Ep 47. Political Power

In Steven Universe season 1 episode 47, titled Political Power, the Crystal Gems find themselves in a bit of a bind when the power goes out in Beach City. Power has always been something that the Gems have taken for granted, as their magical abilities have allowed them to bypass many of the technological needs of human society. However, they quickly realize that they are not immune to the consequences of a power outage.

As the episode begins, we see the Gems going about their daily lives in Beach City. Steven is hanging out with his dad, Greg, and the Gems are each doing their own thing. Amethyst is taking a nap, Garnet is meditating, and Pearl is tinkering with some technology. Suddenly, there is a loud explosion and the power goes out.

At first, the Gems are not too concerned. As I mentioned before, they are used to relying on magic instead of technology. However, as the episode progresses, they begin to realize just how dependent the humans of Beach City are on electricity. They see people gathering in the streets, complaining about the heat and the lack of internet. They hear about insulin that needs to be refrigerated, and they see a baby crying because its mother can't use the blender to make its food.

As the days go by, things start to get dire. People are starting to get sick from the heat and lack of refrigeration, and tensions are running high. The mayor of Beach City, Nanefua Pizza, decides to call a town meeting to address the power outage. At the meeting, the Gems expect to be praised for their ability to live without electricity, but instead they are met with anger and accusations.

The Gems are taken aback by the hostility of the humans. They don't understand how their lack of concern for electricity could lead to such dire consequences. However, as the mayor points out, not everyone can rely on magic to solve their problems. People need electricity to survive.

The Gems begin to realize that they have been living in a sort of bubble. They have been so focused on their own needs and abilities that they have forgotten about the needs of those around them. They start to brainstorm ways to fix the power outage, but all of their ideas fail. Their magic can only do so much, and they don't have the knowledge or resources to fix the actual electrical grid.

In the end, it is Steven who comes up with a solution. He realizes that the source of the power outage is a damaged fuse box in the basement of the building where the Gems live. He convinces the Gems to use their magical abilities to fix the fuse box, and they are able to restore power to Beach City.

The episode ends with the Gems being hailed as heroes for fixing the power outage. However, they know that they were only able to do so with Steven's help. They realize that they need to be more mindful of the needs and perspectives of those around them, and that they can't always rely on magic to solve every problem.

Overall, Political Power is a poignant episode that explores themes of privilege, empathy, and community. It shows us that even those with the best of intentions can be blind to their own privilege, and that true heroism often comes in the form of empathy and understanding.