Teen Titians

[Reply #120 on:]

Raven had the white robe in "Nevermore" and "How Long is Forever?"  I think David A can back me up on this, but when Raven reaches her full power, he robes turn white.  In last night's episode, her robe turned white through Malichor's help. 

/Top of the Page White Robe Dance

[Reply #121 on:]

In the comics, the white robe signifies that's she's cleansed of evil (ie, Trigon - her father). It might have something to do with power, but I'm not certain.

[Reply #122 on:]

That makes sense since white means Purity... but she's not cleansed of Trigon yet, and she only THOUGHT she was doing a good thing, so its the power of her THOUGHTs and maybe feelings that change her robe color.

[Reply #123 on:]

Let's just wait for David A to explain it.

[Reply #124 on:]

David A is never coming, and you know it!

[Reply #125 on:]

From the titansgo.net forums:

"Raven's cloak turned white as she felt pure and whole, free of her father's taint because she felt love for the first time. But with her broken heart came the despair and loneliness she had felt before, and thus her cloak resumed its dark color."

If you didn't understand what was meant by 'father's taint,' you haven't read the comics. Try here.
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[Reply #126 on:]

I think http://www.avidgamers.com/teentitans/raven.html  that is a better site for Raven, and more gritty as well 

[Reply #127 on:]

Sorry, all that info is in the titanstower.com link. And titanstower.com is the definitive site for everything on the comics. However, I can't remember for certain if Raven actually does spells and the telekinetic stuff she does in the animated show (I haven't read all the comics from that torrent yet), but I think Murakami and Company might have added that to make it easier for her to be in the action scenes.

"Spellbound" and "Nevermore" are still my favorite eps of all time, followed by the "Aftershock" and "Apprentice" sagas.

Who thinks they'll bring Cardiac back? Someone on the animationinsider titans site's forum suggested they had Cardiac there to hint at the coming of Brother Blood in the ep after "Revolution..." may well have been.

EDIT: Damn, this show's got layers. From the titansgo.net forums:

"The idea for the other villain, Cardiac (or was it Kardiak?), was a little pretentious. A giant heart that baits its victims, then consumes them."

I should have gotten that - but it went completely over my head....
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[Reply #128 on:]

How did it "bait" them...?  I remember an abduction but how was that little girl baited.  I'm confused now.

[Reply #129 on:]

Cardiac: an evil heart monster that preys on the innocent (childen)?  That's pretty obvious to me.

[Reply #130 on:]

Neither of you have heard of sybolism, or in this case, symbolic reference?

[Reply #131 on:]

Yeah, we're discussing how obvious they writers carried the parallel between Raven getting her heart broken and the Titans fighting a mechanical heart monster.

[Reply #132 on:]

I finally saw the damn episode on my computer... it was really good and Raven got like rape powers, she just floated everywhere, and she's like F U guys, I can just teleport where I want to BAM!  Good episode.  I'll check out those links laterz.

[Reply #133 on:]

 

Originally posted by winna:
 ...Raven got like rape powers

*Slaps Nick upside the head with a Stankball*

[Reply #134 on:]

Description of next episode, "Revolution," this Saturday at 8:

"The Titans hold a 4th of July party. Everything is going well until Mad Mod crashes the party. He claims that the American Revolution was a hoax and claims the city for England. Worse, wanting to get back to his youth, he steals Robin's youth, turning Robin into and old man!"

[Reply #135 on:]

That episode sounds funny... but after having watched Spellbound, I don't think it can live upto expectations...

[Reply #136 on:]

Well, if it's anything like the first Mad Mod ep, it'll be a refreshing departure from the seriousness of "Haunted" and "Spellbound," especially considering that it looks like the next episode in line after this new Mad Mod one looks to be a serious episode concerning Brother Blood... Wonder if they'll still have Blood as part of the cult that tricked Raven's mother into letting Trigon impregnate her - like in the comics. Considering the comics started with the Titans fighting Trigon, it'd be nice to see that storyline start to rear its head in the show, instead of just seeing Trigon as something in Raven's head. Course, it will have to be adapted for kids (the H.I.V.E. wasn't exactly high school for villains in the comics, from what I've read so far.)

