| “ |
I wanted to tell you for so long. |
” |
| —Pearl | ||
"A Single Pale Rose" is the 18th episode of the fifth season of Steven Universe and the 146th episode overall.
Official Synopsis
Steven helps Pearl find her phone.[2]
Plot
Upon returning to Earth, Steven anxiously waits to ask Pearl about Pink Diamond while she and Amethyst try out her cellphone. Amethyst leaves to get Pearl a phone case and Steven uses the time to ask about his latest dream. Pearl immediately covers her mouth and doesn't answer, seemingly shocked. Amethyst returns and she swiftly changes the subject, leaving Steven hurt.
After getting something to eat, Steven suddenly gets a text from Pearl. In it, she apologizes and says she can't tell him. Steven returns home and confronts her about it, to which Pearl responds she hasn't used her phone since that morning. Trying to retrieve her phone from inside her gemstone fails, and eventually Pearl tells Steven to go inside and get it himself, saying to "let me know when you find what you're looking for". With that, Steven is sent inside of Pearl's gemstone.
He ends up in a cleanly compartmentalized area featuring another Pearl who organizes all of Pearl's possessions. Steven asks the whereabouts of the phone and she responds that it may be with the "other Pearls", but advises him not to go to where they are because it's a "mess". Nevertheless, Steven insists, and Pearl takes him inside her gemstone yet again. The cycle continues several times as Steven is taken further into Pearl's gemstone, passing through her memories including Rose's pregnancy and the aftermath of the Gem War. Eventually, he reaches the scene from his dream, only this time, it's Rose Quartz having shattered Pink Diamond. He steps closer, and once she raises her head and opens her eyes, Steven realizes it's Pearl disguised as Rose. Steven is confused until Pearl holds her hand out, revealing Pink Diamond's gemstone, before taking him into her gemstone once more.
Rose shapeshifts into Pink Diamond
Inside Pink Diamond's palanquin, Steven overhears a conversation between Rose and Pearl behind the throne. While Pearl is at first hesitant to do the assigned task, Rose is adamant, assuring her that their life will be better and they'll be free afterwards. Pearl agrees to Rose's plan and (to Steven's shock) "Rose" transforms into Pink Diamond. Once out in the open, Pink shows Pearl a handful of dirt with the head of a single pink hibiscus, and gives her the latter. She then changes the dirt into fake diamond shards and swallows them. Before Pink leaves, she gives one last order as a Diamond to her Pearl: Never speak of these events again. Pearl then turns to Steven, who has been watching speechlessly the whole time, and holds out her cellphone with apologetic words. Steven wordlessly takes the phone as Pearl shapeshifts into "Rose" to stage the fake "shattering". Once Steven texts Pearl that he found her phone, she pulls him out of her gemstone.
Back outside, Pearl says she wanted to tell Steven for a very long time. Somberly, he realizes that his mother wasn't a Quartz, but Pink Diamond. Behind him, Amethyst and Garnet, who just walked in, stare and gasp in shock.
Features
Characters
- Steven Universe
- Pearl
- Amethyst
- Garnet (non-speaking cameo)
- Rose Quartz/Pink Diamond (flashback)
- Jasper (flashback)
- Ruby (Eyeball) (flashback)
- Stevonnie (flashback)
- Zircon (Defense) (flashback)
- Blue Diamond (flashback)
- Yellow Diamond (flashback)
- Unknown Homeworld Gems (flashback)
Locations
- Beach City
- Pearl's Dimension (debut)
- Gem Battlefield (flashback, in Pearl's Dimension)
- Trial Room (flashback)
- Korean Peninsula (flashback, in Pearl's Dimension)
- Moon Base (flashback)
Objects
- Pearl's cellphone
- Steven's Phone
- Rose's Sword
- Rose's Scabbard
- Pink Diamond's Palanquin
Music
Instrumental Songs
TBA
Trivia
- This episode reveals that Rose and Pink Diamond are one and the same, and thus Pink Diamond is Steven's mother and Pearl's role in Homeworld as Pink Diamond's Pearl is confirmed.
- This episode reveals that Steven has technically always had Pink Diamond's gem. Therefore, by Homeworld's established laws, he rules the Earth, the Moon Base, and Pink Diamond's Zoo. It also means that he owns Pearl.
- Though in continuity, Pink Diamond as Rose Quartz has had already "freed" Pearl of her Diamond-level servile duties when they executed Pink's death ruse.
- The reason why Pearl never spoke about the Diamonds and is forced to cover her mouth every time she attempts to do so is revealed to be due to Pink Diamond's final order to never speak of her faking her death.
