Off Colors (episode)

"You can't just walk around on the surface like that! You're off color - just like the rest of us!"

"Off Colors" is the 3rd episode of the fifth season of Steven Universe and the 131st episode overall.

Official Synopsis
Steven finds some unusual new allies.

Plot
After managing to escape Yellow Diamond's attacks after Steven's trial, Steven and Lars wake up on the ground at the crashed palanquin. Lars tells Steven his bones are only a little broken thanks to his bubble, and he agrees to the same. The two begin to run, but they both realize they have no way of getting off the planet. Lars also expresses his hunger, but they are interrupted by a Shattering Robonoid coming towards them. The two try to avoid it, but its scanner identifies Steven's gemstone, and the Robonoid begins to attack them.

Steven and Lars run behind a wall, with Lars admitting how afraid he is. Suddenly an arm coming from a hole in the ground tells them to come over. Although Lars is initially unsure, the Robonoid attacks and Steven tells him they have no choice. They jump into a tunnel and thank the stranger who saved them. The stranger reveals herself to be a conjoined pair of Rutiles, which surprises Lars. They are bewildered by the odd-looking Gem, but Steven and Lars decide to trust her. The Rutile Twins lead them from the tunnel to a large abandoned Kindergarten. They meet the rest of the rogue Gems hiding in the Kindergarten (a Padparadscha who makes late predictions, and fusions Rhodonite and Fluorite), who explain themselves to be a group of outcasts in Homeworld society for being defective, abnormal, or "off color". They also explain if they are found by anyone, such as the Robonoids, they will all be shattered.

Soon, another group of Robonoids find the Off Colors' cavern, and Steven tells everyone to hide to avoid being scanned. Steven and Lars hide inside an empty Kindergarten hole, and Lars begins to hyperventilate. Steven reassures Lars, telling him it is okay to be scared, and he calms down. Lars turns around and sees the Rutile Twins about to be scanned, and says someone has to do something. He runs out, grabs a rock, and throws it at one of the Robonoids, interrupting its scan. The two Robonoids then scan Lars again, who stands still, knowing it is okay to be afraid. However, Steven realizes that since Lars is organic and has no gemstone, he is not recognized by the Robonoids' gemstone scanners. Padparadscha leaves Rhodonite and approaches Lars, informing him of her late prediction of his invisibility to the Robonoids, oblivious to the Robonoid that scans her. Lars manages to save her by kicking the Robonoid away and moving Padparadscha to safety.

Steven tries to avoid being scanned again by putting up his shield, but the scanner still notices his gemstone. Lars then grabs a large rock shard and starts batting away the Robonoids. One escapes from him and blasts Steven, but its beam is deflected by his shield to the other Robonoids, destroying two of them. Rhodonite tries to warn Padparadscha until she realizes she is being scanned. Lars quickly jumps in front and blocks her exposed gemstones from the scanners, preventing her from being detected. Lars then jumps on top of the Robonoid and starts attacking it with a rock. The Robonoid begins shooting all over the place, nearly hitting Steven. Lars finally stabs the rock into the lens and the Robonoid explodes, sending him flying into the wall and seemingly knocking him unconscious.

Steven runs to Lars to check if he is okay, but Lars does not move to his concern. The Gems, not aware of Lars' injury, are happy and impressed that Lars saved them from the Robonoids. Steven places his ear onto Lars' chest, trying to listen for a heartbeat, but hears silence. Steven gasps, realizing the explosion had killed him. Distraught at Lars' death, Steven bursts into tears. Everyone stands around in silence. Steven picks Lars up and a drop of his tears drips onto Lars' cheek. Lars' body begins to glow and turn pink from head to toe, and to their shock, he wakes up with a scar on his right eye. As Lars begins to question what happened, the episode ends with Padparadscha making another late prediction.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Lars Barriga
 * Rutile Twins (debut)
 * Padparadscha (debut)
 * Rhodonite (debut)
 * Fluorite (debut)
 * Morganite (mentioned)
 * Rutiles (mentioned)
 * Yellow Diamond (indirectly mentioned)
 * Blue Diamond (indirectly mentioned)

Objects

 * Blue Diamond's Palanquin (broken)
 * Shattering Robonoids (debut)

Locations

 * Gem Homeworld
 * Abandoned Homeworld Kindergarten

Instrumental Songs

 * TBA

Trivia

 * This is the first time that a character dies and is resurrected.
 * Steven demonstrates the ability to resurrect people with his healing tears.
 * This episode reveals that if "Off Colors" are spotted on the surface of Gem Homeworld, they will be shattered.
 * This episode confirms the existence of perma-fusions living in Homeworld, although they are abominated.
 * This episode has a different title card than the others shown so far. It has a view from Homeworld of a white structure that resembles one of the murals on the Moon Base. The same title card is seen in the following episode, "Lars' Head".

Cultural References

 * Lars makes a reference to Jurassic Park when he says the Robonoid's scanner will not detect them if they do not move. His reasoning is that he "saw it in a movie, once." Unsuccessful, Lars admits "that movie was about dinosaurs."
 * While they were wandering around Gem Homeworld, Steven and Lars stop under a giant sword that is similar to the elucidator of Kirigaya Kazuto from Sword Art Online. The only differences are the sizes and the symbols.
 * Steven using his tears to revive Lars is very similar to Belle reviving the Beast with her love from the 1991 Disney film, Beauty and the Beast. It is also similar to another Disney film, Tangled, where Rapunzel revives Flynn Rider with her tears near the end of the movie.

Continuity

 * This episode follows the events of "The Trial".
 * Steven comforts Lars with the same high five they did in "Lars and the Cool Kids".
 * The term "Off Colors" was first used in the episode "That Will Be All" by Holly Blue Agate. She used this when addressing the defective Jasper and Carnelian, giving a hint to its meaning.

Errors

 * Note: Time is displayed in [mm:ss]; [00:00] refers to the point after the title card is displayed and before the episode's start.

Design

 * [04:51] When Lars first sees Fluorite, the circular gem on her forehead has a pentagonal facet. For the rest of the episode, the facet is triangular.