Say Uncle (Steven Universe)

Last updated
"Say Uncle"
Steven Universe episode
Steven Universe-Uncle Grandpa crossover.jpg
Steven (right) meets Uncle Grandpa. As explicitly said by Uncle Grandpa who breaks the fourth wall, the episode is non-canon to both series.
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 48
Written by
  • Joe Johnston
  • Jeff Liu
Story by
  • Matt Burnett
  • Ben Levin
  • Rebecca Sugar
  • Ian Jones-Quartey
  • Kat Morris
Production code1031-056
Original air dateApril 2, 2015 (2015-04-02)
Running time11 minutes
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Shirt Club"		Next →
"Story For Steven"
List of episodes

"Say Uncle" is an episode of the American animated television series Steven Universe . The episode, written and storyboarded by Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu, is a non-canon crossover with Uncle Grandpa , another Cartoon Network series. While The A.V. Club described its announcement in February 2015 as "confusing", the episode aired on April 2 in that same year to high critical praise. The episode was watched by 1.926 million viewers. The events of the crossover specials take place during the first season of Steven Universe and during the second season of Uncle Grandpa.

Contents

In the episode, Uncle Grandpa tries to help Steven master his shield ability, causing many nonsensical events along the way and making Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl see him as a threat.

Plot

When Steven (Zach Callison) is frustrated that he is unable to summon his mother's shield, Uncle Grandpa (Pete Browngardt) comes out from an ocean portal to help. Steven, initially confused, is assured of Uncle Grandpa's goodwill after he offers help and reminds Steven that "None of this is canon". Uncle Grandpa initially guesses that Steven has "belly blues" and tries a variety of weapons on Steven to no avail. When Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst (Michaela Dietz), and Pearl (Deedee Magno Hall) see what is going on, they come to attack Uncle Grandpa, but Steven stops them. Belly Bag (Eric Bauza) introduces Uncle Grandpa and his role as "everyone in the world's uncle and grandpa". Despite this, the Gems see him as a threat and prepare to attack. As he and Steven run from them, Uncle Grandpa summons a plot hole from Belly Bag, transporting them to Uncle Grandpa's world.

In his RV, Uncle Grandpa introduces Steven to his friends Pizza Steve (Adam DeVine), Mr. Gus (Kevin Michael Richardson) and Giant Realistic Flying Tiger. Mr. Gus almost reveals the secret to Steven's shield before Pizza Steve enrages him by defacing a drawing he has made, and Steven and Uncle Grandpa are sucked into a giant Belly Bag. The Gems, meanwhile, escape from the plot hole after Garnet literally breaks the fourth wall. They arrive to see Uncle Grandpa, Steven, Lion, and Giant Realistic Flying Tiger having a tea party. Before they can attack Uncle Grandpa, Steven tries to stop them, and finally summons his shield because he cares about Uncle Grandpa, to all their amazement. Steven finds the moral in all this to not attack strangers for what they have to say or their opinions. The Gems all apologize, and Uncle Grandpa leaves on Giant Realistic Flying Tiger, reminding the viewer to "stay weird" and checking Steven off a list of other Cartoon Network protagonists, some of whom would appear when Steven and the Gems reunite with Uncle Grandpa in the short The Grampies: Dexter and Dee Dee from Dexter's Laboratory , the Powerpuff Girls from The Powerpuff Girls , The Eds from Ed, Edd n Eddy , Billy and Mandy from The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy , Mac from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends , Juniper Lee from The Life and Times of Juniper Lee , Flapjack from The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack , Finn from Adventure Time , the SWAT Kats from SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron , and Clarence from the series of the same name.

The screen at the very end of the episode says "In Loving Memory of Pizza Steve", because Amethyst had eaten him while in the plot hole.

Production

Cartoon Network announced "Say Uncle" in February 2015 during their upfront for that year. A crossover of Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa , two of their programs, it is an episode of the former show. [1] Kevin Johnson of The A.V. Club described this announcement as "inexplicable" and connecting of "two wildly, tonally-different shows whose only tangible connection is that they're both animated in color". He wrote, in conclusion, that "someone should check into the Cartoon Network Studios and make sure there isn't a gas leak". [2]

"Say Uncle" was produced as the fourth episode of the second season of the series, and was the third episode of the season to air. Chronologically, however, according to producer Ian Jones-Quartey, its events occur late in the show's first season, between the episodes "Shirt Club" and "Story for Steven"; consequently, following an "intended story order" list for the season written by Jones-Quartey, Wikipedia lists it as the 48th episode of Season 1. [3] Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu wrote the episode, which guest stars actors Pete Browngardt, Kevin Michael Richardson and Adam DeVine reprising their respective roles in Uncle Grandpa. Show writer Matt Burnett wrote on Twitter that it was 100 percent canon, but later admitted this to be an April Fools' Day joke. [4] [5] When asked if the episode was canon, Jones-Quartey tweeted “It's up to you and your imagination, cartoons aren't real!” [6] According to Burnett, the episode was the idea of creator Rebecca Sugar. [7]

