Episode 43: Maximum Capacity

**“You know how I feel about shapeshifting.”**

Steven Universe begins in the middle of
the story, when Steven first reveals signs of his latent magical powers. This is a
terrific jumping-off point, but it’s always been clear that the saga of the
Crystal Gems predates him by many, many years. Rose is more often than not used
as shorthand for the past, the way things had always been Before Steven (which is pretty ironic considering her role in upending the status quo for an entire race of beings).

But this ignores
a critical period of time in the show’s history: the lost years between Rose’s death
and Gem Glow. Surely there were some
growing pains, considering the Gems are still uncertain about showing Steven
the ropes, but implications and theories are all we get until Maximum Capacity.

History inundates every aspect of this episode. Obviously it consumes the plot, and serves as heartstring puller more than once, but even
its main sources of humor are derived from digs at pop culture history (Li’l
Butler as a representation of 80’s sitcoms) and the viewer’s own history with the show (the legendary bait and switch reveal of Amethyst-as-helper depends on
our knowledge of Pearl’s behavior). Few episodes commit so single-mindedly to
one theme without a character, usually Greg, telling us the lesson explicitly.
Steven comes close in his big speech about letting things go, but it’s just
ambiguous enough to use its obvious double meaning to its advantage.

There’s a huge layer of uncertainty to this episode that I just love. How much does Steven understand about what’s going on? There was a point in the show where the subtext of his speech about letting things go would’ve certainly been lost on him, but he’s wised up enough to potentially get that he’s also talking about Greg and Amethyst’s baggage about Rose. But has he? We just don’t know!

The same can be said for the nature of Greg and Amethyst’s relationship. While I’m personally all for the interpretation that they clung together as kindred spirits after Rose’s death, and am fully against the interpretation that their history is romantic (Greg’s shown no interest in anyone after Rose, he treated Amethyst like a child sister before Rose died, and her rant is more about losing a parental figure than anything romantic), I can’t ignore that there’s plenty of reasons for other fans to infer that they had a fling. Amethyst’s crack about seeing Greg’s junk aside, the knowledge that she’s roleplayed Rose in the past when the two of them hung out alone together is loaded as hell.

There’s no right answer to these things, and that’s perfect, because history is a fickle thing, especially to a kid like Steven.

Not to harp on Horror Club again, but Maximum Capacity is a sterling example of how to include Steven in an episode that’s not really about him. He’s focused on, for sure, but it’s all in service of our true leads, Greg and Amethyst. His self-enforced grounding is funny, but it also highlights a sense of responsibility that’s lost on two adults drowning in memories. His sorrow about Greg missing the fireworks may make us feel for him, but it also highlights how deeply his father has fallen. Steven gets to be his own character doing his own things, but he never distracts us from Greg and Amethyst’s story. And what a story it is!

While they’ve had few interactions to this point, Amethyst is notably more cordial with Greg than the other Gems—recall her casual greeting to him in Onion
Trade and her hanging with him and Steven in House Guest. Amethyst’s also more involved with human culture than her partners. That these two elements of her character are linked is a brilliant touch: of course Greg would introduce her to ~~cheesy~~ amazing sitcoms like Li’l Butler.

It only becomes clear that their bingeing (a word that may be ugly but at least is clearer than “binging”) originated with Rose’s death when Pearl Pearlsplains the situation, but something’s immediately off with Greg when Steven realizes he hasn’t even slept. Greg has always heavily prioritized being with his son, even to his detriment in the dreadful House Guest, and seeing him ignore Steven-time is pretty troubling.

Thanks to our pinpoint focus on Steven’s reaction to Rose’s absence for most of the season, we’ve barely touched on how it’s directly affected the rest of her family. Pearl gets vocally emotional about her at times, and Garnet always treats her memory with the utmost respect, but Amethyst is consistently quiet on the issue (in no small part due to her condition in An Indirect Kiss). Strangely enough, Greg is similarly reticent about Rose; while his debut in Laser Light Cannon showed him openly reminiscing, playing the music she loved, and tearing up over her image, he’s been a closed book ever since.

In that way, it’s fitting that these two get the first round of Adults Miss Rose Too before Pearl can step into the ring. Maximum Capacity shows that their grief is just below the surface, ready to drag them not only into deep sadness but unhealthy coping mechanisms. Sure, there are more harmful ways to mourn than watching a show nonstop, but we gradually see it draw out the worst in our two heroes.

The occasional portrayal of Greg as lazy and absentminded has always been, well, lazy and absentminded: he’s the sole financial provider for his son unless the Gems have jobs we don’t know about, and he seems to run his own one-man business well. His core competence and responsibility means it hits like a truck to see him so sucked into the siren’s song of Li’l Butler that he misses a major bonding event. I love how instantly he regrets missing the fireworks, stressing how much it meant to Steven and clarifying that he himself also wanted to go. As a good father, he recognizes the mistake and feels awful about it without anyone telling him to, and takes steps to fix it.

But then it’s Amethyst’s turn, and after an episode-long showcase of her most obvious flaw (laziness that outstrips Greg’s by a mile) she reveals the pinnacle of her self-centeredness. She’s apathetic to Steven’s feelings, then Greg’s feelings, and makes the latter out to be the source of all her problems while indirectly blaming the former’s existence for Rose not being there for her. I almost hate to bring up her middle child syndrome again so soon after On the Run, but it certainly manifests in her anger over her feelings and needs not getting enough attention.

Thanks to terrific writing, her obvious remorse, and Michaela Dietz’s outstanding delivery, Amethyst’s hardly the monster that my descriptions of her actions might imply. But she deals with negativity by internalizing and exploding, and that’s just how some people are. The important thing is dealing with the baggage instead of pushing it aside, as Steven so helpfully points out, and therein lies my only issue with Maximum Capacity.

In an episode about the importance of healthily coping with the past, we don’t actually get any lessons on the how. We learn what not to do, but rather than actually face his history head-on, Greg returns to find that all of his problems have been sorted out by someone else off-screen, no hardship required! Moreover, Amethyst is literally still holding on to all of his baggage when the episode ends, with the exception of a few items (including the frame that frames this amazing shot):

I’m all about the show’s ability to subvert a lesson, but it doesn’t seem intentional here, especially with a lesson this good. Still, Maximum Capacity is brilliant enough that I mostly give it a pass. Not every aspect of grief can be dealt with in eleven minutes, and besides, we have Mr. Greg to take care of the processing.

Future Vision!

This is our first look at Garnet and Pearl’s Dad Shirt Forms, which we’ll see again in…wait, never? What’s wrong with this show!?

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Not sure how we managed to get so many callbacks to Laser Light Cannon in one episode, including the broken picture that first prompted “If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have hot dogs,” without a single reference to this alleged catchphrase. I’ve said before how silly it is that Greg never says this outside of Light Cannon, but it’s particularly silly here.

I’ve never been to this…how do you say…school?

This one’s a little more poignant than usual, but I guess I’ll take it, jeez Hilary.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing, Maximum Capacity somehow tells a great story about grief and disappointment without being a downer. I’ve got no beef with downers, mind you, but Li’l Butler theme or no Li’l Butler theme, that’s a hell of a feat.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Winter Forecast
On the Run
Warp Tour
Maximum Capacity

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe
The Test
Future Vision

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 42: Winter Forecast

**“Nah, I’m just killin’ time.”**

There is no moment in Steven Universe, or arguably any show I’ve ever watched, that captures the pure wonder of youth like my favorite scene in the series, and that’s the wordless ending of Winter Forecast. The way Steven intuits Connie’s arrival. The over-shoulder shot as she surveys the room. Her glasses-free smirk. The indescribable sensation of being a kid and being awake while your parents are asleep. The way we follow Steven’s wide eyes from Connie to the window, then repeat the process from his point of view. The sound of the wind, and the lingering shot of the snow, and the cut to black.

Our last look at Steven and Connie after their adventure could’ve easily been this, just two excited goofballs in an episode about two excited goofballs. But instead, it’s this:

I love these kids so much it makes my heart want to burst. And this moment of connection is exactly the sort of thing Rose wanted so badly for her son. Steven Universe may be fun because of its action and lore, and it may be important because of its themes and characters, but it’s special because it takes the time to show us moments like this.

Still, like Steven, we oughtta go back to the beginning, because the episode preceding this scene is pretty nifty as well. This is the first time we’ve seen Connie since Alone Together, and their comfortable new status quo is great to watch after the initial awkwardness of Bubble Buddies and Lion 2 (and the atonal backpedaling of Fusion Cuisine). Like I said in my very first discussion of Connie, she’s often around to prompt huge changes in Steven’s life, be it his first bubble, the unsheathing of Rose’s sword, the revelation of his healing powers, the introduction of school as a concept (which led to The Mirror and Lapis), his first in-battle shield summon, and his first fusion. But here, they’re just shooting the breeze, and Steven isn’t overtly changed by the end. Not everything with Connie has to be a huge deal, and I appreciate that.

If anything, the biggest change comes from Garnet, who continues to let Steven in on her secrets by revealing the ability to pass along her future vision. Winter Forecast thrives off the mystery of Steven’s multiple realities, but its solution downplays the new implication that Garnet literally lives through several bad future until she picks the right one on a regular basis. As upsetting as this sounds, it’s also at odds with her description of how her powers work in Future Vision, the way it affects her reflexes in Meat Beat Mania in Arcade Mania, and the way Steven sees the future in Jailbreak. I’d love a little more consistency on how her powers work, but if that’s the cost of creative visualizations of a magical concept then I guess I’ll take it.

