My Top Ten Episodes of "Steven Universe"

You know what?  I'm just going to treat the recently aired "Steven Universe: the Movie" as the series finale.  If more episodes come along at some point, that's fine, but Cartoon Network has been terrible about providing updates and I'm ready to move on.  So as is tradition whenever I finish a longer series, here are my top ten episodes of "Steven Universe," ordered by airdate.

Moderate spoilers ahead.

"Cat Fingers" - What drew me into the show initially was how weird it was willing to get.  Along with "Together Breakfast" and "Frybo," "Cat Fingers" demonstrated how the misuse of Gem magic could create these nightmare monsters and body horror scenarios.  And having tiny cats for hands definitely qualifies. It's a shame that the later seasons would rarely get this delightfully strange again.   

"Giant Woman" - Opal is my favorite fusion, because she's such a beautifully designed character, voiced by Aimee Mann, and she's introduced so perfectly in this episode.  Steven's song to persuade Amethyst and Pearl to fuse is a great earworm, and it's fun to see the two Odd Couple gems bicker and make up. The backgrounds and new creature designs for this episode are also especially eye-catching   

"Maximum Capacity" - This might be an odd choice for favorite Amethyst episode, but I like the way that it sets out such a relatable problem.  Amethyst and Greg's relationship is fraught with unresolved issues, and spending time together inadvertently brings them out. I like the way that the first season gradually reveals bits and pieces of the Gems' past, even in the middle of seemingly mundane situations like this.

"Rose's Scabbard" - A big mythology episode that answers some questions and raises others.  More importantly, this is the episode where we first get some of Pearl's history with Rose and the massive impact that the relationship and loss still has on her.  Pearl is one of the show's most interesting and troubling characters, and this was only the beginning of her deep, dark secrets being uncovered.   

"Jail Break" - Our first introduction to Ruby and Sapphire, Garnet's best fight and song number, and the conclusion to the show's first big story arc.  This was also the episode that made it clear that we weren't always going to get clean victories, as the clearly redeemable Lapis ended up in limbo along with the big villain, Jasper.  Frankly, with all the big reveals and meaningful developments, I'm not sure the show ever got better than this.  

"Sworn to the Sword" - Pearl's unhealthy obsession with Rose rears its head again in this episode, where she trains Connie.  I love all the visual references to "Revolutionary Girl Utena" in the sword fighting scenes, which was a big influence on some of the show's imagery.  And I like Pearl here, who clearly has a long way to go in healing, but is at least starting to process and share some of her emotions.

"Steven Floats" - It's literally a whole episode of Steven stuck in one of his bubbles, learning how to control his powers.  I like the slow, contemplative pace, and the lovely visuals. Mostly I just like having a more minimalist, thoughtful episode where we get to have some time with Steven on his own.  Even though he's grown up a lot, he's still a kid who wants to be on time for the first donut of the day.  

"Gem Heist" - This is part of the run of episodes where Steven goes to space and meets more of the Homeworld Gems.  Here, the Crystal Gems have to pretend to be in their original roles to infiltrate the Zoo, so we get more of a sense of the Homeworld hierarchy, represented by Holly Blue Agate.  There's a palpable sense of danger and mystery here, but also of new possibilities opening up in the story.

"Sadie Killer" - The episodes featuring Steven's human friends often feel like filler, but I found Sadie's whole storyline with the band a great watch.  I'd fully support a spinoff that just follows her and the Suspects touring Delmarva and writing their macabre songs. This is the episode where Sadie takes her big leap, saying goodbye to the Big Donut and embracing something that she clearly loves.     

"A Single Pale Rose" - The big, freaking secret is finally out, and the nice part is that Pearl has grown up enough that she doesn't make it about her.  I love seeing the strange architecture of her mind and all the pieces finally falling into place about Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond. The fallout for Steven doesn't really kick in until subsequent episodes, but this was a nice bookend for Pearl's arc.    

---