Titans (2018–2023)

“The Show That Constantly Almost Became Great.”

Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Insert trailers here.


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Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Titans is one of the most frustrating DC shows I have ever watched because I don’t hate it. In fact, I think hating it would actually be easier. Hating something is simple. You just say it’s bad and move on with your life. Titans is far more annoying than that because every single season this show gives me glimpses of greatness. Every season there are moments where I lean forward in my chair and think, “Okay, now we’re cooking.” And then ten minutes later the show will make one of the most baffling writing decisions imaginable and suddenly I’m sitting there with my arms crossed wondering who approved this script.

This show follows Dick Grayson after leaving Batman and trying to build his own family with Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and eventually enough side characters to fill an entire convention hall. And honestly, that’s one of my biggest issues right out of the gate. Titans doesn’t know who its main characters are. It starts off feeling like a story about Dick overcoming Batman’s shadow and becoming his own hero. Great premise. Fantastic even. But then the show gets distracted. Suddenly we’re following this character, then that character, then another subplot appears, then another villain shows up, and before you know it the Titans themselves sometimes feel like supporting characters in their own show.

And that’s the story of Titans in a nutshell.

Great ideas.

Terrible focus.


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Character Rundown

Dick Grayson is honestly one of the few things keeping this show afloat. I actually like Brenton Thwaites in the role quite a bit. He plays Dick as somebody who’s angry, traumatized, and desperately trying not to become Bruce Wayne. The problem is the show drags his development out for so long that eventually I wanted to scream at my television. Dick leaves the Titans. Dick comes back. Dick decides he needs to be alone. Dick forms the Titans again. Dick screws up. Dick feels guilty. Repeat this cycle for four seasons and eventually it stops being character development and starts becoming a personality trait.

Starfire is another frustrating case because I actually really like Anna Diop in the role. She’s charismatic, powerful, and commands the screen whenever she’s around. But the writing keeps changing its mind on who Starfire is supposed to be. One season she’s discovering her identity. The next she’s dealing with Tamaran politics. Then suddenly her powers evolve because reasons. It’s not that I dislike Starfire. It’s that the writers never seem to have a consistent plan for her.

And then we get to Beast Boy.

Oh boy.

This one hurts.

Because Beast Boy was one of my favorite Titans growing up.

And Titans barely uses him.

I swear every time Beast Boy transforms I’m like:

“Okay!”

“What animal are we getting this time?”

And the show says:

“Tiger.”

Again.

I know special effects cost money.

I understand that.

But this is BEAST BOY.

The man can become any animal imaginable.

And Titans treats him like a guy whose superpower is occasionally being a tiger.

That’s insane to me.


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Raven is one of the stronger characters in the show. I like the darker direction they took with her. Teagan Croft does a good job portraying somebody terrified of her own powers. And honestly, when Titans focuses on Raven, it usually gets better.

Usually.

The problem is the show keeps pulling her into storylines that become more confusing than interesting.


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Pacing / Episode Flow

This show’s pacing is a disaster.

I’m sorry.

It is.

Entire seasons build up villains only to rush the conclusion.

Season one literally ends before the final battle.

I am not kidding.

The finale got pushed into season two.

I remember staring at my TV and thinking:

“Wait.”

“That’s the ending?”

No.

Actually no.

The ending was DLC for the next season.

😭

Then season two builds up Deathstroke.

And I was excited.

Deathstroke!

One of DC’s greatest villains!

And while I like parts of the storyline…

The ending just left me sitting there going:

“That’s it?”

Why does this show keep building mountains only to trip over pebbles?


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Pros

The thing that frustrates me the most about Titans is that I can clearly see the better show hidden underneath all the nonsense.

The cast is good.

The costumes are fantastic.

Nightwing’s suit looks incredible.

Red Hood’s suit?

Awesome.

Starfire finally gets costumes worthy of Starfire.

And there are moments where this show absolutely nails the darker atmosphere it’s going for.

Dick dealing with Bruce’s influence?

Great.

The psychological damage Batman left on him?

Interesting.

The Titans trying to become a family despite all their trauma?

That’s good stuff.

And honestly, there are episodes scattered throughout this show that remind me why I kept watching.

Because when Titans works…

It REALLY works.


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Cons

Now unfortunately…

Most of the time it doesn’t.

The writing is this show’s biggest enemy.

Titans is obsessed with introducing new characters.

Every season somebody new shows up.

And I’m sitting there like:

“Guys.”

“You already have the Titans.”

“Can we focus on THEM?!”

Instead the show keeps wandering away from its own premise.


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And then there’s the darkness.

This show desperately wants to be mature.

But sometimes mature just means:

Everybody’s angry.

Everybody’s depressed.

Everybody argues.

Nobody communicates.

Everybody storms off dramatically.

And honestly?

After a while it becomes exhausting.


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Then we have THE line.

You know the line.

The one everybody talked about.

The line that became a meme.

> “F*** Batman.”



I burst out laughing.

Not because it was badass.

Because it felt like the show trying way too hard to prove:

“Look guys!”

“We’re dark now!”

And honestly?

That moment perfectly sums up Titans.

It wants so badly to be edgy and mature.

But sometimes it just comes across as trying too hard.


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Final Thoughts

Titans is not the worst DC show.

Not even close.

But it might be one of the most frustrating.

Because I don’t see a terrible show.

I see a show constantly standing on the edge of greatness and then jumping backwards.

The cast deserved better writing.

The Titans deserved tighter storytelling.

Beast Boy deserved more than turning into a tiger.

And the audience deserved a show that actually knew what it wanted to be.


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Every season I kept hoping.

“This is it.”

“This is the season.”

“They figured it out.”

And every season…

The show proved me wrong.


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Rating

4/10

A fantastic cast.

Great costumes.

Some genuinely strong moments.

Buried underneath messy storytelling, inconsistent pacing, and a show that never quite reaches its potential.

And honestly?

That’s what hurts the most.

Not that Titans was bad.

But that it could have been amazing.

And somehow…

It never got there. 😔🦇