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Steven Universe is one of those shows that I knew that I would probably like, but didn’t know why. So I never started. I had met the creator on the Joco Cruise 2017 (not something I normally indulge in, it was a late honeymoon) I knew her from her involvement in Adventure Time, but for some reason that wasn’t even enough to get me to start watching it. Shows are big time commitments, and time is a resource that is quite scarce when you have a million interests like me. Earlier this year I decided to take the plunge and start watching it on Hulu, and I couldn’t stop. It became one of my favorite shows instantly. It resonated at exactly the right frequency to hypnotize me. I told my brothers that they needed to watch it so I could talk to someone about it, but I knew that the biggest challenge would be getting my wife to watch it.
Anyone who knows Andrea knows that she is a stubborn woman. If you don’t think so, just brag about a specific fact about yourself. You are taller than her. Older than her. She will argue that you are wrong. When I tell her to try out a show, especially a cartoon with Anime elements, i was prepared for her to dig in her heels. However, she is a very sweet and respectful friend at her core, so she decided to give it a shot. Here are the results: (Spoiler Free)
Stage 1: “This is the stupidest show I have ever seen”
She said that! She knew how important this show was to me, and she had no problem saying that! She agreed to continue watching it only when we were going to bed, so if she started to drift, or maybe check her work emails, she wouldn’t feel like she was missing anything. I was mostly just happy to be rewatching it, but I was starting to get sad that she would be missing out on a show with such heart. This stage lasted a little while, and it was close to the end of the first season where I almost gave up on her. Then came stage 2.
Stage 2: Complaining about the character’s decisions.
I have seen her do this with many, well, most...actually ALL shows we watch together. Over the course of hundreds of episodes of television, characters are going to make some dumb decisions. This usually doesn’t happen however until you gain an understanding of the characters, and have a personal interest in how things turn out. At this point, she still was not admitting to enjoy the show at all. She watches several shows she knows are just terrible, and enjoys complaining about the characters. This at least let me know that she was paying attention. She even started doing mocking impressions of each of the main characters. I counted that as a win.
Stage 3: Theories
This was when I knew I had her. It was the moment I was waiting for, though I expected stage four to happen first. “I bet all three of them are the same character.” “Oh you know she’s still alive.” “Well obviously they’re going to get together.” She was putting pieces together, connecting the characters in what she believed to be their paths in future storylines. Anyone who watches the show knows that this is a series that lends itself very well to fan theories, not that Dre would call herself a fan. This did open up the possibility that not only was she maybe enjoying the show (which she would never admit so why ask) but she’s actually looking forward to knowing what happens next.
Stage 4: Openly Liking Certain Characters
Dre had problems with pretty much all of the main characters. Everyone introduced in the first episode got on her nerves in one way or another. Yes, even Garnet. However, I did not expect her to really dig some of the secondary characters that popped up. Peridot in particular was especially charming to her. This could absolutely be partially because she is drawn to characters who are villains, or who put themselves at a higher level than others. I would catch her smiling, laughing, and even saying “Yes! I like her.” when she sees a character in the episode. We were able to actually openly enjoy watching the show together at this point.
Stage 5: Asking When the Next Episode is Coming
At one point, Dre caught up to me when I was watching the most recent episodes, so we were able to experience them fresh at the same time. She would still complain about stupid decisions, saying she hates certain characters (including Pearl, my fav!) and she would mock Steven relentlessly, especially when he’s eating: ‘Why is he always eating?!” But when the story and characters of the show took her over, she couldn’t help but be caught up in the lore. She is anxiously anticipating the reveal of who I suspect is already her favorite character, though we have never even seen her (White Diamond). Though things started rocky, she has admitted being impressed with the show’s bold decisions, and can’t wait for the next episode. Even if she does close her eyes every time Garnet takes off her shades, because that three eyed face just creeps her out.