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“

You know, Kevin, you were right. The view from the mountain was pretty great.

”
—Stevonnie


"Beach City Drift" is the 11th episode of the third season of Steven Universe and the 89th episode overall.

Official Synopsis[]

Steven and Connie get into a high-speed car race with their biggest foe.[3]

Plot[]

Beach City Drift 008

Steven is inside a car, wearing sunglasses, metaphorically saying that "they" told him there wasn't enough room on the road for the "Universe", and he replies metaphorically, that the universe is his road. Steven pretends to start the car and to drive it when Connie knocks on the car window to get his attention. Steven rolls down the window, greets Connie, and thanks his dad for letting him practice his driving, but thinks that it might be too small to live in. Greg says that the idea of the car was not to live in but get a new car now that he is rich.

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Connie notices the used sticker on the back window of the car and is confused by how the car is new. Greg puts a "Dad On Board" sticker over it, after telling Connie he likes to think of it as more experienced than used. Greg tells the kids the old car comes from an era of "frosted tips, mood rings, [and] slap bracelets", referring to it as a time before they were born. Connie describes this as a "time to be alive", and Greg shows the kids many pictures of him when he was younger with the car. The kids then pick up sponges and help Greg clean his car but suddenly, a large, yellow car races toward It's a Wash and brakes near them. The driver rolls down the window, revealing himself to be Kevin, who tells Greg to “give him a wash” before calling him an old man. Greg obliges, disregarding his disrespect, and runs over to his tires to clean them. Kevin, who is on the phone telling someone that he wants his socks pressed, tells Greg to go easy on the tires because his car has to look as beautiful as him while calling him a grandpa. Steven runs over and tells Kevin to back off, defending his dad from the name "grandpa". Kevin turns off his phone, asking Steven if they have met before, calling him a twerp. Connie nervously runs over, excusing Steven by saying that Kevin looks like another guy they know. Kevin denies this, saying that there's only one Kevin. He drives off and Greg notices that he has "forgotten" to pay, but excuses this, considering that he is rich. Steven says that he hates Kevin and Greg tells him to watch the word "hate", it being a strong word. Steven says that it is a strong feeling too. Greg asks if the two know Kevin, and Connie explains the incident of when they first fused into Stevonnie, and how he tried to get them to dance. Steven calls him a creep. Greg gets mad at the word, but Steven points out that it has five letters, instead of four like the word "hate".

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Connie continues to explain that it was uncomfortable when Kevin kept asking them to dance, and Steven adds that Kevin did not even care about their feelings. Greg says that if he is causing this much trouble, then they should not even give him the satisfaction of thinking about him, and Connie thanks Greg. At night, Steven and Connie are sitting on Greg's "new" car at the car wash. Steven is still mad at the incident with Kevin, and Connie wishes that she could just say something big to Kevin to get him to teach him a lesson. Steven says that he wishes he could race Kevin and rub the winning ribbon in his face. Connie says that kids cannot drive because it is against the law, but Steven mentions that they were not kids when they met Kevin, and Connie understands Steven's implication. At the bottom of a hill in a parking lot, Buck, Sour Cream, Ronaldo, and a few others watch as Kevin finishes a car race before Jenny does, who is mad that her practice did not pay off. Kevin rubs it in her face before asking if anyone else would want to race him down the hill. A car then pulls up in the parking lot and Stevonnie emerges in a dramatic fashion and tells Kevin that they will race him.

Beach City Drift 119

Kevin is confused by this, and Ronaldo walks over to Stevonnie's car and asks them if it is a '96 Supremo. Stevonnie responds saying that they think it is a Dondai, to which Ronaldo replies that a Supremo is a Dondai. Kevin realizes that the "brats" at the car wash that seemed familiar are Stevonnie. He says that he will not be fooled by their "two kids in a beautiful trench coat" routine. Stevonnie tells him that he does not know what he is talking about and will beat him at the race. Kevin claims that Stevonnie is obsessed with him and that he is a little old for them. This angers Stevonnie, who asks if he wants to race or not. Kevin says that the start of the race is at the top of the mountain and that they will start when the clock strikes the hour. He also includes that the first one to the bottom of the mountain wins, but that they do not have to worry about the last part, implying that Stevonnie will lose. This angers Stevonnie, and Kevin races away up the mountain, leaving a cloud of dust and smoke that everyone coughs on, except for Stevonnie, who claims that Kevin is "going down".

