Well, she was also doing it to fool a bunch of Rubies and Rubies are kind of idiots (homicidal, sinister little idiots)

But if she can’t experience what Steven is experiencing, then there isn’t any next big new thing for her. All her things are done and she won’t get to have anymore. Steven might get to have big new things, but there’s a substantial risk she won’t ever again.

But that doesn’t even make sense, because the Homeworld Gems thought that Rose and the others were all corrupted and gone. I mean, Rose didn’t necessarily know that, but after 5000 years of radio silence from Homeworld, it would have been pretty clear that was the case. What would she be escaping from? She had already…

I mean that makes sense, why would you tell your citizens about their special powers when one of them just used those powers to take out a ruler? (from their perspective) but I’ve been operating under the assumption that Peridot’s powers were unknown even to the Diamonds, and that her being able to move metal is…

But that assumes A. that she can experience stuff that’s happening to Steven and B. that she knew that would be the case. We don’t know either of those things, and the other Gems don’t seem to know either. For all we know, Rose is perma-dead, and if Steven ever gets poofed it’ll be him that regenerates. And that would…

And it’s a great contrast because from the very beginning of the series, Steven has already understood that about Greg (“if every porkchop were perfect”). A lot of Greg’s arc over the series has been “Steven appreciating that he’s actually very competent and level-headed in a lot of ways”, which makes a nice parallel…

I dunno, Rose’s “terms” were that she wanted to experience life on Earth, among living, changing organic things. Even if she had selfish motivations for that, her terms still lined up with fighting for the preservation and freedom of human (and other organic) life. And then after the war, she totally could have set…

Is that really what people think? I watch this show with my kids and what got me hooked on it was “Lion 2” where you first learn about her (stated) motivations. I was kind of shocked there was such a nuanced exploration of what parenthood means (yes! you do give up so much of yourself and see things through different…

I will agree with everything except the not loving Greg part. In the episode “Mr. Greg” when Pear sings is it over she acknowledges that rose has had many interests and they all faded. Pearl was expecting the same with Greg. She was confident Rose/Pink would return to her as she did in the past but Greg was different.…

How could she possibly do that? I mean you’re not wrong in that the truth would have spared Pearl centuries if not millennia of bottled emotions, but you’re wondering why a woman wouldn’t just admit “Man this was a total miscalculation on my part, OOPS” to her closest and now only remaining friends? Defining that…

I’m too lazy to dig it up, but one of the crew on “Mr. Greg” posted on a blog that Pearl’s big song there was basically her coming to terms with the fact that Rose never loved her the way she wanted her to. Rose’s feelings never changed, she just didn’t have them. She wanted to be friends, partners, equals with Pearl,…

Nearly everything we previously knew about Rose was told to Steven by people who idolized her. Pearl, who loved her utterly and seems to have been literally unable to tell the full truth. Garnet, who never knew the truth but found open acceptance from her. Amethyst, who barely had any more context than Steven. And…

I think there’s a difference between being “fine” with something and being happy about it. She tolerated the men in Rose’s life because they were ephemeral, but Greg became something more, so the patience she usually had with the arrangement wore out.

I think the moment you find out that your parents are mortal, both physically and emotionally, is one of the great, tragic milestones of maturity.
It’s gonna happen to Steven too, even if one of his parents is a magical gem woman from outer space.

My young sons love this show. I watch it with them. The emotional gravity of this show is good for all ages and can teach valuable lessons. Kids shows aren’t 30 minute commercials anymore, some have actual substance to them.

That’s the whole point of Steven. He can truly love in a way she never could and she knew he would love the crystal gems. With Pearl , each pearl belongs to a Diamond and from Rose’s point of view there is no way that Pearl could really consent to a relationship with her being in such powerful position.

I think Pearl loved an eternally idolised version of Rose, as much as because of the way Rose made her feel. She was equally attracted to the newness of it, but that was enough for her.

I think you are correct, there have been signs of her flaws, like hiding Bismuth’s fate from other Gems. There was an episode, where Greg caught on to being treated as a novelty toy. The way I see it - Pink Diamond was a teenager, curious and often self-absorbed, immature, rather then malicious. Rebelliousness,…

I think she loved them, but that newness was the basis for the attraction. But her style of loving others wasn’t compatible with Pearl’s: Pearl seems pretty strongly monogamous and Rose does not. Neither of those are invalid, but they are incompatible.

A whole damn lot to unpack, and I want to rewatch both episodes. But at this moment I want to point out that the episode did a nice, subtle job of explaining where Pearl’s habit of wide-eyed, hands-over-mouth panic response to dangerous questions originated.