History Recap / StevenUniverseS1E24AnIndirectKiss

Connie asks about the fence, and Steven says it's a long story, and not a happy one. Cue FlashBack.

* NarrativeBackpedaling: In the flashback, Steven learns he doesn't have healing powers, then Pearl happily tells him that he will never have Gem powers and that they want nothing to do with him. Cut to the present, where Connie questions Steven, and he says that's not what really happened, but it's what he felt like Pearl said.

* FlashbackTwist: In the flashback, Steven learns he doesn't have healing powers, then Pearl happily tells him that he will never have Gem powers and that they want nothing to do with him. Cut to the present, where Connie questions Steven, and he says that's not what really happened, but it's what he felt like Pearl said.

* TheGlassesGottaGo: Subverted. After her vision is restored Connie [[PurelyAestheticGlasses removes the lenses off her glasses]] and puts them back on because she doesn't want to explain to her parents that her friend magically healed her.

->'''Pearl:''' Just the other day, you were crying about snakes!
->'''Steven:''' They don't have any arms!

* ImmortalsFearDeath: Pearl's reaction. Amethyst's is somewhat akin [[NotAfraidtoDie to a kid that scraped her knee ten minutes ago and forgot about it.]]

* FlashbackTwist: When Steven learns he doesn't have healing powers, Pearl happily tells him that he will never have Gem powers and that they want nothing to do with him. When Connie questions Steven, he says that's not what really happened, but it's what he felt like Pearl said.

* UnreliableNarrator: When Steven learns he doesn't have healing powers, Pearl happily tells him that he will never have Gem powers and that they want nothing to do with him. When Connie questions Steven, he says that's not what really happened, but it's what he felt like Pearl said.

* IdiotBall: Amethyst kicks off the episode by falling off a cliff, at such a height that she has time to say "Ugh, this is so embarrassing". For the [[ForgotAboutHisPowers team's best shapeshifter]] who can easily get wings, yes, it is.

* HypocriticalHumor: Pearl chastising the brambles for being annoying and clingy...while barely holding onto her sanity and sticking to Garnet like glue. It's a little less funny when one considers Pearl called them "a mess without [Rose's] guidance" as well as [[HeroicSelfDeprecation "directionless" and "pathetic"]].

She lands facedown on an extruded rock with an audible CRACK! Steven races down to see if she's okay. Amethyst plays it off as if her new, unnaturally swollen and googly eye is a neat new acquisition, but Pearl snatches down Amethyst's shirt to the latter's embarrassment and determines that her gem is cracked. Pearl worries that there should be a fence.

Pearl and Garnet explain that Steven's mother Rose Quartz had healing powers from her tears. She felt real sorrow for others' pain and consider that since Steven has his mother's gem, he may have inherited the power. Steven tries to cry, but fails, declaring himself too tough to cry.

Garnet punches through the brambles to the fountain -- it's an enormous statue of Rose Quartz, roses in her hair, arms bent to cradle something. But the fountain isn't flowing. Steven becomes emotional at his first real look at his mother, but it's not enough to get his tears flowing. He has a tender moment cuddling on the lap of his mother's statue, the description of which makes Connie gaze on him with big, tearful eyes. Garnet and Pearl go further into the thorns to investigate, while Steven stays with a rapidly worsening Amethyst, who is pixelating, and having random body parts go noodly and stretchy.

As the Flashback ends, Connie is incredulous that Pearl would say such a thing. Steven admits that she didn't really say that, but that's how it felt to him. But now that he's told the story again, Steven is upset again: he confesses that he's afraid that if he doesn't get a grip on his powers and how to using them, the Gems will leave him behind. He begins to sniffle and cry.

* IndirectKiss: Steven discovers his saliva's healing properties when Connie drinking the backwash from his juice box fixes her eyesight.

* HypocriticalHumor: Pearl chastising the brambles for being annoying and clingy...while barely holding onto her sanity and sticking to Garnet like glue.
** It's a little less funny when one considers Pearl called them "a mess without [Rose's] guidance", followed by [[HeroicSelfDeprecation "directionless" and "pathetic"]].

* HealingSpring: Of the fountain variety made by Rose

* HypocriticalHumor: Pearl chastising the brambles for being annoying and clingy...while barely holding onto her sanity and sticking to Garnet like glue

** Pearl remarks that the brambles are a mess without Rose's guidance, describing them as "directionless, pathetic, clinging things". Later in the series when we learn more about Pearl and Rose's relationship, these seemingly off-hand comments have a darker subtext.

** Pearl cowers behind Garnet while clinging to her arm. She did the same thing in "So Many Birthdays" in response to Steven's performance as a clown.

* AdultFear: Inverted with Steven, who fears that his inability to control his powers might jeopardize his relationship with the Gems.

* ImmortalsFearDeath: Pearl's reaction. Amethyst's is somewhat akin [[NotAfraidtoDie to a kid that scrapped her knee ten minutes ago and forgot about it.]]

* IndirectKiss: The title. It's also how Steven restores Connie's vision with his healing spit.

* WholeEpisodeFlashback: The original time of the episode is Connie asking why the cliff they're having a picnic on has a fence around it. Steven's story begins with Amethyst goofing off at the edge of an unfenced cliff. [[ForegoneConclusion Three guesses on what happens next.]]

* TheGlassesGottaGo: Subverted. After her vision is restored Connie [[PurelyAestheticGlasses removes the lenses off her glasses]] and puts them back on because she doesn't want to explain to her parents that her friend magically healed her.
* TheHedgeOfThorns: Rose Quartz's sanctuary is overrun with brambles that creep around and attack people.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The IndirectKiss is Connie getting Steven's spit in her mouth.

* TenderTears: Steven gets tearful reflecting on the idea that he may never be able to master his powers and accompany the Gems on missions as one of them.

Connie leans in to comfort and reassure Steven that he doesn't need powers to be with her, but stops at a sudden pain in her head. She thinks something is wrong with her glasses and takes them off; when she does, her vision goes from blurry to clear. Connie can suddenly see without her glasses! The children stare at each other for a moment, incomprehensible, then Connie realizes she was drinking out of Steven's juice box (there are sparkles dancing on the end of the straw). Steven shouts in triumph: