Teen Titans – Review: Switched

Starfire and Raven don’t really “get each other.” Star doesn’t understand
Raven’s repression, and Raven can’t deal with Starfire’s emotional outbursts. But when The Puppet King imprisons Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy inside wooden puppets and takes control of the boys’ bodies. The girls are going to have to understand each other — if they want to survive.

Review by Bird Boy
Media by Bird Boy

Titans Voices
Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
Scott Menville as Robin
Khary Payton as Cyborg
Tara Strong as Raven
Hynden Walch as Starfire
Tracey Walter as Puppet King

Now it’s becoming clear that Teen Titans is a very character-driven show.
Each of the recent episodes seems to reveal more about a character or characters. Switched uses the classic “switched bodies” routine to make us understand why Raven acts so apathetic and how Starfire’s powers are directly related to her cheery disposition. Also, it’s interesting to see the Titans using their powers on their fellow teammates.

Opening on Raven’s meditation, we catch her cleansing herself of the emotions we met last episode (I wish she had other magic words other than “Azareth
Metreon Zinthos” though). Starfire attempts to make conversation (“let us perform braiding maneuvers upon each other’s hair”), making the contrast between the two clear. It’s like night and day.

Later, the boys show up with the Puppet Master’s gifts. This leads to some funny commentary (“hello tiny replica of Starfire!”). Also, it’s interesting to note that each of the Titans is skilled at handling a marionette, something which few people can do nowadays. Obviously, the puppets only serve as a trap and the boys soon end up trapped in their replicas. Things get interesting when Raven and Starfire end up switching bodies.

As they try to escape their own friends, the girls have to learn to use each other’s powers. Unfortunately, Raven cannot summon the “unbridled joy” or “righteous fury” necessary to control Starfire’s body and Starfire cannot stop her emotions from running rampant with Raven’s powers. Not to mention they need to get used to their looks.

Starfire: “I’ll be stuck looking like this forever!”

Raven: “How can you stand having this much hair?”

As usual, the Titans end up victorious and in their proper bodies. Something positive has come from the ordeal, since Raven and Starfire understand each other much better now. They’re also growing closer as demonstrated by
Starfire’s willingness to meditate and Raven’s offer to go mall-crawling.
Because of the characters’ ability to change and influence each other,
Switched is a highly enjoyable episode and I recommend it to just about anyone.