I’m always gonna feel like this show is underrated.

I mean, I understand this show has a pretty substantial *cough* and well-deserved *cough* fandom, and it doesn’t do too bad in the ratings every week, either, it’s just … you can’t love T.V. of this quality enough.

To celebrate next week’s Steven-bomb (new episodes every week-day) in all its awesomeness, let’s talk about one of the most shockingly well done aspects of its storytelling: the characters coping with grief. 

For this one, let’s mix it up. 

Instead of just rambling away like we normally do here on FGA, I’mma divide this up by character. Then ramble. In fact, I have to, ‘cause not only is each character different & complex … well, we’ll get into it in a second.

TAKE IT AWAY, BIRD NOSE!

Pearl (A.K.A. Pointy Mom)

Pearl doesn’t know how to deal. I guess that could be said about any of them — and … well, you wouldn’t be wrong — but Pearl? Her coping mechanism is to throw herself into helping others.

Namely, Steven.

One of the most heartwarming bits of character development came in The Sword Fighter. As small as it was, the viewers (like LittleNightwing & I) noticed.

OKAY BUT OW YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE THAT GOOD OF A PERSON PEARL.

I know in that specific instant she’s not grieving, but it proves my point: Pearl’s default is to protect & love Steven as though he were her precious baby-child.

So far (and remember I’ve only seen as far as Marble Madness when writing this), we’ve only really seen P break down, like, twice. Once cartoonishly in So Many Birthdays (over Steven’s potential death), and once again in Coach Steven when she just can’t because she doesn’t think she’s strong enough.

"I’m sorry, Steven … Garnet … Amethyst … I wasn’t strong enough to protect you. I’m not strong enough to do anything…"

Even then, it shows us that Pearl’s always trying to stay strong, for Steven (and the others). 

Heck, she even sings about it.

"And, I want to inspire you, I want to be your rock/ and when I talk, it lights a fire in you.”

Also, she tried to take Steven into space and it was really emotional. That … that didn’t have much to do with grieving (besides being mega-homesick), but I mean did you see that episode I mean damn.

Garnet (A.K.A. Square Mom)

Garnet kind of became the new Rose, and I don’t know if that’s a coping thing or something that just kind of happened. 

Between the three remaining Crystal Gems, it makes sense our cool-headed hip goddess stepped up to fill in the gap, but I don’t think we’ve gotten to see how she feels about it. Maybe I just need to do better research PFFT IMPOSSIBLE but I can’t remember Garnet ever getting to have a moment yet where she just gets to grieve for her friend.

Now, we have seen her vulnerable. I know that’s different, but because the of wonderful nature of the show, we haven’t gotten to the all Garnet feels quite yet, but we did get some awesome development, so I’m just gonna count it because screw NOT talking about Garnet, amirite?

Gifs by if-every-porkchop-were-perfect

NOT ONLY DOES GARNET HAVE TO SEE EVERYONE SHE LOVES DIE OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH HER FUTURE VISION, SHE MUST’E SEEN THE POSSIBILITY OF ROSE DYING AND HAVE TO WATCH THAT COME TRUE. 

So … yeah.

Amethyst (A.K.A. Kid Mom) 

Also also known as the walking disaster. 

After Maximum Capacity, it’s legitimately understandable for people to have a beef with this purple sack of tears — because she emotionally abused Greg with the face of his dead wife. 

Seriously. Not cool, Amethyst.

But, that IS the point with her, you know?

I still love her in spite of it because she’s was made to be a “bad gem,” and she struggles with that reality so much (hating herself & actually being aware of this terrible/thoughtless stuff she’s done). She wants to change. 

Plus, without seeing her make these colossal mistakes, I don’t think the  ”bad gem” story-arch would have quite as much weight, y’know? She really has to struggle to be a good person.

It doesn’t excuse the abuse, AT ALL, but she’s understandable, and she raises an interesting question. When does somebody become irredeemable? 

People do evil things in real life. Does doing something like abuse mark you for life as a bad person, or can the person move on and make it right in some small way? Is there a point of no return, and more relevantly, has Amethyst past it?

Both she and the audience will have to decide that for themselves (personally, I think she can find redemption somehow), but to move back on topic:

Amethyst grieves like a time-bomb. Like Steven said in that very same ep, it’s hard to know how to handle the death of someone who’s that close to you — and because Amethyst can’t even, she either lashes out or stuffs the feels back down as best she can. Which, of course, backfires terribly for her, but she tries.

… You know, that’s what really matters with Amethyst. She’s the “one good thing to come out of [that] mess,” but that’s only because she makes the effort. If not for herself, for the peeps she loves.

"Listen, Steven, you can’t let anyone make you feel like garbage.”
"… Is that how you feel?"
"I only feel how I wanna feel.”

Greg Universe (A.K.A. Rose’s Baby-Daddy)

Greg’s the most human character on this list. Spoilers: it shows.

The dude frankly deserves his own fangirling post, but this’ll have to do for right now.

Now, Greg still classifies as a side-character in the show most of the time, just based on the number of episodes/stories he’s involved in. Still, Steven Universe as a whole is his story, too.

The threat of losing his son the way he lost the love of his life is real to him. In the beginning, it was hard to tell just how much he cared for Steven, since they didn’t live together and we didn’t have a lot to go off of.

Can’t say that anymore.

Yeah, Greg is still messed up over it, and in extreme cases like this, it’s visible. But, the guy has a decently healthy way of dealing with it, seems like. He knows what he can and can’t handle.

I don’t know if I can explain it eloquently, but Mr. U rides the waves of grief when the come, but doesn’t go out surfing they’re too big, and doesn’t stay on the land when he’s gotta let himself feel it, y’know?

I just get that feeling from him.

"Rose …"

Gif By The Masked Man

Steven 

This kid’s got so much shit to deal with. He didn’t ask for any of it, but does he complain? Does he lash out? Does he brood or break down when people need him? 

Well, he used to.

This is such a well-done, understandable moment, but I’m so glad it came early in the series.

Since then, Steven’s been through so much.

Poor lil’ dude never got to know his mom, and doesn’t know how to feel about her. It’s hard to know how to handle it. But, she’s a part of him forever, and he knows that means all her responsibilities fall to him.

Meaning, he helps out his family.

And, really, they all do. Every one of the characters effected by Rose’s death at least try to help each other out, to push aside their own feelings to take care of one and other. It’s so hard on all of them. But, the love’s there, and that’s what’s so special about how these amazing dorks cope.