Steven’s Birthday

It’s Steven Bomb day two, and it’s also the second birthday our titular character is celebrating since the show began. The gems and Steven are setting up for the festivities sans Peridot, who is working on the drill, and very unimpressed with the whole idea of a party.

Connie and Greg soon arrive. Connie is illustrated kind of short for some reason, guess it’s a different animation team. they greet each other in typical adorkable fashion. Greg wishes his little guy a happy birthday and reveals that it is Steven’s fourteenth birthday… wait what? Connie gets it.

We are treated to a photo display of Steven’s past birthdays where we see the adorable Steven age, but then suddenly not age… since eight years old. Connie rather somberly asks Greg for a moment to talk. Connie realizes that Steven will likely never really grow up. Greg is unsure how his son’s aging will go. Connie is not sure how to handle this, but it is nice to know that Greg kept his word on being a resource for her if she needs to talk about magic and gems from a human perspective.

Amethyst uses her go-go-gadget legs to help Steven hang a banner. Greg asks Steven to wait in the barn with his birthday crown and cape. Steven has other plans. With a musical cue clearly inspired by Link in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Steven harnesses his powers and artificially grows himself, but not his clothes.

Steven’s voice is manly in a suave way that is not completely unnatural, very unnerving actually. Yet everyone else is like “Pffft, whatever”. Connie gives Steven a bright pink shirt to which he proudly exclaims it to be a “pretty color”; thanks for stepping up that adjective game, Steven, and subverting societal gender norms. Steven tries it on but his new bod can’t quite make it work.

Next the gang plays a bit of badminton. Connie scampers off to retrieve a wayward shuttlecock. Then Steven begins shrinking. Guess that wasn’t no magical growth spurt you lying liar.

Steven regrows himself, and the scene shifts to dancing. Steven is clearly worn out from keeping up the facade. Connie likes having Steven be a big guy to cuddle up to, but it’s too much for the birthday boy and he sneaks away to revert back to fun-sized Steven for a bit and regain his energy. But who doesn’t notice two people playing with a piñata right in front of them? And who uses a piñata at a birthday party without the birthday boy?! Rude! Steven’s cover is blown.

Amethyst explains that staying stretched can have a damaging effect to one’s body. While looking at the stars with Connie, Steven snaps, and shrinks all the way back into a baby.

The gems are flummoxed and perturbed but again everyone rolls with the punches. Greg takes Mini-Steven for a car ride as that used to settle him when he was a baby the first time. Connie affirms that she’s staying to help, even if Steven never gets his former shape back. Then the carseat (ne Amethyst) announces that Steven needs a fresh diaper. After a good night sleep, and a slight panic from Connie that he may have gone pre-natal, Steven is back to his former self.

Steven apologizes for his vanity. And Connie points out some schmutz on Steven’s face, but it turns out to be a facial hair. It not being a magical follicle, it signifies that Steven is in fact aging albeit slowly. Everyone gathers to gawk, and Amethyst intones “is there more where that came from?” Never change Amethyst.

Final Score Time

Additions to the Lore: We now know that Steven has not aged much since he was eight years old, but is in fact aging. We know Greg did the heavy parenting until Steven was old enough to live with the gems.

Geek References: There was a small nod to the Legend of Zelda series via a musical cue while artificially aging. I'm looking at you Ocarina of Time.

Queer References: Not an awful lot, just Steven eschewing societal gender norms. He received a bright pink shirt and happily exclaimed that it was pretty. Small, but important.

Final thought: An okay episode overall. It was entertaining and contributed to the over-arcing plot. However the plot device of Steven not being able to control his outward age and appearance when actively trying to manipulate them has been used before, and in his last birthday special to boot. I understand that certain elements need to be reused, but it was just too much deja vu. The snippets of Connie were wonderful and grounding though, and for that this episode receives 3 gems out of 5.

Next Episode: “It Could've Been Great”, Jan. 6 @ 5:30pm EST

Please feel free to add things I missed, your reactions, theories, and whatever else you’d like in the comments!