Actually, re: the Diamonds and their redemption, i liked the Homeworld Bound episode because if he was in a better headspace, Steven might actually be pleased to see how much they’ve changed for the better — but with his unresolved feelings mingling with his Pink Traumatic Stress Disorder, he’s just frustrated and impatient. I could see OG Steven being genuinely happy during Blue’s song, but it just leaves him feeling empty.
I also like that those feelings, and his feelings about Rose, never get fully resolved. In one of the many cool little interviews Rebecca Sugar gave (might be the one aderack cited above) they state that the end of Future is about taking the weight off him and not making him be a TV show hero anymore — his healing is something that takes place offscreen, it’s not our business. Maybe that sounds silly since he’s a cartoon character, but i really dig that point being made to the viewer, that people are allowed to work on themselves at their own pace and it doesn’t need to be part of your narrative for them
In general a cool thing about Future (and some of the, imo, best episodes in the main series like Joy Ride, Mindful Education, Storm in the Room) is that it exposes feelings that Steven has not only been hiding from his family, but from the viewer as well. He’s easy to read as happy-go-lucky, oblivious kid’s protagonist and it’s always sorta shocking when the show makes it clear “no, he’s actually stifling his trauma for misguided reasons”
Sorry for the lots of sudden words lol but i’ve been slowly unpacking my feelings about the show since the finale. Good damn fuckin cartoon, whatever criticisms i also have of it, i will always be sorta jealous of kids who got to grow up with a series that has this much intentional hidden depth