its-a-gemfact:

The way that Rebecca Sugar writes plot twists and handles mysteries is really, really good. In this essay i will… actually explain

See, Rebecca picks reasonable, almost obvious answers to a plot mysteries. Example: Is Steven Pink Diamond? Answer: No, he’s himself. Pink is gone. It’s seems clear and makes sense and that’s the point. On top of that, it’s the most thematically powerful answer.

But it’s step two that’s the important part. She makes the viewer doubt themselves. Steven’s dreams leading up to this point, every homeworld gem telling calling him rose quartz/pink over and over.. It’s not objective evidence, but it gets to you, just like it got to Steven. And when it’s objectively proven that steven is his own person, you feel like you’ve been through that journey with him, because he’s been having the same doubts as you. 

It makes you both feel so good to be right

People get angry at Rebecca because they theorise completely contrived, rediculous answers to her mysteries. They’re so obsessed with the answer being ‘unpredictable’ that they forget to make the answer have narrative and thematic sense. Apparently it’s her fault when their theories aren’t proven.

But she’s not phased. Rebecca picks the most elegant and fitting answers and doesn’t care how ‘predictable’ they are. Then she tries very hard to hide them. Hiding something obvious like that is an art. That’s what makes it so good

It’s how you write a good plot mystery fite me