Apprentice - Part 2

Apprentice - Part 2
Episode Number	013
Broadcast Number	013
Season	01
Original Airdate	October 11, 2003
Production Code	385-913
Guest Characters	Slade
Written by	David Slack
Directed by	Ciro Nieli
Chronology
Previous	"Apprentice - Part 1"
Next	"How Long is Forever?"

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"Apprentice - Part 2" is the thirteenth episode of the Teen Titans series and the final episode of Season 1. This episode is the continuation of "Apprentice - Part 1".

Synopsis

Now that Robin has become Slade's apprentice he must do whatever Slade tells him otherwise he will lose his friends forever. Robin and the others soon confront each other which leads to a fight, but when Robin refuses to fight Starfire, Slade activates the probes and shows him that he is serious about what he will do to the others: Will Robin figure out a way to stop Slade and save his friends or will he remain Slade's apprentice forever?

Plot

The Teen Titans look all over Jump City, but find no sign of Robin. They are soon alerted of the robbery of a high-tech thermal blaster, so they abandon the search and rush to prevent the theft. The Titans, with Cyborg as the de facto leader, receive a massive shock when they find out that the culprit is none other than Robin. Because they are too bewildered to fight, Robin easily escapes with the weapon.

Slade's new apprentice

Robin returns to Slade's lair and gives him the stolen blaster. Slade is pleased, but Robin is angry, and insists that Slade can't force him to be his apprentice forever. Slade rebuts that he can, unless Robin disobeys an order and provokes him to kill the Titans with his Nanoscopic Probes. Robin assures that Slade will eventually lower his guard enough for him get the trigger away from him, and once he does and the Titans' lives are no longer at stake, he will make him pay for what he's done. Slade actually seems impressed by this threat, saying that he and Robin think alike. This infuriates Robin, and he angrily attempts to get the trigger from Slade, but Slade easily immobilizes him. Slade then reveals that he monitored Robin's vital signs during the mission and found high levels of adrenaline and endorphins, revealing that Robin may have got somewhat of a thrill out of stealing. Slade lets go of Robin, and informs him that he will continue to steal and get that thrill. He then says that he may even become like a father to him, with Robin replying that he already has a father.

Back at Titans Tower, The Titans are still shocked that it was Robin who they encountered. Beast Boy speculates that he may have been either under mind control or replaced by an imposter, but both of these speculations are refuted by Raven, who sensed no traces of mind control, and Cyborg, whose scanners confirmed Robin's biometrics; it was the real Robin. However, Starfire refuses to believe that the real Robin would commit crimes and betray his friends, but Raven says that something must have. She also says that no matter what the reason or how much they dislike it, Robin is now a criminal, and like all other criminals, the Teen Titans have an obligation to bring him down, much to Starfire's dismay. Just then, the Titans Computer's alarm blares, and Beast Boy reveals that Robin is at large again.

Beast Boy's so-called theory of Robin's change of allegiance

Robin, equipped with the stolen thermal blaster, is seen inside Wayne Enterprises, ready to steal a device held inside. But before he can, the Teen Titans appear, and Robin runs away. Slade, monitoring Robin from his lair, informs him to go back and fight if he doesn't want him to kill the Titans. Robin then fights off and eventually defeats all of the Titans except for Starfire, who threatens to blast him. Slade orders Robin to use the thermal blaster to shoot Starfire, and he charges the weapon. Starfire, unable to bring herself to harm her best friend, stops charging, and informs Robin that if he is truly evil, he can shoot her. Robin lowers his blaster, also unable to bring himself to harm his best friend. Enraged that his apprentice is disobeying him, Slade triggers the probes, which begin attacking the Titans' blood cells and slowly killing them. Robin begs Slade to stop, and Slade replies that he will only if Robin attacks them with the thermal blaster. Robin reluctantly does so, right after telling Starfire "I'm sorry".

The nanoscopic probes activated

Slade keeps his promise and deactivates the probes before the Titans are killed. The Titans recover, just as Robin attacks again; after a short fight, the Titans corner Robin, thus provoking him to run away again. Beast Boy questions how Robin was able to use that "glow-y hurt-y trick" (the probes' attack), but Starfire informs him and the others that Slade was likely the one who was behind that attack. Back at Slade's lair, Slade is seen monitoring Robin's mission, and is elated to see that his apprentice is progressing very fast, and says that all he needed was motivation. However, Robin shows up and says "Motivate THIS!", proceeding to throw a punch at Slade. However, Slade stops him cold and throws him aside, proceeding to engage him in another fight (seeking to test his apprentice's combat abilities against his own). They appear to be evenly matched, revealing that Robin has indeed improved since their last fight.

Back at Titans Tower, Beast Boy is hooked up to the Titans Computer, and the sensors reveal that billions of Slade's probes are inside his and the other Titans' bodies. This makes them all realize why Robin has been committing crimes with no explanation: because Slade can kill them whenever he wants if Robin refuses to follow his orders. The scene switches back to Robin and Slade, and the two continue to fight. Robin seems to be holding his own, and eventually knocks Slade down, cracking his mask. Slade tells Robin he will soon be wishing he hadn't done that, but Robin rebuts that he wishes he'd done it sooner, proceeding to rip the S emblem off his outfit and throw it on the ground in defiance. This infuriates Slade, and he attacks Robin relentlessly, eventually managing to subdue him. Slade then reprimands Robin for being ungrateful that he has shared his knowledge and power with him and only caring about his friends, and threatens to activate the probes again for Robin's insolence; this leads Robin to surrender and agree to do whatever Slade says. Just as Slade praises Robin for obeying and requests him to call him "Master", the Titans appear, and Starfire shoots him with a starbolt, commanding him to leave Robin alone.