Broadcast and reception

The episode first aired on Cartoon Network on April 2, 2015 and was watched by 1.926 million viewers in the United States. Cartoon Network promoted it with the launch of Attack the Light! , a Steven Universe mobile game. [8]

The episode received critical acclaim. Sharing a clip of the show on The A.V. Club, Eric Thurm wrote that its announcement caused confusion among fans, "not least because the deeply surreal and ridiculously over-the-top Uncle Grandpa is much weirder than Steven Universe". [9] In spite of this, he graded the episode an A, describing the simple plot as all it needs to introduce Uncle Grandpa to the show. He wrote that this introduction allows the show to break the fourth wall and play around with different styles of animation. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Steven Universe</i> American animated TV series (2013–2019)

Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar for Cartoon Network. It tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe, who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral-based aliens named Garnet (Estelle), Amethyst, and Pearl —in the fictional town of Beach City. Steven, who is half-Gem, has adventures with his friends and helps the Gems protect the world from their own kind. The pilot was first shown in May 2013, and the series ran for five seasons, from November 2013 to January 2019. The TV film Steven Universe: The Movie was released in September 2019, and an epilogue limited series, Steven Universe Future, ran from December 2019 to March 2020.

<i>Uncle Grandpa</i> American animated television series

Uncle Grandpa is an American animated television series created by Peter Browngardt for Cartoon Network that ran from September 2, 2013, to June 30, 2017. It is based on Browngardt's animated short of the same name from The Cartoonstitute. Uncle Grandpa is also a spin-off of Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, which was in turn a spin-off of The Cartoonstitute short. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven the Sword Fighter</span> 16th episode of the 1st season of Steven Universe

"Steven the Sword Fighter" is the sixteenth episode of the first season of the American animated television series Steven Universe. It is written by Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu.

<i>Steven Universe: Attack the Light</i> Tactical role-playing video game

Steven Universe: Attack the Light is a role-playing video game developed by Grumpyface Studios and published by Cartoon Network Games. The game, based on the animated TV series Steven Universe and featuring a story written by series creator Rebecca Sugar, was released for iOS and Android mobile devices on April 2, 2015. An Apple TV/tvOS version was later developed, which added "Diamond Mode", a higher-difficulty version of the game with added bonuses. It was followed by Save the Light and Unleash the Light.

Jail Break (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 49th episode of the 1st season of Steven Universe

"Jail Break" is the 49th episode of the first season of American animated television series Steven Universe, which premiered on March 12, 2015 on Cartoon Network. The episode was written and storyboarded by Joe Johnston, Jeff Liu, and series creator Rebecca Sugar. The episode acts as a continuation of the arc started in the previous episode, "The Return", and the two aired alongside each other as a two-part special. Both episodes were watched by 1.697 million viewers.

The Answer (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 22nd episode of the 2nd season of Steven Universe

"The Answer" is the 22nd episode of the second season of American animated television series Steven Universe, which premiered on January 4, 2016 on Cartoon Network. It was written and storyboarded by Lamar Abrams and Katie Mitroff. The episode was viewed by 1.384 million viewers.

Cry for Help (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 11th episode of the 2nd season of Steven Universe

"Cry for Help" is the eleventh episode of the second season of American animated television series Steven Universe. The episode was written and storyboarded by Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu; it premiered on July 13, 2015, on Cartoon Network and was watched by 1.714 million viewers.

Garnet (<i>Steven Universe</i>) Fictional character

Garnet is a character from the animated series Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. Based on the real world mineral garnet, Garnet is a Gem, a fictional alien being that exists as a magical gemstone projecting a holographic body. Garnet is a fusion — i.e., two Gems combining personalities and appearances as one shared holographic body — formed by two Gems named Ruby and Sapphire, who choose to remain permanently fused out of love for each other.

Alone Together (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 37th episode of the 1st season of Steven Universe

"Alone Together" is the 37th episode of the first season of the American animated television series Steven Universe. It first aired on January 15, 2015, on Cartoon Network. The episode was written and storyboarded by Hilary Florido, Katie Mitroff, and series creator Rebecca Sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Watermelon Island</span> 1st episode of the 3rd season of Steven Universe

"Super Watermelon Island" is the first episode of the third season of American animated television series Steven Universe, which premiered on May 12, 2016 on Cartoon Network. It was written and storyboarded by Joe Johnston and Jeff Liu. The episode was viewed by 1.693 million viewers.

