During a father-son fishing trip, Ansel attempts to impress Arlo with his outrageous techniques, but all Arlo really wants is to spend quiet time with his dad.
Tropes:
- An Aesop:
- Expensive doesn't always mean better.
- It's better for parents to experience things with their children by doing what they want to do.
- Sometimes simpler things are better.
- Affectionate Gesture to the Head: Ansel tries to do this to console the crestfallen Arlo, but struggles at it, due to the time having spent forsaken him. He struggles at it again during "In the Blue" before finally accomplishing such with his wing, followed by finally touching his son on the head with his own hand.
- Bread, Eggs, Breaded Eggs: In the beginning when Arlo is predicting what will happen on the fishing trip, he suggests they'll fish and sing, and teach the fish to sing.
- Brick Joke: Arlo mentions near the beginning he and Ansel could teach some fish to sing. Near the end, some fish start to sing, which segues into the Parental Love Song.
- Dark Reprise: Arlo sings a sad rendition of "In the Blue" as he sinks to the bottom of the ocean.
- Diegetic Switch: "In the Blue" starts out in the traditional Alternate Universe with Arlo singing to Ansel, before it transitions to All In Their Head during the montage of father and son going fishing; then it goes back to Alternate Universe for the final chorus. As an extra note, it was originally going to be a Diegetic number by Arlo on banjo, but after the Running Gag of failed tunes, he decides he doesn't need it and there's music everywhere, turning it into Alternate Universe.
- Good-Times Montage: When Arlo and Ansel are fishing together for real.
- Invisible Backup Band: Fairly closely referred to when Arlo tells Ansel that there's music everywhere.
- Parental Love Song: "In the Blue", sung by Arlo and Ansel about their father-son friendship and show how much they have to catch up on.
- Running Gag: Arlo attempting to tune his banjo.
