Back to the Barn

"She's a Pearl, she's a made-to-order servant just like the hundreds of other Pearls flaunting around back on Homeworld."

"Back to the Barn" is the 20th episode of season 2, and the 72nd episode overall.

Synopsis
Steven and the Gems head back to the family barn.

Plot
The episode begins with Peridot explaining what the Cluster is to the Crystal Gems back at the Beach House. She uses Steven as a dummy in a box to illustrate the Cluster's formation. Pearl tries to explain the parameters of the machine, but Peridot interrupts her and explains everything the machine must do in order to get to the center of the Earth and stop the Cluster from taking form. Peridot begins to search around the house for parts they can use to help them build such a machine, and in doing so destroys some devices. Steven suggests that they should instead head to the family barn where Steven and Pearl built a rocket to find parts and build the drill.

At the barn, Pearl explains to Peridot that they should first organize all the parts they have in the barn and then draft a blueprint for the drill before they get anything started. Peridot agrees, and tries to send Pearl off. She refuses to leave, and Steven supports her decision. Peridot explains to him that Pearls can't build anything like this, as they are made to be servants back on the Gem Homeworld. Pearl demands that if they are to build the drill, that she must work alongside Peridot, which prompts her to laugh, elaborating that Pearls are only made to take orders while saying that she is no different from the hundreds of other Pearls on Homeworld. Steven is surprised to learn that there are many more Pearls, and Pearl confirms that fact as Peridot comments that she looks like she's a fancy one. She asks Pearl who she belongs to, and angrily replies with "Nobody!". Peridot declares that Pearl belongs to her now, and Pearl angrily reacts by saying that she has done too much to win Earth's independence during the rebellion to take orders from the likes of Peridot. Steven tries to settle the dispute but they both refuse to listen to each other. He then suggests that they should host a competition between each other over who builds the better robot.

Pearl builds a tall, agile robot while Peridot builds a bulky, powerful mech. Steven introduce the Robolympics, which he explains is a competition which tests all the functionalities of the robots and their efficiency. The winner will be in charge of the gem drill project. After a lengthy montage of the robots competing with each other, with the Robolympics ending in a tie. Steven declares both Pearl and Peridot as heads of the gem drill project, but Peridot is discontent with the results, and demands a tiebreaker. Pearl tries to convince her that the tie is final, and that they are the same. Peridot refuses to listen to her, stating that Pearl is beneath her. Pearl angrily kicks her mech away, and a fight ensues. Eventually, Peridot destroys Pearl's robot and declares herself the winner and the leader of the gem drill project, and demands praise. Garnet, Amethyst and Steven rush to Pearl's aid, and compliment her. Peridot angrily asks why they are ignoring her and giving attention to a "common pearl". Steven defends Pearl, saying that Pearl is not common at all, and she always tries to be better at everything every day. Peridot asks why she is not leading the project anymore, as per the Robolympics rules, and Garnet calmly responds with, "Welcome to Earth."

The Crystal Gems clean up the aftermath of the Robolympics and Pearl's destroyed robot. Steven notices Peridot confronting Pearl, complimenting on how a Pearl such as herself has trained herself to be a knowledgeable technician. She offers cooperation, and wants to get started on the drill together. Pearl shows her how to hold a drill properly, and Peridot tells her that the wheels she used on her robot can be useful for the drill. Steven is happy and relieved that the two gems are finally working together, and the star iris closes on Steven's head as he begins to play around with a hand sock he pretends to be the Cluster.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Amethyst
 * Garnet
 * Pearl
 * Peridot
 * The Cluster (mentioned)
 * Greg's Aunt (pictured)
 * Greg's Uncle (pictured)

