Message Received

"You have failed at every stage of this mission!"

"Message Received" is the 25th episode of the second season of Steven Universe and the 77th episode overall.

Synopsis
Steven has doubts about believing in everyone.

Plot
The Gems are outside the barn, inspecting the drill. Steven is uneasy about Peridot being in possession of the diamond-shaped object she took from the moon base. He enters the barn and leads Peridot into a car so he could talk to her. His intent is to steal the object. He fakes his curiosity on the diamonds and Peridot explains that the great diamonds are objectively better than the rest of the Gems. They are absolutely perfect, and she reassures her loyalty to Yellow Diamond. Steven tricks Peridot and manages to take away the object, locking Peridot in the car. She pleas for mercy, but agrees to tell about the diamond-shaped object to Steven when he threatens to destroy it. The object is a communicator created for the purpose of a direct line to the diamonds, and she plans on using the object to inform Yellow Diamond of her mission status and how Earth can be used to the Gem Empire's benefit. Steven is extremely disappointed that despite trying to teach Peridot Earth values, she learned nothing.

Steven shows the diamond communicator to the Gems. Pearl is shocked that Peridot took it from the moonbase, and Amethyst loses her respect for Peridot. Steven talks about how he tried his best to teach Peridot the value of life, and that it was best for her to figure out on her own. Garnet explains that even though it's great that Steven tried to help Peridot and that he is just like his mother, but some people can't be helped, and that they do not deserve the patience they're given to learn. Pearl tries to cheer him up by saying he did the right thing by taking away the communicator.

Peridot emerges from the barn with her giant mech. The Gems attempt to engage her, but Peridot steals the communicator and runs away. Amethyst shapeshifts into a helicopter, and the Gems fly to Peridot. They knock down her mech, but eventually Peridot climbs out and grabs the communicator. She and Steven struggle for the communicator, as he expresses his frustration that his efforts in teaching Peridot were gone to waste. Peridot tells him that his emotions and sympathy is his entire problem, and activates the communicator.

The Gems immediately hide behind the mech as the communicator creates a screen. Yellow Diamond's Pearl tries to ask Peridot why Peridot is using a direct diamond line, but Yellow Diamond answers the call herself. After being asked questions, Peridot explains that she failed her mission and her ship was destroyed in an "accident", deliberately neglecting to reveal the involvement of the Crystal Gems. The Cluster is to emerge shortly, however, which pleases Yellow Diamond. She informs Peridot that there will be a ship that will extract her, but Peridot suggests that it's best to destroy the Cluster, as the Earth life has potential for resources that are otherwise unobtainable. Yellow Diamond dismisses her statements, stating she specifically wants the Cluster and for Earth to be destroyed, erasing it from the star map. Peridot defies her order, and she tries to explain to Yellow Diamond that there are some things on the planet worth protecting. After being asked what she knows about Earth, Peridot declares that she knows more about Earth than Yellow Diamond does and calls her a "clod", which greatly angers the leader. Peridot quickly ends the message before the Gems cheer her, thrilled that she finally understood at least some values Steven has tried to teach her, while she herself is in shock and disbelief that she disobeyed Yellow Diamond and defied her loyalty. She tells the Gems to dispose of the communicator, as it can be remotely detonated. Steven bubbles it and Garnet launches it in the air before its detonation. Steven declares Peridot a Crystal Gem, something that visibly shocks her.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Garnet
 * Amethyst
 * Pearl
 * Peridot
 * Yellow Diamond (debut)
 * Yellow Diamond's Pearl (debut)
 * Jasper (mentioned)
 * The Cluster (mentioned)

Objects

 * Diamond Communicator
 * Peribot

Locations

 * Gem Warship (mentioned)
 * Greg's Storage Shed
 * Yellow Diamond's Control Room

Songs

 * TBA

Instrumental Songs

 * Peridot (soundtrack)

Trivia

 * This marks Yellow Diamond's debut.
 * Peridot becomes a Crystal Gem in this episode.
 * Yellow Diamond also has her own pearl who debuted in this episode.
 * Amethyst uses her shapeshifting powers to turn into a fully operational vehicle, not seen since "So Many Birthdays".
 * After the earlier revelation that there are sub-castes of Gems, each identical to each other (hundreds of "pearls", "rubies", "peridots", "jaspers", etc.), it was unclear how, or even if, they differentiate themselves (even for basic administrative purposes). This episode establishes that individual Gems actually have long strings of serial numbers to distinguish them: Peridot introduces herself to Yellow Diamond as "peridot", and Yellow Diamond bluntly asks "which peridot?", then Peridot lists off her number designation, "Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG".
 * Greg's Storage Shed had been damaged by Peridot and her robot that she built in the episode "Back to the Barn" when she and Pearl were competing against each other.
 * This is the first time we have seen a Homeworld Gem become a Crystal Gem.
 * This is unless if one counts Garnet's flashback in "The Answer".

Cultural References

 * TBA

Continuity

 * This episode takes place immediately after returning from the Moon Base.
 * Peridot uses the Peribot she built in "Back to the Barn" to attack the Crystal Gems.
 * Peridot mentions that the Gem Warship was destroyed in an "accident" in "Jail Break".
 * Yellow Diamond also asks her about the Jasper that was assigned to her.

Errors

 * When Amethyst transformed into a helicopter, Pearl, Garnet and Steven are on the right side of Amethyst with Pearl towards the front and the others towards the back. After Amethyst tells the gems to get in, Pearl appears behind Amethyst's left tail rotor while Garnet is on Amethyst's left side of her rotor.
 * When Yellow Diamond is seen in the communication with Peridot, the sclera color of her eyes is inconsistently changing from the yellow tint of the the communication screen to white and back to yellow. This continues when she is seen on her side of the communication screen with her sclera changing color between yellow and white every other scene.
 * Garnet's body turns abruptly with no fluid movement when Steven walked in front of her to look out at the barn.