The fourth episode of Titans‘ third season gives fans a little bit of the aftermath of Hank’s death, but heavily focuses on the biggest threats in Gotham – setting up for what is sure to be a lot of chaos to come this season. While it feels like there is not enough Red Hood, there is a decent amount of another villain, Scarecrow, and the return of Starfire’s sister, Blackfire.
Titans Season 3 Episode 4 Sets Up For Some Major Chaos In Gotham
Toward the beginning of the episode, Conner and Dawn both reflect on how they feel it is their fault Hank is dead. Conner lashes out at Gar about it, being very down on himself saying that Superman never would have failed like he did. Dawn says that Hank wanted to give up the cape, and so did Bruce, and perhaps they were both onto something. She leaves the team for her family’s home in Paris and likely will not be back for a while, if at all.
Red Hood has proven himself to be brutal with the events of the previous episode, and does so again when he orders a hit on Dr. Crane, AKA Scarecrow. He survives, but Gotham PD decides to move him to someplace safer until they can figure out who Red Hood has working for him inside Arkham. When Dick Grayson hears of the hit and move, it is not fooling him. He shows up at the transfer and takes out the guards, forcing Scarecrow to go with him to a remote, unknown location.
All through the drive, Scarecrow picks at him, trying to manipulate him and mess with him mind – something that Scarecrow does so very well. Vincent Kartheiser plays Scarecrow in Titans Season 3 and this episode really showcases just how fantastic he is. He is subtle, but strong, and really drives home the manipulation which is something that fans surely appreciate. Between him and Curran Walters as Jason Todd, there is some great casting of villains that literally deliver chills to viewers.
While Dick is busy driving Dr. Crane to the remote cabin that Bruce trained him and Jason at, Kory is dealing with more and more blackouts. She attacks Gar in the kitchen, even setting his arm on fire, before snapping out of one of her episodes. Of course, he is annoyed by this but quickly decides to help her out when she explains what she has been going through.
He brings her to the isolation chamber where Bruce would go to get focused, but it doesn’t help her. She breaks out of it while in a trance, knocks Gar unconscious, puts him in the trunk of her car, and wakes up to find them parked in a giant field. Gar, noticeably upset again when she lets him out of the trunk, does some detective work and discovers the car is parked over a hatch that leads underground. She clearly drove to this place for a reason.
They decide to go down the hatch and make a chilling discovery – a secret government facility with one worker and one prisoner – Starfire’s sister, Blackfire. Lucky for them the cell she is kept in has a dampening effect on her powers. The employee admits that the purpose is to keep her there, under observation, because she is a threat to the United States, and to Earth.
The conversation between the two brings a lot of heart into this episode, and is a long overdue and necessary one. It shines a light on Blackfire, but also brings a bit of darkness to Starfire, and is surely a set up for more that is to come in Season 3. Especially when, after learning that Blackfire would be left in that cell until the day that she does, Starfire has a change of heart. She decides to break her sister out and take her with her, back to the Titans.
Meanwhile, back at the cabin, Dick explains to Scarecrow that he knows Jason went down the path of Red Hood because of him. It was clear that the hit was fake and an effort to cause Gotham PD to relocate Scarecrow, so that Red Hood could be the one to take out the guards and set Scarecrow free. Dr. Crane all but admits this is accurate, and doing what he does best, pokes at Dick saying that he didn’t break Jason, he fixed him – and it was easy after what the Titans did to him.
The manipulation doesn’t work though, as Dick explains that Jason knows about this location, and the plan is to lure him out there. He goes so far as to tell a story about when Bruce was training him and he went out into the woods alone. A wolf was hunting him but, as he says, the wolf should have been the one afraid of him. He cut the wolf’s head off, and brought it back to Bruce.
Once Red Hood arrives, Nightwing sneaks up on him and the two have one of the best choreographed and best-looking fights of the season so far – perhaps even of the entire show. It takes place in the dark and so Nightwing’s stun batons look really cool in action. The hand-to-hand fighting is definitely getting better in this show, something the choreographers should be proud of. Red Hood bringing guns into the fight adds tension and some great acrobatics as well.
When a helicopter from Gotham PD arrives, Barbara Gordon gives them the go ahead to take a shot at Red Hood. They miss however, and he disappears, along with Scarecrow. The episode definitely could have used more Red Hood, and more action, however the setup for future episodes clearly took precedence. With Scarecrow and Red Hood together, Gotham is in trouble. Get ready for some chaos that is sure to come.
Titans (Season 3, Episode 4)
Tessa Smith owns MamasGeeky.com and is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic and a huge geek. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for almost ten years and is a member of several Critics associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association. She grew up watching movies, playing video games, and reading comic books -- and still loves all of those things. She proudly lets her geek flag fly and spreads the word that there is nothing wrong with being a geek.