Teen Titans (season 4)

The fourth season of the animated television series Teen Titans, based on the DC comics series of the same name by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, originally aired on Cartoon Network in the United States. Developed by Glen Murakami, Sam Register, and television writer David Slack. The series was produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation. It stars Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, and Greg Cipes as the main characters.

Teen Titans
Season 4
Digital cover art
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes13
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Original releaseJanuary 17 (2005-01-17) –
July 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)
Season chronology

The series focuses on a team of crime-fighting teenaged superheroes, consisting of the leader Robin, foreign alien princess Starfire, green shapeshifter Beast Boy, the dark sorceress Raven, and the technological genius Cyborg. The season focuses on Raven, whose destiny to be the key to the world's destruction causes secrets about her past to unravel and the return of her father and old enemy, Trigon.

The season premiered on January 15, 2005 and ran until July 16, broadcasting 13 episodes. The season marks the first time a Teen Titans season has never aired on Kids' WB. On its sister network, it was replaced full-time by its related show The Batman (2004–08) and What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2002–06). Warner Bros. Home Video released the fourth season on DVD in the United States and Canada on November 20, 2007. Upon its release, the season received critical acclaim particularity for its main storyline and its level of maturity.

Production

Season four of Teen Titans aired on Cartoon Network from January 15 to July 16, 2005. The season was produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, executive produced by Sander Schwartz and produced by Glen Murakami, Bruce Timm and Linda M. Steiner. Staff directors for the series included Michael Chang, Ben Jones and Alex Soto.[1] The episodes for the season were written by a team of writers, which consisted of Richard Elliott, Melody Fox, Rob Hoegee, Greg Klein, Thomas Pugsley, Simon Racioppa, David Slack, and Amy Wolfram.[1] Producer Murakami worked with Derrick Wyatt, Brianne Drouhard, and Jon Suzuki on character design while Hakjoon Kang served as the background designer for the series.[1] The season employed a number of storyboard artists, including Eric Canete, Colin Heck, Kalvin Lee, Keo Thongkham, Scooter Tidwell, Alan Wan and Matt Youngberg.[1]

Cast and characters
Veteran voice actors Kevin Michael Richardson (left) and Ron Perlman (right) recur in this season as the main villains Trigon and Slade.

The five voice actors for the main characters - Scott Menville, Hynden Walch, Greg Cipes, Tara Strong, and Khary Payton, - reprise their roles in the fourth season as Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg, respectively. Dee Bradley Baker recurs in the season, providing voices for several characters, including Space Monster in the episode "Stranded" and Plasmus in the episode "The End" Part 1. Kevin Michael Richardson returns to the series, providing the voice for Trigon, Raven's father and the season's main antagonist as well as voices for various roles, including The Bear and The Snake in the episode "The Quest" and reprises his role as Mammoth and See-More in the episode "Mother Mae-Eye". Ron Perlman reprised his role as Slade in the season.

Season four of Teen Titans featured numerous guest actors providing voices for recurring and guest characters. In the episode "Don't Touch That Dial", Alexander Polinsky reprises his role as the villain Control Freak.[2] The episode also features the voices of Jeff Bennett, Rob Paulsen, and James Arnold Taylor for various roles.[2] Veteran actors Takayo Fischer and Keone Young provided voices for the characters Chu-Hui the True Master, Katarou and The Monkey in the episode "The Quest".[3] Rodger Bumpass reprised his role as the villain Dr. Light in the episode "Birthmark".[4] The episode "Cyborg the Barbarian" features the vocal talents of Kimberly Brooks as Sarasim and Michael Clarke Duncan as both Krall and Hayden.[5] The episode "Employee of the Month" featured Tom Kane voicing Beast Boy's boss Bob and Rob Paulsen voicing the villain The Source.[6] In the episode "Troq", Stephen Root provides the voice of Val-Yor, an alien fighting a militia of robots while harboring hate towards Starfire and her race.[7] The episode "The Prophecy" features Virginia Madsen voicing the character Arella.[8] Jason Marsden played the villain Billy Numerous in the episode "Overdrive".[9] In the episode "Mother Mae-Eye", Billie Hayes provided the voice for the villain Mother Mae-Eye while Lauren Tom provided voices for the characters Gizmo and Jinx.[10]

