“ |
Is this happening to ice cream all over town!? This really is a crisis! |
” |
—Steven |
"Political Power" is the 50th episode of the first season in Steven Universe, the 50th episode overall, and the third episode in the first StevenBomb.
Official Synopsis[]
The Gems cause a power outage in Beach City, and Steven helps Mayor Dewey do damage control.[2]
Plot[]
The Crystal Gems (and Steven, who was told to go to bed) gather on the beach, where Pearl prepares to test a new invention, a robot disruptor, on one of Peridot's robonoids. According to her, the device should be able to produce a localized energy blast that can shut down all of Peridot's robonoids. However, instead of disabling the robonoid, Pearl's disruptor creates an electromagnetic pulse that knocks out the power in Beach City. Pearl sees this as a start and plans to modify the disruptor using parts from their washing machine.
The next morning, Steven prepares to cook breakfast, only to find the microwave not working. He then hears a knock on the door. Mayor Dewey is there, asking for the Crystal Gems; he claims that he has been mayor long enough to know they caused the power outage. Steven calls Pearl to the door, who tells Mayor Dewey that the power should be on by tonight at the earliest, or never at the latest. The distressed mayor says that the people of Beach City need their electronic distractions, so they do not realize their town is a "magnet for disaster". Steven takes responsibility for the power outage and decides to help Mayor Dewey clean up the mess around the city (as Garnet and the other Gems refuse to do so).
They travel in Mayor Dewey's van talking to the citizens and promising that the power will come back on by sundown, all while passing out glow sticks and "Vote 4 Dewey" buttons. Steven soon learns from Mayor Dewey that he lied to the public about the severity of their current situation. Dewey explains that when working for the government, he cannot control what happens in the world, but he can control the people's reactions to events to keep them safe and prevent rioting. He vaguely relates this problem with a place called Ocean Town. Back at the temple, Steven overhears the Gems talking about the imminent arrival of Peridot and any other Gems whom Lapis Lazuli claims will be joining her. They immediately change the subject the moment they see Steven meet up with them.
The sun finally sets, and the power has not come back on. The citizens start to riot by tipping over Mayor Dewey's van. Steven jumps on the tipped van and dissolves the commotion, saying that they will get through these tough times together. He concludes by explaining that Mayor Dewey only lied because he cares about them and does not want them to worry. Understanding what Mayor Dewey went through, Steven returns home to confront the Gems about Peridot. Garnet only tells him that Peridot is "a modern Gem with modern Gem technology," and that alone makes them fearful of things to come. Steven assures that they will all figure something out together, just as the power throughout Beach City is finally restored.
Features[]
Characters[]
- Steven
- Bill Dewey
- Garnet
- Amethyst
- Pearl
- Lapis Lazuli (mentioned)
- Peridot (mentioned)
- Jasper (indirectly mentioned)
Beach City Residents[]
- Sadie Miller
- Lars Barriga
- Mr. Fryman
- Peedee Fryman
- Ronaldo Fryman
- Greg Universe
- Mr. Smiley
- Nanefua Pizza
- Jenny Pizza
- Kiki Pizza
- Onion
- Buck Dewey (non-speaking cameo)
- Suitcase Sam
Objects[]
- Robot Disruptor
- Flask Robonoids
- Mayor Dewey's Van
- Quartizine Trio
Locations[]
- Beach City
- Ocean Town (mentioned)
Trivia[]
- In the storyboard process, Onion's bat had nails on it, but they were removed.
- This is the first episode to not have a song as the ending theme. Instead, there is only static.
- This episode alludes to a question that fans have been pondering for quite some time – what Steven considers the Crystal Gems when it comes to a family dynamic – when Mayor Dewey asks about Steven's sisters to his puzzlement.
- This is also rather similar to the scenario in "Fusion Cuisine" where Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are referred to as Steven's guardians.
- Lapis, Peridot, Mayor Dewey, Pearl, Rose, young Greg, Ronaldo, Sadie, Steven, Jenny, Sour Cream, Lars, and Mr. Smiley can be seen in the promo art.
- This is similar to the school theme of the promo art of "The Test", "Maximum Capacity", "Open Book", and "Too Far".
- It is revealed that Bill Dewey has a crush on Pearl. He calls Pearl "the hot one" and seems nervous while speaking to her.
- A town called Ocean Town is revealed to have experienced a catastrophe, but the exact circumstances are unclear. Mayor Dewey implies that Ocean Town's mayor could not maintain control and the citizens rioted. It is further suggested that this event occurred in recent history from Mr. Fryman's laughing "too soon" after Mayor Dewey jokes about the town's fate.
- When the citizens are about to revolt against Bill Dewey, his bodyguards can, ironically, be seen as part of the angry mob.
Cultural References[]
- The cards Garnet picks up resemble the game Apples to Apples.
- Mayor Dewey says "No need to cry over frozen milk." This is a reference to the idiom "No need to cry over spilled milk."
- Mayor Dewey says "Well, some people think "Here comes that exterminator guy."" This may be a reference to the movie "Over The Hedge" (2006), that features an exterminator who drives a van with his likeness on the roof.
Continuity[]
- One of Peridot's Flask Robonoids makes another appearance, this time being used to test out Pearl's robot disruptor.
- The Quartizine Trio from the episode "Rose's Scabbard" is covered with a tarp under the house.
- Steven eavesdrops on the other Gems discussing Lapis Lazuli's warning in "The Message" and brainstorming what to do about Peridot's inevitable arrival with other Gems.
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[]
- [03:21] When Mayor Dewey and Steven meet Lars behind the Big Donut, the donut on Lars' work uniform is missing.
Animation[]
- [02:08] Pearl's left eye briefly disappears when she meets Mayor Dewey by the Beach House's front door.
- [08:19] When the angry citizens begin throwing Mayor Dewey's glow sticks and buttons at him, Mr. Smiley's mouth is not colored in briefly.
Transcript
View the episode's transcript here.