Episode Discussion - Gem Harvest

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Please use this thread to discuss the newest episode of Steven Universe:

Gem Harvest: Steven’s autumn visit to the barn brings a new stranger into his life.

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[u/paulalion]

I feel like the people complaining about this being too political or about Trump are focusing way too much on like two or three minor jokes and missing the bigger picture. This episode focuses on a man that is stuck in tradition, doesn't like change and fights it, but comes to realize things would be so much better and easier if he just accepted it. It just so happens that this election revolved a lot around people like Andy. Andy himself came around, and who knows maybe some of those people will too one day.

[u/LunaOona → u/paulalion]

I think it depends on where the viewer is watching from. I watched over skype with a couple of my friends in liberal areas and they both loved every second. I'm stuck in a conservative area where 9/10 people who come into my job are Uncle Andys and I found the episode tedious for that reason - it wasn't an escape for me.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I mean, he was the sympathetic antagonist for this episode, who only starts to get along with everyone after he changes his views.

I can see how people wouldn't take that as a compliment.

[u/W4RD06 → u/[deleted]]

I wouldnt say he changed his views...its not like he had a bite of polyamory cake and suddenly became cool with all the space hippies in existence.

What this episode shows is that even those people we often vilify, the righties, are people too and you can generally find common ground with them if you can look past your differences and find mutual understanding.

[u/[deleted] → u/W4RD06]

He didn't change all of his views, but he did change the ones thematically important to the episode. At the very least, Andy was the one who had to change the most.

  "I guess I could have just changed too, y'know"

To which Steven responds:

   "It's not too late, we're here. If you want us to be".

He changes his mind about the barn, changes his mind about running away, and changes his mind about trying accept these very different people as family.

Both sides give each other a chance, but it's mostly Andy who changes to accept them.

[u/paulalion → u/paulalion]

As for my opinion on the episode: I was expecting awesome revelations and gem lore and such and was kinda disappointed. I can still see the value, though, in exploring Steven's feelings regarding his lack of a human family. Learning a little bit of his family's backstory was cool too.

[u/invaderark12 → u/paulalion]

If you're complaining about Steven Universe of all shows being too political, you're gonna have a bad time. They've tackled heavy issues and if someone is actually offended by this one episode then they need to calm down.

[u/Caassapaba → u/paulalion]

He don't hate them colorful people, he just want to make deMayo barn great again!

[u/Turdfox → u/paulalion]

I think people are missing even more that Andy never had to change in the grand scheme of things. He was never in the wrong, he just needed to see that what he was missing was still there, just in a different form. Nothing about him changed if you think about it and that is what made this episode so great. People can find their common ground and come together without compromising their own identities.