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Non-canon
"Don't worry, bro. None of this is canon."
This article contains information on a subject that is not considered canon in Steven Universe.

Good Morning!

—Uncle Grandpa


"Say Uncle" is the 3rd episode of the second season of Steven Universe, and the 55th episode overall.

The episode was announced at Cartoon Network's Upfront Slate for 2015–2016.[2] It is a non-canonical April Fool's Day crossover between Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa, another series made by Cartoon Network.

Official Synopsis[]

A long lost relative of Steven's comes to town to aid him in unlocking the power of his mother's gem.[3]

Plot[]

Say Uncle 007

Steven is sitting on the shore of the beach trying to practice summoning his shield. Failing, he summons his bubble instead. When he wishes there was someone to help him summon his shield, a variety of different sea animals appear and a giant clam arises from the sky. The clam opens, revealing what seems to be the form of Rose Quartz, but under closer inspection, it turns out to be Uncle Grandpa.

Say Uncle 032

Uncle Grandpa sees that Steven is having trouble summoning his weapon, so he offers to help him. After probing Steven's gem and after asking a few questions, Uncle Grandpa decides that the best way to activate his powers is by assaulting Steven with an array of weapons including rocket launchers, snakes, bees, and vaporizers. However, Steven is either only able to summon his bubble or is injured by the weapon.

Say Uncle 095

Pearl then walks out of the temple to see Amethyst amused by Uncle Grandpa testing these various weapons on Steven. Pearl is shocked when she sees Uncle Grandpa aiming a large, futuristic vaporizer at Steven. He fires the weapon at Steven, and a giant ball of smoke engulfs them both. The smoke clears only to find that Steven summoned his bubble once more and not his shield.

Say Uncle 104

The Crystal Gems find out what is going on and are introduced to Uncle Grandpa and learn how he relates to Steven through a sequence of their heads orbiting the earth. The Gems, who are disoriented and unnerved by Uncle Grandpa, attack him after concluding he must be a super-powerful, reality-warping entity who is a danger not only to Steven but to all of space. Uncle Grandpa and Steven are able to escape using a "plot hole" provided by Belly Bag which then allows them to regroup in the U.G.R.V. Steven then meets Pizza Steve, Giant Realistic Flying Tiger, and Mr. Gus.

Say Uncle 140

Mr. Gus has extensive knowledge about Steven Universe and his adventures. Unable to think of a plan, they decide to wait until "something happens". A giant Belly Bag attached to a giant Uncle Grandpa then ends up sucking the two inside of it. Meanwhile, Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst are lost within the Plot Hole. Pearl has become erratic and unhinged by the very strange events. Amethyst eats Pizza Steve "Pizza Steven" after he walks in (dressed like Steven). Garnet gets annoyed and smashes the ground, which breaks through the Plot Hole, allowing the Gems to escape.

Say Uncle 230

They arrive back at the beach to find Steven, Uncle Grandpa, Lion, and Giant Realistic Flying Tiger enjoying tea on the sand, at a loss for what to do. The Gems proceed to attack him, only for Steven to intervene, suddenly being able to summon his shield. Steven was able to reason with the Gems, explaining how just because Uncle Grandpa is weird and unknowable, that does not mean the Gems should fear and attack him.

Say Uncle 258

The Gems understand and apologize before Uncle Grandpa bids them farewell as he goes through his checklist of kids to help (all of which are characters from different Cartoon Network shows) as he makes his way to Clarence from Clarence to help. The episode ends with a poorly drawn picture of Pizza Steve, reading "In Loving Memory of Pizza Steve" above it, due to him being eaten by Amethyst in the Plot Hole.

Features[]

Characters[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

  • Cookie Cat (flashback)
  • Greg's Van (mentioned)
  • Doomtastic Death Ray of Dastardly Destruction
  • Beezooka
  • Snake Shooter

Music[]

Instrumental Songs[]

Production Notes[]

Trivia[]

  • In honor of the crossover, CN Studios held an ice cream social at the episode's premiere.[6]
  • Before the airing of the episode, Steven Universe story writer Matt Burnett stated via his Twitter that the crossover was to be canonical.[7]
    • He also stated via his Twitter that Pizza Steve and Steven were to permanently switch shows after this episode.[8]
    • He later confirmed both of these tweets as an elaborate April Fools' Day joke; the crossover wasn't to be part of the canon of the show nor was Pizza Steve going to replace Steven.[9]
      • The episode itself made reference to these tweets by having Uncle Grandpa himself saying "Don't worry bro, none of this is canon!" before firing his head out of cannon leaving a trail of gun smoke spelling out the letters "April Fools!" and by Pizza Steve dressing up as Steven.
        • In fact, this is also the first and only non-canon Steven Universe episode.
  • Uncle Grandpa sinks a ship that Lars and Sadie are on. This is a visual pun based on the Lars/Sadie relationship pairing, or "ship" within the fandom. Additionally, Uncle Grandpa uses a head-canon to do this (a pun on "headcanon").
    • Coincidentally, the ship Uncle Grandpa sinks resembles the SS France, an Oceanliner that was built in 1961, renamed the SS Norway by 1980, and scrapped in 2008.
      Say Uncle 044

      The Vessel that Uncle Grandpa sinks.

