Titans
We are heading towards the season three finale and I wish I could tell you that things were really amping up and we were getting ready for a rollicking showdown between the Titans and Scarecrow/Red Hood, but... Well, let's just get to it.
"Troubled Water"
Dr. Jonathan Crane: "I know a painter shouldn't be charmed by their own brush, but fuck me running."
After being manipulated into releasing Crane's toxin into Gotham's water supply, he releases a video that turns the public against the team while at the same time exalting Red Hood as Gotham's newest Batman. He puts a $50,000 bounty on Nightwing, specifically. Dick decides the team should turn themselves in to keep the public's trust in the police, but a peaceful turnover is botched by corrupt police officers putting the team on the run and allowing Jason and Crane to move into Wayne Manor. Meanwhile, Donna attempts to re-enter Gotham but is stopped by Lydia who isn't sure the Donna who was resurrected is the same Donna that died.
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| Time to fight civilians. |
If you've read any of my "Titans" recaps, then what I'm about to say shouldn't come as a huge surprise. We are moving into the home stretch of the episode and where it should feel like things are really amping up and heading towards the season endgame in season 3 of "Titans" it definitely does not feel that way. I have to give it up to them. It feels like they are trying but they are not being very successful.
Take this video that Crane puts out that is enough to turn the public sentiment against the Titans. It's so weird. First off, it feels like an attack ad on a student council candidate. It sort of makes the citizens of Gotham look like idiots. I get that some of them might be dosed but still... Why would they watch this and immediately turn against the Titans? I could sort of get on board with it until Crane positioned Red Hood to be the new Batman for all intents and purposes. This is the same guy who has been terrorizing Gotham, trying to take over the underworld. Shouldn't this have been a huge red flag... no pun intended.
Then, there is Dick once again making terrible leadership decisions. I don't understand how he lands at the Titans turning themselves in as the plan that makes the most sense. If this crappy video was enough for Gotham to be done with the Titans, who had been working with the police, why does Dick think that them peacefully turning themselves in will restore public faith in the notoriously corrupt Gotham City PD? And is he really naive enough to believe that they will post bail and then go out and finish doing their thing? And why do the other Titans just blindly go along with this idea? There is literally no discussion. And was anyone surprised when it goes sideways basically immediately? I think the Titans need to think about a change in leadership.
Blackfire's change of heart had me scratching my head too. It seemed like she had formed a bond with the Titans. She was sleeping and potentially falling in love with Conner, but when Kory suggests going to help them after she accidentally transfers her powers to a dying Blackfire, Blackfire can't believe that Kory would try to go find her friend and teammates. There seems to be no build up to this change. Like, I'm glad that Blackfire seems to be sincere in regards to her relationship with Starfire, but are we supposed to believe that this police fiasco was enough for her to shrug her shoulders the Titans in danger? I'm not buying it. And was getting Starfire to inadvertently transfer her powers to Blackfire part of her plan all along? I don't think so, but the unintended ambiguity is not helpful.
I'd say the high point of this episode is Donna and her showdown with Lydia. The relationship between Donna and Lydia feels interesting but even after this episode there fees like more questions than answers. All in all this episode is not the worst that "Titans" has put out, but it's far from the best.
Grade: C-
"The Call Is Coming From Inside the House"
Gar Logan: "Smell like bagels to you?"
Rachel Roth: "Yeah, Gar, I'm sure the creepy abandoned building sells bagels."
Gar Logan: "A simple no would suffice."
After their battle with the Gotham PD, the Titans are scattered. Rachel finds Gar and they go looking for a Lazarus Pit. Back in Gotham, Donna finds Tim and is drawn into what looks like a stand off between his parents, the other residents of their neighborhood and the corrupt police. Nightwing is drawn into a confrontation with Red Hood. Starfire's visions final become clear to her. Oh, and Crane is having a full on psychotic break. Good times.
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| Donna and Tim Awesome Show, Great Job |
We have to talk about Jonathan Crane. When the season first started and he was doing his whole stoner Hannibal Lecter thing and it was lots of fun. It has ceased being fun and that was super apparent in this episodes cold open when he was living his best facsimile of Bruce Wayne's life while "Waterfalls" by TLC played. I definitely think that they were trying to go for this crazy/quirky vibe but it just doesn't work. It doesn't help that this all leads to Crane having a psychotic break after he has the Batcomputer read Bruce's file on him out loud to him. Bruce basically says that Crane created the Scarecrow persona as a way to act out these violent fantasies he has and without that persona he's nothing. Or something. Crane kidnaps a pizza boy to prove that isn't true, but of course it is. I think in some world, there could be a scenario where this worked. Maybe like in the comics, Crane fully embraces his Scarecrow persona as who he really is, but instead we just get more of Vincent Kartheiser mugging with gashes all over his face.
Rachel and Gar do some investigating and the show continues to play fast and loose with how Rachel's powers actually work. How did she find Gar? What specifically leads her to this Lazarus Pit? How does she know that Dick is in danger? Its Raven magic. Just don't think about it too hard or ask too many questions and you'll be fine. Maybe at some point the show will do like a Scarlet Witch style retcon on Raven and her powers will make sense. I'm not holding my breath, but we'll see.
Nightwing continues to be a total bonehead. He walks right into the trap that Red Hood set for him. It's pretty clear that he's never in control. But he certainly thinks he is and wouldn't you know it, just when it looks like things are going his way, he gets shot in the neck by a Red Hood loving Gothamite. Like, seriously dude. This guy is shooting at you over and over again and you don't once try to disarm him? You deserve to get shot, you big dummy.
It pains me to say this, but I didn't really love the stuff with Donna and Tim. I love their banter, but this protect the neighborhood storyline feels so divorced from what is happening with the rest of the team and the season endgame, that I am just really struggling to care.
Anna Diop continues to be one of the brightest spots in the show. We finally get an answer to her visions and we learn that it was Kory who was born without the fire. Blackfire aka Komand'r was, but since Kory had already been declared heir, the fire was transferred from Komand'r to Kory. Hence why the powers transferred back when Kory healed Blackfire in the last episode. It's still unclear if Blackfire knew this at the time, but it's nice to finally get a glimpse of Tamaran and Diop really excels in these quieter moments, reacting to the visions that she is finally seeing clearly. Plus she gets some cool new green light powers. Out of everything, I'm most interested in seeing where this goes, which I'm not sure is what they want at this point.
Grade: C+
Next up, we are at the last two episodes of the season. Will Nightwing live? Will the team takedown Scarecrow and Red Hood? Will Donna finally reunite with everyone?
What do you all think of these episodes? Do you love them? Were you super excited for the last couple after watching them? Let me know in the comments.
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