While the hyper sexual assault rifle inuendo is indeed obvious, Raven’s cloak also serves as a shield towards the world, but also herself. She literally hides herself under this cloak, and the fact that Slade gradually strips it away from her as she tries to run away also shows that she can no longer hide who she truly is and keep running away from her destiny, but must face and fight it. It also goes with the whole « fight against fate » theme of her character and of this specific story arc in season 4, which is executed so well
Absolutely. Raven was literally and figuratively stripped of what made her feel safe. I think Slade was the perfect vessel to get her to realize her “Destiny”. Having a perverted creep/ terminator approach suited him very well too. His tone of voice too was PERFECT.
@@murrayvation yeah, I mean Ron Perlman did an absolutely stunning performance with the voice acting. The whole cast of this show was stellar, and he was no exception
Slade was always a predator he canonly dated had a relationship with and even married Terra when she was 14-16 and he has targeted multiple other damaged kids like Robin and Raven It’s crazy because he shows so many comparisons to many real life predators
@@Blackrosealchemist5 Yep in the comics he married dated and did it with Terra and in the show he’s shown to be very much like a real life predator going after broken kids
@@Blackrosealchemist5in the comics he was in a relationship with Terra. An underaged teen girl. Keep in mind that Slade/Deathstroke already has a wife and kids of his own
I think that portraying Slade Wilson as "pedo coded" is a genius way to adapt his Judas Contract arc without going into the actual pedo stuff. And it also goes to show that sexual abuse goes beyond the sexual act in itself.
I was looking for a comment about those marks, I think they are indeed very symbolic. Like how the act of SA can mark a victim and Raven got visually marked, eventually with the same symbol as Slade.
I kept thinking why at the end, Robin tells Raven that “You said something bad was supposed to happen. I guess it did. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it. […] But for now, you’re safe. You are here with friends. It’s over.” It struck me because he was talking like he knew exactly what happened, even though he wasn’t there, and Raven hid the Trigon marks from her friends. But then I thought: if you caught your friend falling off a building, unconscious and almost naked, what would you assume happened?
@@brianeatsualive The fact that they basically made him a pedophile in this series, and actually got away with it. Season 2's Aftershock 2-parter basically said that as well, especially when Slade said about Terra, "My control, her body."
One thing I haven’t seen people mention is the fact it’s on HER BIRTHDAY. I cannot emphasize how important that is. One thing I’ve heard a lot is predators waiting until their victim turns a “legal” age so that “nobody can say it’s pedophilia/grooming.” I highly doubt Raven turned legal, it says online she turned 17 in the episode but hot dayum the fact it was her birthday makes it all feel more icky
It's never actually stated in the show or by the creators what her age is, but CN posted a tweet that listed her as 18, and the comic that this story is adapting very specifically uses her 18th birthday as a catalyst, so it's safe to say it's her 18th birthday here as well.
That’s right! Thats always rubs me the wrong way! Cause that also reminds me of the rapper Bhad Bhabie who, once she turned 18, made an only fans and she made like a million dollars in a day! Like these disgusting old men didn’t even wait a few hours before subscribing to her and sending her money, what’s even worse is on some of her videos the comments will be flooded with tons of sexual comments that you can just TELL is from disgusting old men. I KNOW technically it’s legal but it just always rubs me the wrong way because you KNOW their counting down the days, minutes, SECONDS of when a girl will be legal so when their caught (not IF! WHEN!), they can say she was 18 so they won’t get in trouble cause there won’t be anyway to prove that their victim was groomed when they were under the age of 18
Slade stripping Raven of her clothes hit a little too close to home if you seen how he’s like in the comics. But in all seriousness this scene was always disturbing
@@CobraKaiCobraKai1 he’s a pedo in the comics when he was grooming Terra to be his protege he was also having sex with her I believe she was 15 at the time while he was at least over 40
This episode was 100% about SA/R, it's blatantly obvious: 1) Slade was pursuing Raven ON HER Birthday, "justifying" his actions 2) Slade literally stripped down Raven until she was only left with clothes on her chest and hips (literally sexual parts) also her cape which is a comfort item, exposing Raven and making her feel helpless 3) The marks on Slade and Raven actually have a double meaning, one is for STD which both "share" and the other one is marks of physical abuse 4) Ravens physical transformation is indicative of child's innocence being taken away, having to prematurely grow up just to cope with trauma 5) Slade creeping behind Raven and verbally controlling her isn't just inductive of physical/sexual abuse but also emotional and spiritual abuse as well 6) Raven hitting her limit when Slade got hold of her is indicative of r*pe taking place in the moment and child's innocence being taken away by force 7) Slade dropping Raven from the roof is indicative of a predator "discarding" used and abused victim 8) Robin comforting Raven is indicative of SA victims comforting one another and relating to them while hiding away their mental scars 9) Ravens panicked state is indicative of SA/R victims losing control over themselves and hiding away from their predator, only finding solace in friends/family
the fact that her hair growing in this episode made her look older than she was suddenly... the possible undertones of that rub me in the wrong way, having to grow up too soon
Iirc in the behind the scenes interviews, the creators said that they purposefully depict Slade as an adult - not a campy cartoon silver age villain - but an adult villain. And they think his appearance makes the Teen Titans look more … well, like teens, children. Which they are. So from his twisted, forced, paternal relationship with Robin and Terra, to his predatory behavior towards Raven, I think it was definitely meant to depict child abuse
For me, the Teen Titans episode Spellbound was the one (as an adult) I now find unsettling as it depicts Raven being in an abusive relationship with Malichor who gaslights her, makes her feel isolated from her friends and uses her. Raven in that episode is shown to also be emotionally vulnerable as she deals with feelings of loneliness and social isolation, something which Malichor took advantage of.
Yeah, after doing research into manipulative behaviors, I now recognize some of the signs. 1) isolation: getting her to stay in her room and keeping her from talking to her friends (physical and social) 2) becoming super close super fast: giving her the paper rose and calling her beautiful; making her think that they were the same 3) gaslighting: misleading her after she accused him of teaching her dark magic by saying that it was just misunderstood There may be more than that, but those are the only ones I can think of off hand. (and I just noticed that I basically just repeated what you said)
@@CinemaSongscovers Now that you mention it, yeah! That’s right! Emotional manipulation. Kind of reminds me of injustice and how Diana (Wonder Woman) manipulated Clark (Superman) after Lois died. He was emotionally unstable or vulnerable. That part of Superman and Wonder Woman makes me hate them so much!!!!
What I found interesting is when Raven Slade tears off her cloak, she didn’t run away but decided to fight back irrationally and afraid unlike her usual fighting style where she’s calm and collective. But backfire as she faces the truth more, this is one of the few Instances it tackles an adult subject matter of sexual assault, but done it very meaningful and dark.
yea and i gotta admit like he said in the video a lot of guys had crushes on raven at the time and still do she’s my favorite character because i think she’s cute and powerful too and seriously having her clothes be torn away slowly only adds to us guys wanting to crush on her even more considering that sexual assault is my favorite fanfic genre i probably liked her sexual assault scene the most im sure most of the guys who made it had a lot of fun in the end
@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 That's the funny part: Deathstroke was never intended to be a villain. In fact, after Terra dies, for the rest of the run, he's an occasional ally, though sometimes he asks them to help clean up his messes. Years later, starting really with this show, people at DC remembered his time with Terra and decided he should be a villain permanently. Different incarnations of the character can be villains or simply not sleep with Terra, but never be both a hero and sleep with Terra. And in Dark Crisis, he's even the big bad.
The most haunting part of the episode is how Raven is depicted to act at the top of the skyscraper. Her whole character is defined by her calm, calculated nature but here she is genuinely panicked and terrified. Kind of like seeing one of your parents cry as a kid for the first time, someone acting this out of character from what you'd expect leaves a strong mark.
When I was a child, I developed a parasocial relationship with this character at a deep, spiritual level. This episode made me feel validated when my evil junkie mother was the only thing that my family compared me to. They compared my behavior, looks, and interests to her all the time despite my protests. For many years I thought I was going to be like her. It was my biggest fear, still to this day, that I will wake up as my mother and do the same terrible selfish evil things she did, that I was destined to have my own children and treat them like animals, beating them the way she did me. But like Raven, and like Robin said, I had hope, hope to be different.
I never understood why this scene didn’t sit well with me, I knew it was physical assault in him ripping her clothes off, and it always felt even more disturbing than it appeared, but I never understood it was a subtext for SA until it finally clicked as I was watching it again. My brain kinda went “So that’s why I was always completely disturbed when I watched it”
It’s hard to sit through certain slade episodes as an adult since I went through grooming growing up. It hits different. Haunted will always stick with me too
What I don’t get is why she’s wearing a swimming suit? I’ve never watched the show but she looks 14 or something. She looks like a child and her uniform is a bikini.
@@Karlebow571 cuz he a beeeeetch. Lol kidding. I think it was a censorship thing because they thought it wouldn't be appropriate for kids to hear the word "death" in a cartoon. Then again , this show had moments that weren't for kids.
His assault on Raven puts his relationship and obsession with Robin in a darker light. Alot of people noticed Robin's ptsd symptoms and paranoia are similar to male SArifle victims who were groomed by older predatory men like Slade.
This poor boy, but yeah Slade is at the very least genuinely canonically a predator, maybe not in a sexual light (tho there are undertones of that) his entire goal and actions are to groom several children into doing his bidding as apprentices. That's predatory behavior.
@@misfits9294 Apparently there are comics where he literally dates and sleeps with Terra while she is in her mid teens, so in some canons he is explicitly a sexual predator towards minors, making the TT show canon where it’s more allegorically implied even more disturbing
This episode was, along with Haunted, one of the few that really resonated with me due to how disturbing it was. It for me cemented how serious cartoons could be when they really wanted to be. I never really associated what Slade did to Raven as sexual assault until I became an adult. But that’s essentially what happened and she was violated against her will. It’s scary how much Slade pursued her throughout the entire episode, and how scared Raven was.
Same I liked it for touching on serious dangerous topic, it felt dangerous scary and like there was no hope. It raised tension bevause for a kids show with super heros, super heros are meant to win. I remember it having high stakes more then once in the show not just this episode. I think thats what set Teen Titans apart from other shows at the time because it was more mature. I remember Ben 10 Alien Force and Generator Rrx having the same aesthetics and animation but it didnt come close to the story writing in Teen Titans no matter how mature it looked. I will say Ben 10 Alien Force looked promising for the first season but then they f it up i guess
Loved this show to death as a kid, and this episode always had a place rent free in my head. That scene of slade showing Raven the inevitable apocalypse was the most intense thing I ever seen outside a horror movie.
