"Classic Titans" is the thirty-third episode in the fourth season of Teen Titans Go!, and the one-hundred-ninetieth overall episode of the series.
Summary[]
Control Freak tries to prove his point about the classic superhero cartoons and animations by sending the Titans off to visit a previous version of Teen Titans Go! that was made in the 1960's, the 1980's and more classic old Superhero cartoons.
Plot[]
Taking a break from fighting crime, the Titans are enjoying an episode of the ridiculous yet fun "Babies VS. Dogs" at the Tower. However, their TV screen is suddenly hijacked by the technological terror, Control Freak. He's appalled by the show the Titans are watching, criticizing its oversaturated color and random humor. In Control Freak's opinion, classic superhero cartoons of the old days had far more quality, and he's determined to prove it to the squabbling Titans with a virtual machination...
The team instantly find themselves in the intro for a 1960s-style superhero cartoon, complete with dull color and limited animation. It's unclear to the Titans what exactly just happened; they've got retro appearances, a lack of bodily movement, and crazy metaphorical speech patterns. Speaking through the now old-fashioned TV, Control Freak explains that despite the low budget, the Titans are going to have to learn to appreciate this old cartoon appeal—if they want to be free. Robin decides it's in their best interest to play along, and an opportunity presents itself when laser-armed pterodactyls attack the Tower. Using a stun birdarang, the Boy Wonder drives off the dinosaurs.
Now an adventure is afoot! The Titans hop into the T-Jet and pursue the prehistoric animals toward an uncharted island. On their way, an unfamiliar voice describing the situation catches Beast Boy's attention. The voice explains that he's the Narrator… perhaps a low-budget implement for storytelling, but nonetheless necessary. Eventually, the gang arrives at the mysterious island—and thanks to Robin's highly opportune dinosaur-tracking birdarang, they find a hidden lair.
Unfortunately, the Narrator's commentary gives away the Titans' stealthy entrance; a cage falls over them, and they're now prisoners of the cackling Dr. Otto von Death. The villain plans to launch a rocket that will unleash dinosaurs all over the world, wiping out humanity. When asked why he wants to do this, Otto von Death has a rather one dimensional sob story that sparks little sympathy from the Titans. Angered, he lowers the cage into a pool of sharks, much to the delight of Control Freak. Luckily, Starfire uses her starbolts to free the team!
Just as Otto von Death is about to launch his rocket, the Titans arrive to stop him. However, a gigantic T-Rex stands in their path. The Titans battle the dino, using various ineffective attacks that leave Control Freak completely unsatisfied with the action. Fortunately, Raven uses a portal to bring Baby Jack and Growler from "Babies VS Dogs" into action. The two heroes unleash an all-out assault, evoking admiration from Control Freak for their fluid, modern animation. After Otto von Death and his T-Rex are taken out, both the rocket and evil lair are destroyed.
The mission is completed, so the Titans are teleported back to the Tower, returning to their modern forms. Control Freak now has a fairer outlook on modern cartoons, but the Titans could care less—they've got a "Babies VS Dogs" marathon to watch...
Characters[]
Main Characters
- Robin
- Raven
- Cyborg
- Starfire
- Beast Boy
- Control Freak
- Growler (debut)
- Baby Jack (debut)
- Dr. Otto von Death (debut)
Minor Characters
- Narrator (debut)
- Robot Dinosaur (debut)
Cameos
Trivia[]
- This episode premiered a year after "Oregon Trail".
- Starfire's New Teen Titans comic outfit was slightly modified in this episode, due to her original outfit design being far too revealing for younger viewers.
- Her modified outfit in this episode is most likely based on her outfit from the 1984 New Teen Titans anti-drug commercial. Her original comic outfit there was also modified due to the fact the commercial was aimed at children and young teens.
- Judging by the title of this episode, most people thought this episode was going to be a crossover between Teen Titans Go! and the original Teen Titans series from 2003. After discovering that they have misinterpreted it, many were left very disappointed.
- Although the Titans' designs are more from the 80's, the look and feel of the animation are reminiscent of the 1967 Filmation DC hero cartoons (Justice League of America, Teen Titans', etc).
- The episode's promo for this episode shows a "title card" with the phrase "Copylike 1967, Cartoon Network" at the bottom, parodying the word "copyright".
- To fully embrace the style of 1960s Filmation cartoons (which included mistakes), intentional errors were added: Robin talking but with Cyborg's voice; Cyborg's head cybernetics on the wrong side; jail bars popping on mid-scene; Cyborg's armor pieces switching colors with his skin tone; film cell visible; and seeing the end of Cyborg's extended neck.
- In reality, a "New Teen Titans" cartoon was originally being considered in the 1980s, but this idea was scrapped.
- After not airing since May 12, 2018, this episode made a return to the schedule for the first time in nearly two years on January 25, 2020.
Continuity[]
- This is the third time the Titans' New Teen Titans comic counterparts were referenced in the series. The first time they were referenced was briefly in a comic book found by the Titans in the episode "Books," and in "Baby Hands" where the Titans were seen in a flashback, wearing costumes that appeared very similar to their New Teen Titans comic counterpart designs.
- Starfire's New Teen Titans comic counterpart is the only one who had that specific counterpart referenced four times, since it was also referenced in "Beast Man", where Robin got a tattoo of Starfire on his stomach that looked very similar to her New Teen Titans comic design.
- Raven is seen unhooded for the 64th time in the series.
References[]
- The "classic" version of the Titans referenced in this episode is based on the New Teen Titans comic series from the 1980s, created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.
- The cartoon the Titans are watching, Babies vs Dogs, is a parody of Teen Titans Go! in many ways.
- When Control Freak is pointing out all the flaws about Babies vs Dogs, he complains about how bright the colors were and how they only make jokes. This could be a reference to people in real life, who often complain about these things in Teen Titans Go!
- At the end of the episode, it's made apparent that the Titans have been watching an all-day marathon of Babies vs Dogs. This could be referencing the many times that there have been all-day marathons of Teen Titans Go! on Cartoon Network, which also happens to be a major complaint of the show's critics.
- Control Freak refers to the Titans as "philistines", a jab at their aversion to classic cartoons. The word originates from the ancient Canaanite culture often at odds with the Israelites.
- The distorted background music during the 80's intro is a render of the 2003 Teen Titans series.
Errors[]
- The show that the Titans are watching is called Babies vs Dogs, though only one baby and one dog are present in the program.
- They also seem to be working as a team, not as enemies like the title suggests.
- When Control Freak is commenting on the animation and style of the baby and the dog towards the end, he is referring to them in a plural sense ("those dogs," "those babies"). It's plausible that when the lines were recorded for the episode, the production team was planning on having more babies and dogs fighting, but only had time to make the two that appeared.
- The following errors are presumably intentional, joking towards classic cartoon mistakes:
- When Robin was talking, his voice sounded like Cyborg's, not Robin.
- For a second, the bars of the cage in which the Titans were trapped disappeared.
- When Cyborg throws a barrel at Dr. Otto von Death, his legs change color from silver to brown for a second.
- When Robin explains that the Titans appearance, movement and speech was altered, half of his body was gone.
- While Otto is explaining his backstory, Cyborg's body disappears.
Running Gags[]
- Robin using various birdarangs, each time done with similar animation cycles.
- Beast Boy transforming into a donkey.
- The Titans complaining about their restricted movements and manner of speaking.
Transcript[]
The transcript for "Classic Titans" can be found here.
Gallery[]
The image gallery for Classic Titans may be viewed here. |