Titans are just for kids…wait…what did he say?!?!
Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) is trying to put his life as a superhero behind him. As a detective in Detroit, Dick finds himself thrust back into the world of superheroes when a young girl named Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) reveals she’s being targeted by killers. Desperate to keep Rachel safe, Dick’s going to have to return to his days of Robin, and he is bringing some of his old allies like Hawk (Alan Ritchson), Dove (Minka Kelly), and Donna Troy (Conor Leslie) into the fray while a new group of heroes in the form of Kory Anders (Anna Diop) and Gar Logan (Ryan Potter) could be the team the world needs to save it from the darkness.
Titans—Season 1 was a DC Universe streaming series released from October 12, 2018 to December 21 2018. It was released to positive reviews.
More full powered Starfire please…maybe even some flying & flaming hair?
People were all against Titans when it first started appearing. The “F*@!, Batman” line uttered in the early footage angered people (how would sweet, innocent Robin say this?!?!) and early production photos of characters like Starfire had comic fans criticizing the production…but for the most part, everyone ended up eating crow on those assessments. While Titans isn’t for kids (at all), the series is a dark dive into the DC Universe that actually works.
The series seems to borrow its format heavily from the Netflix Marvels series which aren’t afraid to get down and dirty (dirtier than their big screen equivalents). The f-bombs fly throughout the series, but it does seem to fit the world created. It does sometimes feel like more territory could have been covered (since there are only 11 episodes), but the knowledge that season 2 is confirmed helped calm worries of a never answered cliffhanger. It misses some opportunities with things like Robin’s quickly dispatched detective partner and more opportunity for the Nuclear Family. There are a few flashback episodes which help develop the characters, but sometimes I just wish that the story had moved a bit farther before the season ended.
Bring on more Doom Patrol!
The cast is decent. Brenton Thwaites does still have a boyhood type charm to him that doesn’t make him look ridiculous wearing the Robin costume (though I’m guessing Nightwing is on the horizon). Teagan Croft is actually much more likeable than the comic’s mopey Raven who always felt like one of the original Goth girls. Ryan Potter needs just a bit more “fun” as Gar (and learning how to change into something other than a tiger would help with that). I also did like the appearance by “bratty, bad-attitude” Jason Todd played by Curran Walters. Anna Diop works as Starfire though I hope that she gets her full powers. It has always disturbed me to see the Hawk-Dove love relationship. Alan Ritchson has that firebrand fit for Hawk while Minka Kelly is decent as Dawn (but the nature of Dove is always tricky since she’s supposed to be a pacifist in general). The season also serves as an introduction to Doom Patrol which gained their own DC Universe series in 2018 as well.
Trigon cometh!
The look is different. Much like DC’s CW series, the costumes are pretty accurate. This is tricky since costumes often look ridiculous. Hawk and Dove’s costumes seem impractical, but I do like the visuals that come with Kory’s powers. The glimpses of Batman in the season finale and some of his villains were also fun…leading me to hope that the series gets even more comic book based as it develops.
Titans is amazing considering what superhero shows were being made when I was a kid. The production value, the casting, and the subject matter are far above what could have been expected ten years ago. The “unrated” nature of Netflix and the DC Universe channels opens up a strange new world for comic book shows that the movies won’t generally do and the network series can’t do. I’m interested to see where Titans goes, and I hope it has the time and patience to get there.
Titans—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Titans”
1.1 Titans Release Date: 10/12/18
Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) is trying to establish himself away from Bruce Wayne as a detective with the Detroit Police. Assigned a new partner named Amy Rohrbach (Lindsey Gort), Dick finds himself drawn back into the life of Robin when a girl named Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) appears and knows about his secret past. Rachel reveals she’s being targeted by assassins after the murder of her mother (Sherilyn Fenn) and seeks Dick’s help to find answers about her past. A woman named Kory Anders (Anna Diop) finds herself with amnesia in Vienna and discovers herself tied to Konstantin Kovar (Mark Antony Krupa) who is seeking Rachel. A security man’s sighting of a green tiger in a department store in Ohio could mean the appearance of a new superhuman.
