Lars and the Cool Kids

"Lars and the Cool Kids" is the 14th episode of the first season of Steven Universe, and the 14th overall episode of the series.

Official Synopsis
Steven and Lars get to hang out with the cool kids in town, but their teenage shenanigans get them into deadly magical trouble.

Plot
Steven and the gems observe a lagoon with dangerous fast growing clinging moss. The moss originated from a near by hill but Rose planted it there despite its danger and appearance, because she saw beauty in everything. To keep humans away until the moss could be properly dealt with, Pearl materializes some police tape and the gems cover the entrance. Before anyone can come up with a plan Steven goes to get something to eat.

He goes to the Fish Stew Pizza, and he sees Lars "chilling" outside. After showing his usual rudeness to Steven, Lars says that he's waiting for some "cool" kids inside to notice him. Steven sees them leaving the restaurant and ignoring Lars approaches the cool kids: Sour Cream, Jenny and Buck Dewey. Surprisingly, Steven's off-beat personality appeals to the cool kids and they invite him and Lars for a ride.

In the car, Steven continues to engage the cool kids by being himself. Lars struggles to gain their approval by saying things about himself that would look cool, all unsuccessfully. He directs his frustrations towards Steven, blaming him for his failure. Eventually the group decides to check out Dead Man's Mouth, which turns out to be beginning. Despite Steven's attempts to keep the cool kids away and the police tape the cool kids jump into the water anyway.

Everybody but Lars and Steven jump into the water because Steven hugged Lars so he couldn't move and the moss quickly attacks. The cool kids manage to get out of the water but when Steven and Lars try to pull off the moss it quickly regrows. Lars unfairly blames the situation on Steven and goes too far calling Rose Quartz weird. This makes Steven yell at Lars as he angrily defends his mother saying she saw beauty in everything and calls Lars a jerk. Hoping that going to the hill will save the cool kids, Lars and Steven drive them there. On the way, the moss begins to envelop the car and eventually Lars and Steven.

Miraculously, they make it to the top, however it seems to be too late and the moss fully grows over everyone. The sun rises and the moss blooms into beautiful flowers with a rose quartz in their center. The cool kids wake up and admire the vision they had from Beach City. Steven claims that Lars brought them there and in thanks he offers Steven a very short lived high five.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Lars
 * Sour Cream
 * Jenny
 * Buck Dewey
 * Pearl
 * Garnet
 * Amethyst
 * Rose Quartz (mentioned)
 * Kiki (cameo)
 * Kofi (indirectly mentioned)
 * Mayor Bill Dewey

Songs

 * The Hill
 * Spaced Out Beats

Trivia

 * This was the first episode in which Lars was seen without Sadie. This is also Lars' first major role.
 * Kiki is revealed to have a sister named Jenny.
 * Mayor Bill Dewey is revealed to have a son named Buck Dewey.
 * This is the first episode where Lars openly tells Steven that he hates him and where Steven tells Lars that he is a jerk.
 * Lars seems to be on much better terms with Steven by the end of the episode.
 * This is the first episode where the Crystal Temple didn't appear.
 * This is the first episode where Rose's sentient plant life were the antagonists, with Steven's watermelons being the second.

Cultural References

 * The snake on Lars shirt resembles a character from the Pokémon franchise named Ekans.
 * This episodes title is similar to the movie titled "Lars and the Real Girl".

Continuity

 * A billboard for Dogcopter 3 (the movie Connie and Steven go to see in "Lion 2: The Movie") was seen when Steven and the cool kids began to drive off to Dead Man's Mouth.
 * Steven gives Lars a similar high-five from this episode in Lion 3.

Errors

 * After passing by Funland Arcade, Jenny's car is on the left side of the road, but in earlier and later scenes, it is on the right.
 * When Lars starts talking to himself outside of Fish Stew Pizza, the businesses that are to the left disappear, so that you can see the back of the temple.
 * When Buck is sitting in the car he is on the right of Steven and to the left of Lars. When they reach Dead Man's Mouth, Buck is suddenly to the left of Steven and to the right of Lars.

Transcript
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