Reception

The fourth season of Teen Titans performed well on Cartoon Network. The episode "The Quest" garnered a high 4.1 rating in the Kids 9-14 demographic (1.03 million viewers).[11] The episode "The Prophecy" garnered a 2.3 Nielsen rating in the Tweens 9-14 demographic (569,000 viewers) and a 2.0 in the Kids 6-11 demographic (482,000).[12] The episode "The End (Part 1)" garnered a 3.1 Nielsen rating in the Tweens 9-14 demographic (755,000 viewers) and 2.7 rating in the Kids 6-11 demographic (662,000 viewers).[13] The episodes airing in July average a 2.1 Nielsen rating in the Tweens 9-14 demographic (507,000 viewers).[14]

The season received critical acclaim. Mac McEntire of DVD Verdict awarded the fourth season a score of 87, commending the writers for creating "smarter, deeper, and emotionally rich stories", highlighting Raven's story arc, and added that "the Terra storyline in Season Two showed that this series could handle bigger, more serious storylines. In Season Four, that's exactly what it delivers. For everyone who's waited for this show to grow up a little, this is the season in which that happens".[15] John Sinnott, writing for DVD Talk, deemed the fourth season release as "Highly Recommended". Sinnott commented that "the show continues its run of strong shows in this season. There's a lot of action, a good amount of humor, and even a few touching scenes. A fun show that's guaranteed to bring out the comic geek in everyone".[16] Randall Cyrenne of Animated Views was mixed in his review of the season, praising the variety of stories being told but found the stories either too comedic or too intense.[17]

Episodes
See also: List of Teen Titans episodes
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
401"Don't Touch That Dial"Ben JonesDavid SlackJanuary 29, 2005 (2005-01-29)257–4941.36[18]

The Titans discover Control Freak is out of jail and in the television, hopping from channel to channel. Using the same device, The Titans get inside the television dimension and chase after Control Freak. The chase between the Titans and Control Freak, as well as his monsters, are causing damage to the viewers brain waves. Beast Boy, the couch potato of the group, leads the Titans in taking down Control Freak.

Villain(s): Control Freak
412"The Quest"Ben JonesAmy WolframFebruary 5, 2005 (2005-02-05)257–4951.73[11]

After losing a fight of martial arts with the villain Katarou, Robin travels to Asia to find the True Master to train him in martial arts. While there, he encounters an elderly woman who prepares him for his meeting with the True Master through a series of tasks. Once complete, Robin faces off against Katarou, who followed him there to steal his apprenticeship with the True Master. Robin, along with the woman who reveals herself as the True Master, defeats Katarou and begins training. While Robin is away, the other Titans try to fill in the gap left by Robin by trying out his clothes and gadgets.

Villain(s): Katarou
423"Birthmark"Michael ChangDavid SlackFebruary 12, 2005 (2005-02-12)257–496N/A

Raven's birthday approaches, but she has no interest in celebrating it, wanting the day to pass. The Titans throw her a surprise birthday party, but Raven shuts it down, destroying the decorations. When the Titans respond to an alert, they face off against Slade, who has acquired new powers and has a message from Raven's father, foretelling her destiny. During the battle between Slade and the Titans, Raven stops time, with only her, Slade and Robin unaffected.

Villain(s): Dr. Light, Slade, and Trigon
434"Cyborg the Barbarian"Alex SotoRichard Elliott & Simon RacioppaFebruary 19, 2005 (2005-02-19)257–4970.90[19]

Cyborg is accidentally thrown five thousand years into the past, and by coincidence comes to the aid of a young woman named Sarasim, whose tribe is under attack by a horde of gruesome creatures. While simultaneously becoming the tribe's savior, the battle wears out his batteries, and there is no place for him to recharge.

Villain(s): Krall
445"Employee of the Month"Alex SotoRob HoegeeMay 21, 2005 (2005-05-21)257–498N/A

Amidst a series of UFO raids on farms (with the targets being cows, to everyone's mystification), Beast Boy wants a moped but has no money to get one of his own. Robin won't buy him one and Cyborg won't build one, so he gets a job at Mega Meaty Meat, a restaurant which sells nothing but meat. Beast Boy manages to overcome his distaste for meat in order to get the job, but his workplace proves to be more than just a restaurant.

