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| “ |
I just wanted to be a good mother, I- I just wanted to protect you. |
” |
| —"Nightmare Hospital" | ||
Priyanka Maheswaran is the mother of Connie Maheswaran, who made her debut, alongside her husband, in the episode "Fusion Cuisine".
Appearance
Priyanka has a dark tan complexion, a small pointed nose, and dark brown shoulder-length hair with dark gray bangs. She typically wears a pale blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves, tan pants, and dark red low-heeled shoes. Her work attire consists of a white lab coat over her normal clothing.
Personality
Priyanka is a strict but loving parent. Her restrictive nature makes her overprotective and has caused Connie to miss out on ordinary pleasures most kids her age enjoy. For example, Connie is not allowed to eat food with high trans fat content, and as such has presumably never eaten a doughnut before "Crack the Whip". Connie stated that her mother does not understand how her favorite show, Under the Knife, is satire and does not allow the show to be watched in her home. She is concerned with keeping up good appearances and reminds Connie not to rest her head on the table. She does not appear to be frightened easily by something unless it involves Connie, as shown in "Nightmare Hospital", where she panics when she sees Connie has Rose's Sword but remains relatively calm when seeing the Gem fusion experiments. This episode also shows her protective nature; she immediately confiscated Rose's sword upon discovering it and later refused to allow Connie to wield it despite her daughter's insistence and the danger they were in.
Connie is concerned that her mother would find the Crystal Gems weird and forbid her from seeing Steven. This indicates that she is (or Connie perceives her to be) a conservative individual. Despite the strange circumstances of the dinner, Dr. Maheswaran attempts to be cordial with Alexandrite and even chastises her husband for his joke about the breadsticks. She values honesty and her intuition and is deeply upset when she learns Connie lied to her. She finds common ground with Greg Universe and the Crystal Gems when she observes the way they responsibly admonish Steven for his actions and allows Connie to continue seeing him. She is very concerned with safety as said by herself and Connie and would do anything at all costs to keep it.
After Connie finally opened up about how her mother's restrictiveness was affecting her, Priyanka made an effort to change provided that Connie no longer keep secrets from her. She started to become a more open and trusting individual. When Connie traveled with the Crystal Gems, Priyanka proved to be more confident in Connie keeping herself safe. When Steven came to her for a check-up in "Growing Pains," despite Priyanka not being a pediatrician or knowing about gem physiology, she still demonstrated both her typical professional doctor side as well as her caring motherly side as she attempted to put Steven at ease while treating him.
History
"Fusion Cuisine"
While watching Under the Knife with Steven, Connie mentions that her mom said the show does not represent a real emergency room setting. Just then Priyanka calls her to check up on her and asks to speak to Steven's mom. Connie nervously puts Priyanka on the phone with Garnet, who attempts to cover for the kids by explaining that they're playing with swords, then attempts to get out of the conversation by claiming that they are bleeding and dead. This incident causes Connie's parents to forbid her from visiting Steven's house.
Later, Connie's parents agree to meet Steven's parents over dinner in order to evaluate the stability of Steven's home life, unaware that Steven's mom is absent and believing he lives with his nuclear family. The Maheswarans arrive at the chosen restaurant first and are greeted twenty minutes later by Steven, Greg, and the gargantuan Alexandrite. While Connie's parents are clearly fazed by Alexandrite's unusual appearance, they do their best to act as though the situation is perfectly normal by making small talk.
Priyanka asks how Greg and Alexandrite met, and later scolds Connie for putting her head on the table. Priyanka also reveals that she is a doctor. When Alexandrite becomes unstable and unfuses, Priyanka claims to have had bad feelings about Steven that she should have listened to. When Steven and Connie are later retrieved after running off, Priyanka is livid with her. Upon hearing how the Gems reprimanded Steven for running away, Priyanka realizes that they are responsible guardians, and allows Connie to continue hanging out with Steven.
"Winter Forecast"
Priyanka calls Connie to inform her that a snowstorm is coming and that she needs to get a ride home or else her father will try to pick her up. After this, Priyanka appears in two timelines.
In one timeline, she is livid when Connie and Steven arrive at her house at such a late hour. She tells Connie that she is going straight to bed after seeing her sneeze, and claims that she will never let her out again during flu season. In the second timeline, Connie calls Priyanka to tell her that she will be staying over at Steven's house, which she disagrees with.
In reality, when Steven, Connie, and Greg successfully make it to the Maheswaran residence, Priyanka is glad that Connie is okay, and suggests that the Universes stay over for the night to avoid the blizzard. She tells Greg that the Maheswarans are all about safety.
"Marble Madness"
Priyanka hands Connie the phone when Steven calls and swears that "Universe" is not his last name, foreshadowing the revelation in "Gem Harvest" that Greg changed his last name.
