Talk:Secret Team/@comment-24163511-20141018060813

Ah yes, the return of the sisterly/family dynamic! Recently the series has been so wrapped up about slowly unraveling the mystery of the Crystal Gems that inter-character relationships seemed to have gotten muffled. I'm glad this episode brings it back a little bit. Coming from a large house hold with many siblings, one of the things that attracted me to this series was the family/group dynamic because it highlights the difficulties of getting along with loved ones, but also magic and stuff.

And make no mistake, these Gems are certainly like a family, most easily described as a trio of sisters caring for their nephew, and the best of the sibling dynamic certainly shines from Pearl/Amethyst's relationship which highlights the middle/little sibling relationship. Both want the attention and admiration of their older sibling (in this case, Garnet) and also want their own space. But even though siblings fight a lot, its the times that are spent having fun with one another that are most important...and most easily forgotten. In this episode, it highlights the moments where Pearl and Amethyst have fun smashing the Gem shards together and cooperating instead of smashing heads. Them both fearing the wrath of Garnet was fairly amusing, going so far as to letting Steven take blame which is fairly accurate as younger siblings, as they don't want punishment and they certainly don't want her to think less of them.

All in all, placing Garnet firmly back into the leadership position, this episode refocuses the sibling dynamic that drew me to the series in the first place, and that's awesome.

Side Note: Steven's voice seemed a bit older than it has been, I'm not sure if that's intentional or if the VA is finding it harder to portray a prepubescent character with a higher end voice. Not that I mind, frankly, I like it. Its an indication that Steven is growing up which fits perfectly with the series in the coming-of-age genre and especially in the range of where Steven's age is (around 11 or 12, something just on the cusp of puberty).