But back to our leads. It’s a bundle of fun to watch Steven and Connie hang out, and the episode explores their growing friendship by blending moments of spontaneity (their snowball fight, scrambling to trick the grown-ups) with lived-in continuity (Connie’s interest in the mechanics of processed food, Steven’s awareness of how strict the Maheswarans can be). While many of these events are erased from time, they still show how close the two have become and how much Connie in particular has evolved from her isolated Bubble Buddies self.

This is a Connie who’s fine with procrastinating instead of obeying her mother’s direct orders, who doesn’t freak out after Greg’s van slips, who isn’t even upset to trudge a few miles in a snowstorm. When the van breaks down in another timeline, she’s content to make a party of it with the Universes. But best of all is her phone call to her mother to say she’s staying at Steven’s, complete with a deep intake of breath to prepare herself and a tone-perfect read by Grace Rolek. The Crystal Gems have made a fellow rebel of her.

Steven’s obviously grown a lot since Bubble Buddies as well, but we’ve spent plenty of time watching it happen. Rather than showcase his development, we get to see him slowly learn a lesson about making good choices even when it isn’t fun. But that’s a boring lesson, so it’s sugarcoated in a brilliant sci-fi mystery constantly throwing Steven (and us) out of his (our) element(s!). From the moment he becomes transfixed by the glowing back flap of Greg’s outfit, his life is a whirlwind of confusion that’s just as bewildering to the viewer. Savvy fans may have noticed Garnet’s kiss on where his third eye would be on first viewing, but saps like me were entranced by his slow and jagged drift into the past. Zach Callison can sell incredulity with the best of ‘em, which is a relief considering it’s Steven’s default state for most of the episode. Eternity really seemed injured for a moment there!

Outside of Lion 3′s brief recording, we haven’t seen Greg since all the way back in Watermelon Steven. In that episode, as well as many others, his fatherhood role extends to being a fun dad for a kid that lives with other people. Winter Forecast and Maximum Capacity give him back-to-back episodes to show off his responsible side, and each is a wonderful example of why he’s such a good dad despite his flaws. He makes mistakes in several timelines of Winter Forecast, but they come from a very real place of insecurity, from wanting to wear the right clothes (Steven’s right, those Saiyan-level 80′s pads are amazing) to wanting to ensure Connie gets home safely even if it kills her. He’s trying to impress his fellow parents, and is aware of his shortcomings enough to be embarrassed when he fails. But he’s doing his best in several lousy scenarios, and deserves his happy couch ending.

Finally, while the Gems (even Garnet) are largely in the background, Winter Forecast’s sudden veer into the ongoing Homeworld arc is stupendous. Heavy plot episodes and slice-of-life episodes tend to be fully separated, but jumping into the Gems blowing themselves up trying to warp the Shooting Star back adds cosmic perspective to Steven’s other bad timelines. Reminding us that life goes on without Steven is important, but turning it into a whiplash-inducing injection of drama is hilarious.

Like any of my favorite Steven Universe episodes, tone is everything in Winter Forecast. Like Rose’s Room, the mood shifts about throughout the runtime, in this case between silliness, embarrassment, fun, tension, ultra-dramatic, and relief. But it wears each of these hats with aplomb (which is more than I can say for the characters, come on, it’s snowing, you’re gonna freeze your ears off!) and begins and ends with two distinct but brilliant depiction of child friendships. From goofing off with marshmallows to quietly sharing a secret moment, this is one of the greats.

(Also, Winter Forecast is a truly great name for this episode. What can I say, I’m a pun man.)

Future Vision!

Another snowy episode, Three Gems and a Baby, reveals Greg’s carabiner song is hardly a new composition. (But points off for that same episode having Steven say “I’ve never seen it snow like this before” post-Winter Forecast.)
Greg will continue to be a Cherry Man in Mr. Greg.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Again, that last scene is my favorite in the series. But while I love the mystery element and the various alternate realities, it’s not quite as fun to rewatch after we know the big secret (compare this to Mirror Gem and Lion 3, which are just as great if not better when we know what the mystery’s building to). It still makes the Top Ten, but it’s not ranked as high as the scene alone would merit.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Winter Forecast
On the Run
Warp Tour
The Test

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe
Future Vision

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 41: Horror Club

“Take it down a notch.”

I don’t dislike Horror Club because it focuses on Lars and Ronaldo, two of my least favorite characters on this show at this point. Lars and Ronaldo are two of my least favorite characters on this show at this point because of episodes like Horror Club.

I would’ve loved to love this episode. Expanding the backstories of the show’s two most intentionally grating characters could’ve given us actual insight beyond “they were lousy kids and now they’re lousy teenagers whose lousiness made them drift apart.” We could’ve gotten concrete character development instead of waiting around for these two to start growing for a couple more seasons. And in terms of the episode’s specific subject, childhood friendships permanently ending is heavy, and something that I thought this show would be able to handle better than this.

Instead, crammed into Season 1′s otherwise incredible final stretch is an episode about a cruel bully and a victim that honestly isn’t much better. We’re asked to empathize with them, and I vaguely do, but only when each has to deal with the other. Their consistent awfulness in the present and the past is so at odds with the rest of the lovable-but-flawed denizens of Beach City that I practically always skip this one on rewatch.

Let’s go over the facts. After following Sadie to Ronaldo’s horror movie marathon, Lars spends the whole night mercilessly mocking Ronaldo at every opportunity. What a jerk! Then we then learn that as children, Lars was ashamed of his friendship with Ronaldo and abandoned him. What a jerk!

Considering this, and Lars’s general behavior towards Steven, the show seems to want us to sympathize with Ronaldo. But when Ronaldo thinks a poltergeist that swallowed Sadie is haunting Lars, he tries to murder Lars and would have succeeded if Steven wasn’t around.

And when they were kids, and Lars got smacked in the face by a plank, Ronaldo didn’t pay any attention to Lars’s physical well-being; ignoring the obvious humiliation of publishing the photo is bad, but ignoring an injured friend’s pain is way worse.

Who in their right mind wouldn’t try to get away from this guy? Even looking beyond his obnoxious personality, he’s apparently always put his desires over the physical safety of others.

Lars and Ronaldo are both awful here, but Ronaldo gets no comeuppance for his often dangerous selfishness. We may empathize with a bullied character, but bullied kids really shouldn’t be taught that the solution is attacking their tormentors with potentially lethal force. Like the profoundly misguided Island Adventure, the lesson here is that if somebody hurts you enough, it’s okay to hurt them more.

Calling Ronaldo out on his actions in the same manner as Lars would’ve gone a long way towards improving this episode, as it would not only provide a better lesson, but could lead to positive character growth; instead, Ronaldo remains stuck in an immature and frankly violent rut (but it’s okay, he’s kooky!). At the very least we could’ve made one or the other more sympathetic by the episode’s end, but their mutual awfulness ruins even that. Ronaldo’s fantastic reversal of the header quote on Lars in the final scene deserves a better episode than this.

Sadie and Steven get the shaft here, which is a real shame considering this is the first Lars and Sadie episode since the aforementioned Island Adventure and it’d be nice to have some redemption. Sadie’s primarily around to move the plot: Lars only goes to the lighthouse to hang out with her, then he and Ronaldo compete over her attention, then she gets damsel-in-distressed to make the boys fight more. Is this the right show? I thought this was Steven Universe, the one where sexist gender roles are thrown out the window.

But at least we get some new peeks into Sadie’s personality, showcasing her enthusiasm for horror and exploring her headlong approach to danger. Steven’s only around because he’s our window and we need him to see what’s happening; otherwise, Horror Club presents a foggy view of our lead. He stands up to Lars’s bullying, but this doesn’t faze his naive assumption that everyone’s friends with Lars. He’s too scared to watch a grisly horror movies despite maintaining his nerves during actual monster fights on a regular basis, including the likes of Frybo. Despite having experienced Keep Beach City Weird, an entire episode about how all the magical stuff in Beach City is Gem-related, he freaks out and thinks that an obviously magical event isn’t Gem-related.

And when he’s not inconsistent, he’s just dull. Maybe the crew didn’t want to take the focus from Lars and Ronaldo, but (and this may be the only time I say this) compare this to how well Island Adventure splits the focus between side character Steven and the non-Steven leads. Lars and Sadie were still front and center there, but Steven got tons to do in the background. Here he’s just going through the motions.

The most damning problem of Horror Club is that Lars and Ronaldo both manage to leave it worse characters than when they entered. Lars gets to morph from standard jerk to relentless bully, and on top of the aforementioned Ronaldo issues, our conspiracy buff is shown to be a complete idiot: why does he not immediately suspect Steven as a part of the Diamond Authority (y’know, that conspiracy that he himself thought of) after witnessing him magically whisk away a Gem firsthand? Ronaldo’s whole identity is clinging to every shred of evidence that agrees with his preexisting worldview, and Keep Beach City Weird established that his preexisting worldview is that polymorphic sentient rocks are pulling the strings. And we can’t even get that right?

This episode is overwhelmingly unpleasant, from Ronaldo’s cringey freakout about the original Evil Bear II to Lars’s truly repugnant stream of toxicity. Even the horror itself is lame compared to the likes of Frybo and Rose’s Room and anything with Cluster Gems. Still, there’s one good thing about it: nothing comes of the hinted Ronaldo/Sadie/Lars love triangle, so unlike plot-important stinkers like House Guest and Fusion Cuisine, Horror Club can be skipped without any consequences. I’m thrilled that this review is done so I can go back to never watching this one again.

Future Vision!

