As Jason Todd started to wax poetic about wanting to just come home, I half expected him to start whistling the melody of the indie folk song of the same name. The idea of home evokes the concept of family, which is what Dick constantly says the Titans are, even if they rarely feel that way. “Home” is an odd episode, coming off one of the better episodes of the seasons-series, it lacks the same kind of urgency and reason to be as “51%.” Which isn’t inherently bad, you can’t keep it turned up to 11 all the time. “Home” however feels more like an assemblage of plots that the show forgot to begin or even allude to. An episode where things felt like they just happened to mark time so the episode get to its tease for next week.
1. Tim Drake
Previously I have mentioned the odd use of Tim Drake(Jay Lycurgo), who disappeared after the pilot only to show up in episode 6 “Lady Vic.” After his Father was shot by men fueled by Jason Todd it seemed everything was pointing towards Greg Walker and company putting their spin on the Drake origin ‘A Lonely Place of Dying.’ That homage does begin, somewhat, in this episode as Tim Drake confronts Dick Grayson about his theories. This plot wasn’t effective storytelling in this episode and continues a trend for the series as a whole. Tim Drake just randomly shows up on the doorstep of Wayne Manor. It was as if the producers wanted us to just assume he was doing this all off screen, justified in small part by a throwaway line about his father being a former detective. What could have been a solid ‘C’ plot for at least episode 7 is just wasted by dropping it all at Dick’s feet. There is no build up or anticipation, it simply happens. Which is why Crane shooting Drake made me chuckle at the thought that the producers were going to kill Tim Drake! Not gasp in shock or some other reaction that would register as emotional engagement, laughter.
For his part Jay Lycurgo plays Drake with the right mix of youthful vigor and vengeful anger. It’s only through his sheer performance that I’m anticipating the moment where Drake realizes he was right about Jason being Robin and that Robin is now the Red Hood.
Like several things in Titans as a series, Tim Drake’s arc up to these points lacks the foundation for it to be emotionally engaging. There are still a fair number of episodes left and it looks like he’ll be hanging out at Wayne Manor for a while at least, so perhaps it will kick into gear going forward. But that is a refrain I’ve said regarding this show before it often comes to a rushed, unsatisfying, conclusion.
2. Where it works – Blackfire and Conner
There are many things in this episode that feel underdeveloped. In the case of Blackfire and Conner’s arc, however, that lack of development is the point and one that is effectively made. Those two just kinda fell into this physical relationship without really knowing anything about one another. Where it goes from here is any bodies guess. I have a sinking feeling they’re going to kill of Blackfire as part of some sort of redemptive sacrifice, but that’s also years from reading superhero misogyny. Joshua Orpin and Demaris Lewis have nice chemistry together. Orpin doesn’t over play the childlike naiveté of Conner, making a few dry jokes on it. Lewis always has that aristocratic energy to her performance, but it is slowly being modified by an increasing vulnerability. Of all the things I thought I’d be invested in; this wasn’t one of them.
3. The Aimless Psychological Introspection – Or Didn’t We Do This Last Season?
With not much else to do in the middle of the episode, Titans returns to a well-known storytelling motif, hallucinations as a means of working through trauma and to represent the psyche of characters. Not every character gets them this episode but there is an overall emphasis on a psychoanalytic approach.
Dick – Didn’t we do this last season? We did it was called season 2 episode 7 “Bruce Wayne.” Now the cause of these hallucinations, head trauma after being hit by a car, and their meaning are different. But it feels repetitive. After being confronted by Tim Drake about becoming the new Robin and being saved by Jason, Dick begins to hallucinate his sadistic training under Bruce. Which helps to bring to the fore the anxiety he is feeling at failing his adoptive fathers final wish, be a better Batman (read: me), and some new kid who also wants to take a swing at being Boy Wonder.
Continued belowJason – Jason clearly needs many visits with Dr. Thompkins, but she’s unavailable so he goes with an alternative some voyeuristic roleplay at I guess a brothel. After a couple of episodes of being zombiefied and pushed to the side, Jason is beginning to unpack the damage he’s done and emotionally deal with it. It is worth noting that this is the first instance of nudity on Titans, this being HBO of course we don’t actually get male nudity only the female performer. For their part director Larnell Stovall doesn’t turn this into a scene about sex or sexuality. It could’ve easily been a “Watchmen”-esque kink shame that linked masked vigilantism with “deviant” sexuality. Instead, the nudity is treated simply as a common and expected occurrence and not made a fuss over. The actress simply is nude. Stovall also doesn’t really go for the obvious plays on voyeurism inherent to both what Jason is paying for and the nature of TV.
Crane – I’m trying to think and outside of maybe on Gotham, this might be the first live action attempt to analyze Jonathan Crane the Scarecrow. Turning his supposed mastery and obsession of fear as being built on an overwhelming sense of fear is interesting. Vincent Kartheiser performance choices have been different from previous incarnations and may not work for everyone, but in his scene with his mother it started to click for me. Here is a person so afraid of everything that he is willing to put on whatever show necessary to allay that fear, he turns fear into a Freudian fetish.
4. Chekhov’s Water Spot
I may not have enjoyed this episode overall, but Chekov’s Water Spot was effective. From its first appearance it was obvious where it was heading. Even if there was no sign of that sort of intense and growing water damage at any time prior to “Home,” it was the Hitchcockian tease that told viewers something was going to happen. And in an effective decision, they waited a beat before the effects of the fear toxin started to take effect. The pipe bursts, we cut back to the water plant where they realize what Starfire has accidently done, and back to the cleanup in GCPD headquarters. The episode ends on Barbara starting to be affected by the toxin seeing the newly installed Titan’s signal in a blood moon red. That was an effective tease for next week even though it felt like the show was marking time until it could finally get there.
I’m curious how the show treats the fear toxin. Batman Begins made it seem like everyone was having a very, very, bad trip. I always thought it would be treated more like the rage virus from 28 Days/Weeks Later.
5. Where is Raven?
Where is she? There is footage of her in the trailer. I’ve got this sinking feeling she’s going to be treated like Trigon in season 1, hopefully without the whole turning a season finale into a season starter.
