Steven Universe Review: S5E17 - Can't Go Back

Steven Universe has felt like it was meandering for a while now, but “Can’t Go Back” and “A Single Pale Rose” drop a bombshell that gives the show a new direction. “Can’t Go Back” lays the groundwork for the big reveal in the next episode, but primarily centers around the internal struggle of Lapis Lazuli, as she relapses and flees the solar system after nearly deciding to return to Earth.
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[@kipame]

I hate when people complain about Lapis going away again, its a really commom thing for people like her, not everything can be resolved fast

[@veronicapiccinini7956]

Lanabot it’s something that needs time. But when somebody is finally ready, it’s 100% rewarded and satisfying.

[@captinaccomplishment]

"Thats a very poignant line of /self-reflection/" Get it, because mirror? Ha ._.

[@Missdigitallycrazed]

I feel like Lapis is gonna run into Lars and the off-colors at some point....the setup and the fact that Lapis is "flying far away from Earth as possible" is far too convenient to be ignored in the future. Not to mention Lars and the Off-colors are ALSO "far away from Earth as possible." Also, DID SHE JUST LEAVE THE BARN THERE?

[@animationdude9]

Lovelyduckly That is probably the most likely scenario. I can see someone like Lars convincing her that running away is pretty pointless.

[@animationdude9]

I mean just look at that guy. He has no powers yet he's come this far when dealing with homeworlds forces

[@Lazypackmule]

They also set up the potential for adding Peridot to his crew at some point at the end of letters to lars, which made a lot of sense since they could use the technical help and Peri could use something to do other than crash in steven's tub forever, this would be an interesting way to bring the two back together and give Lapis some serious motivation as well as the means to fight back instead of running

[@animationdude9]

Lazypackmule Yes!!

[@zahard1732]

oh yeah i didn't even think about the barn after this episode i wonder how will they get the barn back on earth or maybe peridot will live on the moon?

[@superj1e2z6]

They really stepped up the animation for this two eps

[@BatteredWalrus]

hopefully that's the reason these episodes took so long to come out, though with CN america i doubt it

[@Wabbajaxe]

We're gonna have to wait for a month or more too for the next ones.

[@satya4234]

superj1e2z6 Yeah, would be nice if that was the case for each episode, but whatever.

[@ri-ch-es]

superj1e2z6 yeah there are 2 animation groups that they use and they used the better one for these episodes I think

[@Lazypackmule]

It was kind of jarring how much the quality jumped up immediately after steven woke up from his dream, and suddenly him, lapis, and even lion had beautiful, expressive, meticulously drawn expressions You can tell they wanted to nail that scene in particular and spent a lot of time storyboarding it

[@nightowl8477]

Blue Diamond's voice actor is Irish, which is why it sounds so soothing.

[@MontyBoosh]

I have to say, they made really good use of Ronaldo in this episode - his voice actor's comedic timing was spot on!

[@samwallaceart288]

My reading of Lapis' reaction was that just the fact that there's something - anything - connecting Steven directly to Diamonds on a mental level is enough of a ticking time bomb for Lapis to call "nope, bye". It doesn't really matter that it's a flashback; if Lapis knew it were a flashback she would still be like "Well if you can see the Diamonds in your dream, then what are they seeing about you? Steven for all we know they've been watching us this whole time (points at hologram of Beach City); how long have you been having these visions, Steven? Why didn't you tell me about this sooner? Do you have any idea how much danger you're putting us all in?" "Nothing like that's happened yet. If the Diamonds could see anything ... through me... they would have done something with that by now." "Steven, you are connecting to the Diamonds and their memories *through your mind.* ... While I was... When you spoke to me, through my mind, that wasn't a one-way conversation Steven. I saw you. I don't know how you are connected with the Diamonds, but if there's even a chance that they can see you the way you see them... You can feel however you want about that, but I can't stay here with that risk. Even if that risk is you. I'm sorry, but I can't stay." wtf this started as a rebuttal and ended as fanfiction.

[@benjaminnealon4201]

Blue Diamond's VA is called Lisa Hannigan. She's an amazing singer as well, I really recommend her!

