It Got Disturbing!! Steven Universe s1 Eps 13&14 So Many Birthdays & Lars and the Cool Kids Reaction

[@wyren925]

my favouit thing in this show is that the 'cool kids' are actually pretty cool people, and not just a bunch of jerks

[@elbruces]

They never exclude anybody. It's just Lars' insecurities that makes him think they might.

[@somehelluvafanboy8357]

They put the cool in cool kids

[@SmurfeEm_eclipse]

Especially in one of the episodes where they stood up for steven😢❤

[@freakda96]

@@SmurfeEm_eclipse that episode Is amazing reminding us that Steven Is just a Kid. And a very traumatized one by the way

[@beetaylor3529]

Yes I love that! I hate the 90s/00s teen movie trope of the mean popular kids. If they were that mean, no one would want to hang out with them! It just doesn't make any sense 90% of the time. IMO the only movie where that trope is executed flawlessly is, aptly, Mean Girls. And it only works because Regina George is extremely intelligent and conniving (and also rich).

[@CalliopePony]

"When a child invites you over with that tea set you sit down and you drink that imaginary cup of tea!" Yes! And when you play hide-and-seek you pretend to be baffled at how the child managed to disappear no matter how obvious their hiding spot is! It's just the proper thing to do.

[@arcticbanana66]

"That was really cute, and _really_ bizarre, and slightly terrifying" is a pretty good description of the series as a whole.

[@camiart_casual]

This exactly 😂

[@twofacetoo75]

The kazoo racers is just a Steven thing. I kinda like it thought because it's a nice way of showing that Greg has never really had THAT MUCH money, so any time it was Steven's birthday, he'd just throw together whatever he could and call it a game to make Steven happy. Get some toy pedal cars and kazoos, and boom, game. It's just a really small but really nice detail showing how much Greg cares for his kid, even if he never had that much money. Also, yes, same voice-actor for Steven at multiple different ages.

[@JediMB]

Plot twist: The "cool kids" are just really nice, relaxed and approachable people. A nice subversion of the trope.

[@PhoenixNorthstar]

And then there's Kevin.

[@Inkwellington]

@@PhoenixNorthstarDAMMIT KEVIN

[@JediMB]

@@PhoenixNorthstar Yeah, let's not talk about Kevin. 🤢

[@Brasswatchman]

​@@JediMB Nobody wants to talk about Kevin.

[@technologicalMayhem]

Steven Universe does the whole "taking a trope and subverting it" thing so well. They manage to do it without it being overly in your face with what they are trying to do.

[@wyren925]

Man the 'I didn't even get to know my Mum" line always gets to me

[@kiwiparfaits]

for real 😭 it always hits like a truck. great voice acting, too.

[@Tublerone]

Adult Steven's VA doesn't change, it's just Zach Callison :3c He did some music after the show ended that might be worth giving a listen to, I personally really like 'War!'

[@Krixwell]

I really appreciate Lars & the Cool Kids for giving us the first proper look at what Steven is like when he's actually _angry_ and what it takes to get him there.

[@erinhugginswilliams9525]

I'm was crying when pearl tried to cheer him up with the pie and only made it worse 😂😂

[@nedzed3663]

I forgot how disturbing the show got from the beginning. Like I remember latter episodes and seasons being pretty dark, but that dark subject matter was sprinkled in from the first season.

[@The-Rguy]

"Is it only two of them can fuse together at once or three or more of them" Yes

[@PoisonPeachPit]

"WHICH WAY TO THE BABY WAR >:D" Little did you know, this was foreshadowing. The real plot of the show centers around the ancient Baby War and this whole series is just a prequel to Boss Baby.

[@SaiyanSerenityV]

So Delmarva is a fake place but it's based on the real northeastern US, specifically Delaware, Maryland and Virginia! We do drive stick here, it's not SUPER common but it's more common than you think! I learned to drive on a stick. Also it's apparently canon than Steven always wears the same shirt (and doesn't know where they even come from) because it's all leftover merch from when Greg was doing his band thing. I always thought that was a super cute detail to explain the whole same-outfit-cartoon thing

[@Brasswatchman]

Delmarva's the name of the peninsula those three states share, right?

