Upon discovering Cartoon Network’s science-fantasy musical about a boy, his failed rockstar dad and his three alien surrogate mothers (all of whom are named after gemstones and hail from a completely non-gendered society) a natural reaction is to say the premise is a shade outlandish. When one then discovers that the series’ composers’ previous credits include Shrek Super Slam and the video games based on Disney’s Chronicles of Narnia films, that may warrant a raised eyebrow. The title card with the words “created by Rebecca Sugar” should put any animation fan at ease, though. =

Sugar was a storyboard artist on cult classic Adventure Time and was responsible for many of the songs from that show’s early seasons. This made her the prime candidate to become the first woman to pitch and helm an animated show for Cartoon Network. The result has been sensational. Steven Universe explores mature and progressive themes seldom discussed in animation, focusing around ideas of family, relationships and coming of age. It draws on the personal lives of the crew. Sugar has even stated that it compelled her to come out as a non-binary woman. All of this is presented with a bright, rich palette, evocative music and award-winning voice acting.

The show’s strongest element is its ability to take its time introducing character details and building its world. Unfortunately, this has also led to many of the first few episodes feeling disconnected and indeed they account for most of the show’s weakest. Perseverance is rewarded however, as every episode has its purpose. I implore anyone reading this article who has not seen Steven Universe to watch it before continuing as I am about to spoil many of its best moments. The first season is now streaming on Netflix as a litmus test and seasons one to four are on DVD.

From this point forward, I shall assume an ambivalence to spoilers for the first four seasons.

While the show did accumulate a decently sized audience during the run of its first season, Steven Universe exploded in popularity with the season one finale “Jailbreak”. This was largely due to hype generated by the revelation that major character Garnet (Estelle) was a fusion of two characters, Ruby (Charlyne Yi) and Sapphire (Erica Luttrell), who are of the same sex and in a loving relationship. This moment is seen by many as a series-defining moment on par with animations such as the Last Airbender’s “Siege of the North”.

From there the show’s popularity only grew. Episodes such as “The Answer”, “Alone at Sea” and “Mr. Greg” received widespread acclaim, with the latter achieving an Emmy nomination. The show changed, however, with the conclusion of season three. We discover that Steven’s (Zach Callison) deceased mother Rose Quartz (Susan Egan) shattered (this is the show’s parent-activist friendly term for alien murder) earth colony leader Pink Diamond. This revelation was sandwiched between episodes “Earthlings” and “Bubbled”, which subverted the show’s trend of Steven neutralizing threats by befriending enemies. Instead, his compassion is completely disregarded out of pride and ambition. This batch of episodes marked a shift to a darker tone, even if its aesthetic remained consistent.

The fact that Steven Universe introduced its elements carefully across many isolated stories allowed the show to establish a mythology, a mythology which, like those of Ancient Greece or even the show’s forbearer Adventure Time has been employed by the shows various storyboard artists as though they were Homeric bards telling a story to codify or challenge the values of the day. Rebecca Sugar said in an interview that she once asked Hellboy creator Mike Mignola what he saw as the key to world building. Mignola responded that it was repetition. The one thing repeated ad nauseum early in the show is that Rose Quartz was the most loving and understanding being that ever was. The larger than life character of Rose Quartz and her moral standard became mythologised within the show, with characters basing decisions on what Rose would do? This is why pulling back the curtain was such an effective story beat. Season four dealt with the fallout from this twist. It led to some brilliant episodes such as “Storm in the Room” and yet the show began to lose major steam for the first time. Episode premiers experienced declining ratings and critics became unenthused by the show’s direction as a whole. So what went wrong?

Season four meanders, picking up and dropping plot points in a very scatterbrained fashion. Season four’s stories tend to gain their full meaning only in the context of broader character arcs, yet these arcs constantly fade into the background, resurfacing seemingly at random. For example, Amethyst (Michela Dietz) was self-conscious about her size and physical ability, being of a more petite build than her fellow Quartz soldiers. She accepts at the end of season three that there are other ways in which she is strong. This is brought to a satisfying catharsis in the episode “Tiger Philanthropist”, which cleverly brings the arc full circle by referencing the season one episode “Tiger Millionaire” which introduced Amethyst’s insecurity.

