The HIGHEST RATED episode of STEVEN UNIVERSE was trippy as heck but so incredibly intriguing

[@MathewMcKenna]

happy surprise steven universe video for the record y'all i don't care about spoilers when i opt into these, especially for shows im not specifically planning on watching in their entirety. it's a fun way to watch stuff for me

[@WepcapStinkhorn]

YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY

[@roughfoxy101]

THANK YOU

[@Mindee-cf5ty]

I finally made it in time for something 😁. Thanks for making your content and I love your videos you never fail to make me smile Matthew❤️

[@xxgamerclipsxx2622]

Thank you for this!! Can you also please watch the least fav episode!

[@chramvivek]

We're soo back

[@softly3359]

"how old is she 80?" So close! She's over three thousands years old

[@MathewMcKenna]

so pretty much 80

[@ken_ken8281]

@@MathewMcKenna yeah pretty much

[@afancybirb]

At least 6,000

[@Iamaperson-f3r]

That's practically the same.

[@franx7471]

Much more than three, when it happend the bismuth thing with rose it has passed 5300 years

[@roughfoxy101]

Gems in a weird way are basically really really advanced robots and each gem is made for a specific purpose. Pearls are used as servants, so when rose/pink diamond asked her to never speak of it again it was basically hard set in her programming

[@mecdouble9436]

He picked THE WORST episode to react to without context. It's THE BIGGEST Steven Universe spoiler out their

[@Froggie481989]

Seriously! This episode has one of the biggest plot twists of any animated show ever.

[@SnakeIsGambling6435]

He should stop with the “Highest Rated episode” reaction

[@LycanMOON]

Spoilers don’t matter if a person doesn’t plan to watch a show through fully They’re not obligated to watch anything

[@KalinTheZola]

He knows and doesn't care lol

[@mar420.74]

I know but i don't think matt minds he does this all the time it's alright he doesn't mind

[@DandyDan03]

Garnet's future vision isn't passive, she has to actively look into someones future. She never did so with Rose/pink

[@LycanMOON]

And in her own words, The future is not a straight path,things can change and expand as time goes on.they were in a literal war setting so it’s understandable garnet wouldn’t have been able to see the ending

[@isabellejoestar2455]

She also has to be looking for something specific in a way. She can't look for "whoever is rearranging the communication tower", she has to look for a future where "this specific person is rearranging the communication tower". That's why she couldn't see Peridot rearranging it, because it wasn't Peridot.

[@CelVini]

plus, she can´t predict what she doesn´t understand, even Sapphire coulden´t see Garnet, because two different gems fusions wasen´t part of her knowledge

[@CrystalPokeball]

Another detail I love is that Bismuth states she designed Roses' sword for a fair fight, that it could never shatter a gem. Then you later see the scene of the shattering, but using that sword? HIGHLY SUSPECT, probably the biggest hint they gave us.

[@princembat]

i remember being so sus of it before the reveal!! i mean what a statement to give us lol

[@TheAceOfFire]

7:01, Clarification: No one is storing anything in anyone's brain. They are not women with magical gems, the characters are literally the rocks. Each rock is using magic to create a fake body... They don't really have blood or stomach or brain, they are 100% a rock that uses a single technique to create weapons or forms or clothing. That's why Steven universe himself is so unique, because he is more than just the Rock.

[@zach1425]

To be fair, the gem is where the consciousness is housed, so effectively it is the brain. Your body is just a fleshy extension of your brain, their bodies are hard light extensions of their brains.

[@ryangreen2879]

There is one exception. Amethyst has a stomach, because she eats things, entirely for the enjoyment of eating. Canonically, she poops. But Amethyst is considered a very, very strange Gem.

[@Spookworm]

​@ryangreen2879 feel free to ignore this, in case you already knew this, but the gems could all have stomachs if they wanted to, Amethyst just puts in the continuous effort of keeping her stomach around cause she likes the feeling of eating, compared to Pearl who despises the sensation entirely and only partakes when Steven is involved, as far as I can tell

[@Autumn-Leafeon]

@@ryangreen2879 being the fact that Rose created herself a whole womb for a while that actually worked (she just couldn't birth him without sacrificing her gem), I feel like gems can just... make organs.

[@palomaroggeri8680]

A SINGLE PALE ROSE???? That’s the biggest spoiler in the entire series, like you just spoiled yourself on the biggest mystery in the entire show 😂

[@therubberducktube]

On the other hand. If you are okay with spoiling yourself, then you can spot every instance in the show that foreshadows this and have fun in that way. As I've gotten older, I've reached the conclusion that for good shows, spoilers aren't that bad. I still prefer to avoid them, but in a good show they merely allow you a different perspective.