[@masonp1314]

I knew Steven was pink diamond, WAY back when Steven used his hand to unlock doors, or steer a palanquin. You'd assume it's like a permission access thing, where Earth gems can't unlock it. Steven could unlock the doors in the ship when Garnet first got split. He had to come from a high up to be able to unlock that

[@EricKonkol]

Lapis opened the door of the moon base in this episode, so I think that kinda invalidates that point. I assume it would be the same device controlling the palanquin.

[@zahard1732]

I mean isn't it obvious they would try to throw us off the case? I personaly liked the reveal cuz i really thought that it wasn't the case anymore and it really left impact on me ps. i always look for your comments under elks reviews to see if you finally liked something about this season XD

[@PS-dm1dq]

MasonP13 I always assumed Steven was able to disrupt the force fields in Jasper's ship cause he is half human, and those force fields were clearly designed to contain gems, not organic life. Like when he helped Sapphire out of her cell she said "oh, of course" cause she realized this and it made sense. You can tell when Steven disrupts the force fields by the pattern of lines on his body that is the same kind of force that was used to split Garnet up.

[@bijtmntongaf]

Phoenix wright Never XD again.

[@zahard1732]

XD XD XD XD XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

[@enderwiggins8248]

I agree, the writing structure of this episodes was lean and good

[@harukano9930]

Great review. Please continue reviewing SU. I love both AT and SU, and I love your in-depth analysis of everything.

[@carlahunter4356]

I like the character lapis lazuli.

[@arsontoast5981]

Carla Hunter same

[@SaltHunter]

Yeah she is cool. Too bad she always has WW2 fashbacks.

[@Dae-Dae97]

More like Vietnam

[@BigT.Larrity]

She's the hottest gem by far

[@SaltHunter]

Big T. Larrity i can see that. I find it more cute than sexy.

[@cristixyz]

Can't wait to see your take on the Pink Diamond reveal.

[@Helm-0]

The animation was gorgeous

[@64B_]

Can we have Jeff Liu and Miki Brewster storyboard all the major episodes? I just love how they draw the characters.

[@twinkiesmaster69]

I'm filled with so much happiness and so much frustration at the same time "NOW YOURE ASKING QUESTIONS!!!" and "FIN-F*CKING-ALLY!!!"

[@Flip-a-dip-dip]

These episodes raise so many continuity questions that i doubt will ever get answered

[@BK-ku1zt]

massive problem in this show as of late, they just chuck stuff in without giving a shit.

[@satya4234]

Westin K. Yeah, It feels weird that uncivilized elk didn't address that in this video. I really thought he would.

[@zahard1732]

Next video will be all about the reveal so he will probably adress it then

[@adriat2964]

Barnaby Keyes sounds like adventure time

[@djmeagaaim17]

Westin K. This show is about emotions over logic, so that is why there are so many inconsistencies

[@buhayatkalusugan]

Yeah Steven is pink diamond blah blah blah..but *LAPIS GETS A SONG*

[@KatRocksLOL]

honestly when the musical number came on i felt as though it didn't fit at all. idk i just feel like Lapis just randomly started singing rather than there being lead up to it and then lapis started singing.

[@Wabbajaxe]

I also felt that there was no really need for her to sing out of nowhere, but her singing voice was the saving grace for that point. I'd rather have her sing when Steven spots her first and he would just be a silent audience to her performance.

[@KatRocksLOL]

her singing voice was pretty great, and honestly lapis singing to herself alone when steven spots her would have been such a better idea and felt so much more authentic

[@nkirukaj2384]

KatRocksLOL it was a good song, but it didn’t fit the plot or flow of the episode

[@zahard1732]

Well it's kind of the same thing as with ''it's over isn't it'' i too was kinda random cuz like what was the point of her singing about to herself about her fellings? But it makes the scene more powerful and hell i prefer song like that not fitting in then not having them at all

[@jojo-xk8ri]

@@zahard1732 nah it's over isnt it wasnt random

[@cephalosphericcreations7748]

This episode was so perfect. Lapis's arc was literally the thing that originally got me into the show, and here we are finally addressing it again

[@CombatSportsNerd]

Jesus Christ. I thought the writers would never be able to effectively use Ronaldo without pissing people off. And like you said nobody asked for those Reynaldo focused episodes. A low tier supporting character should just be that, a low tier supporting character. If they keep using him like this he'll be far more tolerable

