Teen Titans S02E03 Review: Terra!

Teen Titans, Season 2, Episode 3: Terra

Terra is easily the best part of Teen Titans' second season, and really the only bad part about her is that she didn't show up more to build up the friendship between her and the Titans. We are introduced to Terra as this vagabond of a superhero, this cheery girl with the power to control the very earth itself. We get to see a softer side of Beast Boy as he swoons over Terra and ends up really bonding, which leads to a very heartwarming moment as at the climax of the series, Beast Boy ends up burrowing up to Terra and talking her down from creating a gigantic sandstorm whirlwind. Of course, an innocent comment from Robin (who figured out Terra's control problems by himself and not aware that it's a secret) caused Terra to run away, thinking that Beast Boy betrayed her secret, and Robin's apology to Beast Boy, who doesn't blame Robin, is heartrending.

The chemistry between Terra and Beast Boy, and the obvious romance blooming between them, is excellently done, and it's contrasted with the return of Slade. Having given up on Robin, it's obvious that his new target is Terra, and his one-on-one confrontation with Terra is excellently creepy. Despite Terra's exuberance and generally cute attitude, Slade knows more -- he knows Terra has caused earthquakes and avalanches and left only destruction in her wake, intentional or not, and Slade offers her the ability to control her powers, and that the Titans won't be able to do so.

Slade leaves Terra, but the damage is done. It's subtle, but planting the fact that Beast Boy would betray Terra's secret definitely is the catalyst to why she ends up running away from the Titans, and why she ends up sadly being strangled by Slade's plans and machinations. Terra's definitely the focus of Teen Titans' second season, this girl who wants to find a place of her own but ends up being trapped by Slade's manipulations. It's an actual improvement over the source material that I'll talk when we reach the season finale, but damn. I really like Terra's plot, yeah?

Other than the climatic and emotionally-charged moment between Terra, Slade and Beast Boy, the entire episode's mostly focused on the Titans getting to know Terra, with them just goofing around, Beast Boy trying to impress Terra (and his antics really worked this time around, a stark contrast to the more emotional scenes later) and that long training grounds sequence, it's a great episode that introduces us to this new character.

DC Easter Eggs Corner:

• Terra, real name Tara Markov, is the princess of Markovia and sister of the superhero Geo-Force. Terra joined the Teen Titans in circumstances more or less similar to her story arc in season two, though I won't say much here because of spoilers.