Rose's Scabbard: Pretty Great (Steven Universe)

[@AmpleSamuel]

Hey guys! Just a heads up - this video put me through copyright hell, ultimately resulting in this version of the video being the 37th upload. So, if there are a few rough edits where the clip cuts early, or I'm showing something besides what I'm talking about, that's why.

[@theycallmetray396]

Holy hell that’s a lot of determination, great work bro

[@FatherSonandHolySpirit]

You may have been in copyright hell, but it's nothing compared to the actual hell you're going to be in for eternity

[@enolp]

@@FatherSonandHolySpirit hmmmm, I don’t think the Bible gives you the authority to decide that

[@FoolsFumble]

Thank you for getting it out despite the setbacks, great video as always!

[@SebastianRivera-mv8hg]

Good job getting it out and being persistent, turned out great

[@abagegael]

there’s something so brutal yet so relatable when pearl yells and knocks out rose’s painting AND IT’S SO SYMBOLIC!! i swear this show has to be studied!!

[@Moho_braccatus_]

English teachers would eat this show up.

[@helixsol7171]

"The show will obviously never kill a human" *Awkwardly glances at Lars*

[@caitrose2198]

I’m reminded of that twitter post that was like ‘people are too hard on pearl. If my ten foot tall pink haired bisexual goddess situationship left me for a van-dwelling SoundCloud rapper then died and left me with their kid I’d be on the news’ 😅

[@starpearlinterlude]

omg i remember that LMAO😭

[@cookiesmcsalsa1281]

@@starpearlinterludeIk lol off I I😅j look nmi😊d😢l

[@beeburn0]

That's so true please😭😭

[@pkmnpolitoed]

STOP I LOVE THOSE TWITTER POSTS

[@Cnvivi]

Lmaooo wait cuz ur so right 😂😂😂😅

[@diallo1347]

I'm a therapist, and I've used this scene to explain the different ways people react to a loss and grief to my younger clients.

[@marko3502]

Wait could you explain?

[@TalpaTulpa]

Awww

[@diallo1347]

@@marko3502 all of the Gems and Steven exhibit different, but fairly realistic response to death or complex grief. Garnet is hurting, but chooses to be "strong and silent" and immediately goes to clean up the physical mess (hanging the portrait back up), Amethyst gets angry and lashes out at Pearl defending her right to grieve Rose just her older "siblings" (the other crystal gems). Steven to struggles to keep everyone together and happy while ignoring his own personal grief and distracts himself by focusing on helping Pearl with her pain. And Pearl, after losing her sense of a unique and intimate connection to Rose, is in a panic because if Rose kept Lion from her, then maybe everything she holds dear about Rose is a risk. Her coping was feeling like she was special to Rose and her most trusted friend, but now knows there are secrets even she doesn't know. This is just a quick snapshot of what all is happening in the scene depicting Grief.

[@tumsantacid1315]

are there other scenes from the show you've used for other topics?

[@KindaPinkDiamond]

@@diallo1347 Can you please tell someone whos deeply emotionally resonate with Pink diamond, abused but also hurted other people, what to do to stop hating one self? I need help :' )

[@thequimsnaim]

Man hearing you say being there for her son just hit different. Her son... Rose's Son Pearl's Son

[@Mayo_Nayoo]

she is taking on a motherly role and washes hangs it to dry and folds his clothes sure she dosen't make food but she attempts to teach and she cleans the house like a typical mother would

[@CrytalMikii]

Right 🥺

[@prowlandsasuke]

I really hate how the fandom treated pearl especially in this episode. Pearl loved rose more than just a leader and a friend. She had to watch rose time and time again choose men and maybe some women over her and while they were all fleeting relationships. Greg and rose were different, they got married and rose let herself get pregnant. Unlike a human women, rose had to give up her physical form for steven. Meaning rose left pearl behind, not thinking of the impact it could have on any of the crystal gems. Not only is pearl still grieving over rose but also it must have been traumatic to witness rose form into someone else. You dont just get over the emotional attachment you had with someone overnight especially if you were dependent on someone due to being programmed to always follow orders with no questions asked.