When I was little & being sexually abused around the time the episode was aired it made me cry. Raven is my favorite character in the series for a reason that I now know.
@@keiramassucci7952 i hope that whoever did the deed got caught…because having the feeling of both becoming a victim and having the one who afflicted his temptations towards you out in the open « consequence free »
One thing I hate about some DC writers is that they tried to ignore/retcon Deathstroke grooming Terra into she has daddy issues and he's not a creep. One of the best Teen Titans comics established that Deathstroke preyed on a teen girl, and writers treat it like the Dr Light twist in Identity Crisis. I think it's a good idea to make one of the Titan's villains someone who would prey on a child, and it's also a great way to show that even less powerful villains can be dangerous. Plus Slade's a father himself and he's manipulated his own daughter Rose into killing before (how well-written that story is, depends but it does demonstrate that Slade does manipulate children). Way too many DC writers and fans love Deathstroke to the point where they want him to be this anti-hero when his whole thing was wanting to murder a bunch of teenagers because his son (who also tried to kill said teenagers), failed and died in the process.
I’m gonna disagree on one thing regarding your argument. DC characters are retconned all the time and it’s not always a bad thing. Deathstroke can be a manipulative and self righteous bastard who grooms people to do what he wants, which makes sense for an assassin, but making him into an actual straight up diddler is just too far for someone who is meant to be flexible in his alignments. Slade can be absolutely evil but capable of doing good as well, and that’s ok because that makes him flexible in stories. My point is that Deathstroke should definitely be allowed to be a villain, but not to a point where he can’t be anything else.
@@channelswolfbrigade I see your point, and I agree with some of it, part of me simply hates how the retcon was handled. They could've just had it so that it never happened, but instead, they made Terra seem crazy. It really feels like the writers looked at all the ways abusers gaslight their victims and went "Okay, but let's rewrite the story so that this child looks even worse." I do think Slade being a creep does ruin some of his 'moral complexity', however, I'd also argue that repeatedly trying to murder teenagers for acting in self-defense, also ruins his 'moral complexity' especially when he targets Titans who had nothing to do with Grant's death. Part of the reason I want him to stay a creep is because (A) I feel it's an important topic to address, (B) they've already established it, (C) he already has a record of manipulating children, (D) it feels like other Titans villains are too forgettable to make creeps, or don't make the audience question themselves. Think about all the Deathstroke fans who overlook what he's done, it feels like people rationalize Slade, without bothering to stop and question if he's as noble as he pretends to be. (E) He feels like the most iconic Titans villain who could also be made a creep without making it feel unimportant (If you wrote Trigon as a creep, it wouldn't feel the same because he's just so supremely sinister and vile that it feels like adding on 'those crimes' would just be excessive. Dr Light was made a creep, but that resulted from a very poorly executed comic, and nobody really gives Dr Light the time of day. Deathstroke feels like that superficially cool villain that you can weaponize against readers to make them question themselves. This was a nice discussion, thank you for your time.
The episode was super creepy when I was a kid, but I never understood why. As an adult I barely remembered it, but seeing it again, it's really obvious now. I love the old Teen Titans and was extremely disappointed in the Go series. A little note that kinda reinforces the tone, is the last shot of Slade behind Raven, right when she screams "no" and ends the time-stop. That felt like a very direct reference.
You know what's interesting, the scene where Raven stops time and he screaming no when Slade is behind her reminds me of the movie Speak, with Kristen Stewart.
I just rewatched the episode before finding this and I actually have two theories dedicated to Robins role in this episode: Tw btw 1: Robin is an example of survivers of Abuse, SA, R@pe ect, and is willing to help anyone who was in his place. Many survivors of themes like that have made their duty to help the people in their place, I've watched many true crime stories to confirm this and most survivers do this. 2: Robin is the example of people who are there to help no matter what. Yes people like that could also be a victim of the abuser but they still are standing strong to protect the victim. Like in this episode, Robin fought Slade to protect the other titans especially Raven, he let himself be a target for Slade as Raven got away. Plus at the start at the episode when Raven didn't agree to the party, Robin was the one to ask her what's wrong, maybe referencing to friends or family who realised the victims of Abuse have acted differently then before, he says he wants to be in her head referencing to people wanting to help with survivers even if they say no. I am very on with the second one ngl
Absolutely agree with your take on this episode referencing SA. I do love this episode, and the really dark overtones and messaging are definitely hard to ignore. Hard disagree with that Reddit thread though, saying she only saved Robin because she was in love with him or whatever. Nah man, she saved him because he was the one in most danger of being killed by a giant gear, lol.
That’s what I thought until I watched this video that she saved him because he was gonna be crushed. But not I think it’s because she was just burned by Slade, aka bruising from the SA/grooming, so she naturally went to the closest person that would understand her the most, aka Robin, the person who ALSO was one of Slade’s previous victims (don’t forget about haunted, Robin’s major PTSD, him even begging Slade to stop and sounding like he wants to curl into a little ball to protect himself like he wants to cry)
Basically every dark scary and horrified episode that features Slades presence as a villain on the screen haunts me nigthmare fuels and literally gives me some cold shivering nostalgic waves of how Teen Titans episodes were definately darker and scary for us to watch.
As a kid that experienced abuse this episodes made me feel so many emotions but at the same time helped me cope with a lot. Even when Raven’s inner child needed guidance, it felt like she had lost her innocence or childhood because of everything that happened to her. She still had Robin to help her find her way and get through this dark phase.
This was all so incredibly disappointing to me. Mainly the part where he mentioned how some people got sexual pleasure from it. People really won’t stop sexualizing women. It doesn’t matter if they’re in physical and mental pain….some people like it better that way. It makes it even sadder when you know how she was born.
It’s so disturbing ngl, I mean hell people might be all “well she’s not a real person so it doesn’t matter” but like, damn if you can’t even handle a character, wtf will happen towards actual victims irl? It’s so disgusting and disturbing
Theres a category called ryona i think where gir Is get beat up and ppI like that genre because it turns them on. S in has no limits. The skys the roof.
This version of Slade is clearly a groomer. He seeks out teenagers to psychologically break and become his apprentices. Goes to show that someone doesn’t have to be sexual to be a groomer…and that’s scary.
Starfire is the only Teen Titan member that she doesn't have a season of character development for her redemption arc like the other teen titans having at least one season dedicated for their development redemption arcs and revelance to their respective storylines: Season 1: Robin Season 2: Terra Season 3: Cyborg Season 4: Raven Season 5: Beastboy
And to be honest, Starfire had subplot story arcs in Seasons 1, 2 & 3. Season 1, when her sister Blackfire came on the scene. Season 2, when she went into the future and saw her friends, when she had a big pimple. Season 3, when she fought Blackfire for the Throne of Tamarania, and when she had to deal with Valor for calling her a Troq.
As an older teen girl, when I was wayyy younger I was prone to finding all sorts of domineering fictional men attractive. And almost graduating, it is incredibly hard to see how mentally ill people are found “sexually attractive” and big companies like DC normalize grooming and the fantasy sexualization of kids and SA. I saw a comment that talked about how sick it is when a women is hurting and broken and all they need is help…only for people to disregard it and turn it into a sexual fantasy, it is disgusting. Now I’m not innocent, I’ve definitely had some fcked fantasies when I was in my early teens, but as a women growing up and having to realize I have to face this world on my own eventually, it is incredibly difficult, horrifying, sad, painful and disgusting how the world treats issues like SA and the representation of women. Thank you for posting this, it was disturbing but necessary.
As a child I did not understand the events and implications in this episode but I knew what slade was doing was bad I didn’t feel disturbed but I knew raven was being tormented Now as I am older I have a better understanding with what the episode was conveying
I don't necessarily think that the episode itself is about SA, but I think it's obvious the writers were using certain aspects of that topic in order to drive home the tone/story, even if it was subconscious. It also doesn't help that Slade is in effect a child predator even if you take Raven out of the picture
Agreed, I'd say child abuse and the dangers of getting involved with cults/the occult is more accurate. As sadistic as Slade is, he's still technically acting as a proxy for Trigon here, who represents both to Raven. That said, SA does frequently come into play in both so the imagery certainly fits and helps to drive the episode's point home regardless.
Considering I suffer from PTSD from my former ex wife, i know how robin feels, i was diagnosed with it when i was a teenager from seeing my dad beat on my mom. So thinking that something is there when it is not took me years to grasp and control with my weekly medicine. This episode HAUNTED and the episode BIRTH MARK really hit home for me. So thank you for breaking it down and making it easier for me to understand even though this series came out when i was 19, the exact year that my ra** happened when i was homeless. Years of therapy helped me understand that i am only human and some mistakes of bigger than others but you have to live with what happens to you even though in the grand scheme of things you cant change it or erase it.
Though he is Slade he isn’t but representing himself. Trigon “owns” him or his being if you will, just like he does Raven, in a way to think strictly about what she represents and not the fact that a male is going after young female in a (icky) way. Don’t think as much as Slade wanting to see her in that manner but instead showing and exposing her to her markings (reminder of her purpose/existence) which doing so weakens her mental stability which in turn effects her powers… Think of of her as a nun that’s the daughter of the devil and her body had words written on them the opens the gates of hell to release him. Instruments, that’s what she is, and more so Slade is so as Trigon referred to him as slave.. Robin was his fixation before Terra and then now his life that was lost is what he’s working towards now. But Raven, if we’re counting, she is the third victim of his this series compared to Terra and especially Robin. The way he “grooms” Robin with control and later Terra, his brutal nature he displayed seemed mild compared to the prolonged abuse on the other two. But is not about sexual hype but rather look at Slade as the epitome of corruption and control through manipulative actions only to for fill his plans of spreading his salt in the superhero “game” for dominance over that.
As a kid this episode scared me, it struck something deep within me. It’s feels like we, as the viewer, were witnesses to a sexual assault and could not do anything to stop it, while we watched. Like a testament to sexual assault IRL, many times the victim feels powerless because there was nothing to be done to stop or prevent the SA (I know firsthand how horrible the powerlessness feeling is. It seriously strips you down to your bare core. When I found out I got SA’d by my ex I felt like my life was meaningless). The viewer, after witnessing a horrible shock of events, is left with the same feeling of powerlessness, nothing could be done to protect raven.
I paused at 9:18 and noticed something that creeped me out. I was pacing back and forth in front of my TV and I swear Slade's eye looks like it's following you, taunting you even.
12:26 i honestly didn't think you'd mention the Zone-Sama p*rn parody. As you were talking about this birthday episode, and speculating the adult elements, i couldn't help but think of that dirty animation!
The Zone Teen Titans parodies really gave me a messed up idea of how sex was supposed to work, as a millennial boomer it really was the highest quality flash h*ntai out there at the time, but at the same time it was also the most r*pey.