[@palomaroggeri8680]

@@therubberducktube I know, I just thought it was funny that he ended up watching the most important episode in the entire show 😅

[@flamestormthecat2833]

@@therubberducktube the fact that this was referenced all the way back in episode 1 with the Cookie cat song is stil crazy to me lol.

[@theomnibenevolence]

@@flamestormthecat2833 WHAT???? IVE JUST PIECED THAT TOGETHER THATS INSANE

[@flamestormthecat2833]

@@theomnibenevolence it’s really crazy, and the methophors are portentously really deep. Not only are they both “refugees from an interstellar war” and did they both “leave their families behind”, but if you look at the shade of Off-white and pink and teardrop them, you’d have a match with Pink diamond’s skin colour (the pink side) and Rose’s skin colour (the off white) On top of this, cookie cat was discontinued in episode one. Something that made Steven sad, Rose also stopped existing when Steven was born. And its replacement are Lionlickers. And what did Rose sent to watch over Steven when she wasn’t there? A lion. Also, he literally unlocked his powers for the first time after eating a cookie cat

[@mintazura6143]

The fabricated story that everyone knew was that "Rose shattered Pink Diamond" ! Then in this episode/part of the episode before this one Steven had the dream of Pearl shattering Pink Diamond which made him want to ask. Also, the order from Pink Diamond stopped her from talking or even hinting about it at all (magical means!) She did try to tell steven in a previous episode, but she couldn't. (gemcation)

[@MetaLatias5]

Mathew, watching the heaviest plot twist episode of a show that features a made-up alien race with a unique physiology, functionality and history out of context: "Why am I so confused??!?"

[@diecasusd9783]

10:10 I think it’s sticker

[@GalaxyEViolet]

Yeah, it's the Pearl Point! 😊

[@thandinkosimsimanga9941]

I swear I was screaming at the screen saying it's a sticker

[@bluebrd_1171]

@@thandinkosimsimanga9941 sameee so hilarious

[@ShadoeLandman]

Above it is Sea Monkeys

[@goblinely64]

fun fact about pearls gem: pearls actually have layers ! i always viewed steven going into her different brainscapes as him going through the layers of herself, which is why it gets sadder and more vulnerable as you get deeper

[@palomaroggeri8680]

So most of the highest rated IMDB episodes are incredibly lore heavy ones that have insane reveals. So if you want to react to one that you can understand in isolation would be “The Awnser” or “Mindful education”

[@bluegallade]

12:34 "she can't have a baby" the series goes into it more in seasons 2-4 how the Gems (pearl, garnet, amethyst ect are inorganic aliens, light hardlight projections around a core) and don't follow human conventions (required eating sleeping washing) BUT CAN experience it through shapeshifting; Amethyst shapeshifts a digestive track because she enjoys consuming and feeling things pass through her system. This statement from pearl is more so denial, as at that point rose shapeshifted to give herself a womb, however since she lacks DNA to pass to the baby steven she passes her gem (the next closest thing) and without her core she cannot exist once steven is born.

[@b3yourself91]

he couldn't think of the word sticker lol

[@MuffinHunterX]

He also has no context of what a Pearl Point is in the first place.

[@lunariashine8031]

He'a british leave him alone 😂

[@jojo-xk8ri]

IKR 😭😭

[@luna732]

Wow, this is a doozy to watch out of context lol, to answer some of the questions you have: - Why couldn't Pearl tell just because she was asked not to. Pearl couldn't tell because she was ordered to by her diamond, that's why it was phrased like that too. "As my final order as your diamond". Diamonds are the highest authority, Pearl was literally created to serve them, so she physically couldn't tell. We sometimes (including this episode) see her try to speak about it and her hands unwillingly begin covering her mouth, as she physically struggles. So, regardless of circumenstances or wanting to, she couldn't tell. - Wouldn't Garnet know about this? No, this was the biggest mystery of the show, no one knew but Pearl. Why Garnet didn't use any kind of future vision regarding Rose to possibly figure it out, is addressed in the following episode where the others react to this new information but it was very related to the relationship they all had with Rose and how Garnet originally met and joined Rose.

[@bbgrl-l1s]

10:29 if i remember correctly it isnt just "notes", these are phone numbers from folks who wanted to go on a date with her, and she doesn’t understand it)

[@singingofsilver]

She's so silly lol

[@lightningjadejavier]

I mean... She bad so i can't blame the guys or girls 😂

[@AbyssalRook]

If you do 'The Most Popular Episode' with serialized shows, you will always get the biggest spoiler of the biggest twist and it will always take a hammer to the kneecaps of your watching experience of the whole show.

[@phictionofgrandeur2387]

Same with the lowest rated episode of some shows.

