If you are looking for the character, see Mad Mod. Template:EpisodeInfobox/Season1
Mad Mod (aka Detention) is the 10th episode of the Teen Titans series and of Season 1.
Synopsis
The titans find themselves trapped inside a weird labyrinth-like school where Mad Mod is the teacher.
Plot
Robin wakes up suddenly to find himself and his fellow Teen Titans captured and imprisoned in chairs which neutralize their powers. Shortly, their captor introduces himself: Mad Mod, a British-accented villain who has become disgruntled about the youthful Titans playing do-gooders and opposing "hardworking villains" such as himself. He has kidnapped them by filling their tower with knockout gas and brought them to his school to teach them to stay out of villain business once and for all. For this purpose he separates the Titans, dumping each of them in a different classroom fitted with hypnosis screens to brainwash them into submission.
The hazards of Mad Mansion
Robin manages to get free from his chair, but finds that getting out of Mad Mod's school is another matter entirely. Filled with optical illusions, robot sentinels and various other tricks, this place turns out to be a regular madhouse in which Mad Mod can appear and vanish as he pleases. Nevertheless, Robin manages to recollect Starfire and even Beast Boy, who has, however, already been affected by the hypnoscreens; they are soon rejoined by Cyborg and Raven, who have managed to free themselves on their own. Based on their experiences, they decide that the only way to escape is to apprehend Mad Mod for good.
Beast Boy in trance
As soon as they spot him, the Titans set out after Mod, but as before the villain proves to be very elusive, and whatever way they take, they always end up walking in circles. Finally, Mad Mod confronts them about being 'uncooperative' and declares that they have to undergo the entire brainwashing procedure all over again. The Titans attack him to get his ruby-tipped cane, which appears to be his control device for the entire school, but a number of traps and an army of robot busts move in to stop them, and one by one the Titans are recaptured. Only Robin makes it to Mod, but as he dives at him, he passes straight through the cane - and yet Mad Mod handles it as if it were the real thing!
The spell is broken
Realizing that not only the entire school, but also the Mad Mod they've been chasing are not real, Robin decides on a different approach. Jumping through a rent cut into one of the walls by a robot bust, he makes his way behind all the illusion and proceeds to rip up delicate circuitry as he goes, eventually disabling Mod's technical tricks. Finally he comes to the command room and has no trouble apprehending the real Mad Mod, a bitter old man with no exceptional fighting skills. The Titans emerge triumphant from their captivity, even though Beast Boy's susceptibility to hypnosis initially gives them some minor trouble before the end...
Characters
Credits
- Written by:
- Adam Beechen
- Directed by:
- Ciro Nieli
- Starring:
- Greg Cipes as Beast Boy
- Scott Menville as Robin
- Khary Payton as Cyborg
- Tara Strong as Raven
- Hynden Walch as Starfire
- Also featuring:
- Malcolm McDowell as Mad Mod (first appearance)
Notes
Trivia
- During the chase scene where the Teen Titans chase Mad Mod, the song "K2G" by Puffy Amiyumi is played. Puffy Amiyumi are also the ones that sing the Teen Titans theme song in Japanese and English.
- At one point a periodic table is shown. It is mostly correct other than that La and Ac are not marked as a group of elements.
- There is also a Mad Mod parody of the statue, David of Michelangelo.
- Starfire was in the library, Beast Boy was in the Science Lab, Cyborg was in the Computer Lab, Raven was in the Gym, but it is unknown what class Robin was in.
- This episode features the first appearance of Mad Mod in the series.
Cultural references
- At one point, Robin flips up the head of a bust of Mad Mod, turning on a switch underneath. This is a reference to the original Batman TV show.
- There are several obvious references to the animated Beatles film Yellow Submarine, including the Sea of Holes.
- The chairs that hold Robin and Starfire's eyes open to make them look at the hypnosis screens is a reference to the Ludovico Technique from Stanley Kubrick's movie adaptation of the novel, A Clockwork Orange. In fact, Malcolm McDowell, who voiced Mad Mod, played the role of Alex in Kubrick's movie adaptation.