[@mazkeraid4039]

Now, where have I heard that concept before...

[@KuroKitten]

To this day I still sometimes go back and rewatch that scene at the very end, and Every. Single. Time. that Steven says "Well... I think you're pretty great" tears well up in my eyes. There is so much power in that simple statement coming from Steven. It's easily one of the most impactful moments in the entire series for me.

[@timeneses]

That was the first time I cried watching SU, and the proof that this show was something else.

[@darthstar7293]

Rose and Pearl’s relationship is my Roman Empire oml

[@upumpkin]

I remember as a kid thinking "there is something more to Pearl" at that moment with the painting and she became my favorite character since. It was so gratifying seeing her dimensionality be paid off over the years.

[@demi-femme4821]

I love Garnet's reaction to Amethyst wishing she'd been fighting in the war, immediately contrasted by Pearl's romanticized narrative.

[@boratzan]

Pearl is such a tragically beautiful character

[@ocarinaot452]

Two of my favorite small details from the ending conversation that you only understand upon rewatch is when Steven first climbs up and is begging Pearl to tell him whats wrong while Pearl is actively covering her mouth, is the tragedy that's she's desperately trying to but cant. And Rose calling her "my pearl" can be read as a sign of respect instead of ownership, like how everyone else uses the phrase "my diamond" And man the "I think youre pretty great" just hits me every time, I love this episode

[@user-qy-x6z]

Honestly, pearl is one of the most complexed characters ever in the world of cartoon. Alongside with Rose/Pink Diamond. It's such a shame that it was hated back then, all due to one person (Lily Orchard)

[@prowlandsasuke]

Also people thought that fusion meant sex and not to mention cartoon networks awful treatment of this show.

[@cyruscrompton8221]

@@prowlandsasuke Fusion is not sex bro

[@prowlandsasuke]

@@cyruscrompton8221 that's what I said.

[@cyruscrompton8221]

@prowlandsasuke oh sorry I didn't look like that's what you meant, apologies 🫡

[@Nutmeg-]

​@@prowlandsasuke Tbh fusion was mostly used in a romantic manner and the rather sensual fusion dances didn't help. And using a power usually used to portray a romantic bond to also portray a father-son relationship is pretty awkward.

[@sugarstar09]

I always believed that “love like you” wasn’t rose singing, but Pearl singing about Steven. I don’t know what it’s meant to represent but I always thought it was that.

[@katarinacarrico7887]

My favorite take on it (can't remember who said it) is that the song is everyone singing it to everyone else. Rose, Greg, Steven, Garnet, Connie, Amethyst, etc., everyone is singing that song, all trying to be better and feeling unsure if they can, but promising to try.

[@beeburn0]

I think it sounds like Pink Diamond herself is singing it. If she could be half of what Pearl thinks of her, she could do about anything...

[@Derp-rz1nn]

I love that song because there are so many different ways to interpret it, like it could be Rose to pearl, Pearl to Rose, Rose to Steven, Pearl to Steven, Steven to the crystal gems, Lapis to Steven, Peridot to Steven, it really works interesting with every character in the show

[@2triedforthis830]

I think it’s confirmed it’s up to the viewer to interpret and I remember literally every ending credit during the song I was just trying to imagine characters singing this to other important characters they admire/have a relationship with. I’ve basically come to the conclusion that it’s Rose to pearl, imo. It makes more sense tbh, because pearl was her longest living companion and maybe partner? But anyway rose is kinda unsure how much she means to people, which is how she keeps hurting them so badly when most of the time she doesn’t want to. Especially when leaving spinel behind, not really knowing or thinking about if she would actually stay and wait for her like that who knows.

[@nastassjaminson5040]

i always thought it was pearl singing to rose

[@tophatgeo]

Pearl (and Rose's Scabbard) were some of my favourite things on rewatch. Outside of stuff like the Sardonyx arc, this is one of the messiest Pearl episodes and I really commend it for that. The feelings Pearl has towards Rose and the past are some of the most heartbreaking depictions of grief I've seen. Pearl's flaws are so pronounced in this show and I'm so glad they don't shy away from teaching kids how adults aren't perfect and can have these messy emotions. Beautiful video. "There's no way they'd kill a human in this show" I see what you did there Samuel...