Bismuth (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 24th episode of the 3rd season of Steven Universe

"Bismuth" is the twentieth and twenty-first episode of the third season of American animated television series Steven Universe; it premiered on August 4, 2016 on Cartoon Network. A special double-length episode featuring guest star Uzo Aduba, it was advertised as the 100th episode of the series. It was written and storyboarded by Lamar Abrams, Colin Howard, Jeff Liu and Katie Mitroff. The episode was viewed by 2.153 million viewers.

Amethyst (<i>Steven Universe</i>) Steven Universe character

Amethyst is a fictional character from the animated television series Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. She is voiced by Michaela Dietz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gem Harvest</span> 8th episode of the 4th season of Steven Universe

"Gem Harvest" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series Steven Universe. A special double-length episode, it was written and storyboarded by Raven M. Molisee, Paul Villeco, Hilary Florido, and Lauren Zuke. The episode was first broadcast on Cartoon Network on November 17, 2016, and was viewed by 1.385 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gem Drill</span> 2nd episode of the 3rd season of Steven Universe

"Gem Drill" is the second episode of the third season of American animated television series Steven Universe, which premiered on May 12, 2016 on Cartoon Network. It was written and storyboarded by Raven Molisee and Paul Villeco. The episode was viewed by 1.693 million viewers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Single Pale Rose</span> 18th episode of the 5th season of Steven Universe

"A Single Pale Rose" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series Steven Universe. It first aired on May 7, 2018 on Cartoon Network as the second half of a two-part special with the preceding episode "Can't Go Back". It was directed by Kat Morris and Liz Artinian and written and storyboarded by Danny Cragg and Hilary Florido from a story by Matt Burnett, Ben Levin, Kat Morris, Joe Johnston, and series creator Rebecca Sugar.

Reunited (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 23rd and 24th episodes of the 5th season of Steven Universe

"Reunited" is the 23rd and 24th episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series Steven Universe, and the 151st and 152nd episode of the series overall. A 22-minute double-length special episode, it was directed by Joe Johnston and Liz Artinian, and written and storyboarded by Miki Brewster, Jeff Liu, Katie Mitroff and Paul Villeco from a story by Johnston, Matt Burnett, Ben Levin, Kat Morris, Tom Herpich and series creator Rebecca Sugar. It first aired on July 6, 2018 as the final part of the seventh "StevenBomb", a series of six episodes aired between July 2 and 6.

The Question (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 21st episode of the 5th season of Steven Universe

"The Question" is the 21st episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series Steven Universe. It first aired on July 4, 2018, on Cartoon Network. It was directed by Joe Johnston and Liz Artinian and written and storyboarded by Miki Brewster and Jeff Liu. The episode attracted media attention after it aired because it featured the first same-sex marriage proposal in Western children's animation.

Change Your Mind (<i>Steven Universe</i>) 29th and 32nd episodes of the 5th season of Steven Universe

"Change Your Mind" is the series finale of the American animated television series Steven Universe; a 44-minute quadruple-length episode, it is counted as the 29th to 32nd episode of the series' fifth season and as the 157th to 160th episodes of the series overall. The only 44-minute episode of the series, it was directed by Joe Johnston and Kat Morris, with art direction by Liz Artinian, and written and storyboarded by Johnston, Morris, Lamar Abrams, Miki Brewster, Danny Cragg, Hilary Florido, Ian Jones-Quartey, Christine Liu, Jeff Liu, Katie Mitroff, Paul Villeco, and series creator and executive producer Rebecca Sugar.

References

  1. ↑ "Cartoon Network Unveils Upfront Slate for 2015–2016". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. February 19, 2015. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Kevin (February 20, 2015). "Cartoon Network Is Making a Steven Universe–Uncle Grandpa Crossover". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ Jones-Quartey, Ian (July 12, 2015). "The Intended Order". Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  4. ↑ Thurm, Eric (April 2, 2015). "Okay, I'm... Not Ready for This Episode to End?". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  5. ↑ Burnett, Matt (April 2, 2015). "And he was right. April Fools". Twitter.
  6. ↑ Tweet from Jones-Quartey (@ianjq) published March 19, 2023. Accessed March 20, 2023.
  7. ↑ Amidi, Amid (April 2, 2015). "Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa Crossover Special Airs Today". Cartoon Brew . Archived from the original on April 3, 2015.
  8. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (April 1, 2015). "Uncle Grandpa and Steven Universe Crossover Premieres April 2". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  9. ↑ Thurm, Eric (April 1, 2015). "Exclusive Steven Universe Clip: Uncle Grandpa Comes to Town". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  10. ↑ Thurm, Eric (April 13, 2015). "Review: Steven Universe: Say Uncle". The A.V. Club. Onion Inc. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.