Proposal's accepted, wedding planning has begun. What could go wrong now? Oh right, the guest list…
“Made of Honor” is the penultimate episode of the latest Steven Bomb. Taking place right after Ruby’s proposal, the Crystal Gems are filled with wedding bliss, preparing the temple for the nuptials. While everyone is excited, one small cloud hangs over Sapphire: most of her old friends are unable to attend because they are Corrupted. Steven takes it upon himself to free Bismuth from her bubble to invite the smith gem. This leads to the two sharing a moment and reconciling. The band is now back together.
Given how Bismuth’s debut episode ended, her return was bound to happen. The only questions were when and why. When this bomb was announced I knew the when was approaching; the leaked footage with her in the background played a part, but the episode titles were another clue. This one has a duel meaning. The surface meaning is Steven wants Bismuth to be part of the wedding party, Garnet’s maid of honor. The other involves Bismuth’s character development. From the moment she reforms, Steven must fill the smith in on everything that’s occurred since they last met. From corruption to Rose’s true nature, Bismuth is told everything. Given the amount of knowledge Bismuth takes it well—what is lava to a Gem—but still has a chip on her shoulder. If the Crystal Gems wanted her around, why didn’t one of them free her? This viewpoint is logical given that Bismuth tried to shatter Steven last time. If an old friend tried to kill a newer friend you’d be conflicted too. This leads to a bonding moment between Bismuth and Steven where the pair make-up. They had a tiff in the past, but have move past that.
Bismuth raises an interesting point during their conversation: why do the other gems stick around if everything was a lie? While obviously the group care for one another, Bismuth raises another possibility: they believe in Steven. The gems view Steven as their best hope for the future, whatever it might entail. While they rightfully question Rose when it involves the war, they trust the Diamond when it comes to her son.
While it’s a small moment, a line Steven said early on made me smile. He presents Ruby and Sapphire with a wedding planning book, one he claims to have assembled over his short life. While on the surface played for laughs, there is depth too. Steven has been thinking about marriage for years, even if only as a hobby. This raises the question why? Most likely we won’t get an answer, but it’s fun to theorize. Hopefully Connie knows what she’s getting involved with.
“Made of Honor” is another great episode. Bismuth returns and gets some finality to her introduction arc, and the endgame is set. Now, onward to wedding bells and war horns.
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