Article contributed by Isabella Haberstock
After premiering on-and-off for over a year, season 5 of the Cartoon Network show Steven Universe has finally concluded. This show has gone above and beyond most kids television shows with its stunning animation and detailed plots, and this season was definitely worth the wait. Cartoon Network has also announced the creation of a Steven Universe movie coming out later this year and a sixth season, but before any of that happens, it might be a good idea to refresh yourself on everything that happened in season 5.
5.01: Stuck Together
Steven and Lars try to find a way out of a ship heading to Homeworld, where Steven will face the consequences of his mother’s actions. Steven begins to realise exactly how out-of-depth he is, and he and Lars manage to convince a Topaz fusion to help them escape. They are caught, and the journey to Homeworld continues without interruption.
5.02: The Trial
Steven is put on trial by Yellow and Blue Diamond as Rose Quartz, and he must answer for her crime of shattering Pink Diamond. Even though the Diamonds are convinced of Steven’s guilt, the Zircon gem arguing on his behalf discusses a point that puts Pink’s assassination into question. She asks why Pink Diamond’s whole court did not see Rose Quartz infiltrate their lines to shatter Pink, and she concludes that only someone who Pink trusted could have convinced her to step outside her armoured palanquin to meet her doom. The Diamonds deny this evidence and still think Steven is guilty, but this scene is enough to make the audience doubt the details surrounding Pink’s shattering.
5.03: Off Colors
Steven and Lars escape the Diamonds’ prison and hide underground with a group of “off colour” gems, or gems that don’t fit the ideal gem standard. When a Gem Bot discovers them, Lars sacrifices himself to save Steven and the Off Colors, and Steven uses his healing powers to bring Lars back to life.
5.04: Lars’ Head
Steven realises that Lars is connected with Lion back on earth, and he teleports to earth through Lars’ hair. Steven can’t bring Lars back with him, so Lars stays with the Off Colors on Homeworld. Before Steven goes back to earth, Lars promises him that he will find a way back.
5.05: Dewey Wins
After Steven’s sudden return from Homeworld, he found himself isolated by friends who felt betrayed of his trip into space. Instead of confronting his friends and family, Steven decides to help Mayor Dewey retain his title in the Beach City elections, but he hopelessly loses to Nanefua Pizza after realising the many mistakes he made as mayor.
5.06: Gemcation
Steven is still upset that Connie isn’t talking to him, but his dad and the Gems think he is traumatised from his visit to Homeworld. They take him on vacation to a cabin in the woods and try to make him feel better, only for Steven to burst into tears because Connie hasn’t answered his calls.
5.07: Raising the Barn
Lapis and Peridot learn about Steven’s trip to Homeworld and worry about the start of another Gem War. They want to move to the moon until it is safe, but Peridot decides to stay and fight the Diamonds if they try to invade earth. Lapis literally uproots the barn and takes it to the moon, leaving Peridot behind.
5.08: Back to the Kindergarten
Steven and Amethyst try to cheer up Peridot by helping her plant a garden at the Kindergarten, which has been barren for thousands of years. While it initially looked like a success, the plants all died and Peridot realised that nothing could ever grow there again. She decides to focus on the beauty already on the earth instead of trying to reclaim the Kindergarten.
5.09: Sadie Killer
Steven starts talking to the “Cool Kids”, and they decide to make a band. They have trouble finding the right sound for their music and ask Sadie to help them. She takes on the persona of “Sadie Killer”, an exhausted teenager who is fed up with working a dead-end job for minimum wage, and their band takes off.
5.10: Kevin Party
Kevin invites Steven and Connie to his party so he can see Stevonnie, but Steven and Connie still aren’t on speaking terms. Steven goes to the party and is so desperate to talk to Connie that he takes Kevin’s advice which, unsurprisingly, only makes things worse. Before the end of the episode, Steven and Connie finally talk and Connie forgives Steven for going to Homeworld without her.