[@nicoyeetzawa5342]

(Season 5 Spoilers) 2:20 “they would actually never kill a human”

[@Dakarai_Knight]

*Laughs in pink zombie language*

[@alliecat8245]

"This show would obviously never kill a human" Lars would beg to differ

[@tumsantacid1315]

You can tell the scene with the Rose hologram is a conversation that repeats in Pearl's head constantly

[@ap7635]

This was also the episode that subtly hinted at Steven's floatation power seasons before it was officially revealed. Really goes to show how planned out this show was.

[@victorviterbo3952]

This is the scene that convinced me to watch the whole series: six years after it ended

[@diminie_chimket]

Considering everything she had ever been through with Rose, literally being by her side even before Rose was even created, being Pink Diamond's pearl, it's no wonder she had the outburst that she did. Pearl was literally by her side for even longer than Garnet or Amethyst was, and she expected her to not lie to her out of anybody considering what they went through. Considering what she did for Rose/Pink. So Rose even lying to HER about Lion, it easily made her upset. If someone was in her shoes, you would easily understand why she lashed out the way she did. It stems from her trauma.

[@d__millss]

Your work makes me want to rewatch this entire series

[@saltiex7874]

if i was to be in peals's shoes there'd be no survivors

[@JhoF79]

The one episode that sold me on this show 🤟

[@wellofhavoc]

Thank you for ushering us into the era where we talk about how Steven Universe really did excel at story telling

[@MelodicDragon97]

Pearl was always my fav SU character but this episode really cemented that for me. I'm glad people are still talking about this show

[@gingerjelly]

Of course this drops at almost 5AM, can't wait to watch it when I wake up

[@jankaramus1728]

twinning

[@HBDiniz10]

MY FAVORITE STEVEN UNIVERSE EPISODE LET'S GO 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@Septic-Hearts]

This episode makes me love the plot twist of the show so much, in my opinion a great plot twist can recontextualise and reveal that much more about earlier iterations of a work and that's exactly what happens here. I can never watch this episode the same way I did pre-reveal and I love that.

[@TwitchGlitch123]

Steven having to put aside his own feelings to help everyone else with their feelings about his dead mother is pretty relatable to anyone who was a kid with emotionally immature parents/family. Having to regulate for the adults in your life and always be aware of the way anything you say could affect them, well, thats why there's people who really get Future and people who dont. At this point in Roses Scabbard, we are dealing with the crystal gems at the early stages of their character arcs and they are at the beginnings of developing emotional intelligence and awareness. Thats what makes the show so amazing. We are set up with these flawed characters with a lot to learn about themselves and then we watch that learning unfold over time, almost gradually enough to not even realize the changes happening. Rose thought gems couldn't change, but thats what the show gives us. And its just as amazing as Rose said.

[@halley42]

'As of course the show would never actually kill a human' *eyes Lars and coughs nervously*

[@mencho888]

This show was good as hell looking back at it

[@bolterrrr]

This was and still is one of my favourite episodes from the entire show as someone who wasn’t that too big of an SU fan but kept up with the plot regardless. Of all the clips I keep coming back to every now and then, the final few minutes of this particular episode is the one I had the most revisits to. There’s just something so peaceful, sad yet hopeful about it, this being reinforced by the track “I’m still here” too and is also one of my favourite instrumental tracks from the entire show too setting the scene. In conclusion, Rose’s Scabbard, especially its ending will forever have a special place in my heart for being the episode I had the most fond of in terms of the show’s more bittersweet (not too dark, but still emotional but also wholesome) moments.

