Line #24 Recap/StevenUniverseS3E7DropBeatDad


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_407.png]]
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3	'''Original airdate:''' July 18th, 2016
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5	'''Production code:''' 1031-087
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7	----
8
9	At Onion's house, Steven helps Sour Cream pack up his DJ equipment for a show he has planned for the night. With his enhanced strength, Steven has an easier time lifting Sour Cream's things than Sour Cream himself. Yellowtail arrives and speaks disapprovingly. While we cannot understand what exactly he is saying, Sour Cream understands him and defends himself from his stepdad, arguing that DJ-ing is a viable career, and tells him that he'd rather be a DJ than a fisherman before walking away. Steven, with Sour Cream's equipment, follows him.
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11	Steven and Sour Cream pass by Greg's car wash. While Sour Cream goes to the car wash's restroom, Greg chats with Steven, remarking that business has been slow. Just as Steven reassures Greg that business will pick up soon, a bright green bus stops at the car wash.
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13	Marty steps out and, looking at Greg and his business remarks to 'Starchild' that the music business hasn't been so good for him. He tells Greg that he can "do one" better than paying for a car wash, as he pulls out an envelope and says they have some unfinished business. Sour Cream, returning from the restroom, is surprised to see his dad. He implies they last saw each other nine years ago, to which Marty makes a long explanation about his absence due to the rigors of the music industry.
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15	Sour Cream tells Marty about his DJ rave that he's setting up for. Marty decides to stay in Beach City to make up for the lost time and promote his son's event, showing him his business card which advertises Marty as a 'hype man' and 'promotor'. He is unimpressed at Sour Cream's set-up in the warehouse where he usually performs and decides to move the rave to the beach.
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17	Steven voices his concerns, reminding Marty that when Greg performed on the beach, he did not advertise well, causing nobody (besides Rose Quartz) to attend the concert. Marty admits to making mistakes and being a jerk to Greg in the past but tells Steven and Sour Cream that he has learned a lot about the industry. He then makes a phone call. The scene then changes to a large banner on the water tower that advertises "DJ SC", which impresses Sour Cream. Marty also lends his own equipment to Sour Cream and makes Steven an official roadie. While setting up the equipment, Steven sees Yellowtail on his boat, watching Sour Cream and Marty through binoculars.
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19	On the evening of the rave, a large crowd awaits Sour Cream. Marty insists on building up hype before Sour Cream performs. Marty promotes a type of soda called Guacola by throwing cans into the audience. Things worsen as the audience drinks the Guacacola, only to find the taste terrible. The only person who seems to enjoy the soda is Onion.
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21	While the audience is scared away from the rave, Steven tells Greg and Yellowtail that this is Marty's fault. Yellowtail, furious, storms off on his boat. Meanwhile, Sour Cream confronts Marty, who tells him that the show belongs to him, not Sour Cream, and it becomes clear that this event was simply a scheme for Marty to promote Guacola. Sour Cream yells at Marty, at first in the language used by Yellowtail and Onion, then explains what he said in English: Sour Cream does not need (nor has he ever needed) Marty or Guacola's help for his show. Marty leaves Sour Cream and happens upon Greg and tells Greg that he is only here due to his legal obligation to give Greg an envelope. After handing the envelope to Greg, Marty leaves Beach City.
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23	Sour Cream laments the apparent failure of his rave. He sees Yellowtail rushing towards him on a speedboat, which causes him to become more upset, assuming that Yellowtail was just waiting for something to go wrong so he could force Sour Cream to fish. Surprisingly, Yellowtail gives Sour Cream his DJ gear and tells him to play. Sour Cream thanks his stepdad, and Steven is happy to help set up Sour Cream's rave. The rave attracts a decent crowd, including Sour Cream's family, friends, and a few others. Greg remarks that the music business can be tricky. As he opens his envelope, he says that Sour Cream doing what makes him happy is what matters. He waves away the importance of money but stops when he sees the ten million dollar check within the envelope.
24	----
25	!!Tropes:
26	* AbsurdlyBrightLight: Marty's glasses and teeth give off a bright shine while he's talking to Greg.
