Episode Followup: Reunited

Gosh this one was a doozy. Sorry I'm a little late, folks. It was a long time coming, and it's here! Ruby and Sapphire's wedding has finally happened! Let's see how it turned out after the break.

One thing I've always loved about this show is that the title cards always show the episode's setting, or at least the first scene's. Does the episode start at the beach, the barn, in space, or elsewhere? The title card will tell you. So apparently this episode takes place in a void...

Oh, it's a song void! The orchestra tunes up and we are treated to Steven singing about the messed-up history of the gem on his belly.

But heck to all that! It's a wedding day!

The wedding cake is a Together Breakfast! Every episode in the show was leading up to this!

It's Steven's classic intro pose!

"Okay Sapphire, I've gotta get dressed for the big day now so no peeking! And no future vision neither!"

These two are so adorable. The best. To the point of making Steven channel Mabel Pines.

"It's the nicest thing I own!"

I'm so happy Bismuth just got right back up to speed with the goings-on of the Crystal Gems again. Here's hoping she doesn't end up bubbled again. I mean, yeah, Uzo Aduba might be a big name actress, but she can make time for us, right?

"Maybe I shouldn't've picked up roses. Might be a little controversial."

Look, I know you guys aren't exactly thrilled with Rose right now, but think about this. If it weren't for her, none of you would've been together right now. Garnet would've never formed, Amethyst would probably be space dust as the kindergarten was cannibalized when the Earth was turned into a hollow mesh, Pearl and Bismuth would've been stuck fulfilling every whim of their diamonds, and Steven, nay all the humans, would be long gone.
So yeah, it's a shame Rose never let the Crystal Gems in on her secret identity. But she wasn't evil.

But enough about that, let's do a fun little dance!

Aww, Peridot. Is this the first time she's been back here since Back to the Kindergarten?

Yikes, I hope that pipe isn't connected to anything important. Hopefully just the lake Peridot and Steven created.

"We could think about long lost friends we wish we were inviting..."

Oh hey, Lapis. I guess she didn't leave the barn (or the moon) after all. She can fly to another galaxy if she needs to... but I guess something on Earth is keeping her anchored.

"We could think about the broken gems in the Cluster at the planet's core, or we can think about the bubble we made so that they can't be hurt any- they can't be hurt anymore!"

Huh, I never thought of it that way. I always thought the bubble was protecting the Earth from the Cluster... but it's also protecting the cluster from having to face the horrible injustice that has been done to them. They don't want to destroy the Earth. They don't want to be a geoweapon. They had no choice in this fusion. As long as they're bubbled, they're safe from it all.

I wonder if Steven views the bubbled corruptions in the same way.

But now that the song that masterfully reminds us of all the pieces in play is winding down, that picture of Garnet reminds us that it's time for the ceremony! Do you think Ruby and Sapphire will both wear white?

Guess not! Sapphire's looking snappy in her tux! (Don't say "it suits her", don't say "it suits her", puns are bad) Uh... looks... good! (sigh)
I love the little touches, like the gloves that don't cover her gem. This must be a shape-shifted outfit!

Wow, they invited the whole town! Well, not the whole town. Suitcase Sam and all the unnamed boardies aren't here, but all the (available) plot-relevant Beach City citizens are here! Onion's family, The Maheswarans, Uncle Andy, Jamie, the Deweys, the Frymans, the Millers, the Pizzas, Mr. Smiley, and Nanefua's bodyguards! Oh and Lion. Can't forget Lion. Doesn't look like there's any clear delineation between the bride and groom side, but I guess that makes sense since almost everyone here until today only knew the happy couple as Garnet.

And another of Steven's classic poses. And an impressively-held note! Zach Callison shows off how far and how talented he's grown during this series.

Sheesh Peridot, watch the arm! You almost made Peedee and Ronaldo orphans with that throw!

Let's start a petition now. When the next Steven Universe soundtrack album comes out, this guitar arrangement of Stronger Than You must be on it!