5.11: Lars of the Stars
Steven and Connie use the connection between Lion and Lars to travel back through space and find themselves on a battle ship where Lars is the captain and the Off Colors are his crew. They are fleeing Homeworld in a stolen ship, and in an attempt to throw off the enemy ships, Steven and Connie fuse into Stevonnie and attack the Homeworld ship. The ship destroys their engine, and Stevonnie crash lands on a nearby planet.
5.12: Jungle Moon
Stevonnie is trapped on an abandoned Diamond colony with no way to communicate with Lars, and they decide to stay in an old Diamond base until Lars finds them. Stevonnie falls asleep and dreams about the colony when it was still running successfully. They see through the eyes of Pink Diamond, who is demanding her own colony from Yellow Diamond, and Stevonnie is awoken by Lars coming to rescue them.
5.13: Your Mother and Mine
Steven uses the portal between Lion and Lars to introduce Garnet to the Off Colors. She learns that Homeworld’s view of Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond’s shattering was changed from what she believed to be the truth. Garnet tells the Off Colors and Steven about the Rebellion and Gem War from her perspective and reveals a lot about Pink Diamond’s tyranny.
5.14: The Big Show
Steven records Sadie Killer and the Suspects’ big debut as they try to find a performance venue for their first show. Sadie constantly worries about her mom’s interference in her personal life however, and spends her first show scared that her mother might show up.
5.15: Pool Hopping
Garnet tries to throw off her future vision by making unpredictable decisions, but she quickly gets overwhelmed by the fact that she can’t be prepared for Steven’s choices. Steven has matured in ways she didn’t think of, and she focuses too much on the distant future instead of the present.
5.16: Letters to Lars
Steven sends Lars a letter to explain everything that’s been happening on earth since he left. Former Mayor Dewey is struggling to find a new job in Beach City, and he ends up finding his place in the employee-less Big Donut; Sadie Killer and the Suspects’ are more successful than ever; most of all, everyone in Beach City misses Lars and wants him home.
5.17: Can’t Go Back
Steven finds Lapis and the barn on the moon, and he tries to convince her to come back to Earth. Steven then has another dream about Pink Diamond, and he sees Pearl try to attack Pink with a sword. This dream scares Lapis and makes her think the Diamonds are coming to attack earth. She leaves and travels further into space, leaving Steven and the Gems.
5.18: A Single Pale Rose
Steven confronts Pearl about his dream in “Can’t Go Back” and asks if she was the one that shattered Pink Diamond. Pearl seems physically unable to communicate the answer to Steven, so she sends him through her different memories of Rose. These memories end with what happened right before Pink’s shattering. In this memory, Rose Quartz talks about escaping her current life and staying on earth with Pearl, who is revealed to be the pearl serving Pink Diamond on Homeworld. Much to Steven’s surprise, Rose morphs herself into Pink Diamond by changing the orientation of her gem. Pearl then shapeshifts into Rose and pretends to shatter Pink.
5.19: Now We’re Only Falling Apart
With the revelation that Pink Diamond was actually Rose Quartz, the Crystal Gems start to question everything they knew about the Gem Rebellion and Rose. Garnet is so distressed that she splits up into Ruby and Sapphire, and Sapphire runs away. To calm Sapphire down, Pearl tells her about how Rose became Pink and how she did genuinely care about the earth and the Crystal Gems.
5.20: What’s Your Problem?
When Sapphire returns to Beach City with Pearl and Steven, they find out that Ruby also ran away, and no one knows where she went. Steven and Amethyst try to look for her, and while Steven takes this very seriously, Amethyst seems determined to do not find Ruby and goof off instead. When Steven asks why she’s acting like she doesn’t care, she tells him that every adult in his life has pushed an unfair amount of responsibility on him, and she refuses to do the same.
