Titans Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Trigon
Paul Dailly
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What a difference a year makes.
Titans Season 2 Episode 1 is not the season premiere the fans deserved. It felt like more of an epilogue of Titans Season 1 than a jumping-off point for Titans Season 2.
From the get-go, we were thrown into boring scenes that dragged on for dear life as Trigon tried to turn every one to the dark side in the name of breaking his daughter's heart.
I appreciate the need to flesh out Trigon, but what was the point if Rachel sent him away that quickly?!
Instead of going through the various nightmares of the team, there should have been a more significant battle between the father and daughter because it was ridiculous how quickly that was over.
Maybe it was to show us just how powerful Rachel is now, but there should have been higher stakes -- perhaps even the death of one of the lead characters.
That would have felt like progression.
Trigon dispatching of the love of his life made me chuckle, if only because that part wasn't predictable. In the grand scheme of things, he recognized that Angela had served her purpose.
Jason: Hey, don't stop on my account. I like where that was heading.
Kory: Jason?
Jason: That's right, the god damn cavalry has arrived.
Donna: What the fuck is that and why is it wearing Dick's costume?
Everyone: Annoying new Robin.
Dawn: Who's your friend?
Donna: Hank, Dawn, this is Kory Anders. She's an alien.
Kory: What?
Donna: What, it's true.
Kory: Could have put a little more love into that. Well, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.
By that point, Rachel had witnessed her friends go through the mill as a result of the nightmares inflicted on them, so she didn't care much about her mother's death.
Your family doesn't have to be defined by blood, and Rachel knew she was making the right decision in saving Earth and choosing the good guys.
I didn't buy this near-death scenario making Dick turn to Bruce Wayne. That felt like it was a forced plot just to include the character in this universe.
Related: Titans Season 2 Trailer: The Heroes Assemble
Titans Season 1 thrived because it broke the norm, portraying Bruce as a power-hungry man who manipulated people to control them. That was fresh and exciting to someone who has watched countless superhero shows.
In any case, this is the direction the show is traveling in, but there's no telling what's going to go down with Dick at the helm of the Titans Tower.
Rachel: Father.
Trigon: My child. Join me.
Rachel: I would, but you know, stuff to do. I do want to thank you though.
Trigon: For what?
Rachel: For showing me who my family really is.
Trigon: This isn't the time to get sentimental.
Rachel: I wouldn't worry. I know how to look after myself. Always have. You know what they say, genetics is destiny.
We're going to be meeting a lot of new heroes, and that's a little problematic.
Some characters were woefully underutilized during Titans Season 1, so bringing all of these new people is probably going to leave other characters in the shadows.
Related: Titans Season 1 Episode 11 Review: Dick Grayson
Unless DC Universe plans on shipping some of these characters off to other series, then it would be more intriguing to flesh out the characters that we started the show with.
Then again, they're going to need all the muscle they can get if they plan to take down Slade Wilson.
Bringing Deathstroke into the mix was a good idea. To many, it would seem like the character has been used in too many superhero projects of late, but it's obvious Esai Morales is bringing a layer to the character we haven't seen before.
Related: Titans: Joshua Orpin Cast as Superboy
There's a lot we don't know about the past, and given how pissed Slade looked when Jason appeared on the TV screen yelling about Titans being back, it's going to be addressed in a big way.
Donna: Would you just stop blasting it? You're wasting all your power.
Kory: Rachel is in there. Anything could be happening to her.
Donna: Says the woman who was sent here to kill her. Now that she and Dick are in there with some intergalactic demon, maybe you could try something that might actually work.
Kory: Like what, Donna? Or were you hoping the sheer force of your criticism would save her?
Donna: At least I'm not draining my powers just because I can't sit still.
Kory: Says the Titan who quits.
Donna: You really wanna go there, right now?
Slade is a seasoned killing machine, so the Titans best keep their wits about them if they plan on surviving.
Kory taking time for herself was needed. For much of the first season, she was confused about her purpose, and what she was capable of.
It would have been easy for her to go along for the ride with Dick, but her inevitable return to the team will feel more warranted after she faces up to her status as an alien, and what it means for her time on this Earth.
Related: Swamp Thing Canceled at DC Universe
She is an integral part of the team -- not just for her witty humor. She takes on a motherly role to Rachel, but the news that her original mission was to kill the teenager changed everything for her.
This is the type of conflict that resonates with the audience, so hopefully her time with Donna helps her come to terms with the fact that she did not carry out the killing.
Donna was used sparingly on the first season and she was one of the stronger secondary characters, so she deserves to have much more screentime on the sophomore run.
Related: Titans Renewed for Season 2 at DC Universe
Her and Kory are great in scenes together, so it would be great to get more of them.
Hawk and Dove had some of the heavier storylines in the first season, and it's doubtful things will get lighter for them this time around.
They are the two characters that would benefit the most from getting their own show, but losing them on this series would have a detrimental effect on the narrative.
Rachel: Let him go.
Trigon: I'm afraid you're grounded -- no more magic.
As things stand, it's difficult to have high hopes for the rest of Titans Season 2. Sure, there are some new characters on the way, but the future episodes need to zero in on the characters that are important to propel the storyline.
Everything about "Trigon" felt like a season finale, so there's that.
Related: 13 Reasons Why Adds Gary Sinise for Major Final Season Role
Apparently, Titans Season 1 Episode 11 was not supposed to be the final episode of the season, so it makes me think the original finale was blended with some Season 2 storylines to create this mess of a premiere.
What are your thoughts on the episode? Did it feel disjointed to you? Which hero are you most looking forward to?
Hit the comments below.
Titans airs Fridays on DC Universe.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