Ohhhhhh! Ruby is so adorable! I want this face as a sticker so I can stick it everywhere and see it all day! And I love the decision to have Ruby, the "masculine" one, be the one who wants to wear the dress. Ruby is a tomboy through and through, but when her feminine side shows, she doesn't hide it. She owns it. Her gender doesn't constrain her personality, and her personality doesn't define her gender. Yes, Ruby and Sapphire are agendered space rocks. But they present as female. They identify each other as female. They are unarguably coded as female, no matter how they act. This is a gay, lesbian wedding. Deal with it, censors!

"Dearly belovéd gems, humans..."

-Reflecting on how their life has lead them from moving into a home near the sleepy town of Beach City, DV, to being at a wedding where "human" is an important distinction.-

"... lions big and small..."

Of course Garnet's cat, Cat Steven, would be here! I wonder if he'll end up playing a bigger role in the series, or if he'll just stay Garnet's cat. Hey, even gem warriors need their support pets. And Lion... what are you eating? Is that like... a baby alligator? Andy, don't just sit there! Get that away from him!

"... living gourds...."

Pumpkin is adorable as always. Speaking of lifeforms Steven accidentally created, it's a bit of a shame they didn't invite any of the Watermelon Stevens. Garnet did help save their entire civilization...

"... Onion."

Yup, he definitely doesn't fit into any of the previous categories. Wait, is he eating? Onion didn't used to eat! He used to just make a mess! Even Onion's character is evolving this episode!

Ahh, the Temple fusion, gazing out onto the beach, silently providing her blessing for the wedding. I wonder if we'll ever get to see her in action.

"Not even the diamonds will come between us! And if they try, we'll beat 'em up!"

Foreshadowing~~~
But seriously, hold onto this line for later.

"Ruby. My future used to look like one single, obvious stream, unbending 'til the end of time. In an instant, you pulled me from that destiny, and opened my eye to an explosion of infinite possible futures! Streaking across space and time! Altered and obliterated by the smallest force of will!"

A beautiful speech with beautiful visuals. The background painters are always on point.

"You changed my life. And then, I changed your life. And now, we change our lives."

How many of you are going to work that into your wedding vows?
But this is what made me so confused when Garnet broke apart at the beginning of the week. Yes, Rose Quartz was the catalyst that lead to all of this, and she was the bow tying it together at the end. But Ruby and Sapphire's love comes from this. That Sapphire thought she was a prisoner of the future until Ruby set her free. That Ruby felt like a disposable soldier until Sapphire showed her she was special. The foundations of Garnet are built on Ruby and Sapphire, and they have nothing to do with Rose Quartz! Garnet was never held together by a lie.

Aww, Bismuth is such a big softie.

Red and Blue. Gold and Silver. Ruby and Sapphire. ... Diamond and Pearl. Has this whole series just been one long Pokémon reference?

"Then by the power vested in me by the state of Delmarva, I now pronounce you Garnet!"

Huh, he got ordained by the state? He has been planning this for a while, hasn't he?

Several years ago...
And then...
And here we are.
And here we go! FU-SION! FU-SION! FU-SION!

Ooh, butterflies! Here comes a thought...

Garnet's back! Ruby and Sapphire are reunited! That's the wedding and the episode sorted, folks. Nothing went wrong and everyone is happy! The Crewniverse did a great job designing this outfit, too! A perfect fusion of a tux and a wedding dress. How many of you are going to wear a similar outfit to your wedding?

And the reception! Everyone's already grouped up and chatting. Looks like Mr. Smiley and Connie's parents left early. The two restaurant owners are hanging out. Looks like Uncle Andy and Yellowtail are bonding. Dewey's trying his (nonexistent) chances with Pearl, who seems to be being polite with her rejection. Bismuth seems to like Ronaldo's ceremonial armor. I wonder what Vidalia and the smol gems are talking about!

Ooh the bouquet toss! The Pizza sisters have the height advantage, and it'd be sweet if Sadie caught it, but I'm rooting for Connie. Just to see the look she and Steven would exchange afterwards. After all, the tradition is, the bachelorette that catches the bouquet will soon be married! Ok, place your bets! Gooooo Connie!

Err... never mind.

Aww Jamie. You know you never had a chance, and today really demonstrated why. But feelings are feelings, and it's hard to get rid of them.

