• Episode Followup: Gem Hunt


    Jinkies, a Scooby Doo episode? With Connie!? Well I'm sold! Gas up the Mystery Machine and let's go on a Gem Hunt!



    It's not a Scooby Doo episode after all. It's Connie's first gem mission. Hey, that's even better!

    This episode comes with a heaping helping of Serious Connie. When Connie focuses intensely on something, she can be downright scary!

    I love how Pearl is humoring Steven, but Connie is selling the heck out of her poses. This show is so good at making its characters be expressive in tiny little ways. You can tell right away that Connie is on. She's determined to do her best right now, no matter the task.

    "But it's Connie's first mission! Her parents asked me to take lots of pictures."
     Of course they did. Knowing how these Gem missions go and the effect they have on parents, this is probably Connie's last mission once her parents see those pictures, isn't it.

    "I promise I won't let you down, ma'am!"
    Adorable determination.

    Oh wow. Yup, get a picture of that one, Steven. The last Gem monster Connie's parents will ever allow her to face.

    "Oh, oh, I have an idea! We could split up!"
    No no no, don't split up! There's monsters out there and you want to split up? Connie, I thought... wait, I get it! If Pearl isn't directly watching then you can slip up a bit and she'll never know so she'll never be disappointed! Clever, Connie. Clever!

    How can you say no to those faces? You can't. Even if you should.

    "And who's your favorite gem?" "Pearl..." "Why thank you!"
    You can't blame Pearl for trying. Connie wisely doesn't answer though, 'cause we all know who her favorite Gem is!

    This is too cute. We're gonna miss these days when everything probably goes off the rails this week or next.

    "When civilization collapses and this world ends, I need to be ready to build the new one!"
    Oh, hello Connie's scary side. I hope this isn't foreshadowing...

    "Forget Gems! Humans are already starting their own demise! Peak oil, Steven! How do we handle terminal decline without alternate energy sources?!"
    Don't worry, Connie! The world can start weaning itself off of oil whenever we want!

    "I don't really know how the corruption works. It's like they're sick. They don't remember who they used to be. Maybe they don't even know how to look like themselves anymore."
    Heavy stuff. We've really been starting to dig into corruption recently. We might end up knowing how corruption works by the end of next week.

    This is great. Steven rolls down the hill like a 5-year-old, because he's wonderful. Connie snowboards down the hill on a plank of wood, because she's amazing.

    "Stance wide, body lowered. I've got it, ma'am." "Balance is the key"
    Admit it, this callback made you smile. Does this mean that in Sworn to the Sword, this song was at least partially diegetic?

    "It's about surviving the punishment of nature."
    You need a better sales pitch, Connie. Also this mission only lasts maybe a few hours; you're not going to get scurvy. That's a pretty good face you're making though. Points for that face.

    "Unless it's just some guy in a monster suit. But that kind of thing only happens in cartoons. Usually over a property dispute."
    Ah ha, so it is a Scooby Doo episode!

    "What if it's running... from itself?" "Shhhhh!"
    Yeah, knock off that emo stuff, Steven. Although, I am kinda disappointed that his theory didn't come true. Seeing if Steven could heal a half-corrupted gem would be cool!

    "Hello-ooo you two, how's it going? This weather has really taken a turn for the worse, and I would hate to be responsible for putting you two in danger. Make sure you bundle up with all those extra clothes you brought. Oh! And remember, if you find the monster, don't make any loud, startling noises. Hello? Is anyone there? I'm just going to keep talking until somebody answers!"
    Pearl's dialogue is the best in these radio scenes. She does a great job in the audio support character role. I want her to talk me through a video game now!

    "Connie, what are you doing!?" "I- I don't know! I wasn't prepared for this!"
    Connie is brave. She reacts quickly, and she's willing to throw a rock or a snowball at an enemy monster to keep it from harming someone else. But it's ok, Connie, it's alright to be scared! You're staring down a giant monster you know can shatter trees! You'll think of something, you're Connie!

    "Steven! Connie! Is this because of the 'favorite gem' thing? That was just a joke! Don't tell Garnet."
    Pearl's radio chatter continues to be on point.

    Connie even makes calling for help look epic.

    JASPER! Did Lapis punt her all the way to the arctic?

    Was anyone else really worried that Jasper was going to shatter this gem? I had to look away!

    "JASPER!"
    Pearl, I already said that. Also Steven's been making this tight-lipped expression all throughout this episode, but I think it's at its best in this scene. Steven, as always, you win best face.

    "Hey Rose, look what I got!"
    But Jasper wins best smile. People have pointed out that these gems both look like varieties of Jasper. What would Jasper need with two more Jaspers?

    Steven is never one to miss a good photo op.

    And just like that, she's gone. Again. Again. Again. Again.

    "I thought I'd be ready to fight, but I wasn't! I failed!" "You weren't supposed to fight! You were supposed to call me, and you did. This was a total success!"
    This was exactly what Connie needed to hear. She was disappointed in herself for not being able to take down the corrupted gem, but that's not what Pearl expected her to do! Connie did exactly what she needed to do.

    "Connie's first mission!" "Connie's first mission!"
    This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.

    One last picture for the road. Adorable! Steven looks so happy here. Aren't we all? Connie's first mission is a success! Hopefully her parents let her go on another.

    And one to grow on, folks! I wonder when we're going to find out what Jasper has planned for those two gems she took. Maybe she's just going to chuck them through Steven's window late one night and let them regenerate? We'll find out soon on Steven Universe!