After graduating college and watching Legend of Korra’s series finale, I really wanted to get into another animated series.  Due to the recommendation of a friend (and GIFs/posts on Tumblr), I decided to check out Steven Universe. Since it’s created by one of the writers of Adventure Time, Rebecca Sugar, I had good feelings about what was in store.  I can say then, and now, that I’m so glad I’m watching this show.

The show follows Steven, a young boy who’s half human and half Crystal Gem. He’s the first Crystal Gem to be part human.  While he’s a Crystal Gem, he’s still trying to figure out his powers. Steven and his guardians Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl do whatever they can to protect earth from crystal monsters and other gems.

There are so many things that I can talk about regarding why this show is great.   I could talk about how Steven is such a wonderfully sweet protagonist, or how his dad’s bumbling, but still a wonderful father.  I could squee about Steven’s friendship with Connie or how diverse the show is.  However, I’ll focus on the Crystal Gems themselves.

Way before Steven was born and Beach City (his hometown) existing, Rose Quartz (Steven’s mom) decided to stay on Earth.  After spending time on Earth and observing its habitants, she wanted to protect it from her home planet, Homeworld.  Unlike her people, she felt that Earth deserved to exist without Homeworld controlling it.  Their home created a structure on Earth called a Kindergarten-a place where they can create gems. Amethyst was one of many of the Kindergarten’s creations.  This led to Pearl, Amethyst, Garnet, and other gems staying on Earth and fight alongside with Rose to protect it from their home planet.

Of course, staying on Earth for so long can lead to new relationships happening, especially romantic relationships.  Eventually, Rose meets a young Greg Universe, Steven’s dad.  Before Rose’s relationship with Greg, Rose didn’t have a complete understanding of human emotions.  Since humans are a different species from gems, she thought of them as someone to entertain her rather than having a deeper connection with.  Thankfully, Rose’s relationship with Greg showed her that humans are similar to gems in that they are complex.

While Rose and Greg deeply loved each other, it didn’t last.  Since it was the first time a human and gem had a baby together, Rose had to give up her physical form so that Steven could be born.  Although Rose is gone, her love for Earth and its habitants have been passed down to Steven.

Being away from Homeworld for so long also means the gems don’t know how their old home feels about certain subjects.  Near the end of the first season, the audience finds out that Garnet is a fusion of two gems-Ruby and Sapphire.  Fusions are usually the result of two gems coming together to become a new Crystal Gem.  For the most part, gems do this in case a bigger foe comes along that needs to be stopped.  However, Ruby and Sapphire love each other so much they rather stay together as a fusion.

Unfortunately, Homeworld doesn’t see fusions as a way to develop one’s relationship with someone. In the same episode where the audience is introduced to Ruby and Sapphire, we get a little idea of how their home planet feels about gems willingly being in a lasting fused state.  Jasper, a gem that fought against Rose and the other gems, felt that gems staying fused together were a sign of weakness.

Homeworld’s true feelings about fusion were shown in a disturbing way: in “Keeping it Together,” Garnet and Steven discover that Homeworld experimented by putting gems in forced fusions as a way to punish those who were part of Rose’s rebellion.  What’s worse is that those forced fusions were once friends to the Crystal Gems.  It’s really difficult watching Garnet get so unnerved by what she discovered.  Seeing her former comrades in that state almost caused her to unfuse back to Ruby and Sapphire.

Despite Rose’s passing and Homeworld’s antagonistic pushing towards Earth, the Crystal Gems continue to protect it. Like Rose, they still have some work to do understanding humans.  Thankfully Steven’s there not only to help continue Rose’s rebellion to protect the Gems’ new home, but to help them get a little closer to seeing how humans work. Not only can Beach City (and the rest of the world) believe in Steven, but they can also believe in the Crystal Gems.

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Janelle Smith is a TV & Film Writer at Girls in Capes.  She recently graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in film studies.