@@Smfsableye aren't all p0rn are filmed r*pe?I meant look at the actresses faces or watch ex p0rn stars about their experience in that shithell,try to guess the reasons why they're so suicidal
Well Slade literally helped play a part in the apocalypse so it would be pretty hypocritical for him to have standards. Don't get me wrong Slade was beyond intimidating and this is one of the reasons why but as Robin is rightfully disgusted and distrustful of him he says: Everything you've done it's made people suffer." And Slade replies:" It's what I do best". I'm not saying what he's doing is right, Slade is completely menacing- I'm saying at his core: he's absolutely terrifying and manipulative, he knows it and he takes absolute pleasure in intimidating/ manipulating his opponents. He's no less evil than the Joker just the opposite personality
10:14 not even that she “gave up”, but that he broke her down. Tore away her shield (her cloak that made her feel safe) little by little until eventually she stopped fighting like she was hoping for it to..like for him to hurry up and get it over with. Thats the vibes I got from that scene, especially when he throws her off the building and Robin (someone else Slade used to be obsessed with and is one of his previous victims that knows exactly what Raven went through) catches her, he’s there for her because really in a tragedy like this he’s the only Titan that will understand what she went through, and he says “it’s over now” Also when Slade said “and..happy birthday” it felt like he was mocking her in some way, idk if I’m crazy or not but it felt like it, like he mocking her for what HE did, mocking her because not she’s of legal age or almost legal age too. Also about Robin being a victim too, notice how Robin, Terra, and Raven all end up with lesser clothes around Slade in some way shape or form. That was intentional of the writers idc what anyone says. With a show as deeply written as Teen Titans it was intentional. Like Robin when he was hallucinating Slade, that was clearly referencing PTSD and how during that at the end his clothes were torn up and he looked tired, AND ROBIN BEGGING HIM TO JUST STOP AND LEAVE HIM ALONE (Robin’s VA did phenomenal with that scene cause it sounded like Robin just wanted it to stop like he was suffering a bad nightmare (which he did, it became reality) like he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, and it sounded like he was crying too. And Terra’s new suit is just bandages, except for the plates that are covering her private parts (which is another thing groomers do, suggest you wear this or not to be nice until they start demanding you wear what they want you too, dressing them up like his little doll to fit his preferences. That one may be a stretch but I just want to mention it just in case it isn’t.) and by the end when the titans finally save her from his “clutches” her clothes are also ripped and just falling apart barring covering her too. And of course Raven’s clothes are ripped too. Also that seductive voice you said he has towards Raven, I think he had the same tone of voice when he was obsessing over Robin before he finally got “bored” and essentially “tossed Robin aside” to focus on his new target Terra, who he does also have that tone of voice with, but the difference with her compared to Robin is that he wasn’t “done” with Terra, she broke away from him, as another comment said he obviously did not like that and with Terra “dead” he took his anger out and preyed on Raven. Which is also how you can see how hard Robin is fighting Slade like he, as a previous victim of Slade, knows EXACTLY what’s about to happen and is trying his damndest to stop it, but to no avail he can’t.
i totally agree that this episode was a lesson about sexual assault and rape hidden. i remember as a kid seeing this episode and not only feeling bad for raven but seriously wanting to go into the show myself and try and stop slade from touching her plus in the comics this arc was based off of slade did actually rape raven
Raven was always my favourite character in the original show. Beast Boy was a close second (mainly because green’s my favourite colour which also drew me to Starfire along with a childhood crush as I’ve known a lot of girls, ones that I’ve had crushes on in real life that remind me of her). I don’t even know why Raven was my favourite, she just always was (for some reason as a kid I was always strangely convinced she was a boy but that’s neither here nor there, I have no explanation for why I even considered that thought, maybe it was just because her hair’s usually hidden by a hood). Maybe it’s because in most kids shows I always liked the grouchier characters over the more happy go lucky comedic ones, namely in Spongebob, Squidward was my boy. In recent years Raven’s still one of my favourite Titans, certainly my favourite female one but now because I’ve actually grown to understand the character more than I did when I was little. There’s just something really cool and interesting to me about a character who’s destined and literally born to be evil, someone who supposedly has no choice but to be that way but in the end is still able to and actually does end up making the choice not to be evil anyway despite supposedly not being able to make that choice because fuck destiny in the ass.
In regards to the episode "Birthmark", as a kid I honestly never got an impression of SA from the episode i saw it more as a demon breaking down the will of the victim through psychological attacks on the mind. As an adult though, i do see it as a metaphor or a type of symbolism for Raven becoming an adult and very unfavorable events do happen to women that makes them feel powerless. Although the "scene" from the movie "The Hills Have Eyes" is far worse as it made me feel helpless, and unable to stop it.
I just wanna say that I appreciate the love that this video has been receiving this past week. I never thought I'd see it blow up considering I (was and still am) very new on my UA-cam journey. Hopefully one day I can retell this video with better editing, pacing etc. Until then I hope you enjoy this part of Murray in his early stages!❤ NOTE: The music used in the video is the resident evil 1 safe room music. I found it to be very haunting but also very soothing. kind of like how this episode is haunting.
I'm gonna check out the rest of your channel after this, but incase you have not yet, I would love a deep dive on each individual Titan. Old Teen Titans was such a deep and nuanced show with each character fleshed out I loved it as a kid and now. Like you said cartoons these days just don't hit the same. And I can't even stand to think about Teen Titans Go they really ruined the show. Thanks for the great vid! Edit: You mention the show never really touches on her mothers assualt, but I think the entire episode is a commentary on that. Rather than lamenting the fact that her mother was raped the show uses Raven herself to symbolize that. Hence the reason this all goes down on her birthday, and she is 'cursed'. Like a commentary on children born from rape.
I watched this episode as a I’d multiple times and it is unforgettable. I may not have been able to understand it back then, and I get why people would get an uncomfortable vibe, but I just don’t think any sexual undertones were 100% intentional. At least not at a severe scale.
I will say its a very intimidating episode for what amount for Slade to be a message sender of sorts from ravens dad. I wondered at first if this IS Slade or not. Found it weird he sudden went to raven when he was focused on robin. It make me feel suspense and slight horror to be honest. Very well made episode. They succeeded at making you what they wanted out of that scene, hell the entire ARC felt unnerving and scary. It felt really good when it was over. I was so proud of raven.
Raven's father is a demon named Trigon the season 4 main antagonist and a rival to Raven and Titans by ending the world on fire in the 3 part finale episode _The end_
@@Sonicfalcon16 Definately my favorite and badass iconic moment from the entire franchise is when Raven defeats her evil demonised father Trigon at the very end of season 4 and her character development was a good pay off to end her redemption arc on a good high note.
Being a sort of victim of SA myself, the connection of birthdays is insanely creepy to me. My experience happened when I was 9, and I was threatened it would get work on my 10th birthday. Creeps certainly love birthdays...
Teen titans is one of my favorite shows/cartoons ever. My favorite character is Raven, I was always so drawn towards her. This episode truly terrified me as a kid and as an adult.
10:41 that comment is exactly what I’m trying to say! Raven could’ve went and freed each of the titans..but instead she chose to only free Robin. You can say it’s because they’re close, but by that time she was just as close to Starfire, but she chose Robin…..someone Slade previously preyed on…. Because she knew Robin out of any of the Titans would understand more than anyone, because he went through the same thing
I always saw the episode as kinda a metaphor for the darker side of puberty for girls/women, that more skin bein shown and clothes bein torn as slade keeps perusing her representing the autonomy being striped from these girls when they’re bein perused by older men and boys looking to take advantage of them, the whole birthday thing and her getting older and the hair growing is like the body taking shape, being more noticeable that she “isn’t a little girl anymore”, slade being behind her restraining her, as they’re on the rooftop and she can’t cover herself up, it’s almost like ur out in the open basically. I maybe the SA isn’t a reach but I definitely saw more puberty/grooming undertones in there.
I definitely remember watching this when I was younger and thinking "Should I be watching this?" I feel like this episode is certainly supposed to mirror her backstory, but also have Slade symbolically strip away her identity so that she will essentially become an object. She wasn't meant to survive that apocalypse. She was only ever made to become a portal that her father could use to escape. As dark as this episode is, I think it is essential for her character development
Saw your short related to this, loved that so dropped you a sub from that. Keep up the great work and I hope to see more Teen Titans deep dives if you want to do that kind of content!
It was an epic arc of Teen Titans but I do wish the other members of the team were involved more. We didn't even get to see how they reacted to Raven cloakless in her shredded leotard. I can imagine Beast Boy would have a very violent reaction to what Slade did to her considering what happened with Terra.
For me, raven was a character I saw myself in. My family always had some expectations and I was always different. Not like them. I was called unfun a lot growing up but then I got reminded of her. And now I’m 23 but am okay with how I am, unique and different.
the resident evil OSt really adds to the ambiance of your video essay. Its quite concerning how they allowed Slade's treatment of Raven on cartoon network. The undertones are insnaely umcomfortable. Id argue, this slade is the most menacing version of Slade outside of the comics (probablu more than the comics as well, considering he got 2 solo runs (one in the 90s, one the new 52....this man is a monster and he got a solo run,,,,eww)
Dawg, this video was just so fire. You NEED to talk about some of the darker episodes and darker topics of Batman: The Animated Series cuz there's a LOT of them
Yeah. I can see why this episode is touchy, then again other episodes like Haunted or Changes aren’t exactly a walk in the park either. When it wants to this show can drop the funny acts and hit really seriously.
this episode of teen titans is one of my favorites and one of the most horrifying i remember seeing it as a kid and being legit scared for the titans and the world lol
I need to admit that when i was rewatching teen titans after all those years and came to this episode... I felt incredibly uncomfortable the entire time watching this and sometimes couldn't look. After this episode was over it was really clear that this was symbolising SA, the most obvious they could get with PG rating
11:07 Everything you said was fine until this point, I genuinely think in the context of that scene, most normal teenage boys who simped Raven would have gone wtf or "I want to beat up Slade".