[@zahard1732]

Yeah ronald works only in small doses beacuse at some point from funny he'll turn into annoying

[@bradyrice733]

A better way to have handled Lapis leaving would have been to have her return to earth with the barn and have her be there for a little while. Then Steven with pearl and have the events of a single pale rose play out. Then have sapphire leave, but instead of warping, she could have gone to the barn to tell lapis at which they both fly away. This would make the whole scenario feel more tragic alongside being more dire. I like the way the crewniverse handled lapis and sapphire leaving but I feel like lapis leaving would have a lot more justification if she had known that it was Stevens fault for all of her trauma, causing her to feel betrayed by the only person she has a true connection with

[@djmeagaaim17]

Space Witch That is a pretty good idea. That might could be a missed opportunity

[@bizlemke8373]

I don't think betrayal is the center of Lapis' character though. Her PTSD and other mental health issues are. It makes much more sense for her to run away out of fear than pain. She doesn't respond to pain, she shuts down and gets that bored look until she can blow up later. She wouldn't have run away from Steven, she would have held herself up somewhere and exploded on Steven when he came to check on her. I also don't think sapphire would have gone to Lapis, Sapphire is emotioal, a state she's unaccustomed to. She wouldn't be thinking things through, she's just fleeing. Besides that, lapis doesn't have a good relationship with the crystal gems, so why would they go to each other in a time of great personal and emotional distress?

[@BK-ku1zt]

One small nitpick with the episode, Lapis says she turned back after just getting out of the milky way (or towards the edge, I can't remember precisely) because she felt lonely. But she didn't leave in a ship, she flew off with her wings carrying the barn with her. Considering that at the speed of light it would take her an incredibly long time to reach the edge of our galaxy, I don't see how she could possibly have gone that far without a ship or using a warp except the warps are down for defensive reasons and there's no indication she took a ship. Even if there was an abandoned colony on with a ship or warp on a planet close to Earth that we for whatever reason hadn't heard of, the closest planet to us is 4 light years away and she was gone for much less than that. And this is a return trip as well, which makes it doubly as crazy. The implication is that Lapis is able to fly so fast that she would create a lot of plot problems, both with the past and the future.

[@carlosalcantar8730]

Let's remember that Lapis did fly back to Homeworld's galaxy

[@carlosalcantar8730]

+FanOfGravityFalls Oh i get the point, i just find it kind of weird how no one had noticed it until now

[@uncivilizedelk]

SU does not care about physics whatsoever. Lapis definitely flies faster than the speed of light.

[@djmeagaaim17]

Barnaby Keyes Well, this show is about emotions over logic

[@abicharles6292]

I will always love your reviews. Your ability to analyze is crazy good.

[@Mizar007]

MORE UNCIVILIZED ELK CONTENT. Also I've gotta say, the animation these last two episodes was astounding. I feel it was at an all time high for the season.

[@nightowl8477]

Ahh. Back to good ol Lapis again. I've been waiting so long for this. We've come 360, which is usually bad in terms of writing, but I think we all preferred Ocean Gem to Gem Harvest.

[@leGUIGUI]

"hating when characters make big decision based on miscommunication". I hear you, man. Bet you also hated tha a lot in MCU Civil Wars.t

[@ReginaFera]

Reacting to only partial information and making snap judgments is TOTALLY relatable as someone who's had a pretty traumatic past. Learning to feel safe and trust those who genuinely care for me has been hard but completely worth it. I found Lapis to be somewhat of a flat character for a long time, but after some re-examination, I've come to the conclusion that she's basically a POW that was tortured for who knows HOW long, and her journey has become so much more relatable. Even her symbol, the broken mirror, is a reflection *ahem* and symbol of her "shattered" sense of self. Her gem is placed below the back of her neck, which is one of the most vulnerable places on our bodies. I love Lapis so much more as a character now, and I'm so, SO glad that the Crewniverse has created such an amazingly rich story. Also to you for the video, look forward to more! Subscribed. :D

[@theowlreviewerofficial]

This episode was great. It had great foreshadowing, touching character development, a solid story and a sweet musical number. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the follow up episode

[@thisnerdyninja]

Every time I watch a video made by you I always wonder if you majored in English or Psychology or something. I find your thoughts so interesting and as someone who wants to learn more about literature and theories, I love each and every single one of your reviews even those that tend to not like the ones that I enjoy! Keep it up, man!

