History Recap / TeenTitansS1E4ForcesOfNature

* DoubleStandardAbuseFemaleOnMale: It's apparently perfectly okay for Starfire to laugh at a mean-spirited prank that Cyborg pulled on Beast Boy, but when she becomes the unintended victim of Beast Boy's prank that was meant for Cyborg, she's entitled to be angry with him.

* BadPowersBadPeople: Discussed and defied. Thunder points out to Lightning that the Titans also have gifts like them, but instead of using it for themselves they protect others, something they should do too. Lightning points out that unlike the Titans, their gifts can only destroy, so how are they supposed to help anyone? Thunder admits that is true, but together they have one more gift, being able to [[ElementalRockPaperScissors make rain that stops the fire monster]]. Ultimately, having destructive powers didn't automatically make Thunder and Lightning evil, they were choosing to use them that way, just as chose to use them for good in the end.

* EasilyForgiven: Somewhat downplayed. When Starfire suffers a mean prank from Beast Boy (which was really meant for Cyborg), she calls him a "Clorbag Varblernelk", which she considers a harsh Tamaranean insult. In the end, after seeing how remorseful and matured Beast Boy becomes, she forgives him and calls him a "Milnip Wusserloop". Whatever ''that'' means, its likely less scathing than a "Clorbag".

* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: Soon after his encounter with Beast Boy, Thunder ends up going through this for the rest of the episode, eventually landing at face. Lightning, on the other hand, stays on heel until Thunder talks him out of it at the end.

* WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility: Beast Boy helps Thunder realize this, and Thunder in turn helps Lightning understand.

* EasilyForgiven: Somewhat downplayed. When Starfire suffers a mean prank from Beast Boy (which was really meant for Cyborg), she calls him a "Clorbag Varblernelk", which she considers a harsh Tamaranean insult. In the end, after seeing how remorseful and matured Beast Boy becomes, she forgives him and calls him a "Milnip Wusserloop". Whatever ''that'' means, its likely less scathing than a "Clorbag".

** Just because something is fun, doesn't make it right.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* BadPowersBadPeople: Discussed and defied. Thunder points out to Lightning that the Titans also have gifts like them, but instead of using it for themselves they protect others, something they should do too. Lightning points out that unlike the Titans, their gifts can only destroy, so how are they suppose to help anyone? Thunder admits that is true, but together they have one more gift, being able to [[ElementalRockPaperScissors make rain that stops the fire monster]]. Ultimately, having destructive powers didn't automatically make Thunder and Lightning evil, they were choosing to use them that way, just as chose to use them for good in the end.

[[Recap/TeenTitans Index]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E1DivideAndConquer 1]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E2Sisters 2]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E3FinalExam 3]] | '''4''' | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E5SumOfHisParts 5]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E6Nevermore 6]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E7Switched 7]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E8DeepSix 8]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E9Masks 9]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E10MadMod 10]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E11CarTrouble 11]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E12ApprenticePartOne 12.1]] | [[Recap/TeenTitansS1E12ApprenticePartTwo 12.2]]]]-]]]

** When Thunder tells Beast Boy that he and his brother are just having fun, Beast Boy points to the innocent civilians caught in the collateral damage and asks Thunder if he thinks ''they'' feel the same way. This creates doubt in Thunder about just how harmless his "fun" is.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Beast Boy calls Thunder out for causing all this mayhem while the latter believes he's doing it for fun. Right, tell that to the former when it comes to his earlier prank against Starfire. Eventually, he grows out of it to see how Thunder and Lightning are so similar with him.

* MonsterOfTheAesop: Beast Boy thinks his pranks are harmless until he realizes that the villains are using the same justification for their own actions.

Unfortunately, the episode fails to realize that by rights this should also include ''Cyborg's'' prank, which results in the story [[FantasticAesop directly comparing]] Beast Boy's attempt to nail Cyborg with a [[MundaneMadeAwesome glorified pie in the face]][[note]]Which is not indicated to have caused any physical damage.[[/note]] to millions of dollars in wanton property destruction, while Cyborg's earlier prank, which resulted in long-term humiliation and mockery for Beast Boy, is by all appearances perfectly acceptable. The resulting moral appears to be something like "Pranks are bad if Beast Boy does them."

** When Thunder tells Beast Boy the he and his brother are just having fun, Beast Boy points to the innocent civilians caught in the collateral damage and asks Thunder if he thinks ''they'' feel the same way. This creates doubt in Thunder about just how harmless his "fun" is.

* NotSoDifferent: Beast Boy found this out with Thunder and Lightning as he finds their actions are similar to his.

** Beast Boy has a variation of this when, whilst believing Starfire has been buried under rubble, realizes his prank [[GoneHorriblyWrong could've seriously hurt her and how she didn't find it funny, ''at all'']].

* EasilyForgiven: Somewhat downplayed. When Starfire suffers a mean prank from Beast Boy, she calls him a "Clorbag Varblernelk", which she considers a harsh Tamaranean insult. In the end, after seeing how remorseful and matured Beast Boy becomes, she forgives him and calls him a "Milnip Wusserloop". Whatever ''that'' means, its likely less scathing than a "Clorbag".

* JerkassRealization: It took him believing Starfire dying in the rubble to cause this on Beast Boy about his prank earlier.

** Beast Boy has a variation of this when, whilst believing Starfire has been buried under rubble, realizes his prank [[GoneHorriblyWrong could've seriously hurt her]].

! Tropes:

* MythologyGag: The mysterious old man who recruits Thunder and Lightning, who is secretly Slade in disguise, is modeled after Slade's appearance in the comics.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Besides the [[MarshmallowHell Marshmallow Heaven]] example below, Starfire calls Beast Boy a "klorbag varblernilk". Beast Boy responds with "I'm a what-bag?"[[note]]A popular insult that ends in "bag" is "douche bag."[[/note]]

Unfortunately, the episode fails to realize that by rights this should also include ''Cyborg's'' prank, which results in the story [[FantasticAesop directly comparing]] Beast Boy's attempt to nail Cyborg with a [[MundaneMadeAwesome glorified pie in the face]][[note]]Which is not indicated to have caused any physical damage.[[/note]] to millions of dollars in wanton property destruction, while Cyborg's earlier prank, which resulted in long-term humiliation and mockery for Beast Boy, is by all appearances perfectly acceptable.

* BrokenAesop: While Beast Boy's main problem in the episode is his refusal to apologize to Starfire when she accidentally falls afoul of his prank, it appears to rest on the secondary notion that Beast Boy pulling a prank at all is morally objectionable -- hence the MonsterOfTheAesop trope below. Unfortunately, the episode fails to realize that by rights this should also include ''Cyborg's'' prank, which resulted in Beast Boy's public humiliation and mockery by the team. Alas, Cyborg gets off scot-free.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Besides the MarshmallowHeaven example below, Starfire calls Beast Boy a "klorbag varblernilk". Beast Boy responds with "I'm a what-bag?"[[note]]A popular insult that ends in "bag" is "douche bag."[[/note]]

* MarshmallowHeaven: Beast Boy gets one of these when Starfire forgives him. ([[DownplayedTrope This is downplayed, of course]].)

* PartingWordsRegret: When he thinks Starfire died in the rubble during their fight against Thunder and Lightning, Beast Boy laments on how he should have apologized to her when he had the chance, instead of trying to brush off all of her anger with jokes. Fortunately for him, Starfire is alive and well to hear his apology from behind.

--> '''Beast Boy:''' Gifts don't make you special, just different. It's how you use them that counts.