My top 15 best Teen Titans episodes: 1. Troubles In Tokyo 2. The End Part 1-2-3 3. The Apprentiece Part 1-2 4. The Aftershock Part 1-2 5. Haunted 6. Titans East Part 1-2 7. Profecy 8. Nevermore 9. Birthmark 10. Divide And Conquer 11. The Quest 12. Titan Rising 13. Final Exam 14. Terra 15. Sisters
@@omarcogle1965Not necessarily. Robin is not one of the two characters who literally went inside Raven’s mind. BB and Raven’s dynamic was far more developed and complex than with Robin. BB’s best character development generally came from episodes with his dynamic with Raven. The Nevermore episode and other episodes act as minor conflicts that represent the greater struggle to come. It is BB who matures because of Raven. He learns to accept other people’s preferences and also to show her he cares the best way he can. In doing so, he makes her feel validated for having the titans in her life and she learns to let him in. He encourages her to not shun her other emotions. He was then put into her situation due to his reckless behavior in the Beast Within. The final scene of the episode frames BB being in a darker area with Raven being in a lighter area because of what he did for her. But now that she is the one who understands BB’s emotions better than the rest of titans, they can now share this space together. One thing I do like about Raven’s arc is how we see BB turn into the Beast for Raven’s sake. Showing he has more control over it. BB’s feelings for Raven are linked to the Beast. This is clear in the narrative of the episode. I’m not saying Robin and Raven was bad, I’m just saying BB and Raven would’ve added so much more emotional weight to her season 4 arc. It would’ve knocked out two birds with one stone by completing two character journeys because their dynamic actually built up to this arc. What ticks me off about season 5 is that after they had Robin take BB’s spotlight in season 4, they used that as a way for BB to rob Starfire of a season focused on her. That’s how we got a messy final season that didn’t have the heart of BB’s journey as a hero.
While having BB being the one to support Raven in this arc would have been more satisfying, I still think Robin is still a good choice for Raven’s support. At first Slade is the one who was chasing and attacking her, and after the time and effort Robin spent studying and preparing to stop Slade, Raven probably thought that if any of the Titians could stop Slade, it would have been Robin. And also Robin is their leader, and I think he would be the one that any of the Titans would first go to for help or support.
@@ckorkoThat is despite the fact that Robin’s obsession with Slade has been his main character flaw. Having Beast Boy go with Slade to find Raven wouldn’t have been any less interesting especially since their confrontation in Terra’s arc and the fact that Slade talks about how he survived after she killed him. BB and Slade’s confrontation in Things Change also would’ve made more sense if it had been BB. But again, I am much more annoyed at season 5 than season 4. I still love Raven’s arc because of what it means for her character. I am just critical of Robin’s significance.
I never thought of this episode as something to address SA. But now that I have seen this video this makes a lot of sense why it is so dark. I do remember watching this episode as a kid but never interpreted as SA. I thought it was a Raven specific story to show more about her background. On a funny note, I know you search that ZTV shit up man. Don't lie. After watching this vid though, not sure watching that version is moral.... Good vid bro!
as someone who loved the show as a kid and then got into the comics in my teens, rewatching this episode after i knew her backstory gave a whole new perspective. i always saw it as raven and slade being a parallel for her mother and trigon. her mother was young, naive, and taken advantage of by a literal demon god and had a prophecy thrust upon her that she never asked for. raven is not exactly like her mother but she’s being abused by what’s obviously a vessel for demon, possibly even her father, for the entire episode, being constantly reminded and verbally abused about who she is and what her birth is supposed to bring about it’s a fantastic parallel and retelling of her conception that manages to both be sexual and horrific. obviously seeing this as a child and having no knowledge of either the comics or what sex was, it was no doubt going to be a sexual awakening for a lot of viewers, but knowing the backstory and true intentions, it no longer has that same impact as you know what it’s really supposed to mean
as a girl who suffered with sa, that episode made me SO UNCONFORTABLE and seeing people sexualizing it made me sick to my stomach. i really did see sa in that ep and, at the time i watched it i was also suffering with sa, so seeing people talk about how they think is hot makes me wanna die
I found it so gross that there is so much fan art about this devastating scene. And that some people enjoy watching these things is so sad, I can see why the creators wanted to shine some light on this topic but humans can be so inhumane and change the meaning of a real problems and make them a fantasy
@@fernandaisnotmyname2630 yeah, I thought people were really incentive towards raven and other sa victims in this, like, the dude said the first time he got aroused was by this... Just goes to show how disgusting men can be. About fan art, I think it's okay as long as it's respectful and not whatever the f these people are doing. Idk, this just really triggered me
@@jurupinga7282 I agree but it’s not just men, it’s can be anyone who finds fantasy in something horrible. And I think shipping fan art should be banned, most of it is just horny teens drawing sick pictures 🤮 Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some amazing ship fan art but there is rarely any good ones
@@jurupinga7282You really showed yourself. Being an s a victim is no excuse to blame all men and stop acting like you speak for all of the s a victims. Many of them use this stuff as a coping mechanism. I bet you think only men can grape.
I also agree but it's not just men who does it homie. I'm a victim as well but it's from a woman, and let me tell you it's horrible.. I wish you the best
I mean, the comics definitely take it to those extremes and have that happen to strong female characters. Raven, Gamora, several others with dark pasts faced such evils. This was a great episode and tackled the subject really well. It kept it vague enough to show that Raven is having her guard taken down, her "armor" peeled away to show parts of herself she is trying to hide.
I don’t rlly think this wasn’t NSFW as it’s just an allegory for these serious topics without actually addressing them head on, which happens all the time in kids media
Even when I was younger, the way he acted around Raven was creepy to me. And even when he was tormenting Robin, that was sus. Back then I didn't know the whole Slade grooming Terra thing...so now everything makes sense. The show obviously toned down Slade's interactions with Terra but you can still feel uncomfortable when they are alone in a scene.
I’ll never forget that feeling I had when watching this episode for the first time. Especially during the vision scene. I remember being so confused, I had no idea what was going on, but at the same time it made me feel really uncomfortable, and it scared me, not enough to make me tear up but enough to feel uneasy. Then some time ago, last year I think, I rewatched this clip on UA-cam and me being much older now, I was able to understand it better. And boy, was it uncanny, just how dark and mature the scene was. Just the part where Slade ripped off her cape, made me feel uncomfortable, more so now that I understand it better. Amazing how much your perspective changes when growing up.
Knowing Slade is a pedo in the comics made this episode and all his interactions with Terra extra creepy.
Does slade sweat in his suit?
Whatever, i love this villain.
Yeah I know. I was just as edited out as you were
@@Rexorazor what
@@devilmaycrysarockingdontcome he said **Ahem!**
“WHATEVER, I LOVE THIS VILLAN”
While the hyper sexual assault rifle inuendo is indeed obvious, Raven’s cloak also serves as a shield towards the world, but also herself. She literally hides herself under this cloak, and the fact that Slade gradually strips it away from her as she tries to run away also shows that she can no longer hide who she truly is and keep running away from her destiny, but must face and fight it. It also goes with the whole « fight against fate » theme of her character and of this specific story arc in season 4, which is executed so well
Absolutely. Raven was literally and figuratively stripped of what made her feel safe. I think Slade was the perfect vessel to get her to realize her “Destiny”. Having a perverted creep/ terminator approach suited him very well too. His tone of voice too was PERFECT.
@@murrayvation yeah, I mean Ron Perlman did an absolutely stunning performance with the voice acting. The whole cast of this show was stellar, and he was no exception
Why would they put that kind of junk in a ‘kids’ cartoon and be so graphic?
@@windywhistlesmlp2230 Look at most of the cartoons that were on in the 90s and early 2000s, they deep dived into a lot of dark territory.
@@windywhistlesmlp2230 because kids shows should have darker topics to teach kids
Slade was always a predator he canonly dated had a relationship with and even married Terra when she was 14-16 and he has targeted multiple other damaged kids like Robin and Raven
It’s crazy because he shows so many comparisons to many real life predators
Wait, what?! Was this in the comics or something?! I don’t recall this in the show, so that’s the only explanation I can think of.
@@Blackrosealchemist5 Yep in the comics he married dated and did it with Terra and in the show he’s shown to be very much like a real life predator going after broken kids
@@Blackrosealchemist5 Not married, he has a wife and kids, but he slept with her. Or at least he says "Does it matter now?" Seriously.
@@jonbrewer297 I know the exact scene in the comics you're talking about. When I read it as a kid, it reminded me why I fucking hate Deathstroke.
@@Blackrosealchemist5in the comics he was in a relationship with Terra. An underaged teen girl. Keep in mind that Slade/Deathstroke already has a wife and kids of his own
I think that portraying Slade Wilson as "pedo coded" is a genius way to adapt his Judas Contract arc without going into the actual pedo stuff. And it also goes to show that sexual abuse goes beyond the sexual act in itself.
Agreed
HAnime: Oh, look at what they're trying to copy the fraction of my power.
What makes the SA theory even more chilling is the red marks on her body. It's like they're meant to represent bruises.
I was looking for a comment about those marks, I think they are indeed very symbolic.
Like how the act of SA can mark a victim and Raven got visually marked, eventually with the same symbol as Slade.
Those marks are called the mark of skath they appear on trigons offspring and as a warning that they must end the world
@@zitadoeza Wait, does this technically mean Slade got “symbolically SA’d”?
Damn, Trigon! Calm down!
Turns out that the red marks on her body is actually Brazilian sign language. Who knew
Q
I kept thinking why at the end, Robin tells Raven that
“You said something bad was supposed to happen. I guess it did. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it. […] But for now, you’re safe. You are here with friends. It’s over.”
It struck me because he was talking like he knew exactly what happened, even though he wasn’t there, and Raven hid the Trigon marks from her friends. But then I thought: if you caught your friend falling off a building, unconscious and almost naked, what would you assume happened?
thats really deep fr fr
@@brianeatsualive It makes you really wonder what the creators were thinking when they made Slade Wilson for this series.
@@omarcogle1965 Yeah
@@brianeatsualive The fact that they basically made him a pedophile in this series, and actually got away with it. Season 2's Aftershock 2-parter basically said that as well, especially when Slade said about Terra, "My control, her body."
@@omarcogle1965 its so sad omg
One thing I haven’t seen people mention is the fact it’s on HER BIRTHDAY. I cannot emphasize how important that is. One thing I’ve heard a lot is predators waiting until their victim turns a “legal” age so that “nobody can say it’s pedophilia/grooming.” I highly doubt Raven turned legal, it says online she turned 17 in the episode but hot dayum the fact it was her birthday makes it all feel more icky
oh wow youre right, it did hit on the whole "pre order" shit people do .... hope more people realise it is actual groomer behaviour
In places like England, 17 is legal, so it'd count there to fit that allegory
It's never actually stated in the show or by the creators what her age is, but CN posted a tweet that listed her as 18, and the comic that this story is adapting very specifically uses her 18th birthday as a catalyst, so it's safe to say it's her 18th birthday here as well.
