The one where the Titans go nightclubbing.
The episode begins with a view of outer space, where four weird-looking pink tentacled robots are flying in formation above Earth. Down on Earth, Robin and Starfire are sat on top of a fairground wheel enjoying an ongoing fireworks display, with Starfire curiously asking Robin about many of the earthly traditions that she's experiencing (being a Tamaranean, her experience with fireworks are that they're a warning of an impending invasion). Both are having fun until suddenly, right out of nowhere, one of those pink robots from before swoops in and grabs Starfire, and takes off with her. Cue title sequence!
Starfire quickly frees herself from the robot and flies back to the pier (with the robot giving chase) so the other four Titans can help her out. Robin calls in the other three just as they finish a game of ring-a-bottle, and after a brief battle where they each try and take it out, Robin jumps on the droid and rips out its circuitry, causing it to fly off into the display and explode among the fireworks. With the robot taken care of, Starfire quickly asks why it was going after her in the first place.
Cut to Titans Tower. Starfire says she will thank the other four Titans for helping to rescue her by reciting a customary Tamaranean "Poem of Gratitude" - all 6,000 verses - which, unsurprisingly, instantly stuns them on the spot (again, being unfamiliar to Earth and its traditions, she probably wasn't aware of what the timekeeping standards are like).
Then, out of nowhere, comes an unfamiliar voice, belonging to an unfamiliar-looking girl standing in the main quarters (how she got there in the first place is anyone's guess), who also looks somewhat similar to Starfire. This girl is revealed to not just be a fellow Tamaranean, but Starfire's long-lost sister, Blackfire. After giving Starfire a Centauri Moon Diamond, which she claimed to have found among the Centauri Moons (this will come back to bite her in the ass later on), she then quickly goes off to introduce herself to the other four Titans, totally and effortlessly impressing them with both her knowledge and rapport and completely bewildering Starfire in the process.
As Blackfire continues to interest the other four with her tales of near-misses with black holes and whatnot (with her sister continually looking like she's swallowed a box jellyfish... assuming they're as lethal to Tamaraneans as they are to humans), the scene transitions to a large spacecraft looking over Earth. Remember those pink tentacled robots from before? Well, it turns out they were probes sent by the aliens on board. They were sending them to various planets in search of something, or, more specifically, someone... and they quickly identify that because one of the probes that went to Earth did not return, that's almost certainly the planet where they'll find who they're looking for.
Back on Earth, Starfire is wandering around the tower in search of her sister. When she does eventually find her in the gym with Robin (doing something kinda suspicious, might we add...), in the process she attempted to join in with whatever the other four were doing and every time found out that whatever she was thinking of doing with them, Blackfire already did and did better. Later, Starfire tries to get a movie night going with the other four, and though they're up for it at first, Blackfire shows up again - now wearing the same style of clothes as Starfire (there totally might not be something going on here...?) - and she proceeds to completely shoot down Starfire's idea by getting them all to go to a specific type of nightclub that she knows each and every one of them will find interesting.
While four of the six quickly go off to start enjoying themselves (the other two being Starfire, who isn't really sure what's going on, and Raven, who just isn't interested at all), the aliens from before, knowing that they've found who they're looking for, send the remaining three probes to where the other one was taken out. Considering that it was Starfire who was being targeted in the first place, that, in other words, means trouble.
Starfire is later seen on the roof clearly looking quite depressed; when Robin comes up to ask her what's wrong, she tells him that she believes that Blackfire is taking all her friends and that she does not belong on Earth because of her obvious social unfamiliarity to its natives. At that point, Blackfire comes up, now wearing a pink wig (that DEFINITELY doesn't look suspicious...), and then suddenly grabs Robin and takes him back to the dancefloor.
And then the alien probes show up.
Not only do they go after Starfire, but the other four Titans as well. A battle ensues, and when Blackfire gets involved, she swiftly takes out all three with her eye beams. Impressed, Cyborg asks Blackfire if she would like to join the Teen Titans. Blackfire is definitely down for it, but Starfire, when she witnesses it... oh boy.
Back at Titans Tower, Starfire is seen on the roof getting ready to fly away from Earth seemingly forever, now that she believes that Blackfire has taken her place. Robin shows up to say goodbye and happens to show up at the right time, because all of a sudden those aliens themselves show up on a smaller cruiser, snatch Starfire and start flying away.
The aliens reveal themselves to be the police of the Centauri system, and that they believe Starfire is wanted for crimes committed there. But they don't know that Robin has caught a ride with them, and he isn't going to let them take her away that easily. Upon showing himself, Robin makes quick work of freeing Starfire and grounding the cruiser while he's at it. As they both jump to safety, the other three Titans show up on the scene. The two Centauri police, having somewhat impressively survived the crash, quickly try to arrest all of the Titans. When Beast Boy asks them why, their reasoning is that they believe Starfire to be a thief who has committed numerous crimes throughout the Centauri system. But Starfire then says that she has never been to the Centauri system, and it's at that point Robin finally spots the thread - the Centauri Moon Diamond that Starfire is wearing is in fact evidence of what the Centauri police are on about.
