Recap / Steven Universe S5E5 "Dewey Wins"

Original airdate: May 29th, 2017

Production code: 1053-135

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Steven helps Mayor Dewey run a difficult campaign.

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Tropes:

• Actor Allusion: Steven and Dewey showing up red-eyed to the debate recalls Joel Hodgson (Dewey's voice actor) constructing the original robots for Mystery Science Theater 3000 during an all-nighter right before the pilot was filmed.
• Anger Born of Worry: It's heavily implied that Connie's What the Hell, Hero? moment towards Steven is also caused by her thinking that he was dead or worse after he turned himself in.
• Authority in Name Only: Dewey mentions he's run unopposed for every position he's ever sought—including mayor of his high school, a position he made up.
• Big "WHAT?!": The scene where Steven explains to Sadie what happened to Lars starts with her yelling "What?!" over an Establishing Shot of the Big Donut.
• Bittersweet Ending: Dewey lost the election, but he's not bitter about it, citing that Nanefua will make a better mayor than him. Steven finally understands the emotional turmoil he put Connie through and wants to talk to her, but it looks like she's still understandably upset with him.
• Both Sides Have a Point:
  • Connie's anger at Steven for his Heroic Sacrifice is understandable, given it implied he didn't trust her and that they could've thought of something together. Steven was in a stressful position where his loved ones (including Connie, his Living Emotional Crutch) were about to be taken away, with no way to get them back; of course he would try and save them the best way he saw. It was one way or no way.
  • The townspeople are completely right that Dewey's Head-in-the-Sand Management style makes him a terrible mayor and that he's more concerned about himself and his success than he is of the town. However, they are using him as a scapegoat, blaming him for things that aren't his fault and that he had no control over. It's Nanefua's acknowledgement that they should stop pointing fingers and instead "share responsibility for the welfare and safety of Beach City, together!" that ultimately convinces Dewey that she would make a better mayor.
  • The situation between Steven and Dewey perfectly mirrors that between Steven and Connie — which is not lost on Steven. Dewey is right that Nanefua will make a better mayor and that withdrawing from the race was probably the best thing he could have done in service of the town, but Steven is also right to be upset that Dewey would just give up like that, after all Steven did to help him.
• Comically Missing the Point: Mayor Dewey makes the mistake of thinking his suggestion of ensuring a new "doughnut boy" is hired will do anything to assuage the distress Sadie and Lars's parents feel over the situation he's in.
• Condescending Compassion: Steven believes that Connie should've been happy that he gave himself up, and cites how "brave" it was of him to do that. He has a Jerkass Realization about it after Dewey's failed campaign.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Connie believes that she and Steven would've had a chance against Aquamarine if they had fought together.
    Connie: But what about our training? Stevonnie? Jam Buds? I believed in us! We could've done it together!
  • Steven loans Mayor Dewey his copy of "How to Talk to People" in order to prepare him for the debate.
  • The debate uses a banner for "Beach-A-Palooza", shown in "Steven and the Stevens" and "Sadie's Song", that's been hastily modified to read "Speech-A-Palooza".
  • The cue cards Steven made for Dewey speech are said to includes jokes about Ocean Town, something Dewey did in a speech in "Political Power".
• Didn't Think This Through: Connie calls Steven out for giving up so easily instead of trying to come up with a better plan, and it's made clear that he didn't think of how his loved ones would be hurt (emotionally) by his Heroic Sacrifice.
• Disapproving Look: Lion gives one to Steven for his insensitivity to the emotional pain he put his loved ones through before departing with Connie.
• Dissonant Serenity: Steven is way too cheerful after everything that just happened; he recounts what happened to him on Homeworld to Connie like one would talk about a crazy vacation trip. Connie and Lion don't approve.
• Election Day Episode: Steven tries to help out Bill Dewey when Nanefua Pizza runs against him for Mayor of Beach City.
• Even the Dog Is Ashamed: Lion's Disapproving Look to Steven shows he's just as angry as Connie for the former's Heroic Sacrifice, and for innocently brushing off the anguish it caused everybody.