That’s right! Thats always rubs me the wrong way! Cause that also reminds me of the rapper Bhad Bhabie who, once she turned 18, made an only fans and she made like a million dollars in a day! Like these disgusting old men didn’t even wait a few hours before subscribing to her and sending her money, what’s even worse is on some of her videos the comments will be flooded with tons of sexual comments that you can just TELL is from disgusting old men. I KNOW technically it’s legal but it just always rubs me the wrong way because you KNOW their counting down the days, minutes, SECONDS of when a girl will be legal so when their caught (not IF! WHEN!), they can say she was 18 so they won’t get in trouble cause there won’t be anyway to prove that their victim was groomed when they were under the age of 18
Slade stripping Raven of her clothes hit a little too close to home if you seen how he’s like in the comics. But in all seriousness this scene was always disturbing
What is he like in the comics??
@@CobraKaiCobraKai1 It seems that he is a pedo in the comics
@@CobraKaiCobraKai1 Pedo
@CobraKaiCobraKai1
He slept with Terra, harrased broken kids. EVEN shared a bed and room with Damian Wayne much to the boy's dismay. Dude groomed him
@@CobraKaiCobraKai1 he’s a pedo in the comics when he was grooming Terra to be his protege he was also having sex with her I believe she was 15 at the time while he was at least over 40
Whenever Slade pursues a teen, they end up half naked by the end. Even when Robin hallucinated Slade, his clothes ended up torn💀
Damn slade goes for everyone huh
Yuck.
This shouldn't be funny but the way u phrased it made it impossible to hold back my laughter😹😹
Oh no… what have you done?!
Slade NSFW AI
This episode was 100% about SA/R, it's blatantly obvious:
1) Slade was pursuing Raven ON HER Birthday, "justifying" his actions
2) Slade literally stripped down Raven until she was only left with clothes on her chest and hips (literally sexual parts) also her cape which is a comfort item, exposing Raven and making her feel helpless
3) The marks on Slade and Raven actually have a double meaning, one is for STD which both "share" and the other one is marks of physical abuse
4) Ravens physical transformation is indicative of child's innocence being taken away, having to prematurely grow up just to cope with trauma
5) Slade creeping behind Raven and verbally controlling her isn't just inductive of physical/sexual abuse but also emotional and spiritual abuse as well
6) Raven hitting her limit when Slade got hold of her is indicative of r*pe taking place in the moment and child's innocence being taken away by force
7) Slade dropping Raven from the roof is indicative of a predator "discarding" used and abused victim
8) Robin comforting Raven is indicative of SA victims comforting one another and relating to them while hiding away their mental scars
9) Ravens panicked state is indicative of SA/R victims losing control over themselves and hiding away from their predator, only finding solace in friends/family
the fact that her hair growing in this episode made her look older than she was suddenly... the possible undertones of that rub me in the wrong way, having to grow up too soon
She was already 18, she cuts her hair.
@@rainofkhandaq6678 Not all 18 year olds feel ready for sex lol
@@missvanillacchi
That magnitude of stress also makes the victim/survivor age faster.
@@thestarfromyugioh but stress makes you look “older” like wrinkles and white hair not actual growing right?
Bro,Raven If it has long hair,She doesn't look older for me,and she looks much better with long hair honestly😅
Iirc in the behind the scenes interviews, the creators said that they purposefully depict Slade as an adult - not a campy cartoon silver age villain - but an adult villain. And they think his appearance makes the Teen Titans look more … well, like teens, children. Which they are. So from his twisted, forced, paternal relationship with Robin and Terra, to his predatory behavior towards Raven, I think it was definitely meant to depict child abuse
fatherless weirdo
Not to mention Slade is a confirmed pedophile in the comics
For me, the Teen Titans episode Spellbound was the one (as an adult) I now find unsettling as it depicts Raven being in an abusive relationship with Malichor who gaslights her, makes her feel isolated from her friends and uses her.
Raven in that episode is shown to also be emotionally vulnerable as she deals with feelings of loneliness and social isolation, something which Malichor took advantage of.
Yeah, after doing research into manipulative behaviors, I now recognize some of the signs.
1) isolation: getting her to stay in her room and keeping her from talking to her friends (physical and social)
2) becoming super close super fast: giving her the paper rose and calling her beautiful; making her think that they were the same
3) gaslighting: misleading her after she accused him of teaching her dark magic by saying that it was just misunderstood
There may be more than that, but those are the only ones I can think of off hand.
(and I just noticed that I basically just repeated what you said)
I despise Spellbound because of Malchior’s manipulation towards her.
@@CinemaSongscovers Now that you mention it, yeah! That’s right! Emotional manipulation. Kind of reminds me of injustice and how Diana (Wonder Woman) manipulated Clark (Superman) after Lois died. He was emotionally unstable or vulnerable. That part of Superman and Wonder Woman makes me hate them so much!!!!
You should touch on the Steven Universe episodes that features Jasper & Lapis, since it does touch on abuse in a Lesbian relationship.
@@omarcogle1965 I don't really see or keep up with Steven universe. But nice to let us know
What I found interesting is when Raven Slade tears off her cloak, she didn’t run away but decided to fight back irrationally and afraid unlike her usual fighting style where she’s calm and collective. But backfire as she faces the truth more, this is one of the few Instances it tackles an adult subject matter of sexual assault, but done it very meaningful and dark.
That's why DC Animation is the GOAT, because they don't shy away from tackling serious issues.
yea and i gotta admit like he said in the video a lot of guys had crushes on raven at the time and still do she’s my favorite character because i think she’s cute and powerful too and seriously having her clothes be torn away slowly only adds to us guys wanting to crush on her even more considering that sexual assault is my favorite fanfic genre i probably liked her sexual assault scene the most im sure most of the guys who made it had a lot of fun in the end
🤨@@Kurumithespiritnightmare
@@rizzwan-42069 hm
@@Kurumithespiritnightmare 🤨📸
Finding out about Deathstroke/Slade and Terra in the comics made this episode SO MUCH worse after a rewatch
I know right?
Many villains are just plain irredeemable
@@Seasonal-Shadow_4674 That's the funny part: Deathstroke was never intended to be a villain. In fact, after Terra dies, for the rest of the run, he's an occasional ally, though sometimes he asks them to help clean up his messes. Years later, starting really with this show, people at DC remembered his time with Terra and decided he should be a villain permanently. Different incarnations of the character can be villains or simply not sleep with Terra, but never be both a hero and sleep with Terra. And in Dark Crisis, he's even the big bad.
Deathstroke was using Terra to get to the Teen Titans. Did he ever sleep with her? The original Deathstroke was a soldier who saved women.
The most haunting part of the episode is how Raven is depicted to act at the top of the skyscraper. Her whole character is defined by her calm, calculated nature but here she is genuinely panicked and terrified. Kind of like seeing one of your parents cry as a kid for the first time, someone acting this out of character from what you'd expect leaves a strong mark.
When I was a child, I developed a parasocial relationship with this character at a deep, spiritual level. This episode made me feel validated when my evil junkie mother was the only thing that my family compared me to. They compared my behavior, looks, and interests to her all the time despite my protests. For many years I thought I was going to be like her. It was my biggest fear, still to this day, that I will wake up as my mother and do the same terrible selfish evil things she did, that I was destined to have my own children and treat them like animals, beating them the way she did me. But like Raven, and like Robin said, I had hope, hope to be different.
I feel this. My greatest fear is to end up like my siblings. But yes I have hope and I will keep fighting for a better me.
maybe you weren't beaten enough considering how you turned out
@@The-xp4xj projection.
@@rachelstout6186 i wasnt beaten actually, probably cause im not a haggard tranny
@The-xp4xj
Or she's just stronger than she was made out to be. Please be more sensitive to how your words can affect others.
I never understood why this scene didn’t sit well with me, I knew it was physical assault in him ripping her clothes off, and it always felt even more disturbing than it appeared, but I never understood it was a subtext for SA until it finally clicked as I was watching it again. My brain kinda went “So that’s why I was always completely disturbed when I watched it”
It’s hard to sit through certain slade episodes as an adult since I went through grooming growing up. It hits different. Haunted will always stick with me too
What I don’t get is why she’s wearing a swimming suit? I’ve never watched the show but she looks 14 or something. She looks like a child and her uniform is a bikini.
I find it funny how Robin spent season 1 trying to figure out Slade's identity when, well, that's his real name.
How come slade doesn’t call himself deathstroke?
@@Karlebow571 cuz he a beeeeetch. Lol kidding. I think it was a censorship thing because they thought it wouldn't be appropriate for kids to hear the word "death" in a cartoon. Then again , this show had moments that weren't for kids.
@@themaestro2572 that sounds stupid excuse
@@Karlebow571 you know what else is stupid? The ending to season 5.
You sound just like brother.
His assault on Raven puts his relationship and obsession with Robin in a darker light. Alot of people noticed Robin's ptsd symptoms and paranoia are similar to male SArifle victims who were groomed by older predatory men like Slade.
Wait until I tell you about Mirage some time.
This poor boy, but yeah Slade is at the very least genuinely canonically a predator, maybe not in a sexual light (tho there are undertones of that) his entire goal and actions are to groom several children into doing his bidding as apprentices. That's predatory behavior.
@@misfits9294 Apparently there are comics where he literally dates and sleeps with Terra while she is in her mid teens, so in some canons he is explicitly a sexual predator towards minors, making the TT show canon where it’s more allegorically implied even more disturbing
That must be painful
@@jonbrewer297 And Tarantula.
This episode was, along with Haunted, one of the few that really resonated with me due to how disturbing it was. It for me cemented how serious cartoons could be when they really wanted to be. I never really associated what Slade did to Raven as sexual assault until I became an adult. But that’s essentially what happened and she was violated against her will. It’s scary how much Slade pursued her throughout the entire episode, and how scared Raven was.
What slade did isn’t really sexual assault and Raven didn’t fear Slade, she feared her Father
Same I liked it for touching on serious dangerous topic, it felt dangerous scary and like there was no hope. It raised tension bevause for a kids show with super heros, super heros are meant to win. I remember it having high stakes more then once in the show not just this episode. I think thats what set Teen Titans apart from other shows at the time because it was more mature. I remember Ben 10 Alien Force and Generator Rrx having the same aesthetics and animation but it didnt come close to the story writing in Teen Titans no matter how mature it looked. I will say Ben 10 Alien Force looked promising for the first season but then they f it up i guess
Loved this show to death as a kid, and this episode always had a place rent free in my head. That scene of slade showing Raven the inevitable apocalypse was the most intense thing I ever seen outside a horror movie.
When I was little & being sexually abused around the time the episode was aired it made me cry. Raven is my favorite character in the series for a reason that I now know.
