Steven Universe returns in 2017 with a gem packed 5 episode bomb.
1. Steven's Dream
2. Adventures in Light Distortion
3. Gem Heist
4. The Zoo
5. That will be All
How could an ownerless pearl, a fusion, a mini amethyst and a human get past the guards and into the zoo to save Greg? With the help of Sapphire and Ruby of course. By playing their parts right, Sapphire will pretend she’s bringing Esteban Universidad as an offering, along with her guard, her servant ,and the extra Amethyst muscle.
The full grown Amethysts are really daunting, looking more like Jasper than our Amethyst but Michaela Dietz’s voice shines through. They like to mess around and tease just like our Amethyst does. As the crystal gems state their purpose we hear a pair of boots click-clacking. An unfamiliar gem shines on the back of this figure, who is she? It's Holly Blue Agate!
She’s the leader of this joint and loves to belittle those working under her. Obsessed with the Homeworld class system and only nice to those she deems superior, like Sapphire. Holly offers to give “her grand clarity” a tour while Amethyst stays behind with the other Quartzes. Holly criticises everything Pearl does and is surprised with how lenient Sapphire is with her.Since the dawn of era 2, Holly and her diamond have been maintaining the zoo.
She reminisces Pink Diamond and tells them how tragic her death was to her and how wonderful it is that Blue is preserving the zoo to Pink’s memory. They pass by a service door embroiled with pink flower patterns: the one-way access to the zoo that has only been used once in the past… In order to get through, Sapphire takes Holly back to the ship to give Pearl enough time to unlocked the door.
Ruby is furious that Holly idolises someone as cruel as Blue Diamond and before they have time to get to the other side the Amethysts rush to announce that Blue Diamond will be arriving shortly. They take Steven to the human disposal chute and he’s transported to the central structure through a glass pipe. A pair of familiar floating tech fingers take his picture, strip him and prepare him for the zoo.
As he gets closer however it becomes more apparent that the zoo isn’t al all what we’re expecting. Wearing blue earrings and a vest, Steven is sucked into a hole and through a stream of water ends up in what looks like a tropical island. The glass sky above him shines, as he catches a glimpse of Greg on the other side. Instead of being terrified, beaten or shackled, Greg is smiling carelessly as another human braids his hair. “Dad?”
Notes:
- It was really nice seeing the team working together and outsmarting the Homeworld gems and it made me reminisce Hit The Diamond when they all played baseball with the rubies
- Holly Blue Agate's design, VA (Christine Pedi) and mannerisms were brilliant.
- She perfectly represents what Homeworld stands for, only valuing gems of the upper class and being awful to the lower class, especially those made on Earth and then there's the gems: a lovely band of renegade lesbians and a human who fight against the oppression of Homeworld.
Quotes:
"Oh their incessant barking, what is [Steven] saying?"
"What!!!?? a foreseen turn of events..."
"But Pearl... You're our hacker!"
"You are so patient with [Pearl], how do you do it?"
Grade: 4/5
The way the episodes of this bomb pick up where the last one left off is very enjoyable, it's as if we're watching a 1-hour special. Great pacing, beautiful new background and character designs and so many things to unpack about the Diamonds' past. Next on: The zoo.
