“A Single Pale Rose” is the 18th episode of the fifth season of Steven Universe and the 146th episode overall.
Official synopsis
Steven helps Pearl find her phone.[2]
Conspiracy
Returning to Earth, Steven remembers events and dreams from the past in order to get to the truth. She impatiently waits for Pearl to ask about Pink Diamond while she and Amethyst try her cell phone. Amethyst leaves to get Pearl’s phone case and Steven uses the time to directly ask if Pearl broke Pink Diamond herself instead of Rose Quartz. Pearl immediately covers her mouth and doesn’t answer, seemingly shocked. Amethyst returns and she quickly changes the subject so she hurts Steven.
After getting something to eat, Steven suddenly receives a message from Pearl. In that, she apologizes and says she can’t tell him. Steven returns home and confronts her about it, to which Pearl replies that she hasn’t used her phone since that morning. An attempt to retrieve her phone from inside her gem fails; eventually Pearl tells Steven to go in and get it himself and asks him to “let me know when you find what you’re looking for”. With that, Steven is sent to Pearl’s gem.
She finds herself in a clean separate area with another Pearl organizing all of Pearl’s possessions. Steven asks where the phone is; after not finding her, Pearl guesses that it might be with “other pearls”, but advises him not to go where they are because “it’s a mess”. However, Steven insists and Pearl takes him back to her gem. The cycle continues several times as Steven is led further into Pearl’s gem, going through her memories including Rose’s pregnancy and the aftermath of the gem war. Finally, there is a moment where Rose Quartz has just smashed Pink Diamond. He steps closer and she lifts her head and opens eyes that resemble Pearl’s.
“Rose” turns towards the scream and reveals her pearl gem. Steven realizes that it is Pearl disguised as Rose. Unfortunately, Steven takes this as confirmation that Pearl was the one who broke Pink Diamond until Pearl reached out and revealed the Pink Diamond gem. Steven is confused because he just saw and picked up one of the Pink Diamond shards. He tells “Rose-Pearl” that he doesn’t understand before taking him back to her gem.
Inside Pink Diamond’s stretcher, Steven overhears a conversation between Rose and Pearl behind the throne. While Pearl is hesitant at first to complete her assigned task, Rose is adamant and assures her that this is the only way to end the war, their lives will be better and then they will be free, saying that if this is truly her world then she wants it give Crystal Gems. Pearl agrees to Rose’s plan, but says she can’t believe she’s going to do it. Rose reassures, saying that “I can’t exactly break down.” The two embrace and Rose begins to change, her gem turning to reveal itself as a diamond. Rose Quartz turns out to be Pink Diamond, much to Steven’s surprise.
Once outside, Pink shows Pearl a handful of clay with the head of a single pink hibiscus and gives her the other one. He then turns the dirt into fake diamond fragments and swallows them. Before Pink leaves, she gives one last command like a diamond to her pearl: never speak of these events again. Pearl then turns to Steven, who has been watching her the whole time without saying a word, and apologetically offers his cell phone. Steven wordlessly picks up the phone while Pearl changes into “Rose” to stage a fake “breakup”.
Once Steven texts Pearl that he found her phone, he pulls it out of his gem. Back outside, Pearl says she’s been wanting to tell Steven for a long time. He grimly accepts the fact that his mother was Pink Diamond. Amethyst and Garnet behind him, who had just walked in, react in shock; Amethyst says, “Whhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaat?!”.
Details
This episode reveals that Steven technically always had the Pink Diamond. Therefore, according to the established laws of Homeworld, he rules Earth, Moon Base and Pink Diamond’s Zoo. It also means that he owns the Pearl, is Jasper’s superior, and has his own personal court and royal title.
Although in continuity, Pink Diamond as Rose Quartz had already “freed” Pearl from her Diamond level duties when they performed Pink’s deadly trick.
The reason why Pearl has never talked about the Diamonds and is forced to cover her mouth every time she tries to is revealed to be Pink Diamond’s final order to never talk about faking her death.
Crewniverse member Joe Johnston confirmed that this is part of Pearl’s functionality – they cannot disobey their owner’s clear command.[3]
Specifically, Pearl could not disobey Pink Diamond’s orders because Pearl was made for Pink Diamond.[4]
This episode is the first time we hear Pink Diamond speak, with the exception of Stevonnie’s dream in “Jungle Moon”, in which Stevonnie plays her part. It’s also the first episode where we see her entire body clearly.
This is the first time Pearl has been shown to change shape.
This is the first time the physical form of a diamond is broken on screen.
It is revealed that there are several pearls (persona-like entities) inside Pearl’s gem; each pearl represents her specific memories and thoughts.
While the first Pearl tries to put Steven in alphabetical order, some items around also appear alphabetically, which include:
Candlestick, cannon, candy, card (jack ace), carp, carafe, cassette, kettle, cellophane, cleaver, clock, comb, compass, remote control, cream, crepe and Cheeto; the place for “mobile” is free (which should have appeared between “cellophane” and “cleaver”).
Scissors, Screwdriver, Sea Pals, Shells, Shotgun, Sloop, Stapler, Stethoscope, Sticker, Sugar, Suitcase, Sunscreen, Tinfoil, Tissue Paper and TV; Pearl initially tries to place Steven between the “stethoscope” and the “sticker”.
Potted plant, photos, phone books (yellow pages and private), multiple phone numbers and a portable phone.
Some phone numbers have an area code of 240 and some have an area code of 301. In the real world, these two area codes overlap in Western Maryland.
It turns out that Zircon’s defending accusation against the Diamonds is not entirely inaccurate, as Pink Diamond’s breakup was actually ordered and covered up by “someone with the highest authority”, Pink Diamond herself.
A packet of sugar marked “Rea Sugar” can be seen next to a large number of items stored in the Pearl, most likely a reference to Rebecca Sugar.
Zach Callison, the voice actor of Steven, revealed at Sweden’s Närcon convention that Rose as Pink Diamond had been planned since the beginning of the series and that he recorded his lines for the episode a year before it aired.