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[Infinite Justice]

You mean Steven dying his hair pink? It would be funny as a one-off joke, especially seeing Greg and Pearl's reaction.

Or do you mean Steven trying to find a more peaceful solution to the mess he has inherited from his mother? Steven has strong anxiety about the concept of shattering a gem (or taking a life, in general), as it's part of his character that he would much rather make a compromise and choose reasoning than fighting back.

Then again, some people can't be reasoned with, and I feel Steven will be incapable of talking it out with Yellow/Blue/White Diamond.

Was actually

Spoiler

referring about him getting to talk to his Mom

As for the latter i think its a given tbh but we'll see if they can be reasoned with (though it will be tough since they also lost a family member they cared a lot about)

 

[Hollycat]

Finally all caught up. If we're doing beach city episodes for a while, I hope we get to see more of Pearls new crush

 

[MisterGrey3000]

It's more like saying if you ate cheesecake for 5 days straight it'd ruin your opinion of cheescake for a while. And then you'll be out of cheescake.

I've eaten cheesecake for dessert 5 days straight and it never stopped being scrumptious. However, if I was forced to eat 5 or 6 plates of collie flower every time I went to fridge for another slice it would have been a pretty annoying experience.
Which is kind of how I'm feeling about SU at the moment.

Here's the thing, I just want to know why anybody (yourself included) would think the quality of the series would be reduced with very little to no townie/non-plot episodes.
Like take Stranger Things for example. It's an absolutely fantastic sci-fi horror "TV" show for all ages that's laser focused on it's overarching plot, and nobody (and I mean nobody) is out there saying "Man...this show really could have used an hour-long episode solely dedicated to Nancy Wheeler helping her mom around the house or another hour long episode focused solely on Jonathan Byers taking pictures of his town. There was just too much plot, ya know?"
I imagine the same would be true for a serialized plot focused SU, nobody would be asking for stuff like Restaurant Wars or Rocknaldo if 98% of the show was made up of episodes similar to Giant Woman, Ocean Gem, Jailbreak, or Earthlings.
Yeah it would definitely have a shorter run, but quality over quantity any day man.
I'd take a plot-focused 10 or 12-episode long season of SU over the setup we've got now any day of the week.

 

[zeemumu]

I've eaten cheesecake for dessert 5 days straight and it never stopped being scrumptious. However, if I was forced to eat 5 or 6 plates of collie flower every time I went to fridge for another slice it would have bee a pretty annoying experience.
Which is kind of how I'm feeling about SU at the moment.

Here's the thing, I just want to know why anybody (yourself included) would think the quality of the series would be reduced with very little to no townie/non-plot episodes.
Like take Stranger Things for example. It's an absolutely fantastic sci-fi horror "TV" show for all ages that's laser focused on it's overarching plot, and nobody (and I mean nobody) is out there saying "Man...this show really could have used an hour-long episode solely dedicated to Nancy Wheeler helping her mom around the house or another hour long episode focused solely on Jonathan Byers taking pictures of his town. There was just too much plot, ya know?"
I imagine the same would be true for a serialized plot focused SU, nobody would be asking for stuff like Restaurant Wars or Rocknaldo if 98% of the show was made up of episodes similar to Giant Woman, Ocean Gem, Jailbreak, or Earthlings.
Yeah it would definitely have a shorter run, but quality over quantity any day man.
I'd take a plot-focused 10 or 12-episode long season of SU over the setup we've got now any day of the week.

It's not a new thing for cartoons. Most cartoons have filler episodes. The Last Airbender, Teen Titans, Codename KND, Gargoyles, Batman TAS, etc. I also recall not caring as a kid. I liked the plot but I also liked just watching the characters go on antics.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

It's not a new thing for cartoons. Most cartoons have filler episodes. The Last Airbender, Teen Titans, Codename KND, Gargoyles, Batman TAS, etc. I also recall not caring as a kid. I liked the plot but I also liked just watching the characters go on antics.

I understand all of that.
My contention is mainly with the idea that absence of townie filler would somehow be detrimental to the series' quality.
There certainly would be less SU, but how would it be worse without the likes of Onion Gang or Rocknaldo?

 

[hughesta]

Finally all caught up. If we're doing beach city episodes for a while, I hope we get to see more of Pearls new crush

Spoiler

we will, I think in an episode called "The Show."

