Taking a much needed break from ranting about the political circus, I noticed something interesting in the Cartoon Network show "Steven Universe" -- particularly the episode "Alone at Sea" and its shockingly accurate depiction of an unhealthy and abusive relationship. The show has often engaged in relationship metaphors using fusion. For anyone who doesn’t watch the show, fusion is basically two people dancing with each other so hard that they fuse into one gigantic super person. This idea of fusion being like a relationship had insofar only been used to depict healthy functional relationships.
However, this episode focused on the former fusion of Jasper and Lapis, a relationship began and continued through hate and deceit. Basically, Lapis and her best buddy Steven are having a relaxing day on a boat when Jasper literally climbs out of the ocean to meet them. Why was Jasper swimming around in the middle of the ocean in the first place? She was following Lapis! So already not a great start, but taking a look at the dialogue between them reinforces the abusive relationship metaphor show creator Rebecca Sugar was going for.
“This is between us!” Jasper says to Steven before knocking him out of the way to get to Lapis -- a perfect example of the abuser hurting anyone who tries to protect the victim or gets in the way. When Lapis goes to help Steven up, Jasper grabs her hand and stops her. Jasper wants all of Lapis’s focus and attention to be on her and not Steven. When Steven speaks up again later, Jasper chimes in saying, “Stay outta this,” another example of my point.
“You’re a monster.” “[Lapis] is the one you should be afraid of.” Jasper insults Lapis several times during their conversation, hoping to lower her self-worth enough to a point where she would take her back. Jasper wants Lapis to believe she is a monster unworthy of Steven’s friendship whose only place is at the bottom of the ocean with Jasper. Why they were at the sea floor in the first place is another story.
“I’ve changed! You’ve changed me! I’m the only one who can handle your kind of power!” Ah, the old “I’ve changed” line has been used time and time again in film to convey a convincingly false sense of character development. Of course, Jasper is just as awful as before and was just trying to convince Lapis that she is equally awful. She hasn’t really changed but is just desperate to fuse with Lapis again. And then the word choice of “only one” indicates Jasper trying to single out Lapis and make her feel alone.
This confrontation ends with Lapis being the one who had changed and refusing Jasper’s proposal. Once rejected, Jasper reacts violently as expected, showing she had never really changed. She blames Steven for Lapis’s rejection and tries to “shatter” him before getting her ass kicked by Lapis. Here’s a link to the confrontation if you want to see what I mean.