It turns out that during the entire episode, Blackfire was on the run and upon discovering the Teen Titans, tried hiding her ass by letting her Tamaranean sister take the bullets. Giving Starfire the Centauri Moon Diamond, cosplaying her after a while, trying to join the Teen Titans... did we not say there was something suspicious going on? Also, remember at the nightclub when Robin was with Starfire until Blackfire quickly showed up and flew off with him? That was the moment she saw the probes - you could tell something was up there too because Robin really wanted to be with Starfire then.
Anyhow, Robin is quick to explain to the Centauri police that they were after the wrong Tamaranean and that the one they're really after has been gradually wiggling her way into their ranks for most of the episode. As soon as he starts looking for Blackfire, they see her trying to make a take-off for it, and Starfire, now knowing what her sister was really trying to do, immediately goes after her. And then we're treated to one of the Tamaranean's most epic fight scenes... until the Centauri police abruptly apprehend Blackfire and begin taking her away. As Blackfire vows revenge, Starfire simply bids her farewell, in spite of all that jerkassery she put her through.
The next day, Starfire is sat watching the sky from the top of Titans Tower. Robin joins her and asks how she's doing, and Starfire says that though she's still sad for her sister, she's glad that the plot was discovered before she could be "replaced". When Robin hears her mention the word "replaced", he quickly assures Starfire that although her sister was interesting to be around, she - in fact, nobody - could ever replace her. Starfire smiles, and the two gaze at the sunrise as the credits roll.
This episode provides examples of:
- Always Someone Better: Blackfire, being the popular sister, can fit in on Earth much better than Starfire. She knows it too and milks it for all it's worth.
- Amusement Park: The first part of the episode takes place on a pierside fairground.
- Art Shift: One shot in the climax, during Starfire and Blackfire's Final Battle, has Starfire's shadows disappear, and the animation shifts to a style reminiscent of anime director Mamoru Hosoda, best known at the time as the director of the Digimon Adventure movie Our War Game. Since a later episode referenced a character design from Our War Game, it's very possible this was intentional.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Starfire sees Blackfire and Robin's shadows in the gym, the two of them are standing close together and Blackfire places her hands on Robin's shoulders as if she is leaning in to kiss him. The scene cuts to the gym and Blackfire tosses Robin across the room, with Robin explaining Blackfire was just showing him some alien martial arts.
- Bait the Dog: Blackfire appears in the tower, returns Starfire's hug, and gives her a beautiful Centauri Moon Diamond as a gift. Starfire at first is happy until Blackfire brushes her off and starts bossing her around. Then Blackfire starts "borrowing" Star's clothes and friends and eventually is forced to reveal that it was all a plot to get the Centauri police to arrest Starfire.
- Big Sister Instinct: Subverted. Blackfire takes a while to get the memo that Starfire is in danger. It seems that she goes Let's Get Dangerous! to blow up all the robots to rescue her little sister. Nope; it was all a ruse to endear her to the Titans. She's quite happy to let Starfire take the fall for her crimes.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Blackfire seems like a nice and cool girl at first. She and Starfire happily reunite with Blackfire giving her a Centauri Moon Diamond as a gift, and she ends up getting along great with the other Titans. But Starfire is quickly excluded from their activities with Blackfire basically stealing all of Starfire's friends from her and making her feel unneeded. Then it is revealed that the whole reason she came to Earth was to frame Starfire for her crimes so she would be arrested by the Centauri police instead of her.
- Blunt Metaphors Trauma: When someone at a club asks Starfire if she's "digging the party," she gets laughed at when she says, "I didn't know we were supposed to bring shovels."
- Blunt "Yes": When Starfire rightfully accuses her sister of framing her for the crimes committed on the Centauri moons, Blackfire's answer is "Oh...well...yeah."
- Cain and Abel: Blackfire and Starfire, though Starfire is saddened about it.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Blackfire mentions offhand that she went to the Centauri Moons. The Centauri police are after her for crimes of petty theft, among others.
- The Centauri Moon Diamond. It's revealed to be evidence of Blackfire's crimes, and she gave it to Starfire specifically to frame her. Robin gets a "Eureka!" Moment when the Centauri police explain they were chasing a Tamaranean girl. He takes it off Starfire's neck and gives it to the aliens since Starfire says she's never been to the Centauri Moons, but they both know that Blackfire definitely has. The police believe her since they all spot Blackfire immediately fleeing the scene.