[@Janoha17]

Delmarva is nice bit of worldbuilding, a butterfly effect from the presence of the Gems.

[@freakda96]

Piñatas are actually mexican, but they've become very popular in other countries

[@Pablo360able]

The picture of the Crystal Gems in olden times on the boat is based on the painting Watson and the Shark by John Copley. When I first watched the show, I was in high school Quiz Bowl (I eventually dropped it bc I didn't like the hypercompetitiveness), so I actually got that reference.

[@Jeremy_theGent]

_(Before So Many Birthdays)_ 😃 Birthdays? I love birthdays! Birthdays are fun! _(After So Many Birthdays)_ 😨 ...The fuck was that? Birthdays are horrifying!

[@ScreamingScallop]

Oh lord, I forgot about "Which way to the baby war!"

[@Sammy_The_Umbreon]

Honestly, the scene 'what do you know about my mom! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO KNOW MY MOM!' hurt. I mean, I'm also happy they show Steven, for all his optimism, won't take shit from people when they cross a boundary of his. (And that despite emotions rising high, he is level headed enough to take charge in the situation). But man. It really just hits you in the face with the fact Steven grew up without his mom. That he only knows her through secondary sources. Ouch.

[@speculativemusings3593]

“You guys need to warn me about shit!” But Mosco, we’re only allowed to post fake spoilers! Like how Connie eventually becomes president, and Steven becomes First Boy! Or how this show shares its universe with “Uncle Grandpa” and “Chowder”! Or how the Gems are secretly from another dimension!

[@thedingdongsunshinefuture]

Oh so that’s how her name is spelled! She said the intro so fast i wasn’t sure ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ

[@Chara_Dreemurr1]

Two of those are true

[@speculativemusings3593]

@@Chara_Dreemurr1 ?

[@Chara_Dreemurr1]

@@speculativemusings3593 well... steven talks about being first boy and connie becoming president ... and then the uncle grandpa crossover episode

[@speculativemusings3593]

@@Chara_Dreemurr1 The “Steven speculates on future events” thing is something that counts as fake spoilers here, based on her Owl House Reaction. And the crossover episode is explicitly non-canon.

[@BroZilla-vh3tu]

Lars and the Cool Kids was written by Matt Braly, creator of Amphibia and the GOAT

[@mollywantshugs5944]

I’ve noticed that early Steven Universe has way more body horror than I remembered

[@meh7973]

i LOVE when she does this :(((((( face whenever steven does something cute, she's so real

[@palomaroggeri8680]

So many birthdays is when you realize “huh, I think this show might go darker then I thought”. And Ocean Gem is when the show really kicks off

[@kyledodson5737]

In America driving a manual is a flex to show that you're better.

[@Brasswatchman]

People do get pretty snooty about it, don't they? 😁

[@mar420.74]

is that not a thing in other places? huh...

[@mar420.74]

Oh that's why my Dad brags about that lmfao.

[@haggis0257]

We have manual cars in the US. Not common, but it’s definitely still around. The Pizza’s car is probably couple of decades old so it being an older model isn’t surprising.

[@prageruwu69]

i used to always skip too many birthdays because the scene where steven ages so fast he almost dies freaked me out so bad

[@Wattson93]

10:00 we can't warn you. That involves spoiling the fun 😂

[@baraxor]

Poor Steven...yes, he'll grow into a beach hunk, but later on he'll look like Danny DeVito.