While it’s not necessary to watch Horror Club, I should note that it introduces Sadie’s love of horror, which serves as a pillar of her transformation into Sadie Killer.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

While I obviously didn’t like this one, at least its lead characters didn’t suddenly lose their core values to advance a single episode’s plot, which puts it ahead of Fusion Cuisine and House Guest. And while its message’s tainted execution is similar to Island Adventure’s, trivializing abuse is far worse than poorly portraying a failed friendship.

Still, it’s never good when I spend this section considering just how low I want an episode to go. For now, it’s the “best” of my least favorites.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
On the Run
Warp Tour
The Test
Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe
Future Vision

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 40: On the Run

“That’s not my home.”

Anxiety and depression are two
sides of the same coin, separated by opposing degrees of certainty. Depression
tells you to dread the future because bad things will definitely happen.
Anxiety tells you to worry about the future because who KNOWS what’s going to
happen, yikes, things could go REALLY BAD. Depression tells you to zero in on
awful things from your past and remember that there’s nothing you can do about
it. Anxiety tells you that oh man if you’d just done that one thing differently
life might be better, or heck, life might be WORSE, so hopefully you won’t get
lost in a time vortex and screw things up, oh no, one more thing to worry
about! Depression tells you that nobody cares about you. Anxiety makes you
cripplingly unsure, because what if your friends are just pretending and your
parents are just tolerating you, but what if that’s all in your head and
everything’s fine but people find out you’re worried about this and think
you’re crazy?

When depression gets its way,
you’re a passive mess accepting a miserable fate. When anxiety gets its way,
you’re an active mess stressing yourself into a panic about possibilities. And a lot of
us get to have both!

Amethyst and Pearl are sad in a
way that Garnet and Steven fundamentally aren’t, but this sadness takes two
distinct paths. Pearl’s is certain and passive where Amethyst’s is uncertain and
active. Pearl is Depression, and Amethyst is Anxiety.

Of course, this isn’t (and
shouldn’t be) a perfect metaphor, because like most actual people with anxiety
or depression, both Gems have elements of both disorders: recall Pearl’s many anxious fits and Amethyst’s depressive slumps. Moreover, it’s especially important not to
diagnose fictional characters with real disorders when you don’t have a medical
license and the characters don’t have the physical brains required to even have
human mental illnesses. But as a representative exercise, Pearl routinely appeals
to my despondency while Amethyst appeals to my overthinking. Pearl often lets
negativity engulf her, but Amethyst internalizes and dwells on it until she
explodes.

On the Run is one such explosion. Except for a single joke-based
hint in Steven’s Lion (“We
kept Amethyst”) there’s been no reason to believe that Amethyst has a different
origin than Garnet or Pearl, but it’s soon clear that Kindergarten is never far
from her thoughts. Our excursion solidifies Amethyst as a character who’s
always worried about how people see her—which, I mean, she’s a shapeshifter, come on—and
that she’ll never measure up to the roles she’s supposed to play. She’s
supposed to be part of a team that fought the Homeworld Gems, but she’s the direct product of the invasion.
She’s supposed to be a mighty Quartz warrior, but she’s an overcooked runt.
She’s supposed to be one of Steven’s guardians, but she’s still treated like
Garnet and Pearl’s kid sister half the time. Pressure squeezes away her
self-esteem until she sees an opportunity to bond with Steven, and they
immediately bounce.

The conflict of On the Run hinges on Amethyst’s anxiety blending with her middle-child syndrome. This isn’t Tiger Millionaire, focusing on Steven and Amethyst, or Giant Woman and Secret Team, focusing on Amethyst and Pearl. This is about how both of these relationships pull Amethyst in different directions.

The prompt here is Pearl’s explanation of the Homeworld invasion, which pointedly omits Amethyst from the group of rebels led by Rose Quartz. We can see that Amethyst is mad, and gets madder as Pearl dances around the “bad” thing Homeworld was doing, but at first viewing one could easily read her reaction as anger over being ignored. Miniature twists like these do wonders for the show’s rewatchability.

After a welcome aside commenting on old-school book series like The Boxcar Children and The Hardy Boys (complete with criticism of their ridiculous comic counterparts), Steven and Amethyst are off!

On the Run (the song) has two important achievements beyond being a great tune. First, it speeds our characters from Steven’s room to the open rails and gives us a little journey without wasting too many of the show’s eleven minutes. Second, it ensures our understanding that Steven and Amethyst are in separate places. We begin with Steven singing alone, highlighting the silly hopefulness of running away on a whim. Then we have a whistle solo (courtesy of the sequence’s songwriter/co-storyboarder and resident guitarist Jeff Liu), giving a nostalgic, adventurous interlude to reinforce how fun this whole thing is. But then, as Steven continues to obliviously enjoy himself, Amethyst reveals that she’s still dwelling on Pearl. It all culminates in the same line, “Home’s a place that I have ever known,” sung from two wildly different perspectives—one goofy, one wistful—before a gorgeous final shot sets a somber tone for the rest of the episode.

Amethyst reverts to her usual demeanor as soon she’s home, reversing her and Steven’s chipper/wary dynamic from the song. I do wonder how grade-school kids grapple with the fact that the ominous canyon full of bacteriophage drills we spend most of the episode in is called “the Kindergarten.” Does it tap into their budding sense of irony to see a class they aren’t far removed from associated with such a scary setting? Do they think the name is funny, in the way Fluffy the three-headed dog from Harry Potter is? Regardless, as an adult, I love love love the name of this literal garden that grows children.

Amethyst’s light attitude helps keep the Kindergarten’s dim lighting and eerie soundscape (the music, sure, but also those clangs) from getting too frightening, but it’s still a hell of a place. In a rare moment of asking the right questions, Steven voices the viewer’s concerns over just how many Amethyst-shaped holes there are in the walls, and all that they imply. But Amethyst is just happy to give him a tour.

Because when she’s around Steven, she gets to be the cool big sister that runs away with him and tells him all the secrets the grown-ups don’t want him to know. He, and we, wouldn’t get this introduction to the Kindergarten without Amethyst’s desire to bond, and maybe show off a little. She’s not ashamed of her background, instead proud to position her earthling status as something she and Steven share.

It’s only when bigger sister Pearl shows up that Amethyst’s sour mood returns. Telling Steven the full truth is against the rules, it seems—thank goodness the Gems are fully truthful after this, right?—and Pearl is blind to Amethyst’s ulterior motives in bringing Steven to the Kindergarten. Part of this is Pearl’s fault, as she should know Amethyst well enough over thousands of years of friendship to understand why she might be upset, but a lot of it is also Amethyst’s fault for her stubborn refusal to talk things over. It takes something drastic to break this pattern, and it comes in the form of their first physical fight on-screen.

While Steven Universe has always veered against violence being the answer, its exciting fight sequences often go against this message. Not here. Amethyst and Pearl’s fight is just brutal, even when Amethyst gets what may be her most badass line in the series (“I wouldn’t wanna fight me neither!”) and the choreography’s on-point as ever. Aivi and Surasshu obviously help, but Amethyst’s blind rage quickly giving way to her deep self-loathing is heart-wrenching on its own, especially when we see how futile her attacks are. And when you think the worst of it is over, it ends with this:

The ambiguity afforded to this scene is incredible for a children’s show. While watching it over and over reveals that Amethyst is clearly stepping away before Steven bubbles, in the moment itself it’s uncertain whether her exclusion was intentional on her or Steven’s part. Obviously Steven’s not a monster, and immediately is concerned, but physically separating Pearl and himself from Amethyst encapsulates the latter’s self-exile in a way that’s succinct, elegant, and sad. Having it not be immediately clear whether she’s the one doing the exiling is icing on the cake.

While this is Amethyst’s moment to shine, Steven gets to show off his maturity by realizing he’s in over his head. It’s Pearl that needs to talk with Amethyst, but there was a time where Steven wouldn’t know that, and Pearl wouldn’t have listened even if he did. I appreciate that his contribution isn’t overplayed, because this isn’t really his story, but I’m also glad he isn’t limited to his rote “hey stop fighting!” role.

The positive reinforcement for Steven about talking versus fighting has major benefits down the line. He, and we, are shown that talking things out, even when you’re sort of bad at it and it’s awkward, beats fighting. There’s a straight line connecting the conclusions of On the Run and Mr. Greg that I just love; Steven presents the same solution to a longstanding conflict, but where the former comes from a place of confusion and desperation, the latter is a planned and confident maneuver (and in song!).

I don’t like to think about what Amethyst would be like without Michaela Dietz. In the wrong hands, the character’s slangy lexicon would aggravate and alienate viewers over the age of ten, but Dietz’s natural delivery makes every line feel wonderfully unforced (give or take a “Chill it, dude” that not even she could salvage). This skill by itself would be enough to make her casting worthwhile, but episodes like On the Run let her show off her impressive range and criminally underused singing voice. Dietz has openly discussed how her experience growing up as an adoptee affects her portrayal of Amethyst, and her vulnerable performance exhibiting Amethyst’s anger and sorrow in the Kindergarten is some of her series-best work.

On the Run continues the show’s trend to put character first even in heavy lore episodes; with all the emotional tension here, it can be easy to forget just how much we learn. Not only is Amethyst from Earth, but lots of Gems are, and it was kind of a huge deal to the rebellion. This is a real gamechanger to the plot, but we care more about whether Amethyst and Pearl will make up, even though we’ve already had two entire episodes about their feuding natures.

Still, this is hardly to say the lore is brushed aside. Even if the Gem Odd Couple is one step closer to the healthy sisterhood of Last One Out of Beach City, the lingering final shot of Kindergarten before it cuts straight to black leaves an impression of its own. We’re in this deep, folks.

