The Good Lars

"The Good Lars" is the 23rd episode of the fourth season of Steven Universe and the 126th episode overall.

Synopsis
Steven, Lars and Sadie get invited to a party with the Cool Kids.

Plot
The episode begins in the Big Donut, where Steven tries a new cake on the counter. He takes a bite and declares that he loves it, asking who made it. Sadie tells him Lars made it, and he blows Steven's compliments off, saying he loves everything. Sadie reassures him that it was Lars' way of saying "thank you", to which he understands.

Buck Dewey enters the shop (much to Lars' surprise), and invites Steven, Lars, and Sadie to join his potluck with himself, Jenny, and Sour Cream later tonight. He asks them to bring food as well, and Lars responds awkwardly to accept the invitation. After Buck leaves, he groans at his behavior and changes his mind about going. Steven and Sadie try to convince him to go, as he could bake something to bring to the potluck. Eventually, he is convinced but declares the meal must be perfect.

At his house, Lars brainstorms ideas on what to bake, but he finds nothing good enough to his opinion. Steven and Sadie suggest some baking ideas, but he blows them off as well. He reaches under his bed to reveal a special cookbook stuffed under, and he opens it. He flips through the pages until Steven points out a recipe for an Ube cake roll. After explaining to them what it was, they suggest for him to make the cake and he eventually agrees.

In the kitchen, Steven and Sadie help Lars prepare the recipe, and he finishes it by placing it into the oven. When they take it out, they help him add the fillings before he rolls the mixture up for the toppings. Lars hands the dish over for Steven and Sadie to taste it, and they call it perfect. Unfortunately, they devour it all during the test, being unable to resist it. Lars says he will make another one, and Sadie leaves to make her meal for the potluck. Steven stays behind while Lars makes another Ube to bring to the potluck.

Steven expresses his excitement for the potluck, but Lars expresses that he is not very excited to hang out with The Cool Kids. He says he knows that his cake will rule, but the issue was not if he brought it. When Steven asks why, he reveals to them he loves to bake but believes everyone would find it lame. Steven tries to motivate Lars, saying he did not need to be worried at all and gives advice that surprises him. Lars asks when Steven turned so mature, and he explains it was somewhere between learning how to summon his shield and finding out Rose was a war criminal. Lars changes his mind, now excited to go. Happy, Steven leaves to grab food for the party and tells Lars he would meet him there.

Later at night, Steven arrives at Sour Cream's house, bringing sushi. The Cool Kids welcome him in, and he places his tray of sushi at a table with everyone else's food. He expresses his excitement to see Lars and Buck agree, having adopted a catchphrase Lars said earlier, saying he was "full of surprises." The doorbell rings, and Steven answers it but find Sadie instead. He invites her in, asking where Lars was, but she says she did not know. He assumes Lars was still working on the cake and puts his worries away. As Sadie goes in nervously, the Cool Kids greet her, and Steven introduces her to them. Buck asks what she brought, and she shows that she just brought paper plates. To her surprise, Sour Cream is happy that she brought them because he would not have to do the dishes after. She is relieved but worried about Lars, so Steven goes out to find him.

Steven walks around all of the Beach City locations he can think of Lars being at but finds no sign of him. Finally, he uses his floating powers to jump in the air and shout out for Lars but finds no response. Steven tries to call Lars with his phone, but he does not pick up. He heads back to Lars' house, and finds the Ube cake in the garbage, and grows worried.

Steven heads back to Sour Cream's house and finds them all having a good time, especially Sadie. Steven reveals that Lars could not make it, and they just continue celebrating without him until the night is over. As Steven and Sadie leave, Sadie asks why Lars did not come, and he shows her the discarded cake. Steven believes that they did not convince Lars enough to come, but Sadie just says she just did not understand him sometimes.

The two of them stop at a crossroad, where they both split up. They both say goodnight to each other and leave in opposite directions. Sadie continues walking, but the same two shadows appear behind her in the streetlight.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Lars
 * Sadie
 * The Cool Kids
 * Rose Quartz (mentioned)
 * Dante Barriga (non-speaking)
 * Martha Barriga (non-speaking)
 * Peedee Fryman (non-speaking)
 * Harold Smiley (non-speaking)
 * Yellowtail (painting)
 * Unknown large shadow (non-speaking)
 * Unknown small shadow (non-speaking)

Objects

 * TBA

Locations

 * Beach City
 * Big Donut
 * Barriga Residence
 * Onion's House

Songs

 * Potluck

Instrumental Songs

 * TBA

Trivia

 * Lars loves to bake, but he does not want anyone to know because he thinks it is lame.
 * Buck's contribution to the pot luck, assorted fruit, includes a pineapple, a durian, and a pitaya, or dragon fruit.

Cultural References

 * Lars makes an ube cake roll, a common delicacy in the Philippines.
 * Ube is a term used in the Philippines to refer to a purple yam.
 * On the walls of Lars' kitchen, there is a drawn picture of an AT-AT Walker from the Star Wars franchise (first introduced in the 1980 movie The Empire Strikes Back).

Continuity

 * Steven mentions he got mature somewhere in between the events of "Ocean Gem" and "Back to the Moon".
 * Steven makes his snack sushi for the party from Cooking with Lion.
 * The painting Vidalia was making of Yellowtail posing in a cloth from "Onion Gang" is shown to be completed and hung up in their living room.
 * At the party, Buck Dewey wears a Guitar Dad shirt that was made in the episode "Shirt Club".
 * Steven reminds Lars that he has been in his body before, referring to the events of "The New Lars".

Errors

 * TBA