That's very evil that you had to go through that, I hope you've healed or are in a healing process💜🧡
I’m so sorry that happened. Who ever did that to you will go to hell
@@keiramassucci7952 i hope that whoever did the deed got caught…because having the feeling of both becoming a victim and having the one who afflicted his temptations towards you out in the open « consequence free »
Im sorry that u went through thta
Should've ran lol
One thing I hate about some DC writers is that they tried to ignore/retcon Deathstroke grooming Terra into she has daddy issues and he's not a creep. One of the best Teen Titans comics established that Deathstroke preyed on a teen girl, and writers treat it like the Dr Light twist in Identity Crisis. I think it's a good idea to make one of the Titan's villains someone who would prey on a child, and it's also a great way to show that even less powerful villains can be dangerous. Plus Slade's a father himself and he's manipulated his own daughter Rose into killing before (how well-written that story is, depends but it does demonstrate that Slade does manipulate children). Way too many DC writers and fans love Deathstroke to the point where they want him to be this anti-hero when his whole thing was wanting to murder a bunch of teenagers because his son (who also tried to kill said teenagers), failed and died in the process.
I’m gonna disagree on one thing regarding your argument. DC characters are retconned all the time and it’s not always a bad thing. Deathstroke can be a manipulative and self righteous bastard who grooms people to do what he wants, which makes sense for an assassin, but making him into an actual straight up diddler is just too far for someone who is meant to be flexible in his alignments. Slade can be absolutely evil but capable of doing good as well, and that’s ok because that makes him flexible in stories. My point is that Deathstroke should definitely be allowed to be a villain, but not to a point where he can’t be anything else.
Imagine wanting to keep a villain a pdf.
Self report 📸📸📸
Degen
@@channelswolfbrigadeThey just want to project their pdf fantasies and j_rk to it
@@channelswolfbrigade I see your point, and I agree with some of it, part of me simply hates how the retcon was handled. They could've just had it so that it never happened, but instead, they made Terra seem crazy. It really feels like the writers looked at all the ways abusers gaslight their victims and went "Okay, but let's rewrite the story so that this child looks even worse." I do think Slade being a creep does ruin some of his 'moral complexity', however, I'd also argue that repeatedly trying to murder teenagers for acting in self-defense, also ruins his 'moral complexity' especially when he targets Titans who had nothing to do with Grant's death. Part of the reason I want him to stay a creep is because (A) I feel it's an important topic to address, (B) they've already established it, (C) he already has a record of manipulating children, (D) it feels like other Titans villains are too forgettable to make creeps, or don't make the audience question themselves. Think about all the Deathstroke fans who overlook what he's done, it feels like people rationalize Slade, without bothering to stop and question if he's as noble as he pretends to be. (E) He feels like the most iconic Titans villain who could also be made a creep without making it feel unimportant (If you wrote Trigon as a creep, it wouldn't feel the same because he's just so supremely sinister and vile that it feels like adding on 'those crimes' would just be excessive. Dr Light was made a creep, but that resulted from a very poorly executed comic, and nobody really gives Dr Light the time of day. Deathstroke feels like that superficially cool villain that you can weaponize against readers to make them question themselves.
This was a nice discussion, thank you for your time.
It's like Slade got mad they removed his grooming of Terra and took out his built up pedo rage on Raven.
😂
@@moonlightprincess449 don't laugh
Raven's 18
@@itdobelikedattho8112 🤣🫵🤣🤣🫵🤣🫵🤣🫵🤣🫵🤣🫵
@@rainofkhandaq6678 So, she just turned 18, he is still a pedo
The episode was super creepy when I was a kid, but I never understood why. As an adult I barely remembered it, but seeing it again, it's really obvious now. I love the old Teen Titans and was extremely disappointed in the Go series. A little note that kinda reinforces the tone, is the last shot of Slade behind Raven, right when she screams "no" and ends the time-stop. That felt like a very direct reference.
You know what's interesting, the scene where Raven stops time and he screaming no when Slade is behind her reminds me of the movie Speak, with Kristen Stewart.
I just rewatched the episode before finding this and I actually have two theories dedicated to Robins role in this episode:
Tw btw
1: Robin is an example of survivers of Abuse, SA, R@pe ect, and is willing to help anyone who was in his place. Many survivors of themes like that have made their duty to help the people in their place, I've watched many true crime stories to confirm this and most survivers do this.
2: Robin is the example of people who are there to help no matter what. Yes people like that could also be a victim of the abuser but they still are standing strong to protect the victim. Like in this episode, Robin fought Slade to protect the other titans especially Raven, he let himself be a target for Slade as Raven got away. Plus at the start at the episode when Raven didn't agree to the party, Robin was the one to ask her what's wrong, maybe referencing to friends or family who realised the victims of Abuse have acted differently then before, he says he wants to be in her head referencing to people wanting to help with survivers even if they say no.
I am very on with the second one ngl
Absolutely agree with your take on this episode referencing SA. I do love this episode, and the really dark overtones and messaging are definitely hard to ignore. Hard disagree with that Reddit thread though, saying she only saved Robin because she was in love with him or whatever. Nah man, she saved him because he was the one in most danger of being killed by a giant gear, lol.
I always just thought that her relationship with robin was sort of sibling-like
That’s what I thought until I watched this video that she saved him because he was gonna be crushed. But not I think it’s because she was just burned by Slade, aka bruising from the SA/grooming, so she naturally went to the closest person that would understand her the most, aka Robin, the person who ALSO was one of Slade’s previous victims (don’t forget about haunted, Robin’s major PTSD, him even begging Slade to stop and sounding like he wants to curl into a little ball to protect himself like he wants to cry)
"Feels like Slade did a crime." Of course paraphrasing.
Did you except villains not to do crimes?
Courtney Mal and Scarlett of Total Drama As Villains: And I Took It Personal! 😂
Not all fictional villains are full fledged criminals.
Basically every dark scary and horrified episode that features Slades presence as a villain on the screen haunts me nigthmare fuels and literally gives me some cold shivering nostalgic waves of how Teen Titans episodes were definately darker and scary for us to watch.
As a kid that experienced abuse this episodes made me feel so many emotions but at the same time helped me cope with a lot. Even when Raven’s inner child needed guidance, it felt like she had lost her innocence or childhood because of everything that happened to her. She still had Robin to help her find her way and get through this dark phase.
Hope you're doing much better now 🙏❤️
This was all so incredibly disappointing to me. Mainly the part where he mentioned how some people got sexual pleasure from it. People really won’t stop sexualizing women. It doesn’t matter if they’re in physical and mental pain….some people like it better that way. It makes it even sadder when you know how she was born.
I know it's disgusting, disrespectful, and disturbing. People like them is honestly terrifying
It’s so disturbing ngl, I mean hell people might be all “well she’s not a real person so it doesn’t matter” but like, damn if you can’t even handle a character, wtf will happen towards actual victims irl? It’s so disgusting and disturbing
Theres a category called ryona i think where gir Is get beat up and ppI like that genre because it turns them on. S in has no limits. The skys the roof.
goobscoob
@@thecharredwitch And that she’s a child on top of it all.
This version of Slade is clearly a groomer. He seeks out teenagers to psychologically break and become his apprentices.
Goes to show that someone doesn’t have to be sexual to be a groomer…and that’s scary.
Starfire is the only Teen Titan member that she doesn't have a season of character development for her redemption arc like the other teen titans having at least one season dedicated for their development redemption arcs and revelance to their respective storylines:
Season 1: Robin
Season 2: Terra
Season 3: Cyborg
Season 4: Raven
Season 5: Beastboy
And to be honest, Starfire had subplot story arcs in Seasons 1, 2 & 3. Season 1, when her sister Blackfire came on the scene. Season 2, when she went into the future and saw her friends, when she had a big pimple. Season 3, when she fought Blackfire for the Throne of Tamarania, and when she had to deal with Valor for calling her a Troq.
I thought season 2 is beast boy season
@@Karlebow571 Actually Season 2 was a Terra Season, Season 5 was a Beast Boy Season.
I believe the next season was suppose to be her season on finding her brother. It sucks that it was cancelled tho
@@nataliawashington872 wait why tf was it cancelled?
How is "Hypersexual Assault Rifle" more ad-friendly than "sexual assault"?
I think because it breaks it down into two separate ideas but honestly he should just say "SA"
Amurica 🇺🇸🎆🎇🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅
@@PotatoDude09LMAO
ikr
this is just ridiculous
As an older teen girl, when I was wayyy younger I was prone to finding all sorts of domineering fictional men attractive. And almost graduating, it is incredibly hard to see how mentally ill people are found “sexually attractive” and big companies like DC normalize grooming and the fantasy sexualization of kids and SA. I saw a comment that talked about how sick it is when a women is hurting and broken and all they need is help…only for people to disregard it and turn it into a sexual fantasy, it is disgusting. Now I’m not innocent, I’ve definitely had some fcked fantasies when I was in my early teens, but as a women growing up and having to realize I have to face this world on my own eventually, it is incredibly difficult, horrifying, sad, painful and disgusting how the world treats issues like SA and the representation of women. Thank you for posting this, it was disturbing but necessary.
As a child I did not understand the events and implications in this episode but I knew what slade was doing was bad
I didn’t feel disturbed but I knew raven was being tormented
Now as I am older I have a better understanding with what the episode was conveying
At least Slade didn't sniff Raven's hair
I see what you did there 😂
As far as we know...
Frollo be besties with drake and slade lol
I don't necessarily think that the episode itself is about SA, but I think it's obvious the writers were using certain aspects of that topic in order to drive home the tone/story, even if it was subconscious.
It also doesn't help that Slade is in effect a child predator even if you take Raven out of the picture
Agreed, I'd say child abuse and the dangers of getting involved with cults/the occult is more accurate. As sadistic as Slade is, he's still technically acting as a proxy for Trigon here, who represents both to Raven. That said, SA does frequently come into play in both so the imagery certainly fits and helps to drive the episode's point home regardless.
This episode and the one where he made Robin have visions creeped me out
Considering I suffer from PTSD from my former ex wife, i know how robin feels, i was diagnosed with it when i was a teenager from seeing my dad beat on my mom. So thinking that something is there when it is not took me years to grasp and control with my weekly medicine. This episode HAUNTED and the episode BIRTH MARK really hit home for me. So thank you for breaking it down and making it easier for me to understand even though this series came out when i was 19, the exact year that my ra** happened when i was homeless. Years of therapy helped me understand that i am only human and some mistakes of bigger than others but you have to live with what happens to you even though in the grand scheme of things you cant change it or erase it.
