Rebecca Sugar's Steven Universe (Warning: Untagged Spoilers)

[Soniman]

Spoiler

And the allure of a Redemption Arc for Jasper has been ceremoniously shat on and chucked in the garbage like I figured. Fine by me tbh, it would've been a stretch anyway 

Also lapidot is now canon 

 

[Celestia]

Spoiler

I'm glad Amethyst is the first of the Crystal Gems to fuse with Steven. I've been hoping that would be the case for a long time now, haha.

I don't feel bad for Jasper regarding her whole fusion obsession, but I actually do sympathize with her a little regarding her dedication to the Diamonds. She seems genuinely unaware of, say, the whole corruption bomb(??) thing, since she seems to think it was Earth itself that created all the gem monsters. Still, can't say I feel too bad about her fate, as horrifying as it was. (Plus I'm sure we'll see her again once the CGs figure out how to purify the corrupted gems. Somehow. Eventually.)

Also, if I have one complaint, it's that I wish we had gotten to see Peridot and Lapis become friends (or at least learn to tolerate each other better) on-screen. It feels like we missed some (or a lot of) development there. Like, the best way I can describe it is that it feels like Barn Mates was step one (not even that, more of a half-step) and then next time we see them on screen together in Beta they're at step three or four?

 

[Sonictrainer]

Cartoon Network posted some more sneak previews.

Spoiler

 

 

 

[DabigRG]

Ok, wow. This two-parter dropped some stuff.

EDIT: F@#K YOU CRASHING LAPTOP! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE UP THREE HOURS AGO!

Beta

 

Steven and Amethyst visit Peridot and Lapis at the barn. Amethyst is still obsessing over not being like Jasper and so is in a sour mood.

Peridot(who is wearing a bowtie for some reason) and Lapis, who are both watching Camp Pining Hearts, have completely remodeled the barn with random things in random places. Turns out, they got bored and decided to make music but instead of making a sounds, they used things to create what Steven knows as art; Lapis calls it "Meep-morp." 

Both have arranged some displays based on their experiences: Peridot using the remains of her tape recorder, toilets, and several metal instruments, while Lapis using her baseball equipment, the leaf Steven gave her, and a television set with two mirors and a loop of Percy saying "I just feel trapped". After they combine their skills using the toilets and instruments, Amethyst gets impatient and storms out to do something useful.

After Steven explains the situation to her, Peridot comes sucking up to Amethyst and eventually mentions that Jasper was also born on Earth, but came from a radically different kindergarten. Explaining how different the two are, Peridot takes off her bowtie and repeatedly checks to see if Lapis is ok. With Amethyst being from the Prime Kindergarten in Facet 5, Peridot takes them to Jasper's origin: the Beta Kindergarten in Facet 9. A bright sunlight place made of red sandstone, the Beta Kindergarten was a rushjob created halfway through rebellion generate soldiers off the ground, which results in holes that don't line up, gems coming out sideways, inconsistent depth, angled exit marks, and dirty, weak silhouettes. So, while defective, Amethyst is technically better made than all of the gems--except for one exception: Jasper. With even frictional rockmelt, Jasper has the most perfect exit hole(*snicker*) that Peridot has ever seen, which makes her the ultimate quartz. Deciding that where she came from isn't important, Amethyst  decides that the most important thing is who she wants to be: the gem that beats Jasper into the dirt. Finding a hole that's been dug out recently, they discover that the Beta Kindergarten's exit holes have been converted into cages for corrupted gems by Jasper, who Amethyst readies her whip for....

Spoiler

[spoiler/]

Earthlings

 

Steven informs Peridot that Jasper has been collecting monster. Jasper kicks her Green soldier's cage when it snarls at her, reinforcing that she's the one giving orders. Realizing that it used to be Quartz too, she lampshades her resorting to using such a disgrace for her army, likening it the "Crystal Runt", who growls at the insult. Jasper narcissistic shows revulsion that the planet ruins everything except her, who will never let it twist her the same way. Peridot and Steven decide they should go get reinforcements from the temple but notice Amethyst on one of the ledges edging towards Jasper. Jasper tells her beast that it suffers because it deserves to be for its weakness; just like everyone else, as she tangentially asks Amethyst. She tells her she was fated to lose the moment she came out wrong, causing Steven to rush to her defense. Amused that "Rose"'s lackeys never stray far, Jasper explains that they have no place in any world because any gem that doesn't fit inside the Order of the Diamonds must be purged: To come out misshapen or reshape outside their intended form and defend a worthless planet like Earth is a disgrace!

Unintentionally revealing herself, Peridot uses her status as a Crystal Gem as proof that Earth isn't that bad and, after Jasper summons her helmet at this revelation, tries unsuccessfully to use her metal powers.  Amethyst refuses help by tossing Steven away before whipping Jasper one-on-one and does a relatively good job, even combining her fire whips with her spindash. Unfortunately, Jasper isn't too impressed, stoicallly stating that Amethyst never had a chance. Steven breaks it up by tossing his shield into an above Injector, causing it to fall between them. Amethyst finally says that she can't win no matter what because she came out wrong. Steven seriously points out that only Jasper thinks that, so she should stop trying to be like her because she's like him. They're not like anybody else but they've got each other, prompting Amethyst to tearfully state that "We worst gems gotta stick together." "Because that's why we're the best." The two laugh, Steven offers her a hand up, and Amethyst pulls him in for a hug....

