Steven Universe Shaded Tea Room

Three Gems and a Baby

Can we talk about how the Crystal Gems basically kidnaps Steven?

The episode begins with the Gems, Steven and his dad all just hanging out on a cold winter day.Steven remarks that it's snowing hard outside, and tells his dad that he is glad that he is staying with them. Greg agrees, commenting that it is too cold to stay in his van during this blizzard. Steven says that he's never seen snow like this, and Garnet says that's not entirely true. When Steven asks what she's talking about, Pearl laughs about it, and says that it was fourteen years ago. Steven says that he's fourteen years, and Greg mentions that when it was snowing, Vidalia had gone out of town and let the two crash at her place.

 I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the house either wasn't built or was in progress of being built and was delayed due to the storm and they lived in van.

Anywho the Gems bring baby Steven gifts that he can't really use. Greg then pulls out his keys to the van, letting the Gems know that the only thing Baby Steven is interested in is jangling keys. Once the Gems realize that, Amethyst playfully shakes the keys above Steven's head, Pearl notes how captivated he is by them, and Garnet says that next time, they should give him a big box of keys to play with, and everyone laughs in agreement. As they laugh, Steven's gem starts to glow, surprising both Greg and the Gems. Amethyst believes that Rose is trying to shapeshift back into her old self, Pearl tries to communicate with Rose through her gem, and Garnet believes that Rose is trapped in a fusion and is trying to unfuse.

And then they basically kidnap Steven, taking Greg's van, making him go after them on foot.  Amethyst and Garnet both believe that Steven is Rose, but to Amethyst Rose is shapefitted and goes between her normal form and a baby, but it only makes him laugh. Garnet tells Steven that the reason he doesn't unfuse in front of Greg is because it's rude, and tells him that Greg isn't there, so it's okay for him to take a little break, and that she will too. Before Baby Steven's very eyes, Garnet unfuses, introducing him to Ruby and Sapphire. This frightens Steven by causing him to think that Garnet has vanished into thin air, and starts to cry. Ruby and Sapphire realize that it wasn't a practical idea to unfuse in front of him, and immediately fuse back into Garnet. She then assures Steven that he knows her and Ruby and Sapphire, and doesn't understand why it didn't work, prompting Pearl to pull over to the side of road.

Greg is still trying to catch up to them,  when Pearl goes to remove Rose's gem from Steven, but she stops because Rose wanted Steven so badly. After some deducing, they come to the conclusion that everything has to be about Steven from then on. Greg finally catches up to them, Garnet lets him in the van, and Greg thanks them, but then remembers that the Gems took off in his van and stole Steven, and questions why. Garnet apologizes to him and tells him that they only did it because they thought they knew what Steven was, but they didn't. Greg asked if they even glowed when they were kids, but then he was told they never were kids. 

I really like how it showed the struggles of being a first time parent, and parental custody problems. If we want to sort out the family tree, the gems can be considered Rose's family and they wanted what was best for Steven, even though he was only half gem. Greg is trying best and wants what is best for Steven, which is why he left Steven in the Gem's care. It's common when parents come from two very different upbringings or even cultures. 

And the nod to the 1987 film, Three Men and a Baby. And the fact Steven met Ruby and Sapphire prior to their proper introduction to him in "Jail Break", but, like the blizzard, had forgotten them due to infantile amnesia.