[7.5/10] This episode basically only has one note -- Robin becomes obsessed with fighting a version of Slade only he can see -- but it’s a good note! The episode is more intense and psychological than a lot of Teen Titans. There’s a level of feverishness and obsession in Robin, to the point of mental debilitation, that comes through.
Again, it works as metaphor. Robin was more wounded and in the muck with Slade than any of his teammates. It makes sense, then, that he would be the one with the hardest time letting go, the one still racked with guilt over and concerned about what Slade might still be up to despite his apparent demise.
The catch is, the show makes it clear pretty quickly that this is all in Robin's head, to some degree or another. This being a supernatural show, it’s likely that there’s some other explanation, but it’s not hard to guess pretty early on that Slade is closer to Tyler Durden than a real live ghost.
On the other hand, the animation, performances, and even the foley work really sell the hardship and severity of what Robin’s going through. The fights between Slade and Robin are truly intense, with darkness, rain, and quick-paced action, all of it suffused with a sense of desperation in our hero. Scott Menville gives his best vocal performance so far, conveying how Robin is truly at his wit’s end over this. And the punches and kicks and other blows seem to hit harder here, with the foley team really selling how harsh this combat is, reflected in Robin’s disheveled look by the design team.
We also get some good work for the rest of the team, Starfire in particular I’ll confess that I typically hate the will they/won’t they business, but i appreciate how Teen Titans doesn’t go nuts with the hints here, just shows how deeply Robin and Starfire care about one another, even if they themselves don’t necessarily realize those feelings are also romantic. Starfire’s insistence than Robin must be sick and they must find the cure shows her sense of devotion and connection, but the episode doesn’t shy away from the darkside, where she thinks there must be some alternative explanation for the way Robin yelled at her and even hurt her, since she doesn't want to believe he’d do such a thing.
That said, you kind of have to turn your brain off for the explanation here. Robin only seeing Slade in the dark and overcoming his fears by turning on the lights is a strange conceit. At the same time, the dust in Slade’s mask deliberately provoking this reaction is a little odd, albeit one that likely passes the smell test on a superhero show. And someone triggering it remotely, and doing so deliberately (Red X? Brother Blood? Terra?) is a tad cheesy.
Overall though, this was a good outing for the show, giving Robin the spotlight to be a little tortured and flawed, like the Batman Jr. he is, in a way that paid dividends.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-07-24T18:13:47Z
[7.5/10] This episode basically only has one note -- Robin becomes obsessed with fighting a version of Slade only he can see -- but it’s a good note! The episode is more intense and psychological than a lot of Teen Titans. There’s a level of feverishness and obsession in Robin, to the point of mental debilitation, that comes through.
Again, it works as metaphor. Robin was more wounded and in the muck with Slade than any of his teammates. It makes sense, then, that he would be the one with the hardest time letting go, the one still racked with guilt over and concerned about what Slade might still be up to despite his apparent demise.
The catch is, the show makes it clear pretty quickly that this is all in Robin's head, to some degree or another. This being a supernatural show, it’s likely that there’s some other explanation, but it’s not hard to guess pretty early on that Slade is closer to Tyler Durden than a real live ghost.
On the other hand, the animation, performances, and even the foley work really sell the hardship and severity of what Robin’s going through. The fights between Slade and Robin are truly intense, with darkness, rain, and quick-paced action, all of it suffused with a sense of desperation in our hero. Scott Menville gives his best vocal performance so far, conveying how Robin is truly at his wit’s end over this. And the punches and kicks and other blows seem to hit harder here, with the foley team really selling how harsh this combat is, reflected in Robin’s disheveled look by the design team.
We also get some good work for the rest of the team, Starfire in particular I’ll confess that I typically hate the will they/won’t they business, but i appreciate how Teen Titans doesn’t go nuts with the hints here, just shows how deeply Robin and Starfire care about one another, even if they themselves don’t necessarily realize those feelings are also romantic. Starfire’s insistence than Robin must be sick and they must find the cure shows her sense of devotion and connection, but the episode doesn’t shy away from the darkside, where she thinks there must be some alternative explanation for the way Robin yelled at her and even hurt her, since she doesn't want to believe he’d do such a thing.
That said, you kind of have to turn your brain off for the explanation here. Robin only seeing Slade in the dark and overcoming his fears by turning on the lights is a strange conceit. At the same time, the dust in Slade’s mask deliberately provoking this reaction is a little odd, albeit one that likely passes the smell test on a superhero show. And someone triggering it remotely, and doing so deliberately (Red X? Brother Blood? Terra?) is a tad cheesy.
Overall though, this was a good outing for the show, giving Robin the spotlight to be a little tortured and flawed, like the Batman Jr. he is, in a way that paid dividends.