Teen Titans

In this episode, written by former Impulse comic writer and occasional Teen Titans episode writer Dwayne McDuffie, we are introduced to a villain named Control Freak. McDuffie has said that he created Control Freak during his work on Impulse, but never got around to using him in the series.

Here he turns up in a stint that is miniscule, but hilarious nonetheless. Control Freak is a super villain seemingly obsessed with one thing, and one thing only: Invading corporate video store franchises and using his super powered remote to force the clerks to add his favorite obscure films and B-movies to their top ten recommended rentals list.

Yes you guessed it, Control Freak's secret identity can only be that of fanboy extraordinaire, Harry Knowles.

Imagine any film geek, myself included, who has tried to force countless little known titles down your throat all the while insisting with great fervor that they are the greatest cinematic achievement to ever grace the silver screen and you are about the fourth of the way there.

Add to the mix a remote control that turns inanimate objects such as cash registers, video displays, and cardboard film advertisements to life with serious aggression problems and you've just about rounded out the extent of Control Freak's character.

The funniest part is, his only goal is to get notoriety for lesser-known films that do not measure up to blockbuster Hollywood films. He could be seeking financial gain or even be bent on destroying the Titans for whatever reason, but instead he just really loves his films.

Although McDuffie may not admit it, or maybe he would since I've never interviewed him to find out, it seems painfully obvious that Knowles was the inspiration for this entirely absurd villain. Not to imply that his presence isn't entertaining, but Control Freak's "attack" is an excellent way to segue into a far simpler plotline that surrounds a movie night for the Titans at home in the Tower.

Beast Boy discovers that "Wicked Scary" has been released on DVD and insists that the team screen the film, which he claims is the scariest film in existence. Apparently the film is supposedly cursed, in perhaps a reference to The Ring, and viewers are haunted following the screening.

Ever the skeptic, Raven remains assured that she will not be scared, as she insists that she doesn't "do fear." As expected, after screening the film, Raven appears to be shaken up slightly, but decides to hide her fears from her teammates. Subsequently, the Tower loses power, and the creatures from the film show up and start picking off each Titan one by one.

This episode is fairly lighthearted and fun, providing a few thrilling moments in the darkened tower. Seeing the Titan "trophy room" was an interesting addition, which illustrates that Batman's tutelage has affected Robin in more ways than one.

One of the themes for the series thus far has been the reoccurring struggle with hubris. Everyone has issues with pride, and this comes up time and time again in the teenage years. The Titans are no strangers to the downsides associated with pride, but this is one of the first times that we've seen Raven struggle with this issue herself.

As it turns out, the film affected Raven and her failure to admit her fear has caused her to become emotionally unstable. Anyone familiar with the comics knows that Raven was always at odds with battling the evil that resided within her.

Being the offspring of Trigon the Terrible, Raven had to train herself to remain emotionless, as any fluctuation in emotion would allow the evil contained within to grow stronger, and possibly eventually take control of her.

Of course, as it happens Raven's fear from the film allowed the creatures to appear and haunt the tower during a rainstorm. Robin explains that because Raven refused to admit her fears, they manifested themselves in the creatures that appeared.

As we all know, the first step to getting help is admitting the problem in the first place. Sometimes it's better just to admit that you're scared rather then try to hide your fear from your friends.

All in all, this episode serves as a slight reminder to Raven's complex dark side. Although utterly trite as far as furthering along the Titan series in the end, the episode is entertaining and original. Control Freak was great; although he makes a great comical villain, he would never really measure up to any of Slade's rogues.

Next Week: Nevermore, which gives the team a deeper look into the complex spawn of Trigon, Raven! See you then!

Mario Anima