After a long wait the Titans return next week for their third season. The first which will air exclusively on HBO Max in the US. With a bigger audience in front of them and a bigger budget behind them, how do these new episodes stack up?
We’ve been lucky enough to see the first five episodes of season 3 and I can tell you this is the most solid Titans has ever been. I’m not delving deep in to spoilers today, but here are my first thoughts on season 3…
The writing of season 3 is incredibly tight. The season starts strong in first episode “Barbara Gordon” and doesn’t let up. Though there are some odd pacing issues this is tonally the best work the show has done to-date. It feels a little like the writers felt they needed to arrive on HBO Max with a bang. Spoiler alert. They do.
The Red Hood storyline feels refreshed to fit the world of Titans. It does stray from the source material but only in ways which feel organic to the story. Key elements remain intact and will certainly give comic book fans a kick. Curran Walters is able to show there’s much more to Jason Todd than what we’ve seen before. Through the course of these fives episodes there are glimpses of the old Jason. Similarly there’s plenty of insight in to both how he operates as Red Hood and how he got there. What’s important is that Titans takes us on that journey in unique and interesting ways.
There’s also a new consistency to sharing screen time amongst the main cast. Whilst Nightwing – it’s good to hear that name on-screen – is still front and centre the rest don’t feel hidden. There’s plenty of moments across these five episodes for Gar, Kory, Conner, Hank and Dawn. In other words, the writers have heard our complaints and really worked to even the playing field.
For those concerned about the size of the cast, these first episodes pair off characters in to smaller groups. For example, the Red Hood storyline takes Dick to Gotham putting him in a solo position. Kory remains in San Francisco with Conner and Gar whilst Hank and Dawn are living in Washington. The difference here, unlike season 2, is that it all feels natural rather than pure plot contrivance. These characters all have a clear purpose from the outset which is incredibly refreshing.
Season 3 introduces a number of new players, some I won’t spoil here. Foremost are Savannah Welch as Commissioner Barbara Gordon and Vincent Kartheiser as Dr. Jonathan Crane. Both are excellent additions to the core cast. Barbara feels perfectly pitched for the Titans world, on the exterior she’s cold and just a little confrontational. But underneath beats the heart of the character we all know from the comics. Welch has excellent chemistry with Brenton Thwaites as Dick, it’s not hard to imagine the history these two characters have shared.
Vincent Kartheiser’s Jonathan Crane really does take on a Hannibal Lector role in these early episodes. Kartheiser is easily having fun with the role and it comes across on screen. For instance, when behind bars there’s a restraint to his performance which amps up the creep factor. But when he’s not behind bars the shackles come off and he really goes to town. There’s also much more to come from Crane beyond episode 5 and I’m excited to see it.
We also spend a short time with Tim Drake in episode one. Jay Lycurgo’s first scenes as the third Robin are an example of the show’s continued excellent character work. Within moments we’re fully understanding of his world and who he is. I look forward to spending more time with him in future episodes.
There are some notable absences in these first five episodes. Neither Raven (Teagan Croft) nor Donna (Conor Leslie) make a full appearance. However, the presence of both characters is still very strong amongst the Titans. In addition to balancing out the cast, it seems the writers have also found a new vigour when it comes to balancing storylines.
The overall production has stepped up a notch from season 2. VFX, stunts and locations all feel like Titans taken to the next level. For example, the Batcave. We’ve seen the location before but it has been massively overhauled and has become a treasure trove of DC Easter eggs. There is so much for fans to look for across all of these episodes that rewatches are a must. Similarly the first appearance of the Titans group features some of the series’ best fight choreography.
There’s little I would alter about these first five episodes of season 3. However, I would sit the writers down and tell them they have nothing to prove. Titans is the kind of DC show that fans deserve. It’s action-packed, it’s found a new sense of fun and is uncompromisingly compulsive viewing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ttU1iKSpdATitans stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Anna Diop as Starfire, Teagan Croft as Raven, Ryan Potter as Beast Boy, Alan Ritchson as Hawk, Minka Kelly as Dove, Curran Walters as Jason Todd/Robin and Joshua Orpin as Conner Kent/Superboy.
Joining the cast in season 3 are Savannah Welch as Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, Jay Lycurgo as Tim Drake and Vincent Kartheiser as Dr. Jonathan Crane, the former Scarecrow.
The series returns to HBO Max with new episodes from August 12, 2021.
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