“Hawk and Dove”
1.2 Hawk and Dove Release Date: 10/19/18
Dick finds himself on the run with Rachel after she killed one of the men after her. Seeking out his old allies Hank “Hawk” Hall (Alan Ritchson) and Dawn “Dove” Granger (Minka Kelly), Dick discovers his past with Dove could cause a problem. The Nuclear Family (Jeff Clarke, Melody Johnson, Jeni Ross, Logan Thompson) is activated to seek out and capture Rachel at any cost. Hawk and Dove seek to exit the vigilante business by stopping an arms dealer, but tragedy strikes first.
“Origins”
1.3 Origins Release Date: 10/26/18
Kory saves Rachel from the Nuclear Family as she searches for clues to her identity. Dawn fights for her life in the hospital as Hank watches over her. Dick learns about the fate of his partner as he seeks to find Rachel but recalls his own past. Rachel meets a Gar Logan (Ryan Potter) at a skating rink, and a trip to an orphanage could unlock secrets of her past.
“Doom Patrol”
1.4 Doom Patrol Release Date: 11/02/18
Rachel has escaped the orphanage and finds a friend in Gar. Kory and Dick find Rachel gone and search for clues to her location. Gar introduces Rachel to his family, and Rachel learns the origins of Cliff “Robotman” Steel (Jake Michaels), Larry “Negative Man” Trainor (Dwain Murphy), and Rita “Elasti-Woman” Farr (April Bowlby) of Doom Patrol. When Chief (Bruno Bichir) learns of Rachel’s abilities, learning her power could be a dangerous experiment.
“Together”
1.5 Together Release Date: 11/09/18
Dick realizes that stopping the men after Rachel means working together as a team and tries to convince the others that they must master their abilities. When the Nuclear Family comes for Rachel, they have a team to deal with. Robin’s search for answers into Rachel’s past leads to an unlikely savior.
“Jason Todd”
1.6 Jason Todd Release Date: 11/16/18
Dick learns Jason Todd (Curran Walters) is the new Robin, but that Jason has different views of justice than him. With someone hunting his friends from Haley’s Circus, Dick must act quickly to help his circus family.
“Asylum”
1.7 Asylum Release Date: 11/30/18
As Dr. Adamson (Reed Birney) exposes more of Rachel’s powers, Rachel and the others learn Rachel’s mother Angela Azarath (Rachel Nichols) is still alive and being held by men associated with Rachel’s father. Rachel and Gar decide to move without the others and the decision could be fatal.
“Donna Troy”
1.8 Donna Troy Release Date: 11/30/18
Escaping the Asylum, Dick finds himself on a quest to determine what his life will be without Robin…and meeting up with his old friend Donna Troy (Conor Leslie). Kory, Gar, Rachel, and her mother head to Rachel’s mother’s home to determine their next move, but Kory’s confrontation with the police leads to attempts to arrest her…and the return of her memories beginning.
“Hank and Dawn”
1.9 Hank and Dawn Release Date: 12/07/18
Dawn remains in a coma as Hank watches over and remembers his brother Don (Elliot Knight) and the tragic chain of events that brought Dawn to him.
“Koriand’r”
1.10 Koriand’r Release Date: 12/14/18
Rachel’s attempts to “fix” Kory’s memories have unleashed an attack. As Dick and Donna help Kory dive into her past, Gar begins to suspect that something is wrong with Rachel’s home. The discovery of Kory’s mission could be too late to prevent an apocalyptic event.
“Dick Grayson”
1.11 Dick Grayson Release Date: 12/21/18
Dick Grayson’s life is perfect. He’s married to Dawn, has a son, and another child is on the way. When he learns from Jason that Bruce Wayne has become unhinged with the deaths of Alfred and Gordon, Dick finds himself on the way to Gotham City to try to prevent a tragedy. With Gotham in disarray, Dick finds that Bruce might be farther gone than he thought…but the reality of the situation could be much more grave.