The episode’s thesis falls flat however. As a denouement to the arc it works, but nineteen episodes separate “Tiger Philanthropist” from the previous episode dealing with Amethyst as the two episodes aired seven months apart. This means that most presume the arc concluded and to join all the dots requires a kind of consideration that most won’t give to an episode that does not stand out on its own. “Tiger Philanthropist” comes amid a sea of episodes which suffer from the same problem, leading to a lack of clear direction. This is why I consider the best episodes of season four to be the ones which stand alone, such as fan favourite “Mindful Education”. With waning interest, the show was fast losing relevance.

Enter season five, a masterclass in the pacing of serialized entertainment.

Season five of Steven Universe has a much tighter through-line. Groups of episodes follow specific arcs, giving each act its own narrative direction. Questions that are introduced at the end of one episode are answered in the next. This was complemented by each arc airing either in one week or over successive weeks as a unified act. Time gaps between episode releases occurred at act breaks, allowing episodes to be watched in context. Episodes such as the landmark “The Question” continue the tradition of putting interesting spins on old episodes such as “The Answer”, but also tackled a real dilemma for its central character at this point in the story. The episode is satisfying as part of the current act; deeper knowledge and understanding of its place in the broader cycle merely elevate it. From this point forward, I shall assume that you have watched the fifth season, so for those who still have not…please do!

Season five’s ending reminded me of the home strait of season one. It starts with a simple but powerful character episode in the form of “Can’t Go Back”, which I see as a mirror to earlier episode “The Message”. Both episodes are simple but effective, propelling Lapis Lazuli (Jennifer Paz) and Greg (Tom Scharpling) respectively into new places within their character arcs. “Can’t Go Back” ramps up the narrative momentum like a snowball, with each plot point building on the last. Lapis Lazuli’s decision to run from the impending Diamond attack (the authoritarian matriarchy of the alien race of Gems) sets the final act of the season in motion in the same fashion that her message warning of the impending home world invasion did in season one. If this was not enough, the revelation of the circumstances surrounding Pink Diamond’s shattering calls us to re-evaluate many of the series’ plot points, while also serves as the catalyst for Garnet’s arc in the final four episodes.

Upon discovering that the beloved Rose Quartz, who told Garnet that her love was valid, was living a lie which cost the lives of most of their friends, Ruby and Sapphire are forced apart. They, along with the other characters, must come to terms with the mess of a reality they have lived in. Steven must forgive returning character Bismuth (Uzo Aduba) and Pearl must renounce her obedience of Rose in spite of her feelings for her. Ruby and Sapphire must discover that Rose was not the reason for their love; when the pair finally do, the result is one of the most touching and legitimately earned proposals I have seen for quite some time in a work of fiction. The social relevance of this, the first ever same-sex marriage proposal on children’s television, only adds to the gravity of the moment. This groundwork allows the final episode of the arc “Reunited” to hit the audience with one cathartic moment after the other. To avoid the issues season four, it begins with a musical number that reintroduces all of the relevant plot points…and then the punches start rolling. Ruby and Sapphire marry and re-form Garnet. The Diamonds attack and meet unexpected resistance, Garnet faces her fear by marching up to Blue Diamond (Lisa Hannagan) to the tune of her personal anthem “Stronger Than You” and Lapis Lazuli finally returns and becomes a crystal gem. Such a fireworks display would normally seem overly self-congratulatory, but much like the final act of Marvel’s Avengers Assemble, Steven Universe has put in the grunt work and it pays off. When Steven finally convinces Blue and Yellow Diamond (Patti Lupone) to cease their meaningless violence, after three seasons of failing to get through to anybody, the season reaches a climax most shows only dream of.

Though, for the moment at least, the show only possesses a cult status, it is clear that for the children growing up with it, Steven Universe will be a cultural touchstone. For that reason, I am ecstatic to see a return to form that should hopefully draw in lapsed fans and newcomers alike. I, for one, could not be more excited to see what the show and upcoming feature film have in store for us.