Suddenly, Explosion! 

A brown haired, dark grey gem stands in their place and, half-hearing Peridot's suggestion to fight, summons a giant YoYo while adding up that a Rose Quartz and an Amethyst make a Smoky Quartz. Angrily inquiring if fusion is the Crystal Gem's only trick, Jasper is proven wrong when Smoky Quartz wallops her several times and, made indignant by Peridot's laughing, cometbursts through the Injector, over where Smoky Quartz was just standing, and into the canyon wall, inadvertently freeing her army consisting of multiple of her soldier's, the tardigrade monster, and one Cluster experiment similar to one from the hospital. Unnerved by her army running away and Peridot laughing at her, Jasper makes a b-line for her Green soldier, which is busy trying to chomp through its bares, but gets smacked, sacked, and kicked Smoky Quartz. Managing to dodge one final attack, Jasper reaches the cage and, after snarling that she won't be beaten by another fusion, grabs her soldier's head and tries helping it chew harder before forcing a fusion with it.

Dodging Tiger's eye(I'm pretty sure thats what its supposed to be, so thats what I'll call it)'s clawswipe, Smoky Quartz generates a fan effect with their yoyo and then, when Tiger's eye starts walking her way through it, creates a sandstorm using two more. Raised into the air by the sandstorm, Tiger's eye begins trying to defuse, with Jasper desperately trying to assure her flailing soldier that they can beat them if they stay together. However, due to the sandstorm suddenly stopping, they literally fall apart and after watching her Green Soldier run away, Jasper sadly lets slip that nobody she fuses with ever wants to stay. Realizing what she just said within a split second, she begins laughing at herself before aggressively hyperventilating at Smoky Quartz, who stops goofing about completely when she and a disgusted Peridot notice something: the Green Jasper soldier's corruption is mutating Jasper!

After unfusing suddenly and being told by Amethyst to be careful, Steven insist that he can do something since it just happened and begins assuring Jasper that he's here for her. Correcting her that his name is Steven, he states that he only wants to heal her and steps closer with a spitlicked hand--only for Jasper to swipe him. Jasper by saying she understands that Rose wants gems after their worthless because they'll follow anyone to feel less like a failure. She then uses the recently joined in Peridot, who was stripped of everything, as an example and asks how she can side with Rose and protect Earth. Peridot explains that she is living on Earth just like everything else and is learning new things about herself all the time--Earth can set you free. As the corruption begins to grow on her, Jasper starts having a breakdown, claiming that she broke out of this prison because she's better than it but only came back to finish Rose off. Steven tries to  help by telling her not to move, but Jasper insists that he can't manipulate her because she's been fighting since birth because of what Rose did to her colony, her planet, and her Diamond. When Steven suggests Yellow, Jasper is flabbergasted as she completely snaps "MY Diamond--YOUR Diamond--Pink Diamond!" before she finally gets completely corrupted.

The Corrupted Striped Quartz lunges at Steven, causing Peridot to send the metal spike she made fall seconds ago impaling through her heart. With Peridot nicely saying they're welcome, Amethyst walks over to Jasper's gem and, with a sign, bubbles her "sis" and leans on Steven's shoulder when he approaches her. Arriving back at the Barn, Peridot plans on making a giant metal yoyo, to which Amethyst says she doesn't want to do anything for a month. Unfortunately, they find the other Crystal Gems and Lapis holding the Ruby Squad captive in water bubbles, causing Amethyst to let out a groan.

[Phos]

Spoiler

Goodby Jasper, you were never really an interesting villain while free, but at least something interesting finally happened to you in your capture.

 

[Dizcrybe]

Spoiler

Man, I was watching the episode thinking "What if Steven and Amethyst fused?", but I didn't think it'd actually happen, at least not so soon.

 

[Dantemustdie00]

God damn, they've been going all out in these episodes.

Peridot and Lapis make a hilarious couple.

[Soniman]

Spoiler

It really is amazing how hard they're breaking Rose down from her original jesus figure archetype that she had when the series started

So now we have her being a murderer and a hypocrite given how she treated Bismuth

 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

22 minutes ago, Soniman said:

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It really is amazing how hard they're breaking Rose down from her original jesus figure archetype that she had when the series started

So now we have her being a murderer and a hypocrite given how she treated Bismuth

 

Spoiler

To be fair, we've only heard about these darker traits from characters with dark traits and unreliable viewpoints, so it's possible she might not be as horrible as she is made out to be. That being said, these greyed traits for Rose do make her a lot more intriguing.

 

[Sonictrainer]

Spoiler

Something seems to be off about the Pink Diamond story though. If Rose didn't want to use Bismuth's weapon, why would she shatter Pink Diamond?