 

[zeemumu]

I understand all of that.
My contention is mainly with the idea that absence of townie filler would somehow be detrimental to the series' quality.
There certainly would be less SU, but how would be worse without the like of Onion Gang or Rocknaldo?

I feel like that's where Adventure Time went wrong.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

I feel like that's where Adventure Time went wrong.

???
When has this been problem for AT though?
I've been watching it since 2010. Outside of Stakes and Islands, Adventure Time's modus operandi for about 7 or so seasons was to ignore or outright abandon it's interesting overarching plot threads in favor of silly randomness or trippy existential stuff.
I honestly feel like AT lost a lot of it's momentum and charm with many older fans (both casual and enthusiast) when it was clear that the show wasn't interested in expanding on plot-related things like Simon and Marcy.

 

[Exterminieren]

I wouldn't want to lose stuff like Restaurant Wars or Nightmare Hospital.

The key is characters, not plot. They could spin their wheels forever if the characters were entertaining enough. It just so happens that Onion and Ronaldo aren't interesting enough to sustain their own episodes.

 

[PSqueak]

"Kids show". Hardly.

Can we please, please, PLEASE, stop with this attitude?

Yes, it is a Kids show.
Yes it some times deals with heavier or more socially aware or deep themes.
No, that doesn't make it not a kids shows.
Kids shows are allowed to challenge the viewers.
Kids shows are allowed to be smart.
Kids shows are allowed to be sociopolitically aware.

Kids shows are allowed to treat their viewers as intelligent beings.

We get it, this is gaf we're a bunch of adults discussing a show about space rock people, just because there is an audience in our demographic it doesn't mean SU is not a kids shows.

 

[User 73706]

Can we please, please, PLEASE, stop with this attitude?

Yes, it is a Kids show.
Yes it some times deals with heavier or more socially aware or deep themes.
No, that doesn't make it not a kids shows.
Kids shows are allowed to challenge the viewers.
Kids shows are allowed to be smart.
Kids shows are allowed to be sociopolitically aware.

Kids shows are allowed to treat their viewers as intelligent beings.

We get it, this is gaf we're a bunch of adults discussing a show about space rock people, just because there is an audience in our demographic it doesn't mean SU is not a kids shows.

This. Kids need a show like this.

 

[MartyStu]

I wouldn't want to lose stuff like Restaurant Wars or Nightmare Hospital.

The key is characters, not plot. They could spin their wheels forever if the characters were entertaining enough. It just so happens that Onion and Ronaldo aren't interesting enough to sustain their own episodes.

Pretty much. Most of the 'filler' towny episodes work. Some of them are duds. It happens.

 

[caliph95]

Yeah while the ronaldo episode sucked i still think we should keep the Beach city and filler episodes, i enjoyed most of them.

 

[KiN0]

The town episodes would be more bearable if they had evolved along with the rest of the show. The city went through an apocalyptic event and has two new gem residents, but nothing has changed. None of the characters, besides Ronaldo, show any interest in the gems and it just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. You could make an argument for the adults, but the kids?

 

[MisterGrey3000]

I guess we're just gonna have to agree to disagree from the outset but...
...I don't see Steven Universe as a kids show, and I honestly feel that it's belittling and myopic label it as such.
That doesn't mean I think it's specifically made for older audiences (it's clearly not) or that it's not important for it to be accessible for children (I feel like it's very important for this show to be on CN right now), but when I watch this cartoon I feel like I'm usually watching a very thoughtful all-ages/family aimed program that actively and enthusiastically attempts to be something everyone can enjoy.

Plus I'm just sick and tired of the animation age ghetto (especially as an animator/cartoonist), and I absolutely refuse to strengthen it's suffocating grasp on the medium by calling amazingly crafted works like Avatar:TLA, Samurai Jack, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Star Vs. mere "kids shows".

 

[Exterminieren]

The solution to the animation age ghetto is not to arbitrarily deny that well-made kids cartoons are kids cartoons. I appreciate your perspective, but well-made kids cartoons are an art all unto themselves, and it'd be a shame not to recognise that.

Steven Universe is designed at its core to be a kids show. It is designed, planned and executed in such a way as to appeal to 8-12 years old kids as its primary demographic. It's a flatly brilliant and ground-breaking show in a lot of ways, and a huge part of what makes it so impressive is how it manages to be so innovative while still squarely being a kids show. I think that's worthy of credit and praise, not denial.

I think that the same is true of all the shows you mention, too. They're all kids shows at their heart and soul, which makes the way they push the medium all the more impressive.