Villain(s): Newfu
456"Troq"Michael ChangAmy WolframMay 28, 2005 (2005-05-28)257–4990.94[20]

Val-Yor, an alien, enlists the help of the Titans to fight an enemy of vicious-fighting machines called the Locrix. Despite his strength, courage and bravery, he displays a noticeable hatred for Starfire and the rest of her Tamaranian kind, giving her the nickname "Troq", causing some discomfort among the team.

Note: This is a special episode about racism.

Villain(s): The Locrix
467"The Prophecy"Ben JonesGreg Klein & Tom PugsleyJune 4, 2005 (2005-06-04)257–5001.05[12]

Raven has been hiding a dark secret, but her secret is putting her teammates in danger. Slade is after her again and still wants her to become the portal. She finds that she is unable to escape the prophecy of her birth and decides to tell the rest of team her secret: she is Trigon's daughter.

Villain(s): Slade, Trigon

  • The prophecy is:
The gem was born of evil's fire
The gem shall be his portal
He comes to claim
He comes to sire
The end of all things mortal
478"Stranded"Alex SotoMelody FoxJune 11, 2005 (2005-06-11)257–501N/A

When being attacked by an alien in outer space, the Titans inadvertently split the T-Ship apart. Stranded and separated on several different areas of an alien planet, the Titans must now find each other again. Beast Boy displays a bad hand in technological skills, even with simplified instructions from Cyborg, Raven is being followed around by small alien creatures, and Robin and Starfire must come to terms about their strong romantic feelings for each other.

Villain(s): Shrieker the Space Monster
489"Overdrive"Michael ChangDavid SlackJune 18, 2005 (2005-06-18)257–502N/A

Cyborg installs a new computer chip into his circuits, greatly strengthening and increasing his speed and efficiency eight times over. When a multiplying metahuman, Billy Numerous, appears on the scene, Cyborg may give up a lot to try and catch him.

Villain(s): Billy Numerous and Adonis
4910"Mother Mae-Eye"Ben JonesDavid SlackJune 25, 2005 (2005-06-25)257–5031.23[21]

Summoned through an enchanted pie delivered to the Tower, Mother Mae-Eye manages to induce mind-control over all the Titans, mentally regressing them into obedient, sweet "children" who regard her as their mother. When Starfire is accidentally knocked out of the villain's mind-control during a mission against the H.I.V.E. Five, she realizes the truth behind Mother and attempts to bring her fellow Titans' minds back to teenaged maturity.

Villain(s): H.I.V.E. Five (Gizmo, Jinx, Mammoth, See-More, Private HIVE) and Mother Mae-Eye
5011"The End"Alex SotoAmy WolframJuly 2, 2005 (2005-07-02)257–5041.41[13]
5112Michael ChangRob HoegeeJuly 9, 2005 (2005-07-09)257–5051.02[18]
5213Ben JonesDavid SlackJuly 16, 2005 (2005-07-16)257–5061.36[18]
Part 1: The day Raven has feared has come and Raven does her best to make her final day with the Titans the best. When Slade comes to claim her, the rest of the Titans won't let go without a fight.
Villain(s): Plasmus, Trigon, Slade
Part 2: Raven and the Earth have been destroyed and Trigon takes over, casting Slade out with the rest of the Titans. With Raven's "farewell blessing" and the mystical ring of Azar, the rest of the Titans spread out to fight off Trigon while Slade and Robin search for Raven.
Villain(s): Nega Starfire, Nega Cyborg, Nega Beast Boy (all 3 negative-selves), Slade, Trigon
Part 3: Robin rescues a seven-year-old version of Raven, who has been stripped of both her powers and her memories, but still thinks she must hold the key to Trigon's defeat. Also down in Trigon's realm, Slade fights a demonic guard to regain his "flesh and blood". Meanwhile, the three other Titans are fighting for their lives against evil doppelgangers of themselves. The originals find that they are not successful trying to fight the darker and evil doppelgangers, so Starfire suggests that they switch opponents. They later re-join with Robin and a young Raven to face their strongest and most powerful enemy yet: Trigon the Terrible, and Raven's true power may not be all gone.
Villain(s): Slade (temporary ally), Trigon, Nega Starfire, Nega Cyborg, Nega Beast Boy (all 3 negative-selves)