Aww Dewey. Not only is Nanefua doing your job fantastically well, but your bodyguards took to her instantly. Though, they had to. That's their job. Still, it must be rough. You held that position for so long, and it's not like Beach City was worse for your mayorship. Sigh, it's awful to feel so down at a wedding.

Oh well, at least these two can commiserate with each other. That ... wait, no fandom, no! I know what you're thinking!

No, don't! I mean I guess we don't know for sure, but Jamie might be half Dewey's age! Dewey was Jamie's boss back in Historical Friction! It's a bad dynamic!

Oh no, look what you did, Crewniverse. It's inevitable now. Ok, fine. At least use the name "Damie" for the ship. The other obvious name is... not good.

"What a wonderful idea. Humans found a way to make a moment's decision last forever. I don't need Future Vision to know I'll always remember this!"

This episode has so many good lines. The tradition of marriage has had a long and crazy history throughout humanity, but nowadays it boils down to this. A huge celebration of a couple's love and devotion.

Ha ha! Bismuth caught the bouquet! But who would she marry? Pearl? Greg? She is kinda their type... Oh boy.

But uh oh! Garnet's had her third eye closed! She was having so much fun living in the moment that she didn't notice the oncoming threat!

As a last bit of cuteness in the face of the oncoming storm, here's Andy being mesmerized by Peridot's metal powers. I'm happy to see the two of them bonding!

Yes Onion, they see it.

Ohhhhhh no.
So ok while we're here, I've got some questions about how these ships are like... laid out. So clearly the Diamonds operate them, right? But like, do they have a large crew, or is it just their pearls onboard with them? Where are they piloted from, the palm? The wrist? The elbow? One of the fingers? They move like actual hands. Very cool.

"Nanefua! Get on your Nana Phone!"

Yeah we've made this joke before. I'm just happy to hear it said out loud.

See, like, this makes me wonder. It'd make sense if it was piloted from the palm, but then you'd think the pilot would avoid doing things like this. The ship doesn't even make a fist. It just smacks the ground and starts tearing into it.

"Maybe a lullaby will help!" *Plays a scale* "Uh, I'm not sure this is gonna w-" *Steven snoring*

What can I say? The man's a master of his craft. Rose Quartz didn't fall in love with him for nothing.

THE SKY IS FILLED WITH DEAD PEOPLE'S HANDS

This is getting out of hand. Now there are three of them!

Everyone's looking on in horror, but not Bismuth. She's busy figuring out how she's going to tear out every scrap of metal making up those ships.

"Attention citizens of Beach City! Everyone get to your designated shelters!"

Might want to widen your scope, Nanefua! If the Cluster's awake, the whole world is in danger!

A HA! I knew it! Ronaldo is NOT a useless character! While everyone's distracted by the gems, RONALDO WILL SAVE THE WORLD!

Yeah, that's probably for the best, Peedee.

BOOM! The Diamonds think they're so smart and so powerful, but they didn't count on Steven being able to get to the Cluster before they did and befriend it. They thought the Cluster would destroy Earth, but it's quite the opposite. Because when it comes to the Earth...

IT IS DEFENDED.

Epic handshake! So it looks like the Cluster has this all wrapped up! While Yellow Diamond's ship is tangled with it, the Crystal Gems can board it and... wait, I forgot something didn't I.

Oh right.
It's time, everybody. We finally get to see Blue Diamond fight.

"Guess it's time to work the old Universe charm!" "NO!"

Hey, be fair, you guys. He has seduced a diamond before.

"This is Pink's world! How dare you use it as your hiding place! Come! Answer for what you've done!"

B-but yeah, she doesn't really seem to be in a "charm" kind of mood.

Steven and Peridot are hesitant, but not Connie. This is what she's been training for. Today, she kills a Diamond.

"C'mon, you rocks! Let's put her in a bubble!"

This is a long time coming. They're taking her down. No shattering, but Blue Diamond is not walking away from this. Not without 6 gemstones scattered on the beach.

"Right!"

Nearly six thousand years of combat and isolation ends tonight. The Crystal Gems vs. Blue Diamond.

And after Steven's negotiation tactic fails, we have Alexandrite! Pity Bismuth didn't join in the fusion as well, but introducing a new fusion now would've been... a bit much.