[@penntopaper9305]

idk ive spoiled myself heavily for entire shows before and still highly enjoyed watching them when i finally did. not everyone cares

[@KalinTheZola]

But if you don't care about spoilers, especially if you have no intentions of finishing the series, then it doesn't matter.

[@AbyssalRook]

@@penntopaper9305 But you're flipping a coin at absolute best. Spoilers for the show after this point, but- Steven Universe spends the better part of two seasons explicitly examining the implications of the events this episode covers without the information given to us here. There's an entire courtroom scene where they try to determine Steven's guilt in the murder of Pink Diamond. How are you supposed to watch that episode your first time and engage with it as intended? You can never, ever get the context that the show is trying to give you back. You can NEVER have that experience if you watch things this way. It's risky specifically BECAUSE you don't know what you're not getting, you don't know what you're skipping, and you don't know what the rest of the show is going to try to tell you.

[@MathewMcKenna]

Some people like enjoying and interacting with media in a different way than you do 😌

[@afancybirb]

The pearl thingy in the organizer thing is a STicker.

[@forrestgumpthechump]

oh gosh not a single pale rose!!!! this twist was so damn crazy

[@mA-nd1xr]

what if pearl put steven in her gem and then said "i need a hand", would she accidentally pull out steven's disembodied hand?

[@MathewMcKenna]

I like ur thinking

[@CupOfTaeWithAKookie]

Nah he wasn't filed yet so Pearl insider Pearl couldn't be able to send him out. Plus she'd put him as Steven not hand 👍🏾

[@ChristyTina22]

That Pearl teardrop was a Sticker. More specifically a Pearl Point used as motivation for Steven and Amythist during training.

[@valor555]

Soooooooo this is traumatic. It is probably the biggest most important reveal in all of SU and then we had to wait for MONTHS to get the resolution

[@TheKeller101]

10:00 Mathew, it's a STicker

[@ryliedillman7391]

I know some people complain about it, but I honestly love your reactions with little to no context! It's a fun and different way to shake up the standard reaction video format most people do, plus it's hilarious to see how confused you get sometimes ^_^

[@gracielavaldez182]

Well, pearls are made when a clam, oyster or a mussel covers with nacre an Intrusive object( Like a grain of sand for example) to protect Themselves , So we could consider all those memories or pearls like the nacre layers and the moment when she fakes pink Diamond's dead as the Intrusive object.

[@samjaneczek9570]

Really WILD to choose this episode after only seeing the first season even with spoilers and watching clips. I know a lot of people saw the "Rose is Pink Diamond" from a mile away, but it's such a great episode!

[@lumanianilin1198]

"Message Received" is one of my favorites episodes just because of the tremendous character development of my favorite character in the whole series! 💚

[@elitettelbach4247]

In case nobody has mentioned it yet, the teardrop thing you were hung up on was a Sticker. This episode really is phenomenal, not only as a standalone episode, but also for how it finally resolves a long running mystery, completely recontextualizes the whole show, and also sets up for some immediate dramatic aftermath! Also, one of my favorite things about this episode is the absolute troll job of the official synopsis being “Steven helps Pearl find her phone.”

[@anonymouslystupid5857]

pearls have to obey their diamonds they are the only gems that are "coded" to obey direct orders, thats why she couldnt tell steven

[@Peridot5xg]

It is quite possibly one of Pearl's best episode in the entire show

[@TheKeller101]

I think Mr. Gregg was her best episode but this one definitely comes really close

[@rabiezcat]

@@TheKeller101best PEARL episodes

[@dogti2959]

