Summer of Steven - Too Short to Ride Review

Too Short to Ride has a very simple plot line with a really good execution that leaves leaves a feel good.....feeling.

It all begins with Steven handing Peridot a Tablet device, to which Peridot is more than happy to fiddle. She even took over the official Cartoon Network account on Twitter along the way prior to this episode.

Steven and Amethyst then take Peridot to the Beach City theme park to hangout. To make things interesting, Steven and Amethyst used their shape-shifting powers to attend rides and cheat at the local games. Peridot however, is revealed to be incapable of shape-shifting at all.

Steven and Amethyst then try to help Peridot do shape-shifting, but to no avail. Peridot laments not having any powers and explains that it is due mainly to her design. We also learn a bit more about Homeworld in that, the planet was extremelely low on its natural resources, which explains them taking over several planets.

Amethyst, a bit annoyed at Peridot's behaviour, grabs her Tablet and throws it away. A desperate Peridot reaches for her Tablet, and lo and behold, she has the power to move metals, like metalbending in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Peridot used her new powers to cheat her way through the Ring Toss game and claim her desired prize, and hugs it so tightly in such a cute-sy fashion as the episode ends.

Like I said, it left a feel good 'feeling' or whatever with this episode. It's also a lot more comedic in tone of all the episodes we see in this event so far. And it was a clever marketing plot by Cartoon Network by letting their Twitter account get 'hacked' by Peridot. We also learn more about Homeworld and its status, though a bit cliched, but nothing to really complain about.

And yes, Peridot is officially a metalbender now. I honestly don't like labelling Peridot in this manner, but that's how the rest of the fanbase sees it. Indeed, when I see Peridot do it, Toph from the Avatar franchise comes to mind, and not someone else like Magneto, for example.

So cutesy metalbending Peri for the win in this one! I expect to see more of Peri's powers put to use in the episodes to come.