Spoiler: Okay some more thoughts and reactions I was like almost too excited to focus properly on the fight, but I thought Malachite had some really interesting dialogue? Way more unified in presentation than we've seen before, even if the 'one part talking, other part talking' was apparent. I'm super curious to find out how being fused together for so long has affected Lapis AND ESPECIALLY JASPER, it's obviously shifted her POV some. Peaceful society of watermelons was everything I had ever hoped for since the end of the original Watermelon Steven. I liked that Alexandrite caught both of them. And I think Jasper is really going to need that time alone to process. Knowing what a hard head Jasper's got, probably needs that time to hit rock bottom. Peridot's time alone on Earth was, I privately headcanon, hugely important and influential in her coming to the conclusion that, "There are things on this planet worth protecting!", although the additional perspective and exposure to the Crystal Gems probably reframed and, a-heh, crystalized that insight. I'm intensely curious to know if Peridot had experienced Earth as a place of wonder or beauty prior to When It Rains. I don't think it's implausible. I think keeping Lapis and Jasper apart is good. Given how long they were fused, and how horrible it was, if they were both at the barn? I can't imagine anything other than the two of them being all up in eachother's business in a really toxic and harmful way--I doubt Malachite was held together by Lapis alone, by the end. At some point, I bet, Jasper became more interested in struggling for Control, rather than trying to leave. They both need time to heal.
Spoiler: thoughts about Gems so when Peridot said the various, uh, shard-fusions? were just seeking out other gems to find their missing pieces, and werent really aware of the world around them. that kind of confirms my headcanon that gems can sense other gems, unless thats already been confirmed, i forget. or, maybe more accurately, they can recognize other gems through some other sense. like i kinda assumed the reason Jasper immediately called Steven "Rose Quartz" when she first saw him, is bc he's the same gem and has the same signal or whatever. Spoiler: switching topics to the Cluster hot diggity dang the number of ARMS that were reaching up toward the drill, eugh. kind of reminded me of that one castlevania boss that was, like, an orb of people/people-shaped constructs? or maybe that was Cave Story. either way it was eerie as hell. but! i'm glad the Horrible Shard Mass can keep themselves company without destroying the planet.
Well Jasper only recognized Steven after he used Rose's very distinctive shield, right? Spoiler Also I also read the I love you peridot as familial - didn't one of the writers say that she was a grown adult Gem? So yeah. Also more Steven moirailing everyone is good.
Spoiler haven't caught up all the way yet but I LOVE THAT THE SKIRT WATERMELON LEFT ITS TIE WATERMELON BEHIND TO GO TO WAR
YES EXACTLY Spoiler: Not really a spoiler but w/e. And conversely who is the nurturing parent in Steven's life, who stayed with him and looked after him when he was small and too young to do most of that himself? *grinning*
I just love it bc Spoiler when the watermelon family showed up I was slightly concerned about (dril voice) this whole thing smacks of gender - like, not actively unhappy but slightly surprised - and then they subverted it adorably and I was so pleased :D
Spoiler: saw an unnerving point on tumblr so... UM apparently we didn't get to see Jasper's face, at all. Even at an angle when it would have made sense to, her hair was in the way. Unnerving.
Spoiler: preview it is really cute and sweet but that plus the way in which the transitions from place to place were done made it seem really fake, really unbelievable like a dream or something steven-goes-flying-with-lapis-around-the-world just doesn't seem like the natural thing to happen next, after malachite and all it seems like too smooth an adjustment to being with the crystal gems for lapis
I am in love with the backgrounds but something about the animation in that promo feels really.... off
Spoiler Well, I'm not sure they flew all around the world - could just be 'to the nearest city,' and since it takes at least from afternoon to after dusk to get to said city it doesn't seem too implausible that Lapis might get to say, New York City...
Spoiler good point but the city looked like either paris or japan to me, thus the all around the world assumption
Spoiler I thought NYC, and that they flew over Times Square... I think the Eiffel tower looking thing was too small and in the wrong place to be either the Eiffel Tower or Tokyo Tower.
Spoiler their earth isn't our earth, after all. with states like Delmarva... but yeah, I mean, we only saw Lapis interacting with Steven, and she likes Steven. I can imagine them getting along just fine, going off on their own without the other Gems. It's with the others involved that I expect difficulty.
