Clarence's Universe/Tropes

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"Steven Universe and Clarence Wendle! Catchy."

In this crossover special, Clarence, his friends and family, on a trip to Kingsville as Chad requested, find themselves stranded after their car runs out of gas and Chad had taken the wrong direction until they find the town of Beach City, where Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems reside. While there, Steven and Clarence become friends with their best interests at heart, Jeff discovers the environment of the town, and Sumo goes on a mission with Amethyst.

This is the first television special to Clarence after its cancellation. This special also explains why Amy Gillis returned to Aberdale due to the questions on her presence in Clarence's Big Break.

Tropes

• Absentee Actor: The majority of the Steven Universe cast members, such as Shelby Rabara as Peridot and Matthew Moy as Lars, as they were silent throughout the scenes they were introduced.
• Always Someone Better: Amy seems to have an amazing singing voice when singing "Haven't You Noticed".
• Art Shift:
  • The episode brings the main characters into the world of Beach City, thanks to animation provider Sunmin Animation.
  • The Clarence characters' color palates change as to fit in with the SU universe.
  • The design of the characters and world of Steven Universe is lampshaded by the Wendles upon entering Beach City.
• Bittersweet Ending: The Wendles and friends leave Beach City due to a Centipeetle running amok in the town. At the very end, Clarence secretly misses Steven, but claims to the others he's over him.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: Steven utters Clarence's by saying "it was worth it" at the end.
• The Cameo: A VHS case in the background of Steven's room has Rigby from Regular Show shown on the front cover.
• Cassandra Truth: After Garnet explains about the Crystal Gems to the Wendles and kids, Mary doesn't believe her. That is, until Amethyst shapeshifts into Mary, freaking her out and making her believe them.
• Continuity Nod: Mostly focused on the SU universe.
  • Steven introduces Clarence and Sumo Rose's room and mentions his first time in it the the titular episode.
  • Steven also mentions his dad receiving a check from his former boss Marty at the end of "Drop Beat Dad".
  • Sadie's CD "Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star)" makes a return from "Sadie's Song". As well as her outfit for Beach-a-Palooza found in her closet.
• Counterpart Comparison: Greg and Chad are former rock stars, Pearl and Mary are overprotective and supportive, Steven and Clarence are optimistic and curious boys, and Amethyst and Sumo are lone wolves most of the times.
• Crossover: The entire premise of the story.
• Easily Forgiven: Steven and Clarence forgive each other after Clarence had drawn his face on Rose Quartz's portrait to remember him by.
• Face Palm: Chad does this after the van's engine dies after he and Greg fueled it up.
• Glory Seeker:
  • Jeff becomes interested to know about the history of the Crystal Gems in order to get an A+ back at school. This eventually ends up backfiring as he gets a B- at the end.
  • Sumo plans to bring home a creature from his mission with Amethyst. Unfortunately, when he gets his hands on the Centipeetle, it ends up causing destruction to half the town.
• Interquel: The crossover appears to take place before the Steven Universe episode "Crack the Whip", as Amethyst is in her form from "Reformed", and after "Mr. Greg", as Steven mentions about his dad's riches. The Clarence universe overall takes place after its last episode.
• In the Style of...:
  • Instead of consisting of the show's opening sequence, the crossover opens with the episode's title shown in the neighborhood of Aberdale, similar to how Steven Universe has.
  • The end credits has "Good Habits (and Bad)" played in an instrumental piano in the style of SU's end credits song "Love Like You".
• I've Heard of That — What Is It?: When Clarence mentions Christmas, Steven claims he has never heard of it before (a nod to Steven Universe not having religions or holidays).
  Clarence: If this movie's available in Aberdale, I'll put it on my Christmas list.
  Steven: That's cool. What's Christmas?
  Clarence: (gasps) You've never heard of Christmas?!
  Steven: To be honest, no.
• Light Feminine and Dark Feminine: Respectively Pearl and Mary. Pearl is the more calm, worried woman (although she's genderless), and Mary is the more laid-back, humorous mom who isn't aware that she wears something revealing.
• Noodle Incident: Sumo was suspended for sabotaging a science fair project and for placing a cherry-bomb in the girls' bathroom.
• Not So Different: Jeff is intrigued by the environment of Beach City. He even notices that almost half the townspeople have similar bodypart shapes as Aberdale's civilians.
  Jeff: Even though this place differs from home, everyone's bodyparts are closely similar.
  Sumo: You're tellin' me. I saw a guy that kinda looked exactly like me.
• Plot Device: Chad discovers a flier for a resort and spa at Kingsville, leading to them packing up to go, only to be taking the wrong way and ending up in Beach City, Delmarva.
• Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: Steven becomes furious at Clarence for drawing his face on his mom's portrait, covering her face. This instantly ends their friendship.
• The Resenter: Jeff still loathes Amy for her becoming school president.
• Self-Deprecation: Some meta-humor on Clarence takes a toll for it being an inferior series to many other Cartoon Network shows including Steven Universe.
  • When the Wendles and friends enter Beach City, they're amazed with the scenery and look of the town.
    Mary: This Beach City place sure has a lot of good looking people.
    Clarence: I know; they look nice in those clothes.
    Chad: Even this place looks so sleek, and less... like our home.
  • In one scene, Clarence is amazed that Steven knows that many people in Beach City, the former barely remembers half the people back in Aberdale; referencing Clarence's various characters that have been either written out of the series or never used again.
  • At the very end, Clarence claims that Steven and the Crystal Gems will be well known for saving the world, and hopes he'll be known for something; a nod to the latter's critical acclaim and the former's cult following.
• Ship Tease: At the end, Mary believes that Greg is Pearl's boyfriend, in which she declines, as she and Greg are not dating. This causes Mary to say to her that one day, she'll have feelings for him. This is a nod to the Pearl X Greg shipping fandom.
• Shout-Out: The crossover opens with Clarence, Sumo, Jeff and Mary watching a crossover of The Samsons and Funny Guy, in which the latter parodies "The Simpsons Guy", a crossover of The Simpsons and Family Guy.
  • Another reference to "The Simpsons Guy" has the Wendles and friends finding a sign and discovering the town of Beach City, which is followed by the camera panning back on the town, in which references the Griffins finding the sign for Springfield, followed by seeing the view of the town.
• Stock Scream: The wilhelm scream is heard during the aforementioned Centipeetle sequence.
• Title Drop: Both titular characters say goodbye after apologizing to each other.
  Steven: Goodbye, Clarence.
  Clarence: You, too, Steven Universe.
• What Could Have Been:
  • The crossover's first draft from late 2014 was with Clarence, Jeff and Sumo discovering the existence of the Crystal Gems, i.e. in a newspaper headline, so Clarence decides to have them go, but Mary declines his wish and forbids him to go. Although, unbeknownst to her, Clarence sneaks out and the trio rebuilds Sumo's boat from "Dream Boat", and set sail to Beach City. There, they meet Steven and the Crystal Gems. Sumo gets interested into Garnet's environment and way, Jeff plans to teach Amethyst about being a good person. The following act has Mary and the rest come to bring the boys back home, followed by a court case.
  • The crossover was also meant to be an episode to a plan revival to the show, until being scrapped in favor of a miniseries.

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It's not like I'll ever see him again or if he comes here.