[@phousefilms]

"It might as well be your birthday, so why don't we have a party? Even if your age isn't real and your bodies an illusion?" I felt that. Steven:"Lion, you're killing me..." Pearl:"...could it be we're a tad...mature for this ritual?" Amethyst(wearing birthday hat as a copy of Pearls nose) ".....Boop!" Pearl:(enraged shriek)"You will remove that this instant!" Amethyst:(swinging into Garnet)"Am I...getting...close?"(Hits Garnet full in the face) Garnet:"Higher..." Pearl says she likes pie. Important for later, she likes the COMPONENTS of pie, not eating it. Old Steven:"Will you help me into my birthday suit?" (Chased out of the store by Sadie with bat) Sadie:Yeah, you BETTER run!!!" (Lol,Lars and Sadie's faces!) Amethyst:"I'm a tiny car!" Garnet:"Beep beep!" XD, one of my favorite moments. Clown Pearl looking so sad is hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time.

[@TheRhuen]

About the clown being an American tradition. It is, the modern "white face" clown is an American creation, loosely based on combining the Peirot and Jester together and early on a number of class and racial stereotypes into a single figure. That said up until the mid to late 1900s it was common to classify American clowns by sub types based on who they were based on, vagabonds, bums, tramps, hobos, etc... why so many 1950s and earlier clowns had such baggy clothes with floppy hats and sad faces, the red nose was basically a wino nose, etc... It has mixed together over the years, so yeah the clown we typically think of as a circus clown is an American invention, based on European street and theatrical performers but the version we know today is from the American circus and the modern birthday clown is more based on the watered down version of that.

[@revangerang]

I did not know this but it makes so much sense!

[@aliyahpulido953]

10:36 Yup! The voice actor remains the same for Steven throughout the entire show, Zach Callison. Even in the pilot, movie, minisodes, Dove campaign advertisements, and epilogue series. ALL of which I think you should watch after you finish the main show.

[@drizma]

13:22 This is actually a sign of Garnet's secret split personality. Also, apparently colors actually do get more faded as you age.

[@annde99]

I love how much you like Steven’s relationship with pearl. It is quite wholesome. Hopefully that doesn’t change.. (👀)

[@yurimthepanda]

I genuinely feel like Lars and the cool kids was one of the best things to come out of season 1 it’s so…real like the raw reaction that Steven had to what Lars said about his mom and how the cool kids are cool but not in the way Lars thinks, it’s realistic and I love that

[@jaxcraft2848]

22:45: I love it when Steven gets mad and doesn't take shit from anybody!

[@annde99]

The way this show balances the very cute moments and very dark and disturbing moments throughout the seasons is just **chefs kiss **

[@KilliesOnTheAir]

Seeing Steven actually stand up to Lars after acting so sweet to him and ignoring all is a-hole behavior before that scene still really hits. I love how they portray Steven dealing with his mom being gone before he knew her. It’s so masterfully done! 😭

[@MikaeelTNT]

the entirety of the first season is basically just world building and character development and once you get halfway through a lot of questions get crazy answers

[@charismaentertainer1657]

Gems understand the concept of jokes. However there’s some jokes that are too “literal” for them to fully understand on the first go. Steven just knows them better since he’s been around Greg for so long. Reminder: Steven is not even a teenager yet- currently lol. Steven could “technically” die from aging. But considering he can.. “somewhat” control his age it’s debatable if it’s even possible. One of Roses favourite things were anything that breathes, regardless of its current nature or origin. The cool kids are pretty Cool.

[@PhoenixNorthstar]

Two minutes into the intro with her discussion of birthdays and I already know Mosco is going to have a nervous breakdown at the Birthday episode, like the previous episodes haven't clued her in that it's not that kind of show. Having watched the reaction and Hearing her opinions on Lars, I cannot wait to see what she makes of his secret identity as a rebel space pirate.

[@ragnar3434]

That line "we all have so little time" is wild

[@justinriley]

It gets darker from here...

[@aramyengoyan.7325]

Honestly I gotta disagree 😭. Very few episodes in the later seasons can compare to the birthday episode and the cat-fingers episode

[@peachykeen53]

I’m ambivalent on that. Do things get absolutely wild and life-changing? Yes. Are they as situationally morbid as Cat Fingers and SMBdays? Well….. 😅

[@cluelesscritter]

@@peachykeen53 Spoiler warning! Idk man the shard fusions were pretty unnerving

[@antonioarreola3097]

Garnet dies

[@Crispysauce124]

And I can’t wait for her reactions!!