[@Kurothing]

This is the first episode I ever saw of Steven universe. It was what convinced me to watch the show and I’m so glad I was able to experience Steven universe in it’s prime 💕💕

[@mysticalkeyblade759]

Honestly I wish we got more episodes like this and Bubbled. Those episodes were amazing

[@MistressZelda]

After all of these episodes, all of these epic moments and incredible songs, this remained my favorite episode throughout the entire series. It was the one I kept coming back to after every reveal to re contextualize this episode. It aged like fine wine and got better after every new reveal about Rose and Pearl's relationship. And to think that this was a pretty early episode in the grand scheme of things. Impeccably written.

[@Ame-fy6vr]

i live for these videos 🙏

[@AmpleSamuel]

❤️

[@prismaux5168]

great video (as always) fit for such a great episode! keep it up! (also, i just really want to say that i appreciate your background music choices a lot- it's really nice going "is that from hotel dusk?!!" and so on when i watch these).

[@AmpleSamuel]

Thank you!!

[@Stroyoo_03]

This episode never fails to send chills down my spine, this is a wonderful episode.

[@mammaluigi22]

“Why would I ever want to go home, if you’re here?” that line always hits hard. Pearl saying that is an absolute loyal person who truly cherished what she and rose/pink had. Going through grief myself, I’m always reminded that no matter how far a person is, that love/loyalty doesn’t just leave. It stays and your wondering what to do with it, you can try move on, but it would never be the same. Pearl although sounds like she has a terrible obsession with Rose, simply does not have the means or purpose to let go, even though Steven could be that purpose, it’s the underlying implement that Steven to some degree is Rose, but simultaneously isn’t Rose. She can’t see past who Steven once was.

[@twideslauriers7875]

The dialogue between Rose and Pearl in that moment in Rose’s Scabbard also goes hard. Gems only address their superiors as “my (whatever)”. They may say that a gem is theirs in third person, but when addressing that gem they just say the name. Rose saying “My Pearl” here is really important. Rose DID see Pearl as more important and better. Rose saw everyone in her life as better, and thought they’d be better without her. And its so fucking tragic.

[@xoltacueponi]

finally, some good fucking SU takes

[@jayshauntalbert8287]

I've been wait for you to cover this. It's my favorite episode in the franchise and I love your analysis, watching the episode always makes me tear up.

[@gandolf7849]

I can barely look at that scene without tearing up.

[@mynotificationsareoff.400]

I love the way you incorporate the soundtrack to your videos. It always feels so ambient.

[@andreastostrupchristensen4298]

Yo nice video. Couldnt avoid noticing that you have a wrong note in your fly me to the moon outro

[@TNTz1ooChannel]

"As the show would never obviously actually kill a human" *Lars:* Do I not matter to you?

[@lays5277]

something i always wondered- that conversation pearl depicts with the hologram of rose seems like something they said to each other while alone, and there's a not-insignificant chance that she was actually talking with pink diamond. I don't know why, but the idea that even in that moment, when pearl is trying so hard to be vulnerable, she still has to project a false image to protect that secret.... it really gets me, even if there's no way to know if it's true.

[@noelialopez6750]

Just watching Pearl and Steven bonding is enough for Rose/Pink

[@Heyheyheyjackson]

Pearl is one of the best written characters of all time of any media I love her so much 😭

[@twisterzz4]

Going Under music in the intro? Based as fuck

[@hopscotch5617]

Look, i have said this and thought this a bunch times before. As i rewatched steven universe, i always thought it was pretty much her fault. In a sense that if she probably have never gotten the idea for the rose persona perhaps it could've been avoided but we wouldn't have the series. I understand her pain, though at times i can say she brought it on herself

[@Nusaibabug]

Man, Steven universe's story is such gold people still think about it! So do I ,to be honest...

[@xXxCerberusxXx]

another banger broski

[@safiyislam1363]

Hey, I just got into your Steven Universe Content, and I think it's really great! If you could do a video on the episode The Trial, I think that would be really cool

[@caoinhnamkhanh2795]

say what you will about this episode, but i still cant get over the fact that she saw steven on the roots of that floating island, but chose to go and sit down instead lol

[@stenotype]

I'm still here is my favorite song of SU

[@beetloafisntreal]

i know steven universes animation is good but why was it only now that i realised it stops momentum way too fast

[@rexevans5477]

Great vid mr. samuel, do you think you'll ever talk about the owl house?

