So far all of the seasons of Teen Titans have focused on a particular character. Season 1 was Robin, 2 was Terra, 3 was Cyborg, and Season 4 is focused on Raven, the show's best character. What results is the show's darkest and most dramatic season yet, and probably its best.
There was always this mystery about just how powerful Raven truly is. Her powers never seemed all that concrete, so there was this possibility that she could be the most powerful of the Titans by a long shot. This season's main story arc is about a prophecy that Raven is meant to destroy the world, and how her father and a now alive Slade are trying to make it happen. I absolutely adore this storyline. It might not be as morally complex as Terra's arc, and it really just takes up three episodes, but each of those episodes are some of the best in the whole series. Raven's arc is dark and dramatic, Slade has pretty much upgraded from intimidating to downright terrifying, and the stakes of a potential end of the world are massive. It also gives a lot of context to why Raven has been so secretive these first three seasons, allowing for a lot of great character development as she starts to open up a bit more.
So Raven's arc is phenomenal, but what about the rest of the season? Well, it's pretty alright. The standalone episodes that take up the remaining episodes are as hit or miss as always, but I generally enjoyed a large portion of them. The highlights are down below, but the whole season was packed with variety. We got a fourth-wall break episode in Don't Touch That Dial, a martial arts episode in The Quest, an emotional time travel love story in Cyborg The Barbarian, a really well-written episode about racism in Troq, and even another FLCL homage in Employee Of The Month. I wouldn't say all of the standalones are great (Mother Mae Eye is pretty uneven), and none of them topped some of Season 3's best standalones like X and Haunted, but this was generally a pretty solid lineup that gave most of the cast time to shine.
This season had some great episodes, these are my favorites:
Don't Touch That Dial: This episode was just hilarious, easily on part with Bunny Raven as far as sheer rapid humor goes. It's a cavalcade of fourth wall breaks and hilarious references, many of which got at least a chuckle out of me, and the fast pace keeps things entertaining and surprising throughout. I particularly loved the scene where Robin was literally telling the viewer to turn off the show, it was so original and fun.
Birthmark: When I said I wanted more episodes like Haunted, this was exactly what I meant. Slade's return was shocking and the mystery of what's going on with Raven's birthday was compelling throughout. The stakes kept raising throughout the episode and Slade just kept getting more and more brutal until we got to see the future where Raven destroys the world, and it's legitimately terrifying. And to think every episode in the arc is like this!
The Prophecy: While it wasn't as screwed up and inherently devastating as Birthmark, this was another strong entry in the Raven arc about her fear of telling the team the truth about her prophecy. We learn a bit more interesting context about Raven's past like the fact that Trigon is her father and that she's actually a portal for him, but the real highlight is actually getting to see Azarath for that brief moment where Raven reunites with her mom.
Stranded: This was a really cute episode, it's a nice blend of humor and character work as the team gets separated and stranded on an alien planet. All of the subplots are super entertaining here, from Robin and Starfire's romantic tension, to Cyborg and Beast Boy's hilarious dynamic, to especially Raven running into a bunch of adorable aliens. But what I love the most about this one is how it's pretty much entirely character driven which I something I love to see in this series.
The End: What a truly epic finale, a three-part episode where the Teen Titans fight to stop the literal end of the world. It's just so dark and dramatic, the titular apocalypse rivals Angel's Season 4 in terms of sheer terror and brutality, and even though the Titans are fighting impossible odds, seeing them win is immensely satisfying. There are just so many amazing moments here, from Slade teaming up with Robin after being betrayed by Trigon, to the Titans fighting their Nega versions, to Raven completely obliterating his own father. This is how you pull off an epic finale, and I doubt any Teen Titans episode will be able to top this one in scale.
Overall, Season 4 was an excellent season for the Teen Titans, with a compelling and dark main arc, plenty of varied and entertaining standalones, and a phenomenal final episode.
5/5 Stars
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