"Nightmare Hospital"
When Priyanka comes home and discovers Rose's sword, she shows deep concern for Connie's safety and promptly confiscates it, right as she is called back to the hospital to examine a strange new patient. The patient, which is actually a Cluster Gem, clearly shows no signs of humanity, but Priyanka cannot comprehend its true nature. She catches Steven and Connie trying to steal the sword back and is furious with her daughter, before suddenly being attacked by the Cluster Gem.
When another Cluster Gem joins in on the attack, Connie begs her mother to give the sword back, but Priyanka refuses, unwilling to bend the rules and let her daughter handle a weapon. She tries in vain to lead Connie and Steven to safety, but they are ultimately surrounded by the two Cluster Gems. Even as the situation spirals out of control, Priyanka refuses to let Connie put her life on the line to save them all, and is unwilling to accept that her daughter has been leading her own life. She relents, however, when Connie reveals that her eyesight has been healed with magic and that she has been training to protect the Earth alongside Steven for over a year.
After Connie poofs both of the Cluster Gems and saves the day, Priyanka wonders if she and Doug are too controlling; she only wants what is best for her daughter. In the end, she promises to let Connie continue her training, just so long as Connie promises not to shut her out of her life, and to come back to her if she's ever over her head. The two reconcile by hugging it out.
"Gem Hunt"
Priyanka is indirectly mentioned when Steven tells Pearl that Connie's parents wanted him to take lots of pictures of her first mission. At the end of the episode, Connie tells Pearl that her parents saw all of her pictures.
"Storm in the Room"
Priyanka is not there to pick up Connie from Steven's house at the end of the day, which is unusual for her since Connie mentions that her mother is always on time. Priyanka eventually enters the house during the night. She holds her daughter and apologizes. She explains that the surgery she was performing took longer than usual and that she had to cover for one of Dr. Stromberg's patients again. Additionally, her phone had died, so she was unable to return Connie's calls. Afterward, Priyanka thanks Steven for letting Connie stay and leaves with her daughter.
"Jungle Moon"
Priyanka appears in Stevonnie's dream but is much larger in size than Stevonnie. She is heard talking to a Nephrite on the phone, and her face and clothing gradually transition to that of Yellow Diamond's appearance. As the dream sequence plays out, it becomes apparent that Priyanka and Stevonnie are standing in for Yellow Diamond and Pink Diamond respectively, and that they are reenacting a past conversation between the two Diamonds.
"Reunited"
Priyanka attends Garnet's wedding alongside her husband.
"Legs From Here to Homeworld"
Priyanka and her husband talk to Pearl and Connie before their trip to Homeworld. She tells her daughter that she is going to do great on her mission and asks her if she has food, water, and her sword. After Pearl tells Connie's parents that she is going to accompany Connie during the mission, Priyanka tells Connie to be careful and to come home safe.
"Change Your Mind"
She and Doug are seen greeting Connie during Steven's performance.
"Growing Pains"
Connie brings Steven in to see her out of concern for his physical health. After examining Steven's physical symptoms, a concerned Priyanka eventually comes to the conclusion that Steven's pink state is connected to all the traumas Steven experienced during his time with the Gems. She explains that his past trauma has affected his body's ability to respond to stress and because of his past trauma he is responding to stress in an unhealthy way. She also suspects that Steven's condition might be a result of a Gem equivalent of cortisol.
Relationships
Connie Maheswaran
Priyanka and her daughter Connie.
Priyanka is very protective of her daughter, Connie, demonstrated when she abruptly acted disgusted when Steven hugged Connie unexpectedly. In "Nightmare Hospital", she reveals that she makes it her business to know all of Connie's activities as well as her internet history. The episode also reveals that it is her work as a doctor that feeds into her overprotective nature of her daughter; seeing horrific injuries on a daily basis drives her to safeguard Connie at any cost – even her own freedom. However, she was shocked to find out that she did not know as much about her daughter as she thought she did, upon learning Connie had started lying about her activities. This seemingly wounded her deeply, though, in the end, the desire to earn her daughter's trust trumped over her overprotective nature. The two agreed to a less strict and much more open relationship in the end. As long as Connie would tell her the whole truth, she agreed to support her fully.
Doug Maheswaran
Priyanka with her husband Doug.
Doug is Priyanka's husband. They share very similar personalities and perspectives especially with regard to keeping their daughter safe. Doug seems to be slightly less capable than his wife at times, but they seem to have a loving, supportive relationship.
Crystal Gems
She is initially suspicious of the Crystal Gems but has since grown to respect them as responsible guardians for Steven, even going so far as to entrust them with Connie's safety during training. Later on, she asked them for permission to take x-rays of the gems to learn more about their species.
Steven Universe
Despite her initial dislike/distrust of Steven in "Fusion Cuisine", she seems to have warmed up to him enough that in "Winter Forecast," she allows him and Greg to stay over so they did not have to drive back during the snowstorm. In "Marble Madness," she also states that she doubts "Universe" is his real last name.