 

[MartyStu]

I guess we're just gonna have to agree to disagree from the outset but...
...I don't see Steven Universe as a kids show, and I honestly feel that it's belittling and myopic label it as such.
That doesn't mean I think it's specifically made for older audiences (it's clearly not) or that it's not important for it to be accessible for children (I feel like it's very important for this show to be on CN right now), but when I watch this cartoon I feel like I'm usually watching a very thoughtful all-ages/family aimed program that actively and enthusiastically attempts to be something everyone can enjoy.

Plus I'm just sick and tired of the animation age ghetto (especially as an animator/cartoonist), and I absolutely refuse to strengthen it's suffocating grasp on the medium by calling amazingly crafted works like Avatar:TLA, Samurai Jack, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Star Vs. mere "kids shows".

Being a Kid's Show is not a pejorative. Merely an identifier.

 

[PSqueak]

I guess we're just gonna have to agree to disagree from the outset but...
...I don't see Steven Universe as a kids show, and I honestly feel that it's belittling and myopic label it as such.

This is the problem, why did "kids shows" become a belitting label? at what point did cartoons being for kids became an abhorrent thing?

I grew up with cartoons like Thundercats, Batman the animated series and a bunch of anime that were totally kids shows, but they had action, complex plots and themes, they were still shows aimed at kids, but they still treated kids with respect.

Animaniac, Tiny Toons, Rocko's Modern life were kids shows that were filled to the brim with double entendres, adult humor and references for older people, but they were still kids shows, cartoons just weren't afraid to push boundaries.

And all those shows you mentioned are also kids shows (yes i know they're continuing samurai Jack as an adult show, doesn't mean the original run wasn't a kids show) , even more they are shows made by people who grew up watching the examples i cited, why is it bad to call them kids shows?

Why do you oppose to the idea that shows made for kids can have quality, be smart and challenge the viewers?

Where did the notion that kids don't deserved quality come from?

What shows did YOU grow up with as a kid?

 

[zeemumu]

I guess we're just gonna have to agree to disagree from the outset but...
...I don't see Steven Universe as a kids show, and I honestly feel that it's belittling and myopic label it as such.
That doesn't mean I think it's specifically made for older audiences (it's clearly not) or that it's not important for it to be accessible for children (I feel like it's very important for this show to be on CN right now), but when I watch this cartoon I feel like I'm usually watching a very thoughtful all-ages/family aimed program that actively and enthusiastically attempts to be something everyone can enjoy.

Plus I'm just sick and tired of the animation age ghetto (especially as an animator/cartoonist), and I absolutely refuse to strengthen it's suffocating grasp on the medium by calling amazingly crafted works like Avatar:TLA, Samurai Jack, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Star Vs. mere "kids shows".

Don't think of it as being a kids show because of its content. Think of it as a kids show because of the primary audience that it's aiming for. You don't make a show about a kid and his alien rock friends with a magic lion thinking "yeah, this'll pull in that adult demographic for sure!" Kids shows have the reputation that they do because people assume that you don't have to try because kids are easily entertained. Steven Universe is a kids show, but it puts in effort, which is something we're not used to seeing because why put in effort and deal with life issues if you're just trying to entertain a bunch of kids, right? Because it's important for them to learn this stuff as soon as possible. There's a Sesame Street episode about prison incarceration, for example.

Aiming for a certain demographic is no longer an excuse for skipping out on quality.

Besides, shows strictly for adults tend to not have filler because adults don't have that kind of time (anime excluded)

 

[Kai Dracon]

I tend to see Steven Universe as being something a bit more clever than what is typically considered a kid's show, and that includes quality shows like Avatar.

It's purposefully a kid's show in that it's mostly from the perspective of Steven. It plays with that a great deal however, by establishing that there are rather adult and complex things happening that Steven is too young and inexperienced to fully understand. Other characters frequently pause and wonder how much they can and should tell Steven to ease him gradually towards adulthood.

Older viewers of the show will quickly realize what many of the indirect references are getting at, and this is where the show's reputation for dealing with surprisingly mature and even dark themes comes from. In this regard the show can be quite interesting for adults, and I think that is intentional on the part of the creators.

