Pool Hopping (Steven Universe Season 5 Episode 15) - 'Toon Reviews 29

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Pool Hopping

Whether this show is handling development to the underlying plot or slice of life adventures in Beach City, it always manages to leave a positive experience.  The only issue with these topics is that tonally, both types of stories feel like two different shows at once.  One has much more emphasis on drama and tends to raise the stakes more, while the other is mostly light-hearted escapades.  This is why it’s admirable that with the town getting as affected by the attempted abductions at the end of Season 4 as they are, the plot types start feeling much more connected.  This cartoon is one of the best ways to connect them while also providing one of the show’s best emotional experiences. 

After recounting how much has changed in his home town, Steven is surprised to find Garnet suddenly working at the Big Donut.  This unusual occurrence is the first thing to develop a prominent lore element of Garnet’s future vision.  Connecting to its first appearance where she described time as a river, this is more or less what she’s trying to create.  Everything she or others do creates streams of different possibilities to explore.  For that, Garnet is setting out to try many off-the-wall actions to see what alternate realities she can create.  Suddenly taking a job position at the Big Donut is just one of them and makes for a pretty humorous sight and they continue from here.  Through ordering a bunch of pizzas just to give them away to bystanders or posing for one of Vidalia’s paintings, these activities certainly are random. 

With so much focus on these events, the cartoon is so far as light-hearted as the standard Beach City fare.  The unusual events don’t just apply to humorous occurrences though.  At one point, Steven spots a baby kitten which is something people can really never expect to see every day.  Through continuing to act unusual, he and Garnet follow it, and come across several homeless kittens alone in a bush in the woods as it’s about to rain.  At this sorry sight, Garnet begins to panic, her future vision doing nothing to help her decide what to do. 

All of this frivolity around Beach City leads to something big about what she’s been going through with there being a reason for her wanting to do this in the first place.  Her future vision has been so off, even she’s been surprised at every big Gem event that occurs.  This mainly applies to the recent one where Steven did the unthinkable through giving himself up to Homeworld and finding a way back through Lion.  Because of this, she feels totally lost which is a big deal since she has all the pressures of leading the Crystal Gems.  Adding to the emotion, she’s visibly burdened by the role since all she wants to do is enjoy existing as a fusion.  Even with her plan of creating alternate possibilities, she still has no idea what to do, and that includes helping the kittens. 

It’s here where Steven helps Garnet in his own form of leadership, giving advice to work towards the outcome they want to see happen instead of waiting for it to happen.  It’s remarkable that we’re at the point where after Steven looking up to Garnet so much, she’s now looking up to him.  She ultimately concludes that her future vision can turn out better if she factors in that Steven’s grown up a lot.  This is actually telling of how she’s often surprised by outcomes that occur throughout the series, and paves the way for what becomes of her in a big reveal coming soon. 

For this particular cartoon, I consider it a true marvel for how it brings genuine emotion and character growth out of a fun day in Beach City.

A+

Season 4 Ranking

1.      I Am My Mom

2.      Storm in the Room

3.      Mindful Education

4.      That Will Be All

5.      Steven’s Dream

6.      Last One Out of Beach City

7.      Are You My Dad?

8.      The Zoo

9.      The Good Lars

10.  Gem Heist

11.  Gem Harvest

12.  Three Gems and a Baby

13.  Adventures in Light Distortion

14.  Buddy’s Book

15.  Know Your Fusion

16.  The New Crystal Gems

17.  Lion 4: Alternate Ending

18.  Doug Out

19.  Kindergarten Kid

20.  Room for Ruby

21.  Future Boy Zoltron

22.  Tiger Philanthropist

23.  Rocknaldo

24.  Onion Gang

Season 5 Ranking

1.      The Trial

2.      Jungle Moon

3.      Off Colors

4.      Stuck Together

5.      Pool Hopping

6.      Lars’ Head

7.      Lars of the Stars

8.      Your Mother and Mine

9.      Raising the Barn

10.  Sadie Killer

11.  Back to the Kindergarten

12.  The Big Show

13.  Gemcation

14.  Kevin Party

15.  Dewey Wins

The next Steven Universe review further makes Steven's Gem life and human life really feel connected as he talks about recent changes in Beach City and puts them in a letter for Lars out in space.
Next time on MC Toon Reviews is "Sir Ed-A-Lot" and "A Pinch to Grow an Ed" from Ed Edd n Eddy.

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