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: When Steven gives Mayor Dewey an earful for throwing in the towel on his reelection campaign, Steven realizes that he feels the same way Connie probably felt about the events of "I Am My Mom" and that he owes her a serious apology.
• Facepalm: Steven does this when Dewey promises to replace Lars instead of finding him, while his parents and Sadie are in the crowd.
• Fantastically Indifferent: Following the previous episodes, while the public reacts to the abductions, given it led to multiple kidnappings (and with one of the victims not being fully rescued), it's still treated as a mundane crime would be.
• Given Name Reveal: Sadie refers to Lars by his last name ("Barriga") for the first time while informing Dewey of his absence.
• Graceful Loser: Dewey comes to the conclusion that Nanefua would make a better mayor and decides to resign from the race.
• Head-in-the-Sand Management: Dewey's habit of not getting involved gets brought up, and even he seems to recognize it.
• He Had a Name: When Dewey finds out one of the abducted humans hasn't made it back yet, Sadie angrily tells him Lars's name, and Dewey only knows him as "Donut Boy".
• Heroic Sacrifice: Deconstructed. While Steven turning himself in may have been done to save everyone else, everyone was still worried sick for him, and Connie implies during her What the Hell, Hero? moment that him sacrificing himself was, even if he didn't mean it like that, an indication that he didn't believe that they could help him. His Heroic Sacrifice also led to Lars getting trapped and dying on Homeworld, with him coming back to life only thanks to his magic tears. Steven, however, believes that Connie should've been happy at his act and cites how "brave" it was of him to do that. He does eventually have a Jerkass Realization, but by the time that happens, Connie is refusing to talk to him.
• I Did What I Had to Do: Steven believes that giving himself up to Homeworld was necessary, though Connie thinks it wasn’t.
• Immediate Sequel: The episode begins seemingly minutes after the end of "Lars' Head".
• Innocently Insensitive: Steven acts as if turning himself in to Homeworld was a good choice, and honestly doesn't seem to notice the anguish it put everyone else through. Him acting like this only makes Connie more frustrated with him.
  Connie: But I'm hurt!
  Steven: No you're not! You're safe! You're here, I'm here, we're safe, everything's fine!
  Connie: It's not, though.
  Steven: You know, it was a tough decision for me to make. But it had to be done.
  Connie: You don't get it.
  Steven: ...Get what?
• Instant Humiliation: Just Add YouTube!: Footage of Mayor Dewey getting hit with a tomato ends up on TubeTube, which doesn't do his campaign (or his self-confidence) any favors.
• Ironic Echo: When telling Steven she's disappointed that he gave up so quickly, Connie says "I believed in us! We could have done it together!". At the end of the episode, Steven says the same thing to Bill after he drops out of the election. The irony is not lost on Steven when he realize that Connie felt the exact same way.
• Ironic Episode Title: Nanefua wins the election, even though the title is clearly saying Dewey Wins. It's a clear allusion to premature headlines in the 1948 US General Election. Although Dewey seems like he'd be crushed by the pressure of an actual crisis, he admits Nanefua would be a better leader, and Nanefua makes a point not to blame him, so it could still be considered a "win" for Dewey in a wider sense.
• I Would Say If I Could Say: Sadie stumbles on her words when she finds out Lars came Back from the Dead.
  Sadie: Glad he's not... at least he's some kind of alive.
• Jerkass Realization:
  • After Dewey's monologue about how the Mayor is blamed for everything, Nanefua realizes and admits that she's usually the ringleader when people point fingers at Dewey, and so resolves to be better and help the community come together and solve their problems instead of just blaming others.
  • Steven realizes the situation he put Connie through while trying to convince Mayor Dewey to continue his campaign.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: Dewey concedes the race during the debate when it becomes clear that Nanefua is the better choice.
• Literal Metaphor: Because she's so short, Nanefua campaigns while standing on an actual soapbox.
• Low Count Gag: A video of Dewey getting pelted by a tomato is put online and only gets a dozen views, not that Dewey is consoled ("That's half the town!").
• Mama Bear: Lars' mom throws a tomato in Dewey's face when he promises to get a new Donut Boy for the Big Donut instead of trying to get him back home.
• Mis-blamed: Subverted in-universe. Even after Steven admits to the town people he was the one responsible for the kidnappings, they all consider Dewey to be the one fault for not doing anything about it just because he's the mayor.