That doesn't mean it's not a "kids show", but I do think it is made to appeal to more than just kids. This gets into another discussion though about just what "kids content" truly is. There are quite a few actual creators and writers known for children's work and young adult fiction who think it's a mistake to try and categorize stuff the way it often is.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

^^^
I want to make it clear that I think all you folks above make some good points.
However, I feel like labeling cartoons as "kids shows" regardless of content, creator intent, maturity, the time slot, and appeal just gives fuel to the idea that the entire medium is for children by default. I strongly feel it reinforces the concept of the animation age ghetto.
Like, there is no inbetween with animation for the vast majority of viewers (casual or otherwise).
If it doesn't have blood, swearing, dirty jokes, sex or other content like that...people perceive it as a kids show regardless of how seriously it takes itself or the creators' own say on the matter. Like...
...if Avatar:TLA or Samurai Jack were live action Netflix originals with everything somewhat intact (meaning little to no blood, no excessive swearing, or no blatant erotic fan service added), I really doubt people would be so quick to argue for them being kids shows unless Netflix made it very clear that they are.
Most people would probably default to the idea that they're just great action-adventure sci-fi/fantasy programs that appeal to everybody, somewhat like the Marvel movies or a great TV shows like Stranger Things (which is all pretty close to a Samurai Jack in regards to content).
Cartoons just don't get the luxury of being seen as something for everyone by default.
From what I can tell there is a very clear and suffocating double standard going on in terms of how people classify and talk about animation.
And I believe that the way people throw around "kids show" at anything that isn't close to a Rick and Morty or Family Guy is part of that problem.
When I watch cartoons like SU that actively and enthusiastically attempt to appeal to older folks with beautifully crafted lore, intriguing world building, amazing artistic direction, extremely nerdy references, and top notch serialized storytelling I see something that isn't a "kids show" but obviously not quite an "adult cartoon".
An all-ages kind of thing, but you know...I guess that's just me...I don't know, people don't have to feel the same way I guess but I wish people did.

 

[Psxphile]

spoiler pics and preview are out for Tiger Philanthropist

it's a

Spoiler

Lars learns a very important lesson

episode. You guys like those, right?

 

[Puruzi]

>more townie nonsense

WEW.

 

[Exterminieren]

Yay.

 

[Psxphile]

Yay.

That's the spirit!

 

[Ruflux]

spoiler pics and preview are out for Tiger Philanthropist

it's a

Spoiler

Lars learns a very important lesson

episode. You guys like those, right?

I don't know what you're talking about, the show went on hiatus after Rose's Room aired!

 

[KenzinFive]

*looks at leaked preview*

Spoiler

It's going to be a fucking Lars episode.

Spoiler

I had high hopes for this episode as a wrestling fan and because of how Steven & Amethyst's relationship has deepened so much since Season 1. I don't even hate Lars, I like that he's an asshole who makes some effort at changing and I actually like his screwy relationship with Sadie. But goddamn it, I was hoping for at least a Smoky Quartz episode. Hopefully the wrestling references and homages stay fun.

 

[Toxi]

The town episodes are fine when they're not focused on Lars and Ronaldo.

 

[MisterGrey3000]

My favorite townie/human-centric non-plot episodes tend to blend the mundane with the fantastic; they use the fantasy or sci-fi elements of Steven Universe to create an all encompassing high-stakes conflict (like the dangerous, crystal shard controlled Frybo violently forcing citizens to eat fries) that surrounds a smaller, more intimate one (Peedee attempting to regain the blissful innocence of childhood that his embarrassing, unwanted job stole from him).
Examples of episodes that I really like that do this are:
Frybo
Island Adventure
Watermelon Steven
Horror Club
Winter Forecast
Nightmare Hospital
The New Lars
I'll admit though, it's not a completely winning formula; Future Boy Zoltron did exactly this but I thought it was pretty mediocre because it centered around two completely uninteresting characters with an incredibly pitiful conflict ("he doesn't want to be my friend because I'm sad all the time"...really? That's something I'd expect out of a preschool show like Caillou).

 

[Blues1990]

I liked the ridiculousness of 80's professional wrestling, so I'm down with watching this episode. It looks like to be a ball.

 

[zulux21]

this was amusing enough

fan made trailer, will greg die?

 

[TheSun]

The town episodes are fine when they're not focused on Lars and Ronaldo.

Yup.
Though I'll add Onion in as well.

Welp till whenever, I guess.

 

[caliph95]

The town episodes are fine when they're not focused on Lars and Ronaldo.

Yeah pretty much

 

[Psxphile]

Still waiting on Suitcase Sam episode.

 

[Killthee]

The town episodes are fine when they're not focused on Lars and Ronaldo.