Ah, the episode that broke the fandom x) You know, there was 2 teams back in the day : people who had figure out the plot twist because the show has lots of hints, and either people who didn't believe it or never thought about it. Personally, I love it because it makes Rose a very morally grey character who left a lot of unsolved problems when decided to disapear so Steven could exist in this world. Basically, Pearl was made to serve her, she knew everything there was to know about Pink Diamond. Yet, Rose didn't trust her with everything, like her lion, and it deeply wounded Pearl. As she put it, it wasn't like the other gems, their bond was special and meant everything to Pearl, to the point she didn't mind dying for her. She just felt abandoned after that and struggled to cope for about ten years, which isn't much for gems who lives for thousand of years, but a lot in human life. To Garnet, Rose was the leader of the rebellion who stepped out of her role and fought for gems right to exist. It was her who accept Ruby and Saphire fusion, telling them it was alright and that it doesn't matter if neither Saphire nor Garnet could see the bright future she spoke about, they'll make it happen. They didn't know she was a diamond, the evil they were all fighting for, neither did Bismuth, who felt betrayed when she created a weapon who could shatter a diamond, yet Rose refused to use it and imprisonned Bismuth for it, never telling the other gems what happened. They thought she died during that last battle, where every other gems was either shattered or corrupted into the monsters they fought since episode 1. Point was, Rose's sword couldn't shatter a gem, only poofed them, and they'll be back after a while. Hence why people found it weird that Rose used it to destroy Pink Diamond. And to make matters worse, Pink ordered Pearl to never speak about it again, she didn't ask. Pearl was forced to keep all that traumatic stuff away because she couldn't talk about it with anyone, even Pink herself. It only came out because Steven has some kind of telepathic ability, or dream ability, that allowed him to tap into his mother's memories and feelings, and by proxy, what we never saw of Pink Diamond. On the other hand, she faked her own death and deeply hurt her "sisters", Blue Diamond never able to overcome her sadness and depression, while Yellow Diamond focused on her anger and try really hard to never thought of her grief. And there is Spinnel's case, her little playmate made to entertained her, that she left alone for thousand of years, pretending to play a simple game of wait and see, never bothering contacting her again, letting her discover her death by Steven's worlds, who didn't even know she existed, breaking her heart and making her resolved to violence and revenge. So yeah, "A single pale rose" turned everything we knew about Rose in a twisted way, making her look like the worst person to ever live. But she has her own story to tell, and we saw her story backward. By the end, when she gave birth to Steven, she became a pretty decent person, event if she left a mess for her son to deal with. And because of that, Steven never had a normal childhood, forced to face life threatening events that deeply scared him. That's where Future comes in, when he learns how to cope with all of it.

[@Kenna-bs1l]

I love how he took like a minute to just find name a bunch of things in pearls gem

[@Nazo-kage]

Throughout the first season, there were little hints about the diamonds and that thanks to two separate times involving an old gem world ship, and then later a more modern version with certain designs motifs. That they used to be four diamonds, but now there are only three. The fandom quickly picked apart every detail they could and came to the conclusion that rose quartz was secretly pink diamond. And then a tweet from the producers of the show said that no rose quartz was not going to be revealed to be pink diamond. Funny thing is people still want to believe that theory. So when it finally was revealed that in fact, rose quartz was pink diamond it was less of a shocking surprise. And more of a relief that it was finally just flat out revealed. I’m not entirely sure how much of the fan was actually upset with the producers for lying just because we managed to figure out a twist before it could be officially revealed.

[@ho1a-Gad]

17:53 "oh im a foool" *pauses to think*, thats an amalgamation of the SU fanbase at that very moment man, WE ALL WERE

[@tadeolaguarda6965]

20:24 Pearls are Made as slaves that are fisically unable to go against an order from their Masters, Pink dimon was Pearl Master.

[@Sammy_The_Umbreon]

From the thumbnail I was pretty excited for him to see that episode, but then I see the background in the video and went no. nonono. no no nonoNONONONONONONO- Edit: to clear up. I'm not upset he's watching the episode. I just prepared myself for a Rose's Scabbard reaction and therefore was woefully unprepared to be hit by A Single Pale Rose.

[@L-6014]

he already reacted to rose's scabbard in one of his videos

[@KalinTheZola]

He don't care lol

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

@@KalinTheZola Still a weird thumbnail choice though.

[@KalinTheZola]

@@kaylemathewcomendador6964 I don't think it's that weird. It's a pretty iconic shot from the cartoon which displays sadness.

[@kaylemathewcomendador6964]

@@KalinTheZola Then why use that scene from the wrong episode if it’s not the one in the video? Doesn’t matter if it’s iconic if it’s false advertising.

[@reyciekiwi5476]

I was just literally re-watching SU and suddenly thought that one youtuber should react to the highest rated episode of SU, so when i opened youtube and saw this video first hand i was literally shocked😭😭😭

[@four_girls_in_search_of_awesom]

I remember early in the fandom there was the Rose is Pink Diamond theory, and as the show went on it slowly lost traction until everyone agreed it probably wasn’t true. Then this episode dropped like a fucking nuke. :)

[@KalinTheZola]

Idk about everyone thinking it was probably untrue. All the theorists i watched and all the people I talked to were 100% on board with the theory

[@mammeta]

steven universe is all trippy as heck, i grew up watching this maybe that’s why i turned out like this😀

[@katiecalling594]

oooo what an interesting concept! i clicked this after seeing it next to your Hunchback reaction video and hadn't realised how recent it was until reading the comments and seeing so many from just yesterday. highly rated episodes in any media are usually the most impactful ones and a lot of that impact relies on the knowledge and expectations built up across the series beforehand, so it's a fun and unique perspective going straight into the heavy hitters and experiencing them in isolation from the rest of the show. i actually watched SU out of order myself and started on one of the biggest spoiler episodes released at the time - my first episode was The Answer! (the first episode of StevenBomb 4, a week of daily new episodes in january 2016) and aside from a jump back to watch Jailbreak immediately after The Answer, i happily sat and watched the entire rest of StevenBomb 4's episodes as they released across the week as my first introduction to the entire show and the setting. really enjoyed it! a lot of us enjoy media in different ways~ anyhoo it was fun seeing you piece together what you already knew or assumed about the show as this episode led you to its conclusion and let you guess how it got there. A Single Pale Rose is one of my favourite episodes and i couldn't stop thinking about that reveal when it happened! would love to see more episode reactions like this in the future, in context or not :D

[@vanessapaviag]

10:08 gworl that’s a sticker lmao

[@baraxor]

This is like starting to read a fantasy series by picking the book with the coolest cover.

