Hello readers, and welcome back to the Steven Universe episode collection! I know that it’s been a minute since we’ve done one and it’s been several months since these episodes aired, but I’ve decided to catch up on them and then change to a weekly recap format! This is the first of several, so strap in and enjoy yourselves!
So Many Birthdays (1×13)
Summary: Steven finds out that the Gems have never had a birthday party and tries to make up for lost time, nearly causing him to lose time himself.
Rating: ★★★★☆
You know, I didn’t expect an episode about Steven throwing birthdays for the Gems to get me so emotional.
The episode opens in typical fashion, with the Gems searching for the stench coming from Amethyst’s part of the temple. While she eats a rotten burrito, Steven finds a picture of the Gems dressed in old timey clothes and finds out that the Gems are immortal! Well, kind of. They can still get hurt and be killed, so they’re more like lobsters.
As Steven begins to contemplate his age, his gem begins reacting to this and starts to age him rapidly. Steven doesn’t notice it at first until he goes to Big Donut and Lars and Sadie don’t recognize him since he keeps getting older by the minute. Lion manages to rescue Steven and bring him to the Gems, but they struggle to figure out how to make Steven stop aging. This is probably because it’s the first time they’ve actually come to the realization that Steven isn’t as durable as them. He’s half human so it’s likely he’ll die of aging if injury doesn’t get him first.
Man… Mortality is a beast.
Steven finally manages to snap out of it when the Gems realize that whenever Steven acts like his normal self at his regular age, it deages him back down. They’re super relieved, but man, that can’t possibly be the last time that’ll happen if the gem is so perceptible to thoughts like that. Maybe keep an eye on that in the future, Gems…
Lars and the Cool Kids (1×14)
Summary: Steven encounters Lars trying to impress the cool kids, which leads to a cruise around town involving magical moss.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I’ve watched this episode a couple of times now and it really hasn’t grown on me like the moss does in this episode.
The Gems inspect a lake that’s overrun with a magical moss that Rose Quartz grew on a hill above Beach City. Not certain how to stop it from overtaking the lake and any humans that might encounter it, the Gems decided to block it off with police caution tape for the time being. While the Gems inspect, Steven goes off to have lunch and encounters Lars trying to look “cool” outside of Fish Stew Pizza in order to impress the cool kids.
Onion Trade (1×15)
Summary: Steven attempts to trade Onion for a particular toy he has. It doesn’t go as planned.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Is it me, or does Onion terrify anyone else? Creepy little sociopath.
Steven spends the day lamenting over the fact that his toy, known as Ranger Guy, has gone missing. His dad won it for him on a day they had together, but Greg doesn’t seem to remember it. Typical parents, huh? However, Greg gives Steven a bunch of quarters and tells him to win a new one. Steven is ecstatic, but his excitement turns into disappointment as all he wins is Dave Guy. As Onion crawls out of a vending machine with a Ranger Guy in his pocket, Steven begins to follow him to figure out how to trade for it.
Onion was always a bit weird, but this episode establishes it. He manages to convince a suitcase seller to give him his lunch, only to throw it in the ocean and run over the ketchup packets with a scooter that he crashes. Steven figures this is because he misses his dad. He tries to convince Onion to trade him for the Ranger Guy, but Onion refuses…
In the end, Steven decides to give Onion the Ranger Guy because he clearly needs it more than him and Greg praises him for it. Steven remarks that he was mostly holding onto it for memories. I guess even creepy kids need toys.
Steven The Sword Fighter (1×16)
Summary: After an accident with a sword hurts Pearl badly, Steven begins to hang out with a holographic version of her while waiting for her to regenerate.
Rating: ★★★★☆
This episode might be one of my favorites of the season so far. The animation is super crisp and the story is both funny and emotional in a way that’s reminiscent of the 90s anime that inspired this show.
While the Gems are hanging out one rainy night watching Lonely Blade IV, Pearl constantly complains about how inaccurate the sword fighting in the film is. She offers to show Steven how proper sword fighting is done sometime, and he looks at her with literal stars in his eyes.
Two weeks go by and Pearl still hasn’t come back. Steven misses her badly and decides that maybe hanging out with her holo version will be a good idea. Amethyst warns him that it really isn’t and to maybe… um… not? She also spends most of this episode either floating on a cloud or eating one, so I don’t know how serious to take her.
Well, pretty serious actually because HoloPearl turns out to be the worst. Her only thought is sword fighting and she ends up not only destroying some of Steven’s toys, but Pearl’s favorite tree as well. Steven screams at her to go away, but she is persistent for a fight. After much screaming, Steven accidentally agrees and HoloPearl is on the hunt. Steven seems cornered, but he remembers Pearl’s training and ends up impaling HoloPearl with a mop after finding his opening. Garnet and Amethyst come back at that moment, wondering if Steven is okay. He assures that he is and that he’ll be patient for Pearl to come back…
…which is right when she comes back in a snazzy new outfit. Steven marches around the kitchen banging a pot in celebration, which causes Pearl to just roll her eyes and declare that she can’t leave them alone for a second.