Pretty much.

 

[zeemumu]

Ronaldo would be entertaining if his episodes were about his efforts in foiling the plans of an evil and equally incompetent gem that the crystal gems disregard as any form of legitimate threat

 

[PSqueak]

Ronaldo would be entertaining if his episodes were about his efforts in foiling the plans of an evil and equally incompetent gem that the crystal gems disregard as any form of legitimate threat

So basically what people wanted Peridot to be?

Im glad we got the Peridot we got then.

Now, maybe if a rogue Ruby fell to earth...

 

[zeemumu]

So basically what people wanted Peridot to be?

Im glad we got the Peridot we got then.

Now, maybe if a rogue Ruby fell to earth...

Can't be Peridot. We already had a show about an incompetent green alien disregarded by its superiors being constantly foiled by an equally incompetent conspiracy theorist

 

[PSqueak]

Can't be Peridot. We already had a show about an incompetent green alien disregarded by its superiors being constantly foiled by an equally incompetent conspiracy theorist

that'sthejoke.gif

But seriously, some people legit wanted Peridot to be that, again, im glad it didn't happen.

 

[SchrodingerC]

Anyone seen this new bit of info yet?

http://i.imgur.com/Z1FiXkB.jpg

 

[zeemumu]

Anyone seen this new bit of info yet?

http://i.imgur.com/Z1FiXkB.jpg

This isn't a season 1 blu ray/dvd US release date.

 

[SchrodingerC]

This isn't a season 1 blu ray/dvd US release date.

Sorry to bring you disappointment.

 

[Tizoc]

Caught up to 'That will be all'.
So are Jaspers and Amethysts the same type or some such?

 

[Infinite Justice]

Caught up to 'That will be all'.
So are Jaspers and Amethysts the same type or some such?

They are a type of Quartz (along with Agates, etc) so you could say they are related in that regard and apparently they provide a similar purpose in the Gem hierarchy (being high ranking soldiers/warriors).

Also the familial aspects in that scene comes from those gems being born in the same location.

 

[KenzinFive]

Anyone seen this new bit of info yet?

http://i.imgur.com/Z1FiXkB.jpg

New episode title and confirmation that we will be getting another episode next week!

Let's talk about the title:

Spoiler

Room for Ruby

. There's really only three possible scenarios I can theorize.
1. A flashback episode showing

Spoiler

early Garnet dealing with Rose, Pearl, and the beginnings of the rebellion. Ruby is the focus because Ruby and Sapphire weren't all-in on being Garnet 100% of the time yet.

2. Current time episode where

Spoiler

we see Ruby and Sapphire's individual rooms in the temple. This is probably the most plausible, but odd considering we just had a "room" episode.

3. Current time episode where

Spoiler

they finally try to rescue the Ruby Squad, and they have to figure where they're going to keep all of the ones they rescue. I imagine that they only rescue one Ruby (Leggy?) or all the Rubies except Eyeball. This would be exciting, but the title mentioning only one "Ruby" keeps the odds low.

Either way, there's very little chance of this episode being a "townie" ep, so I'm sure some people will be happy. I just wonder if people would consider Last One Out of Beach City or the inevitable return of Mystery Girl a "townie" episode. Or would they exclude it since it deals so heavily with Pearl?

 

[SapphiCine]

I hope they just come up with conclusions for Beach City side characters in the near future. The Lars and Sadie crap has been dragged out long enough. They still haven't acknowledged that what Sadie did back on the island was fucked up. Worst side story.

 

[SchrodingerC]

New episode title and confirmation that we will be getting another episode next week!

Let's talk about the title:

Spoiler

Room for Ruby

. There's really only three possible scenarios I can theorize.
1. A flashback episode showing

Spoiler

early Garnet dealing with Rose, Pearl, and the beginnings of the rebellion. Ruby is the focus because Ruby and Sapphire weren't all-in on being Garnet 100% of the time yet.

2. Current time episode where

Spoiler

we see Ruby and Sapphire's individual rooms in the temple. This is probably the most plausible, but odd considering we just had a "room" episode.

3. Current time episode where

Spoiler

they finally try to rescue the Ruby Squad, and they have to figure where they're going to keep all of the ones they rescue. I imagine that they only rescue one Ruby (Leggy?) or all the Rubies except Eyeball. This would be exciting, but the title mentioning only one "Ruby" keeps the odds low.

