Well, it’s been a long time but we’re going bloggin on the ODPH! On the past episode, we went super heavy on movie trailers that we didn’t have time to talk Titans (DC Universe) season 2 finale. Let’s fix that shall we? (SPOILERS TALK HAPPENING)
Season 2 started with a lackluster opening episode with the team finding a way to “stop” Trigon (Seamus Dever). In all honesty, this could have happened in the season 1 finale but is what it is. The team is reformed by Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) and looks to be comprised of Raven (Teagan Croft), Beast Boy (Ryan Potter) & Jason Todd/Robin (Curran Walters). The senior members of the team split their seperate ways. Donna Troy (Conor Leslie) & Starfire (Anna Diop) take off to Chicago while Hawk (Alan Ritchson) & Dove (Minka Kelly) leave for seclusion from the hero life. All should be well until a camera crew catches Jason uttering a phrase that would haunt this season: “TITANS ARE BACK B*TCHES!’
This move triggers what was the “big bad” of the season to re-emerge: Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke (Esai Morales). Thru the course of the season from here is a long term chess match being set up by Slade against Dick Grayson. If you have read the Teen Titans classic run from Wolfman & Perez, you knew this was a huge moment in Titans history. Taking elements from “the Judas Contract” storyline, we the viewers see Slade plant the seeds to destroy the Titans.
At this stage, we’re introduced to his daughter, Rose aka Ravager (Chelsea Zhang) who is running from him. Once she enters the Titans radar, the ball gets rolling on the season. We’re introduced to (a very lackluster) Dr. Light (Michael Mosley). This is a letdown from the comic character so nothing worth mentioning here, other than his attack on Hawk & Dove force them to return to San Francisco, home of the Titans. Raven’s powers are out of control, so a cry for Starfire & Donna to return is made, but only Donna makes it. Starfire is kept away for most of the season to build up a story for season 3.
During this time, the youthful Todd makes a play to step out of Dick (and Bruce Wayne - Iain Glen) shadow by attempting to take down Slade but fails. Detouring from the comic, Todd survives the first encounter with an assist from Conner Kent/Superboy (Joshua Orpin), who’s story takes over the latter part of the season.
Arguably the bright spot of the season is the story of Slade’s first Titan encounter. After an assassination attempt on Donna troy results in the death of Aqualad (Drew Van Acker), Dick goes on a dark quest to lure Slade out using his own son (Jericho - Chella Man) as a pawn. The story here made this season. High drama and acting carried through and set up Slade’s hatred for Grayson perfect: during battle Slade “killed” his body possessing Son. The fallout is a simple message to Grayson: reform the Titans and everyone dies. This moment haunts Grayson for years and leads to a breakdown of his soul & his rebirth as Nightwing.
Forcing him to confront his demons, Bruce issues & his future, Dick has a moment of clarity while getting himself arrested that Jericho is alive in Slade. The rest of the team is broken thru their own stories until drawn back together by Wayne…or was it Once a sense of purpose was driven home, the team goes off to finish Slade and Cadmus (Superboy’s creators and ultimate enemy).
Now here’s where I gave this episode a C-. The finale starts with Rose (who revealed she was supposed to betray the Titans but flipped) Nightwing & Slade….which lasts mere minutes and Slade is killed by Rose?! A WAAAAAAAY tooo quick ending to the Big Bad of the season. From here, the attention is flipped to stopping a possessed Superboy and Beast Boy who are rampaging the city thanks to Cadmus. The Titans prevail. Connor and Garth are freed from control. Clapping begins and then…..a ferris wheel starts to fall & did the character who’s invulnerable to lightning gran it? Nope. Donna does and “dies” saving people underneath it.
But we’re NOT done….Donna is being sent to Paradise Island for burial. At the airport, Raven (who’s powers are STILL out of control) talks Dick into flying there in hopes of bringing Donna back to life……what?!The rest of the team (minus Jason who left, Hawk, and Dove)walk down an alley ready to fight with the closing shot being Blackfire (Damaris Lewis - Starfire’s sister) arriving to Earth.
I was seriously let down by this ending. yet again, Titans can’t close on the season. The pacing and story felt rushed and miswritten at times. I thought the series showed vast improvement when it followed the comics in dealing with Deathstroke. Taking him out with relative ease made little sense. Donna troy’s “death” seemed shocking until you have Raven going to resurrect her. Sensing Brother Blood next season.
In closing, Titans for the whole season showed improvement and warrants a 3rd season, but writting plotholes & miscues hurts a show still growing. Lets hope 3rd time is the charm here.