“Nah, I’m just killin’ time.”

There is no moment in Steven Universe, or arguably any show I’ve ever watched, that captures the pure wonder of youth like my favorite scene in the series, and that’s the wordless ending of Winter Forecast. The way Steven intuits Connie’s arrival. The over-shoulder shot as she surveys the room. Her glasses-free smirk. The indescribable sensation of being a kid and being awake while your parents are asleep. The way we follow Steven’s wide eyes from Connie to the window, then repeat the process from his point of view. The sound of the wind, and the lingering shot of the snow, and the cut to black. 

Our last look at Steven and Connie after their adventure could’ve easily been this, just two excited goofballs in an episode about two excited goofballs. But instead, it’s this:

I love these kids so much it makes my heart want to burst. And this moment of connection is exactly the sort of thing Rose wanted so badly for her son. Steven Universe may be fun because of its action and lore, and it may be important because of its themes and characters, but it’s special because it takes the time to show us moments like this.

Still, like Steven, we oughtta go back to the beginning, because the episode preceding this scene is pretty nifty as well. This is the first time we’ve seen Connie since Alone Together, and their comfortable new status quo is great to watch after the initial awkwardness of Bubble Buddies and Lion 2 (and the atonal backpedaling of Fusion Cuisine). Like I said in my very first discussion of Connie, she’s often around to prompt huge changes in Steven’s life, be it his first bubble, the unsheathing of Rose’s sword, the revelation of his healing powers, the introduction of school as a concept (which led to The Mirror and Lapis), his first in-battle shield summon, and his first fusion. But here, they’re just shooting the breeze, and Steven isn’t overtly changed by the end. Not everything with Connie has to be a huge deal, and I appreciate that.

If anything, the biggest change comes from Garnet, who continues to let Steven in on her secrets by revealing the ability to pass along her future vision. Winter Forecast thrives off the mystery of Steven’s multiple realities, but its solution downplays the new implication that Garnet literally lives through several bad future until she picks the right one on a regular basis. As upsetting as this sounds, it’s also at odds with her description of how her powers work in Future Vision, the way it affects her reflexes in Meat Beat Mania in Arcade Mania, and the way Steven sees the future in Jailbreak. I’d love a little more consistency on how her powers work, but if that’s the cost of creative visualizations of a magical concept then I guess I’ll take it.

But back to our leads. It’s a bundle of fun to watch Steven and Connie hang out, and the episode explores their growing friendship by blending moments of spontaneity (their snowball fight, scrambling to trick the grown-ups) with lived-in continuity (Connie’s interest in the mechanics of processed food, Steven’s awareness of how strict the Maheswarans can be). While many of these events are erased from time, they still show how close the two have become and how much Connie in particular has evolved from her isolated Bubble Buddies self.

This is a Connie who’s fine with procrastinating instead of obeying her mother’s direct orders, who doesn’t freak out after Greg’s van slips, who isn’t even upset to trudge a few miles in a snowstorm. When the van breaks down in another timeline, she’s content to make a party of it with the Universes. But best of all is her phone call to her mother to say she’s staying at Steven’s, complete with a deep intake of breath to prepare herself and a tone-perfect read by Grace Rolek. The Crystal Gems have made a fellow rebel of her.

Steven’s obviously grown a lot since Bubble Buddies as well, but we’ve spent plenty of time watching it happen. Rather than showcase his development, we get to see him slowly learn a lesson about making good choices even when it isn’t fun. But that’s a boring lesson, so it’s sugarcoated in a brilliant sci-fi mystery constantly throwing Steven (and us) out of his (our) element(s!). From the moment he becomes transfixed by the glowing back flap of Greg’s outfit, his life is a whirlwind of confusion that’s just as bewildering to the viewer. Savvy fans may have noticed Garnet’s kiss on where his third eye would be on first viewing, but saps like me were entranced by his slow and jagged drift into the past. Zach Callison can sell incredulity with the best of ‘em, which is a relief considering it’s Steven’s default state for most of the episode. Eternity really seemed injured for a moment there! 

Outside of Lion 3′s brief recording, we haven’t seen Greg since all the way back in Watermelon Steven. In that episode, as well as many others, his fatherhood role extends to being a fun dad for a kid that lives with other people. Winter Forecast and Maximum Capacity give him back-to-back episodes to show off his responsible side, and each is a wonderful example of why he’s such a good dad despite his flaws. He makes mistakes in several timelines of Winter Forecast, but they come from a very real place of insecurity, from wanting to wear the right clothes (Steven’s right, those Saiyan-level 80′s pads are amazing) to wanting to ensure Connie gets home safely even if it kills her. He’s trying to impress his fellow parents, and is aware of his shortcomings enough to be embarrassed when he fails. But he’s doing his best in several lousy scenarios, and deserves his happy couch ending.

Finally, while the Gems (even Garnet) are largely in the background, Winter Forecast’s sudden veer into the ongoing Homeworld arc is stupendous. Heavy plot episodes and slice-of-life episodes tend to be fully separated, but jumping into the Gems blowing themselves up trying to warp the Shooting Star back adds cosmic perspective to Steven’s other bad timelines. Reminding us that life goes on without Steven is important, but turning it into a whiplash-inducing injection of drama is hilarious.

Like any of my favorite Steven Universe episodes, tone is everything in Winter Forecast. Like Rose’s Room, the mood shifts about throughout the runtime, in this case between silliness, embarrassment, fun, tension, ultra-dramatic, and relief. But it wears each of these hats with aplomb (which is more than I can say for the characters, come on, it’s snowing, you’re gonna freeze your ears off!) and begins and ends with two distinct but brilliant depiction of child friendships. From goofing off with marshmallows to quietly sharing a secret moment, this is one of the greats.

(Also, Winter Forecast is a truly great name for this episode. What can I say, I’m a pun man.)

Future Vision!

• Another snowy episode, Three Gems and a Baby, reveals Greg’s carabiner song is hardly a new composition. (But points off for that same episode having Steven say “I’ve never seen it snow like this before” post-Winter Forecast.)
• Greg will continue to be a Cherry Man in Mr. Greg.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Again, that last scene is my favorite in the series. But while I love the mystery element and the various alternate realities, it’s not quite as fun to rewatch after we know the big secret (compare this to Mirror Gem and Lion 3, which are just as great if not better when we know what the mystery’s building to). It still makes the Top Ten, but it’s not ranked as high as the scene alone would merit.

Top Ten

1. Steven and the Stevens
2. Mirror Gem
3. Lion 3: Straight to Video
4. Alone Together
5. Coach Steven
6. Giant Woman
7. Winter Forecast
   
8. On the Run
9. Warp Tour
10. The Test

Love ‘em

• Laser Light Cannon
• Bubble Buddies
• Tiger Millionaire
• Lion 2 The Movie
• Rose’s Room
• An Indirect Kiss
• Ocean Gem
• Space Race
• Garnet’s Universe
• Future Vision

Like ‘em

• Gem Glow
• Frybo
• Arcade Mania
• So Many Birthdays
• Lars and the Cool Kids
• Onion Trade
• Steven the Sword Fighter
• Beach Party
• Monster Buddies
• Keep Beach City Weird
• Watermelon Steven

Enh

• Cheeseburger Backpack
• Together Breakfast
• Cat Fingers
• Serious Steven
• Steven’s Lion
• Joking Victim
• Secret Team

No Thanks!

4. Horror Club
3. Fusion Cuisine
2. House Guest
1. Island Adventure