Steven Universe “Now We’re Only Falling Apart” Review
Steven Universe has definitely been stepping it up in recent episodes, especially with the reveal that Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond the whole time. But now that the secret has been revealed, how will the Crystal Gems react?
Story (SPOILERS)
Now that Steven has found out who Rose Quartz really is, Pearl is finally able to talk about what everything was like. However, Garnet splits up after hearing the news, with Sapphire leaving Ruby behind. Pearl and Steven go after a depressed Sapphire, who rightfully feels betrayed by Rose. Pearl tells Sapphire how Rose was the same way, even as Pink Diamond. Pearl actually helps Pink Diamond first become Rose, as Pink wants to be around the newly formed Amethysts. Rose Quartz started as a way for Pink Diamond to explore Earth, but after seeing the life that the planet holds, Pink didn’t want to destroy Earth anymore. Pink tried to reason with the other Diamonds and stop the invasion of the Earth, but nothing worked. Pink became Rose and wanted to scare off the gems, but then she met the newly formed Garnet. Rose now wanted to fight for fusions and for gems, so they can have a place to be truly happy. This helps Sapphire feel better, who then goes back to the temple to try and make amends with Ruby. But when Sapphire gets back, she sees only a letter left behind by Ruby.
Presentation
When presenting flashback episodes, it’s important to show how things were different, and this episode does just that. The kindergarten is first shown in this episode, and it’s not only full of life, but it isn’t full of holes yet. We also see early outfits for Rose and Pearl, which shows how they haven’t yet figured out who they truly are. Plus, Ruby and Sapphire’s split has some clever visual clues before everything is made explicitly clear.
Final Thoughts
After five seasons of questions and theories, we finally know exactly who Rose Quartz is. We know how and why she decided to leave behind the life of a diamond, and how the Crystal Gems first got their start. We also see Ruby and Sapphire break apart, and their roles are reversed from the last time this happened, with Sapphire freaking out and Ruby trying to calm her down. This episode also sets up for the next few to have actual growth for the not too often seen Ruby and Sapphire.
