Titans
We have made it to season three. And we are going to get a lot of Batman stuff because... people like Batman stuff? I do think it is funny that on a show about the Titans, it is basically all about Batman, but if it is good, I can forgive it and hope that they circle back to more Titans specific things in season 4. So how are these first three episodes? Let's find out.
"Barbara Gordon"
Dick Grayson: "What was Jason doing studying chemistry?"
Bruce Wayne: "I don't know."
Dick Grayson: "He barely read the back of a cereal box"
The Titans are killing the game in San Francisco, taking down bad guys and charming the media. Well, Starfire is charming the media. Nightwing is skulking in the shadows like a creeper. In Gotham, Jason Todd is huffing something and is determined to take out the Joker on his own despite Bruce telling him to hold off. Jason runs in and ends up getting beaten to death with a crowbar. When Dick heads to Gotham, he finds Bruce doing better than he should be. Can Dick along with the help of another former partner get to the bottom of Bruce's grief, or lack thereof?
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| Titans together. |
I will cut to the chase. These first three episodes of season three of "Titans" are a strong start for the show. Who knows how things will end up, but these opening episodes make me excited to find out where the season is going to go. It is very focused, which is not normal for this show, which usually burns through plot and introduces characters at a breakneck pace. As I mentioned, the show is moving away from things that are specifically Titans, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as the team is integrated into what is happening organically and again so far so good.
The scene of the Titans taking down that gang in San Francisco is exactly what I've wanted from this show ever since it began. It has this sense of fun that the show has been missing, but has sorely needed. Even Nightwing is smiling and cracking jokes while he takes out the bad guys. It's a refreshing change of pace from the dourness and darkness of the past. And let's talk about Starfire's new costume. It is so sleek. It nods to her classic comics costume but updates and modernizes it.
Sadly, this energized Titans team that is killing it is brought down when Dick is notified of Jason's death. The show is true to how Jason died in the comics and I was fan of how the whole sequence was filmed. The abandoned amusement park is suitably creepy and I really like how the show has shown the effects of Joker venom. The show doesn't go "Walking Dead" on Jason getting his head bashed in and the less is more approach is very effective.
The premiere introduces Barbara Gordon to the world of "Titans." If you are unfamiliar, Barbara Gordon is the daughter of police commissioner James Gordon and the first Batgirl. It seems like she was crippled by the Joker in this universe just like in the comics, but she also lost her leg throughout the ordeal. She's followed in her dad's footsteps and is now the police commissioner. Savannah Welch, who plays Barbara, and Brenton Thwaites have great chemistry and they crackle as they verbally spar. Dick convinces Babs to go to Wayne Manor and try to help him get Bruce to grieve properly but she instead lets him have it. Her takedown of Bruce and how he finds his Robins disposable is withering and very on point. And she's right. Dick finds Bruce already compiling a list of potential candidates for the new Robin.
This really is a great premiere. It sets up a lot of compelling threads for us to follow throughout this third season. Kory gets a call from Justin Cole, the therapist who wouldn't hook up with her towards the end of season two. What's his deal? And what's up with these visions she's been having? What's going on with the chemistry lab that Jason had set up that Dick found out and the chemical Jason huffed before going after Joker? How is Tim Drake going to fit into all this? Will Bruce be able to redeem himself after murdering the Joker? Can Dick be a better Batman and how will the Titans factor into this. I'm legit excited to learn the answers to these questions.
Grade: A-
"Red Hood"
Dick Grayson: "Thank you all for coming on short notice. I wish it was under better circumstance."
Kory Anders: "Nobody calls us under "better circumstances."
There is a new boss in Gotham who is trying to take control of the mafia now that Batman has fled the city. He convinces them to follow him by beheading all their first lieutenants. Dick has called the Titans to Gotham to help him fulfill Batman's wishes. Things are getting worse for Gotham as seemingly good people are donning red hoods and committing crimes in a potential nod to the Joker who wore a red hood when he first hit the scene. Will Nightwing and the Titans be able to pass this first test and who is under the Red Hood?
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| Brothers fight sometimes. |
"Titans" ratchets up the chaos in season three's second episode. Gotham City is a dark place that will eat you alive, but the Titans are attempting to bring some life into it. I really enjoyed Conner and Gar's reactions to being in the Batcave and Wayne Manor. Yes, it's tragedy that brought them here, but what super person wouldn't be geeking out being in one of the most famous and secretive superhero lairs of all time. Their fascination carries over to Bruce's library. I loved Gar's dig about the Fortress of Solitude. Superman has more than space rocks and shit, Gar.
