'Toon Reviews 6: Steven Universe Season 1 Episode 38

The Test

For much of this season, Steven has been a little too laid back about developing as a member of the Crystal Gems, hardly taking anything Gem-related seriously.  The great thing about this is that this portrayal ends up leading to him really maturing and taking things way more seriously than before as many of the current cartoons have shown.  Here, Steven’s role as a Gem become an especially big concern when he finds the statue that was supposed to restore the Lunar Sea Spire back in “Cheeseburger Backpack.”  The Crystal Gems indirectly say that the mission back then was a test to see if Steven was ready to regularly join them on missions.  Showing concern that the outcome of that previous mission meant he failed the test, Steven has them give him another test to really prove his worth.  The test itself that makes up most of the cartoon has a lot of interesting elements to it in the form of obstacles Steven runs into as he tries to escape a customized dungeon.  There’s a room with a boulder closing in on Steven with an added challenge of swinging over a gap, a room with floor tiles playing a tune that creates a staircase with a pendulum that swings as Steven climbs it, and a room with a magma floor under a bridge where fire shoots over the tiles.  There’s a lot of imagination in the test as well as intensity, at least in conception.  You see, Steven doesn’t just make his way through the test’s challenges.  He’s also conscious of the difficulty.  He actually investigates the obstacles closely and discovers that the Crystal Gems rigged everything to make him succeed no matter what he did.  This is a problematic moment that gives the impression that the Gems don’t have faith in Steven’s capabilities and that he can’t deal with serious missions, making it easy to sympathize with his frustration.  However, the reveal is followed up by Steven listening on the Crystal Gems conversing about how they know that Steven has advanced a lot as a Gem and just want him to be confident in himself.  This conversation actually adds a layer to the Gems’ relationship with Steven.  They really are aware of his growth and even if it is a cheap move to make the test way too easy for Steven, they have their genuine, understanding, and loving reasons for their actions.  Because of this, it’s great that Steven responds by getting through the whole test by simply walking through each obstacle, and when the Crystal Gems congratulate him, he responds with great enthusiasm about the “intensity” of what he encountered and that it was just what he needed.  It may not be completely true, but it’s heartwarming that he shows that they really do believe in him.  Certain characters’ actions may be questionable, but the heart of the present relationships and imaginative bits add appeal to this cartoon. 9/10

The Ranking

1. Ocean Gem
2. Lion 3: Straight to Video
3. Alone Together
4. Coach Steven
5. Mirror Gem
6. An Indirect Kiss
7. Space Race
8. So Many Birthdays
9. Steven the Sword Fighter
10. Lion 2: The Movie
11. Bubble Buddies
12. Monster Buddies
13. Laser Light Cannon
14. Giant Woman
15. Lars and the Cool Kids
16. The Test
17. Steven’s Lion
18. Watermelon Steven
19. Gem Glow
20. Steven and the Stevens
21. Warp Tour
22. Island Adventure
23. Rose’s Room
24. Cheeseburger Backpack
25. Secret Team
26. House Guest
27. Serious Steven
28. Joking Victim
29. Beach Party
30. Cat Fingers
31. Tiger Millionaire
32. Together Breakfast
33. Fusion Cuisine
34. Frybo
35. Onion Trade
36. Arcade Mania
37. Garnet’s Universe
38. Keep Beach City Weird

Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next episode where we're introduced to another one of Garnet's unique powers, "Future Vision."

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