"This is a TV show for children."
"Also, the gems themselves have inherently shallow personalities."
I think we've been watching a different show.
Steven Universe might be broadly aimed at kids but there's a reason its fan base has a lot of adults - it has more depth than most "adult" dramas. If you think the gems have…

I noticed that the music that's playing when he role plays with Pamela is the same music that played when he said goodbye to Eddie in season 2. It's melancholic and wistful, but I also think it's used deliberately to evoke the sadness of that episode. I heard it and knew that something bad was coming.