We get our first glimpse inside the Temple as Steven tries to wrangle everyone into eating breakfast together.

This is also our first example of what I like to call the Magical Mischief episodes, where Steven somehow gets mixed up with magical entities/objects and hijinks ensue.

Steven: That thing’s too good for me to eat alone. It’s a Together Breakfast!

“That thing” honestly sounds kind of gross, as it’s literally a stack of frozen waffles with chocolate syrup, popcorn, and whipped cream (the kind that comes in an aerosol can).  But it sure sounds like the sort of thing a kid would find appetizing.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Gems are busy doing other things.

Steven: It’s not exactly healthy, but it’s in a stack! So I guess you could say it’s a…balanced breakfast? You know, like, I made us all breakfast. I thought we could eat together like- like best buds.

Garnet: I can’t stay. I have business to attend to inside the Temple.

But Steven refuses to take no for an answer, despite Garnet’s urgent need to incinerate an eerie scroll.

Pearl: Oh, Amethyst, there you are. Care to explain what one of my swords was doing in your room?

Amethyst: Having a sword party?

Pearl: Oh, please! You took it.

Amethyst: I did not!

Pearl: It’s fine, it’s in the past. I forgive you. Also, I cleaned up your awful, awful mess, you’re welcome.

Amethyst: What? I have a system!

This episode also gives us a good look at the dynamics between Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl without Steven, as they’re largely taken up with their own concerns – hence why they’re ignoring his wishes.

Pearl is self-righteous and a tad neurotic, Amethyst is a blunt, unrepentant mess of a person and Garnet is…the adult.  I can relate to all three of them!

Steven: It’s a Together Breakfast!

Amethyst: All right, snacks!

Steven: No! It’s for everyone to eat together! That’s the essence of Together Breakfast.

Between Amethyst chasing him around trying to get a hold of the food and Pearl chasing him around trying to get a hold of Steven, he finally gets the three of them together when he stumbles upon the “dangerous” parts of the Temple where Garnet is doing her business.

Amethyst and Pearl act every bit like quarrelsome siblings trying to avoid getting Mom involved, but Steven is totally oblivious to the danger.  Until a smoke monster escapes and possesses his Together Breakfast.

Garnet: Now it has all the power of a breakfast! We have to destroy it!

Steven: I didn’t want this! I just wanted to eat together like- like best buds! That’s enough! I don’t care if you are the most important meal of the day! I made you to bring us together, not to tear us apart!

I notice Garnet avoids terms like “balanced” or “nutritious” to describe that breakfast…

Sometimes you can’t do what you want exactly when you want it, and you just have to be patient.  I imagine this could have been resolved peacefully had Pearl and/or Amethyst actually listened to Steven and they just waited until Garnet was done.  At any rate, they work together to remake his masterpiece now that the dangerous thing is actually destroyed.

Steven: It’s even more together and even more breakfast!

Steven: I don’t think I can eat this…

Amethyst: Let’s order pizza

Garnet: It did try to kill us.

Until next time…