This article does a lot of recapping on the episode, which you already know if you've seen it. There is some new content and insight about the episode though, at the bottom. Read it below, and then check out the source for the full article!
While the return of the gem mutants is a welcome reminder of the bigger plot at hand, the heart of this episode is the rawness of both the lies and the honesty between Connie and her mother. Connie is a good daughter who has obediently submitted to her strictly-scheduled and highly-controlled life, with two devoted parents who are deeply invested in her enrichment and education.
But that’s what makes the reveal of Connie’s year of secrets so devastating to Dr. Maheswaran, who wasn’t merely angry, but also distressed, shocked, and baffled. As a good parent does, however, Dr. Maheswaran relaxed the rules and controls she put into place because she thought they were best in the face of her growing daughter’s changing needs. Transparency between a parent and child is critical, not just in the Gem War with its life-or-death stakes, but in real life, for the kids at whom this show is targeted. The talk between Connie and her mother is a model of the kind of conversation loving parents and children should engage in, giving Dr. Maheswaran more character and depth than “angry controlling mom who just doesn’t get it” and imparting a critical lesson without tiresome preachiness.
Even more than the Silent Hill meets Resident Evil vibe of the Nightmare Hospital, or the Akira body horror of the gem clusters, I love the sincerity of those last few minutes between Connie and her mom. Now that Connie can be more open with her mother, I wonder what kind of unexpected resource Dr. Maheswaran might become for Connie and even Steven.
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