27	* {{Angrish}}: {{Parodied}} when Sour Cream slips into Yellowtail's gibberish "language" when calling out Marty in a fit of rage.
28	* BadToTheLastDrop: Guacola is a soda made from three avocados ''per can'' -- from [[RuleOfFunny concentrate]]! It tastes awful, and has the looks and consistency of green slime. Ronaldo tries to use it like regular guacamole on chips, and it's still horrible. In a [[http://keepbeachcityweird.tumblr.com/post/147623331391/greetings-my-devoted-followers-many-of-you-have sponsored post]] on ''Blog/KeepBeachCityWeird'', it said that Guacola's made by a company called Gluggman Industrial Adhesives, which is currently being sued in 17 states in connection with the cola.
29	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Sour Cream on seeing his dad becomes hopeful when the latter says he wants to spend time with his son. This is especially heartbreaking since Sour Cream hadn't seen Marty for ''nine years'', and Marty ruins any bonding time by using Sour Cream's event to promote Guacola.
30	* BerserkButton: Marty seems to be Yellowtail's, as when Greg mentions that Sour Cream's concert getting turned into an advertisement for Guacola was Marty's idea, Yellowtail is furious.
31	* BigDamnHeroes: After Marty leaves with all of his fancy music equipment, Yellowtail shows up with Sour Cream's old DJ setup to save the show.
32	* BilingualBonus: "Guacola" sounds similar to ''guácala'' ("disgusting" in Ecuadorian Spanish), and ''guacara'' (a word for "vomit" in Mexican Spanish).
33	* BizarreTasteInFood: Onion is the ''only one'' who likes Guacola.
34	* BlahBlahBlah: Subverted. Sour Cream seems to disparagingly mimic Yellowtail's gibberish while complaining to Steven about him, but when calling out Marty, he slips into the same "language".
35	* BlatantLies: Marty claims he wants to reconnect with Sour Cream by helping his DJ performance, but it's obvious he's lying even before the reveal. Too bad Sour Cream can't see through it, and though Steven warns Sour Cream about Greg's concert at the beach not going well, Marty manages to talk his way out of it.
36	* BrokenPedestal: Sour Cream was initially enthusiastic to work with Marty. That changed once he saw what Marty's [[ItsAllAboutMe true intentions]] were.
37	* TheBusCameBack: This is the first time we have seen Marty in the present; he had previously appeared in a flashback. Bonus points for being on an actual bus. A giant, rock-star-style house-on-wheels tour bus.
38	* CallBack:
39	** Marty's terrible managing skills and manipulation drive the plot, the way he inadvertently led to Greg encountering Rose all those years ago.
40	** The only reason Marty comes to Beach City is not to see his son, as he claims, but to actually give Greg a royalty check for his music. Greg had previously mentioned that Marty was his manager and thus Marty is reluctantly obligated to honor that commitment.
41	* CallingParentsByTheirName: Sour Cream calls his stepfather "Yellowtail" while talking to him, clearly out of disdain. He switches to "Yellowdad" at the end of the episode.
42	* CallingTheOldManOut: Sour Cream does this to Marty regarding the latter's selfishness.
43	* CerebusRetcon: In "Story for Steven," Greg is implied to have walked in on Marty and Vidalia [[AutoErotica having sex in his van]]. Here, we discover that Sour Cream is Marty's illegitimate son, meaning that Greg may have [[TooMuchInformation (unwillingly) bore witness]] to Sour Cream's conception.
44	* ChildrenAreInnocent: PlayedWith; Steven has ''some'' idea of what roadies do for rock stars, but he didn't realize that Marty had fathered a child out of wedlock.
45	* ContinuityNod:
46	** Steven brings up numerous details from "Story for Steven", like how big of a jerk Marty was to his dad, and how horrible his manager skills were when it came to promoting Greg's concert.
47	** Before Marty convinces him to change the venue, Sour Cream was going to play at the run-down warehouse he played at in "Alone Together".
48	* CoolShades: Marty has a pair with red lenses and yellow arms, to complete his rocker look.
