It’s one of the older ones in the series, but Steven the Swordfighter is one of my favorite Steven Universe episodes, along Catch and Release and Barnmates. It kind of gave me a soft spot for Pearl, because it was really interesting how they demonstrated her implied relationship/ role with the others three. Even though Pearl technically wasn’t in most of the episode, just her gem after she was poofed.
Steven misses her! After she is poofed into her gem, he puts her in a blanket with a lamp, and talks to her, and carries her around with him to do stuff. Which
Another way it’s implied is what happens when she’s not around. The house becomes messy, because cleaning and organizing are some of Pearl’s favorite things to do. Amethyst certainly wasn’t gonna do it, anyway…..(Which i think is both really cute and really fortunate for them)
Her welcome is genuinely chaotic…. The house is a mess -“Steven, what happened to your room?”- Steven himself has a shirt tied around his head and is banging a pot while going circles around her. Amethyst has still not deflated from eating a cloud two weeks earlier (i assume) and Garnet has her on a string like a balloon to keep her from drifting off.
(Also the fact that Steven barreled into her and threw his arms around her- or rather, the backs of her knees cause that’s like all he can comfortably reach. The height differences between Steven and the Gems is too pure.)
This episode very much made me feel more affectionate towards Pearl as a character, like awww
Also that’s what happens when she’s not around. One member of the Gems is gone for a while and the others- they can’t manage.
She’s an important part of the group and kind of holds things down in those ways.
