Earthlings

"Earth… is a prison. And I got out because I’m better than this place. I only came back to finish you off. You can’t manipulate me Rose Quartz!... I’ve been fighting since I broke free from the Earth’s crust! Because of what YOU did to my colony, because of what YOU did to my planet, because of what YOU did to my Diamond! My Diamond... Your Diamond... PINK. DIAMOND!!"

"Earthlings" is the 23rd episode of the third season of Steven Universe and the 101st episode overall.

Synopsis
Steven and Amethyst fight Jasper.

Plot
Steven, Amethyst, and Peridot hide behind a rock face while observing Jasper interact with a corrupted gem. Peridot suggests they head back to the temple and get reinforcements, to which Steven agrees. They realize that while they were talking that Amethyst was sneaking up to attack Jasper. Jasper is bullying the caged corrupted gem, telling it that "we all get what we deserve," before turning around and saying, "right, Amethyst?" Amethyst is shocked and falls off a rock face before jumping up for a rematch. Jasper equips her weapon and is seemingly pushed back by Amethyst's new upgraded whips. The more Amethyst attacks, the more she realizes that Jasper is unaffected. Amethyst uses her spin dash technique while on fire to attack Jasper to no avail. Jasper easily kicks Amethyst away, who lands near Steven. As Jasper advances, Steven knocks down a Kindergarten injector using his shield throw, which separates Jasper from him and Amethyst.

Amethyst claims she can't win, but Steven gives her a pep talk by saying they're unique and that they have each other. They hug and fuse into Smoky Quartz, to which Jasper says, "is fusion the only trick you Crystal Gems have?" Smoky attacks with a yo-yo made from Amethyst's whips and Steven's shield, which pushes Jasper back. Jasper uses her spin dash, but Smoky Quartz dodges. Jasper's attack breaks the cliff face where her corrupted gem army was held captive, which results in the corrupted gems fleeing. Jasper runs over to the last gem in her army and fuses with it. As Jasper's new fusion advances, Smoky Quartz spins their yo-yo to create a wind blast. Since the corrupted fusion isn't blown away, Smoky pulls out two more yo-yo's and creates a tornado. Jasper unfuses from the corrupted gem, but claims that "we can beat them if we stay together." The tornado subsides and the pair fall to the ground, unfused.

The corrupted gem runs away, which prompts Jasper to declare that no gem ever stays fused with her long. Smoky Quartz Jasper sees that Jasper's arm is starting to corrupt, so Steven unfuses and offers to help Jasper, who declines. Jasper states that Rose would only take gems who are at their lowest point, so that they can be made to feel like they mean something. She even points out Peridot, who she thinks was stripped of her status and her limb enhancers. She asks why she would side with Rose, and Peridot says that being on Earth, she has learned things about herself, and Earth can set you free. Jasper still doesn't accept any of this and yells at Steven that he can't manipulate her. Steven, on the other hand, tells her he just wants to help. As Jasper gets more furious and becomes more corrupted, yelling about how she's been fighting because of what Rose did to her colony, her planet, and her diamond. Steven asks, "Yellow Diamond?" In dismay, Jasper states, before becoming fully corrupted, "My Diamond, your Diamond, Pink Diamond!" Jasper becomes fully corrupted and advances quickly on the Crystal Gems. Peridot pierces Jasper with a metal rod used to cage the corrupted gems, and Jasper poofs. Amethyst bubbles Jasper and the trio head home. Amethyst says she doesn't want to do anything for a month, before groaning at the sight of Lapis, Garnet, and Pearl who have bubbled the newly returned Ruby Squad.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Amethyst
 * Peridot
 * Smoky Quartz (debut)
 * Jasper
 * Snow Monster
 * Unknown Jasper fusion (debut)
 * Rose Quartz (mentioned)
 * Pink Diamond (mentioned)
 * Yellow Diamond (mentioned)
 * Corrupted Gems
 * Cluster Gem (cameo)
 * Water Bear (cameo)
 * Garnet (non speaking, cameo)
 * Pearl (non speaking, cameo)
 * Lapis Lazuli (non speaking, cameo)
 * Ruby (Doc) (non speaking, cameo)
 * Ruby (Eyeball) (non speaking, cameo)
 * Ruby (Army) (non speaking, cameo)
 * Ruby (Navy) (non speaking, cameo)
 * Ruby (Leggy) (non speaking, cameo)
 * Malachite (indirectly mentioned)
 * Carnelian (mentioned)

Objects

 * Injectors
 * Roaming Eye

Locations

 * Beta Kindergarten
 * The Barn
 * Crystal Temple (mentioned)

Songs

 * TBA

Instrumental Songs

 * Jasper

Trivia

 * This episode's name was first revealed in the episode listing on the Cartoon Network website.
 * This episode reveals that Steven can fuse with Full-Gems.
 * It also reveals that if a normal Gem fuses with a Corrupted Gem, that gem will also become Corrupted.
 * This episode is the only one so far to have the title screen with the Beta Kindergarten as background.
 * This episode shows Amethyst bubbling a Gem on-screen for the first time.
 * This episode confirms that the North Monsters were quartz gems and to a greater extent, different varieties of Jaspers.


 * This is the first onscreen transformation from a non-corrupted gem to a corrupted gem.
 * Whether or not all Gems become corrupted like Jasper did is yet to be seen.


 * Amethyst refers Jasper as "sis" (short term for 'sister'), referring as both of them are quartz types.

Cultural References

 * Smoky Quartz's yo-yo attack may be a reference to one of Ness's attacks in Earthbound.

Continuity

 * This episode starts off from where "Beta" left off.
 * Jasper doesn't want to get beaten by yet another fusion, referring back to the events of "Jail Break", "Super Watermelon Island", and "Crack the Whip."
 * Jasper remarks about how her fusion partners never wanted to stay together, referring to Malachite.
 * The Water Bear from "Love Letters" makes a cameo.
 * A Cluster Gem, which debuted in "Nightmare Hospital", appears, fleeing from the Beta Kindergarten after most of the cages break.

Errors

 * When Smoky Quartz announces their name, the whip was studded with amethysts instead of smoky quartzes.
 * When Smoky Quartz was spinning their three Yoyos, their two left arms and one right arm switch sides.
 * During Jasper's corruption, one frame had her lips missing.
 * When Jasper and the Snow Monster fuse, the Monster's gemstone appears round, despite it regularly having a hexagonal shape.
 * When Jasper and the Snow Monster were falling from the sky, Jasper's right arm turns yellow for a few frames, and then returns back to the red color.

Earthlings, Part 2