The Recap: Connie is surprised to learn that Steven is turning 14, making him a whole year-and-a-quarter older than her. Distressed at the thought of remaining a child while Connie becomes an adult, Steven tries to use magic to make himself look older.
Sandwiched between Garnet’s love story yesterday and what looks to be a very momentous Peridot episode tomorrow, “Steven’s Birthday” can come across as something of a lull by comparison. But it’s episodes like this that make the show so great as a whole—nuts and bolts explorations of how all this nebulous magic space stuff affects the reality of these characters’ lives. It’s one of those momentary victories that’s necessary for living while also being profoundly bittersweet once you look down the road apiece. And in the tradition of many of the show’s quiet, important moments, it sits us down to overtly confirm things we kinda sorta guessed and explore the consequences of those facts—in this case, that Steven’s Gem side affects him in difficult ways in addition to the cool powers, and that he feels ostracized from his human loved ones because of that fact.
The episode is chock full of what I really don’t feel comfortable pegging as “callbacks” anymore (though Greg owning Estelle’s record is a very cute joke), since that term works most overtly on the meta level of “the writers did this thing and they want us to remember it.” And in the case of Steven Universe, it’s more that the world is built in a naturalistic enough way that it continues to function when we’re not looking at it. Greg brings Steven the birthday cape and crown not because that was a thing that happened in “So Many Birthdays” but because it’s a sweet family tradition and they’ve always done it. Connie brings up training with Pearl not to remind us the viewers about it but because it’s an integral part of her life now. It’s one of the many little things that make Steven’s world so inviting.
As usual, it’s the character beats that prove the most rewarding. Little touches like the Maheshwarens making good on their promise to trust their daughter more and Amethyst finally getting to play the experienced, cautioning advisor mark heartening growth for the characters in question. And while Greg’s role hasn’t really changed much recently, it’s nice to get a reminder that he’s spent the last 14 years being a really excellent, hardworking single dad.
But all of that is beside the central exploration of what this means for Connie as well as her and Steven’s relationship. The show’s worked up to an interesting balance here: because Connie is already aware of Gem goings on as well as training as Pearl’s apprentice, the script can break away from having to go through the motions of “Surprise! Steven is different!” and tackle the subtler emotional elements of what it means to be a mortal who loves an (at least by comparison) immortal as well as good old teenage hormones.
The handling of Connie and Steven’s relationship continues to be excellently done. Not just in the believable awkwardness of Connie finding Steven’s new look cute—which reads less as the typical “they grew and I noticed them nonplatonically” moment and more that it can rather thrilling when a familiar loved one reveals something new about themselves or gets a new look—but in how the writing addresses the question of support. The second half is dedicated, after all, to Connie having a Stand By Your Man moment, which is pretty well trod territory for characters in her role.
And yet … it’s also not. Connie’s declaration doesn’t have to do with putting aside her own desires to support Steven in his goals instead. Her promise to be there for him is couched in the mention of his other loved ones (Greg and the Gems) and her own continued training. It’s more about being a source of emotional support in a time of struggle and recognizing that the person you love is still there underneath whatever they’re working through. Which is …a very grownup realization, and part of being in a mutually supportive relationship. Steven is even given a reciprocal declaration of supportiveness earlier in the episode when he talks about Connie becoming president. Because above all they’re written as partners, not “Steven and his girlfriend.” Continuing to call them best friends is a sweet touch, since that’s what remains at the heart of whatever else happens.
Steven’s storyline is harder to look at than Connie’s by virtue of being less immediate. Like everything else about him, it’s shrouded in mystery. And his physical development could range from following the human growth process at a slower rate to maintaining his current proportions while also having hormonal changes like his tiny new facial hair. Hence why the small victory of knowing his support network stands beside him becomes so important in the short term. Another one of those things that refuses to wrap itself up in eleven minutes.
Speaking of support networks, I’m sure not ready for the next episode. There may be capslock, readers. I promise to edit and apologize in advance. See you there!
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Vrai is a queer author and pop culture blogger; they look forward to fervently avoiding all the gross discussions certain corners of the internet will doubtlessly have about this episode. You can read more essays and find out about their fiction at Fashionable Tinfoil Accessories, support their work via Patreon or PayPal, or remind them of the existence of Tweets.