Damn bro I'm sorry this all happened to you. I hope you're doing well today and that you've grown stronger. Stay safe dude ♡
I really hope you’re doing better now
Though he is Slade he isn’t but representing himself. Trigon “owns” him or his being if you will, just like he does Raven, in a way to think strictly about what she represents and not the fact that a male is going after young female in a (icky) way. Don’t think as much as Slade wanting to see her in that manner but instead showing and exposing her to her markings (reminder of her purpose/existence) which doing so weakens her mental stability which in turn effects her powers… Think of of her as a nun that’s the daughter of the devil and her body had words written on them the opens the gates of hell to release him. Instruments, that’s what she is, and more so Slade is so as Trigon referred to him as slave.. Robin was his fixation before Terra and then now his life that was lost is what he’s working towards now. But Raven, if we’re counting, she is the third victim of his this series compared to Terra and especially Robin. The way he “grooms” Robin with control and later Terra, his brutal nature he displayed seemed mild compared to the prolonged abuse on the other two. But is not about sexual hype but rather look at Slade as the epitome of corruption and control through manipulative actions only to for fill his plans of spreading his salt in the superhero “game” for dominance over that.
As a kid this episode scared me, it struck something deep within me. It’s feels like we, as the viewer, were witnesses to a sexual assault and could not do anything to stop it, while we watched. Like a testament to sexual assault IRL, many times the victim feels powerless because there was nothing to be done to stop or prevent the SA (I know firsthand how horrible the powerlessness feeling is. It seriously strips you down to your bare core. When I found out I got SA’d by my ex I felt like my life was meaningless). The viewer, after witnessing a horrible shock of events, is left with the same feeling of powerlessness, nothing could be done to protect raven.
I paused at 9:18 and noticed something that creeped me out. I was pacing back and forth in front of my TV and I swear Slade's eye looks like it's following you, taunting you even.
I tried it…that was…creepy
12:26 i honestly didn't think you'd mention the Zone-Sama p*rn parody. As you were talking about this birthday episode, and speculating the adult elements, i couldn't help but think of that dirty animation!
Yeah I can’t believe someone made porn of a sexual assault scene, just fucking disgusting people
that zone guy is weird about cartoon children
The Zone Teen Titans parodies really gave me a messed up idea of how sex was supposed to work, as a millennial boomer it really was the highest quality flash h*ntai out there at the time, but at the same time it was also the most r*pey.
@@Smfsableye aren't all p0rn are filmed r*pe?I meant look at the actresses faces or watch ex p0rn stars about their experience in that shithell,try to guess the reasons why they're so suicidal
I myself being a sexuall assault victim I understand what Raven went through and I think Slade's actions in this episode are completely unacceptable
Kinda the point no?
Creepstroke isnt meant to be a redeemable villain like Terra or Jinx. He's a monster, in the most classical sense.
Well Slade literally helped play a part in the apocalypse so it would be pretty hypocritical for him to have standards. Don't get me wrong Slade was beyond intimidating and this is one of the reasons why but as Robin is rightfully disgusted and distrustful of him he says: Everything you've done it's made people suffer." And Slade replies:" It's what I do best". I'm not saying what he's doing is right, Slade is completely menacing- I'm saying at his core: he's absolutely terrifying and manipulative, he knows it and he takes absolute pleasure in intimidating/ manipulating his opponents. He's no less evil than the Joker just the opposite personality
@DazeDewDrop no you're not. nobody ever wanted anything to do with you.
@MaeRose26 no you're not. nobody ever wanted anything to do with you.
no you're not. nobody ever wanted anything to do with you.
10:14 not even that she “gave up”, but that he broke her down. Tore away her shield (her cloak that made her feel safe) little by little until eventually she stopped fighting like she was hoping for it to..like for him to hurry up and get it over with. Thats the vibes I got from that scene, especially when he throws her off the building and Robin (someone else Slade used to be obsessed with and is one of his previous victims that knows exactly what Raven went through) catches her, he’s there for her because really in a tragedy like this he’s the only Titan that will understand what she went through, and he says “it’s over now”
Also when Slade said “and..happy birthday” it felt like he was mocking her in some way, idk if I’m crazy or not but it felt like it, like he mocking her for what HE did, mocking her because not she’s of legal age or almost legal age too.
Also about Robin being a victim too, notice how Robin, Terra, and Raven all end up with lesser clothes around Slade in some way shape or form. That was intentional of the writers idc what anyone says. With a show as deeply written as Teen Titans it was intentional. Like Robin when he was hallucinating Slade, that was clearly referencing PTSD and how during that at the end his clothes were torn up and he looked tired, AND ROBIN BEGGING HIM TO JUST STOP AND LEAVE HIM ALONE (Robin’s VA did phenomenal with that scene cause it sounded like Robin just wanted it to stop like he was suffering a bad nightmare (which he did, it became reality) like he just wanted to curl up in a ball and cry, and it sounded like he was crying too.
And Terra’s new suit is just bandages, except for the plates that are covering her private parts (which is another thing groomers do, suggest you wear this or not to be nice until they start demanding you wear what they want you too, dressing them up like his little doll to fit his preferences. That one may be a stretch but I just want to mention it just in case it isn’t.) and by the end when the titans finally save her from his “clutches” her clothes are also ripped and just falling apart barring covering her too. And of course Raven’s clothes are ripped too.
Also that seductive voice you said he has towards Raven, I think he had the same tone of voice when he was obsessing over Robin before he finally got “bored” and essentially “tossed Robin aside” to focus on his new target Terra, who he does also have that tone of voice with, but the difference with her compared to Robin is that he wasn’t “done” with Terra, she broke away from him, as another comment said he obviously did not like that and with Terra “dead” he took his anger out and preyed on Raven. Which is also how you can see how hard Robin is fighting Slade like he, as a previous victim of Slade, knows EXACTLY what’s about to happen and is trying his damndest to stop it, but to no avail he can’t.
i totally agree that this episode was a lesson about sexual assault and rape hidden.
i remember as a kid seeing this episode and not only feeling bad for raven but seriously wanting to go into the show myself and try and stop slade from touching her
plus in the comics this arc was based off of slade did actually rape raven
Raven was always my favourite character in the original show. Beast Boy was a close second (mainly because green’s my favourite colour which also drew me to Starfire along with a childhood crush as I’ve known a lot of girls, ones that I’ve had crushes on in real life that remind me of her). I don’t even know why Raven was my favourite, she just always was (for some reason as a kid I was always strangely convinced she was a boy but that’s neither here nor there, I have no explanation for why I even considered that thought, maybe it was just because her hair’s usually hidden by a hood). Maybe it’s because in most kids shows I always liked the grouchier characters over the more happy go lucky comedic ones, namely in Spongebob, Squidward was my boy. In recent years Raven’s still one of my favourite Titans, certainly my favourite female one but now because I’ve actually grown to understand the character more than I did when I was little. There’s just something really cool and interesting to me about a character who’s destined and literally born to be evil, someone who supposedly has no choice but to be that way but in the end is still able to and actually does end up making the choice not to be evil anyway despite supposedly not being able to make that choice because fuck destiny in the ass.
In regards to the episode "Birthmark", as a kid I honestly never got an impression of SA from the episode i saw it more as a demon breaking down the will of the victim through psychological attacks on the mind.
As an adult though, i do see it as a metaphor or a type of symbolism for Raven becoming an adult and very unfavorable events do happen to women that makes them feel powerless.
Although the "scene" from the movie "The Hills Have Eyes" is far worse as it made me feel helpless, and unable to stop it.
"Trying to strike a chord and it's probably a minorrrrrrrr"
“Say Slade, I heard you like em young” -Robin
I just wanna say that I appreciate the love that this video has been receiving this past week. I never thought I'd see it blow up considering I (was and still am) very new on my UA-cam journey. Hopefully one day I can retell this video with better editing, pacing etc. Until then I hope you enjoy this part of Murray in his early stages!❤
NOTE: The music used in the video is the resident evil 1 safe room music. I found it to be very haunting but also very soothing. kind of like how this episode is haunting.
It’s a well put together video W
Good video
I recently got it on my recommended so I decided to watch it. You did not disappoint. Keep making videos, pal.
UA-cam just recommended it to me today and I am glad I clicked to watch.
I'm gonna check out the rest of your channel after this, but incase you have not yet, I would love a deep dive on each individual Titan. Old Teen Titans was such a deep and nuanced show with each character fleshed out I loved it as a kid and now. Like you said cartoons these days just don't hit the same. And I can't even stand to think about Teen Titans Go they really ruined the show. Thanks for the great vid!
Edit: You mention the show never really touches on her mothers assualt, but I think the entire episode is a commentary on that. Rather than lamenting the fact that her mother was raped the show uses Raven herself to symbolize that. Hence the reason this all goes down on her birthday, and she is 'cursed'. Like a commentary on children born from rape.
DC: We can’t call him Deathstroke because we think kids are total cowards!
*Also DC:*
I watched this episode as a I’d multiple times and it is unforgettable. I may not have been able to understand it back then, and I get why people would get an uncomfortable vibe, but I just don’t think any sexual undertones were 100% intentional. At least not at a severe scale.
7:39 its a "Crown of Meat". A traditional Tamaranean birthday celebration item. as its apart of starfires culture
I will say its a very intimidating episode for what amount for Slade to be a message sender of sorts from ravens dad. I wondered at first if this IS Slade or not. Found it weird he sudden went to raven when he was focused on robin. It make me feel suspense and slight horror to be honest. Very well made episode. They succeeded at making you what they wanted out of that scene, hell the entire ARC felt unnerving and scary. It felt really good when it was over. I was so proud of raven.
Raven's father is a demon named Trigon the season 4 main antagonist and a rival to Raven and Titans by ending the world on fire in the 3 part finale episode _The end_
@@Anis_Marco27 I know.
@@Sonicfalcon16
Wow did we just become good friends because we love so much the classic series of Teen Titans that never gets old ?!
@@Sonicfalcon16
Definately my favorite and badass iconic moment from the entire franchise is when Raven defeats her evil demonised father Trigon at the very end of season 4 and her character development was a good pay off to end her redemption arc on a good high note.
Slade was the average raven simp/sexualizer for one episode. An absolute creep towards a literal child
Being a sort of victim of SA myself, the connection of birthdays is insanely creepy to me. My experience happened when I was 9, and I was threatened it would get work on my 10th birthday. Creeps certainly love birthdays...
Teen titans is one of my favorite shows/cartoons ever. My favorite character is Raven, I was always so drawn towards her. This episode truly terrified me as a kid and as an adult.
"Fat sex fathead" says Optimus Prime. Slade did this to raven in this episode.
i remember watching that ep as a kid thinking "why is that grown man stripping down a child!??!?!?"