5.21: The Question
Ruby wants to be separate from Sapphire for a while and explore her own interests. Ruby decides to become a cowboy in the Wild West, like a character from a comic book that Steven likes. She quickly realises how much she loves being with Sapphire and wants to become Garnet again. Steven thinks that their fusion has to be special this time, and he helps Ruby propose to Sapphire.
5.22: Made of Honor
Ruby and Sapphire start planning their wedding and wish they could invite other Gems who were lost in the Gem War. Steven decides to take Bismuth out of her bubble to be the Maid of Honor. He explains everything that they have learned about Pink and Rose and manages to convince her that the rest of the Crystal Gems do still care about her.
5.23: Reunited
The wedding of Ruby and Sapphire begins with a Disney-esque song sung by Steven and the Gems, and the ceremony happens without any interruption. During the reception, however, Blue and Yellow Diamond arrive in their ships, but they are not there to fight the Crystal Gems. They come to get the cluster which, thanks to Steven, is an ally of earth. The cluster beats back Yellow while the Gems take on Blue. In the ensuing battle, Steven is knocked out and finds that he can communicate with everyone around him through his mind. He gets through to Blue and Yellow and tells them that Rose Quartz was Pink Diamond.
5.24: Legs From Here to Homeworld
Blue and Yellow think Steven is Pink Diamond, and he uses their new trust in him to try to get them to heal the corrupted Gems on earth. Their attempt is unsuccessful, and Blue thinks they need the help of White Diamond, who has not yet appeared in the show. Steven, the Diamonds, and the Gems then travel to Homeworld in Pink’s ship with the hopes of convincing White to help them.
5.25: Familiar
After barely getting to talk to White, Steven is whisked away to Pink’s room and has to learn to be a Diamond. After being ignored by both Blue and Yellow, Steven goes back to Pink’s palace and discovers the Pebbles, tiny Gems that live in the walls. The Pebbles make him an outfit to match Pink’s in a very Cinderella-like scene, and Steven comes up with a plan to get all the Diamonds together.
5.26: Together Alone
Steven throws a ball so all the Gems on Homeworld can come together in the hopes of convincing White Diamond to help heal corrupted Gems on earth. White doesn’t show, and Connie tries to make Steven feel better by dancing with him. They fuse into Stevonnie accidentally, which makes Blue and Yellow furious. They throw Stevonnie in a pitch dark prison cell and poof the other Crystal Gems.
5.27: Escapism
Stevonnie is still in their cell, and Steven tries to communicate to the remaining Gems on earth that he needs help. Instead of directly contacting Bismuth, however, Steven’s mind is placed in a Watermelon Steven on Mask Island. The Watermelon Stevens have split into two groups, one being more peaceful and the other being more chaotic. The Watermelon Stevens come together to help Steven get back to Beach City, and he tells Bismuth that they need backup.
5.28: Change Your Mind
This was the season finale and four times as long as a normal episode. After convincing Blue and Yellow to help them, Steven and Connie try to find the other Gems and escape Homeworld. They accept that Steven is Steven and not Pink Diamond, and they agree to help him. Before they can get to Pink’s ship, White Diamond confronts them and derails their plan. Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot fly in using Blue and Yellow’s ships to distract White. Steven, Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet all fuse into Obsidian and climb up White Diamond’s ship to get to her. White is adamant that Pink has to be herself and denies Steven’s identity as Steven. Steven finally gets through to White Diamond, and the Diamonds and the Gems go back to earth to heal the corrupted Gems.
Review
Even though this season took over a year to fully premiere, it was absolutely worth all the anticipation. Steven Universe is generally one of the most inclusive television shows marketed to kids, and it is one that people of any age can enjoy and relate to. This season especially focused on the concept of identity and what you know to be true about yourself which, in a time where LGBTQ+ rights are up for debate across the world, is something that everyone needs to be educated about. This is a show about respecting and loving yourself no matter who you are or who you love; it has real relationships and establishes a strong connection between the audience and the characters.
Steven Universe season 5 is 10/10, and I can’t wait for season 6!
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