TTG v PPG

"TTG v PPG" is the fortieth episode of the third season of Teen Titans Go!, and the one-hundred-forty-fourth overall episode of the series.

Summary

The Powerpuff Girls follow Mojo Jojo to the Teen Titans' home in Jump City, where he plans to take over the world with an army of monkeys. Beast Boy and Cyborg think Mojo is "pretty cool for a talking monkey," and the girls compete against Robin, Starfire, and Raven to see which is the best superhero team.

Plot

In Townsville, Mojo Jojo is plotting to use cybernetically enhanced battle monkeys to attack the city. The Powerpuff Girls, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, break into his lab with Buttercup unplugging the monkeys, thwarting Mojo Jojo's plan. Mojo Jojo sprays the Powerpuff Girls with a repellent designed for them and reveals he will carry out his plan in a dimension where superheroes don't care about stopping villains. The narrator wonders what type of awful place Mojo Jojo is heading to, and the villain arrives in Titans Tower at Jump City, captivating Cyborg and Beast Boy as they dub him a magic monkey. Mojo Jojo deduces that they are superheroes, but Beast Boy is shocked that he talks, and Cyborg compliments his hat. The villain wonders if they'll still like him when he creates his cybernetically enhanced battle monkeys. Cyborg and Beast Boy become fascinated by the idea of a monkey army and ask to help him, which Mojo Jojo agrees to.

As the trio exits the tower and Robin enters the living room, the narrator recaps the ensnarement of Beast Boy and Cyborg into Mojo Jojo's plan. Robin, able to hear the voice, asks for its identity, and the narrator is shocked that he can hear him. Raven and Starfire approach him, asking if he is hearing voices in his head again when the Powerpuff Girls arrive. The narrator is relieved by their arrival, and when Starfire asks for their identity, Robin answers that they're the Powerpuff Girls. Blossom asks how he knew their identity, and Robin says it was because of the voice. Blossom explains they've traveled from another dimension looking for Mojo Jojo, but the Titans insult them by calling them children. Buttercup introduces herself and her sisters to the Titans, while Raven introduces herself and the Titans with fake names. Robin tells her not to joke like that, as their underdeveloped baby brains can't process it, and he introduces himself, Raven, and Starfire before noting the absence of Beast Boy and Cyborg.

At the Haunted Tanks Army Surplus Store, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Mojo Jojo finish raiding it for supplies while dancing to a song. Cyborg asks if they should have told the other Titans where they were, but Beast Boy reassures him by revealing that he left a note. Raven finds the note on the TV, but it only says, "Help! Monkey!" which Starfire interprets as them in danger. Blossom grows frustrated and says that they've been trying to tell them, and Robin believes they need their help as the Powerpuff Girls are only babies, frustrating them further. Bubbles shouts that they're superheroes, but Raven mockingly says she can be anything she wants when she grows up. When Blossom claims that the Titans aren't good at their jobs, Raven believes she is challenging them. Starfire says the Powerpuff Girls want to determine which superhero team is superior, but Blossom says that it's not a competition. Robin announces that the Powerpuff Girls will face off against the Teen Titans, annoying the Powerpuff Girls. The narrator begins to recap when Robin interrupts, asking if he can narrate his actions, including jumping out of the tower.

At the Zoo, Mojo Jojo performs "Monkey Army" while Beast Boy and Cyborg gather his army of cybernetically enhanced battle monkeys and build a lair. Mojo Jojo becomes tired, and Beast Boy and Cyborg agree to finish his monkey army for him. That night, Robin tells Raven, Starfire, and the Powerpuff Girls that the only lead they have is the note and asks which of them will compete against him. Blossom volunteers but clarifies that it's not a competition though Robin says she is going down. At the lab, Robin finds a hair on the note and begins a complex process to determine who it belongs to. But Blossom finds a postscript on the note, informing that they're at the zoo. The next day, the six heroes travel to the zoo, where two gorillas are guarding the entrance. Bubbles and Starfire begin fighting about who can defeat them with kindness, but Starfire grows frustrated, and Bubbles uses her to defeat the gorillas. They come across droids, and Buttercup tells Raven she'll handle the defense, proceeding to defeat them. Starfire asks Raven if she's going to participate, but Raven tells her that she remembered she didn't care. Buttercup announces that they won their competition, but Robin says it wasn't one. Starfire agrees and calls them immature though Raven reminds them that they're babies.

