Can't Go Back (Steven Universe Season 5 Episode 17) - 'Toon Reviews 29

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Can’t Go Back

The biggest events of this season begin with this cartoon showing what happened with Lapis when she flew away to space with the barn.  When she first left, it made perfect sense for her character.  She was on Earth convinced that it changed after thousands of war and she was safe from the Diamonds there.  She never really overcame her fear ever since settling into the barn and befriending Peridot, and now with the possibility that the Diamonds are coming back, it drove her to leave.  Despite her actions though, there’s still endearment and care to others on Lapis’ mind. 

Steven hears of something on the moon from Ronaldo in one of his most productive roles. Steven realizes the barn is on the moon, and therefore, Lapis is not far from Earth.  While investigating the often-seen moon base, Steven finds Lapis all alone in a previously seen but never really explored room.  It’s here where her true feelings for the Gems in Steven’s life show.  The thing about this room is that it has an orb the Diamonds used to check on areas of their colonies, meaning she can see any part of Earth.  The section of Earth Lapis often projects is the beach house where the Crystal Gems live.  While she was aiming to get further away from Earth, Lapis simply felt lonely and couldn’t bring herself to go far.  It says a lot that her feelings for this group are big enough to keep her near the planet.  Even bigger is that while she’s adjusted to Peridot, despite all her complicated feelings with them, she does enjoy the company of the other Crystal Gems too. 

Selling the emotional weight of Lapis’ conflict is a moving song called “That Distant Shore.”  With passionate singing, poetic lyrics, and a somber melody, Lapis’ true feelings for Earth are laid out.  The planet that brought her so much suffering also gave her a lot of beauty after living on it, right down to seeing friendliness in Gems who originally kept her imprisoned.  Still, her fear exists and she isn’t sure if she’s strong enough to return either despite her taxing loneliness.  It’s a major internal conflict set to beautiful music. 

After this, Steven drops a beneficial suggestion by just moving closer to him, and Lapis is visibly keen on this.  The story seems set on her finally moving past her fear. 

Then comes a continuation of this season’s Diamond dreams as Steven nods off.  Creatively presented in silhouettes are Pink, Blue, and Yellow Diamond.  Blue, who’s known to have a strong love for Pink, berates her for wanting to get rid of her colony and pushes her to continue what she started.  This is a huge showing of layers, but that’s not the crazy part.  Pearl actually shows up with Rose’s sword, putting a whole new spin on the mystery of Pink’s shattering. 

Then back in reality comes a big disappointment as Steven mentions his Diamond dream to Lapis.  Seeing this as a warning that the Diamonds are coming to Earth after all, Lapis’ fear wins and she flies as far away from Earth  as possible despite Steven’s pleas for reconsideration.  It’s frustrating that after Lapis saying how much she misses Earth and doesn’t want to be alone right down to singing a whole dang song about it, she still resorts to old habits.  At the same time, thousands of years of suffering is a long time.  Still having some uncertainty when Steven asks if she’s rather be alone and even apologizing before leaving does leave a possibility of her coming around, but that’s for another review.  Plus, Steven realizes what’s important with someone’s he’s so close to relating to the Pink Diamond murder mystery and he opts to explore that instead of reasoning with Lapis. 

On the whole though, a lot unfolds to emotional, creative, and sometimes musical effect in this story of character and world building.

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.      Can’t Go Back

7.      Lars’ Head

8.      Letters to Lars

9.      Lars of the Stars

10.  Your Mother and Mine

11.  Raising the Barn

12.  Sadie Killer

13.  Back to the Kindergarten

14.  The Big Show

15.  Gemcation

16.  Kevin Party

17.  Dewey Wins

The next Steven Universe review is on a very special episode where everything we thought we knew about the show changes in what's easily one of the most moving works of the series.

Next time on MC Toon Reviews is the 65th Episode spectacular of Animaniacs.

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