Beach City Drift 169

At the top of the mountain, Kevin and Stevonnie are lined up, getting ready to race. Kevin looks at his watch, as it is almost time for the race to start. Kevin mentions the beautiful view of the mountain but how it is a shame that Stevonnie will only be seeing his taillights. Stevonnie blows this off, and they both turn on their headlights. Kevin says "It's Kevin time", before racing off almost immediately, and Stevonnie is upset that he started a little later, but they rush off in their car. After driving for a bit, an upcoming curved road sign is shown. On the mountain's road, Kevin seems to be far ahead from where Stevonnie is, but Stevonnie races in front of him, saying that they will not let him win. Stevonnie laughs at Kevin, who is behind them but sees the upcoming curve on the road. Ronaldo, who is using his binoculars, says that they are about to witness the true power of the Supremo. They all look up to watch the race. Stevonnie quickly breaks and turns, and they laugh when they realize they are drifting. Kevin appears next to them, and he teases them for actually knowing how to drive the car before speeding ahead of them.

Beach City Drift 222

As the race progresses, Kevin continues to mock and tease Stevonnie. Stevonnie then asks Kevin why he always has to be such a jerk, and Kevin responds with a story about his "little brother" being sick. Stevonnie shows sympathy for Kevin, but he reveals his story to be a lie. Stevonnie gets angry as Kevin speeds up in front of them. They begin to see a vision of only seeing Kevin's car and the road, but try to focus on the race and ignore it. Suddenly, the road appears to be breaking off and falling away behind them. Stevonnie then sees a vision of Kevin's face but with large, glowing eyes. Stevonnie screams and turns away before blacking out. The car is shown again, and Steven and Connie are shown in the driver seat, asking each other if they are okay. Steven figures that the car is okay too. Connie opens the car door, walks out onto the street, and is asked what she is doing by Steven. Connie asks what they are doing, and explains to him that the reason they are racing and why they fused is because of Kevin. Steven realizes they are obsessed with Kevin. The two decide to finish the race, but for themselves instead of beating Kevin. Jenny says that she is going to go up to the Supremo to check if they are okay, but Ronaldo tells her to wait when the headlights come on. Stevonnie shows up in the car, fused back together. They go after Kevin and catch up with him, who begins to taunt them again.

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Kevin is confused that Stevonnie is not getting angry at his comments, and Stevonnie eventually races in front of him. Stevonnie notices the beautiful view of Beach City as they drive by it, but Kevin turns on his booster rockets so he would pass the finish line first. Kevin rubs it in Stevonnie's face that he won, but Stevonnie puts out their hand, wanting to shake hands for a good race. When Kevin denies, Stevonnie says that he was right about the beautiful view of the mountain. Kevin tells Stevonnie not to teach him a lesson because he had just won. Stevonnie then adds that second place is not so bad for their first time driving. Stevonnie gets in their car and drives away. Kevin runs after the car, desperately telling Stevonnie that they are still obsessed with him, but Stevonnie ignores him and keeps driving.

Features[]

Characters[]

Vehicles[]

Locations[]

Music[]

Instrumental Songs[]

Trivia[]

  • When Steven and Connie are fused into Stevonnie, they can skillfully drive the Dondai Supremo, even though neither has driven before.
  • Connie is wearing her father's jacket throughout the episode.
  • This episode's name was first revealed in the episode listing on the Cartoon Network website.[4]
  • Steven and Connie fuse and re-fuse into Stevonnie easily implying they have learned how to fuse at will.
  • Jenny specifically refers to Stevonnie using the singular "they," a canon nod to their non-binary gender.
  • Peridot could hear the sound of the cars in this episode and went to investigate the noise before giving up and going back to finish writing her essay on Camp Pining Hearts. You can read about it on her Twitter.
  • This is the first episode to feature 3D animation.