      SS France Hong Kong 74

      The SS France.

  • Mr. Gus appears to be a fan of Steven Universe and has clear insight into how Steven is able to access his shield.
    • He also draws a "gemsona" - a fan term for a fan-made Gem based on oneself - named Mr. Gusite.
    • Mr. Gusite was posted on a Tumblr blog purporting to be Mr. Gus' before the episode's release.
  • There are multiple moments in this episode where the fourth wall is broken.
    • Garnet says, "I'm ready for this episode to end.", and breaks the white void around the Gems. This may be a reference to the saying "breaking the fourth wall".
    • When the Gems chase Uncle Grandpa, Amethyst trips on the "Run Away" subtitle.
    • Uncle Grandpa says that the episode isn't canon.
    • Uncle Grandpa asked Belly Bag to open a "plot hole" bringing them in the white space.
    • Mr. Gus made a "gemsona", a fan-made gem based on oneself, which is what Steven Universe fans in the real world commonly do.
    • Uncle Grandpa said he saw Steven's predicament with his shield before, during the first episode where he was trying to talk to him through an advertisement of his own show.
      • Coincidentally, Uncle Grandpa did have an "Up Next" reminder during "Gem Glow"'s first premiere.
    • Mr. Gus mentioned the multiverse, which is the representation of all TV shows existing in different universes.
  • A lot of the writing for Pearl in this episode is an exaggeration of her character, including her maternal caring for Steven, her anger towards Amethyst, and worrying about current situations they get in.
  • On Ronaldo's blog Keep Beach City Weird, he rants about a crossover between the Crying Breakfast Friends! and Interdimensional Family Friend. Using this as a fictional example of the real Steven Universe - Uncle Grandpa crossover, Ronaldo's reactions match many of those of the community including skepticism at the announcement and events within the episode. The Interdimensional Family Friend character is a reference to Uncle Grandpa.
  • The title is a reference to the expression "say 'uncle!'".
  • The ending theme in this episode is different to match the synthetic sounds used in Uncle Grandpa's theme song.
  • This episode currently has the most cultural references to date.
  • Referring to Steven's gemstone, Uncle Grandpa's line, "You should make sure to get this thing polished at least twice a year.", foreshadows that Steven's gemstone is not a rose quartz, but a pink diamond - as diamonds are one of the few gemstones that are advised to be polished twice a year, while quartzes do not need to be polished at all.

Cultural References[]

Say Uncle 119

Steven and Uncle G playing a Super Smash Bros.-esque fighting game

Continuity[]

(It should be noted that due to the episode being non-canon,[9] any actual connection to other episodes is highly questionable.)

  • The bees seen in "Future Vision" make a return.
    • However, they are referred to as wasps in said episodes.
  • Hopper from "Garnet's Universe" makes a cameo as one of the two characters in the Super Smash Bros.-esque video game Steven and Uncle Grandpa are playing.
  • The way the Crystal Gems summon their weapons to fight against Uncle Grandpa is the same way they summon them in "Ocean Gem" to fight Lapis' water clones.
  • Uncle Grandpa plays a flashback to "Gem Glow" when Steven was trying to recreate the event that first activated his gem. He can be seen breaking the fourth wall by attempting to make contact with Steven from his own show's corner-screen advertisement.
  • "Steven's Shield" is replayed after Steven re-summons his shield.
  • In a very obscure/hard to spot call-back, the moment where Uncle Grandpa arrives in the clam dressed as Rose is actually a reference to "Laser Light Cannon", in which Steven asks Greg if Rose's cannon was in a "cave-dungeon" (Rose's Armory), a cloud base (Rose's Room), or a "clam at the bottom of the ocean".
  • Say Uncle is referenced in the short The Grampies, where Uncle Grandpa wins the award for "Best Steven Universe episode".[10]

Errors[]

