The Titans, “Dick Grayson”, Review!

The last episode had Rachel bringing her father, Trigon, into the world. We have since Dick Grayson, the former Robin, take her in along with the rest of the Titans; Kory and Garfield.  He has dealt with his anger issues which he has attributed to his training by Batman.  He has destroyed his Robin costume and starts on a new path.  Dick entered the shield protecting the home of Trigon and his wife, Angela.  The episode opens with sunshine and Dick relaxing with sunglasses on a float in a pool.  The setting is California.  His son, Johnny (James Scallion), jumps into the pool and drops his father into the water.  They run into the house, the boy calling for his mother, who turns, a very pregnant Dawn!  She is busy choosing a color for the baby’s new room.  Dick watches out for her since she is a month away from giving birth.  They are interrupted by a FaceTime call from the computer.  The family rushes down to see a happy Rachel and Garfield.  He has given Johnny a white tiger stuffie he calls Growly. They are in Chicago going to college.  This is a distortion wave and Johnny sees someone in the driveway.  Dick was manipulated before at the Asylum, but doesn’t seem to recognize what is happening and can’t seem to resist it.  

THE TITANS -- “Dick Grayson” -- BRENTON THWAITES -- Christos Kalohordis//©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It is Jason Todd in a wheel chair and he says it’s been five years since he saw him.  They go out to the pool and Jason explains that Riddler shot him in the back.  He also says the Joker killed Commissioner Gordon three days ago.  Jason also says that Alfred died.  He says that Dick is the only one who can convince Batman not to kill the Joker.  Dawn prepares a meal while Dick explains the situation.  She adds that Barbara Gordon is missing.  He says he will go after the baby.  There is another distortion.  Growly falls down and Johnny stares at it.  He runs and tells his parents that Growly wants to go with his father to Gotham City.  Dawn also says that he is the only one to save Batman.  A jet lands at night in Gotham.  Dick takes a taxi, not an Uber?, and the driver doesn’t want to drive into certain parts of Gotham, only uptown.  He recommends the Four Seasons hotel.  Dick tries to call up Bruce while he sees Gotham turned into Pottersville, the crime ridden Back to the Future II-world, which doesn’t make sense if Batman has gotten violent.  There are fights and bodies in the streets.  The taxi pulls up to the hotel which has a rat scurrying around its floor.  The clerk finds out that he wants to stay the night and ask if he wants fresh sheets.  

THE TITANS -- “Dick Grayson” -- MINKA KELLY, JAMES SCALLION, BRENTON THWAITES -- Christos Kalohordis//©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

He enters his room and sees Growly in his bag.  There is a distortion and the television switches to the news report of the new commissioner, Stable (Tony Craig).  Who has the Bat Signal taken into a truck.  Dick gets a call from Dawn, Johnny is sick, and Dick says he wants to return home.  A distortion wave and then the neighbors slam the wall.  He hears an argument and calls in the police.  Dick knocks on the door and then kicks it in.  The man (Simon Northwood) has a knife, but Dick takes him down, he flashes his badge to a Gotham police officer.  Dick overhears a 391 which the officer says is a code for masks.  He heads over to the crime scene and flashes his LAPD badge.  The Joker lies head first in a car window.  Dick gets a notice that his flight is leaving soon on his phone.  Another distortion wave and we get a police officer who says his name is Captain Frank Finney (played by Seamus Dever whom we also saw was Trigon). Dick explains that the body was thrown from another building from the angle and position of the body. Captain Finney says the building is locked up and so he suspects its Batman. Dick says he is headed home.  The bloody hand of the Joker reaches out from the body bag!  This of course is a dark version of The Killing Joke (1988) and The Dark Knight Returns (1986) comic books.  

A taxi pulls away from the dark Wayne Mansion. Dick climbs up and opens a window to enter.  He passes the portraits of the Wayne Family.  Dick plays some keys on the piano and the clock shudders, but does not move away.  He speaks to Bruce and says he is lucky because the Joker is not dead.  Dick wants to talk, but there is no response.  He walks away and we see Dick Grayson on the monitor watched by a dark figure in the Batcave.  At the Our Lady of the Orphans Hospital, Dick walks in and says Finney asked for him.  He sees the Joker intubated.  Dick is interrupted by Agent Kory.  She is more attractive with straight, black hair.  Kory tells him that he has a better life, there is a distortion wave, then the power goes out.  Dicks runs and sees the body of the Joker with a bloody Batarang, then the shadow of Batman before he leaps from the window.  The neighbor is bothering another woman so Dick pulls him off and beats him up.  Morning in California, Dawn gets a call from Dick, he gets angry that Hank is there painting the room.  He apologizes, gets a call from Kory about Arkham Asylum, and Dawn hangs up.  Dick walks to Arkham Asylum, which strangely doesn’t have a gate, and bodies are taken to the morgue or hospital.  One of the bodies in the cell has a bloody coin.  Another has a fallen ventriloquist dummy.  Kory shows him to a room with the bodies of guards, nurses, and the warden.  Kory tells him that the Batman has to be stopped.  This does not seem like Arkham Asylum. 

THE TITANS - “Dick Grayson” - Christos Kalohordis//©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. 

Dick is at the police department and Captain Finney promises Dick will be in charge of the operation.  He reveals that Batman is Bruce Wayne.  Dick briefs the officers who are fully armed and tells them that Batman has to be taken alive.  Finney tells Dick that they will use tranquilizer cartridges.  The police vehicles surround Wayne Mansion.  They break in the window.  Dick watches the police cameras from a van.  Officers place two charges.  Dick directs Finney to the passageway behind the clock.  He speaks to Bruce that they are coming for him.  They rappel in by the Batmobile. A Batarang explodes! Batman drops in and slices up officers with his Batarang. Dick calls for a retreat.  He sees officers drop as Kory closes in.  The officer’s digital signals start to blink out with each death.  Batman smashes the monitor.  Captain Finney faces Batman who slices him with the Batarang.  One edged Batarang?  I think Batman has more deadly devices, grappling rope and thrown Batarangs.  Kory sees the bodies, Captain Finney points out Batman before dying, she sees him with his back turned, she raises her hand charging up her power.  Batman turns with Mr. Freeze's cold gun!  He fires and its ray hits Kory sending her frozen corpse back.  I think her Starfire powers would keep her body at room temperature.  Dick screams and activates the charges! Wayne Mansion explodes.  Dick walks in the ruins of the Batcave.  He sees the body of Kory.  Batman struggles under some rubble.  Dick says that Batman wanted him to give into the darkness.  He crushes Bruce’s chest and kills him.  Dick’s eyes become demonic. We get a wild tilt back to the home of Angela.  Rachel tries to reach him, but it is too late.  Her father says that Dick chose this path.  Angela says he is “part of the family now.”  Demonic Dick Grayson tells Rachel, “It feels so good to be home.”  Again the corruption of Dick Grayson doesn’t seem right and the Batman emphasis of the episode makes sense at mid-season, but not as a finale.  I do like the Trigon lasts more than two episodes. The end credit scene hints at a well known clone in Metropolis.  

Three Wing Dings out of Five!  

#TheTitans, #DickGrayson, #JamesScallion, #TheJoker