Another duel between Robin and Slade

Slade commands Robin to attack, but instead, Robin tells the Titans to leave, assuming they don't know about Slade's probes. However, they reveal that they do know, and don't care; they only care about freeing Robin from Slade's grasp. Slade gets up and activates the probes, and they once again start attacking the Titans' blood cells, slowly bringing them to their deaths. Slade commands Robin to attack his friends if he doesn't want them to die, but after seeing Starfire crying due to the pain and spotting the machine that controls the probes, he instead runs toward the machine and jumps on it, causing him to be injected with probes also. As the probes begin attacking and destroying his blood cells as well, Robin approaches Slade and presents him with a new deal: if Robin loses his friends, Slade loses his apprentice. Slade proceeds to destroy the trigger and throw it away, thus deactivating the probes and saving the Teen Titans from death. However, Slade, enraged that he has been outwitted, attempts to kick Robin, but Robin blocks his offensive and hits him away. He then commands the Titans to attack, and together they bring Slade to his knees. During the assault, the crack in Slade's mask is made bigger, and it breaks, partially revealing Slade's face. He then runs away, but not before ensuring Robin that he has not seen the last of him, as well as activating the lair's self-destruct sequence. The entire lair goes dark, and after Cyborg grabs the probe machine, the Teen Titans all make their escape before they are crushed by the falling rubble.

The Titans have been cured!

Back at Titans Tower, Cyborg has hooked the probe machine up to the Titans Computer, and successfully manages to extract all the probes from his and the others' bodies. Raven, completely out of character, suggests they celebrate since they just defeated their biggest foe yet. This makes Robin and Cyborg drop their jaws, just before the latter and Beast Boy suggest doing so with a breakfast-for-dinner feast, proceeding to start eating with Raven. Now alone with Robin, Starfire, to Robin's surprise and confusion, apologizes for doubting Robin and believing that he was evil like Slade. But Robin reveals that he doubted himself, and after all his time being Slade's apprentice, has learned how focused, serious, and determined he is, and that he and Slade are indeed somewhat alike. But he also points out that there is one big difference between them: Robin is surrounded by friends that care about him, while Slade doesn't have any to speak of. This solaces Starfire, and she and Robin join the others in celebrating.

Characters

Main Character

• Robin

Supporting Characters

• Starfire
• Cyborg
• Beast Boy
• Raven

Villain

• Slade

Credits

• Written by:
  • David Slack

• Directed by:
  • Ciro Nieli

• Starring:
  • Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
  • Scott Menville as Robin
  • Khary Payton as Cyborg
  • Tara Strong as Raven
  • Hynden Walch as Starfire

• Also featuring:
  • Ron Perlman as Slade

Trivia

The Wayne Enterprises logo on top of the building.

• Half of Slade's face is seen in the shadows in this episode. In the comics, Slade has hair that is white and a beard, but in this episode, Slade is shown to have brown hair and no beard.
• It is interesting that Slade had the chance to kill all of the Teen Titans at once, yet he passed it up. It may have been because Slade didn't want to be without a nemesis/adversary, or he didn't want them to be defeated so easily.
• It is unknown how Starfire knew about Slade possibly being behind the probes' attack. It is assumed that she overheard him wirelessly communicating with Robin while he was holding her in his arms, in the midst of the probes' attack.
• Oddly, Raven is the one that suggests having a party at the end of the episode.
• It is unknown how the other Titans located Slade's lair.
• In the comic Wayne Enterprises does not sell weapons due to the CEO being a superhero.
• This was the last episode to air in 2003.

References

• As Beast Boy explains his theories, he is dressed as Sherlock Holmes, complete with a lead pipe.
• Two references to Batman appear in this episode:
  • Slade tells Robin that Robin might come to see Slade as a father, but Robin says he already has a father. Right after, bats are seen flying across the scene.  Also, the music that plays sounds like Batman music.
  • The top of a building on which Robin and the rest of the Teen Titans fight has the fluorescently lit Wayne sign, and beneath that is the word 'Enterprises', suggesting that building is a part of Wayne Enterprises.
• The first comic book cover Beast Boy shows Raven and Cyborg has the title Static Shock, another show being aired at the same time by DC.

Errors/Goofs

• After Slade reconfigures the thermal blaster, he places it on Robin's right wrist. In later scenes, however, it is on Robin's left.
• Slade says his nano-machines can function for decades, but they are shown to live on red blood cells which only lasts several months.
• The orange part of Robin's outfit is on his left, and when he first turns around to look at the blank white screen from a back view, it stays correct, but it switches to his right when it shows the fake chronoton detonator and other events from the past, after his mission of getting the thermal blaster. Then it returns to his left after switching to a view of Robin from the front, with the screen now blank and white again.
• Whenever the probes are activated, the Titans' clothing changes colors as if it were affected, even though it isn't. It's likely that the clothes also changed color to show that the skin under the clothing they were wearing (and the robotic parts of Cyborg) are also infected by the probes.

Gallery

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Transcript

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