[@rolandsmoke8283]

Bruh watching Steven Universe while high is always a trip lmao

[@AnaBacanazp]

no spoiler, but just regarding the question on steven's voice actor: yes, he only has one voice actor! (except in one game where someone else voices him but that's not important) So Zach Callison started voicing steven when he was younger, and I *think* it's around season 2 when he goes through puberty. So in season 1 his voice is closer to his regular range, and he has to make it lower in episodes such as so many birthdays. But after he goes through puberty he has to sound younger (if you compare the first and last season, the difference is quite obvious) Also, zach is so freaking talent, from early season till later ones where he pretty much sings entirely in falseto, he's just so good. this is a zach appreciation comment. ps: you should check zach's original EP eventually

[@Gari-Kun]

cant wait for the "Old man Steven" saga, that's when he becomes a goat farmer and lives a quiet life in the temple, peak content

[@Geralt_harvey3784]

2:49 - 3:23 who in Hecate's name went and cloned me?!? That's me whenever I cook!😆 😂🤣

[@niefali]

The fact that SU doensnt shy away from dark topics is what makes it such a great contrast with the usual happy go lucky attitude.

[@lewa3910]

'Even if your age isn't real and you're bodies an illusion' alot of Steven's early short jokey songs get overshadowed, but i just love how dark and mysterious the lyrics are even if their played for laughs

[@starleo64]

I still find it cool that the creator of Amphibia storyborded that scene with Steven and Lars.

[@liamgradwell2998]

Hey it can happen to all’ve us, Mosco. Age always catches up to you when you least expect it. It can just literally fly by. 😅💜

[@Dead-fire]

12:01 This whole scene scarred me as a toddler, it was so intense to watch 😭😭😭 Edit: 14:38 I just realized that, Especially IRL because it’s like New year, New age, Different Filter in life right? Also I didn’t realize this was an adult joke until now 11:18

[@Gungun.....]

disturbing? ohh you are not ready for future episodes Steven does grow up to be a beach hunk in the unseen season of Total Drama Island when he realises he can't physically stay this age forever since connie had become the president

[@ryuzakidestiny]

Congratulations you have watched the 3 darkest episodes of the show. And in Spain we drive with stick, driver in the front left seat and the car always to the right part of the road by default.

[@kiwiparfaits]

two really good episodes, imo! a look into steven's mind/emotional state... and seeing him crack/get actually angry for the first time is really big.

[@SteveMND]

Swinging by from the Patreon (great fun!) to feed the algorithm with thumbs-ups and comments!

[@Giran_0]

Her birthstone is opal? ...It was prophesied

[@Jessebonnie]

It was kinda surprising to see Steven finally stand up for himself and lash out at Lars which i wanted him to do that this whole time xD

[@SaiyanSerenityV]

Also omg I always forget Brian Posehn is in this (Sour Cream's voice actor). He's an incredibly funny comedian - if you like D&D podcasts he runs one with some other comedians called Nerd Poker! That's how I knew about him originally

[@cucublueberry8078]

Didn't he also voice Newton from Symbiotic Titan? 🤔

[@tonyhale7977]

I learned to drive Stick on a 1966 Mustang. With less that 10,000 miles on it. I am lucky to have be alive to this day.

[@Techydad]

I actually find it harder as an adult to make friends. Mostly because, when I was a teenager, I had school/university clubs I could go to where I'd know people shared the same interests that I had. As an adult, I don't have that. Add in my social anxiety and the fact that my autism makes remembering faces/names difficult to impossible and meeting new people has become extremely stressful over the years. I actually don't have any in person friends. I want some, but every time I think about going out to some gathering, I feel an anxiety attack come on. It's just easier to interact with people online. I do have in person people in my life (my wife, my two boys), but sometimes I feel like I'd like some people with similar interests to talk with.

[@masen0593]

I'm so happy you are reacting to this amazing series!!! Can't wait for you to get further into it!!!!!

