Top 10 Reasons Why Teen Titans Go Is Hated

For some, the loss of one show to make room for a seemingly inferior successor can be a bitter reality indeed. Such was the case for fans of “Young Justice,” a largely acclaimed cartoon focused on the younger heroes and sidekicks of the DC Universe. Upon concluding its second season, “Young Justice” was unceremoniously cancelled to clear the way for, yes, “Teen Titans Go!” Not helping matters much was how, as “Go!” got further into its run, it opted to take potshots at the perceived darker tone of its esteemed predecessor. It’s a bad look, regardless of the complexities of the behind-the-scenes drama.

Typically, a major draw for superhero shows is the potential for grand battles of good and evil, incredible clashes between our beloved icons, and their mortal nemeses. Alas, “Teen Titans Go!” isn’t quite as interested in such material. The show instead prefers to undercut potentially epic fights for the sake of comedy. Take the two-part special, ahem, “Two-Parter,” wherein the Teen Titans are drawn into conflict with the long-time cosmic villain Darkseid. Hypothetically, such an encounter would be dramatic and intense... but instead the show opts for a joke about Darkseid’s voice before he’s abruptly defeated.

Even for a show whose grasp of continuity is loose at best, this is still odd to consider. Viewers of “Teen Titans Go!” have, over the show’s run, grown tired of the sense that no character seems to retain any important lessons or personal developments. The Titans themselves fluctuate in personality based on a given episode’s plot, a number of supporting characters deviate from their established traits, and even antagonists like Trigon bizarrely shift without clear reasoning given. Worse still, some episodes result in fairly significant status quo alterations – but then it’s business as usual come the next instalment.

Since “Go!” began, many viewers have loudly noted the supposed shortcomings in the visual presentation of the show - its flat and simplistic use of color, its reliance of chibi-esque character models, and so on. Folks have made clear how cheap and uninspired they find the visuals, a confusing prospect considering that multiple companies collaborate on the show as per industry norms. Worse, the show’s loose sense of scene continuity and the occasional explicit error only further raise questions about the money and talent behind this much-maligned series.

Many genres, particularly comedy, live or die by the quality of writing on display. It’s a shame, then, that “Go!” is often found to falter when it comes to the strength of its scripts. Right from the first episode, the show indulges in asinine detours and strange flights of fancy that appear to exist purely for the sake of jokes. Sometimes it results in intensely absurd episodes, such as “Waffles,” in which the one central gag appears to have been the only justification for writing the episode in the first place. Whether or not one finds it funny, it’s hard not to see the issues inherent in this approach.

The sign of a great creative force is one that can take audience critique and use it to better their craft. This tends not to be the case for “Go!,” which instead takes advantage of its position in order to rebuff or slyly make fun of such commentary. More than once, the Titans have expressed skepticism that anyone other than young children could sincerely enjoy their program – suggesting the showrunners and writers themselves may well be of that opinion. Further, episodes in the vein of “The Return of Slade” crop up on the regular, their narrative intent apparently to brush off the show’s overall reputation as just the opinions of misguided viewers.

Ah, the weird and wild world of corporate oversight. Since its debut, “Teen Titans Go!” slowly began taking up greater amounts of air time on Cartoon Network. Before the network’s DC Nation programming block ended, its time slots were filled entirely with “Teen Titans Go!”. Episodes often are shown multiple times a day, and a week’s worth of programming could be expected to be consumed by viewings of “Go!” Only since the release of the theatrical film “Teen Titans Go! To The Movies” has Cartoon Network’s overzealous scheduling started to be reined in, but still the trend persists.

As we’ve covered elsewhere, the series has an unfortunate habit of delivering some troubling messages to its presumptive audience of children. Many an episode have the Titans put through trials and tribulations – often of their own creation – that conclude by conveying an idea of dubious merits. In particular, certain episodes, such as “Knowledge,” embody a certain anti-intelligence streak which treats the pursuit of cultural understanding and personal growth as a misguided endeavor. Peer pressure, misogyny, critical thinking – whatever the subject relevant to kids may be, the stance “Teen Titans Go!” takes often falls on the less-helpful side of it.

Conventional wisdom would dictate that it isn’t a smart move to deliberately antagonize existing fans of a property. Yet, “Teen Titans Go!” and its creators have repeatedly sought to do just that, using their platform to lampoon both the 2003 “Teen Titans” series and its fan base. In some cases, a given episode will use a thinly-veiled metaphor or deliberate fourth-wall break to convey the writing team’s disregard for fan interests. Then there’s instances where clips of the old show are brought up and used as material to riff on, as was the case for the segment “The Cape.”

Before we unveil our top pick, here are our dishonorable mentions:

Out-of-Place Dark Humor

Forced Romantic Subplots

Clichéd Plotlines

Too Many Dance Sequences

While the overall insult paid to the Titans and their legacy is certainly hard to take, there’s a more specific grievance to be had with the manner in which this incarnation of the team presents itself. The Teen Titans here truly are the antithesis of their past counterparts: petty, vindictive, prone to causing or exacerbating difficult situations, and incredibly rude at all times. It’s at its most visible when contrasted with other hero groups like Young Justice or the Powerpuff Girls. Where those heroes embody the most noble of values, the Titans regularly drop the ball in astounding fashion. Aspirational figures, these are not.