Objects

 * Pearlbot
 * Peribot
 * Cluster Puppet

Locations

 * Beach City
 * Beach House
 * Greg's Storage Shed

Instrumental Songs

 * Little Peridot
 * Peridot and Steven
 * Pearlbot vs. Peribot

Trivia

 * This is the third consecutive episode and third overall episode in which Peridot is not an antagonist.
 * The first was "Catch and Release" and the second was "When It Rains".
 * This is the second time Greg's Storage Shed is shown.
 * The first was "Space Race".
 * Peridot reveals that on Homeworld there are copious amounts of Pearls, produced to order and used as servants and status symbols.
 * This reveals that each gem has a different role in gem society, determined by their gemstone when they are created.
 * This is further supported by the fact that Peridot also briefly referred to herself as "a Peridot".
 * This was previously hinted in "Friend Ship" as Pearl says that she is "just a Pearl" and denotes her worthlessness. This is further reflected through Peridot's bossy and instructive dialect towards her.
 * In "The Return", Jasper calls Pearl "a lost and defective Pearl", showing Pearl's supposedly disobedient nature.
 * This also explains why Pearl likes doing chores so much.
 * Peridot is revealed to be a technician and certified Kindergartener.
 * This is the second time Pearl is shown in her piloting outfit.
 * The first was "Space Race".
 * This episode ends with an entirely different ending credits.
 * Matt Burnett tweeted that he had been waiting for a part of this episode since he began working on Steven Universe, which he later stated to be the robot fight between Pearl and Peridot.
 * The bodies of Pearl and Peridot's robots resemble their builders respective hairstyles and physiques.

Continuity

 * Greg's Storage Shed from "Space Race" reappears.
 * Steven's drawing references "UUU (Universe & Universe's Universal) Space Travel HQ" from the same episode.
 * Pearl wears the same space suit from "Space Race".
 * Pearl is referred to as "a pearl" for the third time.
 * When the Gems are heading back to the Storage Shed to clean up after Pearl and Peridot's battle, Amethyst asks Pearl to wrestle with her sometime, a reference to "Tiger Millionaire".
 * Which confirms that Purple Puma is still active on the Beach City Underground Wrestling scene.
 * The same screen change effect from "Lion 3: Straight to Video" on Greg's video camera appeared between every robot challenge.
 * This is the fourth time Steven's TV has been broken.
 * The first being "Gem Glow", the second being "Steven the Sword Fighter", and the third being "Rose's Room".
 * Inside the barn there are pieces of the spaceship from "Space Race".

Cultural References

 * The cluster puppet that pops out of the box could be a Metal Gear Solid reference, as the main protagonist, Snake, uses a box to sneak around, and the Cluster puppet is somewhat snake-like in appearance.
 * The title of this episode is similar to Nickelodeon's animated series, Back at the Barnyard and its original movie Barnyard: The Original Party Animals.
 * Amethyst's pose for the painting contest resembles the one Rose DeWitt Bukater made for her lover Jack Dawson in Titanic.
 * Pearl's robot's design and concept likely references the two-wheeled automobile robots from the anime Rideback. This is also supported by the anime's protagonist being a retired ballet dancer that uses the rideback robots to perform ballet-like moves, which matches Pearl's ballet dancer theme and her robot's introductory dance.Peridot swinging Pearl like a puny god.gif
 * Peridot's robot flailing Pearl around highly resembles the Hulk and Loki's hilariously one-sided fight in Marvel's The Avengers.
 * Pearl performs a Super Inazuma Kick from Gunbuster on Peridot during their fight.
 * Garnet saying "Welcome to Earth" is a reference to Will Smith's line from Independence Day.
 * At least three references to past Cartoon Network shows are made:
 * Peridot's pronunciation of robot as "ro-butt" is possibly a reference to the show Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?
 * In addition, her robot's rocket-firing butt cheeks are a reference to a scene from the first episode of Evil Con Carne.
 * Robolympics also has another past reference to the Cartoon Network show Robotboy.
 * Amethyst calling Pearl and Peridot the Wondernerds is a DC Comics reference to the classic seventies superheroes The Wonder Twins.
 * Pearl's swirling eyes may be a reference to Pokemon, in which a defeated Pokemon appears with such eyes.

Errors

 * In the promo, when Pearl and Peridot are talking and looking into the barn, there appears to be a tool box in front of the chalkboard, but in the next scene it is absent. It's also absent at the beginning of the promo.
 * When Peridot looks around after telling Pearl to leave, an outline appears around her lenses, then disappears.
 * Peridot destroys their microwave, but when the scene moves to Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl after she destroys their TV, the microwave is back to normal.
 * When Garnet says "Welcome to Earth." The star is on the right side of her top instead of the left.
 * On a similar note to the previous error, when Garnet says "Welcome to Earth", her gems are on the wrong hands; Ruby's on the right and Sapphire's on the left.
 * A while after Pearl sets the chalk onto the chalkboard, it disappears.
 * Before the close up, the chalk board is empty.