Future Vision!

The lovely melancholy feeling of the train ride gets another day in the sun when Steven and Amethyst take Peridot on the scenic route back to the Kindergarten in Back to the Kindergarten.
Now We’re Only Falling Apart not only shows the moment Amethyst was left behind, but the moment Pearl’s anti-Amethyst sentiment was born: this might’ve been a very different relationship if nobody had bumped Pink Diamond to the ground.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

The amazing tone of Kindergarten gets this high marks already, but finally getting some development on Amethyst and Pearl’s relationship after hemming and hawing for forty episodes? Yeah, put it up there.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
On the Run
Warp Tour
The Test
Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe
Future Vision

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 39: Future Vision

**“I’m supposed to be a Crystal Gem…I’m supposed to be a Crystal Gem!”**

Warp Tour and The Test focus on Steven being underestimated as a
rookie Crystal Gem; by now it’s old news that he (and we) can see that he’s
grown, while the Gems haven’t. But in case we were convinced that Steven is
totally in the right and the Gems in the wrong, Future
Vision provides a subtle rebuttal. We get a deep look into
Garnet’s way of seeing things, and suddenly Steven’s treatment make a heck of a
lot more sense.

Crucially, Steven’s
development doesn’t need backpedal for Garnet’s perspective to be valid. We
begin with him continuing the thread of Warp Tour and The Test, in this case getting rid of childish things (or at least
attempting to) to display his budding maturity. Yes, this is itself a childish
act, but it reinforces that he’s trying to grow. And he is a big boy now, even if he says things
like “I’m a big boy now.”

But once Garnet pops in, his
behavior immediately reverts to that of a little kid. She protects him from falling
down the stairs, then pokes his nose and calls him a cutie pie, and he revels in it.
Even if he’s more capable in missions, his attitude at home really hasn’t
changed much since Gem Glow. And even if
it’s wrong of her to do so, it makes sense that Garnet conflates his domestic
behavior with his competence in the field.

Warp Tour and The
Test contain two Garnet moments that provide vital context for Future Vision. In the former, she
acknowledges Steven as a fellow Crystal Gem and apologizes for not trusting
him. In the latter, speaking for all the Gems, she admits that she doesn’t understand Steven and has no idea what she’s doing. With these
scenes, our perception of Garnet shifts from a nigh-omnipotent protector to a new
leader that’s still learning the ropes. She’s still the baddest of badasses,
but we’re primed to notice her trying new things now that we’ve taken a glimpse
into her thought process.

Future Vision has Garnet reaching out like never before.
After Garnet’s Universe displayed how
little Steven knows about her, it’s time for her Season 1B arc to begin: from now
until Jailbreak, Garnet’s story is about gradually revealing her true
nature to Steven, and it’s only fair that she starts with the revelation of her
signature ability.

Before getting into the nitty
gritty of future vision as a concept, we’re treated to a beautifully bizarre
moment of beach bonding. Pacing is everything for a show with eleven-minute
episodes, so devoting a full thirty-five seconds to a strange sight gag is a
hell of a bold choice. But this is a classic comedic sequence: it’s
entertaining enough to watch Garnet and Steven stare right at the camera and
wordlessly exercise to a Korean tape in perfect harmony, but we know something has to happen eventually. There’s a bit
of a variation—Steven grabs weights, Garnet summons gauntlets—but the scene drags on and on until Garnet, without breaking rhythm, finally relieves the
tension by smashing the entire boombox. And we never talk about it again.

If you want to go full
analysis mode, the morning workout scene can be interpreted as a metaphor for
Garnet herself. Until Future Vision,
she’s been just as enigmatic and funny as the visual gag, and just as tethered
to Steven. But the act has gone on long enough, and it’s time for her break out
of the routine and start a new day afresh.

(Or if you’re like me, the
cigar is just a cigar and you appreciate a silly scene. But you do you.)

Garnet’s explanation
of future vision evokes her explanation of weapon summoning way back in Gem Glow, down to its similar background
track. In both scenes, she explains a new concept by waxing metaphysical while we
cut to a creative visual aid: in Gem Glow,
it’s Steven’s head sinking into four shifting images of varying cosmic
importance, and here, it’s the flow of water framed by Garnet’s shades on a
black background. Again, Future Vision
feels like a new beginning with Garnet.

If I’m talking a lot about the
first act, it’s because the bulk of this episode is pretty simple: after
learning of his countless doomed potential futures, Steven becomes crippled by
fear and indecision. It’s a heavy subject, lightened by cutesy vignettes of
death-as-becoming-a-skeleton (with help from Estelle’s exaggerated narration
and Aivi and Surasshu’s ragtime score). But the plot suffers from predictable “be
careful what you wish for” beats: Steven initially has fun, then sees the downside,
then learns a lesson. It’s a formula that Steven
Universe lives to subvert, making the structures of episodes like Cat Fingers and Future Vision feel rote by comparison. Considering this episode is
literally about predicting the future, perhaps this was intentional, but it
nonetheless requires a heaping helping of humor to help the formula go down.

The jokes certainly help: by
now, Steven Universe is such a
well-oiled laugh generator that it’s easier than ever to overlook an episode’s
flaws. On top of the great visuals like the aforementioned river analogy and
doom sequences, Future Vision’s
brilliant sound design heightens the humor: the little plinks of Steven’s skeleton
collapsing, the drumming heartbeat when he tries to pick up a breadknife, the dramatic
strings after Garnet tells him not to go on the roof. But in terms of story itself,
the middle act is nothing to write home about.

The third act picks us right
back up again, with Steven’s fears making him feel more like a little kid than
ever, terrified of lightning and clutching a plush bear for comfort. But this
is exactly what pushes him to get on the roof: an earlier Steven might have
waited it out until the Gems came home, but now he’s willing to take new steps
to assert his place as a Crystal Gem. He’s still afraid, but that’s the first step towards being brave.

Again, the reveal that Steven’s
dark future is fear itself doesn’t win any awards for originality, but the
rooftop scene is powerful regardless. Steven and Garnet finally verbalize their
mutual lack of understanding, and the irony of Steven’s rant claiming Garnet can’t comprehend the pressure of future vision is nicely understated. He genuinely doesn’t seem
to see that portents of doom are part of Garnet’s daily reality, and this myopia
is proof positive that he’s got a lot of room to grow.

Garnet’s retort is our first
major look through the cool façade she’s always maintained. It’s certainly
cracked before (most notably her freak-outs in So Many Birthdays and Warp
Tour), but this is the first time she chooses
to remove her shades to look Steven in the eyes. She explains the stress of her
power without shifting the focus to herself, and takes the blame despite good
intentions. In short, she’s still a parent to Steven.

It’s not groundbreaking to note that Estelle’s a fantastic voice actor, but it’s still a joy to hear her
talk this much at this point in the show. We know by now that she can sell the
big monologues and jokes (“I drink coffee for breakfast!”), but it’s the little flourishes that really get me,
like muttering “yeah” to herself after predicting a bad sunburn.

Still, in retrospect, her
best line is the firm but vulnerable “Please
understand,” not only for Estelle’s delivery, but because this is one of the
show’s most loaded phrases. Garnet will use it again at the conclusion of the Week of Sardonyx when she lets her guard down again to repair her relationship with
Pearl. But not before Rose Quartz, via Pearl’s Rose’s Scabbard flashback, uses it to explain the
ramifications of fighting Homeworld. When Garnet really needs to reach someone,
she emulates Rose. Oh, Garnet.

The Gems still need to take Steven a little more seriously, but Future
Vision grants them quite a bit of slack in my book. Garnet gives Steven exactly the respect that he wants by entrusting him with heavy information, and he still drops it a few times before picking it up. And for all his growth, he still needs her to block the lightning every now and then. The episode’s a lovely
reversal of The Test in particular (note the rainstorm at the conclusion rather than the onset) and a reminder that for
all of Garnet’s self-doubt, she’s one hell of a mom.

Future Vision!

Future Vision gets a brilliant companion episode in Pool Hopping. Both feature Steven and Garnet spending a day together and exploring a facet of future vision, which belies the actual story about Garnet learning to accept Steven’s growth. Both feature coffee being spilled in the Big Donut and a dramatic climax in the rain. Over a hundred episodes pass between the two, and I love that this extreme distance doesn’t stop the crew from drawing on the past in such specific ways.
Steven’s skeleton fantasies return in Steven Floats.
An entire jar of mayonnaise will plop out again in Steven vs. Amethyst.

If you interpret Cookie Cat an allegory for Rose, his fellow pink-centered space refugee that left a family behind, and you interpret Rose’s backstory as proof that she’s not nuanced but “evil,” then I suppose Steven’s fantasy encounter with a violent Cookie Cat is foreshadowing?

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Terrific long-term interaction between Garnet and Steven and great humor help atone for Future Vision’s by-the-book plot structure. It just makes the Top Ten, but I predict it isn’t going to stay there long if On the Run has anything to say about it.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Warp Tour
The Test
Ocean Gem
Future Vision

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 38: The Test

“We’re bad at this.”

When I was introducing my roommates to Steven Universe, and we took a moment to breathe after Alone Together, I assured them that the next episode was nice and light. After finishing The Test, one roommate turned to me and exclaimed: “You call that light?”

Compared to Alone Together, pretty much any episode is going to be less intense. But no, it turns out I don’t actually think The Test is light at all. There are more obvious examples like Mirror Gem, Bismuth, and Bubbled, but I’d say The Test portrays loss of innocence better than any other episode: it cuts through the fantasy metaphor that so much of the show relies on to present the real, harrowing moment of a child realizing their all-knowing parents are just winging it.

