So I was watching an episode of Star vs the Forces of Evil with my little sister and brother, specifically the episode “Freeze Day” when I saw this:

I personally started laughing at how he’s got this complex plan set up on how to ask Jackie out, and of course this reminded me of another great Disney nerd:

Of course this realization is more than just two nerds with overly complex plans. I noticed a couple of other similarities between Dipper and Marco. Both of them also get in their own way when it comes to dating (Dipper however is the only one who literally gets in his own way though). They have a close friend/sister who tells them to “Just go and talk to her like a normal person” to which they both respond with a STEP NUMBER. Both of them are given the perfect chance to proceed to the next step, and yet pass it up due to being nervous (it’s not the perfect time).

But here’s the part I find most important about this comparison, for both Dipper and Marco it’s an internal realization that causes them to change. For Marco his realization most likely occurs when he’s watching his own past seeing all the days that he was nodding (such as above). At this point, I believe he concludes, as he later puts it himself, “If you have the time, why waste it?” Dipper realizes while talking with Wendy in the hall, that his plan isn’t getting him anywhere, or as Tyrone put it “The only good conversation you had with her was when you didn’t do any of that list stuff.”

The thing I find most important about this change in the two of them, is that it is an internal change. Star didn’t really help Marco come to his conclusion and Mabel didn’t help Dipper realize that his plan wasn’t getting anywhere. Tyrone didn’t even help Dipper with this since Tyrone lead the mutiny against Dipper earlier, BECAUSE of Dipper’s realization. (Though realistically, Dipper turned against them because he abandoned the plan)

Regardless I think the important fact is that at the end of the day, Dipper tears up his list, showing that he’s grown from this experience, and is ready to move on. (I might do more character analysis on Dipper’s romantic pursuits later showing his growth from Double Dipper to Roadside Attraction.) Marco meanwhile finally stands up and says “Hey” to Jackie, which is actually quite the step forward. This is for Marco, the moment when Dipper “Talks to [Wendy] like a normal person”. While it never states that Marco has abandoned his plan, it’s the first step towards it, and hopefully he’ll realize soon that his plan is only getting in his way. So I guess we should raise a glass to these two nerds, who’ve both realized their own mistakes in dating here.

Also thanks to everyone I borrowed Gifs from, and the picture at the top is from http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Freeze_Day/Gallery