Reviewed by Colin Jacobson (November 10, 2022)
After a two-year absence – likely related to COVID-related delays - Titans returned for its third season in 2021. An update on the old Teen Titans comics, Titans runs on the “DC Universe” streaming site.
Season Three includes 13 episodes, all of which appear in this 2-disc Blu-ray set. The plot synopses come from IMDB.
Barbara Gordon: “When the Joker kills Jason “Robin” Todd (Curran Walters), Dick “Nightwing” Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) returns to Gotham to see how Bruce “Batman” Wayne (Iain Glen) is handling it.”
In 1988, DC Comics gave readers the ability to decide if Jason Todd lived or died, a poll that resulted in the graphic novel A Death in the Family. Obviously that work acts as a clear inspiration for this episode.
Also obviously, because Titans goes down this narrative path, the show borrows from Death but doesn’t explicitly retell it. Much of the episode follows the Titans and fails to make Jason’s part as dominant as one might expect from the synopsis.
Though we do focus on a lot of Batman-related domains, as we see a decent amount of Commissioner Barbara Gordon (Savannah Welch) with some elements that reflect another Batman graphic novel, The Killing Joke. The program blends all these elements with the other Titans characters to provide a strong opening to Season Three.
Red Hood: “Red Hood emerges as a new crime lord and creates terrorist attacks in Gotham. Dick calls in the rest of the Titans for help. A showdown between Red Hood and the Titans leads to a shocking revelation.”
Two episodes into S3 and the move to Gotham makes Titans much more of a Batman-oriented series than previously – which I don’t view as a bad thing, though it does diminish the characters beyond Nightwing to a degree. We also get some Silence of the Lambs as Dick consults with Scarecrow (Vincent Kartheiser). Enough intrigue emerges to make this a positive episode.
Hank and Dove: “Jason attaches a bomb to Hank's (Alan Ritchson) heart. The Titans have less than four hours to find the detonator.”
As implied by the synopsis, this show engages the Titans as a whole to a larger degree than usual, and it becomes a pretty taut thriller. Add a startling ending and this winds up as a strong episode.
Blackfire: “Dick breaks Jonathan Crane out of prison. Koriand'r (Mame-Anna Diop) and Gar (Ryan Potter) try to find the source behind Kory's visions.”
After the drama of “Dove”, matters lighten up a wee bit here… but not much, so don’t expect a respite from the series’ usual grim tone. Still, it moves along plot points fairly well and deepens the season’s arc.
Lazarus: “In flashback, we learn the story of how Jason became estranged from Batman, found his way to Dr. Crane, and the tragic turn of events that transformed him into Red Hood.”
I don’t tend to dig flashbacks, as I’d prefer better exposition in “regular time”. Nonetheless, “Lazarus” fills in a lot of S3’s gaps, so it proves productive.
Lady Vic: “Crane enlists the help of lethal assassin Lady Vic (Kimberly-Sue Murray), who has a troubled history with Dick and Barbara. Meanwhile, Kory and Gar bring Blackfire (Damaris Lewis) back to Wayne Manor.”
“Vic” pushes Nightwing even more into the Batman role. Despite that derivative vibe, “Vic” manages some good momentum, and the sides with the other Titans work fairly well, too.
51%: “Crane betrays Jason and the Titans track Crane down.”
“51%” manages to advance the narrative, but I can’t claim it becomes the most fascinating episode. Still, we need the occasional “semi-plodding plot-thickener”, so I won’t complain.
Home: “As an emboldened Crane looks to filter his poison through Gotham's water system, Starfire - still plagued by visions - enlists Blackfire and Superboy's (Joshua Orpin) help, and Gar finally tracks down Jason.”
The biggest development here relates to a character who presumably will become more prominent as the year progresses. A few other significant events evolve as well and allow this to turn into an effective program.
Souls: “While Rachel (Teagan Croft) struggles for a chance to use her magic to resurrect Donna (Conor Leslie) on Paradise Island, Tim Drake (Jay Lycurgo) encounters Donna in the Underworld, and searches for a way back.”
If you just viewed this season based on synopses to date, “Souls” comes out of nowhere, as that recap only discusses characters uncovered in prior overviews. Tim already appeared this season, but Rachel makes her S3 debut here, and Donna only briefly appeared in “Lazarus”.
This gives “Souls” a very different vibe than the prior shows, one that threatens to go off the rails. However, it brings some intriguing threads and largely works.
Troubled Water: “Crane turns Gotham against the Titans. Barbara takes a bold step and Rachel and Donna return as Gotham engulfs in chaos.
Didn’t we already see “Scarecrow uses Gotham’s water supply to create havoc” in Batman Begins? Yes, we did.
Still, “Water” manages to give that plot its own spin. While it can become derivative, it still pushes along the narrative pretty well.
The Call Is Coming from Inside the House: “While Crane sets his ultimate sights on Nightwing, Gar and Rachel investigate Red Hood's place of rebirth, Donna and Tim reconnect in the real world, and Kory learns the truth about her past.”
Unsurprisingly, “Call” largely acts in an expository manner, which makes sense since it exists in a spot that needs to set up the finale. Some impactful moments arise and we get a good push ahead with the plot.
Prodigal: “After Nightwing and Red Hood's battle, Rachel and Gar try to save their friend. Meanwhile, Jason questions his allegiance. With Barbara behind bars, Donna leads her own resistance operation, and Conner helps Blackfire recover her ship.”
As S3 nears its end, “Prodigal” ups the ante. A major character nearly dies and the rampage of Crane intensifies in this propulsive program.
Purple Rain: “With Gotham once again at the mercy of Crane's terror, it's all hands on deck for the Titans as they infiltrate Wayne Manor and harness an ancient power that transcends life and death.”
S3 concludes on a pretty solid note, as it offers a clever twist on the usual action finale. S3 overall works well, as even though it veers a little more toward a Batman spinoff than Titans, it still provides a good collection of shows and a compelling overall narrative.
I do hope Season Four seems less Bat-centric. Still, S3 satisfies.
