Go Go Crystal Temps
(This review contains
spoilers!)
Peridot and Lapis have somewhat
unfairly been shifted to the sidelines since the Barn arc ended, with them only
really returning for an episode here and there. Lapis especially has suffered
from this, as she has had very little character development outside of Same Old World and Barn Mates, more or less acting like the stereotypical “edgy”
character that doesn’t really want to go along with the crazy plans of the
other characters.
This is why I was hoping The New Crystal Gems would propel their
storylines forward in some way. Peridot is such a great character that we
haven’t seen much of lately, and it’s always nice to have an episode focused on
her.
Unfortunately, this episode, much like
the job our heroes spend the episode doing, is a wash.
Connie, Lapis and Peridot (and
Pumpkin) all decide to act as the Crystal Gems while the others were off at the
Zoo, protecting Beach City from danger. Sadly, the most danger they face is a
long line at Greg’s car wash. How cool would it have been to have a corrupted
gem show up in Beach City while the main group was off planet? We really
haven’t seen much of Lapis and Peridot using their powers for combat aside from
a few very brief instances, and this would’ve been the perfect place to have Peridot be poofed and reform in a Crystal Gem
outfit!
Instead, the entire episode is just
the three of them fighting over how to wash cars. That’s it. There’s a decent
message for kids (“always be yourself instead of trying to be someone else),
but really nothing else in terms of story, character development or even
humour.
So what’s the big reveal at the end of
the episode? Peridot and Lapis made Greg a new car wash sign. I guess it’ll add
some nice continuity later on, but it doesn’t feel worth the 11 minutes we
spent listening to the characters fight. Again, a corrupted gem destroying the
sign would’ve made this whole episode so much
better.
While it’s always great to have an
episode with Peridot (who’s still my favourite character) and Lapis, The New Crystal Gems felt like a massive
waste of potential. Trapping the characters at the car wash instead of actually
going out and doing things was a colossal mistake, and it ended up creating a story
that ultimately didn’t matter. Maybe I wouldn’t have cared if it wasn’t those
two specifically, but honestly, they deserve better.
FINAL SCORE
3/10
Bad
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