[@SakuraNarratedDreamsPodfics]

Yeah, manuals are pretty rare in the states. My partner drives a Mustang with a manual and the last time he brought it in for an oil change none of the techs knew how to even get it started to try and bring it inside. 😂 We both ride motorcycles as well, so I understand the workings of the clutch and shifter from that.

[@jellyowl2644]

Thanks for reminding me to watch the dragon pronce reactions! I always forget until a new reaction comes out and then i cant watch the new one because i haven't watched the old ones

[@bronyxillcon7632]

Different parties have different events. Mostly the pinatas are common. Clowns, 2nd near favorite. & The car in kazoo is probably a Steven thing.

[@Zach-Reacts]

Yeah we have stick shifts in America too, but most people are taught using automatic so that's what most people end up driving. I can drive stick, I just hate doing it tho lol

[@dz1_randomviewah]

It all makes so much more sense once you realize that Steven Universe is a stealth sequel to Transformers, and Cybertronian physiology has evolved to the point that they can change shape and size at will! :V

[@7Seraphem7]

It 'got' disturbing? Are we forgetting Cat Fingers? Now just add on existential dread to things. Also, yes Dragon Prince is amazing!

[@Firefly-5567]

0:36 someone here who has watched all of TDP which means I’ve seen s1, s2, s3, s4, s5, and s6, and yeah it’s one of the best shows on Netflix in my opinion, you also aren’t ready for how insane TDP will get and I’m excited for your reactions

[@zeframmann1641]

There was actually an episode of Fox's "Peter Pan and the Pirates" that had a similar arc. Captain Hook (voiced by the incomparable Tim Curry) gave Peter such a verbal beatdown over how he has gone through all the stages of life and Peter will forever be nothing but a boy, and Peter got SHOOK, and started aging. Unlike here, though, Neverland is tied to Peter, so as he started growing old and dying, the land and all the magical creatures began dying as well. Captain Hook unwittingly saves Tinkerbell's life by admitting he believes in her (which of course he did since she was dying right in front of him.)

[@ThePonderer]

The first episode of the show designed with the express purpose of hurting feelings.

[@kaylagaymon4873]

Steven almost dying was one of the most saddest episodes I've cried. The meme at 5:26 cracked me up 😱😱😱😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣

[@Shuffle-Major-Arcana]

Mosco. I am the same way about raw chicken. Plastic wrap on the counter. Paper towels on the plastic wrap. Special cutting board with raised edges on top of that. Throw a paper towel into the empty packaging to absorb the juices. That goes into a leftover grocery bag, tied shut and straight to the outside trash. Prep chicken. Place it in a deep bowl. Wipe every surface with Clorox wipes and then spray general area with rubbing alcohol in spray bottle. Wash everything IMMEDIATELY with water as hot as it will go. Alcohol spray the sink. THEN cook the chicken.

[@mollywantshugs5944]

Wait till Mosco learns how Garnet was mutated by a fusion gone wrong with Rose Quartz and that’s why she has a 3rd eye

[@ghostsurfer23]

1) we CAN'T warn you about stuff like Too Many Birthdays; we're only allowed to give fake~ spoilers xP 2) I love how Garnet just resorts to shaking Steven when they have no other ideas. It's actually really consistent characterization that the Crystal Gems are terrible problem-solvers. See episode 2 where their solution to stopping the Red Eye was to just throw Amethyst at it over and over again xD 3) Lars and the Cool Kids is such an underrated episode. We get the first instance of Steven acting hostile/negative with someone, and the Cool Kids themselves are just really refreshing subversions of the archetype. They're not bad or rude or snarky, they're just...people.

[@WepcapStinkhorn]

"They are playing swords... Sorry, playing WITH swords.. they're bleeding, oh no, they're dead. Sorry I panicked"

[@harrison4409]

Garnet grabbing elderly Steven and shaking him without saying a word made my ribs hurt from laughing

[@AJUniverse]

Two episodes with lore concepts that I wish had been explored more than they were. I still think about them.

