Tuesday, March 8, 2022

Netflix (HBOMax) Retrospective - Titans Season 2 episodes 2-3


Time to take a look at Titans, the show that is still going on for some reason. Season 2 debuted on the DC Universe app in 2019. Season 1 had some great moments but had a pretty dull story and all the edginess you could ever want. The season opener for this season I covered as a rage review, it spent the first half concluding the season 1 arc in a pretty poor fashion, and the other setting up the events of season 2 as Jason has joined the Titans and Deathstroke is ready to enact his revenge or something. Let’s dig in and take a look at what season 2 has to offer in earnest.

Rose

3 months after the events of the last episode. We open with Dick and Rachel talking Titans in the middle of a coffee shop where everyone can hear them. Back at the Tower, Jason and Garfield are doing training battles. Jason has prior combat training, Garfield doesn’t and there’s no chance they’re doing a transformation this early on in the episode, even accounting for Jason's blindfold, there’s no way Gar should’ve won that fight, so why does he? Oh right, Jason needed an excuse to get pissy with everyone.

Dick eventually gets through to him by remind him he’s the one with the most experience and has leadership skills, apparently.

After the credits, we cut to the San Quentin State Prison where a certain unsavoury character is getting an early parole. It looks really goofy when he uses his powers. Hank is teaching a guy named Ellis to ride a horse as he and Dawn are enjoying their retirement. Kory is in Chicago, working with Donna Troy on a case against Shimmer. Kory is considering staying on Earth.

Rachel is reading the Art of War as she falls asleep, as she does some magic CGI goo surrounds her and when she wakes up, she has scars. Gar comes in and they both agree that Dick is going a bit overboard with the training. They’re thinking about heading after Kory but are interrupted by a police chase going on outside.

The police seem to corner the suspect but in a surprising turn they don’t immediately draw their guns and shoot her, she instead kicks their asses and escapes, though not without injury. Dick heads off and finds the girl unconscious in the street.

Hank wakes up one night and finds that Dawn is not in bed with him. Instead she’s taking down a meth-lab run in a garage by 3 complete dipshits. You could’ve just called the cops and tipped them off, they wouldn’t have lasted 5 seconds and they’re all white so they might’ve even survived. Hank asks her how long and she responds with a month.

Just as the argument is about to go somewhere, Ellis from earlier walks in and blows up their house with the goofy light effect Doctor Light used earlier. The girl wakes up in the tower and attempts to escape as Hank reports the incident to Dick. They stop her but Dick’s attempts to coax her down don’t really work, and she’s being light on details like who it is she’s running from.

Kory and Donna take down Shimmer relatively easily and Dick makes a call to Bruce, who says that Dick stops running away because Bruce became a tangible enemy as opposed to being mad at fate. Yup, this bullsh*t again. Bruce’s advice is to keep her in the tower, as whilst she’s scared she’s not capable of making life or death choices. Donna gets a call from Roy Harper (who is not in this show) and splits off from Kory, who’s then abducted by another Tamaranian.

Dick is about to let the girl go but makes the offer of her being part of the Titans, giving her a phone with his contact number. The girl finally reveals her name to be Rose when their car suddenly lights up and explodes. Jason meanwhile uses facial recognition software to find out who Rose is, she is Rose Wilson, daughter of Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke.

Not a hugely eventful episode and I don’t think trying to make Doctor Light seem intimidating in this manner is working very well. Sure, he can kill long-distance somehow but it looks like a bad Doctor Who villain.

Rating 6/10

Ghosts

We get a rundown on Slade’s origin from Garfield, ex-Military, worked for HIVE and underwent enhancements that only he survived. Dick claims it’s old Titans business and is cagey about the details. This is interrupted by the arrival of Donna, Hank and Dawn, all here to take down Doctor Light. They’re none too pleased to hear about Rose still being in the Tower, Deathstroke was apparently involved in the team disbanding the last time.

Rose claims she went after Deathstroke believing him responsible for the death of his brother, her battle didn’t end so well, Dick gives her an eyepatch so now she can look just like Daddy. Time for another training session with the young teens as Jason goes against both Gar and Rachel, and this time they’re all blindfolded. Again, Jason's victory, as the only one with any prior combat training was a foregone conclusion but pissing off Rachel had the unfortunate side-effect of awakening her demon half who goes on to almost kill Jason, he does not take this well. I’m pretty sure by now he knows full-well who Rachel is so… Dick move.

Speaking of Dicks, Dick calls Gar away for the mission. Oh yeah, there’s this subplot with Kory and this Tamaranian whose I don’t care to remember. Kory’s being summoned back to Tamaran to take the throne after the death of her parents. I find it weird that they call Kory’s sister Blackfire rather than her Tamaranian name, Komand’r. Rose and Rachel bond over bad dads.

Gar is being tasked with monitoring power grids, which makes me wonder why he picked Gar over say Jason, though Gar covers for Rachel’s earlier outburst that Dick just missed. Jason won’t tell Dick because of his bruised ego.

Arthur Light and Slade are in a room together and Arthur asks what the plan is. For now it’s a strictly observational plan, trying to work out the new members and establish their roles in the team. Pick off the weak ones and let the rest come to them. We get a scene with Hank and Dawn, and another with Kory. Donna calls out Dick for being secretive and honestly kinda fucking stupid.

Speaking of being stupid, not letting the others come along, when they find a lead on Doctor Light, especially the really to prove himself Jason. I get not wanting them killed but he’s clearly powerful and very much aware you’re coming; they could be a valuable edge. Because Dick doesn’t have a costume at the moment, he doesn’t have access to his gadgetry so he’s barely useful in the fight.

Still, Donna pins him down with a bike and he runs away like a little bitch! Though not without Hank injuring his leg, well, grazing it a little. Hank’s pissy that Dick got distracted saving a bus full of people and Jason is pissy for not being allowed to come alone, he tries to punch Dick but he easily deflects it. Dick vs Rose, Dick wins both rounds but Rose clearly has training.

Kory heads back to her ship, but it interrupted by a phone-call from Rachel who tries to guilt her into staying. She’s worried about how her power is manifesting itself through her, making her become the person who killed her father 24-7. Damaging to both her and everyone around her. Kory reveals her ship and traps what’s-his-face inside. She leaves with a warning that legions more will come for her.

Hank and Dick talk, and actually laugh together briefly. Jason comes to ‘help’ and does so, finding Light instantly. But Jason wants to head in with Gar and ‘verify’ first. Of course Jason is in full Robin garb, and Gar only notices this when they arrive. They investigate subway tunnels, splitting up, and Jason literally stands right in front of Doctor Light. Jason gets beat up and blinded but of course, fighting without the use of his eyes is exactly what the training has been about so he gets his second wind.

He beats Doctor Light but then Deathstroke shows up by the time Gar catches up, both Doctor Light, Jason and Deathstroke are gone and all that is left is a blood stain.

It has a decent climax but I’ve seen shows accomplish more in half the time.

Rating 6.5/10

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