[@usedtiddyjuice]

I can relate to lapis all too well I was abused as a child and I was in an abusive relationship and the part where she says she was so sure the diamonds would destroy her home that she did it instead hits hard with me. I used to be so talkative and had a lot of friends, but when I was with my ex he isolated me and my friends left me. I wasn't allowed to have friends so I could just be absorbed with him, and now-two years later- I'm so scared of people abandoning me that I distance myself and I make myself lose friends on my own accord. It sucks. This is why I hate when people hate lapis for being the way she is It seems people are too harsh on flawed characters

[@caffeinatedpoison7117]

4:03 is painfully relatable.. like I've had people I couldn't bring myself to talk to even after 2 years or so

[@theredone799]

With the observation orb I think that maybe they can only see the parts of earth that are in daylight, being forms of light maybe the amount of light effects how far a diamond can see. This would also explain why the off-colours were able to evade the diamond authority for so long, as they're in a much dimmer area than the otherwise bright home world. It would also explain how they find it hard to track Lars' ship in the dark of space as well as not seeing approaching ships such as the ruby rocket when they get to the zoo.

[@milkbox103]

dude I seriously can't wait for your review of a single pale rose

[@DJxDosage]

Another great review, dude!

[@BahuschBahusch]

Blue Diamond's VA, Lisa Hannigan, also has a gorgeous singing voice. I know you're not super into musical numbers, but I am and I need a Blue Diamond song in my life.

[@brianbrush5107]

your asking the question of how she was able to escape the eye of pink diamond is so damn hilarious in hindsight

[@brianbrush5107]

I loves how pearls shadow in the vision made it look her like some kind of monster

[@JohnRDVSMarston]

Does Lapis will finally find Lars and talk things with him? Dammit, it's like they could solve their problems together (or, now, one teaches thing to the other).

[@raulrosadogarcia8987]

" you must understand your a diamond " that line gives me chills

[@davidgalan2140]

Blue Diamond is voiced by one of my favourite singers, Lisa Hannigan. I was amazed when I found out it was her as blue Diamond. You should listen to her music, it's really good.

[@Marsboy013]

I just wanted to point out the the small snip it of Do it for Her in the dramatic music at the end of Steven's dream. The song has a lot more meaning behind it now.

[@LifeandDarknessAura]

Hope lapis does return.

[@veronicapiccinini7956]

LifeandDarknessAura Don’t worry. She does

[@Cradily8000]

Your voice is like Blue Diamond, really really really nice to hear.

[@mauriciobucardo4054]

wonderful review ! :)

[@WolframiteWraith]

When Steven first experienced seeing other people's memories it was when Blue Diamond was close so he expects it to be the same case here but is unsure since Pink Diamond is believed to have been shattered so he can't reassure Lapis of anything.

[@tyrant-den884]

IN renaissance art there was a belief that paintings needed imperfections. Renaldo is one such imperfection.

[@danithrabbit3516]

Well considering how lapis heard steven talking about diamond dreams and responce was the diamonds were nearby might be as steven didn't know where they came from but with blue diamond it indicated nearby.

[@solafujita7028]

Yusss, exited for these reviews!!

[@isamekailmahmud9302]

Sola Fujita who are you please reply

[@solafujita7028]

a cartoon enthusiast

[@isamekailmahmud9302]

Sola Fujita her I hope one day I might met your greatness my dear enthusiast

[@daangeboers2406]

Great content!

[@markus8086]

Steven Universe season 5 is easily my favorite one! I love almost every episode in it!

[@Rahhelthethird]

The Steven Universe Earth doesn't seem to have Historian's since no one seems to know anything about Gems, but it does have privately owned telescopes that are strong enough to see a barn on the Moon. Weird.

[@kennethsatria6607]

Finally this show got back on track

[@kiki-yg4ns]

Thanks for the video

[@spencerhaynes4364]

Seeing this changed the perspective in my mind from blue being pinks romantic partner to Blue being a maternal character, all the way to enshrining pinks zoo and all her stuff the way one would see from a sad TV special. And Yellow comes off as the dad from that special who just wants to move on.

