Titans season 2, episode 5 review: Deathstroke

“We are helping. No, we’re watching coffee drip.” Spoilers for Titans season 2, episode 5 follow.

Jason has been kidnapped, leading the old Titans to confront their greatest enemy, Deathstroke, who was the reason the team disbanded in the first place.

Because of the secrecy the old team is having, the New Titans feel betrayed and underutilized in the search for Jason.

Robin, the Captured Wonder

Nothing much can be said about Jason getting himself into a dangerous situation. It was bound to happen sooner or later. That’s simply who the character is. What this episode really excels at is its depiction of the reactions from the Titans regarding Jason. Coming off the back of the last episode, where we see the inciting incident of hate between Deathstroke and the Titans, the fear that the team feels is all the more palpable. Emotions are high, with none of them thinking clearly, as it’s obvious that they are still furious over Garth’s death.

For most of the episode, Dick, Donna, Dawn, and Hank are arguing about what needs to be done regarding Deathstroke. This easily could’ve become repetitive but, as the situation evolves, so does everyone’s argument. Characters’ viewpoints evolve as the episode moves on, but they still stay consistent with each character, minus a quick reversal for Hank toward the end. One moment that stands out above the rest, though, is when Dawn tells Dick that they’re going to kill Deathstroke, which Dick says doesn’t need to happen. It’s a quick exchange that says so much about the two characters. Dick, despite his mistakes and the circumstances, is still attempting to hold onto his values, while the rest of the team has started to become more like those they fight against.

The mediating voice for the older team, however, is Kori. Because she hasn’t been directly involved with the rest of the characters (except for Donna) for the entire season, its obvious who she is to the Titans. She’s the moral compass. She’s the only one who sees the right thing to do without an ulterior motive and, because of that, she manages to bring the Titans back from the brink. Plus, she, Dick, and Deathstroke have a heart-pounding fight scene at the end of the episode.

The Young and the Angry

For just as angry as the old team is though, the new Titans are just as angry. Understandably, the younger ones feel like they should be kept in the loop with what’s happening, but they simply aren’t. Naturally, their anger has to come out somewhere, and that ends up coming out on each other. Gar is angry with Rose, so he takes it out on Rachel. Rachel is scared, and she takes it out on Gar. Because we’ve come to love these two and see how much they care for each other, it really hurts to see them getting into a fight like this. It’s something that felt inevitable, but it hurts nonetheless.

As for Rose, her abrasive attitude is very off-putting, which is purposeful to hide the fear she’s holding inside. They could’ve done a better job conveying the underlying issues of the character, but they do enough interesting things with her throughout the episode to make up for that a bit.

The Terminator

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Oh boy, do we get see Deathstroke in all his glory in this episode. For so much of the episode, he isn’t doing much, just sitting in the shadows, which makes him so much more terrifying. This character is not Slade Wilson — he is Deathstroke through and through. He doesn’t take off the mask the entire episode, which creates a slasher-killer vibe that is perfect for the character. He never seems to lose his cool but, even when he does, he won’t say anything; he’ll simply beat Jason to a pulp. It’s such a great use of the character. Plus, he kills Doctor Light in such a satisfying way that leaves the rest of the season wide open to solely focus on Deathstroke. This also adds to the character, as it demonstrates his willingness to simply use people. They are simply a means to an end for him.

This leads to the final fight between Dick, Kori, and Deathstroke, which is one of the best fights the show has given us thus far. It gives the first glimpse of how good a combatant Deathstroke is while also showing off some great new moves from Dick and Kori. It’s a tense, exciting fight that really feels like it has stakes because Deathstroke has already killed one Titan, and there’s a chance he can kill another. Which he then presumably does by causing Jason to plummet forty stories.

Titans has one of its best episodes to date with “Deathstroke” thanks in no small part to the eponymous character’s looming presence.