[@emilyschomer6715]

20:23 She's a magical slave, basically and Rose was a Princess/Queen

[@renrojas7347]

:D yeaaah steven universe! And yes, she COULDN'T speak about it, she received a direct order from a diamond, the highest authority, that followed by pearl's innate programming to follow orders makes it very possible that she literally couldn't disobey

[@KaitLynnHt]

In Gem hierarchy, pearls belong to diamonds as a lifelong aide, assistant, or in Pink's case, friend and confidant. I know at one point Pink "freed" Pearl when she became Rose, but that command, if thats what it was, happened when she was still Pink. I assume theres an inate power that binds a Pearl to her Diamond, conpulsing them to obey. Now, once freed ofnthat, I dont know if the old command was still active or if it was just a manifesation of her loyalty to Rose that made her incapable of betraying her by btraking that comand/promise.

[@johnman8398]

If there was any show I'd recommend you watch this is the one for sure as its a great show with such a solid cast of characters and honestly one of the best OSTs I've have ever heard in a cartoon.

[@rion2499]

If you ever do rewatch earlier episodes, there are so many times Pearl grips her mouth like that. 🙊 Because, yeah. Pink Diamond _told_ her to “never speak of it again.” And as she was, you know, a _diamond,_ Pearl physically couldn’t. I mean, she can’t even say “go into my mind Steven, so I can show you what I can’t tell you.” THAT was too explicit for the “command.” She had to say “Steven, go inside my gem and find my phone.” Because her subconscious texts her a picture of the flower, which is where the memory she can’t say is. The hands coming off her face when Steven re-emerges, with tears in her eyes is so profound. (How Rose did it? “Commanded” her? If it was purposeful or unconscious, deliberate or careless, we will never know. Cause Rose is dead. Steven just has to pick up the pieces and clean up the MESS she left behind). As you can see through Steven’s down expressions here, one of the biggest arcs of the show is Steven learning more and more about who his mom was: starting out the show starry-eyed and intimidated by trying to live up to her “power and grace,” and then, little by little, coming to hate her more and more. (As another someone with mommy issues myself, we stan! ✊) Rose is a complex person who chose to run from her actions and pretend they weren’t there, instead of facing them. As if pretending so would make them eventually go away. Pearl was her “Pearl”: her servant, her handmaiden. And Pearl was the ONLY one who knew the truth. . . Also, yes. Pearl was in love with Rose, but Rose never loved her back the way she wanted. (*cough* some could argue strung her along for a couple thousand years, ahem). In the fandom, some people love Rose, hate her and/or have complex feeling about her. Same as in the show, where each character has different feelings surrounding who she was and what she did. (I’m personally on the hate her complexly train; don’t even at me. ;3 But she is also a character I love to hate and find such real catharsis in (see above mommy issues lol)). Anyway, welcome to the soup. (￣^￣)ゞ *Also, fun fact:* Rebecca (the IRL creator) LIED to our FACES for YEARS, always saying the “Rose is Pink Diamond” theory wasn’t true: the rest of my friends fell for it but there were too many signs! If you ever rewatch/watch the series in full; you will see! Felt SO vindicated when this episode came out! I annoyed the hell out of the people who thought the theory was bonkers. Muhahaha! >:3c GOOD TIMES. 👌

[@liongamer8364]

10:10 that's a sticker 😭🙏

[@bluegallade]

Garnet can see multiple futures, but only with the information she is provided. For example if you asked her to guess the colour ball behind your back she could reply "green" however this is under the assumption you HAVE a ball behind your back, only to reveal a set of keys. Her future vision is infinite but only based on what she would think is the most likely. She would never have considered Rose the rebel and Pink diamond the tyrant to be the same Gem, thus would never look into those futures.

