"HIVE, go!"
Tired of losing to the H.I.V.E. Five every year, the Titans hatch a scheme to win the costume contest.Tropes:
- Bedsheet Ghost: The Titans get scared by a glowing green ghost before Beast Boy points out that it’s just a sheet on a rope with a tape recorder underneath.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: As the two groups are about to fight each other, Robin and Gizmo trade catchphrases, saying “HIVE, go!” and “Titans, go!” respectively.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Cyborg lampshades Mammoth’s frequent lack of lines when he’s impersonating him:Cyborg: Grrr. I’m Mammoth. I don’t really talk on this show.
- Cheaters Never Prosper: Subverted. Both groups end up cheating to try to win the costume contest (though the Titans did it first). One would think that the episode would end with neither group winning, however Birdarang actually announces that both groups won first place - resulting in a Win-Win Ending.
- Combining Mecha: The HIVE’s Halloween costume involves each of the pieces joining together in this way to create an entire miniature theme park.
- Company Cross References: One of the sketches Robin shows for Halloween costume options is of the Suicide Squad with Robin as the Joker, Starfire as Harley Quinn, Beast Boy as Killer Croc, Cyborg as Deadshot, and Raven as Katana.
- Continuity Nod: This is the third episode where Birdarang has hosted an event, with the first being the Justice League's talent competition in "Justice League's Next Top Talent Idol Star", and then the Titans' Teen Titans Awards in "The Academy”.
- Dance Party Ending: After both groups are announced as the winners of the costume contest, the episode ends with everyone dancing together.
- Halloween Episode: The Titans are determined to win this year’s Halloween costume contest against the HIVE.
- Haunted House: HIVE Tower is portrayed as one with creepy bugs, scary statues, and a Portrait Painting Peephole of Brother Blood.
- Heist Episode: The Titans break into HIVE Tower and brave their scary Halloween decorations in order to steal their clothes to use as costumes.
- It's Probably Nothing: Cyborg’s reaction when they hear what is clearly a creepy laugh coming from somewhere in the HIVE Tower.Cyborg: It’s probably just the wind!
- Jump Scare: The Titans get a video call and, at first, it doesn’t seem like anyone is there. Then the HIVE jumps up and yells “Boo!”, scaring the Titans.
- Mad Libs Catchphrase: A Running Gag throughout the episode.
- When the Titans are about to start making their Halloween costumes, Robin yells “Titans, sew!”.
- When the Titans are about to go to HIVE Tower to steal the villains’ clothes, Robin yells “Titans, steal!”.
- When the Titans are about to destroy the HIVE’s costumes, Robin yells “Titans, cheat!”.
- Medium-Shift Gag: Realistic pictures of candy, decorations, and kids in costumes appear in the background when the Titans are talking about what they love about Halloween.
- Mirror Match: The Titans each fight the member of the HIVE whose costume they’re wearing.
- Ominous Fog: Played for laughs. The Titans freak out when they see clouds of fog moving towards them while they’re inside the HIVE Tower, but it ends up just being from a fog machine.Starfire: Oh! It is the indoor clouds!
- Shout-Out:
- While Robin is showing sketches of ideas for the group’s Halloween costume, one references The Wizard of Oz with Robin as Dorothy, Starfire as the Scarecrow, Cyborg as the Tin Man, Beast Boy as the Cowardly Lion, and Raven as the Wicked Witch.
- One year, the HIVE dressed up as “those cool skateboarding turtle dudes”.
- One of the guests at the Halloween party is dressed as Charlie Brown from It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
- Control Freak goes as a Red Shirt Star Trek character for Halloween.
- Batman and Commissioner Gordon are dressed as Gilligan and the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island.
- One of the costume contest competitors is dressed as an Ewok, one is dressed as Fred Flintstone, and one is dressed as Ookla the Mok.
- Spoofy-Doo: One of Robin’s ideas for the group’s Halloween costume is the Mystery Inc. gang, with Robin as Fred, Raven as Velma, Starfire as Daphne, Cyborg as Shaggy, and Beast Boy (in the form of a dog) as Scooby.
- The Triple: An arm reaches out and grabs Robin from a cell door in HIVE Tower. Because they had been scared by two fake Halloween decorations prior to this, the Titans think it’s just an animatronic of a prisoner’s arm. It turns out to be Real After All though, as it’s revealed to Aqualad who’s wasting away as the HIVE’s captive.
- Wink "Ding!": Robin does this when he suggests that they go “borrow” the HIVE’s clothes so they can dress as them for the costume contest.
