Tiger Millionaire (episode)

Tiger Millionaire is the 9th episode of Steven Universe in Season 1. It premiered on January 20, 2014, alongside a re-run of Bubble Buddies.

Synopsis
Steven joins an underground wrestling league with Amethyst, unknowing to Garnet and Pearl.

Plot
The episode begins with the Gems transporting back to the temple. Pearl is yelling at Amethyst because she was being too childish on their mission. Steven is covered in mud which he believes is fun at first, but then it hardens and he becomes stuck and can't move anymore. He asks for help, but the others  pay no attention to him because they're too busy arguing. Steven is stuck in the mud overnight and falls asleep. He is woken up by Amethyst leaving the temple. He then falls over and the mud breaks, which then  sets him free. Steven follows Amethyst very far away from the temple and they go to a wrestling match. Steven looks through the window and sees Amethyst go up into the rink, and shape shifted into a giant wrestler. Ronaldo goes up there dressed as the "Loch Ness Blogster" and tries to fight her, but she takes him down easily. After the fight is over, Amethyst leaves the building and shape shifts back into her true form. Steven jumps up on Amethyst and Amethyst flips him forward onto the ground. Amethyst is shocked to see Steven there and Steven asks if she is secretly a wrestler. Amethyst tells him that she secretly is a wrestler and this excites Steven. Amethyst tells him that often times, she comes over here and does this because here, nobody tells her what to do and she can do whatever she wants and everybody loves it. Steven asks if he can join in, and she says that he can become her tag-mate so long as he doesn't tell Pearl and Garnet. Later that night, Steven dresses up as a tiger and calls himself "Tiger Millionaire" and he and Amethyst go back to the wrestling match and fight another guy. At first, Steven isn't much of a help to Amethyst.

But after he tricked an opponent with a fake bribery, he used his suitcase and knocked him out, Steven begins to start helping Amethyst the only way he knows how. After dozens of other victories, Steven knocks a bunch of drinks on the floor that were meant for the crowd. Lars, not knowing that was Steven, asks him to sign his drink, not before Steven knocks his drink to the floor, hurting Lars' feelings. After many more attempts to avoid Garnet and Pearl, they find out at the final match from Steven's flyers. After she scolds them, Garnet tells them to go back to the temple in an angry voice, with Amethyst pushing her saying she doesn't want to. They began to fight until Steven interrupts and tells them about Purple Puma's backstory. Pleading for everyone to wrestle, Garnet replies "no", saying she and Pearl are wrestling haters, the four then fake fight and the two opponents let Tiger and Puma win, chanting for them. Garnet and Amethyst apologize to each other and the episode ends with Sadie wondering if Tiger Millionaire was really Steven and Lars saying "I love you, Tiger Millionaire.", shedding a tear.

Characters

 * Steven
 * Amethyst
 * Lars (semi antagonist at one point)
 * Sadie
 * Mr. Smiley
 * Loch Ness Bloggster
 * Concrete Heat
 * Chunk Truck
 * Dashing Danny Doober
 * Handsome Hank Hackleschmidt
 * Pearl (antagonist until the end)
 * Garnet (antagonist until the end)

Music

 * Purple Puma and Tiger Millionare

Trivia

 * Amethyst changes her form to the wrestler she shape-shifted into in "Cat Fingers."
 * Steven's wrestling identity could be a reference to Tiger Mask, a Japanese masked wrestler from the self titled manga/anime Tiger Mask. Not to mention, both Steven and the main character, Tiger are both wrestling characters whose stage identity are depicted as bad guys, and both characters regretted having such identities and later turned into heroes.
 * It could also be a reference to the professional wrestler, Ted "Million Dollar Man" DiBiase, who was known for flaunting his wealth, being a jerk, and stuffing dollar bills in his opponents' mouths after they lost. Just look at how he spends his Thanksgiving.
 * Additionally, his outfit bears a resemblance to "Irwin R. Schyster" (also known as IRS), who was actually Ted DiBiase's partner in a tag team.
 * This is the first time the title card appears at night besides the credits.
 * Garnet and Pearl were acting as antagonists for the first time, pretending to be the Notorious Order of Wrestling Haters, or N.O.O.W.H.
 * This is the first time not only Pearl is upset about Amethyst's antics.
 * Mr. Smiley's wrestling nickname for Garnet was Captain Square, after her square afro.
 * It is the first time that two Gems fight each other.
 * According to Pearl, Gems can still get hurt and die, but it is a bit contradictory since Garnet attacked Amethyst with her main weapon and with all her power. Even after that, Amethyst did not look affected by any attack.