"Smooth Operator" is the first segment of the 2nd episode of the second season of Trolls: TrollsTopia, and the 28th overall episode in the series. It premiered on March 18, 2021.
Synopsis[]
When Chaz the Smooth Jazz Troll, arrives in TrollsTopia, he kindly asks to be pointed in the direction of the Smooth Jazz neighborhood. Feeling guilty that she accidentally excluded a Troll from TrollsTopia, Poppy goes above and beyond to make the Smooth Jazz Troll feel at home. But it quickly becomes clear that Chaz is taking advantage of Poppy's generosity.
Plot[]
Poppy and Val Thundershock are picking Glitterball teams. On Val's 1st 4th turn, she chooses the mysterious figure in the background. This turns out to be Smooth Jazz Troll, Chaz. Val is confused by the presence of a "Smooth Jazz" Troll, to which Biggie explains to her the events of Trolls World Tour, mentioning Hickory in the process. Poppy wants to know why Chaz is present in TrollsTopia, and Chaz says that it is due to his utter loneliness.
Chaz explains he is the only Smooth Jazz Troll, and has no place to call home. He thought of a place which accepts Trolls of all backgrounds, so he came to TrollsTopia to find it. Poppy welcomes Chaz to TrollsTopia, but Val is suspicious of Chaz. Biggie and Poppy defend him, and Poppy brings up Queen Barb, which makes Val consider Poppy's point. Val warns Chaz that she's watching him. Keith also voices his opinion on Jazz and says it's so boring. Chaz excuses Keith as a child for disliking Smooth Jazz. Poppy officially welcomes him, and Chaz asks which way to the Smooth Jazz neighborhood. Poppy apologizes that no Smooth Jazz part has been built, to which Chaz in turn apologizes for presuming too much of TrollsTopia. He picks a rock to lay on for a bed and once again plays on having a home at last as the point of the rock appears to hurt him.
Chaz is blindfolded and Poppy presents him with the Smooth Jazz Grotto, which makes Chaz cry with joy, feeling welcomed. The Grotto has roaring fires and a deep shag rug, which Smidge proceeds to fall in and a personal hair saloon. Chaz's care for his chest hair freaks out Holly a bit. Settled in, Chaz thanks Poppy and the Tribal Council for their efforts. Chaz plays his saxophone, but Val is still suspicious of Chaz.
Later, Biggie comes to deliver a house warming gift, and finds a piece of paper with the reality of why Chaz is in TrollsTopia. It turns out Chaz is there to turn TrollsTopia into "JazzTopia". Biggie goes to leave but Chaz hypnotizes him.
Val finds a group of Trolls gathered around Mr. Dinkles, who has long hair and is playing jazz on a sax. Various Trolls are hypnotized and now dedicating themselves to Smooth Jazz. Val rushes to Poppy, who happily shrugs off her words. She goes to give him a Grotto warming gift, and have him clear up Val's misunderstanding.
At the Grotto, Poppy is surprised to find Chaz actually does have a plan to turn everyone into Smooth Jazz Trolls. Val attacks, but Chaz mellows and hypnotizes them both. He brags about his victory over the only suspicious Troll and Poppy's unsuspecting stance. But as he gloats a voice comes from inside Poppy's gift.
Keith breaks out the present, as Poppy suspected his intentions from the start. Chaz realizes that he's in trouble due to children being unimpacted by Smooth Jazz. He has his tigers attack after Keith grabs his sax. The saxophone is accidentally destroyed and this frees everyone. Chaz rides off on one of his tigers, vowing revenge.
Poppy and Val eventually talk. Poppy apologizes, but Val is happy with her "poptimism" while Val finds it cool that she is the skeptical one in their friendship. Meanwhile, Smidge finally escapes the rug unaware of what has happened.
Cast[]
- Amanda Leighton as Queen Poppy
- Branch (mentioned)
- David Fynn as Biggie
- Declan Churchill Carter as Keith
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Smidge
- Lauren Mayhew as Val Thundershock
- Queen Barb (mentioned)
- Michael-Leon Wooley as Lownote Jones (non-speaking)
- Vladimir Caamaño as Synth (non-speaking)
- Other Trolls
Songs[]
Trivia[]
- The title is a play on words, and is likely a reference to one of several things. Firstly, the term "smooth operator" refers to someone who's always on top of things, either due to skills or experience, and therefore service runs with no imperfections; chaos is quickly resolved or never happens. It also refers to the fact Chaz is a Smooth Jazz Troll, as well as his character. It may be likely a reference to the song Smooth Operator by Sade as well.
- Since most children lack the awareness of certain adult-related things, it would make sense for the child Trolls to be resistant to Smooth Jazz, given its romantic nature.
- Biggie recaps the events of Trolls World Tour when Chaz attacked him, Poppy, Branch, and Hickory, mentioning also who Hickory was.
- Queen Barb is mentioned again as Poppy's "bestie x infinity +1".
- "Infinity plus one" is a form of hyperreal number math. Because infinity isn't a literal number, but rather a endless number that has no end, whether it's added to or substracted, the answer is always "infinity".
- Keith's comment that Smooth Jazz is boring is a parallel to the comment Barb made in Trolls World Tour about Classical music being "boring".
- The Trolls pick players via saying "my 1st 4th pick" instead of just "my 4th pick", most likely to avoid anyone feeling like they're inadequate. Glitterball is based on dodgeball, in which there's normally a stigma about being the last player picked, as it signals both the least popular player and the least talented. The most popular or talented players usually get picked first by each team leader.
Videos[]
