in the house and so excited about the song playing he couldn’t see Steven’s interest in all the things Greg hated. & Steven was excited about all the normancy he couldn’t accept Greg’s perspective. That’s not them, just the stress of everything else.

Greg & Steven’s perspectives are their truths. Greg left the world he felt wasn’t right for him- so he could be who he wanted to be. Steven can reinvent himself too, he’s got to figure himself out tho.

Let me just speak up for Greg here. Because like….from the way things were in the house, what we heard from Greg, and especially the pictures hanging up…

That place looks IDENTICAL to the home of my bff when I was 15.

And my friend had a painfully stifling home life for her entire childhood. And I got to see it first hand when I would go over to her house. Her parents were uncomfortably strict. About anything and EVERYTHING you could imagine. 

What she wore, how she styled her hair, what she ate, when she ate, HOW she ate, who she spoke to, what she was allowed to do, where she could go, how she should TALK, what extra curriculars she could sign up for, EVERYTHING.

My friend couldn’t wear anything her mom hadn’t chosen specifically for her, she wasn’t allowed to cut or do anything to her ‘pretty long hair’ except put a headband on, she wasn’t allowed to wear any kind of makeup, her parents even forbid her from reading “non christian books”.

She wasn’t allowed to make any REAL choices about herself or her own life. And I could see it was driving her INSANE. And when she WAS given “”choices”” they weren’t even really choices??? They were the ILLUSION of choice. Like when she wanted to go to a dance at school. She begged her mom to let her go for the entire MONTH leading up to it. And her mom only agreed to let her go once she signed on as a chaperone..

So like… I’m just saying. I KNOW how utterly miserable my friend was growing up in that kind of smothering environment. She literally left home and moved in with her bf as soon as she turned 18. And from the age progression pics of Greg… he looked more and more depressed as he grew up. So…

I feel like Greg’s folks were more in the ‘terrible parents’ territory.