[Reply #137 on:]

Okay, that episode was just BRILLIANT. No, it was more than brilliant - it was SMASHING, BABY, YEAH!

The references that I was able to catch:

Monty Python
1. The foot squashing the Titans while Mad Mod watches from his monitor is the most obvious reference to Python.

2. When "King Moddie" looms up in the sky at one point, he clearly looks like a character from one of the animated sequences from Python

3. Beast Boy yelling "Run Away!" is from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

The Beatles
1. The "British City" looks similar to the buildings in the opening scenes of the "Yellow Submarine" animated movie when they're in Liverpool.

2. When the Titans cross the black-and-white striped road, it's s reference to the cover of the Beatles' album "Abbey Road"

3. When the fish pops out of a building for a quick second near the start of the ep, it's a reference to a scene in the movie "Yellow Submarine."

4. For a while in the final act, Mad Mod looks sort of like the leader of the Blue Meanies from the "Yellow Submarine" movie.

5. Another reference to "Yellow Submarine" is obvious when a submarine drawn similar to the one in that movie crosses the screen.

Patton
When Beast Boy first presents his commando gerbils idea, that part is straight out of the opening scene of the movie "Patton."

King Kong[/u]
When Starfire's on the clock tower in the final act being shot at by Mad Mod's planes, it's clearly a reference to the Empire State Building scene near the end of the original 1933 version of the movie "King Kong."

These are all the references I got. Clearly, there were far more, and hopefully someone else will list them.
-----------------------------------
Now, it's time for (drumroll) - the best quotes!

Cyborg: Aw, man, we've been union jacked!

Cyborg: City Hall. We should be able to hide here - 'til Mad Mod's tanks come to tear it down.
Raven: Woah. That was actually more depressing than what I was going to say.

Beast Boy: RUN AWAY! (He says this twice in the ep, once in a british accent after being hypnotized by Mad Mod's hypnoscreen, and then later when he's "American" again and they're fleeing some enemies.)

Beast Boy: Now I know how George Washington felt after Napolean beat him at Pearl Harbor...

Cyborg: The sky looks like a giant British flag! The whole city's gone haywire!
Beast Boy: Dude, tell me about it. Bangers and mash? Bubble and squeak? Toad in the hole? Don't British people know how to speak English?

(Mad Mod's pants fall down, revealing his union-jack underwear)
Raven: OK... Something I didn't really want to see...

[Reply #138 on:]

I only caught the end of this ep.  I did notice the yellow submarine citydrop.
"IIIII look at all the lonely peeeople."

There were also a lot of YS moments in the first Mad Mod episode... the whole chase scene almost with the "holes" and the "hallway door chase"

[Reply #139 on:]

one more quote:

Raven: Could you please stop talking like that?
Beast Boy: (in a british accent) You're just jealous cause I sound like a rock star.

[Reply #140 on:]

I didn't think it was as good as the first Mad Mod episode, but it still had its moments.  Is "British engineering" some sort of joke?  I've never known the Brits were good at mechanical works.

Oh, and according to this episode, all British culture ended in 1975.  As it should be.

[Reply #141 on:]

might be, evan. I'm still a little surprised there wasn't a joke about British dentistry.

[Reply #142 on:]

Well, when the Mad Mod became youth-anized, his teeth did get progressively worse.

[Reply #143 on:]

Hm...missed that.

[Reply #144 on:]

Yep, it did, Raven. Didn't you see that? His teeth were horrible when he was drawn like the Blue Meanie guy near the end of the ep.

