Back to the Moon (Steven Universe Season 3 Episode 23) - 'Toon Reviews 23

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Back to the Moon

It’s astonishing that the last four cartoons of this season amount to just one day filled with a lot for Steven and the others to take in.  We’ve already seen another Kindergarten, a new fusion, and Jasper falling to corruption. The end of the last cartoon promised to add even more big moments with the Homeworld Rubies from “Hit the Diamond” held hostage.  This cartoon follows that one up with more exposition which isn’t that exciting.  Still it has plenty of charm, and even emotion. 

For one thing, when Steven suggests asking the Rubies why they’re back, a system is put in place to distinguish their personalities.  They’re given their own names from their Gem placement.  Leggy is very nervous and the most childish.  Army only wants to fight.  Navy is soft-spoken and seems friendly.  Eyeball is mysterious and threatening, especially since she barely had any lines last time.  Their leader Doc answers the question of why they're back.  They’re here for Jasper and know Steven’s claim that she was on Neptune was a lie.  It’s here where their mission is taken seriously instead of a punchline of an impromptu game. 

The Rubies’ unintelligence is still prominent as Amethyst shapeshifts into Jasper.  Even though “Jasper” is a totally different color, they fall for the trick and obvious cover ups so she can stay on Earth with her friends posing as “prisoners.”  That’s pretty much all there is to this cartoon.  It’s just Amethyst pretending to be Jasper and the Homeworld Rubies falling for it which gets pretty old after a while.  It’s still entertaining with are a few funny moments of Steven, Garnet and Pearl going along with the lie, complete with entertainingly bad acting.  It also has Amethyst show some responsibility.  It’s not good for a Gem to hold a shapeshifted pose for a long time, and her strain shows.  However, for all the time this season she’s felt weak, Amethyst’s act shows her true strength by performing the ability she loves the most for the greater good.  Basically, the long sequence of the Rubies believing a lie has plenty of merit. 

It also brings the cartoon’s biggest reveal, tying into Jasper saying Rose did to her Diamond, Pink Diamond.  The Rubies have to take “Jasper” to Earth’s moon base to inform the Diamonds on Homeworld that she’s ok.  When there, they pass by its murals. Eyeball, who had idolized “Jasper” the most, draws attention to Pink Diamond’s mural.  She discusses that Earth was Pink Diamond’s colony as well as how Rose’s rebellion halted the great progress on the planet.  It finally went too far when Rose shattered Pink Diamond.  This bit of news adds a whole new perspective on Rose Quartz.  She was said to value all life, yet took a life to settle something.  You can tell how much pain this leaves on Homeworld Gems like Jasper and the Rubies, but Steven deserves a mention too.  He’s always wanted to know what his mom was like and only heard about how great she was.  It feels hard for him to digest that she became a murderer, and not long after learning she refused to use a weapon that could shatter Diamonds too. 

As for the Jasper ploy, it seems like all is well with the moon base’s communication panel still wrecked from an earlier cartoon.  The Rubies are about to leave, but they catch Amethyst breaking from her form, and their attack as a fusion and an open door propel Steven and the Rubies into space.  This is where more about their feelings on Pink Diamond are revealed in the next cartoon. 

For this one, as far as exposition-heavy cartoons go, it stands out for its noteworthy character moments and genuine shock.

A-

The Ranking

1. Mr. Greg
2. Earthlings
3. Bismuth
4. Monster Reunion
5. Crack the Whip
6. Gem Hunt
7. Greg the Babysitter
8. Alone at Sea
9. Gem Drill
10. Super Watermelon Island
11. Too Short to Ride
12. Beach City Drift
13. Steven vs Amethyst
14. Barn Mates
15. Back to the Moon
16. Beta
17. Hit the Diamond
18. Same Old World
19. Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service
20. Steven Floats
21. Restaurant Wars
22. The New Lars
23. Drop Beat Dad

The next and last review for Steven Universe Season 3 features Steven and one of the Rubies floating in a bubble where heavy drama ensues.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews, we start a brand new review set on Hilda.

If you would like to check out other Steven Universe reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.