10:41 that comment is exactly what I’m trying to say! Raven could’ve went and freed each of the titans..but instead she chose to only free Robin. You can say it’s because they’re close, but by that time she was just as close to Starfire, but she chose Robin…..someone Slade previously preyed on…. Because she knew Robin out of any of the Titans would understand more than anyone, because he went through the same thing
I always saw the episode as kinda a metaphor for the darker side of puberty for girls/women, that more skin bein shown and clothes bein torn as slade keeps perusing her representing the autonomy being striped from these girls when they’re bein perused by older men and boys looking to take advantage of them, the whole birthday thing and her getting older and the hair growing is like the body taking shape, being more noticeable that she “isn’t a little girl anymore”, slade being behind her restraining her, as they’re on the rooftop and she can’t cover herself up, it’s almost like ur out in the open basically. I maybe the SA isn’t a reach but I definitely saw more puberty/grooming undertones in there.
W dude I’ve been waiting for this one. Love you bro
❤️
I definitely remember watching this when I was younger and thinking "Should I be watching this?" I feel like this episode is certainly supposed to mirror her backstory, but also have Slade symbolically strip away her identity so that she will essentially become an object. She wasn't meant to survive that apocalypse. She was only ever made to become a portal that her father could use to escape. As dark as this episode is, I think it is essential for her character development
well deathstroke is canonically a groomer in two universes
It literally happens with Terra. Slade forces himself on her so this did not surprise me.
All I can say is poor Raven. She was my favorite character since I was 5
It gets more creepy with its fan made animation
Side note: I love how you use specific dualling colors for the background when playing footage. Nice touch.
This episode always made me uncomfortable as a kid, and even when I was older. I couldn't exactly pinpoint why. This nails it.
Saw your short related to this, loved that so dropped you a sub from that. Keep up the great work and I hope to see more Teen Titans deep dives if you want to do that kind of content!
“50 shades of Slade” 😆
W
When I was a kid I felt nothing sexual about it but nowadays yeah ok it's kinda gives me Nickelodeon vibes man
Eh, Nickelodeon is a lot more distasteful
@@godson8817
Because those kids were real in Nick's case.
I watched this when I was a kid and it disturbed and grossed me out so bad. I remember feeling so bad for her.
You're the one making her blush in the thumbnail
9:51 Thank you!!! Even though I didn't have the vocabulary to describe it at the time, as a kid, I felt his voice was sensual.
I was waiting the whole time if the 'thing' that starts at 12:25 would be brought up.
It was an epic arc of Teen Titans but I do wish the other members of the team were involved more. We didn't even get to see how they reacted to Raven cloakless in her shredded leotard. I can imagine Beast Boy would have a very violent reaction to what Slade did to her considering what happened with Terra.
For me, raven was a character I saw myself in. My family always had some expectations and I was always different. Not like them. I was called unfun a lot growing up but then I got reminded of her. And now I’m 23 but am okay with how I am, unique and different.
Nothing can beat the original series of Teen Titans!
the resident evil OSt really adds to the ambiance of your video essay. Its quite concerning how they allowed Slade's treatment of Raven on cartoon network. The undertones are insnaely umcomfortable. Id argue, this slade is the most menacing version of Slade outside of the comics (probablu more than the comics as well, considering he got 2 solo runs (one in the 90s, one the new 52....this man is a monster and he got a solo run,,,,eww)
Slade came back like William Afton
Dawg, this video was just so fire. You NEED to talk about some of the darker episodes and darker topics of Batman: The Animated Series cuz there's a LOT of them
0:14 that TmnT episode is dark 😳
Yeah. I can see why this episode is touchy, then again other episodes like Haunted or Changes aren’t exactly a walk in the park either. When it wants to this show can drop the funny acts and hit really seriously.
this episode of teen titans is one of my favorites and one of the most horrifying
i remember seeing it as a kid and being legit scared for the titans and the world lol
I need to admit that when i was rewatching teen titans after all those years and came to this episode... I felt incredibly uncomfortable the entire time watching this and sometimes couldn't look. After this episode was over it was really clear that this was symbolising SA, the most obvious they could get with PG rating
11:07 Everything you said was fine until this point, I genuinely think in the context of that scene, most normal teenage boys who simped Raven would have gone wtf or "I want to beat up Slade".
My top 15 best Teen Titans episodes:
1. Troubles In Tokyo
2. The End Part 1-2-3
3. The Apprentiece Part 1-2
4. The Aftershock Part 1-2
5. Haunted
6. Titans East Part 1-2
7. Profecy
8. Nevermore
9. Birthmark
10. Divide And Conquer
11. The Quest
12. Titan Rising
13. Final Exam
14. Terra
15. Sisters
How was troq not on this list?
Trouble in Tokyo doesn’t count because it is movie
I still think Beast Boy should have been Raven's emotional support in her season 4 arc and not Robin.
Maybe but I think for this one I made sense for Robin to be Raven's emotional support, since the have a psychic bond.
@@omarcogle1965Not necessarily. Robin is not one of the two characters who literally went inside Raven’s mind. BB and Raven’s dynamic was far more developed and complex than with Robin. BB’s best character development generally came from episodes with his dynamic with Raven. The Nevermore episode and other episodes act as minor conflicts that represent the greater struggle to come. It is BB who matures because of Raven. He learns to accept other people’s preferences and also to show her he cares the best way he can. In doing so, he makes her feel validated for having the titans in her life and she learns to let him in. He encourages her to not shun her other emotions. He was then put into her situation due to his reckless behavior in the Beast Within. The final scene of the episode frames BB being in a darker area with Raven being in a lighter area because of what he did for her. But now that she is the one who understands BB’s emotions better than the rest of titans, they can now share this space together. One thing I do like about Raven’s arc is how we see BB turn into the Beast for Raven’s sake. Showing he has more control over it. BB’s feelings for Raven are linked to the Beast. This is clear in the narrative of the episode. I’m not saying Robin and Raven was bad, I’m just saying BB and Raven would’ve added so much more emotional weight to her season 4 arc. It would’ve knocked out two birds with one stone by completing two character journeys because their dynamic actually built up to this arc. What ticks me off about season 5 is that after they had Robin take BB’s spotlight in season 4, they used that as a way for BB to rob Starfire of a season focused on her. That’s how we got a messy final season that didn’t have the heart of BB’s journey as a hero.
While having BB being the one to support Raven in this arc would have been more satisfying, I still think Robin is still a good choice for Raven’s support.
At first Slade is the one who was chasing and attacking her, and after the time and effort Robin spent studying and preparing to stop Slade, Raven probably thought that if any of the Titians could stop Slade, it would have been Robin.
And also Robin is their leader, and I think he would be the one that any of the Titans would first go to for help or support.
@@ckorkoThat is despite the fact that Robin’s obsession with Slade has been his main character flaw. Having Beast Boy go with Slade to find Raven wouldn’t have been any less interesting especially since their confrontation in Terra’s arc and the fact that Slade talks about how he survived after she killed him. BB and Slade’s confrontation in Things Change also would’ve made more sense if it had been BB. But again, I am much more annoyed at season 5 than season 4. I still love Raven’s arc because of what it means for her character. I am just critical of Robin’s significance.
Since Starfire was never gonna get her own season, she should have been Raven's support since Star is the heart of the team.
How this was allowed to air on a children's network is really weird looking back now.
I'm approaching 30, quicker than I would like to acknowledge
I never thought of this episode as something to address SA. But now that I have seen this video this makes a lot of sense why it is so dark. I do remember watching this episode as a kid but never interpreted as SA. I thought it was a Raven specific story to show more about her background.
On a funny note, I know you search that ZTV shit up man. Don't lie. After watching this vid though, not sure watching that version is moral....
Good vid bro!
as someone who loved the show as a kid and then got into the comics in my teens, rewatching this episode after i knew her backstory gave a whole new perspective. i always saw it as raven and slade being a parallel for her mother and trigon. her mother was young, naive, and taken advantage of by a literal demon god and had a prophecy thrust upon her that she never asked for. raven is not exactly like her mother but she’s being abused by what’s obviously a vessel for demon, possibly even her father, for the entire episode, being constantly reminded and verbally abused about who she is and what her birth is supposed to bring about
it’s a fantastic parallel and retelling of her conception that manages to both be sexual and horrific. obviously seeing this as a child and having no knowledge of either the comics or what sex was, it was no doubt going to be a sexual awakening for a lot of viewers, but knowing the backstory and true intentions, it no longer has that same impact as you know what it’s really supposed to mean
as a girl who suffered with sa, that episode made me SO UNCONFORTABLE and seeing people sexualizing it made me sick to my stomach. i really did see sa in that ep and, at the time i watched it i was also suffering with sa, so seeing people talk about how they think is hot makes me wanna die
I found it so gross that there is so much fan art about this devastating scene. And that some people enjoy watching these things is so sad, I can see why the creators wanted to shine some light on this topic but humans can be so inhumane and change the meaning of a real problems and make them a fantasy
@@fernandaisnotmyname2630 yeah, I thought people were really incentive towards raven and other sa victims in this, like, the dude said the first time he got aroused was by this... Just goes to show how disgusting men can be. About fan art, I think it's okay as long as it's respectful and not whatever the f these people are doing. Idk, this just really triggered me
@@jurupinga7282 I agree but it’s not just men, it’s can be anyone who finds fantasy in something horrible. And I think shipping fan art should be banned, most of it is just horny teens drawing sick pictures 🤮
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some amazing ship fan art but there is rarely any good ones
@@jurupinga7282You really showed yourself. Being an s a victim is no excuse to blame all men and stop acting like you speak for all of the s a victims. Many of them use this stuff as a coping mechanism. I bet you think only men can grape.
I also agree but it's not just men who does it homie. I'm a victim as well but it's from a woman, and let me tell you it's horrible..
I wish you the best
I mean, the comics definitely take it to those extremes and have that happen to strong female characters. Raven, Gamora, several others with dark pasts faced such evils.
This was a great episode and tackled the subject really well. It kept it vague enough to show that Raven is having her guard taken down, her "armor" peeled away to show parts of herself she is trying to hide.
I don’t rlly think this wasn’t NSFW as it’s just an allegory for these serious topics without actually addressing them head on, which happens all the time in kids media
Even when I was younger, the way he acted around Raven was creepy to me. And even when he was tormenting Robin, that was sus. Back then I didn't know the whole Slade grooming Terra thing...so now everything makes sense. The show obviously toned down Slade's interactions with Terra but you can still feel uncomfortable when they are alone in a scene.
This is why my parents made me grow up with Disney
I’ll never forget that feeling I had when watching this episode for the first time. Especially during the vision scene. I remember being so confused, I had no idea what was going on, but at the same time it made me feel really uncomfortable, and it scared me, not enough to make me tear up but enough to feel uneasy. Then some time ago, last year I think, I rewatched this clip on UA-cam and me being much older now, I was able to understand it better. And boy, was it uncanny, just how dark and mature the scene was.
Just the part where Slade ripped off her cape, made me feel uncomfortable, more so now that I understand it better. Amazing how much your perspective changes when growing up.