“Did you see us!?”

Way back in Reformed, I wrote about the arcs that Garnet and Amethyst and Pearl undergo over the course of Season 2 and 3. They each get an episode establishing their problem, some focus on their problem in the Week of Sardonyx, an adventure with Peridot about their problem, and resolution with Steven (Garnet does the last two in reverse). Amethyst was the first of the three to begin her arc, and if we’re talking big picture, Tiger Millionaire was only the ninth episode of the series and was the first to show a Gem with a concrete problem unrelated to Steven. But only now, well after Log Date 7 15 2 and Mr. Greg, does this late-blooming Gem finally have time to blossom.



It’s worth the wait. Unlike her teammates, Amethyst gets an honest-to-goodness focus arc with multiple consecutive episodes about overcoming a blow to her already low self-esteem. We’ve had additional table-setting in Too Short to Ride detailing her ability to help a Homeworlder with similar body issues, but now another Homeworlder (soon revealed to be another Earthling) is here to reinforce how much easier it is for Amethyst to help others than herself.

Like Gem Hunt, this appears at first to be a very different episode than what it becomes thanks to a surprise appearance from Jasper. There’s a clear continuity here, with Garnet and Pearl heading out to find Jasper and Connie still bummed about freezing up in her first mission despite Steven and Pearl’s praise, but we still get clear Hangout Episode vibes until the third act. Amethyst presents a different perspective that allows Connie to relax and let go of her lingering self-doubt, and so much time is devoted to this that it seems like that’s going to be our lesson: the importance of balancing work with fun.

And for Steven and Connie, it is! They form Stevonnie and give us an amazing action sequence (complete with both sword and shield and a joust atop Lion) because they’re able to be loose and instinctive. They rescue the Corrupted Gem from Jasper and force a retreat into the ocean, then go over the lesson by acknowledging how Amethyst’s philosophy helped them. Connie resolves her feelings of inadequacy, and the day is saved. Like the conclusion of Rose’s Scabbard, where Steven’s smile of relief contrasts Pearl’s weariness, we get a cut-to-black ending that the kids think merits a star iris.

But we don’t get that iris, because this has been an Amethyst episode the whole time. Yes, the kids are important and learn an important lesson, but the entirety of Crack the Whip is preparing us for Amethyst’s arc, to the point where it shows and tells us the conclusion before it even begins: Amethyst is nothing like Jasper, and that’s okay.

Amethyst loves fighting, but unlike Jasper, it’s not an obsession: I’m sure that if Jasper was an ally she would be all in on watching Steven and Connie spar, but Amethyst quickly gets bored and repeats an earlier offer to bail. Amethyst is selfish, but unlike Jasper, she likes other people: she could’ve left Steven and Connie to it and gone off on her own, but she wants them to share in her hedonism. Amethyst is stubborn, but unlike Jasper, she’s part of a team: her instinct is to protect her friends, and her inferiority complex explodes when she’s instead protected by them.

Jasper is linked with Lapis Lazuli, and was presented as a counterpart to Garnet in The Return and Jailbreak, but this arc is defined by a heretofore unmentioned similarity with Amethyst. We don’t know the extent of Jasper’s physical perfection yet, but we do know Amethyst came out small, and the first we heard of it was from Jasper calling her a “puny overcooked runt”. Too Far revealed that amethysts are designed to be mighty quartz soldiers and that Amethyst doesn’t fit the bill, but Jasper dials up that insecurity with a physical and verbal beatdown.

It would be hard enough just to watch Amethyst getting her ass kicked this badly, as we’ve already gotten so much subtext about how her warrior instincts clash with her relatively weak body. In the wrong hands, Jasper’s speech could have been gilding the lily, because in essence she’s repeating what we already know. Fortunately for the show, but unfortunately for Amethyst, it’s a perfectly devastating diatribe that breaks Amethyst down well before she’s poofed. She gets riled up again and again after trying to play it cool, but no matter how mad she gets, no matter what hidden reserves she pulls from, Amethyst is effortlessly defeated.

This was the second time within five episodes that the Jasper factor made me genuinely unsure of what would happen next in my first viewing: between the violence of her assault and the stylized shot of her hand reaching out of the darkness to snatch Amethyst’s gem, there was a real possibility that Amethyst was getting kidnapped. This worry was soon alleviated when Stevonnie appeared, but it’s astonishing how effectively Jasper is made into Amethyst’s rival considering they had almost no connection before now.

Rewatching the episode makes certain pre-fight nuggets stand out. In particular, while her imitation of Lars Donut Boy to fool Sadie Donut Girl is played for laughs, we’re brought right to the core of Amethyst’s problems when Steven shrugs it off: “That’s just Amethyst being Amethyst…by not being Amethyst.” Her use of shapeshifting to get away from herself is taken as a given by now, and it hints at greater body issues to come.

The advice she gives Steven and Connie also stings with hindsight: Amethyst’s go-with-the-flow method works against the first Corrupted Gem, and inspires Stevonnie to take action, but Jasper overcomes Amethyst’s guts without even trying. It’s harrowing to have your worldview shattered, but considering she just shared it with two students who then watched her get beat up because of it, we get an even greater sense of Amethyst’s embarrassment at needing their help.

But what makes Amethyst’s defeat hurt the most is that she seems so happy until it happens. So often we see her pretending to be cool when she’s trying to hide that she’s upset, but there’s a sense of real joy throughout Crack the Whip that get crushed. Amethyst will have plenty of time to be mad and/or mopey in the coming episodes, but for now she’s thoroughly defeated.

Steven and Connie prevent the episode from being a total downer, because on top of Stevonnie’s exhilarating fight, the kids are a hoot. Steven is used to Wacky Amethyst Adventures by now, and I appreciate that we don’t pretend Connie’s a wet blanket these days. She’s more than capable of fun, and has been for a while now, but it makes sense that someone as wild as Amethyst would be a whole other step to adjust to. Look at Connie eating one doughnut: doesn’t this maniac know they have trans fats?

After the romantic feel of Steven’s Birthday, we got two Connie episodes that leaned more platonic: they seem more like close friends than a nascent couple in Beach City Drift, and are straight-up buddies in Gem Hunt. Here we mostly get the same bud vibe, but there’s something distinctly flirtatious about their mutual proclamations that the other is the best, and it’s adorable.

They deserve their happy ending. So does Amethyst. She might not get it for another few episodes, but for all her impatience, she wouldn’t be who she is if she hadn’t taken her time. We’ve seen Amethyst help Steven throughout the series, help Garnet and Pearl as they fell apart in the Week of Sardonyx, and help Peridot get over her body’s apparent shortcomings. I’m so happy she gets an arc about learning how to get help for herself.

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



It’s not Pearlfect, but this episode gives us fun times, sad times, and a terrific fight scene. It’s well-rounded without feeling overstuffed, and while it’s hard to watch Amethyst get brought low by Jasper, I still love a story that goes to so many places with these characters.

Top Fifteen

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5. Horror Club

4. Fusion Cuisine

3. House Guest

2. Sadie’s Song

1. Island Adventure

(No official promo art, so we turn to Ikimaru’s kickass fanart.)