[@lauradias9253]

20:16 it was a direct order from her master, from royalty yk, she kinda made a vow to keep this secret, thats why she couldn't say anything

[@daisy3525]

Matthew forgetting the word Sticker is a thing is the kind of peak comedy I come here for 😂😂😂

[@Pepsped]

5:41 Rebecca (the creator of the show) stated that she created pearl to be an anti-heroin, so a lot of people can relate to her sometimes

[@avalin8212]

This was a wild episode to watch back when it first came out, It confirmed the biggest and longest controversial theory the fandom had. And the kicker, during that release there was a commercial break that had the trailer for the next upcoming episode that spoiled the massive plot twist right before it was revealed lmao

[@Dragondude2525]

I’ll say this, the phone was stored by real pearl and as long as it’s in the surface level she can freely recall it, and while each compartmentalized pearl is stuck in her layer consciousness, it seems as if the real items sent into her gem can somewhat be taken deeper and deeper into her mind but maybe not be allowed to be recalled just as a faint memory isn’t as clear in your mind. As for the pearl/rose/pink diamond lore, Pearl was Pink Diamond’s custom Pearl that was made for her shortly before leaving home world for Earth which was to be her first colony. While observing from her base on the moon she grew bored and wished to be part of the world below on Earth which she could only observe from afar. After going to and experiencing life on earth thanks to Pearl’s suggestions, Pink decided she would use her Rose persona as a means to initiate change on earth after having sought out yellow and blue diamond to explain to them what had been happening on earth. After thousands of years of using her Rose Quartz persona and having seen countless gems lost or destroyed on the battlefield defending the Earth and Rose’s cause, she concocted a plan to shatter Pink Diamond to send a message to homeworld that the Earth gems had the means to which they could assure their survival by being able to counter the Diamond authority by force, but while bismuth had developed the actual means of shattering a Diamond with her Breaking Point weapon, Rose didn’t want to see anymore harm so she chose this method thinking the threat of death and the show of force would be enough of a deterrent to be left alone, considering that Rose felt as if the rest of the Diamonds ignored her emotional pleas and call for sympathy, that that meant they didn’t care for her at all, and considering the trauma and overall disregard they had for her, she wrongfully believed that the diamonds would not care enough to push the issue any further. Big mistake though because it was Rose’s apparent shattering of Pink Diamond that caused the diamonds to respond with absolute authority. Had pink’s powers over memory and emotion been present in the Diamonds attack, the attack would’ve succeeded in completely annihilating every gem down to its very last molecule, but because Pink wasn’t involved the attack was incomplete resulting in the corruption of gems into gem monsters. All the gems we see throughout the series what weren’t corrupted were either off world, shielded in gem form in pocket dimensions or embedded in other items, or lastly, protected by Rose and her impenetrable shield. I should stop. No one is gonna read this.

[@NiyaDym9262]

7:16 The noise he made!! i've watched it back about twenty times and im laughing everytime help 💀💀💀

[@linhu5114]

*Explaining time* 1. The gem is their physical body, and the humanoid form it's like a shadow they manipulate the shadow so they can shake shift. 2. Pearl cannot tell it to anyone because she was ordered by Rose / pink diamond as the final order as pink diamond (and plus Rose / pink diamond did it really planned to have a child) 3. And finally Steven went down the memory lane, the show just turned those into past pearls to explain what happened. *Explain time over* P.s I really enjoy your videos

[@dawn8293]

This is one of those episodes that is ONLY interesting in context. You really spoiled it this time! 😂

[@cattatatot]

UR REACTION TO ROSE BEING PINK IM CRYINGGF 😭😭😭

[@senbonzakura8212]

So basically pearls are made to be servants to high ranking gems, Pearl was initially PD's servant, but they became close friends / lovers. PD asking Pearl not to speak of her shattering was her final order as a diamond, and Pearl physically couldn't disobey her.

[@Arcsin27]

20:25 Mat lowkey acting like rose being pink Diamond is common knowledge is so funny The way I (and probably the entire fandom) flipped my shit when this episode dropped and that fact was revealed-

[@midoriya-shonen]

There is a kind of catharsis that only watching someone descend into the chaos that is the implications of an episode like A Single Pale Rose can bring

[@shinrakai]

The 'teardrop' is a sticker.

[@FantasticFanatic295]

lol the fact that he could not tell it was a sticker and called it a tear drop

[@The-Omniveiwer]

BRO THIS IS RIGHT WHEN I NEEDED TO SEE THIS HOW DID THIS HAPPEN

[@2CupsOfOrangeJuice2]

OMG YES FINALLY! You know your day is great when Matt posts. Keep being you! ❤

[@SirSadness]

Watching the episode that broke the fandom without the needed context is insanity!