"You cannot fathom how much I've mourned! What thousands of years of grief has done to me!"

Well yes but it's all a misunderstanding, you'll see! Diamonds live practically forever. What's a few thousand years of grief between friends, eh?

Ah, that's what thousands of years of grief has done. She's weaponized it. It was even enough to pop Alexandrite!

But it only affects Gems, not humans! This is Connie's chance! We all knew this girl was going to save the world, and that time is now!

The last thing Blue Diamond will ever see.

Oh come on! That sword was sharp enough to cut through Pink Diamond with no problem, how can Blue Diamond stop it so easily? This was Connie's moment! Robbed!

"Blue Diamond!" "Who are you supposed to be?" "I am the will of two gems to care for each other! To protect each other from any threat, no matter how vast or how cruel! You couldn't stop me 5,750 years ago, and you can't stop me now."

Mmm, those delicious strains of Stronger Than You breaking into the music. The grief may have split Alexandrite, but not Garnet. Why? You remember what Ruby said. She meant it. Not even the Diamonds will come between them. And if they try...

"It's you! That Ruby and Sapphire that disrupted my court."

Yup. I wonder how big a disruption that ended up being. You ordered Ruby broken, Blue Diamond. And now she's gonna break you!

"RRRGH! This is supposed to be my day!"

Another great line. Garnet shouldn't have to be forced to suffer a Diamond invasion on her wedding day!

Lapis is back! She's reunited with the Crystal Gems! Now the barn needs to be reunited with the ground. What was Steven's advice? "You could drop the barn on the beach and then we'd all be neighbors!"

Well it got dropped alright. Bit harder than necessary, really, but it got the job done. One Diamond down, one to go!

"If they're gonna punish me like a Crystal Gem, I might as well be one!"

YES! Lapis is finally on the team! Do your job right here and there won't be anyone to punish you!

That little look from Amethyst. She knows how torn up Peridot was when Lapis left. Now they're both happy she's back.

"Lapis Lazuli! Does every gem that comes in contact with this planet turn traitor?!"

Aw c'mon she's not poofed? But still, that's a pretty interesting observation there. The only gems we know that set foot on Earth and didn't betray Homeworld (or get corrupted) were Blue Pearl (as far as we know) and the Rubies. Jasper held out a while though. Although uh... you're standin' on it now, Blue.

"I've felt worse."

Badass. You think she's referring to her time as Malachite, or her time on the Moon? Or both? It's one thing to mourn the loss of a dear friend. It's another to mourn the loss of everything you've known.

These are the Crystal Gems. Pearl. Connie. Lion. Bismuth. Amethyst. Lapis Lazuli. Peridot. Garnet. And Steven! I didn't point it out earlier, but Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst are all using Bismuth's weapon mods! And don't you just love how Connie, even though she's been disarmed and is just a human at this point, is still 100% in this fight?

So I've been wondering about this shield. It's Rose Quartz's shield. We know it's the same as when she used it. And she summoned it from her gem, just like Steven does. But that's Pink Diamond's gem. So this is Pink Diamond's shield. Shouldn't Blue Diamond recognize Pink's shield? Unless Blue's never seen it...
I wonder... maybe summoning weapons from your gem was something the Crystal Gems themselves discovered? If memory serves, the only Homeworld gems we've seen do that are Jasper, Eyeball, and Holly Blue Agate. We know Eyeball and Jasper fought in the war for Earth, and Holly Blue is likely to be old enough to been involved as well. They may have picked it up by seeing the Crystal Gems do it. What do you think, is there any merit to that theory?

What's Peridot doing? Her best.

Dang, Blue is really holding her own here. Even with the Crystal Gems coming at her from all angles, she's still handling the situation.

And Peridot is still doing her best. Which is pretty cool, actually. I'm proud of her.

"You got guts, Tiny! Let me give you a hand!"

And so is Bismuth! Turns out Peridot is the key to turning this tide!

Connie might not have a weapon of her own anymore, but she and Lion are an unstoppable force.

Check it out. Bismuth, Pearl, Amethyst, no damage. Lion's roar staggers her. Garnet breaks her defensive stance, and Steven lands the final blow. And that, my friends, is how you take out a Diamond.

