Gem Harvest

"Gem Harvest" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series Steven Universe.

A special double-length episode, it was written and storyboarded by Raven M. Molisee, Paul Villeco, Hilary Florido, and Lauren Zuke.

The episode was controversial among critics for its addition of an apparently bigoted character to the diverse and accepting world of Steven Universe, especially in the context of what they perceived to be a growing influence of bigotry in contemporary politics.

When Greg arrives with Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno Hall), he introduces the pilot as his cousin, Andy DeMayo.

Though delighted to learn Steven is his nephew, Andy is angry at Greg for separating himself from their family, and for allowing "illegal aliens" to live in the barn.

He reminisces about the annual family reunions the DeMayos used to hold at the barn, and so Steven offers to prepare a festive dinner to convince Andy to let Lapis and Peridot stay.

Reviewers noted that the episode's theme, focusing on welcoming a bigoted older relative to a family dinner and helping him learn to accept other ways of life, was timely to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday; but several found this narrative to be uncomfortable or in bad taste in the context of its broadcast shortly after the 2016 United States presidential election.

He praised the episode's theme of the flexibility of what family can mean, as well as its successful inclusion of a large cast of characters and the complexity of Greg's relationship with Andy.

They felt that the episode was inappropriate for a world in which conservative politics such as Andy's were ascendant, finding its narrative of reconciliation unrealistically optimistic.