[@Imaginationdiva016]

I could not stop smiling watching Mathew be stumped by the repressed layers of Pearl inside Pearl inside Pearl inside Pearl's pearl, it was nostalgic for me cuz I hadn't watched the show in ages; I also like that they don't explain why Pearl hates form-shifting for the longest time and "shattering" Pink Diamond told the audience all they needed. Still, I'm with a majority of these comments; "A Single Pale Rose" is a bomb drop, but alas, people requested this of him and he obliged

[@clanker_863]

I really do like the Episode A Single Pale Rose, and I am glad you are reacting to it

[@ajpengdraws]

The dislike pearl to feeling guilty and bad for her pipeline is so real. 😭

[@jamesstrangewood6276]

1) gems can shapeshift, changing their form to appear as someone else. pink diamond changes her form to appear as a rose quartz, but it's just because she's a powerful gem (diamond) that it's more permanent and she can just stay like that for thousands of years) 2) rose quartz gave up her physical form in order to give birth to steven, so she's been dead this whole time. when pearl says rose can't have a baby because rose will lose her, she means it LITERALLY. this adds to steven's tragic mom complex in BUCKETS. also diamond orders for a pearl, esp in this stage of their relationship, CAN'T be disobeyed. 3) gems are a brain, a soul, and an essence. they're an entire person, encased inside a magical space rock entity that "projects" a physical body around the gem to move it and keep it safe. the body isn't really real. the gem is pearl. the rest is like, solid light photons. the layering of them is just pure psychology. the conscious, subconscious, ego, shadow, etc, etc.

[@isabellejoestar2455]

Ironically, at one of the final episodes, when she has to sneak the entire group to somewhere only she and Steven could be due to reasons, she stuffed them in her gem and she just pops them out once they're clear.

[@elisabethbarker9180]

Ive just come across the most amazing mega-musical that has barely any clear recordings of it in English but a cool on stage POV from part of the German cast. Its called starlight express and I gotta admit its the greatest thing I’ve ever seen not for the music but the fact that its all on rollerskates and performed at incredibly high speeds. I gotta suggest you watch some of it if you haven’t already seen it

[@Duvbott]

I loved this plot twist. Pearl was the ONLY ONE who knew and she was ordered by her diamond not to tell (a magic order! Unbreakable if I understand correctly). That poor gem

[@stanleefanstanleefan2127]

If I remember I think the bright white is about when the cluster started forming or when the gems got corrupted.

[@missinglegs]

Inb4 Mathew learns what watching things in order, without spoiling all of it prior, is

[@ElowenLytle]

Mathew is now my wallpaper.

[@redbluelocke4269]

To answer your question on why Garnet's future vision couldn't see why Pink was Rose, and this is a small spoiler to a different episode that explains it, is because it's not fully future vision. None of the Sapphire's (A Sapphire makes up half of Garnet's fusion) whose job it is to tell the future has a 100% accurate prediction rate. It's more of an advanced intuition that pieces together the most likely scenario based on the information available, and it becomes less accurate the further into the future she has to look, and with less amounts of information available. She takes all the information she's given, sees each possible outcome, and chooses to follow the most likely chain of circumstances. She couldn't foresee Rose being Pink Diamond, because it's a thought that would have never crossed her mind as she completely trusted Rose. And with her restrained thinking from constantly relying on her future vision, she wouldn't have had the experience of such randomness and unlikely outcomes to even imagine a scenario in which it could happen. (Another small spoiler from the same episode.) Which is why she chose to spend a day being spontaneous to see how many branching paths and possibilities she could learn from to improve the range of her future vision.

[@Zazabazaa]

Rose Quartz's journey is such an interesting one, because we're essentially watching her character development backwards. We start off knowing her as the gem she became after her time with Greg, and then we slowly see all the mistakes and failings she made and went through to get there, realising that she was never a perfect person, just a very flawed, spoiled and traumatized person who had to learn how to be better all on her own

[@echotube3111]

the reason garnet didnt know is because as an act of trust she never used her ability to see the future to look into rose/pink diamond

[@MegumiMary]

A direct order from a Diamon can't be disobeyed- especially for a pearl owned by said Diamond Pearl finding a way to tell Steven the truth despite the gag order is the conclusion to Pearl's arc of letting go of her past and moving forward. It is easily her biggest victory in the series aand it was such a cathartic moment that the series spent years building to. The rebelious pearl finally disobeyed a direct order from the diamond she was madly in love with and obessed over!

[@rocky.rocks1445]

For some reason I was thinking of the Mr. Greg as the highest but this also makes sense. This is a weird episode to start with (besides reacting to season 1 a few years ago) imo you should've watched it in order.

[@seanerdzlolkinlord2478]

Okay so garnets future vision is a power she has to choose to use, it’s not automatic. And she explores one possibility at a time though it happens quickly. Due to the numerous possibilities sometimes her predictions are just wrong or sometimes she chooses not to use her power to live in the moment. Sometimes a future is so unlikely she doesn’t look into it then it happens. Correct me in the replies if I’m wrong or missed something.