49	* CreatorCameo: Ian Jones-Quartey appears as one of the members of the audience at Sour Cream's concert. And then it's shown that he passed out from the Guacola. He later made a [[https://twitter.com/ianjq/status/755247156554981376 post]] stating he was alright.
50	* ADayInTheLimelight: This episode primarily focuses on Sour Cream.
51	* DisappearedDad: Marty hasn't seen Sour Cream in at least nine years.
52	* EarlyBirdCameo: In "Onion Friend", there's a photo of Amethyst mockingly posing as Marty, older (balder) than he appeared in "Story for Steven".
53	* FelonyMisdemeanor: Steven is outraged that Guacola is made from concentrate.
54	* {{Foil}}:
55	** Greg and Marty are pretty much complete opposites of one another, right down to one being BigFun and the other being LeanAndMean.
56	** Greg and Yellowtail, too. They're both loving fathers but Yellowtail wants his children to have stable careers, while Greg believes personal happiness is more important than money, though he's certainly not going to refuse the royalty check Marty was "legally obligated" to give him, a royalty check worth ''ten million dollars''.
57	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Marty wears a green shirt with a large G on it for the entire episode. Near the end, we find out that the G stands for '''G'''uacola.
58	* FromTheMouthsOfBabes: [[WideEyedIdealist Steven]] knows that roadies help rock stars with heavy equipment, crazy fans, and giving moral support.
59	* GotMeDoingIt: Sour Cream is briefly surprised when he catches himself yelling like Yellowtail at Marty.
60	* HopeSpot: For Sour Cream, getting a chance to know a father that like him enjoys music, with Yellowtail wanting Sour Cream to become a fisherman. Marty quickly shuts that hope down.
61	* HurricaneOfExcuses: After running into Sour Cream by accident, Marty suddenly goes in a blathering rant about how busy show-business is, which Greg and Steven talk over.
62	* {{Hypocrite}}: Marty makes Sour Cream's concert all about his new product he's promoting, then calls ''Sour Cream'' selfish.
63	* IAmNotMyFather: Yellowtail wants Sour Cream to be a fisherman like him, while Sour Cream wants to be a DJ. They argue over it while Steven's packing Sour Cream's equipment.
64	* InSeriesNickname: Marty still calls Greg "Starchild". He calls Steven "Starchild Junior" and abbreviates Sour Cream's name to "SC".
65	* InconsistentColoring: When Vidalia finally appears at Sour Cream's show at the end, her hair is platinum blonde like Sour Cream's instead of light blonde like Onion's.
66	* IntelligibleUnintelligible: Yellowtail speaks gibberish to Sour Cream, who understands it just fine. [[https://youtu.be/TNR1vB2UL0Q?t=1m51s Sour Cream slips into it while yelling at Marty]], then goes back to normal when Marty has no idea what he said.
67	* InternalReveal: Sour Cream being Marty's son had been ''heavily'' implied earlier, but this is the first time Steven hears of it.
68	* ItsAllAboutMe: Marty insists he "needs" the concert's publicity for pushing Guacola and that Sour Cream should be happy he was getting him in on it.
69	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Marty wasn't even ''trying'' to make up for lost time with Sour Cream, he was just [[OpportunisticBastard taking an opportunity to make money from the publicity]].
70	* KarmicJackpot: Greg chose the woman he loved over fame and has spent his time since then being a devoted husband, a {{Good Parent\|s}} to Steven, and a generally good human being. The episode ends with him getting a check his former agent owed him for ''10 million dollars!''
71	* LikeFatherLikeSon: Sour Cream's interest in the music business, albeit in different aspects of it, is the ''only'' personality trait he shares with his father.
72	* LiteralMinded: Steven doing a mic check: "This mic looks great!"
73	* LittleKnownFacts: "It is ''too'' a viable career! 80% of Germans make their living [=DJing=]!"
74	* LogicalLatecomer: Having spent little time in Beach City, Marty is the only one who finds it strange that [[SuperStrongChild Steven can lift cargo twice his size]].
75	-->'''Marty:''' Geez, what does Greg ''feed'' that kid?
76	* ObviouslyEvil: Downplayed. While not overly 'evil', Marty's appearance makes it clear that he's bad news.