[@salt7532]

Cant wait for ep 18 review

[@SirEvilestDeath]

Lapis is beautiful and her powers are great but I am starting to really hate her running away from every problem she has. It's starting to infect the other characters. It seems now the only way to resolve someone's concern is for them to run away so Steven can find them and talk them back until they run away again. I mean how many times will this happen? It's even going to happen with Garnet or at least had of her next episode.

[@animationdude9]

SirEvilestDeath When have other characters run away?

[@spectralight8412]

I agree with somewhat of what you're talking about. But by this point it doesn't really matter that she's ran away again. Her reasons to leave were already justified, the way she did it the first time was obviously wrong, now technically she was already gone, she just left further. In the grand scheme of things, this isn't much of a personal issue she has to deal with, whether or not she wants to stay and help is her choice. But then she goes on and talks about wanting to self improv but never takes action or steps to try.

[@lucasmartinez5703]

Well at least Lapis is starting to acknowledge that her running away is a problem she needs to deal with somehow. I like that it wasn't her just running away this time. Lapis, to me, always worked within baby steps so I didn't have a problem with her running away.

[@animationdude9]

Lucas Martinez Same

[@royaloreo1275]

Steven usually has dreams about diamonds when either they are around or he's in places where they resided. He could've mistaken it too for an alarm that diamond is near and his dream was because of them.

[@gaminggeckos4388]

Okay but can we talk about the HUGE inconsistency of that airlock?!?! SOMETIMES it sends you hurtleing out into the vacuum of space, while other times it barely launches you at all???

[@JesterOfFlesh]

"Technology advanced enough is indistinguishable from magic" is how it works. Most of Gem-tech works this way.

[@WeegeeSlayer123]

Finally got her own song!

[@tibot4228]

As usual, thank you for the illuminating review. And I agree: although Shelby Rabara is my favorite VA in the show, with Carmela Diaz and Deedee Magno Hall tied in second place (which is not to demean the others at all), Jennifer Paz and Lisa Hannigan have the best-sounding voices, they're so musical... Anyway, I have no strong feelings towards Lapis's song, but I do think this is one of the many recent episodes with excellent soundtracks, even better than average.

[@Apterygidae]

Just a friendly reminder this episode is good because it is different from the usual episode, FRIENDLY REMINDER THAT THE USUAL EPISODES AREN’T WHAT WE WANT Sorry I’m just annoyed a bit

[@dragonempress8367]

Spying would make you feel bad? Ok, let's call it STALKING!

[@Wolfgang_Denha]

She is back

[@nataliaborys1554]

Am I the only one who thinks that Lapis sang her song like she was directing it to Peridot? Especially line "I couldn't understand how you could be so bold"

[@HOPEfullBoi01]

Lapis knows about Steven's dreams. She thought him dreaming about them might mean they're close.

[@PhantomQueenOne]

The lady that plays Blue Diamond's voice is Irish, and they and the Scottish have some of the most beautiful accents I've ever heard IMO.

[@halequinking8566]

5:37 hehe "Self Reflection." get it...... cause the mirror......

[@Anemone_Productions]

Do you have a review of the Infinity Train pilot? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it

[@tipsy634]

holy fuck, an elk review for a full episode of steven universe! what next, you start reviewing OK KO? (please start reviewing that show)

[@pocketandrew186]

if you like Blue Diamond's voice check out the voice actor's other work in the film Song of the Sea wherein she has a minor but important role and sings beautifully

[@pocketandrew186]

plus the film's an excellent piece of animation 10/10 must-see for animation fans

[@sharkanenoa5928]

its a twisted twist if you asked me

[@lukedavies984]

After 5 seasons I thought Steven would learn to explain sh*t by now! I know this is a cartoon but I still would like to know some aspects of Steven's abilities......... We know his abilities are based on his emotions, but I think it's also psychological. I just can't wait till he can fully use his gem characteristics like shape shifting, controlled ageing and everything that surpasses humanity like not needing to eat or breath!