[@AmpleSamuel]

I've actually covered all 3 seasons in videos with some questionable audio! As for future plans, I don't really have any immediate ideas worth revisiting, but I will probably cycle back at some point.

[@rexevans5477]

@@AmpleSamuel great, I'll check them out, thanks.

[@poisonivi4962]

There's hardly a scene I know of that can make me sob this hard. SU is by no means perfect, but Pearl's character truly was a gem.

[@cursedstone7939]

"bdmmtshh🥁"

[@Ememerald]

I love all of these SU videos sm

[@ginger_been]

lol this is on my reccomend cause i just finished the suf video

[@cedricjones7560]

When is the Teen Titans Terra video coming??

[@AmpleSamuel]

Worked on it a bit today actually! That being said, it’s probably gonna still be a while haha

[@cedricjones7560]

@@AmpleSamuel do you have any time frame or a specific time in mind?

[@chazzmat]

these vids are great, plz do the return next

[@pedrogabrielduarte4544]

dexter dee dee blossom bubbles buttercup ed edd eddy billy mandy mac juniper swat kats flapjack finn steven clarence

[@Mrsjoke_]

Make a video on peridot next!!

[@rhymenoceros3303]

This was the episode where I went from liking to instead *loving* the show.

[@علياحمد-ي9ث9ت]

can you talk about kipo and detachment and rick and morty and unicorn worries eternal

[@theycallmetray396]

Did you get a different mic?

[@AmpleSamuel]

Nope, just switched locations, and I haven't quite figured out sound stuff yet .

[@LordCalamity6208]

👍

[@filmvagabond7032]

😩 Praying to KZbin to leave this one alone

[@80yearoldman98]

where is jesus in the comments hes usually here did he miss ths one

[@Eyevou]

Pearl being such a liar most of the time, whether it be to herself or those around her, always makes me wonder why she does it? Ignorance? Malice? Her naivety about Rose in general? Who really knows.

[@tinseltina]

i always assumed it was her duty to assuage and assist others and not upset them (used to be mainly her diamond) and this extending to herself sometimes. and it leads to her lying to keep a level of peace in her mind.

[@Ari925Ari]

Lions are panthers, not felines. Sorry, I just couldn’t not say it.

[@Komega01]

why do we call steven a little kid? hes 13 when the show starts

[@Themasktrooper]

Pearl is a terrible character if she kept her mouth closed none of these events wouldn’t happened she basically started a war

[@littlesnowfox5417]

Unpopular opinion: The gems were abusive towards Steven and their Trauma doesn't excuse their behavior

[@hueyfreeman6262]

L opinion

[@nintendelle]

I think this opinion is unpopular for a reason lmao

[@Burner135]

They were abusive how? By keeping him safe? By trying to exclude him from dangerous missions any way they could?

[@littlesnowfox5417]

@@Burner135 By Arguing in front of him or yelling at him? Instead of handling their problems like adults, they let this child comfort then, which devolved into Steven's issues in Future. And they fought with each other in front of Steven, normalizing violent behaviour. No wonder Steven got so violent in his pink outbursts

[@Burner135]

@@littlesnowfox5417 this is a confusing take, especially since they don’t argue in front of him on purpose. Half the time they purposely distance themselves from the others to gather their thoughts. Steven goes out of his way to help them. Yelling at your kid in general wouldn’t cause any sort of trauma, especially since the crystal gems barely yell at him even when he does nonsense. They are very patient with him. And as for “letting him comfort them” what do you want them to do? Push him away? They are a family, they help each other, they comfort each other. It just so happens that Steven never actually has much issues until future. And even then, in the original series, they do whatever they can to help him and keep him safe, they would never accidentally or purposely hurt them. Your definition of abuse is loose And it’s not the gems’ fault that Steven is violent in his pink outbursts. It’s because pink *herself* tends to become violent. Pink pearl is literally an example of this. If you wanna talk abusive, look at pink diamond

[@clademirya2699]

I"d lìke to see you analyze Cry for help.