77	* OhCrap: Steven when Marty appears on his bus.
78	* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: Steven, unusually for him, shows no desire to befriend Marty, largely since he remembers his dad's story [[{{Jerkass}} about him]].
79	* OnlyOneFindsItFun: ''Everyone'' hates Guacola, except Onion.
80	* OpportunisticBastard: Marty stopped by in Beach City to give Greg the $10 million royalty check, but when he found out Sour Cream was going to DJ at a concert, he decides to use it to promote Guacola.
81	* PapaWolf:
82	** Inverted when Marty appears; Steven goes OhCrap and tells his dad, "I'll protect you!"
83	** Yellowtail is ''not'' happy to see Marty back in town. He becomes visibly enraged when it becomes apparent that Marty has co-opted Sour Cream's DJ gig to shill nasty soda.
84	* ParentalNeglect: Marty hasn't seen his son in at ''least'' nine years.
85	* ParentsAsPeople: Yellowtail may not understand Sour Cream's wish to be a DJ, but he still loves him, and helps put on the show in the end just because he knows it'll make him happy. That it would also be a good chance for some petty oneupmanship, to prove he's the better dad, plainly never even occurs to him.
86	* PetTheDog: As bad as Marty is, he does make a nice gesture to Steven for no real gain, specifically, he makes him an official Roadie. The billboard he put up for Sour Cream's show also looks pretty great.
87	* PintSizedPowerhouse: Steven is able to lift a box of DJ equipment with one hand that Sour Cream can barely lift with two, and later carries a crate full of equipment by himself that normally requires two adults to pick up. Marty is shocked by it.
88	* {{Portmanteau}}: Guacamole + Cola = Guacola.
89	* ProperlyParanoid:
90	** Steven quickly tenses up when Marty shows up. With the fiasco that resulted from the Guacola and Marty manipulating his son for his own gain, he was right to worry.
91	** More subtly, Yellowtail was watching the setup on the beach the whole time...
92	* PunBasedTitle: The episode title is a play on the phrases "Drop the Beat" and "Deadbeat Dad."
93	* RagsToRiches: Marty owed Greg royalty backpay for one of his songs to the tune of ''$10,000,000.''
94	* TheRoadie: Steven has expressed that one of his dream jobs is to be a roadie and gets to live out this dream by helping Sour Cream set up a rave.
95	* SellOut: Marty shamelessly sponsors the nasty Guacola, saying it's something he "needs".
96	* SequelHook: Before he leaves in a huff, Marty gives Greg a check for $10 million dollars, kicking off the events in "Mr. Greg".
97	* SeriousBusiness: Beach City nearly goes into a riot after getting free samples of bad soda.
98	* ShoutOut: When Marty sees Sour Cream's venue, he says, "What is this, a concert for ants?", a reference to the title character from ''Film/{{Zoolander}}'' saying, "What is this, a center for ants?" when he sees a scale model of a building.
99	* StrongFamilyResemblance: Greg points out to Steven how Marty and Sour Cream resemble each other, though Marty aging makes it a bit less apparent than it was in the past.
100	* ThrowTheDogABone: For all of his ManipulativeBastard schemes, Marty does take the time to give Greg his money rather than keeping it for himself or demanding a huge cut. Granted, this is because he was "Legally Obligated" to do so, and it's likely he wouldn't have done it otherwise. One can presume that it's already missing his managerial share.
101	* TwinkleSmile: Marty has a smug grin that sparkles. The glare from his teeth and clothing makes Steven shield his eyes.
102	* WealthyEverAfter: The Universe household gets $10 million from built-up royalties from one of Greg's songs (well, a derivation of it at least).
103	* WhamShot: A minor one, but Greg opens the envelope Marty gave him at the end of the episode... and it turns out to be a check for ''ten million dollars'' in back royalties.
104	* WingdingEyes: Nanefua gets x's for eyes after trying the disgusting Guacola drink.
105	* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: Before leaving, when Marty gives Greg the money, he calls him "Universe" instead of his usual "Starchild", making it clear he never wants anything to do with anyone in Beach City again.

Context Recap / StevenUniverseS3E7DropBeatDad