  • Amethyst's gem is colored white after summoning her weapon.
  • In the "Gem Glow" flashback, Garnet's outer and inner star colors are reversed.
  • When Amethyst is hissing at Uncle Grandpa, her shirt flashes light blue for a split second.
  • When Steven and Uncle Grandpa are playing on the GameCube, the controllers aren't connected to the controller slots and are instead attached to where the memory cards would be.
  • Steven's mouth is moving when his head is orbiting Earth, despite his silence.
  • When Garnet shudders from Amethyst's head being backwards, she has no teeth.
  • Before Mr. Gus enters the room, Steven and Uncle Grandpa are in front of a sofa. Once Mr. Gus enters the scene, the sofa is replaced with a TV and a wood-burning stove. This may or may not intentional.
    • The set in the U.G.R.V. changes many more times.
  • In one scene, Amethyst is seen wearing Pizza Steve's glasses, in the other, it was gone, but in the next scene, she's wearing them again.
  • When the Gems have a 'Gem huddle' you can very slightly see Amethyst's gem but in the scene before, her head is put on backward so her gem would be on backwards as well.
  • When Steven tells the Gems to stop bullying Uncle Grandpa, his lower body is not visible under the table.

Transcript

View the episode's transcript here.

Gallery

New Gallery

Click to view the gallery for Say Uncle.

Videos[]

References

ve Episode List
Pilot Pilot
Season 1 A: Gem GlowLaser Light CannonCheeseburger BackpackTogether BreakfastFryboCat FingersBubble BuddiesSerious StevenTiger MillionaireSteven's LionArcade ManiaGiant WomanSo Many BirthdaysLars and the Cool KidsOnion TradeSteven the Sword FighterLion 2: The MovieBeach PartyRose's RoomCoach StevenJoking VictimSteven and the StevensMonster BuddiesAn Indirect KissMirror Gem/Ocean Gem

B: House GuestSpace RaceSecret TeamIsland AdventureKeep Beach City WeirdFusion CuisineGarnet's UniverseWatermelon StevenLion 3: Straight to VideoWarp TourAlone TogetherThe TestFuture VisionOn the RunHorror ClubWinter ForecastMaximum CapacityMarble MadnessRose's ScabbardOpen BookShirt ClubStory for StevenThe MessagePolitical PowerThe Return/Jail Break

Season 2 Full DisclosureJoy RideSay UncleLove LettersReformedSworn to the SwordRising Tides, Crashing SkiesKeeping It TogetherWe Need to TalkChille TidCry for HelpKeystone MotelOnion FriendHistorical FrictionFriend ShipNightmare HospitalSadie's SongCatch and ReleaseWhen It RainsBack to the BarnToo FarThe AnswerSteven's BirthdayIt Could've Been Great/Message ReceivedLog Date 7 15 2
Season 3 Super Watermelon Island/Gem DrillSame Old WorldBarn MatesHit the DiamondSteven FloatsDrop Beat DadMr. GregToo Short to RideThe New LarsBeach City DriftRestaurant WarsKiki's Pizza Delivery ServiceMonster ReunionAlone at SeaGreg the BabysitterGem HuntCrack the WhipSteven vs. AmethystBismuthBetaEarthlingsBack to the MoonBubbled
Season 4 Kindergarten KidKnow Your FusionBuddy's BookMindful EducationFuture Boy ZoltronLast One Out of Beach CityOnion GangGem HarvestThree Gems and a BabySteven's DreamAdventures in Light DistortionGem HeistThe ZooThat Will Be AllThe New Crystal GemsStorm in the RoomRocknaldoTiger PhilanthropistRoom for RubyLion 4: Alternate EndingDoug OutThe Good LarsAre You My Dad?I Am My Mom
Season 5 Stuck TogetherThe TrialOff ColorsLars' HeadDewey WinsGemcationRaising the BarnBack to the KindergartenSadie KillerKevin PartyLars of the StarsJungle MoonYour Mother and MineThe Big ShowPool HoppingLetters to LarsCan't Go BackA Single Pale RoseNow We're Only Falling ApartWhat's Your Problem?The QuestionMade of HonorReunitedLegs From Here to HomeworldFamiliarTogether AloneEscapismChange Your Mind
Film Steven Universe: The Movie
Steven Universe Future Little HomeschoolGuidanceRose BudsVolleyballBluebirdA Very Special EpisodeSnow DayWhy So Blue?Little GraduationPrickly PairIn DreamsBismuth CasualTogether ForeverGrowing PainsMr. UniverseFragmentsHomeworld BoundEverything's FineI Am My MonsterThe Future
Shorts Lion Loves to Fit in a BoxThe Classroom Gems: What Are Gems?We Are the Crystal GemsThe Classroom Gems: How Are Gems Made?UnboxingThe Classroom Gems: FusionCooking with LionGem KaraokeSteven ReactsVideo ChatSteven's Song Time
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