- weep* Beautifully written, good sir.
STOP MAKING ME CRY
you walk, i'll run, i'll follow right behind you.
I'm sorry, I'm not clear on this — which "molds" do you mean? I can already tell that we disagree about the episode, but my problems with it (and this goes for almost every other fan I've talked to who didn't like it) weren't with the tone, or the fact that it wasn't a big happy ending where Terra magically comes back and rejoins the Titans and becomes Beast Boy's girlfriend. That isn't what you meant, is it?
I mean that usually, fans think the finale should either involve Terra rejoining the Titans in a rose-tinted parade of joy and acceptance, as you said, or dying a horrible death. Even before the episode aired, the character of Terra was polarizing among the fandom and everyone felt strongly about her, one way or the other. I thought it was smart and tasteful of the writers (or, if I'm not mistaken, specifically of Amy Wolfram) to create a story that doesn't fit into either category, that puts the Terra arc to rest in a touching, original, and unexpected way. And really, we're still talking about it four years after the fact, so it left quite an impression.
I'm juggling a bunch of chats right now, so hopefully that made some sense. ;)
"Religion isn't the cause of wars, it's the excuse." —Mycroft Next
Wow that review... It was almost as powerful as the actual episode. Great work
Hello again tropers
Ah, thank you. Most people I've met who didn't like it mainly felt that the underlying plot didn't make sense, and I'm not going to say another word on that (not here, anyway) because I've seen how long-winded it can get. However, now that you mention it, I have to admit that is a clever way to send Terra off on its own merits.
I'd say the only real problem I have with the episode is it's last seconds. It was a bit too much of a sad way to end the series. They should've ended it on a more clearly hopeful note. Just Beast Boy sucking it in and running off into the light to help his friends against the Plot Device monster wasn't quite enough for me.
That's just it, though! The light! The promise of things to come! As much as Beast Boy would have preferred to stop time and enjoy Terra's affection unendingly, he has to accept the truth—that was yesterday, and yesterday has to stay behind. Beast Boy may keep Terra in his heart until the end of his days, but at the end of this episode, he's learned to look forward, not back. Life goes on, and the Titans (all six of them) embrace the possibilities. What could be more hopeful than that?
"Religion isn't the cause of wars, it's the excuse." —Mycroft Next
^ That sounds a bit like the final Calvin & Hobbes strip.
^Fuck you both. Now I need a new box of tissues.
Well... my work here is complete, then, isn't it? ;)
"Religion isn't the cause of wars, it's the excuse." —Mycroft Next
I thought it was a good ending to Terra\'s Story Arc but not as the series finale.
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Things Change
I may as well share my opinion of this very controversial episode with you Tropers.
I think it's not just a very well-written episode, but a beautiful one at that. All of its elements (its position in the series' run, its subject matter, its tone, etc.) work very well together to create an emotionally strong experience for all of its fans. You may or may not like the character of Terra (I am personally quite fond of her), but that's a non-issue; it was good of the writers to revisit such an important plot device instead of taking the easy route and leaving it open-ended, for one thing, and for another, it was brave of them to tackle it the way they did. 'Things Change' is not clear-cut. It doesn't settle comfortably into either of the molds that fans had come to expect. Instead, it challenges the Titans, all of them, with something they had never really needed to cope with before: things lost to the passage of time. It's one hell of a curveball, the kind aimed straight for the gut that you never see coming.
As children, didn't we all get a little teary-eyed when our favorite store, a stand-by of our world, first put up that FOR LEASE banner? Today, isn't it hurtful to reunite with an old friend, only to realize that the love that once fueled their smile is gone, left behind and lost forever? How about the person who just disappeared after high school, your friendship not deemed important enough to hold on to? Teen Titans is a silly cartoon, no doubt, but as fans, we saw something more in it, something special, sincere, and uniquely human. 'Things Change' showed us it wasn't all in our heads. There really was something special there, something really, really cool. But now it's gone; the series is over, the curtain has dropped, and our friends are waving good-bye. That's what this episode is: Good-bye, dear friend, I can't play with you anymore. Our first emotional sucker-punch that pushes us a little closer to adulthood. Something we can all relate to.
But of course, the Titans aren't real, and neither is Terra. They are our cherished friends, but just in our imagination. Be that as it may, I really, truly mean it when I say I miss them, and wish them well.