Since the return of Steven Universe and the launch of its new season, we’ve seen Steven astrally project himself into little watermelon Stevens in “ Watermelon Island,” eliminate the Cluster threat with the power of love and understanding in “ Gem Drill,” and reach the heart of a tired cynic in “ Same Old World.” In trailers, previews, and sneak peeks for new Steven Universe episode “ Barn Mates,” we see Peridot struggling to win Lapis over as a roommate, starring Steven as an intermediator. Does Peridot succeed?
The episode starts with Peridot rehearsing a winning speech to Lapis, ready and willing to move on from the past. But Lapis immediately says it won’t work and refuses to even try to compromise. It doesn’t take long for Lapis to get to the crux of her problems with Peridot: “You used me like everyone else did!”
Peridot blushes with what could be shame or embarrassment, but insists that things are different now. And they are: as she points out, she’s sabotaged her own mission, helped save the Earth, and called Yellow Diamond a clod. Lapis doesn’t care. She addresses Steven with gentle regret, then launches herself to the other side of the property.
The problem is that Peridot has moved on from her past, rejecting it with the same full-throttle, all-or-nothing spirit she initially brought to her mission on Earth. She’s indisputably changed, and by her own decision. She’s okay with changing; she’s even proud of it. But Peridot has always been a sucker for validation and recognition. When she imagines other people responding to her, it’s always in a huge way. She’s not a mere rebel, she’s Public Enemy #1. Lapis won’t just like her, she’ll admire her. Peridot expected that Yellow Diamond would understand and acknowledge her logic in “ Message Received,” but the only validation she received was from Steven, a profound understanding that changed Peridot’s allegiance forever.
So that’s why Peridot not only wants, but needs Lapis to acknowledge the change in her. She wants validation from her fellow Gem, an indication that the enormous, painful changes she’s gone through are just as notable on the outside too.
But Lapis, who was dragged from Homeworld by Peridot as an informant, hasn’t moved on from her past. She hasn’t had the chance. Between months spent keeping Jasper drowned in an abusive fusion, and months before that as Jasper and Peridot’s prisoner-informant, and the centuries trapped in a mirror before that, Lapis has barely had time to breathe, let alone come to terms with her traumatic history. Her deep affection for Steven keeps her on Earth, but Peridot is the unwelcome, annoying reminder of a past Lapis can’t seem to shed.
So Steven decides to help Peridot write Lapis a sincere apology card. Lapis, relaxing on the roof of the silo, is jolted out of pleasant solitude by Peridot’s eager screeching (as always, huge props to Peridot’s voice actress, Shelby Rabara). Only when Steven hesitantly calls out to her does Lapis respond -- to Steven and Steven alone. But the card, which apologizes for interrogating Lapis and then thanks Lapis for possessing such useful information, doesn’t go over too well.
Neither Peridot nor Steven seem to understand why, so they try to brainstorm other things Lapis might like in order to give her a gift. In a humorous bit, they hum and mutter in separate but simultaneous speculation, neither of them completing a full sentence but both in full understanding of the other. They settle on something watery. Cut to Steven and Peridot hopefully showing off the small lake they’ve created where the Drill penetrated the Earth.
Lapis reacts… badly.
“You do realize that I spent the last few months trapped under the ocean, right? It was an endless, crushing darkness, wet and bleak and suffocating. Water was the tomb I lived in for those months,” she says, flatly but with great intensity. (Big ups to Jennifer Paz’s voice work here.) After reassuring Steven that it’s not his fault, Lapis flies off. Steven and Peridot go back to the drawing board.
The last idea they try is giving Lapis something that’s important to Peridot . But Peridot is frustrated that nothing seems important enough. “Log date, whatever. Facet, whatever. (Groans) WHATEVER!” she yells into her tape recorder. Ultimately, she decides to give Lapis her tape recorder, wrapped in a little box with a blue ribbon on it.
Blue for Lapis, see? “I gotcho number!”
Lapis stares without taking the gift, so Peridot unwraps it for her, explaining how the tape recorder made her feel better by helping her to cope with the strangeness happening around her. She offers it to Lapis… who takes it in her hand, stares at it, presses record, hisses “I don’t. Want. Your garbage,” and crushes it. There’s a close-up of the tape recorder, which has “Keep out!!!!!!!!” and a little alien face drawn next to it in an endearingly childish way that makes Lapis’ action seem even more painfully cruel.
Peridot screams, “Were you trapped in a tape recorder too?!” and Lapis visibly flinches with anger. Peridot pours out her feelings, about how the Earth doesn’t quite feel like home, about feeling alone and about how she and Lapis are actually the same in that way. But when she asks Lapis what Lapis wants from her, promising solemnly to do whatever Lapis asks, Lapis yells that she wants the other Gem to leave. So Peridot, looking hurt but determined, says “Okay” and tromps off across the horizon. Lapis watches Peridot leave with crossed arms.
Steven is disappointed with Lapis for being mean and not even giving Peridot a chance, but Lapis asks why Steven even trusts her. “Because I know her,” says Steven, adding that Lapis should at least get to know her before deciding she doesn’t like her. The point appears to hit home for Lapis, whose gaze shifts to the crushed tape recorder. “Now it’s too late,” Steven says sadly. “And she’s never coming back again.”
Cut to Peridot screaming in the distance, faintly at first, then much louder as Peridot books it back towards the farm. “They’re here!” she screams, running past them into the barn. A Homeworld tracking vessel called a Roaming Eye is scanning the property and Peridot is convinced it’s looking for her. The Roaming Eye chases them out into the open, and a terrified Peridot cringes behind Steven.
That’s when Lapis Lazuli walks forward in front of both of them without speaking.
Using the small lake from earlier to form a giant watery hand, she flicks the Roaming Eye in the face, then gives it a hard pat, smashing it into the Earth. It’s an impressive, casual display of power that stuns Peridot -- and Amethyst, as the Crystal Gems run onto the scene. Peridot quietly slinks away.
Then Lapis asks Peridot if she’s okay, for the first time actually bothering to speak directly to Peridot without contempt. Peridot’s reaction can only be described as a wibble -- eyes huge with teary emotion, a tremendous smile on her face.
Lapis blushes and looks away. Lapidot shippers bang pots and pans in the background. And then a Ruby emerges from the Roaming Eye. End episode!
Lapis has every right to want time and space to herself. As she points out, she was used by Peridot. She doesn’t owe Peridot forgiveness. Peridot owes her an apology -- and has been apologizing , in every way she can. Peridot is ready and willing to prove how much she’s changed by becoming a real friend. She’s asking what she can do, and she’s listening to Lapis’s answers and learning from them.
As for Steven’s pursual of that friendship, Steven is both a child and someone who relies deeply on his support system with others. Steven made friends with the Cluster -- of course he wants Lapis to become friends with Peridot. It makes perfect sense both that Steven might not understand Lapis’ boundaries completely and that he’d want to help her build a support system.
After all, surely the last thing Lapis needs is further isolation. So much of her trauma seems to center around that tomb-like loneliness and painful lack of understanding from others. Peridot may have featured in her past pain, but Peridot can also become key to helping Lapis overcome it. It’s your move, Lapis.
The "In Too Deep" special event for Steven Universe began Thursday May 12 at 7 PM with “ Watermelon Island” and “Gem Drill” back to back, ending next week with “Hit the Diamond.” Cartoon Network has also promised a "Summer of Steven" running June through August. Make sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com after next week’s episode of Steven Universe this Thursday, June 2 at 7 PM, titled “Hit the Diamond.”