Cultural References[]

  • This episode's title may be a reference to The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
  • At It's a Wash, the water in the bucket rippling is a reference to the T-Rex water scene from Jurassic Park.
  • Much of the episode form an extended parody of the 1990s manga and anime series Initial D.
    • The racing site where Kevin and Stevonnie raced resembles the famous Akina Pass featured in the series.
    • The Dondai Supremo is based on a 1992 Volkswagen Golf MK2, with elements borrowed from a 1986 Toyota Sprinter Trueno (AE86). As such, it resembles the AE86 used by Takumi Fujiwara in the Initial D series (which, like the Supremo, was owned by his father), while Kevin's Himitsu X-12 is based on Keisuke Takahashi's 1991 Mazda RX-7 Type R (FD3S) from Initial D. Both are painted similarly to their Initial D counterparts, too.
    • The driving sequence, with the Eurobeat-inspired soundtrack and closeups of the pedals, imitates the races in Initial D, which have also been widely parodied in other anime series.
    • Stevonnie's ignorance about the car (knowing it only as "a Dondai", when Ronaldo talks about the "power of the Supremo") also references the anime, in which Takumi initially doesn't understand when his car is referred to as an "AE86", as he only knows the "Trueno" name on the badge.
    • Jenny remarking that her time delivering for her family business did not prepare her for the downhill run is a reference to how Takumi's skill on the downhill was nurtured exclusively through making deliveries for his father's tofu shop.
Beach City Drift 025
  • When Greg shows pictures of himself longing to buy a Dondai, he shares a plate of spaghetti with it. This is a reference to the famous spaghetti-eating scene from Disney's Lady and the Tramp.
  • Dondai may be a spoof of the South Korean-based company, Hyundai.
  • The Blue Jay that appeared at the start of the race may be a reference to the character Mordecai from the Cartoon Network series Regular Show.
  • When Stevonnie races against Kevin, it is similar to a Canyon duel race from EA's 2006 video game Need For Speed: Carbon.
  • Coincidentally, there is another car called Jansen X12 from EA's 2008 Burnout Paradise. Which the Himitsu X-12 has the same name as that car.

Continuity[]

  • This is the first appearance of Connie since "Steven's Birthday".
  • Kevin makes his second appearance since his debut in "Alone Together".
  • When Kevin leaves the car wash without paying, Greg responds with "Oh, what do I care; I'm rich!", a reference to the leftover royalties he received in Drop Beat Dad.
  • The events of Sour Cream's rave from "Alone Together" are brought up by Steven and Connie.
  • Kevin's car is a Himitsu, which is the same type of car seen in several advertisements in Empire City during "Same Old World" and "Mr. Greg".
  • The jacket that Connie and Stevonnie wore in this episode actually belongs to Connie's father Doug. He is first seen wearing it in "Fusion Cuisine"

Errors[]

  • Dondai Supremo's parking brake is located in a different place than usual.
  • There is a spacing error in the ending credits, making it appear as though "Pearl Deedee" was played by "Magno Hall", instead of Pearl being played by Deedee Magno-Hall.

Transcript

View the episode's transcript here.

Gallery

New Gallery

Click to view the gallery for Beach City Drift.

Videos[]

References

v ‱ e Episode List
Pilot Pilot
Season 1 A: Gem Glow ‱ Laser Light Cannon ‱ Cheeseburger Backpack ‱ Together Breakfast ‱ Frybo ‱ Cat Fingers ‱ Bubble Buddies ‱ Serious Steven ‱ Tiger Millionaire ‱ Steven's Lion ‱ Arcade Mania ‱ Giant Woman ‱ So Many Birthdays ‱ Lars and the Cool Kids ‱ Onion Trade ‱ Steven the Sword Fighter ‱ Lion 2: The Movie ‱ Beach Party ‱ Rose's Room ‱ Coach Steven ‱ Joking Victim ‱ Steven and the Stevens ‱ Monster Buddies ‱ An Indirect Kiss ‱ Mirror Gem/Ocean Gem

