Steven is much like Korra, Young Justice or Adventure Time where it sort of fluctuates in quality as it had no clear direction. These shows got too hung up on expanding lore and world building, forgetting most of the strengths are with the main cast.
Steven’s later seasons still have some strong points going back and were building up an interesting narrative. The issue with the series is Rebecca’s insistence that Beach City is super important and that we need to waste time dicking around with Ronaldo or that black pizza family.
Like Adventure Time, I believe the crew kept thinking in infinite renewals, only for reality to kick in and make them realize they have 1 season to actually pay off a show. With a tard-wrangler, Steven easily could have been amongst the best of the network.