Titans - "Rose" - Episode 13 Review
Alright I'm way behind so lets jump right in!
Titans is back and they've moved onto the next story arch and I couldn't be happier. And the episode kicks off with a Dick joke! They never get old. I am very happy to say the acting has gotten much better with a full season of work behind the actors so Brandon sells this much better. It's always difficult finding your stride in TV and some are better at it than others but it seems all of the squad are now firing on all cylinders. It's three months post-Trigon and the world is back to normal for our heroes. Dick and Rachel get coffee and discuss the name that the group should go by. Maybe a little dig here at Marvel with the NeXt Generation line? I'm cool with that. It's all fun. Great moment here by the writers to lay out the rest of the series really..."we're training for what comes next. No shortage of " bad guys looking to mess things up. OK, got it. Mission statement proclaimed. Bring on Deathstroke.
Gar and Jason spar with wooden swords and Jason blindfolded. Nice little action sequence moment here, with Jason really demonstrating how talented he is, until he amusingly lands in the wrong direction and Gar smacks him on the head. Still more to learn evidently. And Dick tells him as much when he arrives and lays down the law in describing why they train the way they do. Jason wants to head back to Gotham City but Dick tells him he and Batman don't think he's ready yet. They argue about what they're doing there with Jason pulling the sidekick card and playing it hard. Dick thinks they're equals. In another fine acting moment, Brandon turns Dick into a master manipulator, just like Batman. He plays to Jason's ego by enlisting him to be the leader of the newer members. By the way I yelled Nitewing at my computer monitor at the end of this exchange when Jason asked Dick who he is.
DC SuperVillain Doctor Light is freed from prison in a bloody escape and boy is he unlike any version of the character we've seen to date. A beefier, more street tough guy than the brainy physicist that's been depicted before, he takes pleasure in torture and has either tech or tattoos covering his arms. He can power up by absorbing light and can use that energy in deadly blasts.
Meanwhile in Wyoming Hank and Dawn are horse trainers and are living the quiet life. Hank helps a youngster out on a horse and Dawn tells him that Dick called and wants them to come see the old Tower. Hanks's down to travel but Dawn thinks it's too much for him. Hank concedes and decides to cook steaks instead.
In Chicago Kory and Donna are in the back of a van on a stakeout. They are looking for a SuperVillain named Shimmer and chit chat as they wait. By the way I love jelly donuts, so there's that. Kory explains she's digging Earth as we are young and still figuring things out. She likes our options. Meanwhile outside in the rain a young, one-eyed, girl with gray hair, eyes a car to steal. See what I did there?
Back at the Tower Rachel studies and drifts off at her desk. As she does so some of her evil energy leaks out. It disappears as she awakens but it leaves a mark on her body. Gar brings her some of Dick's terrible pizza and they chat. Their brother sister dynamic is reinforced here for me as they talk about whats going on and how they both miss Kory. A chopper outside grabs their and the others attention and we see that the one-eyed girl is on the run from the cops after stealing a car.
She leads them on a nice car chase and ends up on the roof of a parking garage. She gets out and proceeds to kick all their butts. Nice little action stunt sequence here with some sweet rainy choreography. The girl runs away and does a fun super jump across a busy street and busts right through a glass window and onto a boardroom table! Dick sees this all on the TV with the other Titans and decides to go look for her. The girl gets up and stumbles away into the night.
Hank and Dawn sit by a fire and discuss one of the boys that they are helping rehab on the horse farm. Dawn tells her man she's proud of him. This is a nice little scene that really shows the growth of the two actors. I believe these two care about each other.
Dick uses his magic powers and instantly finds the passed out one-eyed girl before the cops do. He decides to help her of course and brings her back to Titans Tower. He seems to be channeling his inner Batman.
Uh oh. Hank wakes up in the middle of the night and Dawn is not in bed next to him. Well thats because she is out busting up a meth lab and the three losers who run it. In a nicely shot and stunted scened Dove breaks up the place and then amusingly gets one of the cooks to call the cops on himself before she bops him on the nose, knocking him out.
