In the twenty-second episode of the third season of Steven Universe, Steven tries to cheer up Amethyst with a visit to the barn. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Steven Universe.Â
I REALLY LIKED THIS EPISODE AND IT DID SO MANY THINGS ALL AT ONCE. Let’s talk!
The Barn
I’m gonna be bitter at the start of this because “Beta” immediately shows me how cool it is that Peridot and Lapis were given a chance to grow into complicated characters. Yeah, BISMUTH SHOULD BE HERE. (I will die on this hill.) I just… look, the barn sequence is one of the most character-rich segments in this whole show. In the span of five minutes, we’re updated on a ridiculous amount of character development. Not only are Peridot and Lapis friends now, but they’ve built an incredible space to co-habit in. They watch television together. THEY CREATE ART (called “meep morps”) AND DISPLAY IT AND LABEL IT AND IT’S AMAZING. COLLABORATIVE PIECES! How am I supposed to deal with this???
It’s good storytelling because it fills in enough blanks to let our imaginations run wild. We’re given the right information: the visual changes to the barn; the rapport between these two characters; the varied tones in their voices. All of these things show us that these two have grown closer, that they’ve accepted their circumstances and tried to build something new. THAT’S SO EXCITING.
Resentment
And yet, all of these details unknowingly contribute to something else: Amethyst feeling worse about herself. Again, not Peridot and Lapis’s fault. Amethyst just sees a glaring contrast: She’s been training so hard to defeat Jasper, and Lapis and Peridot have been… making modern art. (WHICH I LOVE.) Yeah, I totally get why Amethyst was entirely bored by everything in the barn. How could she not feel this way?
There Was An Attempt
Look, I was already blown away by the character development given to Peridot and Lapis. Then, Peridot tried to genuinely cheer up Amethyst, and I was done. That’s important, y’all: it’s genuine. Yes, she fails to cheer her up initially, but this is a moment where intent is important. Peridot never would have behaved this way back when she met the Crystal Gems. NOW SHE CARES ABOUT THEM A GREAT DEAL, ESPECIALLY AMETHYST.
The decision to take Amethyst to Jasper’s Kindergarten seemed… bad? Like, there was no way this was going to end well. I understood Peridot’s intentions, of course. If she could show Amethyst that Jasper came from one of the worst Kindergartens ever, then perhaps she could help Amethyst regain her confidence and stop obsessing over defeating Jasper. I thought it was clever that despite Peridot’s growth, she still does that thing where she overshares and rattles off facts as if they’re comforting when they’re totally not. Here, she keeps pointing out evidence of how Jasper’s kindergarten, hastily constructed out of desperation, could only produce flawed gems.
EXCEPT THAT THE HOLE JASPER EMERGED FROM IS PERFECT SO WHOOPS. The message here still rules, though: Amethyst can choose to be who she wants. Indeed, that’s the main theme of the Crystal Gems! They resist being programmed; they resist destiny. Of course, Amethyst chooses to rekindle her obsession with Jasper, and now that she’s LITERALLY IN THE PLACE WHERE JASPER HAS BEEN AMASSING A CORRUPT-GEM ARMY, I’m sure it’s about to happen.
THIS IS GONNA BE A MESS, ISN’T IT. I’m scared.
The video for “Beta” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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