Switched

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"Switched" is the seventh episode of Season One and overall the seventh episode of the Teen Titans series.

Synopsis

The Puppet King turns Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy into puppets and it's up to Starfire and Raven to save them. However, when the Puppet King accidentally switches their bodies they are going to need each other's help if they can rescue the boys and get their bodies back.

Plot

The Puppet King sends the Titans a cardboard box of five puppets resembling the Titans, which they take a liking to.

Raven remarks on the craftsmanship of her wooden likeness.

During that night the Puppet King emerges from his hiding place in the box and activates his controller, which has the ability to transfer the soul of a person into a puppet. This causes Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy to have their souls trapped in their puppets. However when the Puppet King tries this on Raven and Starfire, Raven uses her powers to stop the process, although their souls get switched and placed in each other's bodies by accident. They escape Titans Tower, with the Puppet King-controlled Titans in pursuit.

Raven and Starfire have problems using each other's powers, as Raven cannot fly or fire starbolts in Starfire's body and Starfire cannot levitate or use telekinesis in Raven's body. After they narrowly missed capture by a mind-controlled Beast Boy, they share with each other stories about their life and learn about each other as a person, in the hopes of understanding their respective powers.

Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy's bodies are controlled by the Puppet King.

After Raven and Starfire fully understand each other they rush to an abandoned theater, where they witness the Puppet King about to burn the puppets with the souls of the boys still inside. Raven and Starfire prevent this from happening as they steal back the puppets. The Puppet King sets the mind-controlled Titans at the girls, attacking them ruthlessly. When they are overwhelmed and the puppets reclaimed by the Puppet King, who is about to burn them, there seems to be no hope left until Starfire uses Raven's telekinesis ability to counter the brainwashed Titans. This distracts the King long enough for Raven to fire a starbolt, which knocks the controller out of the Puppet King's hand, landing in the fire which was originally intended to burn the puppets. With the controller destroyed the King loses the magic force keeping him alive and returns back to a puppet and the Titans have their souls returned to their bodies. The next day, while Raven is meditating, Starfire asks if she can meditate with her. Raven says yes and they begin their meditation. Together, they peacefully relax and meditate after a day's work. Raven then asks Starfire if they want to go to the mall together afterwards, just the two of them.

Characters

Main Characters

• Starfire
• Raven

Supporting Characters

• Robin
• Cyborg
• Beast Boy

Villains

• Puppet King

Credits

• Written by:
  • Rick Copp

• 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:
  • Tracey Walter as Puppet King (First appearance)

Trivia

• It's also noticed in this episode that Cyborg, Raven and Starfire have different colored souls than their actual colors in the opening theme while Robin and Beast Boy have matching colors: Robin is Red and Beast Boy is Green. Cyborg is White in this episode; whereas in the opening theme, his actual color is Blue. Raven is Blue in this episode; whereas in the opening theme, her actual color is Violet. Starfire is Yellow in this episode; whereas in the opening theme, her actual color is Orange. The colors of their souls from Puppet King's Magic puppet control is seen again in "Mother Mae-Eye" when the Titans are escaping from her killer gingerbread henchmen.
  • Ironically, neither Beast Boy nor Cyborg have Black as their color, despite their appearance. Beast Boy wears a black skintight outfit, completed with a metal belt, violet shoes and a matching fill color. Cyborg is black as he is naturally African-American.
• Even though no actual changes were made to the appearances of Starfire and Raven, the two look different when their bodies are switched. Raven suddenly appears weak and helpless, while Starfire seems older, more mature and looks more like Blackfire.
  • Beast Boy's Utahraptor form has no head feathers (also seen in "The Sum of His Parts"). The later episodes show his Utahraptor form has head feathers.
• Even though Robin says the person who made the puppets got every detail right, his puppet has a lowercase "r" on its costume instead of an uppercase one like his real costume.
• In addition, Raven's puppet wears blue gloves, whereas she does not.
• When Raven screams, her hair goes into the shape of a raven.
• Oddly enough, Raven and Starfire don't realize they switched bodies until after they jumped into the vent to hide, though it should have been obvious to them as both girls wore different clothing and their hair lengths were different.
• Starfire may have subtly revealed that she doesn't like the way Raven looks. Though it may be that she doesn't mind Raven's appearance, but just doesn't like the look on herself.
• This episode was one of the few times we see Starfire angry, when she calls out Raven's rude and pessimistic attitude. However, she quickly calms down and understands why Raven is always so down to earth cold.
• Beast Boy is Green; Cyborg is White; and Robin is Red. Green, White and Red are the flag colors of Mexico. Raven is Blue, and Starfire is Yellow. Blue and Yellow are the flag colors of Ukraine.

Continuity

• It appears that Starfire kept her puppet, since it appeared in "The Quest," while the puppets of the other Titans make an appearance on the wall in the evidence room in "Fear Itself," along with the Puppet King's controller.

Cultural references

• The roars of Beast Boy's Utahraptor form are similar to the T-Rex from Jurassic Park.

Title

• The title represents the fact that Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy's souls were switched into dolls, while Raven and Starfire's souls were switched into each other's bodies hence the episode title.

Goofs

• When zombie Cyborg gets back up, his left ear is human instead of metal.

Starfire and Raven a frame before they realize they have switched bodies.

• Starfire (with Raven's soul/conscience) was shown to have a navel when she says "And what?" This could possibly be an animation error.
• Right after Beast Boy says "You go, girls!", Starfire's eyebrows are out of place for a second. In addition, Beast Boy's right Arm is shrouded in fur when he’s fist pumping.

Gallery

Click here to view the gallery.

See also

Switched (Transcript)