At Mojo Jojo's lair, Mojo Jojo prepares to unveil his army of cybernetically enhanced battle monkeys, but they start partying instead. He becomes annoyed when Beast Boy and Cyborg announce that they're an army of party monkeys. The villains catch the six heroes approaching his lair and decide to set a trap for the Powerpuff Girls, confining Beast Boy and Cyborg to use as bait and then spraying them with his entire supply of Powerpuff Girl repellent. The narrator is concerned as the heroes are heading straight for the trap, and Robin stops in his tracks, informing the others but assuring them he has a plan. Three figures break into Mojo Jojo's lair and approach Beast Boy and Cyborg, only for Mojo Jojo to spray them with the repellent. He celebrates his victory, but the figures reveal themselves to be Robin, Raven, and Starfire in disguise. The Powerpuff Girls appear behind Mojo Jojo and defeat him. Robin tells the Powerpuff Girls that they look like harmless, adorable babies but are superheroes as they're smart, strong, and have pure hearts. Blossom says they couldn't have stopped Mojo Jojo without them, and the Titans celebrate as they think they admitted they're better and they tricked them. Buttercup remarks that Jump City is the worst, while Cyborg and Beast Boy forgive Mojo Jojo, as it's cute when he talks. The narrator ends the episode by saying:

"And once again, the day was saved!"

"No thanks to the Teen Titans!"

"Seriously! What is wrong with those guys!?

Characters

Song

Monkey Army

Trivia

This was advertised as and shown on TV channel guides as "The Teen Titans Go! and Powerpuff Girls Completely Organic Crossover Special" (one of the longest episode titles of the series), but the actual title is "TTG v PPG", with the abbreviations of the two show titles. This is ironically one of the shortest episode titles of the series.
Many Cartoon Network reruns of Teen Titans Go! and The Powerpuff Girls episodes were aired in a 4-day period before this episode.
Cyborg and Beast Boy are the only Titans who don't interact with the Powerpuff Girls simultaneously.
This episode reunites Tom Kenny, Roger L. Jackson, and Tara Strong, who were all in the cast of the original 1998 Powerpuff Girls series.

Some cartoon fans claim that this was the worst crossover episode in the series due to its low popularity. In fact, the average IMDb rating for Teen Titans Go! is 4.9/10 and 2016 The Powerpuff Girls is 3.8/10. The rating for this episode is 4.1/10.
- Like Teen Titans Go!, The Powerpuff Girls reboot has been met with average reviews from critics and negative reception from many fans of the original series. Some reasons include the use of sexual metaphors and the loss of familiar voice actors. (see also: Wikipedia's The Powerpuff Girls (2016 TV series)#Reception page)

This episode is not reran often with other Teen Titans Go! episodes but this could possibly be because of Cartoon Network considers it a Powerpuff Girls episode rather than a Teen Titans Go! episode. This is further proven by the episodes TV-Y7-FV rating which is The Powerpuff Girls's main rating compared to Teen Titans Go!'s TV-PG rating.
The episode is missing on Hulu and HBO Max. It is in neither the Teen Titans GO! nor The Powerpuff Girls 2016 episode section.

Teen Titans Go!

