Ken, GC13, Dakota, and special guest Nina from the Toon Goons podcast discuss Bubble Buddies. Still early in the series, how could we have known the kind of continuity we were in for? Except for, of course, watching the opening and seeing this new character appears in it.

We talk a lot about how much Steven had grown as a character, but Connie has probably grown at least as much. From a rough start almost getting crushed by a falling chunk of temple, she’s already a sword fighting expert.

Steven may like everyone in Beach City, but Connie is his first proper friend. PeeDee and Steven may know each other, but apparently PeeDee is too responsible for Steven.

Don’t forget to check out Nina and the rest of the Toon Goons. They cover not just Steven Universe (which they do often), but many other cartoons both old and new.

GC13, special guest Max from The Ringo Zone podcast, Ken, and Dakota discuss Cat Fingers (the first appearance of Mayor Dewey, the Internet’s mayor!).

Amethyst’s penchant for shapeshifting is discussed, as is how Steven could possibly need a lecture about shapeshifting. Pearl’s hesitance to shapeshift is also brought up, as is the perfect first shape change for her to use (spoiler alert: “Womp! Womp!”).

A rather lengthy discussion about the nature of the early series also comes up, and about how different it is from the episodes that came later. Obviously the show was still drawing in fans, but perhaps it hadn’t quite found its footing.

The Lunar Sea Spire now has a Facebook group, so please check us out there!

GC13 and Ken discuss #StevenBomb2.0, which just finished, and #StevenBomb3, which was just announced for July 13-17.

The ratings of #StevenBomb2.0, which were much better than the ratings for the first #StevenBomb, are discussed, as is the huge spike in fan activity online. Even though GC13 and Ken would both prefer a return to getting one episode each week, so long as the fans are responding well then there’s nothing to complain about.

Nobody knows what’s going to happen with #StevenBomb3, but whoever Sardonyx turns out to be, she (presumably a she) needs to be a big deal if the character is being teased as soon as the event is announced.

#StevenBomb2.0 is over, and GC13 and Ken are here to talk about its final episode: Chille Tid.

[Applause]

If you can’t tell, we’re excited that the long-awaited laugh track episode has finally arrived. Of course there’s plenty more to discuss. It seems we finally know that Malachite will be dealt with before Peridot.

Alas, however, poor Lapis. Ken may not feel much sympathy for her, but we can still hope for her to come around to us one day.

Ken, GC13, and Dakota convene to talk about We Need To Talk and talk about how cool What Can I Do For You was (well, GC13 and Dakota liked it, but Ken is doing the contrarian thing).

The design on Rainbow Quartz, the character of Rose Quartz, and Pearl’s actions are all discussed (with GC13, as always, taking Pearl’s side). Not that Pearl was anything worse than catty in this episode (and her actions did give us Rainbow Quartz, so that’s something to be thankful for).

Of course deeper questions also come up: if Steven fused with the Crystal Gems, how different would the fusions be than if his mother fused with them? Can he even fuse with them at all?

Phew. Sometimes these episodes just get heavy, you know? GC13, Ken, and Dakota are here, though, to discuss Keeping It Together and all it means.

So the good news/bad news first: while chances look grim for Peridot eventually joining the Crystal Gems, it’s not impossible yet. And the experiments mean that, in the future, we’re going to learn a whole lot more about the project.

Coming so soon after Sworn to the Sword, it’s very interesting to see Pearl (who, like Connie, does not seem to be built for fighting) express a desire to do household chores, rather than feeling a mere obligation. Will we learn more about what Pearls are supposed to be like soon?

Finally, the process of doing the laundry is more magical than Garnet lets on: the washing machine can also dry clothes, it seems.

GC13, Ken, and Dakota assemble once more to discuss Rising Tides, Crashing Skies. Despite the relatively low-key nature of the episode, the lore discussion gets kind of heavy.

Is Mayor Dewey involved in some conspiracy to cover up the activities of the Crystal Gems? Or is he just a very nervous politician keen to change the subject whenever the walking disasters only he recognizes as such are brought up?

How does the temple door work? Has Amethyst become better at fighting since her introspection in Reformed?

Oh, and we know a lot of you caught it yourselves, but since it was brought up in the podcast, isn’t this guy just adorbable?

GC13, Ken, and Dakota think that #StevenBomb2.0 is starting off on the right foot: if Sworn to the Sword is any indication of what we’re in store for, it’s going to be a great week (with a podcast episode every day!).

So of course the new opening (with its apparent anime influences) come up, as do the songs in the episode. Pearl’s claiming of being inspired by knighthood, a concept less than 2,000 years old, before the rebellion is also brought up. Is it an error, an indication of a rebellion that only happened after the Kindergarten was shut down, or does Pearl not keep close tabs on human culture?

The eagerness with which Pearl indoctrinated Connie was also rather hardcore. Perhaps you could say that Pearl was overzealous? (We’re saying it for her own good.)

GC13, Ken, and Dakota discuss the fifth episode of Steven Universe: Frybo. Ken and GC13 get right back to disagreeing—at least their first impressions of the episode disagreed, and that’s what we’re counting.

We get another mystery in Frybo: the origin of the gem shards. It’s certainly possible to make some educated guesses about how the gems came to be shattered, but so early in the series Steven isn’t willing to listen to even the sanitized history lesson Pearl offers, let alone the gritty real history.

It’s very interesting contrasting the older episodes with the newer ones, though. Steven has greatly grown as a character. If his job as a professional beach hunk never works out, at this rate he’ll have a great career in heroism ahead of him.

Ken, GC13, Dakota, and Hunter discuss the fourth episode of Steven Universe: Together Breakfast. While GC13 holds the episode in a special place in his heart since it was his first episode, Ken predictably disagrees.

The episode was our first (and only for a while) look into the temple, and gave us a big mystery right away with the scroll (a mystery we still have yet to solve). No matter what anyone says, however, Pearl was not a jerk. No way is that true.

Discussion about writer techniques naturally comes up: what is intended foreshadowing, and what is a question that the writer asks with intention to answer later? Perhaps the more important question is whether any of it matters.

The most important question, however: just what was that scroll?