The red hood plot line is off to a good start. The show does a great job of establishing Red Hood as a threat prior to revealing his identity, which I wish they would have waited a few episodes to do. I understand the reasoning. They only have thirteen episodes, but I think holding off on revealing Red Hood is a not dead Jason Todd until like the midway point of season three could have really ratcheted up tension and given the reveal an even bigger emotional punch. Red Hood taking on this identity, the first criminal identity of the man who murdered him in cold blood just shows how fucked up Jason is because of this whole ordeal. Red Hood plays the Titans and squanders any goodwill Nightwing could have gotten from Barbara after the bank robbery happens.
The reveal that GCPD is using Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow to profile criminals on Batman's recommendation is good stuff. I like them bringing in classic Bat villains and Crane is the perfect one if the show wants to live out it's "Silence of the Lambs" fantasies. The fact that they bribe him with really good weed in order to get him to cooperate is a neat little twist and the reasoning behind it, that it slows his mind down, is a solid one. Though the show has telegraphed it that Crane and Todd are working together and were before he died. Whatever Jason huffed definitely seemed to make his fear disappear and it would makes sense if it was a modified version of Crane's fear toxin.
Kory's visions are getting worse. Now she's stomping through Wayne Manor, speaking Tamaranean and setting things on far. Dove joins the team and so does Hank, against her wishes. I guess being a bike cop wasn't doing it for ole Hank. I will say I wasn't really missing Hawk and Dove and don't think their presence here really adds anything to what is going on, though I did enjoy the gag of Hank eating Krypto's food.
Grade: B+
"Hank & Dove"
Hank Hall: [about Wayne Manor] "You think this place has a big enough chandelier? Yeah, when bats have sex, they have got to have something to hang from."
The Titans are reeling from the revelation that Jason Todd is still alive. They confirm it's the real him when the exhume his grave and find it empty. Jason doesn't waste anytime going after the team, tricking Hank into meeting him alone and installing a WayneTech explosive device into his heart. Hank has so many heartbeats to live and the only way to save him is for the Titans to hijack a shipment of gold bars and bring them to Red Hood. As the Titans try to work out a way to save Hank, Kory investigates more into how Jason could have been resurrected.
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| This is acting. |
We should get this out of the way up front. This episode features the death of Hank Hall. Now, this is a superhero show, so he may come back to life, but as of right now, Hank is pink mist. I'm not a huge fan of the character of Hank Hall, which you probably know if you've been consistently reading these recaps, but I have to give it up for Alan Ritchson. First off, let's give it up that fat, beefy ass. Ritchson was not going to let Joshua Orpin get all the nude scenes. Oh no. If this was indeed his last episode, Ritchson was going to give the people what they want. At least, that's how it goes in my head. Ritchson does do a great job in this episode and they actually show a different side of Hank and you get to see him interact with members of the team you haven't really seen him have one on one time with in the past. I loved the scene with Hank and Gar where they affected Richie Rich accents and made fun of Bruce Wayne. It was fun, but it probably would have hit harder emotionally if they had defined a friendship with Hank and Gar more in the past.
This is kind of a small thing, but I liked it and that was how they are dealing with the Lex Luthor side of Superboy. Instead of it always being like cautionary, I like how the team is trying to utilize it for good. Lex Luthor is a genius so why not have Superboy try to tap into that when the team needs.
The emotional parts of this episode really lie in the relationship between Hank and Dawn and if you are a fan of it, then they probably played a lot better for you than they did for me. I've never really been that invested in Hank and Dawn's love affair and that could be because it never felt like the show was. The flashbacks and erratic timeline could have contributed to that. It could also be the fact that I never felt like Ritchson and Minka Kelly had a lot of chemistry. So, when Kelly has an emotional breakdown and steals the gold it falls flat. First off, it doesn't feel like this is something Dawn would actually do and her going from zero to a hundred just is a lot. Though, I will say that Jason finagling it so it's Dawn that inadvertently kills Hank is a good beat that will surely send Dawn spiraling for real and make things worse for the team.
This episode highlighted the downside to having Red Hood as the primary antagonist of this season. Curran Walters was fine as the bratty, dick bag younger iteration of Jason Todd, but I'm not sure that he has what it takes to be Red Hood. He's doing his best but when the hood is off and he's doing his best to be menacing, I just am not buying it. It's not terrible and it could improve as the season progresses, but it could also bring things down. We will just have to see.
Grade: B
All in all, a great start to season three and I'm genuinely excited and intrigued to see where things go. Hopefully this is a legit turning point for this show. Next up, based solely on episode titles Starfire's sister finally makes her appearance as does a famous life restoring pit.
What did you all think of these first three episodes? Are you excited? Are you going to miss Hank? We got zero Rachel and honestly, I didn't miss her. Did you? Let me know in the comments.
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