Titans season 2, episode 4 review: Aqualad

The series flashes back to when the Titans were less dysfunctional — and how they started falling apart — by focusing on the team’s fifth member.

Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) probably wishes he was back in the Batcave right about now. Having taken in the mysterious Rose (Chelsea Zhang), he soon learned she’s the daughter of Deathstroke (Esai Morales). Considering it was their dealing with Deathstroke which ultimately disbanded the original Titans, Dick’s former teammates want him to kick Rose to the curb. They’ve also failed to recapture another old enemy, Doctor Light (Michael Mosley). The new Robin, Jason Todd (Curran Walters), sick of Dick bossing him around, decides to go after Doctor Light himself, only to wind up getting captured by Deathstroke. All in all, it’s not a good day for the former Boy Wonder.

But what exactly did Deathstroke do that’s made the former Titans so scared of him? Why are they telling Dick not to help Rose even though she’s clearly in trouble? What happened that was so bad to have splintered the team and almost destroyed their friendships?  Well, we finally start getting those answers in the fourth episode of Titans‘ second season. And it all has to do with what happened five years ago to the Titans’ fifth member, Garth, a.k.a. Aqualad (Drew Van Acker).

Aqualad + Wonder Girl

In the original DC Comics, Aqualad was one of the original five Teen Titans. Titans the TV series reimagines Garth as a relatively new addition to the team who (pardon the puns) gets along with them swimmingly. After all, as Aquaman’s former kid sidekick, he also palled around with Dick and Donna Troy (Conor Leslie) as kids. Even Hank Hall (Alan Ritchson) likes him and, during Garth’s 22nd birthday, he always gently teases Garth about being an “old man” and calling him “Johnny Ocean.” It would be funnier, and more accurate, if Hank called him “Point Break.” That’s because Van Acker’s Aqualad looks like a California surfer dude crossed with a Calvin Klein model.

That could be partly why Donna, despite trying not to show it, clearly has the hots for him. That and, with his ability to control and manipulate water, he’s the only other teammate with superpowers who doesn’t wear a bird costume. Even Donna’s handler, Jillain (Ann Magnuson), can see she’s totally in love with him. It’s also pretty clear Garth has the hots for Donna, too and has since they were both twelve years old. And for the past ten years, he still hasn’t gotten to first base with her yet. Not that he hasn’t tried… a lot.

Of course, you can’t have a show about angst-ridden, young adult superheroes without some angst-ridden, young adult drama. Here, it takes the form of Donna deciding to return to Themyscira to “follow her destiny” despite also wanting to stay in “Man’s World.” Hence why she’s keeping herself distant from her fellow Titans, especially from the hunky Atlantean and his none-too-obvious flirting and romantic gestures. Most of the episode is either Garth asking Dick for relationship advice or characters telling Donna to let Garth know how she really feels before she leaves.

This would be all right if there was genuine chemistry between the two. Yes, Van Acker’s Garth has charm to spare, but Leslie’s Donna never quite sells the notion that these two have been best friends crushing on each other for years. Nor is there any romantic tension between them. That’s because from the moment Garth appears on-screen, we know he and Donna will wind up sleeping together before the episode is over.

The Old Titans

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As this episode is also a prolonged flashback, it’s also our first time seeing the Titans working together, in their prime, and actually happy. It’s definitely a sharp contrast to how we see them in the present day, especially for Dick. In fact, it’s a little weird seeing Dick content being Robin, not angry at Batman, and in a healthy relationship with Dawn Granger (Minka Kelly). Even so, Thwaites’ does a believable job pulling off a Dick Grayson that’s more familiar to comic fans.

That being said, seeing the original Titans together as a team also feels very underwhelming. It always was a little hard to swallow them as some legendary group when three of the five members are costumed martial artists without powers. Now, seeing them together as a team, it looks more like the real reason DC Universe chose this line-up of the original Titans was to save on production costs.

At least we see them fight a real supervillain in the form of Doctor Light. Just like the comics, though, we see that Light isn’t exactly A-tier. Even his victim, a former business rival, can’t stop making fun of him and his “gladiator” outfit. Considering how the Titans also easily take Light down, you wonder why they act like he’s such a dangerous foe in the present day. Also, for someone that’s supposed to be a scientist, Mosley’s Light doesn’t come across that way, at all.

How the Titans went from five to four

All of this culminates in the episode’s climactic moment. After having sex with Garth, Donna leaves on a plane for Themescraya. Garth soon finds out about it and, somehow, knows which airport hanger in all of San Francisco Donna is taking off from. There, Garth finally tells Donna that he loves her. And wouldn’t you know it? Donna decides not to board the plane and chooses to stay with Garth.

That’s when Deathstroke, conveniently hidden behind a forklift, shoots Garth dead in the heart.

Now earlier, we saw Slade Wilson, after taking out various targets, handed his latest assignment. Whether his intended target was Garth, Donna, or Jillian isn’t answered in this episode. Nevertheless, it’s Garth’s death which spurs the Titans into seeking revenge, one which we know will lead to their downfall.

By this episode’s end, we start seeing what this revenge will involve. Or rather who, as it deals another character introduced in this episode. Someone Deathstroke was watching along with his mother. Someone who, a week after Garth’s demise, Dick meets in a record store. That person is Jericho (Chella Man), someone comics fans know has very close ties with Deathstroke… and Rose.