Dawn tries to sneak back into her house but Hank is up and waiting for her. He's pissed she's been out "heroing" for a month behind his back. It's dangerous! It seems Hank and Dawn are both addicts. He throws the you were in a coma card at her and tells her they're done if she can't quit. Unfortunately Alex the rehab kid walks in and has been turned into a bomb by Dr. Light. The youngster blows up, destroying the cabin and almost Hank and Dawn as well.
Dick watches a monitor and sees the girl he saved wake up in her room. He gets a call from Hank letting him know Dr. Light just tried to kill them. Seems the old Titans have battled him in the past as they instantly recognized his style. Dick invites them to the tower and Hank accepts. That didn't take long, back to the Tower fly Hawk and Dove.
The mysterious one-eyed girl lurks down the Tower hallway, searching for a way out. She tries to use the elevator but the Titans show up and say hi. In a bit of a weird turn, the first thing Dick says to her is not "hi my names Dick, you're OK, I saved you, I'm here to help. You're safe." but "We need to talk". Somehow she doesn't just immediately kick his ass and drag him by his thumb over to the elevator but whatever. Dick gives her the I'm Mr. Miyagi and I'm here to help speech and the girl informs him that she has some baggage and it will show up and kill everyone just to get to her. Oooohhhhh spooky.
Back in the Windy City Robin's Angels are still looking for their Super Villain. They bicker over some music and then decide to go get tacos.
Gar, Rachel, and Jason sit in the training room discussing Dick and the girl. They wonder who she is and where she's from and what she's going to do. Jason wants to boot her to the curb but tells his teammates he know a way to find out who she really is.
Rachel finds Dick in the computer room where he's reviewing the rooftop footage of the one-eyed girl. Rachel understands why Dick wants to help the girl and agrees with it. She tells him thats what he does and that he's good at. Nicely acted scene here, the two have definitely grown as actors this season.
Kory and Donna are walking to go get tacos and Oh Look, there's the person we've been looking for walking towards us shimmering as she goes. After a short, completely one sided hero battle the ladies have their woman in custody. Phewwww. That was easy. And unnecessary.
One of the benefits of formerly being Robin is having Bruce Wayne's personal cell phone number. Dick uses this perk and calls his mentor. They discuss the trouble raising a rebellious teen and I loved Batman's line about being "more or less" human. Nice line. Great delivery. Former Robin ends the conversation by asking Batman if he'd do it all over again with him if given the chance. Batman cooly tells him that he'd do everything exactly the same. Awwwwwww.
Kory and Donna hand off Shimmer to the FBI and oh I now see why this scene exists, it's to get to Donna receiving a phone call from Roy Harper! Speedy himself! Originating in the comic books of the '40's and Green Arrow's, ahem, sidekick, Speedy had his ups and downs with the worst being the famous "Snowbirds Don't Fly" storyline where Roy was revealed to be addicted to heroin leading to Green Arrow famously declaring "My ward is a junkie!". Sweet! More comic book characters! Kory walks to the taco truck but is interrupted by an alien! Well really he's from Kory's home planet and quickly and quietly zaps! her and takes her away. It kind of seemed like Kory knew him too hmmmmm. Donna walks up after talking to Roy but can't find her partner. The phone rings and it's Dawn calling. She tells Donna they have a problem, which reinforces that the older Titans have battled Dr. Light before.
Dick gets the one-eyed girl some coffee and apologizes for grabbing her off the street. He offers to teach her like he's teaching the others. She still wants to bail but she does tell him that her name is Rose. Suddenly the backseat starts to glow like a Dr. Light attack! Dick says get down? and then gets Rose out of his jeep just before it explodes!
Back at the Titan cave Gar and Jason are running a computer DNA analysis on Rose. Turns out she is the daughter of the one and only Slade Wilson - Deathstroke. Jasons response of "No Fucking Way" is wholly appropriate.
OK this was a good episode that resets the series a lot and gets us ready for whats to come. The Titans are settled in and comfortable and are getting along and ready for some conflict. Rose is an interesting character and what she(Ravager) and her Dad(Deathstroke) are gonna bring to the show is something I'm looking forward to. (and her brother too, shhhh)