This is our first rainy opening since Steven the Sword Fighter,
and we once again see the Gems spend such a day indoors, partaking in human recreation with
Steven (but not quite getting how it works). Steven’s decidedly more childish
than the Gems, but Citchen Calamity’s strange rules prime us to see him as a
teacher for a moment. The Gems are out of their
depth, but Steven knows just what to do.

Still, it’s not long before he’s thrust back into the role of student. I love the decision to tie Steven’s
motivation to a concrete failure, and not just because The Test retroactively improves Cheeseburger
Backpack. His development over the past thirty-eight episodes is clear, but so gradual that it’s still a little nuts to compare
him (and the show’s art design) between now and then.

We also haven’t had a straight-up
“dungeon episode” since Serious Steven,
and even though I’m not the greatest fan of it or Cheeseburger, the structure itself was never the problem. It’s
awesome to see Steven on his own, solving puzzles straight out of Indiana Jones (the boulder is an obvious nod,
but Pearl’s panel floor and even the invisible ground over Amethyst’s pit evoke the
Holy Grail’s trials). He’s still a huge goof, cracking jokes to himself and
whooping with delight upon solving puzzles, but now he’s that competent goof promised all the way back in Gem Glow. And he has been for a
while now!

This is why the revelation that
it’s all rigged is so upsetting. There would be no issue with the exact same
scenario thirty episodes ago, where Steven would be just as eager for a test
but too busy tuning his ukulele to avoid dismemberment. After Alone Together’s break, we’re back to Warp Tour’s core conflict of the Gems
not seeing or trusting Steven’s growth, but now more than ever we see how much that embarrasses him. His lack of respect has shifted from a motivator to a source of shame, because now he’s mature enough to notice how belittled he is.

I mentioned in Warp Tour that I love examining the mechanics behind a magical function,
and The Test provides another
incredible example. Steven testing the Test’s limits is a marvel to behold,
deconstructing every element with Zach Callison’s ever-sterling portrayal of incredulous
frustration. The Indiana Jones feel
helps immensely, lending the traps an iconic nature that we accept without
questioning. But how would a
pressure-based fire trap actually work? How did they get the boulder up there,
and how was the room structured to ensure maximum crushing speed? Here the
answer may be simple as magic, but like Steven, we’re learning to look
beyond the surface for understanding.

After yelling the boulder back
into Amethyst’s massive marble maw, we’re treated to one of my favorite one-off settings of the series. Like Rose’s Room,
the limits of a light construct are reached, and there’s a breathtaking loneliness
to the roof of the trials. Aivi and Surasshu’s somber track deeply enhances the melancholy feel (but is sadly unavailable as raw audio).

Steven’s walk atop the level echoes
Mario’s path to the Warp Zone, feeling special and forbidden all at once. The
rules, which were so important to Citchen Calamity and the Test, are out the
window, and the structure of the episode itself, which looked to be a breezy
dungeon mission just like old times, has met a similar fate.

The climactic conversation
between the Gems is just heartbreaking. We and Steven have seen how they can be imperfect role models throughout the series, but there’s incredible power in a flawed role model acknowledging how they’re flawed. The curtain covering the secret world of parents has been pulled, in the way it does for every child at some point, and he’s suddenly seeing the Gems as real people scrambling with the immense pressure of raising a kid.

Pearl, ever the mother, lays out distinct concerns about Steven, showing that they have noticed his growth, even if they remain uncertain. Amethyst’s lack of confidence is a known quantity, but that doesn’t take away the sting of our header quote. She then invokes Rose, which not only reminds us that they aren’t actually Steven’s parents, but that they’re still reeling from losing somebody “to tell [them] what to do.”

But it’s Garnet, the powerful and distant leader, who really twists the knife, backing up Amethyst cynicism over Pearl’s hope. She holds her shades, ostensibly glimpsing into the future, and is coming up empty.

(Ugh, and the balloons behind them. They’re trying so hard.)

It’s barely a twist that Steven’s determined scowl isn’t going to lead to an outburst, because we know the kind of kid he is and the kind of show this is. Still, the music sets the scene perfectly (the incorporation of Pearl’s puzzle is wonderful) and Steven’s staredown of the boulder and march through the fire is straight-up badass.

The Gems cheering for him here is indistinguishable from their laudatory behavior elsewhere (Garnet’s taciturn, Pearl quavers, Amethyst whoops), removing any doubt that hiding their insecurities is at all unusual for them. Steven doesn’t need to confront them about this, he needs to comfort them, so he does.

Steven may worry that he can’t live up to Rose, but The Test shows that he’s his mother’s son. He wants to take care of people, even the people taking care of him. And, yes, he’s willing to bend the truth and keep a secret to do so. There will certainly be more bumps along the way, but for now, giving the Gems what they need is exactly what he needs.

Future Vision!

…is coming next episode! Finally!

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Such a nitpick, but Pearl’s “there are more?” in regards to Steven’s board game closet implies that a kid with a board game closet hasn’t played multiple board games with her. (Also we’ve seen her playing checkers with Amethyst.)

I’ve never been to this…how do you say…school?

Steven Universe’s storyboarders more often than not provide brilliant promo art for the episodes they create, but starting with The Test, Hilary Florido goes above and beyond the call of duty to craft ongoing High School AU variants. This art is too beautiful not to share at every opportunity, so Florido gets her own section!

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

I harped on the emotion, because The Test really packs a punch, but it’s also just fun to watch, from Steven listing board game parodies to the action-packed (if toothless) traps. This is wonderful well-rounded stuff, and its “low” placement on my list is proof positive that high quality episodes are piling up.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Warp Tour
The Test
Ocean Gem
Space Race

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 37: Alone Together

“Are you okay?”

I had a hard time writing this one, to be honest. I’ve started and stopped and deleted and restarted twice, and took an extra week to mull it all over and re(-re-re-)vise. Alone Together is the most important episode of Steven Universe when it comes to potential real-world impact, so I owe it a bit of extra thought.

Its complexity isn’t structural; far from it, the episode is pretty easily broken down into six core sequences.

Steven attempts to learn fusion from the Gems.
Steven talks with Connie about it and they dance.
Stevonnie awakens and gets The Talk.
Stevonnie goes on a run.
Stevonnie meets Lars, Sadie, and Sour Cream, and has a moment of introspection in between.
Kevin.

What’s more, the initial two sequences are pretty straightforward. The first reestablishes fusion as a concept and shows through words and imagery that Steven’s thoroughly incapable: the size discrepancy alone distinguishes him from the Gems, and he’s absurdly out of sync with their movements.

The second reestablishes Connie as a compassionate friend (welcome back from Fusion Cuisine, by the way) who relates with Steven’s insecurities by sharing her own; the two come together in a dance that blends platonic and romantic affection (the sentiment is echoed by Aivi and Surasshu, who put in series-best work in this episode). Steven gives Connie a twirl, but Connie provides the dip.

Once Stevonnie comes along, Alone Together gets complicated fast.

If it had stopped with

the
Gems’ initial reaction

to Stevonnie, Alone Together still would’ve been a revolutionary episode. They’re the ones who first make it clear that Stevonnie is, at least in this episode, a metaphor for first relationships and sex. And if that’s not enough, we get the astounding suggestion that these things aren’t inherently bad!

Pearl represents a more conservative approach, deeming Steven’s fusion “inappropriate” and demanding they knock it off. We’ve seen her blush around exposing Steven to fusion in the past, and she’s the most traditional of the lot, so it’s no surprise that she takes on this role. But she notably isn’t portrayed as a prude: she and Garnet get the most sensual fusion practice moment in the opening sequence. Pearl just thinks there’s a time and a place for ~~sex~~ fusion and this isn’t it.

Garnet’s sex-positive response is just magical. Her outright glee almost feels like a punchline to the no-nonsense appearance she’s steadily maintained to this point; as far as positive expressions go, all we’ve gotten is a wry grin or two until now.

Her version of The Talk is a simple affirmation: this is an experience, and with a little care, it can be a good experience. Estelle nails the barely-contained joy in Garnet’s voice during her speech, and when it’s over, Stevonnie’s free to explore on their own without the baggage of shame or disapproval.

(Amethyst doesn’t get too much to do, but she notably names Stevonnie and is chipper about the whole affair. I see you smirking in the margins up in that screenshot!)

Again, this is revolutionary stuff on its own. But we also spend most of the episode seeing firsthand the giddiness, the confusion, the uncertainty of it all. Stevonnie’s initial moments are those of happy bewilderment, with every awkward tremor and lurch rendered in vivid detail. At times they resemble an action figure with its limbs flipped wrong.

But after Garnet’s encouragement, we get the episode’s iconic twilight run, which is right up
there with Stronger Than You as one
of the show’s signature depictions of shared happiness (again, big thanks to Aivi and Surasshu, particularly Aivi Tran’s piano work). Stevonnie’s in total control of their body now, and it’s beautiful and powerful. Their only hint of hesitation comes when they reach the edge of a cliff, but soon they’re leaping right back into celebration mode.

To me, the most memorable part of this sequence is
Stevonnie’s laughter at the end, and that’s thanks to the magnificent AJ Michalka. As part of singing duo Aly and AJ, Michalka’s no stranger to being
half of a whole, and her ability to capture Steven and Connie as distinct but
non-gimmicky voices within Stevonnie is nothing short of astounding. Hearing both of their voices in that musical laugh is the perfect coda to Stevonnie’s first lesson: that this
is supposed to be a good thing, and when it’s just the two/one of them, it’s pretty easy!