This is the fourth crossover of this series. The first three were "The Best Robin", "Let's Get Serious" and "Truth, Justice, and What?", but this is the first crossover with the other characters' current designs.
Animation from "The Fourth Wall' is reused.
This is the seventh episode to have the title be different from when it was advertised.
This is the second episode with the show's title dropped in its title. The first time was "The Teen Titans Go Easter Holiday Classic".
This first aired one year after "Operation Tin Man", and on Cyborg's birthday.
The Powerpuff Girls' Narrator marks Tom Kenny's fourth role in the series. He was also Flex from "Birds", Mumbo Jumbo and Magic God from "Real Magic".
This is the first episode to be TV-Y7-FV.
Music from "Uncle Jokes" and "Brian" is reused.
The fourth wall is broken when Robin is the only one who can hear the PPG Narrator's voice, which is a callback to "The Date", where Robin was the only one who could hear The Voice in Robin's Head during the episode.
This is the first episode that Peter Rida Michail produced.
This is the first episode with the new 2016 DC Logo, and this is the third time a logo was changed, the first was WB Animation changing its logo in 2014, and then the WB Animation changing its logo again in 2015.
Just like in Teen Titans Go!, the 2016 Powerpuff Girls reboot is based on the original 1998 series created by Craig McCracken.

The Powerpuff Girls

Animation from The Powerpuff Girls Rule! is reused.
This is the first crossover episode that begins with Mojo's lair instead of the city skyline. The Narrator is heard saying "The secret lab of the most sinister of simians, Mojo Jojo. Up to no good, no doubt".
The Powerpuff Girls and Mojo Jojo appear in their 2016 counterparts. This is the first crossover special to feature the familiar and well-known 2008 design of the Girls and Mojo (design from the series finale The Powerpuff Girls Rule!). They were designed by current character design artist Chris Battle (he's also previously worked in the original Powerpuff Girls series).
Mojo Jojo makes his own army of monkeys in a similar way to the 2002 film The Powerpuff Girls Movie, which is actually based on the original 1998 series.
This is the first crossover episode in the "Powerpuff Girls" series.
Tara Strong, who voices Raven, had originally voiced Bubbles in the original 1998 series.
The Powerpuff Girls have won every "competition" in this episode, due to the Teen Titans' self-centered attitudes.

Continuity

This is the sixth Cartoon Network crossover. The first was "Bravo Dooby-Doo", a crossover between Johnny Bravo and Scooby-Doo! the second was "The Grim Adventures of the KND", a crossover for Codename: Kids Next Door and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, the third was "Ben 10/Generator Rex: Heroes United", a crossover between Ben 10: Ultimate Alien and Generator Rex, the fourth was "T.G.I.S.", a crossover between Ben 10: Omniverse and The Secret Saturdays and the fifth was "Say Uncle", a crossover for Steven Universe and Uncle Grandpa.

Continuity (Teen Titans Go!)

Raven is seen unhooded for the 44th time in the series.
This is the second time that the abbreviated word "v" is used in the title. The first was in "Batman v Teen Titans: Dark Injustice".
This is the 20th time that Beast Boy doesn't use any animal transformations.
This is the second appearance of the Jump City's Zoo from "Gorilla".
This was the second time that Starfire ties her hair into pigtails. The first time was in "Colors of Raven".

Continuity (The Powerpuff Girls)

The Titans treat the Girls as "babies". The same thing happened with the pre-teenage students from Midway Elementary School in the 2016 The Powerpuff Girls rebooted episode "The Wrinklegruff Gals".

References

References (Teen Titans Go!)

Raven saying she's "Chico" is a reference to the Marx Brothers.
- Coincidentally, all Cs is a reference to all Bs on The Powerpuff Girls.
Beast Boy is seen reading a magazine that says Young Justice on it.
Robin, Starfire, and Raven dress up as The Powerpuff Girls, as Grim, Billy, and Mandy do in the The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy episode "My Fair Mandy".

References (The Powerpuff Girls)

The pulsating letter "T" outro screen is a reference to the original Powerpuff Girls series pulsating heart outro screen including the falling stars. The Narrator is heard saying "And so, once again the day is saved, no thanks to...the Teen Titans! Seriously, what's wrong with those guys?".

Errors

When Robin tracks down Cyborg and Beast Boy with the note, it's night outside the Titans Tower, even though the rest of the episode takes place in the day.
The Girls' pose and their expressions are different from the commercial when they enter the zoo.
Robin has no superpowers, but when he was disguised as Blossom, he was shown flying.

Running Gags

Starfire, Robin, and Raven mocking Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup by calling them "babies".
Robin telling the PPG Narrator to say what he is doing out loud.
Robin constantly hearing the PPG Narrator.