• Moral Luck: Steven argues him getting back to Earth and Lars being (more or less) safe validates his Heroic Sacrifice, even though that depended largely on unforeseeable occurrences. Connie is unconvinced.
• Not Helping Your Case:
  • Steven asks the townsfolk not to blame Mayor Dewey for the abductions, pointing out he just keeps a low profile and doesn't get involved in these sorts of things. Some angry townsfolk point out that, as the mayor, he's the town's leader and should be getting involved in these things.
  • Ability to handle a stressful position of leadership is Dewey's primary argument for reelection, but he says this with bloodshot eyes, Exhausted Eye Bags, and profusely sweating (both because of the stress of facing electoral competition and staying up all night to practice his speech).
    Dewey: Most people can't handle that kind of pressure. (Dewey's eyes go out of focus) But I can!
• Not Hyperbole: Steven promises to help Dewey practice for the debate all night. Cut to the next day, where both have bloodshot and baggy eyes, indicating they took that promise literally.
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Bill drops out of the race and Nanefua becomes Beach City's mayor.
• Permanent Elected Official: Dewey's run unopposed in every election until this episode. He finally loses the position to Nanafua here.
• Poor Communication Kills: Subverted. Connie makes it painfully obvious she's upset at Steven for giving up in the fight with Aquamarine so quickly, but Steven doesn't really get why she's upset until the end of the episode.
• Produce Pelting: Lars's mother throws a tomato in Dewey's face after his response to Lars being lost in space is to promise to hire someone else for the Big Donut. She's ready with another during the debate, but decides against throwing it.
• Pun: Nanefua has a megaphone with "Nana-Phone" written on it.
• Rabble Rouser: This episode provides a Deconstruction of the concept. While Dewey's Head-in-the-Sand Management is a genuine issue, he goes with it mostly to avoid inciting panic. Nanefua is often the one to escalate problems and is typically the first one to point fingers at Dewey, leading to exactly the kind of problems he's trying to prevent. The trouble with her approach is that it often turns Dewey into The Scapegoat over things that he can't control and just makes things worse instead of prompting a solution. Nanefua herself actually acknowledges that this mindset is a problem and resolves to actually come up with solutions to problems instead of simply looking for someone to blame.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: The people of Beach City finally take issue with Mayor Dewey's inaction toward potential crises, but the motivator (Aquamarine and Topaz's series of kidnappings) was something he could not have expected or done anything about.
• The Scapegoat: People assume Dewey could have done something about the Alien Abductions, even though the acts were committed by nigh-unstoppable, superpowered aliens and ended before it became public knowledge. That said, Dewey does have a history of Head-in-the-Sand Management, and even he seems to recognize it. Notably, Nanefua focusing more on what's best for the town and not just blaming him is what convinces him to step down.
• Shout-Out: The episode having the title it does despite Dewey ultimately not keeping his job calls to mind this infamous newspaper headline◊.
• Smash to Black: The episodes abruptly ends without an Iris Out on Steven trying to call Connie.
• Stepford Smiler: It's implied that at least some of Steven's Dissonant Serenity is him trying to avoid thinking too hard about what happened on Homeworld and put on a brave face.
• Take Our Word for It: We never see Steven telling Lars' parents about what happened to their son on Homeworld, but given their tearful reactions when they're at Dewey's speech and at the debate, and Mrs. Barriga angrily throwing a tomato at Dewey because of his insensitive comment about Lars, they most likely reacted as one would expect.
• Tranquil Fury: Even though she doesn't show it or raise her voice, the way Connie tells Steven how he turned himself in sounds as if she is depressed.
• Ungrateful Bitch: Steven believes Connie is this at first after she doesn't approve of him surrendering to Homeworld. It is only until the end of the episode that he realizes what he put her through.
• What the Hell, Hero?: Connie morosely tells Steven her dim view of his Heroic Sacrifice—that by putting everything on himself, he abandoned the idea of them being equals and how she believed in ''us'', and sacrificing himself proved that he didn't trust anyone or believe they could win as a team.

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