After a cartoon where Lapis Lazuli left such an impactful first appearance, we get a cartoon of the results of Steven setting her free from the mirror she was trapped in for 1000s of years, and it really delivers. What exactly Lapis does is steal all the water from the ocean, and just as before, the Crystal Gems sense that her act is for bad purposes. As for Steven, since he feels guilty for the ocean disappearing, he feels he should fix the mess showing how responsible he’s become. It’s a major step in him owning up to his Crystal Gem role. Plus, Steven’s voyage to retrieve the ocean makes for a great use of characters with the Crystal Gems, and even Lion, Greg, and Connie, all of whom he’s closest to, coming along to support him. They all have their fair share of memorable moments, including giving more to the Crystal Gems’ role of protecting humanity. We learn that the monsters they fought used to be humanoid Gems like them, but they all got their gems corrupted/damaged, not unlike what happened with Amethyst in “An Indirect Kiss,” which made them monstrous. The heart of the issue is that the Crystal Gems intend to help heal them, but all they can do is contain them in bubbles to protect Earth. It really adds a layer to the monster fights we’ve seen. Instead of painting them as one-dimensional creatures of destruction, they’re helpless beings feeling harsh pains. It’s honestly quite tragic, and this information later applies to Lapis. Before we see that, we get a further glimpse at her water powers as she fights back against the entire group in a battle filled with great moments from each of Steven’s allies. As for Steven himself, he settles it all by stopping the fight with the aid of his shield, summoned for the first time since the premiere. Even more proving of Steven’s capability is him taking the initiative to talk to Lapis atop her mountain of water. In this beautifully animated space scene with gentile, sympathetic music to back it up, we see how she fits in with all those helpless, damaged Gems as she explains to Steven that she’s using the ocean to get back to her home planet because her gem is cracked, preventing her from going back herself. This moment further fleshes out Lapis by showing that even if she’s in the wrong for stealing the ocean’s water, she has a sensible reason. What’s great about it is that Steven gets her feelings, and in a great turn of events that “An Indirect Kiss” was two cartoons ago, he uses his healing spit to fix the crack in Lapis’ gem allowing her to sprout water wings and fly away home and leave Earth and return its ocean in peace. Then everything is capped off perfectly with all of Beach City praising Steven and the others while the Crystal Gems wonder what’s to come of Lapis getting off the planet leaving signs of more things to happen in the future. As you can tell, this cartoon packs in a lot of greatness with character development, memorable moments, and further looks into the background of Gems. For that, this is easily a high point for the series. 10/10
The Ranking
- Ocean Gem
- Coach Steven
- Mirror Gem
- An Indirect Kiss
- So Many Birthdays
- Steven the Sword Fighter
- Lion 2: The Movie
- Bubble Buddies
- Monster Buddies
- Laser Light Cannon
- Giant Woman
- Lars and the Cool Kids
- Steven’s Lion
- Gem Glow
- Steven and the Stevens
- Rose’s Room
- Cheeseburger Backpack
- Serious Steven
- Joking Victim
- Beach Party
- Cat Fingers
- Tiger Millionaire
- Together Breakfast
- Frybo
- Onion Trade
- Arcade Mania
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode that explores what Greg gets up to following his leg getting broken during this adventure in "House Guest."
If you would like to check out other reviews on this blog, click here for the guide to all the reviews posted so far. 
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