It’s rare that Stevonnie’s actually alone together after this. The donut sequence highlights them as an object of external
desire, first to Lars and Sadie, and then to Sour Cream. For now, this isn’t
portrayed as a bad thing: it nets them free donuts and an invite to a rave. That they attract male and female characters alike brings another level of queer normalization to an episode that takes as a given that Stevonnie is non-binary.

But
the fulcrum of the sequence, and of the episode, is their solo conversation where they talk themselves through another moment of hesitation after instinctively nabbing two donuts. Again, Michalka shines, now maintaining Stevonnie’s voice throughout instead of reverting to Steven or Connie: they both want to know if the other’s okay, and while the two are on the same page, it’s vital to talk themselves through this new experience. Seriously, half the fun of any Stevonnie appearance is AJ Michalka’s stellar work.

I wish I could say that Garnet’s speech and Stevonnie’s internal conversation were the only reasons Alone Together is the most important episode of the series, that the only lessons growing children need about sexuality and romantic relationships are positive messages of flexibility, love, and trust. But we need to talk about Kevin.

I’ve made clear that I’m no great fan of early Lars and Ronaldo, but Kevin’s the only character on the show that makes me physically ill. There’s an overwhelming plague of Kevins in the real world, and most of them lack the bombastic red flags of Gaston or Donald Trump. Kevin’s toxic masculinity is jarringly realistic for a kid’s show. Combined with Beach City Drift, Kevin presents an unprecedented and pitch-perfect lesson for children about dealing with creeps, and as horrible as it is that young viewers need to learn this (or have unfortunately already learned a thing or two), I’m so happy Steven Universe is picking up that slack.

Kevin’s actions are a terrific “get the hell away from anyone who does this” checklist for some and a “don’t ever do this ever” checklist for others. He only approaches when Stevonnie’s vulnerable. He gives them a blatant once-over. He repeatedly calls them “baby” instead of caring about their name. He gets into their personal space. He actively ignores their nonverbal and verbal cues that they aren’t interested. He dismisses their concerns as “crazy,” a time-honored putdown that’s as prolific as it is insidious (seriously, if there’s one takeaway for boys and men reading this, stop calling girls and women crazy please; Stevonnie isn’t female, but Kevin’s actions certainly reflect how girls and women are regularly treated by Kevins). And when they dance, he tries to regulate their actions. Kevin is the worst.

Stevonnie’s already feeling exposed by the time Kevin steps in, with the once-positive attention from Lars, Sadie, and Sour Cream shifting to objectifying gawking at their dance from the whole crowd; their isolation in a trippy disco ball is great visual shorthand. They openly discuss how dancing is good when they do it together, and get confused that it’s not the same here. It turns out the important thing isn’t the action itself, but the person or people you’re sharing the action with. This episode should be shown in every sex ed class on the planet.

Kevin only compounds Stevonnie’s discomfort, and with yet another brilliant Aivi and Surasshu track (now showcasing Surasshu Velema’s electronic work) we reach Alone Together’s intense conclusion. Steven and Connie’s emotions, like ours, are all over the place when they defuse. Did Stevonnie, as Garnet suggested, make sure it was a good experience? Is such a thing even possible in a world where Kevins lurk?

It’s honestly up to interpretation whether their laughter and tears and whoops and dancing are out of anxiety, relief, happiness, trauma, wonder, or whatever blend of those emotions you choose. Sour Cream’s little cheer evokes the minigolf ending of Rose’s Room or Garnet’s grounding in Mirror Gem as a means of breaking the tension, but Steven and Connie are in their own world. One that we’re only seeing through a hole in the wall.

Every time I finish Alone Together, I vocally exhale. In my first viewing, I figured it was out of sheer disbelief. But I immediately watched it again, and was just as blown away. There’s a weight to this episode that boggles my mind, an enormity of emotions packed into eleven minutes. I can’t just sit down and watch it in the same way I can with personal favorites like Steven and the Stevens or Hit the Diamond; Alone Together is something I need to specifically be up for, and that’s extraordinary for a show that began with a kid rapping about ice cream.

Future Vision

When Amethyst points out how hard fusion is, Garnet’s “Not for me” is just flagrant; her reaction to fusion in general here is a huge hint of her status.
Amethyst’s the only Gem who shares Steven’s attitude during practice, and their similar emotional state is key to forming Smoky Quartz.
Running as a display of empowerment and joy is mirrored by Kiki after her own liberation in Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service.
Connie kept Alone Together (the song) as a ringtone for Steven well after Alone Together (the episode), judging by its reappearance in I Am My Mom nearly a hundred episodes later.
Rose’s wording when showing off fusions seems to run in the family. Pretty cool, right?

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

During the period that I wrote this post, I had the privilege of telling Rebecca Sugar herself that, speaking as a children’s librarian, Steven Universe is the most important show on television: I sincerely believe that the world would be a better place if every kid on the planet watched it. Alone Together is a major reason why.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Alone Together
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Warp Tour
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Lion 2 The Movie

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 36: Warp Tour

“Log Date: 3 1 2.”

Meeting Rose
Quartz in Lion 3 is a shift so
massive that not one, but two new arcs come in its wake. Story-wise, we rev up the massive Homeworld invasion plot that consumes the rest of the series, which
solidifies the show’s heavier serialization and vastly improves on its brilliant foundation. But character-wise, now that we’ve studied how
Rose’s absence has affected Steven, our focus shifts to how it affects her
teammates for the rest of the season. And it all starts with Warp
Tour.

Like its predecessor, this is a mystery episode: what did Steven see out there? In other ways, Warp Tour handles more traditional Steven Universe tropes: Steven interacts with the Crystal Gems as a group and one-on-one, visits magic locales, and deals with emotions. And in even further ways, it’s something entirely new: we end in a drastic swerve and jarringly starless cut to black after examining the mechanics behind an established magical function (which I will always eat up) and finally seeing Steven get fed up with being coddled.

That last part is key, because while Garnet seemingly concludes the episode’s conflict by assuring Steven that he’s a Crystal Gem too, the lesson doesn’t stick. And that’s okay! Steven’s existence has been the barest of blips in the Gems’ lifespans, and for the entirety of that blip he’s acted like a little kid. We know that Steven has grown, but it’s going to take a while for the Gems, who are naturally unaccustomed to change to begin with, to fully realize it. It may be frustrating for him, but this disconnect is the backbone behind the first season’s legendary final stretch.

The
contrast between Steven and the Gems’ views on change is never more obvious than in Warp Tour, which pits the inert Gems against Steven after he literally looks beyond the conventional framework. They’re traveling a path that seemingly has no detours, but Steven’s exposed to the chaotic world outside of what’s expected, and it’s scary and it’s beautiful.

Peering outside the box reveals important and uncomfortable truths: in this case, that something is out there that the Gems refuse to see. As in early Steven Universe, we get to focus on each Gem to see their reactions to Steven’s warnings: Amethyst teases him, Pearl condescends, and Garnet plays diplomat. They double down on their roles as sister, mother, and leader when he gets ornery: Amethyst likes it at first but gets bored with the drama, Pearl’s insulted by his suggestion that she might be wrong, and Garnet lays down the law. And finally, after Peridot departs, we see the exact same reactions to fear we got in So Many Birthdays and Mirror Gem: Amethyst gets flustered, Pearl collapses, and Garnet loses her cool.

It’s vital to reestablish these baselines, not only because it shows how consistent the Gems have been this whole season, but because it’s time for them to grow out of it. All three Gems are about to have their pasts brought to the forefront in ways that change Steven’s (thus our) perception of them forever. And fear is about to become the status quo, testing their mettle without Rose leading the way for the first time. It’s a redefining arc for the defenders of the planet, and Warp Tour is an excellent start.

The titular tour is surprisingly brief, but each area highlights the theme of change. Our first location (which the Steven Universe wiki dubs “Flower Meadow”) shows Pearl and Amethyst actually getting along, each praising the other for a skill they value: Amethyst likes Pearl kicking ass, Pearl likes Amethyst strategizing. Our second, the Geode, shows a past mission’s lasting change on its once-stormy environment. Our third, the Sky Spire, shows Steven Junior’s new family. Our fourth, the Galaxy Warp, after an initial scene where Pearl angrily Pearlsplains the changing status of its pads, brings us Peridot.

Like fellow Gem debut episode Mirror Gem, Warp Tour’s quick pacing slows down to allow its final act to fill nearly half the episode: the rogue robonoid crashes into Steven’s room six minutes into our eleven-minute adventure, and from there it’s all about solving his mystery with a far more frightening one: who is Peridot?

The answer is “maybe the show’s best character,” but that’ll have to wait. Peridot’s arc is all about becoming more, for lack of a better word, human. The Peridot we see here is at her coldest and most mechanical, a highly advanced cyborg alien whose only sign of emotion is contempt for imperfection. One of my favorite ways of charting her evolution is through how often she narrows her eyes: the more she grows, the wider and more curious they get, culminating in her powerful rebuttal to Jasper after fully embracing her new friends. Her entire story is right here, in her words and in the progression of her eyes:

Still, as incongruous as it feels after so many amazing Peridot episodes

where
she’s a total dork, she’s truly menacing in Warp Tour, and a perfect foil to Lapis Lazuli’s fiery temper (water powers aside) and ultimately friendly departure. Lapis is magical where Peridot is technological, Peridot is a worker bee while Lapis is all alone. All of this makes it
so much sweeter that it’s Peridot, not Lapis, who turns first.