- Crewniverse member Joe Johnston confirmed that this is part of a Pearl's functionality – they cannot disobey a clear order from their owner.[3]
- Garnet once stated that Rose shattered Pink Diamond so Pearl can be free. However, since the shattering of Pink was revealed to be a ruse the whole time, it can be indicated that Pearl was never truly free from her servitude role as she had been executing Pink's final order for millenia as well as fighting alongside her throughout the Rebellion.
- This is the first time Pearl has been shown to shapeshift.
- It is revealed that there are multiple Pearls (persona-like entities) inside Pearl's gem; each Pearl represents her specific memories and thought.
- While the first Pearl trying to put Steven in alphabetical order, some items around also appear alphabetically, including screwdriver, shell, stethoscope, sticker, tissue paper, and television; and the place between "stethoscope" and "sticker" is vacant.
- This is the first episode in which Pearl has addressed someone as "My Diamond".
- It is revealed that Zircon's accusation against the Diamonds is not completely inaccurate, since Pink Diamond faked her own shattering.
Cultural References
- The numbers 555[4] which can be seen in all of the cellphone numbers stored within Pearl's gem is a common trope used in fictional media whenever a phone number is presented. This area code is used in order to avoid prank calls to real-life people.
Continuity
- Flashbacks from "Back to the Moon", "The Trial", "Jungle Moon" and "Your Mother and Mine" are shown.
- This episode takes place right after "Can't Go Back".
- Pearl covering her mouth once the Diamonds were brought up was first referenced in "Gemcation".
- Some items appeared previously can be found in Pearl's gemstone.
- Mystery Girl's number is seen again in the episode, next to a handful of other cellphone numbers that Pearl had previously acquired.
- "Pearl Points", appeared in "Steven vs. Amethyst", can be found near phone numbers.
- Numerous spears are seen.
- Rose Quartz's conversation with Pearl offers two hints at her true identity:
- She calls Earth, Pink Diamond's colony, "my planet".
- She concludes by saying, "I can't exactly shatter myself," which would make no sense if she weren't Pink Diamond.
- Pearl's phone makes its second appearance.
- It's first appearance was in "Letters to Lars".
- Amethyst says Pearl has had her phone for a month.
- This implies that "Letters to Lars" takes place at least a month before the events of this episode.
Errors
- In "Your Mother and Mine ", Rose Quartz is depicted as appealing to Pink Diamond in person for the sake of Earth's lifeforms. Given that the two are the same person, how this was accomplished is unclear, though explanations are possible.
- However, this could be just how the other original Crystal Gems told Garnet about the "formation of the Rebellion", never actually knowing the truth. It should also be noted that apart from the short clip of the Diamonds' direct attack, most of Garnet's story was animated using a very different art style than the rest of the series.
- The exact shape of Pink Diamond's gem cannot be directly translated into a 3-dimensional object, because it is impossible to transition from a straight edge to a curved edge in a facet of a series. The circular shape of Rose's gem could be explained by the separation ring we can see in some pictures of this episode, for example in the shot of Rose-Pearl's hand after she poofed her Diamond when Steven came back to the real world (the same kind of separation ring we can see through Amethyst's gem, which is featured in "Reformed" when Amethyst is poofed and both sides of her gem are revealed). However, this ring mysteriously disappears from Pink's gem when she turns back to her real self.
- When Amethyst screams "What?" at the end of the episode, her tank top has the shape it had in her previous regeneration, although the color matches her current regeneration.
- When Garnet and Amethyst are seen comforting Pearl after what appears to be Rose's death, Amethyst is wearing her off shoulder mauve tank top instead of her off shoulder mauve sweater. Judging from "Three Gems and a Baby" and We Are the Crystal Gems, Amethyst did not wear the former top until sometime when Steven was in his adolescence.
Transcript
View the episode's transcript here.
Gallery
References
- ↑ http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-monday-cable-originals-network-finals-5-7-2018.html
- ↑ "A Single Pale Rose" on CartoonNetwork.com
- ↑ Joe Johnston's Tumblr
"Q: Sir, but how do we know everything Pearl did for Rose wasn't just that Pearl-caste-programming kicking in because in truth, Pearl knew Rose was infact her Diamond. Sure Pearl had feelings for her, but how do we know whether or not the servant mentality still didnt play a role in Pearl's allegiance with Rose.
A: I’ll put it this way, if Pink Diamond we’re to say “Pearl, I ORDER you to do such and such…” because she’s her Pearl, she would have to do it. Of course her servant mentality played a role in her allegiance to Rose, how could it not. BUT, that relationship clearly grew and changed as naturally as any relationship will, and it wasn’t due to Pink Diamonds powers or influence..." - ↑ [1]