 

[Nepenthe]

Spoiler

Pink Diamond was undoubtedly Rose's first target since her death started the Rebellion.  Either Rose ambushed her and realized the consequences of her actions later, thus not wanting to use the Breaking Point, or Pink Diamond made her resort to self defense. Regardless, it's not hypocritical of her to have changed her mind and said that the Breaking Point would be a no-go for the Crystals despite shattering a Diamond.

But this news doesn't surprise me, like, at all, despite it being good to have confirmation that Pink is out of the picture. Lion/Rose theories were too dumb and obvious for the show's writing, and the moment Jasper was like "You know what you did to our Diamond!" I went "welp she ded." I mean, really; this is a war for the fate of life in the universe, not some game of sport. I feel like the worst thing Rose has done thus far in light of this is lie about Bismuth's disappearance.

 

[Kuzu]

4 hours ago, Nepenthe said:

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Pink Diamond was undoubtedly Rose's first target since her death started the Rebellion.  Either Rose ambushed her and realized the consequences of her actions later, thus not wanting to use the Breaking Point, or Pink Diamond made her resort to self defense. Regardless, it's not hypocritical of her to have changed her mind and said that the Breaking Point would be a no-go for the Crystals despite shattering a Diamond.

But this news doesn't surprise me, like, at all, despite it being good to have confirmation that Pink is out of the picture. Lion/Rose theories were too dumb and obvious for the show's writing, and the moment Jasper was like "You know what you did to our Diamond!" I went "welp she ded." I mean, really; this is a war for the fate of life in the universe, not some game of sport. I feel like the worst thing Rose has done thus far in light of this is lie about Bismuth's disappearance.

 

Its just such a sharp contrast to how Rose has been presented since Season 1 as basically a messiah.

[Celestia]

It's not like they're presenting her as ACTUALLY EVIL ALL ALONG (ala fan theories *cough*), just that she wasn't perfect. Which you can say about nearly everyone in the cast, really.

Spoiler

I feel like there's more to what happened with Bismuth than we know. Not to say Bismuth left anything out purposefully, but I think she may be at least partially wrong about Rose's motivations. I'd really love to somehow see flashbacks to that time from Rose's perspective, though I'm not sure how exactly the crew would go about framing that? Hmm.

 

[Nepenthe]

Spoiler

Well, even if Rose's motivations aren't what Bismuth recounts, the fact that is that Rose lied to the rest of the team about her disappearance, and it's sleazy as hell. You couldn't tell them and just have a conversation about this?

 

[Celestia]

Oh yeah, that definitely wasn't cool. I just think there's more to why the two of them fought in the first place.

Spoiler

And why Rose was against using the Breaking Point.

Come to think of it, what's the timeline for these events? Did Rose shatter Pink Diamond and then the confrontation over the Breaking Point happened? Or was it the other way around?

 

Edited August 10, 2016 by Celestia

[Soniman]

7 minutes ago, Celestia said:

Oh yeah, that definitely wasn't cool. I just think there's more to why the two of them fought in the first place.

  Hide contents

And why Rose was against using the Breaking Point.

Come to think of it, what's the timeline for these events? Did Rose shatter Pink Diamond and then the incident with the Breaking Point happened? Or was it the other way around?

 

Spoiler

From what I know, Rose shattering Pink Diamond started the rebellion, and Bismuth's betrayal was during it

 

[Celestia]

Makes sense.

On another note, if you aren't following Peridot on twitter, here's her in-depth analysis of recent events:

[StaticMania]

She's clearly enjoying how she got her first kill.

 

And that her first kill was the semi-perfect gem.

[Soniman]

Spoiler

Jesus christ Steven needs a vacation, that's another r Gem he was forced to kinda sorta kill

 

[StaticMania]

That's 5 all at once...such a good experience it should be.

[AdventChild]

Just want to leave this gem of a song (*wink wink) sung by creator Rebecca Sugar right here which is heard near the end of Bubbled where Steven is rescued and with season 3 completed, this song is also completed as it is the song for the ending credits (if you actually look up the ending credits for show which is sadly always shoved to side for the channel to do promotions until the next cartoon as most networks do):

 

[kimplix]

3 gems poofed this week, and today's episode was entirely the segment of Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. I'm actually surprised that Peri can take a mass amount of rocks and boulders to her body without any cracks on its gem.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

[KHCast]

Spoiler

Holy shit I'm loving the throwback to the old looney toon Wile E. coyote segments. More ways to reference pop culture like this would be great. 

 

[Your Vest Friend]

 

Every combination of fusion gets their own metaphysical space as long as their combo on the door is activated? Huh, that's interesting. Then again, should have been obvious since Garnet has her own room. Too bad when they split apart, so does the room. 

 

Also Know Your Fusion is meta taken to a new level.

 

[VolatileMike]

I dunno, I don't see what's so bad about shattering gems. At first I thought it was because Rose did it in cold blood, but then it turned out she had to do it, so... Who cares? Why is it so somber?