“Log Date: 3 1 2.”

Meeting Rose Quartz in Lion 3 is a shift so massive that not one, but two new arcs come in its wake. Story-wise, we rev up the massive Homeworld invasion plot that consumes the rest of the series, which solidifies the show’s heavier serialization and vastly improves on its brilliant foundation. But character-wise, now that we’ve studied how Rose’s absence has affected Steven, our focus shifts to how it affects her teammates for the rest of the season. And it all starts with Warp Tour.

Like Lion 3, this is a mystery episode: what did Steven see out there? In other ways, Warp Tour handles more traditional Steven Universe tropes: Steven interacts with the Crystal Gems as a group and one-on-one, visits magic locales, and deals with emotions. And in even further ways, it’s something entirely new: we end in a drastic swerve and jarring starless cut to black after examining the mechanics behind an established magical function (which I will always eat up) and finally seeing Steven get fed up with being coddled.

That last part is key, because while Garnet seems to conclude the episode’s conflict by assuring Steven that he’s a Crystal Gem too, the lesson doesn’t stick. And that’s okay! Steven’s existence has been the barest of blips in the Gems’ lifespans, and for the entirety of that blip he’s acted like a little kid. We know that Steven has grown, but it’s going to take a while for the Gems, who are naturally unaccustomed to change to begin with, to fully realize it. It may be frustrating for him, but this disconnect is the backbone behind the first season’s legendary final stretch.

The contrast between Steven and the Gems’ views on change is never more obvious than in Warp Tour, which pits the inert Gems against Steven after he looks beyond the conventional framework. They’re traveling a path that seemingly has no detours, but Steven is exposed to the chaotic world outside of what’s expected, and it’s scary and it’s beautiful.

Looking outside the box reveals important and uncomfortable truths: in this case, that something is out there that the Gems refuse to see. As in early Steven Universe, we get to focus on each Gem to see their reactions to Steven’s warnings: Amethyst teases him, Pearl condescends, and Garnet plays diplomat. They double down on their roles as sister, mother, and leader when he gets ornery: Amethyst likes it at first but gets bored with the drama, Pearl is insulted by his suggestion that she might be wrong, and Garnet lays down the law. And finally, after Peridot departs, we see the exact reactions to fear that we got in So Many Birthdays and Mirror Gem: Amethyst gets flustered, Pearl collapses, and Garnet loses her cool.

It’s vital to reestablish these baselines, not only because it shows how consistent the Gems have been this whole season, but because it’s time for them to grow out of it. All three Gems are about to have their pasts brought to the forefront in ways that change Steven’s (thus the audience’s) perception of them forever. And fear is about to become the status quo, testing their mettle without Rose leading the way for the first time. It’s a redefining arc for the defenders of the planet, and Warp Tour is an excellent start.

The titular tour is surprisingly brief, but each area highlights the theme of change. Our first location (which the Steven Universe wiki dubs “Flower Meadow”) shows Pearl and Amethyst actually getting along, each praising the other for a skill they value: Amethyst likes Pearl kicking ass, Pearl likes Amethyst strategizing. Our second, the Geode, shows a past mission’s lasting change on its once-stormy environment. Our third, the Sky Spire, shows Steven Junior’s new family. And our fourth, the Galaxy Warp, after an initial scene where Pearl angrily Pearlsplains the changing status of its pads, brings us Peridot.

Like fellow Gem debut episode Mirror Gem, Warp Tour’s quick pacing slows down to allow its final act to fill nearly half the episode: the rogue robonoid crashes into Steven’s room six minutes into our eleven-minute adventure, and from there it’s all about solving his mystery with a far more frightening one: who is Peridot?

The answer is “maybe the show’s best character,” but that’ll have to wait. Peridot’s arc is all about becoming more human, for lack of a better word. The Peridot we see here is at her coldest and most mechanical, a highly advanced cyber-alien whose only emotion is contempt for imperfection. One of my favorite ways of charting her evolution is through how often she narrows her eyes: the more she grows, the wider and more curious they get, culminating in her powerful rebuttal to Jasper after fully embracing her new friends. Her entire story is right here, in her words and in her eyes:

Still, as incongruous as it feels after so many amazing Peridot episodes where she’s a total dork, she’s truly menacing in Warp Tour, and a perfect contrast to Lapis Lazuli’s fiery temper (water powers aside) and ultimately friendly departure. Lapis is magical where Peridot is technological, Peridot is a worker bee while Lapis is all alone. All of this makes it so much sweeter that it’s Peridot, not Lapis, who turns first: Lapis likes Steven just fine, but Peridot has a whole bundle of issues and gives no indication of kindness.

I’ve talked about Gems left and right, but this is still Steven’s show, and Warp Tour sees him taking a big step. This is the second episode in a row that revolves around his inability to sleep, and as we know from Rose’s Room, a sleepy Steven is a cranky Steven. Still, as Amethyst says, this is new: Steven’s insomnia here is caused and compounded by the Gems not believing his UFO sighting, and the more time he spends with them, the madder he gets, because he’s right.

The injustice of it all feeds right into his eternal quest to be taken seriously, a struggle that’s emphasized by his childishness throughout the first half of the episode: from his end, his idea of defending the room involves a water gun, and from the Gems’ end, he’s surprised with fresh cookies. The Gems dismiss his concerns throughout the tour, but it’s only when they talk over him that he explodes.

This makes it all the more refreshing when he’s validated, and Zach Callison’s exhausted cackle (after an episode-best read on “Macaroni and nothing”) echoes Handsome Steven’s crazed laugh juuuust right. But being proven correct is only half of the equation; if not for his family joining in, he would’ve died a tired, frozen little sadsack.

The intensity that Cartoon Network allows this show is nuts: in a medium riddled with villains threatening to “end” our heroes, where deceased characters have all “passed on” or are “gone,” it’s shocking to hear Steven simply state that he’s going to die. This isn’t the first time we’ve heard such stark language in Steven Universe, but he’s rarely at this much actual risk of dying; in fact, the closest he’ll come after this is his similar experience in Bubbled, floating all alone in space. Obviously he’s going to make it, but breaking the time-honored kid’s show trope of “never say die” really raises the stakes.

As we’ll see throughout the rest of Season 1, Steven meets the Gems’ fear of the unknown with a slew of questions. His curiosity will serve the Crystal Gems well in times to come, in the immediate future as well as the eventual conversion of everyone’s favorite fussbudget. Heck, it might even help with this whole fusion thing everyone’s talking about…

Future Vision!

Peridot seems awful interested in whatever this “Kindergar—” nonsense is.

Pearl straight-up says that Garnet saw Steven floating out there, just in case all those hints that she can see the future haven’t sunk in.

If every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn’t have inconsistencies…

Why does Garnet, who can swim in lava, need oven mitts? Where did she even procure oven mitts that big? These are extremely important questions!

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

Warp Tour is the beginning of something really exciting. But far from an episode that’s content with setting the table, we get a resonating Steven story and a terrific look at the Gems as a family and a team and the great and lovable Peridot all at once. That spells a winner in my book, which this is.

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