[Reply #145 on:]

the best screenshots, from titansgo.net (I can't use the img tag, so you'll just have to deal with - GASP! - links):
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/097.jpg 

 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/072.jpg  - Note: Right here, Raven's screaming "ENOUGH! Arguing solves nothing," etc... She's not losing control of her powers a week after the character development of "Spellbound."

 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/091.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/106.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/122.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/124.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/146.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/148.jpg
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/151.jpg

And the accompaniment to that last one:
 http://www.titansgo.net/screenshots/307/152.jpg ("Okay...not something I really wanted to see..." )


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[Reply #146 on:]

 

Originally posted by RavenStar:
Let's just wait for David A to explain it.

You pretty much covered it already.  In the comics, Raven wore white after being freed from Trigon's evil influence.

Of course, the white robe may not mean exactly the same thing on the show as it did in the comics

 

However, I can't remember for certain if Raven actually does spells and the telekinetic stuff she does in the animated show (I haven't read all the comics from that torrent yet), but I think Murakami and Company might have added that to make it easier for her to be in the action scenes.

I don't remember Raven having any telekinetic powers in the comics.  Her powers were mostly empathic in nature.  She also had some minor healing abilities (which we've seen her use on the show a few times), and she could teleport herself and others.

To tell the truth, I never really liked Raven that much in the comics.  She was always getting possesed by her father and turning evil; having her on the team seemed like more of a liability than an asset.  I do like the animated version of Raven, though.

[Reply #147 on:]

Next episode information - SATURDAY AT 8 PM!:

"Brother Blood is back. And this time, it's personal. Cyborg learns that Blood stole his blueprints - and the villain is using Cy's technology to create a doomsday device. Can Cyborg take charge of the team and lead a mission to stop his arch-enemy? Or will he even get the chance?"

Remember this now: Brother Blood is played by who?

John DiMaggio! Whoo-hoo!

[Reply #148 on:]

 

Originally posted by RavenStar:
Okay, that episode was just BRILLIANT. No, it was more than brilliant - it was SMASHING, BABY, YEAH!

The references that I was able to catch:

Monty Python
1. The foot squashing the Titans while Mad Mod watches from his monitor is the most obvious reference to Python.

2. When "King Moddie" looms up in the sky at one point, he clearly looks like a character from one of the animated sequences from Python

3. Beast Boy yelling "Run Away!" is from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"

 

4. After Mad Mod hypnotizes everyone into being Brits, at one point two of those screechy old housewife characters walk by a fish store. "Ooooh, look, a sale on kippers!" "No, don't like 'em, they smell like fish."

[Reply #149 on:]

Kryten watches Teen Titans?  I feel less juvenile now.

[Reply #150 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kryten:
 4. After Mad Mod hypnotizes everyone into being Brits, at one point two of those screechy old housewife characters walk by a fish store. "Ooooh, look, a sale on kippers!" "No, don't like 'em, they smell like fish."

Yeah, I caught that too, but zoned on it when posting here. I decided to post it. with all the rest of the stuff I missed before that I caught a second time, at TVTome.

[Reply #151 on:]

from the Animation Insider Titans site ( http://www.titanstower.com/animated ):

Animation Insider recently caught up with Producer/Story Editor David Slack about using Brother Blood in the series. As many know, the comic book character was the leader of a cult and bathed in blood... hardly fodder for an animated series geared towards kids.

David explains, "Obviously, the Brother Blood conceived in the comics is a LOT scarier than our Brother Blood. There was a lot of challenges that came with that. Brother Blood went through a lot of permutations. At one point we were writing him like a coach, because that was someone Cyborg could respond to. In the end, we tried to make him the anti-Slade. Where Slade hides in the shadows, Brother Blood loves the spotlight. Slade always has some ulterior motive, Brother Blood will tell you what he's planning right away. So there's some contrast there. We wanted it to be a lighter, more fun, more James Bond, science-fiction-y kind or arc. I haven't seen all the animation, but what we've gotten back looks like we got that. There's a lot of fun stuff coming up."