After the events of "Nightmare Hospital", she recognizes just how much Steven's friendship means to her daughter; she is willing to disobey and lie to her mother just to be with him. Wanting to have a better, more honest relationship with Connie, she gives Steven her approval and allows Connie to spend time with him – regardless of any "magical Gem stuff" that might get involved.
In Steven Universe Future, she grew a more trusting and liking side towards Steven, such as in "Growing Pains" she shows her caring motherly side when she tries to help Steven find out why his powers are going out of control and to understand his trauma.
Greg Universe
Priyanka starts out being skeptical towards Greg's abilities as a parent, but as of "Fusion Cuisine", she has started to respect him. In the episode "Winter Forecast" she and her husband even allow Steven and Greg to spend the night at their house to get out of the blizzard, much to Greg's delight. She still is surprised by some of Greg's parenting decisions in raising Steven, such as her shock that Steven had never been to a doctor before coming to her in "Growing Pains," but recognizes that he is a devoted father.
Episode Appearances
| Season 1 | ||||||||||||
| Season 1A | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Gem Glow": | Absent | 14. "Lars and the Cool Kids": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Laser Light Cannon": | Absent | 15. "Onion Trade": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "Cheeseburger Backpack": | Absent | 16. "Steven the Sword Fighter": | Absent | |||||||||
| 4. "Together Breakfast": | Absent | 17. "Lion 2: The Movie": | Absent | |||||||||
| 5. "Frybo": | Absent | 18. "Beach Party": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Cat Fingers": | Absent | 19. "Rose's Room": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Bubble Buddies": | Absent | 20. "Coach Steven": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Serious Steven": | Absent | 21. "Joking Victim": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "Tiger Millionaire": | Absent | 22. "Steven and the Stevens": | Absent | |||||||||
| 10. "Steven's Lion": | Absent | 23. "Monster Buddies": | Absent | |||||||||
| 11. "Arcade Mania": | Absent | 24. "An Indirect Kiss": | Absent | |||||||||
| 12. "Giant Woman": | Absent | 25. "Mirror Gem": | Pictured | |||||||||
| 13. "So Many Birthdays": | Absent | 26. "Ocean Gem": | Absent | |||||||||
| Season 1B | ||||||||||||
| 27. "House Guest": | Absent | 40. "On the Run": | Absent | |||||||||
| 28. "Space Race": | Absent | 41. "Horror Club": | Absent | |||||||||
| 29. "Secret Team": | Absent | 42. "Winter Forecast": | Appears | |||||||||
| 30. "Island Adventure": | Absent | 43. "Maximum Capacity": | Absent | |||||||||
| 31. "Keep Beach City Weird": | Absent | 44. "Marble Madness": | Appears | |||||||||
| 32. "Fusion Cuisine": | Debut | 45. "Rose's Scabbard": | Absent | |||||||||
| 33. "Garnet's Universe": | Absent | 46. "Open Book": | Absent | |||||||||
| 34. "Watermelon Steven": | Absent | 47. "Shirt Club": | Absent | |||||||||
| 35. "Lion 3: Straight to Video": | Absent | 48. "Story for Steven": | Absent | |||||||||
| 36. "Warp Tour": | Absent | 49. "The Message": | Absent | |||||||||
| 37. "Alone Together": | Absent | 50. "Political Power": | Absent | |||||||||
| 38. "The Test": | Absent | 51. "The Return": | Absent | |||||||||
| 39. "Future Vision": | Absent | 52. "Jail Break": | Absent | |||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1. "Full Disclosure": | Absent | 14. "Historical Friction": | Absent | |||||||||
| 2. "Joy Ride": | Absent | 15. "Friend Ship": | Absent | |||||||||
| 3. "Say Uncle": | Absent | 16. "Nightmare Hospital": | Appears | |||||||||
| 4. "Love Letters": | Absent | 17. "Sadie's Song": | Absent | |||||||||
| 5. "Reformed": | Absent | 18. "Catch and Release": | Absent | |||||||||
| 6. "Sworn to the Sword": | Absent | 19. "When It Rains": | Absent | |||||||||
| 7. "Rising Tides, Crashing Skies": | Absent | 20. "Back to the Barn": | Absent | |||||||||
| 8. "Keeping It Together": | Absent | 21. "Too Far": | Absent | |||||||||
| 9. "We Need to Talk": | Absent | 22. "The Answer": | Absent | |||||||||
| 10. "Chille Tid": | Absent | 23. "Steven's Birthday": | Absent | |||||||||
| 11. "Cry for Help": | Absent | 24. "It Could've Been Great": | Absent | |||||||||
| 12. "Keystone Motel": | Absent | 25. "Message Received": | Absent | |||||||||
| 13. "Onion Friend": | Absent | 26. "Log Date 7 15 2": | Absent | |||||||||
| Season 3 | |||||
