Message Received

The Steven Bomb is winding down, so let’s see how the gems respond to Peridot’s seeming lack of redemption. While the gems are taking drill, Steven spies Peridot entering the barn with her weird pilfered crystal from last episode and goes to confront her. They talk in the broken down pickup and Steven tricks Peridot into gushing about the Diamond Authority. She get’s so worked up over Yellow Diamond that she falls for Steven saying Yellow is in fact right behind Peridot, causing the green gem to turn around, revealing the crystal she was trying to hide.

Steven snatches the crystal from Peridot and keeps the now distraught gem at the mercy of the ever fearsome CHILD SAFETY LOCKS. Peridot downplays the importance of the crystal, but Steven wasn’t born yesterday… well he was, but 14 years ago yesterday. He threatens to smash it, and Peridot cracks.

Peridot plans to communicate with Yellow Diamond in order to save herself from the cluster emerging. This breaks Steven’s heart, thinking she really had changed. He runs to the gems who are also furious. But Steven is more disappointed than mad.

Garnet comforts Steven by admiring his compassion and patience, even if not everyone is deserving of it. While the pity party happens, Peridot breaks free of the barn in her giant robot from several episodes back exclaiming that she escaped by using logic on the invisible rotary shield; translation, Perry rolled down the window on the truck. Peridot escapes with the crystal and a furious Amethyst shapeshifts into a helicopter to give chase, imploring the others to get on board.

Peridot runs down the road trying to activate the crystal but the gems head her off. A struggle for the communication crystal ensues, but Peridot manages to escape the tumble with the crystal and activates it.

A rather snooty Pearl answers the communique and wants to know why Peridot has breeched such important protocol. Steven asks who this Pearl is, and our Pearl exasperatedly answers that “Not all Pearls know each other, Steven”. This is a fairly familiar interaction for people of one minority group interacting with someone in the majority. I have myself been asked if I’ve known someone simply because they were gay. Good example of a micro-aggression Steven Universe.

Peridot is apologetic, but Yellow Diamond takes over the call. We finally meet a diamond in a non-cameo appearance. Not only is she gigantic, elegant and deadly, but ladies and gentleman, theatre diva Patti Lupone is in the house!

Peridot introduces herself with her complete designation, more than the last time she mentioned her facet, Peridot, Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG. Yellow Diamond is very short with Peridot and exasperated at Peridot’s “failures” so far. Yellow expresses a disdain for organic life and wishes Peridot to continue her work with the cluster. Then a ship will arrive to transport Peridot to her next assignment before the Earth is destroyed. However, Peridot lies about the circumstances in which her first ship was destroyed, seemingly shielding Steven and the gems.

Peridot proceeds to recommend terminating the cluster rather than have it emerge. Yellow Diamond is not happy as Peridot is dangerously close to insubordination. Peridot tries to make a case for leaving Earth with its resources and potential, and even has some alternative solutions, but Yellow is heated. She doesn’t care about potential resources, Yellow wants the cluster and she wants to see everything on and about the earth die.

Peridot responds with an emphatic “No”, and it appears to be a word Yellow Diamond is not accustomed to hearing.

Peridot says she is not questioning Yellows authority, just her objectivity. Oh Perry, it’s true but no less disrespectful girl. Yellow diamond rises to her full height and is pissed! Her Pearl escapes in fear, and even yells at Peridot to shut her mouth. The quavering green gem obliges. Yellow reiterates Peridot’s orders, and Peridot seemingly grows a backbone. She says, “I can tell you with certainty that there are things on this planet worth protecting”. I might tear up. Steven is grinning ear to ear. Diamond, now furious demands “What do you know about the Earth?!”. And in possibly the most cathartic moment EVER on this show, Peridot screams back “APPARENTLY MORE THAN YOU, YOU CLOOOOOOOD!!!!”.

The face Yellow Diamond puts on is priceless as I believe it might be the first time she has EVER been yelled at, especially by a subordinate.

Peridot abruptly signs off and curls up into the fetal position. Oh there will be repercussions for that, but Steven and the gems were never mentioned or seen, so Yellow is not certain of their involvement. Peridot quickly has the gems discard of the communicator as Yellow has sent a transmission to have it explode. The gems are over the moon about Peridot revealing her true allegiance to them. Steven especially is elated. Steven asks Peridot if she knows what this means? Peridot says that she is a traitor to her home world. Steven and Garnet respond that actually…

Final Score Time

Additions to the Lore: We learn Peridot’s full Gem name/designation. We are introduced to both Yellow Diamond and her pearl.

Geek References: Steven looks too similar to Kenny McCormick from South Park in one scene for it to be coincidence. Also, Queen of the Broadway stage, Patti Lupone, is the voice of Yellow Diamond.

Queer References: Pearl and Steven have a short back and forth demonstrating a common micro-aggression where a member of a majority assumes two members of the minority know one another simply because they both are of the same minority.

Final thought: This was a fantastic episode. It was very constant action, with great visuals. Steven got to show a greater emotional range than usual, and the sequencing was very tight. There was great humor, a stage legend got to shine in a voice acting role, and we got a true cathersis-gasm from Peridot. Oh and did I mention, PERIDOT IS NOW OFFICIALLY A CRYSTAL GEM? For appealing to every fan-boy fiber of my being, this episode gets 5 gems out of 5.

Next Episode: “Log Date 7 15 2”, Jan. 8 @ 5:30pm EST

Please feel free to add things I missed, your reactions, theories, and whatever else you’d like in the comments!