"We weren?t even sure we'd get to use that name. I think what was important that we kept was that he was the leader of a cult. We kept that role and drew inspiration from cult leaders we read about. They are very charming seeming people. From that, we gave him this sort of 'power of temptation' - this ability to control people's perceptions. And the power of persuasion. We didn?t get too deep into the character from the comics, because so much of it was so outside of what we'd be able to do. He's definitely one where we've strayed more."

Look for Brother Blood's arc to heat up during season three. Brother Blood appears next in "Wavelength", which airs this Saturday.

EDIT: A blurb on Wil Wheaton.com (the dude who does the voice of Aqualad):

The weekend was awesome. I started out with some ADR work on Teen Titans Friday morning, for Titans East Parts One and Two (RavenStar note: "Titans East" is the two-parter season 3 finale) . . . holy shit. It's not secret that I love Teen Titans, and it's no secret that I'm fiercely proud of my work there . . . but holy shit holy shit holy shit. The episodes just keep getting better and better, and this story arc is the best I've been in so far. It's dark, it's a little scary, and the animation is SO FREAKING COOL! I actually had my very first "cool, dry superhero" line on Friday. I got to say, "Something tells me you guys don't like water . . ." right before I . . . uh, I mean, Aqualad does some seriously cool superhero stuff. I can't wait to see this episode when it airs.
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[Reply #152 on:]

I really hope the show doesn't end after season 3.  I checked on TVTome.com and the season finale of season three is called "The End, parts 1 and 2."

[Reply #153 on:]

Actually, that's season 4 you were looking at, evan - and no, it will not end after that. I think it's because the Trigon arc may finally surface in season 4 - there's some rumor going `round with the fans that it's called "The End" because someone dies - but that might mean Trigon is defeated. I don't know. But I highly doubt the show will end after season 4. If it does, kids everywhere will riot - but only because the older fans will do it first.

EDIT: The season 3 finale is the two-episode "Titans East" story arc.

[Reply #154 on:]

I just hope they don't put Raven with Beast Boy. I hate that little turd.

[Reply #155 on:]

I personally don't care about that. It's the writer's choice if Beast Boy and Raven end up a couple. My question is: When's Cyborg gonna see some lovin?

EDIT: By the way, here's one reference in "Revolution" that slipped past me:

'If you look closely at Benjamin Franklin signing the Declaration of Independence, you'll see a mouse with a tricorn hat on his shoulder. This is a reference to Disney's animated short film "Ben and Me" where a mouse named Amos is responsible for many of Benjamin Franklin's inventions such as the Franklin stove and bifocals, as well as the inspiration for the opening of the Declaration of Independence.'

Confirmed with this

EDIT TWO:
From the animation insider site, concerning the character of Bumblebee:

"Bumblebee returns in this week's episode, "Wavelength"; Animation Insider recently chatted with Producer/Story Editor David Slack, who dropped some interesting tidbits about Bumblebee. Originally a character that joined the Titans in the 1970?s comic book, Bumblebee makes her animated debut this season. Take it away, David: ?Well, the first thing [comic book writer] Marv Wolfman told me when I told him we were using Bumblebee was "Please dont let her shoot stingers out of her butt." [laughs] Early on, it was uncertain which characters we could use. But Bumblebee stood out. Not only was she a Titans character, but her name was dumb enough we were almost positive no one wanted it."

"So we started kicking around the idea of bringing Bumblebee in. I think our heroines are some of the best characters, and I know we have a lot of female fans - young and old - of the show. And I think that's great. I think one of my favorite things about our female characters if that they're not "Lara Croft" - which is essentially a guy in a girl's body. They're feminine. I think that's cool. At the comic conventions, it's always fun... girls come up and they're excited about a boy's action cartoon show. So if there was a Titans East, I wanted there to be at least one girl member."