| 1. "Super Watermelon Island": | Absent | 13. "Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Gem Drill": | Absent | 14. "Monster Reunion": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Same Old World": | Absent | 15. "Alone at Sea": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Barn Mates": | Absent | 16. "Greg the Babysitter": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Hit the Diamond": | Absent | 17. "Gem Hunt": | Mentioned | ||
| 6. "Steven Floats": | Absent | 18. "Crack the Whip": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Drop Beat Dad": | Absent | 19. "Steven vs. Amethyst": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Mr. Greg": | Absent | 20/21. "Bismuth": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Too Short to Ride": | Absent | 22. "Beta": | Absent | ||
| 10. "The New Lars": | Absent | 23. "Earthlings": | Absent | ||
| 11. "Beach City Drift": | Absent | 24. "Back to the Moon": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Restaurant Wars": | Absent | 25. "Bubbled": | Absent | ||
| Season 4 | |||||
| 1. "Kindergarten Kid": | Absent | 14. "The Zoo": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Know Your Fusion": | Absent | 15. "That Will Be All": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Buddy's Book": | Absent | 16. "The New Crystal Gems": | Pictured | ||
| 4. "Mindful Education": | Absent | 17. "Storm in the Room": | Appears | ||
| 5. "Future Boy Zoltron": | Absent | 18. "Rocknaldo": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Last One Out of Beach City": | Absent | 19. "Tiger Philanthropist": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Onion Gang": | Absent | 20. "Room for Ruby": | Absent | ||
| 8/9. "Gem Harvest": | Absent | 21. "Lion 4: Alternate Ending": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Three Gems and a Baby": | Absent | 22. "Doug Out": | Mentioned | ||
| 11. "Steven's Dream": | Absent | 23. "The Good Lars": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Adventures in Light Distortion": | Absent | 24. "Are You My Dad?": | Absent | ||
| 13. "Gem Heist": | Absent | 25. "I Am My Mom": | Absent | ||
| Season 5 | |||||
| 1. "Stuck Together": | Absent | 15. "Pool Hopping": | Absent | ||
| 2. "The Trial": | Absent | 16. "Letters to Lars": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Off Colors": | Absent | 17. "Can't Go Back": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Lars' Head": | Absent | 18. "A Single Pale Rose": | Absent | ||
| 5. "Dewey Wins": | Absent | 19. "Now We're Only Falling Apart": | Absent | ||
| 6. "Gemcation": | Absent | 20. "What's Your Problem?": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Raising the Barn": | Absent | 21. "The Question": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Back to the Kindergarten": | Absent | 22. "Made of Honor": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Sadie Killer": | Absent | 23/24. "Reunited": | Non-speaking | ||
| 10. "Kevin Party": | Absent | 25. "Legs From Here to Homeworld": | Appears | ||
| 11. "Lars of the Stars": | Absent | 26. "Familiar": | Absent | ||
| 12. "Jungle Moon": | Imagined | 27. "Together Alone": | Absent | ||
| 13. "Your Mother and Mine": | Absent | 28. "Escapism": | Absent | ||
| 14. "The Big Show": | Absent | 29-32. "Change Your Mind": | Non-speaking | ||
| Movie | ||||||||||||
| Steven Universe: The Movie | Mentioned | |||||||||||
| Future | |||||
| 1. "Little Homeschool": | Absent | 11. "In Dreams": | Absent | ||
| 2. "Guidance": | Absent | 12. "Bismuth Casual": | Absent | ||
| 3. "Rose Buds": | Absent | 13. "Together Forever": | Absent | ||
| 4. "Volleyball": | Absent | 14. "Growing Pains": | Appears | ||
| 5. "Bluebird": | Absent | 15. "Mr. Universe": | Absent | ||
| 6. "A Very Special Episode": | Absent | 16. "Fragments": | Absent | ||
| 7. "Snow Day": | Absent | 17. "Homeworld Bound": | Absent | ||
| 8. "Why So Blue?": | Absent | 18. "Everything's Fine": | Absent | ||
| 9. "Little Graduation": | Absent | 19. "I Am My Monster": | Absent | ||
| 10. "Prickly Pair": | Absent | 20. "The Future": | Absent | ||
Trivia
- She and her family live outside of Beach City.
- Ian Jones-Quartey revealed that her first name is "Priyanka".[1]
- A common Hindu name, it has the meanings of beautiful, beloved, lovable act and symbol.
- According to Ian Jones-Quartey, Priyanka is of Indian descent.[2]
- In "Nightmare Hospital", a picture in her house shows her wearing what is likely a ghunghat.
- In "Nightmare Hospital", she mentions that she and Doug use an abacus to measure the length of punishments for Connie.
Gallery
