Before we move on, it occurred to me that I never really explained WHY I was so hellbent on seeing Bismuth again, even if my enthusiasm for the idea was plainly evident.
The thing is Bismuth came along at a very important point in Steven’s life. By the time Steven found her, he had already gotten some idea that his mom wasn’t the perfect figure that the other Crystal Gems described, but Bismuth was the first person (who wasn’t a homeworld gem) who was willing to talk frankly about that fact. That in and of itself was a huge step forward for Steven. It meant that it wasn’t just him, there really was something about Rose that the other gems weren’t telling him, and that gave him the confidence to reevaluate his desire to become more like her.
But it goes even further than that, because in their brief time together, it was clear that something clicked between Steven and Bismuth (before the disastrous rendezvous at the forge). Bismuth was able to tell Steven that he could become someone better than Rose and actually mean it. That last phrase is important because Greg and the other gems, while certainly well meaning in their raising of Steven, still miss Rose too much to be entirely objective about what they want from Steven.
Steven could sense it too. He even told the Cool Kids that he was afraid the gems blamed him for his mom being gone. As much as the Crystal Gems assured Steven that they would be happy with any choice he made in life, a part of them still missed Rose too much to completely mean it.
And needless to say, now that the truth about Pink Diamond has come out, it’s even more important for Steven to have that perspective. He needs somebody in his life who can talk about his mother without every conversation being tinted by grief at her passing.
And on top of all that, there is the simple and obvious fact that Bismuth is just… fun. Finding Bismuth was quite possibly the happiest we’ve ever seen Garnet and Pearl in the entire series. After losing so much in the war, it was a moment of genuine hope that neither one of them expected.
It’s still frustrating that it took Bismuth so long to come back, especially because the decision to bubble her after her debut episode didn’t feel like much of a decision. It felt like Steven was just following his mom’s lead, and Garnet and Pearl were following Steven’s lead. It took far too long for Steven to realize that the Crystal Gems probably missed their friend, but that’s all in the past now.
The Crystal Gems are back in Bismuth, baby!
i'll apple your turnover 