[@kiwiparfaits]

tbh ive never seen a clown at a party, its not really big here in the US. even like carnivals arent super big or whatever. when i grew up anyway, maybe in the past they were? but a lot of people are scared of clowns.

[@Jeetaruey]

The clothes comment is more about the fact Steven is a child. He doesn't shop for his clothes. The adults in his life buy it and he just puts the clothes that are in his dresser on.

[@WingDingsOnlineClassic]

“Oh yeah this show came out when I was 22” GIRL ARE YOU IN YOUR 30’S?? This show came out in 2013 hdsjddhd

[@WepcapStinkhorn]

Yeah, right?? She looks so young

[@boowind4432]

I love the impromptu stick shift driving lesson we got there towards the end lmao

[@karinaanderson9533]

"You guys need to warn me about shit!!" No. Never

[@maurtendo]

Letting you know now, you are going to have a real hard time with Amethyst and her appetites...

[@r.l.r.7550]

That first episode traumatized me when I first watched it.

[@Oceane1803]

Imagine that you get older when you feel old. In our current world where everything goes so fast and it's so easy to become "out of touch", you would get old fast.

[@CalliopePony]

But if you stay young at heart you would stay physically young indefinitely.

[@Oceane1803]

@@CalliopePony Of course, but that can be difficult.

[@blarroku]

I love how your birthmonth stone is Opal because I always thought u were a combo of amethyst and pearl

[@ThAlEdison]

So Middle School is not a thing everyone did, but in those cases it's way more common in the US that those grades are combined with grade school instead of high school. That's called K-8 if you start at age 5, or 1st-8th if you start at age 6. So you end up with 13 year olds in with 6 year olds, and 14 is the age for high school. All of this is approximate because the rules are set at an extremely local level.

[@adamk-paxlogan7330Sucks]

I live in the US and I didn't go to high school until I was 18,graduated in 2009 when I was 19,so I don't know what the hell your talking about

[@thiagoescalante6245]

I'm from Latin America and cars here are mostly stick shift, I didn't know that in the US they're less common.

[@Grendallmayo]

21:00 some of us drive stick, not all of us, including me, but some.

[@Pidaanma]

1:18 If she only knew about Garnet.^^ Sadly I relay a lot on the birthday episode because I sometimes have this feeling than I enjoy "kids things" and I should grow up.

[@beetaylor3529]

I can't wait for you to meet more gems! Also can't wait for you to learn more about fusions!

[@midoriya-shonen]

I need to catch up on Dragon Prince sooooo bad especially now that you're watching it!!!! I was super into it for seasons 1 and 2 and then I wasn't aware of when season 3 came out and now I have to get back into it. It's waaaaaaaayyyyyy underrated and I'm so glad you're watching it so it gives me a reason to get back into it. I've been swamped with life stuff so I haven't yet but rest assured I intend to!!!!!

[@sulfur7082]

you kinda give me the vibe of an amethyst who grew up to be a pearl lol, for whatever that's worth

[@kittumskat]

9:33 hey some of us were watching cartoons at 22 and not out drinking 😂

[@alexpainter4169]

Amethyst- rambunctious older sister Pearl- neurotic mom that plans everything Garnet- cool aunt & the only one with sense

[@Ace_.Makki8_er]

Steven getting traumatized again? Surely this won't affect the plot into the future...

[@willw6504]

Here we are.

[@spyroman9434]

Crystal Gems are immortal and it is funny, when Steven is throwing them a birthday party for each one of them.

[@jbleichman]

In tonight’s episode, the role of Steven Universe, usually played by Steven Universe, will be played by Danny DeVito

[@thedingdongsunshinefuture]

3:05 saaaaaaame! Raw chicken makes me so anxious

[@Winter0523]

I’m living for your Steven reactions look forward every Thursday for them can barely wait for your reaction to episode 37!! 🤭

[@michaelmcintyre3871]

It's easy to forget just how much body horror is in this kids show.