- One of Mad Mod's optical illusions was drawn from one of M. C. Escher's works.
- The chase scene involving Mad Mod and the Titans in reminiscent of the recurring chase scenes from the Scooby Doo, Where Are You? TV show.
Quotes
- Beast Boy: Am I the only one who has no idea where we are?
Mad Mod: Why you're right where you belong, my duckies! You're in school! That's right, lads and lovies. You're the only students at Mad Mod's institute for bratty teenage do-gooders. And it's high time someone taught you sprogs a lesson! - Robin: Titans, move!
Starfire: (struggles to get out of her chair) My starbolts are useless!
Mad Mod: Specially designed chairs, love. Can't have those nasty superpowers interfering with my lecture now, can I?
Robin: Get away from her!
Mad Mod: Now, don't get your knickers in a twist, my little snot. I didn't go to all the trouble of building this school and filling your tower with knockout gas just so I could finish you off lickety-split.
Raven: Then what do you want?
Mad Mod: Just what I said, dearie — to teach you lot a lesson! Yes, I've been watching you children misbehave. And I hate misbehaving children! Fighting crime! Saving lives! Interfering with the plans of hardworking villains! Why, you lot are nothing but a bunch of troublemakers! But you'll learn your place soon enough. You see, I'm older than you, so I'm bigger, badder, and better.
Cyborg: Say wha—? (Mad Mod whacks him with his cane) Ow!
Mad Mod: You're in my world now. And you won't be getting out until you've learned some proper respect.
Robin: We will get out. And when we do— (Bell rings)
Mad Mod: Oh, dear. There's the bell, my duckies. Off to class! - Starfire: I will not read your book of meanness and swirls!
Mad Mod: Now, now, love, it's for your own good. Nothing teaches discipline and respect like a brain-erasing trance. Besides, you won't stop squirming... (a large "OVERDUE" stamp begins smashing the rows of seats in front of her) I won't stop squashing! - Robin: There goes my shot at perfect attendance.
Mad Mod: Don't be so sure, my little ducky! You may be out of the classroom, but class is never dismissed! - Robin: This place is making me crazy!
Cyborg: Tell me about it! Mad Mod's whacked out computer lab nearly crashed my hard drive!
Starfire: (to Raven) Where did our captor send you?
Raven: Gym. - Starfire: How many Okaarans does it take to hoagie a morflart? Finbar! (Beast Boy remains hypnotized) Um...boo-gers? (Beast Boy laughs, unhypnotized)
- Robin: Right back where we started!
Mad Mod: Of course you are, my duckies. Class is over, and you lot haven't learned a thing. That's a failing grade for each bloomin' one of you. There's only one thing for it. (Doors shut) You'll have to repeat the entire lesson! - Cyborg: Oh, yeah, this is definitely the real deal.
Robin: School always seem smaller after you graduate.
Raven: Just don't expect me to go to any reunions. - Starfire: I cannot awaken Beast Boy. I have tried the tickling, all matter of bodily noises, and the word "underpants". I fear this time his brain is gone forever.
Raven: Beast Boy had a brain?
[Beast Boy wakes, cracking up]
Beast Boy: Ha! Ha! Ha! Good one!! ... Dude! That's not funny! I totally have a brain!!... I just don't use it much. - Raven: A little help here? I don't do funny.
Cyborg: You asked for it. (removes her hood and gives her an electric wet willie much to her disgust) Beast Boy: 'laughs' Awesome! Ha ha ha ha! (sees drool on his shirt) Oh, not again! - Starfire: Beast boy? BEEEEAAAASTBOOOOOOOOY!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Robin: Uhh, Star, I don't think that's working.
- Mad Mod: My machine!! That miserable little snott'll pay for this (Robin right behind him) AHHHH ( Robin grabs him by the collar) Wha- Hello Gov'na
- Robin: School's out Mod. And your looking at about 20 years of detention.