I’ve talked about Gems left and right, but this is still
Steven’s show, and Warp Tour sees him taking a big step. This is the second episode
in a row that revolves around his inability to sleep, and as we know from Rose’s Room, a sleepy Steven is a cranky Steven. Still, as Amethyst says, this is new: Steven’s insomnia here is caused and compounded
by the Gems not
believing his UFO sighting, and the more time he spends with them, the madder
he gets, because he’s right.

The
injustice of it all feeds right into his eternal quest to be taken seriously, a struggle that’s emphasized by his childishness throughout the first half of the episode: from his end, his idea of defending
the room involves a water gun, and from the Gems’ end, they surprise him with cookies. The Gems dismiss his concerns throughout the tour, but it’s only when they talk over him that he explodes.

This makes it all the more refreshing when he’s validated, and Zach Callison’s exhausted cackle (after a series-best read on “Macaroni and nothing”) echoes Handsome Steven’s crazed laugh juuuust right. But being proven correct is only half of the equation; if not for his family joining in, he would’ve died a tired, frozen little sadsack.

The intensity that Cartoon Network allows this show is incredible: in a medium riddled with villains threatening to “end” our heroes, where deceased characters have all “passed on” or are “gone,” it’s shocking to hear Steven simply state that he’s going to die. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard such stark language in Steven Universe, but he’s rarely at this much actual risk of dying; in fact, the closest he’ll come after this is his similar experience in Bubbled, floating all alone in space. Obviously he’s going to make it, but breaking the time-honored kid’s show trope of “never say die” really raises the stakes.

As we’ll see throughout the rest of Season 1, Steven meets the Gems’ fear of the unknown with a slew of questions. His curiosity will serve the Crystal Gems well in times to come, in the immediate future as well as the eventual conversion of everyone’s favorite fussbudget. Heck, it might even help with this whole fusion thing everyone’s talking about…

Future Vision!

Peridot seems awful interested in whatever this “Kindergar—” nonsense is.
Pearl straight-up says that Garnet saw Steven floating out there, just in case all those hints that she can see the future haven’t sunk in.

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Why does Garnet, who can swim in lava, need oven mitts?
Where did she even procure oven mitts that big? These are extremely important
questions!

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Warp Tour is the beginning of something really exciting. But far from an episode that’s content with setting the table, we get a resonating Steven story and a terrific look at the Gems as a family and a team and the great and lovable Peridot all at once. That spells a winner in my book, which this is.

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Warp Tour
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
An Indirect Kiss
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 35: Lion 3: Straight to Video

“Isn’t it remarkable, Steven?”

Lion 3 is the first of its kind.

We’ve had episodes about Rose
before. We’ve had episodes about Lion before. We’ve had episodes without
monsters before. But we’ve never had a quiet
episode of Steven Universe until now,
and I mean that figuratively and literally: the biggest action sequence and the
loudest musical moment (the two tend to correlate) is Steven tumbling down a
hill as he runs out of breath. It’s tense, but it’s nothing like the spectacles
that have accompanied every single episode up to this point, from giant bugs to
light cannons to collapsing temples to possessed breakfasts to possessed
mascots to possessed fingers to giant eels to whirling temples to wrestling
therapy to magic sands to flashing arcades to giant birds to magic aging to
suffocating moss to replicating cars to combative holograms to elemental
spitfires to giant pufferfish to haunted rooms to rogue fusions to flame-spewing
frenemies to angry clones to treacherous earthquakes to dying friends to water
witches to magic storms to collapsing spacecrafts to giant hands to invisible
beasts to unhinged conspiracy theorists to angry fusions to ring wizards to armies
of fruitgolems.

That is to say, Lion 3 is strikingly calm. There are
long stretches of silence, punctuated mostly by Steven talking to Lion or
himself. Sadie, Lars, and Pearl have vital roles, but few lines; Garnet and
Amethyst are limited to cameos. Its only locations are the Big Donut, Steven’s
room, and Lion’s mane. Aivi and Surasshu put in career-best work without a
single high-tempo song. It’s not even concretely about Rose until its
final minutes, although the hints throughout the episode are sublime. It’s
soothing. And sad.

There’s a sense of culmination to
Lion 3 that won’t be felt again until
callback masterpiece The Return. Rose
as a concept informs every episode of this show one way or another, whether in
direct references or Steven’s behavior and outlook, so finally seeing her was always bound to be a
major event. But Lion 3 is just as
beholden to its preceding episodes on a structural level. Obviously it needs Steven’s Lion and Lion 2 to establish Lion’s existence and his capricious magic and
his mane of holding, not to mention Dogcopter and Rose’s sword. But it also
needs Gem Glow for its opening
sequence to act as a mirror to the first scene of the series. It needs Joking Incident for Steven to know there’s
a VHS player at the Big Donut. It needs Lars
and the Cool Kids for Steven’s first gesture after watching the tape to
carry even more weight than its inherent sweetness provides.

This culmination exists within
the individual episode as well. The buildup to Rose’s recording is slow and
deliberate; she’s emphasized in the beginning, specifically in the context of
motherhood and in comparison to Sadie’s mom (the first time a fellow Beach City youth’s mother is ever mentioned, by the way). But then Rose drops out of focus in favor of Lion’s antics, which make up
the bulk of the runtime. This may be a clear indication that she’s important to
the episode, a classic Chekov’s Star Cookie, but Steven Universe mentions Rose often enough in non-Rose episodes (like So Many Birthdays, Monster Buddies, and Watermelon Steven) that this could just
as easily be a wayward thought. Rose is always
important, to the point where we’re not so primed by her name that she’s
guaranteed to be directly relevant to the episode.

Still, a deeper viewing of Lion’s
actions, compared to Lion 2, tells us
everything we need to know. In the prequel, Lion perks up at Steven’s remark
that he (Steven) isn’t “trained very well,” and the result is a field trip to a
training ground. Now, when Steven wishes aloud that knew a little more about Rose, Lion’s reaction is just as immediate. But Lion can’t talk, and it’s hard
for Steven to interpret importance from such a fickle feline.

Another hint comes when Steven’s inner
monologue, so rarely used in the show, mentions that the field of pink
tallgrass seems “familiar” in his second outing. There’s more to these dreams than meets the eye, but
Rose remains unmentioned, and the lack of oxygen is a far more pressing issue; after some tremendous facial animation to match his thought process, he’s back in his room once more.

The dream itself in this second sleep sequence (the only actual dream, given other excursions are to an actual place in Lion’s mane) reflects the style of Garnet’s Universe to highlight Steven’s young mindset, and his conversation with Dogcopter is our first look at the crew’s talent for capturing the strange logic of dreams. The bizarreness is so understated, so matter-of-fact, and is amplified by Steven’s casual reaction to it (“That was a good move!”); it’s funny, but not uproarious, because this episode doesn’t need uproarious.

This dream is preceded by Pearl’s intervention, which is incredibly sweet in first viewing (and hilarious as she crawls away with Lion), but becomes a melancholy sort of retroactive hint of Rose’s involvement after Rose’s Scabbard. While her vigil can still be read as motherly (which itself fits this episode’s theming), knowing that she looks for signs of Rose in Steven twists the emotional knife.

This is easily Lion’s best episode, with the crew allowing him long, uninterrupted moments of meaningful stares (this crew, by the way, includes Rebecca Sugar herself on storyboards for the first time since Cat Fingers; she kicked the show off by helping board five of the first six episodes, and obviously is involved in every episode, but is credited again here). Lion’s attempts to show Steven his mother’s hideaway generally take the form of embraces, and even when the claws come out, there’s a tenderness that our cool cat rarely displays. Dee Bradley Baker is arguably the most talented voice actor alive (although Jim Cummings might have something to say about that): his “additional characters” and “various” credits constitute virtually every animal you’ve heard on any American cartoon since the mid-nineties, including every monster on Steven Universe (here’s a sample from Avatar the Last Airbender)—and he still voices speaking characters on top of this—so its no surprise that Lion’s mewling outside is heartbreaking.

When Steven finally figures out that the field is inside of Lion’s mane (and pops in and out with glee, because of course he does), Aivi and Surasshu’s beautiful score finally plays its full length, transitioning into Rose’s Theme just as Steven reaches and climbs her hill. Her artifacts are a perfect mix of old (the photograph from Laser Light Cannon, the sword) to unknown, but implied (the Mr. Universe tee, which only grows more meaningful after Story for Steven) to fully mysterious (her flag that we see in Rose’s Scabbard, the ominously bubbled Bismuth, and the chest, which we still know nothing about).

But Steven’s drawn to the videotape with his name on it. As mentioned, the sequence where he nearly runs out of breath is tense, not because there’s any chance he’s in real danger, but because of the emotional lurch back to reality. He still doesn’t get it (he wonders who put the tape there for him), but we certainly do, and as much as we want to know more, we also love this kid and want him to be okay.

The tape itself, of course, is what the episode and the entire series up to this point has been building to. I often write about how much I appreciate Rose Quartz’s flaws, only visible at first through hindsight but growing more and more obvious as Steven Universe progresses until it becomes the defining factor of her character. I appreciate these flaws for making her feel more real, stepping away from the tired trope of the shallow yet perfect dead parent. But I also appreciate them because, without them, her positive qualities have far less meaning. Lion 3 gives us a flawless moment of connection between Steven and Rose, letting us see her as perfect even though she’s anything but.

Susan Egan is amazing

even

as a tiny floating whale, so obviously her work here is great: without any context from the rest of the episode, we could still tell that the voice of Greg’s camerawoman is Steven’s mother. She loves Greg even more than we do, whether he’s goofing around or sleeping the day away or making vocalized guitar riffs (she really likes that last one, if Rose’s Room is any indication), and we recognize this love living on in Steven so vividly that her speech is almost redundant. Almost.