"So we worked on Bumblebee in terms of who she was, and came up with something that would contrast Cyborg well, since she's got some scenes with him in an upcoming episode. We revised her powers a little bit. She's coming up in an episode called WAVELENGTH. We'll see what everyone think of her; I hope they like her as much as I do. I think she came out really well."

Look for Bumblebee in this week?s upcoming episode, ?Wavelength.? Here's how the network describes the episode: Brother Blood is back. And this time, it's personal. Cyborg learns that Blood stole his blueprints - and the villian is using Cy's technology to create a doomsday device. Can Cyborg take charge of the team and lead a mission to stop his arch-enemy? Or will he even get the chance?"
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[Reply #156 on:]

I really didn't like Bumblebee that much in tonight's episode.  The name is silly and the costume is pretty stupid.  The electrical stingers were nice, but does she need that as well as the ability to fly and to do karate and to shrink?  Yet, despite all of those superpowers, I just couldn't care less about her.  She's the cliche "sassy black animated female" that appears to often in tv shows.  And did I miss an episode involving her and Cyborg's relationship?

And, to me at least, Brother Blood seemed really out of character in this episode.  In "Deception," he was silent and intense.  Blood certainly seemed to be a force to be reckoned with.  In tonight's episode, he was a total joke, making stupid faces and lame cracks.  I didn't like it.  Brother Blood's no Slade, that's for certain.

[Reply #157 on:]

   

Originally posted by RavenStar:
 

David explains, "Obviously, the Brother Blood conceived in the comics is a LOT scarier than our Brother Blood. There was a lot of challenges that came with that. Brother Blood went through a lot of permutations. At one point we were writing him like a coach, because that was someone Cyborg could respond to. In the end, we tried to make him the anti-Slade. Where Slade hides in the shadows, Brother Blood loves the spotlight. Slade always has some ulterior motive, Brother Blood will tell you what he's planning right away. So there's some contrast there. We wanted it to be a lighter, more fun, more James Bond, science-fiction-y kind or arc. I haven't seen all the animation, but what we've gotten back looks like we got that. There's a lot of fun stuff coming up.

Brother Blood was warming up in "Deception." Believe me, the Brother Blood in this episode was much closer to the Brother Blood in the comics. And c'mon, who doesn't wanna hear John DiMaggio being eccentric? If they're bringing in the Trigon story arc in season 4, I think it makes sense to make this story arc more James bond-ish because then, when they get into the Trigon arc, that arc will feel even darker-and if it's anything like the comics, believe me, "Haunted" will look like "The Care Bears Save Christmas" in comparison.

However, I do agree with you about Bumblebee. That sass thing is too stereotypical. Luckily the next episode is all about Beast Boy, and after the 'Titans East' finale, we probably won't see her much after that.

Another thing: Is it just me, or are the fight scenes in this show just getting better and better? The action in season 3 has just been stunning, especially the last four episodes...

EDIT:
Next episode information:

Title: The Beast Within
Synopsis: 'When Beast Boy begins turning into an angry and aggressive Man-Beast against his will, can the Titans save themselves from their savage friend?'
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Halloween episode! This one's gonna be scaryyy!!!!! Whooooo!

Yeah, it's 2:10 in the morning. I'm goin' to sleep.

A note on tvtome says this about "The Beast Within":
'This was originally a Halloween episode where a criminal named "Microdriver" attacked the Titans in the Tower and make their dreams a reality. It would have been called, "Necro Nightmare", but the episode was changed at the last minute.'

Sounds like they turned that premise into Season 2's "Fear Itself."
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[Reply #158 on:]

I dunno, I guess I didn't like last night's episode because all the characters were weak at the expense of Bumblebee.  Brother Blood acted like a doofus, Cyborg was shown as incompetent, and Robin/Raven/Starfire/B.B./Aqualad were almost non-essential.

[Reply #159 on:]

Yeah, it wasn't exactly the best episode of the season. But hearing the line "Release the mind-controlled squid!" was priceless...