- Foreshadowing:
- Blackfire borrows Starfire's clothes and dons a wig to mimic her red hair. It's so she can fool the Centauri police if they realized two Tamaraneans were on Earth.
- Of a sort. Blackfire (the older of the two sisters) demonstrates an ability to use eye beams - a power Starfire herself would later get in "Transformation".
- After Blackfire destroys the three probes that captured Starfire, Robin asks how she knew where to hit them, Blackfire just says "lucky guess". However, this indicates she has dealt with them before, as she has committed crimes in the Centauri Moons.
- Frame-Up: Blackfire's goal all along, it seems, was to get the police off her trail by substituting her sister.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: Between Starfire and Blackfire, as the Smart and Popular Sisters, respectively.
- Good All Along: The aliens seem like generic villains at first, who kidnap Starfire for unknown reasons. It is revealed in the climax that they are Centauri police and were tricked into believing Starfire was responsible for Blackfire's crimes. Once Robin returns the stolen necklace to them and explains they have been chasing the wrong girl the whole time, they almost immediately capture Blackfire and place her under arrest.
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: Despite calling herself the better fighter, Blackfire launches a giant volley of black bolts at Starfire and doesn't manage to hit her with a single one.
- Jurisdiction Friction: The Centauri police try to put the Titans under arrest for saving Starfire. They then realize they have no power to do so because, as Beast Boy puts it, "We're the good guys" on Earth. That would be intergalactic Jurisdiction Friction. This allows the Titans to clarify the situation, with Starfire saying she's never been to the Centauri Moons, and Robin returning the diamond Blackfire gave her. Blackfire, on the other hand, is offered no such protection, and as the actual thief is definitely under Centauri police jurisdiction.
- Oh, Crap!: Blackfire is shocked when Starfire stops her from leaving Earth and confronts her about framing her little sister for crimes. She can't speak until Starfire orders her to return everything she stole and turn herself in to the Centauri police.
- Poor Communication Kills: The Centauri police could have announced who they were when confronting Robin and Starfire. Instead, they send hostile tentacle robots to snatch the nearest Tamaranean they find, and then try and arrest Starfire by basically kidnapping her. When they actually explain the situation, both they and the Titans realize that Blackfire was playing them.
- Rage Breaking Point: Starfire has been quietly tolerating Blackfire's behavior because she doesn't want to ruin her big sister's visit. She even considers leaving the team since Cyborg offers Blackfire the invitation to become a Teen Titan. Then she finds out that Blackfire was trying to frame her for petty theft and jail-worthy crimes, and sees her sister fleeing the scene. Starfire's eyes glow green, and she drops the niceness.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The Centauri police once they actually talk to the Titans. After they try to put the Titans under arrest, they explain that they were tracking down a Tamaranean girl who robbed the Centauri Moons. They believe Starfire when she says that she's never even been to the Centauri Moons and rapidly arrest Blackfire on seeing her try to flee the scene.
- Sarcasm-Blind: Maybe Cyborg was being sarcastic but it's hard to tell. When he protects Starfire from the first tentacle robot, he shouts that maybe she should try to apologize to it since it seems mad. Starfire then gives a sincere, confused apology. It doesn't work in any case.
- Skewed Priorities: Robin yells at Blackfire for staying in the club rather than going to rescue Starfire from the robots that are attacking her.
- Space Police: The Centauri police, naturally.
- Spotting the Thread: Robin becomes suspicious of Blackfire at the nightclub, starting when he sees that Starfire is really upset about Blackfire being here. When the tentacle robots return and attack Starfire, he gives Blackfire a What the Hell, Hero? for continuing to dance. He asks her how she knew the weak spots of the robots since none of the Titans could figure it out, and goes to stop Starfire from flying off with her things. All of these together lead to Robin's "Eureka!" Moment when the Centauri police explain they are chasing a Tamaranean thief.
- Status Quo Is God: The episode teases the possibility of Blackfire replacing Starfire but eventually Blackfire is revealed to be Evil All Along and Robin says that no one could replace Starfire.
- Starfish Robots: The Centauri police probes.
- Stunned Silence: The other four Titans immediately give Starfire this look upon hearing that, for rescuing her from one of the Centauri probes, she intends to recite to them a 6,000-verse "Poem of Gratitude". Tamaraneans must have more time on their hands than humans do...
- Sympathy for the Devil: Starfire does look saddened on letting the Centauri police arrest her sister, even though it was the right thing to do. She wishes Blackfire well and says it was nice seeing her, even though she betrayed and attacked her.Starfire: Farewell, sister. Although you...did betray and attack me, it was still very nice to see you!
- We Will Meet Again: As Blackfire is being dragged off by the Centauri police, her last words are, "I will get out of jail, little sister, and I will get even!"
