The 2003 Teen Titans cartoon from Cartoon Network is often ranked as one of the best superhero cartoons. Existing separate from Bruce Timm and Paul Dini's extensive DC Animated Universe, it followed the adventures of Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire as they protect Jump City from criminals and learn to live with one another. This allowed for plenty of dramatic moments that impacted kids and adults alike.
The show also carved its own identity thanks to its balance of drama and comedy. Many silly episodes are just as beloved as the dramatic ones thanks to their creative premises, memorable villains, and plenty of references for older audiences to enjoy.
"Mad Mod" (S01 Ep10)
The titans awaken to find themselves strapped to chairs within a school run by the British villain, Mad Mod. He intends to punish them for interrupting the plans of supervillains and leave their minds scrambled with his hypno-screens. As they try to capture the villain, they'll have to contend with a fun-house where nothing is as it seems.
"Mad Mod" blends a number of surreal animation references, including Scooby-Doo, Yellow Submarine, and The Thief and The Cobbler. The hypno-screens also reference A Clockwork Orange, which starred Mod's voice actor, Malcolm McDowell. The result is one of the trippiest episodes in children's animation, capped off by a song "K2G" by the Japanese band Puffy AmiYumi.
"Every Dog Has His Day" (S02 Ep02)
Feeling left out by his friends, Beast Boy heads into the city but is unable to find attention, even when he turns into a dog. That is until a passing spaceship mistakes him for an alien dog and abducts him. The other titans confuse the alien dog for Beast Boy and chase him around the city.
Following the emotional gut punch of "How Long is Forever," this episode stresses the importance of being there for your friends by paralleling Beast Boy's situation with an immature alien who doesn't listen to his dog. Both aliens are voiced by Dee Bradly Baker, known for voicing the clones in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and this is another chance for him to flex his talent. It's a nice pallet cleanser with some good slapstick before jumping into the arc of season 2 with "Terra".
"Date With Destiny" (S02 Ep06)
As the villainous Killer Moth prepares to unleash a swarm of mutated moths on Jump City, his teenage daughter, Kitten, demands his help. Her boyfriend broke up with her before junior prom, and now she wants Robin to be her date. Robin agrees, to Starfire's jealousy, so the other titans can track down and stop Killer Moth.
This episode combines petty teen drama with the extreme situations of a superhero show to deliver a great parody of both genera. The image of Killer Moth trying to calm down his emotional human daughter is hilarious, as is the fact that she is so petty that she'll hold the city hostage just to have her big night. It's also hilarious seeing the usually joy-filled Starfire give in to jealousy and become a literal green-eyed monster.
"Fractured" (S02 Ep11)
After failing to stop a biker villain named Johnny Rancid, Robin's pride and arm are left broken. This is seen by an alternate reality version of himself, Nosyarg Kcid, or Larry, who uses his magic finger to erupt from Robin's head to try and heal him. Unfortunately, Robin ends up breaking his finger in a scuffle, which also breaks reality.
This episode emulates the kind of stories a young fan might generate about the show, from Larry's hyperactive personality and fanboy attitude to the pastel colors of the fractured world. Then there's the visual comedy, which involves swapping mouths and voices and Starfire's head growing wings. Amidst the insanity, it still presents a nice message about picking yourself up after a loss and how our actions can inspire others.
"Revolution" (S03 Ep07)
Mad Mod returns on the 4th of July and hypnotizes all of Jump City. His plan involves undoing the American Revolution and forcing the citizens to become British. Worse, he uses his cane to steal Robin's youth and kidnap him, leaving the other titans without their leader.
"Revolution" somehow manages to outdo "Mad Mod" in terms of insanity and British references. This time, the animators and writers included a number of nods to Monty Python's Flying Circus, and jabs at British culture thanks to Mod's plan and his new redcoat robots. Yet it also has some good themes about unity and understanding history, which helps the titans to come up with a winning strategy.
"Bunny Raven... or How to Make a Titanimal Disappear" (S03 Ep11)
During a battle against the evil magician, Mumbo Jumbo, the titans get sucked into his magic hat. One by one, they are transformed into animals (or in Beast Boy's case, a lamp) and stripped of their powers. Now they have to find a way to stop Mumbo before he makes them disappear forever.
Everything about this episode is brilliant: the writing is full of tongue-in-cheek jokes related to show business, magic tricks, and animal puns, while the visual comedy ranges from surreal to The Muppets. Tom Kenny, best known as the voice of SpongeBob, steals the show as Mumbo thanks to his theatrics and catchy villain song. If that's not enough, you get to hear Tara Strong, one of the best voice actors in the business, voicing Raven in the body of a fluffy white rabbit.
"Don't Touch That Dial" (S04 Ep01)
The super geek Control Freak has broken out of prison and transported himself inside a television. While investigating, the titans accidentally get pulled into the TV world and chase Control Freak across multiple channels. His encyclopedic knowledge of TV allows him to outpace them, and the more this chase goes on, the more viewers around the city begin to succumb to brain-rotting electromagnetic waves.
This episode is a love letter to classic television and movies, with references ranging from James Bond, Barney, Leave it to Beaver, and Dr. Seuss. The idea of placing the titans inside all of these classic and modern shows is genius and offers plenty of chances for visual comedy. Plus, the ending spoofs how many sitcoms end with an obvious moral, which in this case is deconstructed by the characters.
"Employee of The Month" (S04 Ep05)
After failing to catch a flying saucer that's been stealing cows, Beast Boy decides he needs to buy a moped, so he won't get tired while flying. Since none of the titans will lend him money, he decides to get a job. After several failed attempts, he is hired by a new fast-food restaurant, which leads him straight to the unseen enemy.
Even the creative team admitted on the season 4 DVD that they might have gone a little overboard with this episode. This episode pulls references from pulpy sci-fi stories to Soylent Green, though with plenty of fun twists. It's also surreal to see Beast Boy working a job since the writers decided early on that the heroes wouldn't adopt civilian identities.
"Mother Mae-Eye" (S04 Ep10)
When the titans wake up hungry for pie, a kind woman named Mother Mae-Eye appears and serves them all they could wish to eat. She soon begins to make herself at home, treating the titans like her own children and re-designing the tower into a gingerbread house. Eventually, Starfire discovers that she is a witch in disguise, and must find a way to save her friends before they are eaten.
"Mother Mae-Eye," pulls inspiration from classic fairy tales and the works of Sid and Marty Krofft. It uses bright imagery of sweets and childhood nostalgia to mask a sinister undertone. This is reflected in Mae-Eye herself, voiced by the late great Billie Hayes, whose performance as Wilhemina W. Witchiepoo on H. R. Pufnstuf inspired the character.
"Revved Up" (S05 Ep09)
A briefcase containing Robin's most prized possession is stolen by Ding Dong Daddy. In order to get it back, the titans have to compete in a road race, where the obstacles include a gremlin pit crew and no flying. Worse still, other villains learn about the briefcase and join in the race as well.
While the villain is a little more on the simple side compared to Teen Titans' previous ones, the scenario is a lot of fun. The titans end up split among three different storylines, with the funniest being Raven and Starfire trying to pass themselves off as discount super-villains to board a villain bus. The mystery behind the briefcase also references the one from Pulp Fiction.