[@maleprincess5559]

"is she cursed to not say it?" yes

[@andis.lumpia]

I have a new wallpaper now!! Lovely pose, Mathew

[@kyluvs_]

that thing with her face on it is called a pearl point, it’s in the st section because it’s a sticker😭

[@L0ser05]

i swear i get here so early that while im watching the discord notification that you uploaded shows up

[@marcmoon1228]

The thing about "Pearls" is that they are created to be the most loyal servants of the Diamonds. Her literal existence is wired to be loyal to a Diamond. Once a Diamond commands a Pearl, it is like an absolute order especially if the Pearl willingly accepts that order with every bit of her existence. Makes you wonder. From all the gems that had been shown, Pearls have the most versatile abilities because they were made to assist the rulers of their civilization, Diamonds, in every way possible if and when their assistance is needed. They would rather shatter a disobedient Pearl than put up with that Pearl.

[@MuljoStpho]

Not just the Diamonds. Other high ranking gems too. I think... Peridot had something to say about it at some point when they were first getting to know her? Let's see if I can find that... It was in the episode "Back to the Barn" and Peridot says "she's a Pearl. A made-to-order servant just like the hundreds other Pearls being flaunted around back on Homeworld". She also says that Pearls are only "for standing around and looking nice and holding your stuff for you". And then she starts inspecting Pearl closer and says "and she looks like a fancy one too" which does let on that Pearl at least seems like a higher class model than the average Pearl, but even with that observation and Peridot letting on that Peridots aren't a high enough class of gem to normally ever own a Pearl of their own on Homeworld, it's not enough to stop her from trying to just claim ownership of Pearl herself when she asks who she belongs to and Pearl answers "nobody!" (Well, Peridot's first response is a bewildered "but then what are you good for?" and then she tries to claim her.)

[@electricangel1001]

I’ve only just discovered your channel today, but I can already tell you would (probably) really like the show and music from Star Darlings. It’s a discontinued kids show, but the episodes that did come out were so great in terms of aesthetics and slightly incomplete plot. And on top of that, the few songs from the show are SO GOOD. seeing as you like the songs from shows like ever after high, descendants, and my little pony, I def recommend you react to Star Darlings.

[@jasmine9581]

16:48 lol guess the intact diamond didn't quite register 20:17 "for my last order to you as a diamond..."

[@jaylafield415]

I highly recommend you watch the full show, then rewatch this episode with context and you will be able to understand and appreciate this episode for how amazing it is.

[@Silly-rvniii]

19:23 for context with how she never told anyone. Pearls are created to be servants for other gems and in this case she was made to serve Pink Diamond. They are made to always follow orders and be loyal to the gem they are assigned to. In this case Pearl was ordered by her Diamond to not talk about what they did and she was programmed to not break anything Pink Diamond told her to. Now that she was gone and it was now Rose she didn’t have anyone to tell her what to do and what she could stop doing. Which means that the last order couldn’t be uplifted by anyone until she has Steven “see” what she did which meant she technically “ignored” what was ordered of her and she can finally say what happened.

[@artloveranimation]

Pink Diamond said "as my final order as a Diamond, please never speak of this again" so she magically ordered Pearl to physically never be able to spill the beans that Rose is Pink. She always covered her mouth reactively when the diamond shattering stuff came up

[@H0ll0w88]

Sticker Mathew, you were so close ☺️

[@vgpowerlord]

Since you've seen this episode, one interesting thing to do is to watch for Pearl covering her mouth like that while you're watching through the show. I think the first time it happens is halfway through season 2.

[@furygeist]

Matthew... It's a sticker and sea monkeys. 😂 Im kinda envious of Pearl's brain filing system. Goals. TEACH MEYOUR WAYS, PEARL! Tho I do wonder now... What does Amethysts gem space look like? I bet Garnet's is part Ruby and Sapphire making out and part Garnet chilling in a lofi space. This episode was pure Pearlception. Just endless "We gotta go deeper." Pearl has seen some SHIZ. Like, dang. She been repressing so hard that it's an endless matryoshka of trauma.

[@stanleefanstanleefan2127]

To sum it up, he is deep, deep, deep in pearls mind where her suppressed memories are.

[@stanleefanstanleefan2127]

It is really creepy that she was programmed to never disobey her authorial member. They take away the pearl’s autonomy to me not being allowed to speak or disobey.

[@luigimg1]

1:05 you should definitely do that just because I need more Steven universe reactions

[@AwesomelyRandomful64]

Essentially, because it was an explicit order from a diamond, pearl physically could not disobey it because pearls are a servant class, hench her forcibly covering her mouth. In fact if you look through the whole show you'll see her cover her mouth like that several times whenever pink diamond is remotely brought up.