jenhedgehog:

Let’s take a look at “That Distant Shore” and what it means for Lapidot

Before we begin, let’s clear something up: the song was for Peridot.

When Steven asks Lapis what she’s using the observation orb for…

…we almost immediately cut to a shot of Peridot, right before Lapis begins to sing.

She was also humming her song at the orb before Steven arrived at the moonbase, and she sat herself down right in front of Peridot while she was singing.

The lyrics of the song are very telling of Lapis’ feelings towards Peridot:

“Those funny feelings I had never felt before I met you”.

“Funny feelings”, indeed!  The fact that Lapis only had these feelings when she “met [Peridot]” suggests that it’s something romantic (after all, she would already know what feelings of platonic friendship felt like, having befriended Steven long before Peridot).

These shots of Peridot right before (and then during) the song are also interesting. Notice how she’s separate from the main group of Crystal Gems; and also the fact that she takes herself away from the group altogether and sits sadly by herself. It’s clear that Lapis is still very much on her mind – she’s not gotten over this.  And despite the Gems’ best efforts, I get the impression that Peridot still feels like somewhat of an outsider to the group.  She doesn’t share the level of closeness with her fellow Crystal Gems as she did with Lapis.

“Maybe I find myself sitting on that distant shore,

Maybe I’m not alone.”

Lapis quite clearly wants to join Peridot on the beach, but she feels unable to do so.  The fact that she repeats the line “Maybe I’m not alone” is also particularly interesting, given this little exchange back in Barn Mates:

Peridot: “We’re the same, except you don’t have to be alone.”

As the song continues it becomes abuntantly clear that Lapis’ trauma is what’s keeping her from going back:

“I know that there’s something residing,

A terror deep inside me,

I couldn’t understand how you could be so bold”.

Now, considering that this song is being sung about Peridot, I think it’s fair to say that Lapis is referring to Peridot’s determination to fight for the earth here (which Peridot expressed in Raising the Barn immediately before Lapis’ departure).  Lapis doesn’t feel able to fight for the earth – and she can’t understand how Peridot is able to feel differently about the situation.  

I think that this is something which Peridot is going to help Lapis with when she inevitably returns to earth. She’s obviously deeply traumatised and, despite her closeness to Peridot, she can’t see the world in the same way as her.  Peridot has been helping Lapis every step of the way so far, and I feel like she’s going to play a massive part in Lapis eventually becoming a Crystal Gem.

Each of the Crystal Gems is fighting for something.  So Garnet is fighting for the place where she can be herself, Amethyst is fighting for the only place she’s ever known as home, Pearl is fighting for Rose Quartz’s legacy, Steven is fighting because it’s what he feels he has to do, Peridot is fighting for the place that set her free… and as for Lapis?  I think she’ll be fighting for the ones she loves (especially Peridot and Pumpkin), rather than for the planet itself, if the feelings that she’s very clearly expressed in this episode are anything to go by.

As well as the lyrics to the song, this look that Lapis gives to Peridot as she walks by really does say it all.