DVD release

The DVD boxset was released on November 20, 2007 in the United States and Canada. It features a series title "Teen Titans: Know Your Foes", a featurette which is segmented for each of the series' main villains.[22]

Teen Titans - The Complete Fourth Season
Set details Special features
  • 13 episodes
  • 2-disc set (DVD)
  • 1.33:1 aspect ratio
  • Subtitles: English
  • Language: English (Stereo)
  • Featurettes
    • "Access Top-Secret Files from the Teen Titans: Know Your Foes Featurette Gallery"
  • Easter Eggs
DVD release date
 United States  Canada
November 20, 2007 (2007-11-20)[23][24]

References
  1. "Teen Titans (2003–2006) Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. Amazon.com. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  2. Ben Jones (director); David Slack (writer) (January 15, 2005). "Don't Touch That Dial". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 1. Cartoon Network.
  3. Ben Jones (director); Amy Wolfram (writer) (January 29, 2005). "The Quest". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 2. Cartoon Network.
  4. Michael Chang (director); David Slack (writer) (February 5, 2005). "Birthmark". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 3. Cartoon Network.
  5. Richard Elliott and Simon Racioppa (directors); Alex Soto (writer) (February 12, 2005). "Cyborg the Barbarian". Teen Titans. Season 5. Episode 4. Cartoon Network.
  6. Alex Soto (director); Rob Hoegee (writer) (February 19, 2005). "Employee of the Month". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 5. Cartoon Network.
  7. Michael Chang (director); Amy Wolfram (writer) (May 14, 2005). "Troq". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 6. Cartoon Network.
  8. Ben Jones (director); Greg Klein (writer); Tom Pugsley (writer) (June 4, 2005). "The Prophecy". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 7. Cartoon Network.
  9. Michael Chang (director); David Slack (writer) (October 30, 2004). "Overdrive". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 9. Cartoon Network.
  10. Ben Jones (director); David Slack (writer) (June 25, 2005). "Mother Mae-Eye". Teen Titans. Season 4. Episode 10. Cartoon Network.
  11. Vasquez, Diego (February 4, 2005). "Ashlee Simpson, queen of teens. Not". Media Life Magazine. Media Life. Archived from the original on August 31, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  12. "Juniper Lee Debut in Fridays Wins 9 P.M. Kids 6-11 Demos on All TV" (Press release). The Futon Critic. June 7, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  13. "Originals Teen Titans and the Life & Times of Juniper Lee Earn Triple-Digit Gains Among Target Audiences for Cartoon Network" (Press release). The Futon Critic. July 6, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  14. "Cartoon Network Sets New July Records for Best Total Programming Day Delivery, Ratings in Network History with Kids 6-11, Kids 2-11 and Tweens 9-14" (Press release). The Futon Critic. August 2, 2005. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  15. McEntire, Mac (January 11, 2008). "Teen Titans: The Complete Third Season". DVD Verdict. Verdict Partners LLC. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  16. Sinnott, John (December 18, 2007). "Teen Titans - The Complete Fourth Season". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  17. Cyrenne, Randall (January 24, 2008). "Teen Titans: The Complete Fourth Season". Animated Views. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  18. "Toonami Ratings Press Release".
  19. "Ratings - Monday-Sunday Miguzi Leads Delivery, Ratings Growth at Cartoon Network". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  20. "Ratings - Cartoon Network Sets New May Record for Highest Kids' Total Day Delivery, Ratings in Network History with Kids 6-11, Kids 2-11 and Tweens 9-14". TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  21. "Toonami Ratings - 2nd Quarter 2005".
  22. Vukcevic, Filip (May 15, 2007). "Teen Titans - The Complete Third Season". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  23. "Teen Titans: Season 4 (DC Comics Kids Collection)". Amazon Canada. November 20, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  24. "Teen Titans: The Complete Fourth Season". Amazon. November 20, 2007. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
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