Hopefully it's about

Spoiler

the Crystal Gems finally retrieving the spaced rubies. Homeworld scouts could easily run into the rubies, especially eyeball. I wouldn't be surprised if the rubies become the catalyst for quickening Homeworld's arrival.

1. And 2. are more likely to be plausible.

 

[Pachinko]

The "townie crap" episode you guys all love to complain about are the potatoes on a plate full of steak and salad. I've never really had an issue with them (honestly the only episode of this whole series I'd rank as eeeehh is the bizzare barely canonical uncle grandpa cross-over). Are Ronaldo and Lars annoying people ? oh yeah , defininetly but everyone knows someone kind of like them and Ronaldo in particular seems like a character designed to represent us - that is, the hardcore fans always demanding things with our conspiracy theories and such. Maybe people don't like being held up to a mirror ?

The plot bombs in SU are great because they don't have every single episode, they get built up to slowly and KABOOOM ! here are 5 amazing episodes filled to the brim with lore or twists , new characters, etc. Afterwards though, especially with this most recent bomb - it's nice to literally come down to earth and deal with mundane silly issues for a few episodes. Remind people that beach city exists and it has real humans in it.

The "slower silly townie" episodes are also fine in the context of marathoning the show as many of us likely did upon discovering it. As the cast widens the plot bombs become more substantial but there are also more repercussions to deal with and thus you get more "filler" afterwards.

All this discussion of SU being a kids show or not is like when a 30 something year old complains when someone calls his transformers figures "toys" instead of "adult collectables". Steven universe is a cartoon aimed at kids , it happens to write above the main audience just like any good cartoon does. This isn't anything new , it's what differentiates good cartoons from bad ones. Is it a 22 minute commercial for toys or a 22 minute story ? SU is 11 minutes obviously but the same thing applies. We don't have too many blatantly bad cartoons anymore because most programming is made for 24 hour cable channels instead of a main networks saturday AM programming block. Or , straight to the internet/streaming TV service.

That said , the overall point here is that most of the townie episodes do skew just a bit younger , most notably the onion gang episode. Despite complaints I still found it a cute bit of character filler.

 

[DrForester]

Steven and the Mount Splashmore Incident

 

[KiN0]

The "townie crap" episode you guys all love to complain about are the potatoes on a plate full of steak and salad. I've never really had an issue with them (honestly the only episode of this whole series I'd rank as eeeehh is the bizzare barely canonical uncle grandpa cross-over). Are Ronaldo and Lars annoying people ? oh yeah , defininetly but everyone knows someone kind of like them and Ronaldo in particular seems like a character designed to represent us - that is, the hardcore fans always demanding things with our conspiracy theories and such. Maybe people don't like being held up to a mirror ?

The plot bombs in SU are great because they don't have every single episode, they get built up to slowly and KABOOOM ! here are 5 amazing episodes filled to the brim with lore or twists , new characters, etc. Afterwards though, especially with this most recent bomb - it's nice to literally come down to earth and deal with mundane silly issues for a few episodes. Remind people that beach city exists and it has real humans in it.

The "slower silly townie" episodes are also fine in the context of marathoning the show as many of us likely did upon discovering it. As the cast widens the plot bombs become more substantial but there are also more repercussions to deal with and thus you get more "filler" afterwards.

All this discussion of SU being a kids show or not is like when a 30 something year old complains when someone calls his transformers figures "toys" instead of "adult collectables". Steven universe is a cartoon aimed at kids , it happens to write above the main audience just like any good cartoon does. This isn't anything new , it's what differentiates good cartoons from bad ones. Is it a 22 minute commercial for toys or a 22 minute story ? SU is 11 minutes obviously but the same thing applies. We don't have too many blatantly bad cartoons anymore because most programming is made for 24 hour cable channels instead of a main networks saturday AM programming block. Or , straight to the internet/streaming TV service.

That said , the overall point here is that most of the townie episodes do skew just a bit younger , most notably the onion gang episode. Despite complaints I still found it a cute bit of character filler.

It's one thing to have slow episodes, in another thing to have them take place in a totally different setting. Beach city is too removed from the events of the universe at large. EPisodes set there seem to come from a different show altogether.

The show often brings up the fact that steven is a gem-human hybrid, so I figured we'd have a scenario where steven slowly begins to properly introduce the gems to humanity; we've had about a handful of episodes where the gems interact directly with the townies. On top of that, the townies don't really pay any attention to gems, even when catastrophic events take place. Nothing feels connected.