Titans season 2, episode 12 review: Faux Hawk

Titans rapidly accelerates toward next week’s gripping season finale; Rose confesses her betrayal, and we learn about Slade’s complicated relationships with both of his kids.

From the start, the second season of Titans has been a slow burn; the show has gradually revealed the various elements at play in Slade’s war on the Titans. But there are several equally important subplots; since Cadmus captured Gar, he’s become a bloodthirsty machine that Mercy Graves can active at will. (Her endgame isn’t clear yet.) And who could forget about Conner, who’s struggling to adjust to the real world?

Last time we saw the Titans, Rose told Slade she’s done playing his game with Dick Grayson. Plus, Bruce Wayne made a rare in-person appearance, trying to convince the team to get back together. Kory and Dove chose to help Gar rather than Dick. Also, the former Robin left a message for Kory and Rachel on the wall of his prison cell: Jericho is alive. With another compelling episode, this season continues to progress toward a thrilling conclusion.

Daddy Dearest

Last episode confirmed that Rose had been working with Slade in his attempt to destroy the Titans from within. This time, we learned just how elaborate the plan was. Flashbacks show Slade’s first meeting with Rose. Here, she shoots herself in the hand to demonstrate her healing factor. Though Deathstroke initially rejects his daughter, he eventually takes her under his wing.

Other episodes have hinted that the relationship between Slade and Rose is questionable at best. But actually seeing Deathstroke beat his daughter during their training sessions makes Slade’s questionable parenting even more apparent. Though most of the episode focuses on Rose, the first few minutes reveal a disturbing progression in Deathstroke’s connection with his son.

In My Head

When Dick revealed that Jericho is still alive, it was fair to doubt him. After all, we saw Slade impale his son with a sword. To get rid of that uncertainty, this episode opened with a flashback to the moment Jericho seemingly died. It quickly shifts to the present, where Slade and his son are sitting in a white room. Here, every line of their dialogue is packed with raw emotion.

When Jericho tells Slade to blame him for his death, Deathstroke admits he can’t move on; the Titans were responsible for Jericho’s death, so they have to pay. In the most stunning twist of the episode, Jericho says he’s been trapped in Slade’s head since that fateful moment five years ago. He’s survived in his father’s consciousness, and he’s been unable to leave.

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Deathstroke then responds that Jericho decided to enter his mind in the first place. His son heartbreakingly says, “I thought’d you’d save me.” Finally, Jericho shares that being in Slade’s head has taught him a valuable lesson. “You’re a monster and you need to be stopped,” he says. “It’s too late,” Slade replies, his voice full of regret.

Leaving the interaction at that would have been powerful enough. But then we see that the battle between Jericho and Slade isn’t confined to the mind — it involves Deathstroke’s body, too. Right after this striking conversation, Slade’s body shakes uncontrollably. He reluctantly steps into the street and narrowly avoids getting hit by a massive truck. Jericho clearly has some ability to control Slade’s body. Though Deathstroke won this round, Jericho proved he’s willing to do whatever it takes to stop his father.

Playing House

Poor Jason. The new Robin has been unknowingly dragged into the Wilson family drama, and it all comes to a head here. Since he formed a bond with Rose, it’s been refreshing to see Jason in a relationship that makes him happy. In the previous episode, the two young lovers started squatting in a lavish house. This time around, we get to see what an actual relationship between the duo could look like.

Jason cooks hot dogs for the two of them. He tells Rose “me making you lunch and breakfast and dinner” is her future. Jason intentionally makes the moment extra cheesy by getting on one knee when he gives Rose her lunch. For a split second, it’s easy to picture the relationship blossoming. But the illusion doesn’t last long. Rose tells Jason they need to talk, and the subsequent conversation about Rose’s background goes as well as you’d expect.

Titans Takeaways

• Near the end of the episode, Dick visits Stu, Bruce’s “tailor: for super-suits. The former Robin needs a new outfit, so Bruce had Stu and his team make Dick another suit. And it’s definitely not another Robin costume.
• Mercy Graves unleashes the newly vicious Gar on a group of innocents at a coffee shop. When Donna and Dawn interrogate a Cadmus scientist, she moves up her mysterious plans for “phase two.” Will we get to learn about this scheme in the finale?
• Conner was notably absent in this episode. Hopefully, we’ll get to see more of him and his superpowered pup next week. Krypto automatically makes any episode better.
• There’s a fun subplot where Hank participates in a shady fight club and, for the sake of spoilers, let’s just say shenanigans ensue.

“Faux Hawk” sets the stage for a wild season finale. The Titans have somewhat reunited, and Deathstroke is gathering his forces, too. Whatever happens next, one thing’s certain: this battle will radically change the status quo of the show.