Continuing the plot threads of the previous episode, the latest episode of Steven Universe builds up new plot threads while making some awkward attempts at character moments.
In the previous episode, we learned of something big that Peridot was afraid of. Here, we learn that it's something called the Cluster, a gem of some sort that exists in Earth's core and is on the verge of expanding outwards and destroying Earth from within. However, not a whole lot else happens in this episode, leaving us with another episode that feels more like a transition into the main story. At the very least, there's a lot of promise for the next episode, given how this one ends with the Crystal Gems learning about the big threat to Earth, but the episode itself ultimately relies on things other than the central plot.
Instead, the key element of "When It Rains" is the dynamic between Steven and Peridot, one that provided a lot of humour in the previous episode but which is mostly the same this time around, only this time with Peridot apparently coming to trust Steven for some reason. He's the one that she's most willing to open up to, perhaps because he's been much nicer to her than the Crystal Gems have. Ultimately this arc is looking to be an extension of the show's compassionate nature, believing that there's good in everyone, including former villains like Peridot. The show hasn't yet made Peridot likable in and of herself, especially considering that her ineptitude apparently extends to her decision-making process as well. Yes, Peridot, you can certainly fix the impending doom with only the help of Steven. Nothing wrong with that plan at all.
However, the episode struggles to cover any new ground with the comedy of Peridot's present weakness, and given that I don't find her new ineffectual state inherently charming, that starts to get a little old by the end. I suppose most fans won't find this much of a problem, given how popular Peridot has become after last week's episode, but I still do hope that this isn't a staple of the rest of the season, or at least that it improves if it is. It'll be more interesting, however, to see how Peridot learning about Earth carries out. The divide in knowledge between gems and humans is one of the bigger things explored here, and it's perhaps the most interesting. The homeworld gems don't know anything about Earth, but Peridot and the Crystal Gems might know a thing or two about the homeworld. Whether or not this gives humankind the advantage remains to be seen.
This isn't really the best episode of the season, but that's more because of its status as a smaller part of a bigger arc than anything else. Hopefully we get more self-contained or at least bigger episodes soon, but in the meantime, episodes like "Catch and Release" and "When It Rains" are more than enough to build up anticipation for when the plot really gets going. All the same, these aren't episodes that I'll be going back to time and time again, if only because their lack of closure leaves them feeling minor in spite of their plot developments. Still, it remains to be seen how they fit into the greater whole, and Steven Universe has given us no reason to worry about that. Next time just might be something big.
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