Fantastic Universes

"Trigon" Writers: Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns and Greg Walker Director: Carol Banker Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Minka Kelly, Alan Ritchson, Curran Walters, Conor Leslie, Iain Glen and Esai Morales Review by Adam Ray Trigon has risen. The latest episode of this season begins right where the last one ended . Viewers are plunged back into the demonic hostage situation, and it’s an exciting and gripping way to return to the action. The original plan for the series was to have this be the season one finale, but I’m glad they decided to grab us with it as the season two opener instead. It works very effectively for drawing a viewer in after a long wait. There’s a very clear halfway point in this episode and anyone with a big sword could chop it right down the middle. We see how the presence of Trigon is resolved, then we see their paths going forward. The Titans are back, and they’re very welcome i...

“Dick Grayson” Writer: Richard Hatem Director: Glen Winter Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Ryan Potter, Teagan Croft Wow. This episode has jumped into my “Unreasonably Good Television” list. The story takes the time to quiet a discomfort I’ve felt since the series started, as well as asking the hardest question: What could cause the characters we love to go fully off the deep end? Firstly, Bat-fans, don’t worry; all is not as it seems. The writing team have done a masterful job of setting my mind at ease, and laying out threads for future stories. They’ve also blown me away with a deeply compelling episode. Once again the emphasis is on Robin. With this being the season finale, I can say that my ongoing gripes are founded. This show should probably have been called Nightwing instead of  Titans , as it’s more the story of Dick going his own way than it is a team show. The strengths of the group influence the unexpected development of...

‘Hank And Dawn’ Writer: Geoff Johns Director: Akiva Goldsman   Starring: Minka Kelly, Alan Ritchson, Teagan Croft & Elliot King Review by Adam Ray Titans has reached its closing quarter. After the apparent end to Kory’s amnesia, we can finally expect a dramatic conclusion to the series. Until then we get this episode as a temporary break from the tension. This chapter does a wonderful job of providing a calm before the storm, giving backgrounds to characters seen earlier in the series. It also does the great job of distracting the audience and throwing this far away from the superhero genre. I’m not usually interested in life dramas, which this episode certainly was, but I was pulled in from the very beginning. The near perfectly realised Hank Hall and Dawn Granger were key in the early episodes of the season and we get this story as a way to look back at their past. The departure from the superhero genre is stronger here than anywhe...

“Jason Todd” Writer: Richard Hatem, Jeffrey David Thomas Director: Carol Banker Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter I’m probably missing something, but isn’t this show called  Titans ? We’re six episodes into this season, and so far we have been seen very little of the team together. I understand that this is all for the purposes of laying a foundation - a team needs time to come together - but we just went from seeing them start to solidify… and now they’ve been separated again. This is extremely frustrating. I can’t complain too much, though. The show is still doing an excellent job of portraying characters I have always known and loved, but with grit and realism. Bigger brush strokes are given to us in every episode. The mentions of more key characters and their origins fill in the blanks of a big universe, nicely coupled with the realism of a circus folding after the loss of their biggest stars. I feel as exasperated a...

“Together” Writers: Bryan Edward Hill & Gabriel Stanton Director: Meera Menon Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter Review by Adam Ray This episode has the longest “Previously, on…” for a TV show that I’ve ever seen. However, it’s possibly the strongest chapter in the series thus far.  Episode four  treated us to the Titans finally coming together, whereas this instalment presents them as a dysfunctional family. We get to see the methods of the mysterious Doctor Adamson, and find out that more is going on than we at first thought. All of that, a change in dynamics, and a shocking guest appearance makes this episode all the more exciting. The transparency of the team is what will bring them together. Each member gives us a display of powers to show just who can do what. This works very well to raise our excitement. To see all the Titans together, surprised to see a green tiger or fire beings, makes thi...

“Doom Patrol” Writer: Geoff Johns Director: Jon Fawcett Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Bruno Bichir Review by Adam Ray The team has truly come together. I’ll admit that leaving that halfway into the season may have been a long wait, but it was important that the dynamics between each team member be solidified, before they all piled into Robin’s car. This episode also gave us another great look into this version of the DC Universe. It’s a well realized world that can handle the gritty realism of an angry, violent Robin and Starfire, alongside a literal Robotman and a scientist that can perform the strange wonders needed to make said Robotman. The formation of the Titans, at any age, could not really have come to be without involving the Doom Patrol. The somewhat ragtag team that helped Garfield Logan handle his new powers. They’re best known for helping out and doing the right thing when they can, rather tha...

“Origins” Writers: Richard Hatem, Geoff Johns, Marisha Mukerjee, Greg Walker Director: Kevin Rodney Sullivan Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Alan Ritchson, Minka Kelly Review by Adam Ray I would have to say that the show  Titans  overall is on a simmer. There are lots of elements coming together to lead to a dramatic conclusion, but it’s very much on a slow boil right now. This episode has been a real show of important origins, for the team, and the head of the team. We’ve seen the start of an acceptance Rachel feels for her powers. Lots is coming together and we feel the action is about to start getting literally explosive. Episode one gave us brief glimpses of each character. There’s a greater length of time given to each one in this episode, and dynamics we can come to expect from them all together are formed. It’s strong character acting that is really bringing the series together. ...