Of course it helps to have a giant Cluster hand on your side. Looks like Yellow Diamond lost the arm-wrestling bout! And her loss...

Does not go well for Blue Diamond. Crushed by her own bad parking job. Yikes.

"The house!" "Don't worry, I can fix it!" "My dad!" "Uh ohhh..."

Don't worry, Steven can fix it! He might just be a little pink afterwards...
Also I can't wait to see Bismuth's repair work. I hope she puts a little gem architectural style into it!

Ah, phew, Greg and Cat Steven are alright. No extra pink zombies need to be made today!

"I like you Peridot. You don't quit!"

Yes yes yes but don't you have a gem to bubble? Don't let her reform, now!

Oh, huh, ok. I guess maybe the pilot is in the palm. Or did she just smash her way along the arm to get to the palm?

Boss battle phase two: Yellow Diamond. Take her down, Crystal Gems! Just like Blue!

Aww, what!? She's still not poofed? Sheesh, how much can a Diamond take? Somebody better get poofed around here!

"Hah. I told her off once. I can do it again. Hey! Yellow Clod! Remember me?!"

Classic Peridot. She's the only one who can stare down two Diamonds and think "Why not hurl insults at them? This is the best idea!"
She also probably thinks she looks intimidating in that dress.
But she is not. She is the cutest thing ever.

"No."

For Peridot, telling off Yellow Diamond was the most important day in her life. For Yellow Diamond, it was just Thursday. Yellow probably completely forgot the incident even before the communicator exploded.

Ok, yes, I did specifically request a poofing, but can I make it more specific? I wanted a Diamond to get poofed.

NO WAIT WAIT WAIT NOT THAT ONE

Nobody panic, Steven's just dead. M-maybe he can cry on himself and make himself a pink zombie?

Oh great. Lapis is down too! She was their heaviest hitter!

Ah ha, the Diamonds are here too. If they can't be poofed in the normal plane, maybe they can be poofed in the astral plane!

"I'm not sure, but I think it's a classic psychic ghost type situation." "Ah. Of course!"

It's great how quickly they get on the same wavelength. Maybe it's time to bring out the big guns! FU-SION! FU-SION! FU-SION!

Aw ok, I guess he does have to go it alone, what with Connie not actually being in this realm.  Sigh.

"I do it for me!"

It's a bit of a shame this is over so quickly. I think this is a fantastic development for Pearl. The reminder that she isn't just living for others. She's living and fighting for herself. The Diamonds are her oppressors too.

Huh, in this plane, the Crystal Gems are all the same height... but the Diamonds tower above them.

"How miserable. I knew Pink couldn't handle her own colony. But, I gave in. And now, I'm to blame for her fate."

This show wouldn't be Steven Universe if it didn't attempt to empathize with the villains as well. Turns out Yellow Diamond really does care for Pink, and has been blaming herself all along! What she told Blue was a lie. She hasn't moved on. She's just better at hiding it.

"What good will any of this do? The more I make these gems suffer, the more I long to see you again, Pink!"

I... do not know how to parse that at all. Is Blue Diamond secretly more cruel than Yellow?

"Please, Blue. You're being hysterical. Moreso than usual."

Um, rude. Yellow definitely has less tact.

Y'know, it makes sense that he'd be able to do this. He is a Diamond after all. This is a power the Diamonds just used on him... maybe it charged his gem and unlocked this ability?

So wait, what? D-did it work? Are they just going to accept him now?

"It's you! Pink!"

So wait, is that it? The battle's over? A-are the Diamonds just going to be Steven's new aunts now?
But .... then where will the source of conflict be?
Is this the climax of the whole series? Is all that's left is just getting the Diamonds up to speed on what's been happening on Earth all this time?
Or are the Diamonds going to still object to something about the Crystal Gems? Are they going to try to extract Pink's gem from Steven?
Or heck, maybe White Diamond won't be as forgiving. Maybe she'll need further convincing. Though, Steven would have Blue and Yellow on his side for that.

Oh, of course! There's still one villain at large to be a big threat in the future: Emerald!

Either way, we'll find out in September! (I hope!) See you then!