Of all the Titans, Robin is the one that should need the least introspection for the audience. His exposure, thanks to his Dark Knight mentor, has pretty much solidified his place in the American vernacular.

Most of us know what makes Batman tick, and by default that understanding rubs off on the Boy Wonder. This can be both helpful and hindering at once.

On one side of the coin, insight into Robin’s internal machinations helps free up valuable storyline real estate in each half hour episode. On the other hand, ignoring Robin’s internal conflicts can sometimes result in presenting viewers with a two-dimensional bore.

"Masks" delves right into two key relationships that have yet to be fully explored in the animated series thus far. First is the relationship between Robin and Starfire.

We all know that the attraction is there. "Sisters" set the ball rolling, and so far it has sort of sat in limbo, waiting for further attention.

Then Slade sends in some robotic goons to steal a high-tech microchip, and Starfire’s life is suddenly put in peril. Of course Robin is able to save Starfire before something seriously tragic occurs, but the incident sparks something inside Robin that ignites the exploration of our second relationship in this episode.

The implications of possible failure haunt Robin. He isolates himself from the rest of the group, dwelling on his failure to unearth Slade’s evil motivations, and the team chooses to leave their leader to his thoughts.

All save for Starfire.

Apparently during the time spent off screen, Starfire has grown to understand Robin more so than her other teammates. Her love for Robin drives her to attempt to comfort him, to which he responds, “He could have hurt you.”

It’s obvious that Robin’s time spent dealing with Bruce Wayne’s regrets have rubbed off on the young ward. He isn’t prepared to allow opportunities for the ones he loves to fall into danger’s path.

He clearly blames himself, and the more he dives into his work in trying to uncover Slade’s intent, the more we witness shades of the Dark Knight in the young Boy Wonder.

While Robin continues to research Slade, a mysterious new villain named Red X surfaces and ironically attempts to steal the same high-tech microchip that Slade was after.

This microchip must have some serious importance to have two different villains scrambling to possess it. The remaining Titans attempt to foil the strange new villain, but without Robin in tow Red X makes short work of the team.

The team is puzzled at their defeat because Red X exploited each of their weaknesses to take them down effortlessly. After successfully stealing the chip, Red X contacts Slade and suggests that they join forces. Slade doesn’t seem to trust Red X completely.

Anyone paying attention has probably figured out Red X’s identity by this point. Needless to say, Batman’s tutelage has taught Robin that understanding one’s enemy is the key to staying two steps ahead of them.

The final showdown between Slade and Robin clearly illustrates that there is much more behind Slade’s actions than the mere petty theft of high-tech microchips, or dismantling the Teen Titans.

Slade clearly has his designs on Robin himself, and like he has done with the team throughout the series thus far, Slade has been testing Robin’s abilities in this episode.

Perhaps Slade feels that he could possibly turn Robin over to the dark side. I’m sure Batman will have something to say about that, although I won’t be holding my breath for a Batman cameo in the future.

Bringing the focus of relationships full circle, Starfire once again exhibits her understanding of Robin in the final minutes of the episode, although her insights likely cause Robin more grief than good.

Starfire points out that despite Red X’s proposition, Slade still insisted that he work alone. Slade’s issues with trust seem to mirror Robin’s own issues with isolation. Rather than turning to his team for support when feelings of failure arose, Robin instead took the burden upon himself.

Simply put, both Robin and Slade have a lot more in common than one might initially think, and knowing the Boy Wonder this likely eats him up on the inside.

Seeing the subtle way in which Batman influences Robin’s action in this episode rates higher than any mere cameo ever could. His mark is all over Robin, and his influence sways the course of the episode and the group dynamic without him ever showing up at Titans Tower for a visit.

It also seems like Starfire’s understanding of Robin may run deeper than first impressions would lead one to believe. Time will only tell what kind of an effect Starfire will have on Robin, and whether he is able to learn from her as he has learned from Bruce Wayne.

Prior to this episode, one could argue that Robin had yet to be given the type of development expected from a character of his poise. However, after pulling off a homerun in "Masks," the production team behind the animated series has raised the bar for character development considerably.

I would like to see similar developments employed for both Cyborg and Beast Boy, both being characters whose depths have not even been scratched into let alone mined. They both seem like prime candidates for deeper character work, especially when referencing the Wolfman / Lopez material.

Next Week: Season One retro reviews come to a close with a Cyborg adventure surrounding a new villain named Overload and Cyborg’s brand new toy, the T-Car. Something tells me this isn’t the pensive exploration of Victor Stone that I’ve been hoping for. Either way, join me for a spin in the T-Car next week.

Mario Anima