Dirk Gently 2x01 http://markdoesstuff.fetchapp.com/get/6af33433

Greg is sometimes idolized in commentaries of Steven Universe, as a great father figure who is not a negligent bum like his appearance at first slight would have you believe, but a caring and involved parent.

This episode was a bit of a counterpoint to that. His bohemian, anti-establishment ways ARE a bit irresponsible, to the point of negligence. A child needs not just love, but an actual home (not just a van and a beach house), peers of their own age, and support from society.

It is interesting that Steven compared Greg to Rose, because the show hinted at the comparison for quite a while. The main reason why Greg and Rose ended up together in the first place is that they related to each other a lot over how they both ran away from home and reimagined their identities, and settled in Beach City for the sake of an easygoing Hakuna Matata existence.

Both of their main instructions to Steven, boiled down to "you can be whoever you want to be and that is awesome". Which is certainly a better message than the alternative, but also it is not ENOUGH, which was already a big part of Steven's frustrations with Rose.

I mean, Janew the Virgin itself is a very loose adaptation of Juana la Virgen, which was apparently a fairly typical latin-American telenovela, that this show took the basic premise of and Americanized.

I get the feeling that The Passions of Steve is a pretty direct tongue-in-cheek reference to that process.

I really enjoy how the show portrays Jane's writing as these floating words out of context. It's a great way to give an impression of what she is writing about, without falling into either traps of the writers not necessarily being able to write amazing prose that lives up to how good it's supposed to be in-universe.

This is especially true for erotica, that is impossible to quote out of context in a way that doesn't sound cringe. It's ALWAYS either too purple, or too mechanical. The only good sex scene is that which gets you so horny by the time that it comes, that you forget to notice this.

"Wnar Crgen fuvc"

Silver Spoon 2x10: http://markdoesstuff.fetchapp.com/get/42cec95a

Silver Spoon 2x08-2x09: http://markdoesstuff.fetchapp.com/get/26c61c9a

Thanksssss!

What I found strange, was the parallel with the bird nest.

As I was rewatching this episode, vaguely remembering it's plot, I expected to be uncomfortable with the colonialist implications, but I was surprised by how self-consciously that bird nest parallel addressed them, but still in a confusing way.

So, Tenma taught the girl that the hatchling is best returned to it's mother's nest... and THAT'S what helps the girl open up to the soldier? Why?

I guess she started to emphatize with him wanting to "help" her the same way she instinctively wanted to "help" the hatchling? Him acting in good faith, even if misguidedly?

Monster 04: http://markdoesstuff.fetchapp.com/get/3639f971

One more interesting observation:

Steven thought that "Disobedient" by Sadie Killer, (which was btw written by Mike Krol), would work to shake up Pearl's memory, but it didn't work, because it wasn't really just about rebelliousness, or about hating her service job, but about anger at a person who didn't deserve her loyalty, and about grief at the wasted years in their service, which Pearl still doesn't really feel towards Rose. On the other hand, Spinel does towards Pink, so it might have actually had an effect on her starting to remember.

Compare and contrast:

Disobedient:
"I've been good, Sir
So very, very good for what?
And I've given you
Every single thing I've got"

Spinel:
"I used to be just not good enough, just not good enough for Pink, but now, now I'M NOT GOOD AT ALL!"

Disobedient:
"It's feeling strange, man
This whole arrangement
Is gonna end with
Me totally deranged
When I think about
All the wasted time I've spent
I wanna be disobedient
I stood awake
Wondering where my summers went
I wanna be disobedient"

Spinel:
"You keep on turning pages
for people who don't care about you
And still, it takes you ages
to see that no one's there
Everyone's gone on without you
Isn't that lovely?
Isn't that cool?
And isn't that cruel
And aren't I a fool to have
Happily listened
Happy to stay
Happily watching her
Drift away"