[@KittyPikaChu]

3:16 thought i heard the gays of pink diamond(that could be a code name for crystal gems aa)

[@kidpixel4818]

I think She just needs a couple of episodes with her just dealing with her problems(Probably after the thing with the Diamonds is taken cared of) Also have her actually talk with the crystal gems about her issues and making up for her past mistakes, kinda like what they did with Peridot. Lapis is one of my favorite characters and I hope she can grow to be a better person. Also I read an interesting post about her leaving that I thought was really interesting. Link: lilmizzkrazie.tumblr.com/post/173939795267/what-do-you-think-of-how-lapis-left-the-moon-base

[@zodayn4767]

Although we probably all already knew about Pearl. Confirming what happened in a dream with a shadow feels like a bit of a let down.

[@onemorefreak]

Every time you laugh at your own jokes I die a little inside.

[@ThePonderer]

The idea that Lapis might have fled because Steven was withholding information never occurred to me. I don’t think that’s the framing the scene was going for.

[@francisreuter6294]

yeah i didn't like the way steven just said he saw the diamonds and not i saw a past vision of the diamonds because i think lapis probably would have stayed on the moon to reflect and not just leave and then probably after thinking on what steven said may or may not go back

[@arristheround9246]

I hated this episode. I know it's her character and everything but I'm absolutely sick of the trope of Lapis running away or being trapped somehow. She's a good character and deserves more.

[@sobeksrecviem7275]

Supa S I was expecting her to leave too Why do they always do this to her

[@peachee12]

sometimes it be like that yknow.

[@gabrieldouglas8283]

New Theory : Lapis was spying for White Diamond

[@yellowdeceiver4818]

My question about the observation orb is What’s the point if the red eye

[@overgrowthj4612]

Me after a Single Pale Rose: *WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON*

[@goldenapple3416]

I like how he describes Ronaldo like a disease

[@nellieverse7805]

When are you going to watch Ok KO?

[@nataliaborys1554]

Am I the only one who sees Lapis' song as a lapidot hint?

[@dizzleydiz]

Natalia Borys nope you’re def not the only one

[@dragonempress8367]

Blue needs an ASMR I swear

[@birdbird8364]

Am I the only one who really liked the artwork in this episode

[@CalebCraft10]

I kinda want to return to this show, but at the same time I really don't. I've been drowning in so much anime after discovering it that I honestly just don't have the energy to watch something that will probably just return to filler in a few episodes.

[@zahard1732]

In this season im pretty sure there won't be anymore filler, i mean each season has around 25 epsiodes so with all the shit that just went down i don't know how they could possibly fit in anymore filler.

[@shadowcrawler300]

hey elk -- ever thought about reviewing netflix shows or old cartoon network shows?? i would recommend code lyoko for starters

[@tmills7374]

Cel I used to love that show

[@itzdcx7991]

Who will be the next big villain *Snepple* *Lapis* *White Diamond* my guess is snepple or corrupted gem

[@theone8873]

Please tell me that he will review the most of the series

[@lottieisawkward3353]

her song should be escapism

[@squawkamoli]

I just found out in my country it's called a single WHITE rose

[@isamekailmahmud9302]

Yeah

[@jacktaylor6155]

I was wondering why I felt cheated by her leaving

[@rhondahoward8025]

Blue Diamond was such a G in this episode? You wanna know why? Because there was no big blue tears or weepy blue mom bullshit. No, she was cold, stern, and intimidating. She felt like a DIAMOND.

[@sephiriza]

Well, PD certainly felt motivated by such personality alright.

[@dx.feelgood5825]

3:15 WELLLLLLLLLL

[@spectralight8412]

I agreed with everything about your review, but honestly I couldn't give Lapis any sympathy with her line, "I wouldn't call it spying, because that would make me feel bad." In hindsight, it's good she's expressing what she is and isn't okay with, but I'm pretty done with her always shoving her hurt feelings in the audience's face. Like we're not really given an option to sympathize with her, sometimes it feels expected or even demanded and it gets pretty annoying to see. This is a major aspect of Lapis' character that I honestly can't stand.

[@bizlemke8373]

Spectra Light I don't think that line was intended to make you feel bad for her. I think it's an example of her disconnect. She knows it's spying, but she won't admit to it because she would feel guilty. It's a good example of her mental health yet again causing her to do something she knows is wrong.

[@spectralight8412]

Biz Lemke I can respect that logic.