Recap / Star vs. the Forces of Evil S3 E18 "Lava Lake Beach"

"But I can't shut my eyes
so I walk away alone
tonight."

"And I don't wanna know the things that I know
And I don't wanna see the things that I've been shown."

— I Don't Wanna Know's Lyrics

Kelly breaks up with her boyfriend and Marco questions his friendship with Star.

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Tropes:

• Alien Sky: The Underworld doesn't have a sunrise, it has a soulrise. A massive eye rises from ocean depths, bursts into a pillar of light enveloped by a cascading torrent of souls, as flaming winged skeletons fly all around.
• Alone Among the Couples: Marco has a moment like this after Tad helps him realize he has a crush on Star.
• Beach Episode: This episode takes place in a beach...in the Underworld.
• Bigger on the Inside: Kelly's hair is large enough for Marco to wander around in, like a hairy apartment or pocket dimension.
• Blood Knight: A shocking number of people on the beach are this. Though considering it's the Underworld, it isn't that shocking. Marco lampshades it.
• The Bus Came Back:
  • Kelly and Tad are back, and their new (and definitive) breakup plays a major role in the plot.
  • The hellhound Jorby is the same monster that Kelly did battle with back in "Starcrushed".
• Cooking Duel: Tom and a demon named Orick settle a dispute over a spot on the beach with a game of beach volleyball.
• Continuity Nod: Pizza Delivery Guy from "Crystal Clear" makes an appearance as Marco enters Kelly's hair.
• A Day in the Limelight: For Kelly (who's had a couple of roles since her introduction) and Tad (who has had only one).
• Dramatic Irony: Marco finds himself (unknowingly) in the same situation as Star in Season 2: Realizing that he has a crush on his best friend just as said crush has started a new happy relationship with someone else.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Tad tells Marco "You could be knocking back soda pops and crushing pizzas in any dimension!" Now substitute "soda pops" with "beers" and "pizzas" with a different p-word, and you get what Tad would've been saying if this weren't a TV-Y7 rating.
• Gender-Blender Name: It seems "Skelly" is one of these, as there is a male and a female Underworld citizens with that name.
• Ghost Story: It looked like Tom was making an introduction to a scary story, but it gets subverted when they skip right to the marshmallows.
• Hammerspace Hair: Kelly's hair is practically a pocket dimension in of itself.
• Interspecies Romance: Unless all Underworld citizens are part of the same species, we have the big demon dog-like being Jorby dating a female duck.
• Literal Metaphor: When Kelly remarks that her ex-boyfriend Tad is "still in here", she means it literally. He's still in her hair and "hasn't moved out."
• Mundane Utility: Tom uses a spooky incantation to summon the flames of the Underworld... and start a campfire for roasting marshmallows.
• Oblivious to Love: It takes Tad pointing out that Marco's unhappy because Star's with Tom to make him realize that he (Marco) has feelings for her. Marco still refuses to believe it. Needless to say he nearly has a breakdown over this revelation... only for Kelly to distract him from it.
• One-Steve Limit: Averted. There are two Underworld citizens named Skelly, one male and one female. They form a couple.
• Rapid-Fire "No!": Marco's response to Tad telling him he has a crush on Star that will never be reciprocated.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Tad, unintentionally, gives one to Marco regarding his crush on Star. However, unlike some examples this one isn't done in maliciousness as Tad admits he should take his (Marco's) advice regarding his own relationship with Kelly.
  Tad: Dude, you have dimensional scissors. You could be knocking back Soda Pops and crushing pizzas in any dimension! And you're choosing to live with your unavailable crush. When it comes to making yourself miserable, you are the master, bro.
• Relationship Revolving Door: Tad's reasoning for not moving out. He believes that because they break up and make up all the time, they're get back together soon enough. Though Marco makes Tad realize that it's final this time. As for Kelly, she's clearly tired of this and wants to break up for good.
• The Reveal: We find out that it's Marco's birthday.
• Ship Tease: The episode confirms that Star and Tom are back together, shows that Marco has fallen in love with Star, and starts teasing Kelly/Marco.
• Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Tad helps Marco realize that he has a crush on Star, but she and Tom have gotten back together. Bonus points for irony as part of the reason Star gave her relationship with Tom another chance is implied to be in-order to get over (or rather, distract from) her crush on Marco. Now, it looks like Marco is doing the same with Kelly because he doesn't want to confront that possibility.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: Jorby's friendship with Kelly seems completely based around their fights, but he seems honestly concerned about her.
• Wham Line: When Marco convinces Tad to move out of Kelly's hair, the latter remarks on Marco being the expert on making oneself miserable, and then clarifies what he meant.
  Tad: You have feelings for your best friend, dude.
• You Must Be Cold: Marco gives Kelly his hoodie at the Soulrise, believing her to be cold.

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