There’s honestly nothing I can add to this moment; it speaks for itself in a way I don’t need to gild. But I love that it ends in a quieter reveal: we’ve seen Rose in portraits and photographs, so we already know what she looks like, albeit with closed eyes. But while it’s been hinted at in the positioning of her and Greg in Laser Light Cannon’s photo and So Many Birthdays’ old-timey picture, it’s only in the tape’s final shot that we realize just how huge she is, towering over Greg like the alien she is. She’s a larger-than-life influence on everyone around her, and it feels like learning another little secret to see that this was more literal than we thought.

When the tape cuts out, Aivi Tran plays Rose’s theme on the piano once more to a changed room, and Steven doesn’t need to say a thing. It’s Sadie who, after cutting briefly to tissues, gets the final line by doing exactly what I did after watching Lion 3 for the first time.

Steven’s life, like any child’s,
is filled with change. Lion 3 excels
by not only showing such a change, but a maturing boy’s reaction to change. Gem Glow begins with Steven in the Big Donut, lamenting the loss of
his favorite treat; Lion 3 begins in
the same spot, Sadie once again alone at the counter, with Steven pondering on
how to branch out. Both scenes precede a major Rose-based moment that
redirects his life forever, but while one sees him rejecting a shifting menu,
another has him embrace it. He’s grown so much from the tantrum-throwing child he
was at the start of the series, and has even gotten mellower about Lion
Lickers, no matter how gross they are.

He’s going to need that maturity for the gauntlet to come. The rest of Season 1 is going to put Steven and the Crystal Gems through the ringer, and the experience will see him truly earn his place among them. He lost his mother, but they lost a leader (and more), and with Lion 3 completing Steven’s initial Rose-based arc, we’re free to see how his friends are really doing. I can’t wait to talk about it.

Future Vision!

Mentioned in the review, but I can’t in good conscience have a section about foreshadowing and not mention how early of an indication we got for Bismuth.
Lion 4: Alternate Ending is informed by Lion 3 far more directly than the preceding episodes of the Lion series, providing a moment that’s almost as emotional as our first viewing of the tape. Almost.
The reveal of Lars’s new powers in Lars’s Head owes everything to the scene revealing Lion’s own inner tree, and Steven’s hand-to-chest gesture (which I once thought culminated in Lion 3) makes an even more emotional return in Lars’s Homeworld adventure.

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

If Pearl likes to watch Steven
sleep sometimes (and by sometimes, I mean often) then why is she so confused
about what sleeping looks like in fellow dream episode Chille Tid?

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

My favorite episodes of Steven Universe come down to the purity of how they make me feel: Steven and the Stevens will always make me happy for capturing the soul of the series, Mirror Gem will always fill me with dread for its spine-chilling tension, and Lion 3 will always make me calm and wonder-struck and sad.

This is the beginning of a major sweet spot in the series, and we’ve hit a point where I feel I can naturally expand the Top Five to a Top Ten (especially because these top three aren’t going anywhere for quite a while).

Welcome, Space Race, Lion 2 The Movie, Rose’s Room, and An Indirect Kiss (Ocean Gem was already in the Top Five, but glad you’re still here)!

Top Ten

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Lion 3: Straight to Video
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Ocean Gem
Space Race
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!

Episode 34: Watermelon Steven

“Betcha can’t top that.”

Watermelon Steven is the last of its kind.

Once Lion 3: Straight to Video comes into play, purely lighthearted
episodes start to take a backseat. They’re still around, of course, and Steven Universe always has time for levity
even at its most dramatic, but Watermelon
Steven is the final episode to focus on Steven goofing off by himself in
Beach City.

There are variations as soon as Alone Together, but his local excursions
from now on will crucially involve another character. It’s a twist on one of
the assumed virtues of maturing: growing up is often associated with gaining
independence, but Steven only grows closer to the people around him, forgoing
solo adventures for team-ups. Maybe this shift is natural: we’ve really gotten
to know Beach City by now, so now we can zero in on specific individuals within it. Maybe it’s due
to Steven’s perspective changing after watching a certain videotape soon after
his melon adventure. It’s hard to say, but the show gets stronger for it: Cat Fingers and Steven’s Lion meander without good motivation, while Mirror Gem’s strength comes from the
suspense of knowing something must be
wrong with the Mirror.

Watermelon Steven shares the aimlessness of the “Steven Goofs Off”
plot’s lesser examples, but ratchets up the pace to include many small arcs
rather than a single drawn-out stretch. Steven heads to Beach City proper to
show off, just like in Cat Fingers and
Steven’s Lion, but this escalates
with every scene: we go from giving the melons away to selling them to chasing
down Onion to realizing they’re alive (not even Steven is too shocked by this)
to getting them all back to fighting them to making them wander away. Steven’s
just as directionless at the start of his excursion, but we’re led through a
whimsical ride instead of an authentic but dull depiction of conflict-free
lounging.

Speaking of lounging, I don’t want to ignore the
opening scene, which is classic Steven and Greg. It hints at the episode’s quick
escalations by having the pair one-upping each other, but gives us a nice dose
of realism to contrast with the zaniness of what’s to come. As usual, their
relationship oozes verisimilitude, but the visuals extend the vibe: you
can just feel the stickiness as
Steven lies in the hot sun, rind-crown on head, soaked in melon juice.

As is standard for a Beach City
romp, we get to run the gamut of
characters: that wonderful low-key Greg scene, all three Gems sharing screentime, Mr.
Smiley blithely accepting bribery, Sadie being sweet without being passive, Onion
stealing, and Ronaldo taking his love of all things weird too far—this is Zachary
Steel’s third appearance in four episodes, and while this is a lot of Ronaldo (and Ringo)
to take, Watermelon Steven shows how
great he is in a smaller role, drawing out every word of his blog post and
appreciating strangeness even mid-pummeling.

But unlike Cat Fingers and Steven’s Lion,
these characters are largely seen separately, allowing each to have a humorous
vignette. There’s certainly merit to seeing characters bounce off each other,
and we get a taste for it via the Gems with each other (as usual) and Sadie
with Ronaldo, but Smiley’s lighthearted corruption and Onion poking out from
the tablecloth work best without any distractions. With a variety of characters comes a
variety of comedy (the highlight, of course, being Amethyst’s impending burial
service), further lending to an utterly entertaining adventure.

The Melon Stevens are as cute as
they are uncanny. They’re animalistic
protectors, a test run of Steven’s latent plant powers, which makes
it okay when they’re horrifically destroyed. Super Watermelon Island will see them advance into a functioning community,
so it’s nice to get some dark humor out of them before they evolve and earn
more empathy: the seagulls plucking them away as they march into the ocean is
great, but nothing beats Steven silently eating Baby Melon’s remains.

(Technically, Baby Melon’s
enduring presence means that Steven isn’t actually alone in this episode, but
considering it neither speaks nor returns, it’s hardly
comparable to the human partners Steven teams up with and develops.)

The theme of the melons keeps the episode’s jolly tone going even when the fangs come out; one of the
many things I admire about Aivi and Surasshu is their devotion to leitmotifs
even for minor happenings and characters like these. It neatly ties the episode together, and allows for callbacks should the subject of the music
suddenly return, as will happen in Super
Watermelon Island. Aivi and Surasshu could so easily write generic
incidental music, and given their skill it would still sound great. But like Michael Giacchino’s astounding work on Lost, recurring thematic music shows
a deep respect to continuity.

While Watermelon Steven veers pretty close to
filler in tone, it subtly primes us for Lion 3.
We haven’t addressed Steven’s role as the inheritor of Rose’s powers since he
lost his healing spit, and his plant powers, while rarely used, are a direct link to Rose. Moreover, it evokes
her moss in Lars and the Cool Kids and
the thorns of An Indirect Kiss, the
first two episodes where Steven talks at length about her. So far, when Rose
has been most important, weird plant stuff has happened, so an entire episode
about weird plant stuff is bound to yield a hell of a harvest.

Future Vision!

The watermelon battle is the first time we see Garnet’s fist-rockets, Pearl’s laser spear, and Amethyst’s spin dash attack, each a sign of more intense battles to come.
Creating sentient plants might not come up often, but it does lead to the birth of Pumpkin.
Hey look, it’s the librarian from Buddy’s Book! She’s right under that…erm…interesting hot dog business.

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Okay, even if this counts it’s just barely, but why would the Gems be reading newspapers? Time and again, the show makes a point of how uninterested they are in current human events (with the occasional exception for Amethyst). And before you ask, no, I’m not bringing this up just because I love this shot of them reading the papers and couldn’t think of anywhere else to put it in this post. Shut up.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

This is fluff, but it’s some of the best fluff in the series. And it’s a nice break after Season 1B’s string of episodes showcasing flaws in Pearl, Pearl and Amethyst, Sadie and Lars (but mostly Sadie), Ronaldo, Connie, and Garnet. Everything’s about to change forever, so let’s give the swan song of Steven As It Was some props.

Top Five

Steven and the Stevens
Mirror Gem
Coach Steven
Giant Woman
Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon
Bubble Buddies
Tiger Millionaire
Lion 2 The Movie
Rose’s Room
An Indirect Kiss
Space Race
Garnet’s Universe

Like ‘em

Gem Glow
Frybo
Arcade Mania
So Many Birthdays
Lars and the Cool Kids
Onion Trade
Steven the Sword Fighter
Beach Party
Monster Buddies
Keep Beach City Weird
Watermelon Steven

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack
Together Breakfast
Cat Fingers
Serious Steven
Steven’s Lion
Joking Victim
Secret Team

No Thanks!