Titans Season 1 Episode 8 Review: Donna Troy
Paul Dailly
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When it comes to character development, Titans has been a bit all over the place. Characters like Dick and Rachel have been given the most material to work with, and it was getting a little tiring.
Thankfully, Titans Season 1 Episode 8 was a more well-rounded affair that gave all of our key players time to shine, and it also introduced us to a new character in Donna Troy.
As I did not read the comics, I did not know about Troy's one-time status as Wonder Girl, but boy, she would make a great superhero if she ever decided to suit up again.
The flashbacks to show just how far Donna and Dick go back was a nice touch because it would have been difficult to connect with this new addition otherwise.
It's a Justice League thing.
Her reaction to Dick admitting he was done with Robin, and that his suit was destroyed was particularly telling. Donna made a joke about how expensive the suits were before saying that she still had the suit, yet was not going out fighting crime.
There's something empowering about still having the superhero costume, and not using it. Donna has a lot of willpower, but she also knows she has that crutch there in the costume should she ever decide to step back into it.
As unlikely as that sounds, I wouldn't rule out her becoming a hero once again to help with whatever is headed to destroy the Titans. Dick knew he wouldn't be able to resist slipping back into his violent ways if he still had access to the suit.
In essence, Robin was only created as a killing machine for Dick to take out his own anger, and even Bruce's. Bruce had the young Dick under the influence he was a philanthropist who lost his parents. Therefore, they had something in common.
I'm not usually a fan of "what if?" episodes, but it would be fun to watch how different Dick's life would have been if lived with a family who did not rely on violence as a means of dealing with things.
The biggest surprise of "Donna Troy" was that Donna managed to decipher the writing from the prophecy to reveal Kory's real purpose in all of this.
I can't say I'm surprised by the outcome because there had to be the big turning point to ramp up the excitement ahead of the final bunch of episodes.
Kory knew something bad was coming on the train when she was having the flashes of her past, but I don't think anything could prepare even her to learn that she was made to kill the teenager she's been mothering for weeks.
The final scene with Kory realizing the truth and picking up Rachel was perfectly executed. There's no way the team can survive without each other for very long, so I dare say there's going to be another twist thrown in that will allow Kory to remain with her friends.
Related: Titans Renewed for Season 2!
However, this whole thing is going to change Dick's views on Kory permanently. He's going to question everything, and there's a good chance this young relationship is not going to be able to bounce back.
Dick was apprehensive about leaving Rachel behind with her mother, Angela because let's face it, nobody is who they say they are these days, but he trusted Kory.
This not knowing a thing about myself getting fucking old.
Kory
That's going to sting.
Also, Kory is not going to be a fan of how close Donna and Dick are with each other. It sucks that relationship drama is on the horizon, but Titans is still handling relationships better than the other superhero shows around.
All of the scenes on the train were thrilling. On one side, we had Kory and Gar trying to get to know each other. On the other, we had Rachel and Angela getting acclimated with being back in the same vicinity as one another.
As for Angela, I don't trust her. She's been through a tough time of it for sure, but how do we know she's not leading her daughter to her biological father?
Related: Titans Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Jason Todd
The house still being there after five years was convenient. It makes me think someone was still around to keep it in order, and that someone is probably Rachel's father.
I'm genuinely concerned about how powerful Rachel's father is. I mean, Rachel has the power of resurrection among other things.
It sucks that we're likely not going to see the aftermath of all of the revelations on Titans Season 1 Episode 9. That installment is all about the origins of Hank and Dawn.
That also means we will likely find out whether Dawn survived being thrown off the building by the Nuclear Family.
"Donna Troy" was a solid installment that had the perfect mix of action, dialog, and fight scenes, and it proved this series is such a success because it doesn't take itself too seriously.
It's still the least formulaic superhero TV series out there and actually plays out like a movie.
What are your thoughts on the latest episode?
Hit the comments below.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
