"Three Gems and a Baby" is the Christmas episode of the Cartoon Network original series Steven Universe, aired as the ninth episode of the show's fourth season.
Synopsis[]
Steven, Greg, and the Gems are all in Steven's room as Steven remarks that it is snowing hard outside by telling his dad that he is glad that he is staying with them. Greg agrees, commenting that it is too cold to stay in his van during this blizzard. Steven says that he has never seen snow like this, and Garnet says that is not entirely true. When Steven asks what she is talking about, Pearl laughs about it and says that it was fourteen years ago. Steven says that he is fourteen years, and Greg mentions that when it was snowing, Vidalia had gone out of town and let them crash at her place. As he is about to tell the story, Steven mentions their "arrangement". Greg says that he already has a song for this one and begins to sing "I Could Never Be (Ready)" as a flashback montage of Greg with Steven plays.
While settling down on the couch, he sees a photo of young Sour Cream, Vidalia, and Yellowtail and looks on sadly, noticeably missing Rose. The Gems knock on Vidalia's door, and Greg finds out they brought presents. When Greg asks if they would like something to drink or eat, Pearl says that they are only stopping by to drop off the presents. Garnet hands her gift to Steven, but Greg tells her that he may need help opening it. She says that it is just a box meant to look like a present. When it is opened, there is a razor inside. Greg snatches it quickly, saying that he does not think Steven will need it yet. Garnet replies that he will need it in the future. Amethyst opens her gift, revealing a box of adult diapers. She says that Steven can grow to fit them, but Greg does not think he can. Pearl says that her gift will be necessary for Steven as she hands it to Greg. He opens it and finds a dictionary. Greg mentions that maybe they could use it to look up the definition of a baby and that Steven can't use any of this stuff.
Greg then pulls out the keys to his van, letting the Gems know that the only thing baby Steven is interested in is jangling keys. Once the Gems realize that, Amethyst playfully shakes the keys above Steven's head. Pearl notes how captivated he is by them, and Garnet says that next time, they should give him a big box of keys to play with. As everyone laughs in agreement, Steven's gem starts to glow, surprising both Greg and the Gems. Amethyst believes that Rose is trying to shapeshift back into her old self, Pearl tries to communicate with Rose through her gem, and Garnet believes that Rose is trapped in a fusion and is trying to unfuse. With no idea what to do, Greg heads into Vidalia's kitchen and grabs a parenting book to help them figure something out. When he returns to the living room, Greg notices that the Gems have taken off with baby Steven.
Back in the present, Steven is shocked to find out that the Gems had kidnapped him as a baby. Garnet states that some of their actions were a bit regrettable, and Pearl states that at the time, they thought it would have been better to handle things their way. Back in the flashback, the Gems start up the van and drive off, with Greg chasing after them on foot. Amethyst notices that Greg looks mad, and Pearl claims he will thank them later. Garnet assures them that Greg was doing his best up until that point, but the situation has changed, and that Steven is clearly a Gem. Amethyst then tries to understand why Rose is still a baby and then shapeshifts into a baby and has Garnet hold her in her arms. Amethyst thinks Rose is doing this just to be coddled, which she likes as well, but does not understand why she has been at this for months on end. Amethyst then shapeshifts back and forth from a baby to her normal form, showing that it is easy, only making baby Steven laugh.
Amethyst realizes that it is not working, to which Garnet replies that it is not shapeshifting, but rather fusion. Garnet tells Steven that the reason he does not unfuse in front of Greg is that it is rude, and tells him that Greg is not here, so it is okay for him to take a little break, and that she will too. Before baby Steven's very eyes, Garnet unfuses, introducing him to Ruby and Sapphire. This frightens Steven by causing him to think that Garnet has vanished into thin air, and he starts to cry. Ruby and Sapphire realize that it was not a practical idea to unfuse in front of him and immediately fuse back into Garnet. She then assures Steven that he knows her and Ruby and Sapphire, and does not understand why it did not work, prompting Pearl to pull over to the side of the road.
Greg, not far behind the Gems in the freezing cold, continues to follow the trail of tire tracks the van left in the snow. He then notices two kids playing and sledding in the snow with a dog sitting next to them. Greg tries to put two and two together and believes he can ride through the snow on their sled pulled by the dog. Back in the van, Steven is still crying, and Pearl tells everyone to calm down. She informs Garnet and Amethyst that Rose cannot reform because her gemstone is stuck inside Steven and tries to communicate with her again. Pearl tells Rose that she can let her out and they can be together again. She reaches for Rose's gem and tries to pull it out, but before she does, she notices baby Steven giggling and she stops. Pearl breaks down, realizing that she cannot do it because Rose wanted this so much, though she cannot understand why. She remembers that Rose always said that everything should grow, everything should change, and that it is so great how it comes so naturally to humans, but then claims that it is not natural for her or other Gems. Garnet then assures Pearl that it will be natural for Steven. Amethyst then asks what about Rose, to which Garnet replies that it is not about Rose and that from now on, everything is about Steven.
Greg, being chased by the dog he tied to the sled, finally catches up with the Gems. Garnet lets him in the van, and Greg thanks her, but then remembers that the Gems took off in his van and stole Steven, and questions why. Garnet apologizes to him and tells him that they only did it because they thought they knew what Steven was, but they did not. Greg forgives them, telling them that he does not know what Steven is either, and he never glowed when he was a kid, to which Pearl informs that they never were kids. Steven starts to giggle again, and Greg tells the Gems that he is not sure how they are going to figure it out, but they have a better chance if they do it together.
Back in the present, the tea kettle Pearl had put on starts to whistle, and as Pearl goes to check on the tea, Steven claims that they were wrong about everything. Pearl reminds him that it was a really long time ago, Amethyst asks him to cut them some slack, Garnet informs him that they could not have known what to do, even herself, and Greg tells him that he especially did not know. Steven informs them that they were wrong about how growing does not come naturally to Gems, referring to the changes they have experienced that have made them who they are now. Steven knows that they will never stop missing Rose but believes she would have loved how they all turned out because he does, to which they all agree. Pearl then recalls the time a teenage girl tried to kidnap Steven. Greg informs her that it was Steven's babysitter and that she was taking him to the park, letting them know they scared her when they threw a jungle gym at her. They all laugh as the episode ends.
Song[]
- "I Could Never Be Ready" - Tom Scharpling
Notes[]
- There are numerous references to Christianity and Christmas in this episode regarding Steven, though whether or not the references were intentional is unknown.
- Like Jesus, Christianity's central figure, Steven is born in an unconventional way. Jesus was born through a virgin while Steven was born through an alien and human parent.
- Steven is visited by the three Crystal Gems as a baby who brings him gifts the same way the Three Wise Men visited Jesus with gifts.
- Baby Steven is taken into an unconventional place to be looked after, a van in his case, a manger in Jesus'.
- Greg is seen draped with a blue cloth while carrying Steven. That is commonly associated with Mary, Jesus' birth mother, as she holds him.
- The title is named after the 1987 comedy-drama film Three Men and a Baby.