Titans
Oh man, everyone. Can you all believe that we are ready to start season 2 of "Titans." If you followed my season one recaps (or watched the show), you know that "Titans" had some growing pains. A lot of growing pains. It varied wildly in quality, but was still a show that compelled you to watch. As a fan of the Teen Titans, I have a lot of hope for season 2. They've promoted Minka Kelly, Conor Leslie and Alan Ritchson who play Donna Troy, Dove and Hawk respectively to series regulars. Deathstroke, a classic Titans villain is set to the big bad, and Superboy. So, here's hoping that season 2 can be better than its predecessor.
Episode 12: "Trigon"
Donna: "Um, Hank, Dawn, this is Kory Anders. She's an alien.
Kory: gives Donna a look. "What?"
Donna: "What? It's true."
Kory: "Could have put a little more love into that."
Trigon has infected Dick Grayson. Gar and Rachel are trapped inside with him. Thanks to Rachel's powers, Hank and Dawn reluctantly pick up Jason Todd and meet up with Kory and Donna. Inside, Gar and Rachel are trying to elude Trigon and they think their teammates arriving is there ticket to safety. But Trigon has plans for the Titans and they don't include saving his daughter.
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| Watch out for that third eye. |
This was definitely supposed to be the first season finale, right? It has to be. It feels like a finale not a premiere despite them sort of shoe horning in Dick's meeting with Bruce and the Deathstroke stuff.
As a season finale, it works better than the actual first season finale, but not by much. Trigon is a great, classic Teen Titans villain, but the Trigon in "Titans" is not. I love Seamus Dever. He was great in "Castle" but he's not great as Trigon. I get that he's trying to go this quietly menacing route, but it just doesn't work. He doesn't really have the gravitas that is needed. The CGI when Trigon finally reveals his demon form is shaky. It reminded me a lot of Steppenwolf in "Justice League" and if you've seen that movie, you know that's not a great comparison.
The show's writers still struggle with writing dialogue and personalities that feel right for these characters and have that work within the story they are trying to tell. I get that they need the Titans to go dark to release Trigon and cause tension, but it just doesn't feel believable that these characters would jump to the worst, darkest conclusion possible when faced with a decision. It especially rings false with Donna and Kory. Donna, protege of Wonder Woman, is going to so easily murder the man responsible for her father's death? Or Starfire would almost immediately agree to kill Rachel after vowing to protect her. I just don't buy it.
That being said, I do enjoy Donna and Kory's interactions outside the house and the beginnings of the antagonistic relationship between Hank and Jason. Those are the little things that make "Titans" worth watching and there's the hope that now that this arc is wrapped and they are starting fresh they will focus more on this and get it together.
Oh and the less said about how easily Trigon is taken down, the better. Here's hoping that if "Titans" continues past season two, they will bring him back and do an arc worthy to his character and history with the team.
The rest is just basic wrap up stuff and set up for next... er, the rest of this season. Dick and Bruce meet up and it's super anti-climactic. I really expected Dick to have a little more fire and his first meet up with Bruce since the show started to be a little more exciting. I did enjoy Iain Glen as Bruce and hope we get to see a bit more of him as the season/series progresses. Though, he needs to work on his American accent. It was very British.
There is a lot of potential in these end of episodes teases. Jason's televised declaration the Titans are back gets a retired Slade Wilson back in the game. He was only on screen for a few minutes, but I'm excited to see what Esai Morales brings to this oft covered role. The Titans take up residence in their San Francisco base, familiar to anyone who is a Teen Titans fan. They are sans Kory, Donna, Hank and Dawn, but I'm sure they will be back soon.
All in all, I'm ready to see where this goes. I really hope that "Titans" can be the show that I know it can be and that there are glimpses of. It needs to ratchet down the angst and ratchet up the fun. Here's hoping.
Grade: C-
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