B: House Guest ‱ Space Race ‱ Secret Team ‱ Island Adventure ‱ Keep Beach City Weird ‱ Fusion Cuisine ‱ Garnet's Universe ‱ Watermelon Steven ‱ Lion 3: Straight to Video ‱ Warp Tour ‱ Alone Together ‱ The Test ‱ Future Vision ‱ On the Run ‱ Horror Club ‱ Winter Forecast ‱ Maximum Capacity ‱ Marble Madness ‱ Rose's Scabbard ‱ Open Book ‱ Shirt Club ‱ Story for Steven ‱ The Message ‱ Political Power ‱ The Return/Jail Break

Season 2 Full Disclosure ‱ Joy Ride ‱ Say Uncle ‱ Love Letters ‱ Reformed ‱ Sworn to the Sword ‱ Rising Tides, Crashing Skies ‱ Keeping It Together ‱ We Need to Talk ‱ Chille Tid ‱ Cry for Help ‱ Keystone Motel ‱ Onion Friend ‱ Historical Friction ‱ Friend Ship ‱ Nightmare Hospital ‱ Sadie's Song ‱ Catch and Release ‱ When It Rains ‱ Back to the Barn ‱ Too Far ‱ The Answer ‱ Steven's Birthday ‱ It Could've Been Great/Message Received ‱ Log Date 7 15 2
Season 3 Super Watermelon Island/Gem Drill ‱ Same Old World ‱ Barn Mates ‱ Hit the Diamond ‱ Steven Floats ‱ Drop Beat Dad ‱ Mr. Greg ‱ Too Short to Ride ‱ The New Lars ‱ Beach City Drift ‱ Restaurant Wars ‱ Kiki's Pizza Delivery Service ‱ Monster Reunion ‱ Alone at Sea ‱ Greg the Babysitter ‱ Gem Hunt ‱ Crack the Whip ‱ Steven vs. Amethyst ‱ Bismuth ‱ Beta ‱ Earthlings ‱ Back to the Moon ‱ Bubbled
Season 4 Kindergarten Kid ‱ Know Your Fusion ‱ Buddy's Book ‱ Mindful Education ‱ Future Boy Zoltron ‱ Last One Out of Beach City ‱ Onion Gang ‱ Gem Harvest ‱ Three Gems and a Baby ‱ Steven's Dream ‱ Adventures in Light Distortion ‱ Gem Heist ‱ The Zoo ‱ That Will Be All ‱ The New Crystal Gems ‱ Storm in the Room ‱ Rocknaldo ‱ Tiger Philanthropist ‱ Room for Ruby ‱ Lion 4: Alternate Ending ‱ Doug Out ‱ The Good Lars ‱ Are You My Dad? ‱ I Am My Mom
Season 5 Stuck Together ‱ The Trial ‱ Off Colors ‱ Lars' Head ‱ Dewey Wins ‱ Gemcation ‱ Raising the Barn ‱ Back to the Kindergarten ‱ Sadie Killer ‱ Kevin Party ‱ Lars of the Stars ‱ Jungle Moon ‱ Your Mother and Mine ‱ The Big Show ‱ Pool Hopping ‱ Letters to Lars ‱ Can't Go Back ‱ A Single Pale Rose ‱ Now We're Only Falling Apart ‱ What's Your Problem? ‱ The Question ‱ Made of Honor ‱ Reunited ‱ Legs From Here to Homeworld ‱ Familiar ‱ Together Alone ‱ Escapism ‱ Change Your Mind
Film Steven Universe: The Movie
Steven Universe Future Little Homeschool ‱ Guidance ‱ Rose Buds ‱ Volleyball ‱ Bluebird ‱ A Very Special Episode ‱ Snow Day ‱ Why So Blue? ‱ Little Graduation ‱ Prickly Pair ‱ In Dreams ‱ Bismuth Casual ‱ Together Forever ‱ Growing Pains ‱ Mr. Universe ‱ Fragments ‱ Homeworld Bound ‱ Everything's Fine ‱ I Am My Monster ‱ The Future
Shorts Lion Loves to Fit in a Box ‱ The Classroom Gems: What Are Gems? ‱ We Are the Crystal Gems ‱ The Classroom Gems: How Are Gems Made? ‱ Unboxing ‱ The Classroom Gems: Fusion ‱ Cooking with Lion ‱ Gem Karaoke ‱ Steven Reacts ‱ Video Chat ‱ Steven's Song Time
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