Titans Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Conner
Paul Dailly
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If Conner dies, we riot!
Titans Season 2 Episode 6 introduced us to Superboy and Krypto the Superdog, and it was the best episode of this DC Universe series yet.
Joshua Orpin was the perfect choice to play Conner on this exposition-heavy installment that gave us some insight into Cadmus, Lex Luthor, and even Superman.
As someone who has not read any comics that featured Superboy, the backstory was fascinating.
Using the DNA of both Lex and Superman to create a metahuman was not surprising because we're talking about Lex Luthor here, but the execution of it all was fantastic.
Conner was mostly a sponge that was taking the world in, and there was something so fascinating about taking this journey with him as he grew to understand who and more importantly, what he is.
Jason: Who the fuck are you?
Conner: I'm not super sure yet.
Jason: Whoever you are, I don't know how to thank you.
Conner: I'm just glad I could help.
Eve's comment that Conner was mainly a child in this world was right on the money. He didn't know right from wrong, and that's partly why he killed all of the agents in the opening scene.
The installment successfully subverted expectations, because the moment Conner and Krypto got off the bus, he was poised to make his way to the Kent farm.
Who would have guessed he would show up at a farm with the Luthor name attached to it?
That was a left-field twist, but a great one. Thanks to the meeting with Lionel, we got to witness first-hand that Lex's life was not as great as what Lionel would like the world to believe.
Walter: He's gone. Who the hell do you think did all this?
Eve: That's impossible. How could that happen?
Mercy: That's what you're supposed to tell us. Looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the glass tube. Mercy Graves. Personal Security Specialist to Mr. Luthor.
Walter: Yes, I've heard of you, Ms. Grave. I'm Walter Hawn, Vice President of Special Projects, and this is -
Mercy: I know who she is. Big night, I see. Chanel or Chardonnay?
Eve: What the hell are you doing here?
Mercy: You've got a real problem on your hands. Mr. Luthor wants answers. And he wants his experiment back.
We've learned time and time again that Lex is the villain every time he appears in any medium, and that didn't change here.
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But Conner felt the need to save Lionel, and that perhaps shows that Lex would do the same if he were in the same situation.
This iteration of Mercy Graves was ice-cold and didn't give a crap about who got caught in the crossfire. All she needed was for Lex's $40 million investment to return to the lab before it was too late.
It was surprising that Eve was allowed to live in the aftermath of her betrayal. Maybe she's going to be kept under lock and key to care for Conner if and when he is apprehended.
Mercy: This thing you created must have been triggered by something. I'm assuming you know what that might've been?
Walter: Actually, uh, Eve's the expert on genetics and cloning, so.
Mercy: Where'd your boy go, Doctor?
Eve: If we're lucky, he's scared and hiding.
Mercy: And if we're not?
Eve: That's harder. Our predictions have him at the emotional age of a two-year-old, so he's feeling fear, curiosity, anger, confusion, wonder, everything that he's experiencing is for the very first time. Mentally, emotionally, physically, he's a child. He's absorbing the world like a sponge. Sights, smells, sounds... Even the people he meets will have an effect on his future behavior.
It's rare for new characters to strike a chord off the bat, but Conner, Eve, and Mercy were all exciting additions in their own right.
Related: Titans Season 2 Episode 5 Review: Deathstroke
Their arrival teases that we could be meeting Lex Luthor in due course. It's a risky direction to take, especially considering Lex is currently appearing on Supergirl.
But Titans always works much better because it doesn't get bogged down by relationship drama.
Meeting Lex Luthor on Titans will be a must-watch experience because this show is a cut above the other superhero ones out there.
Man: Hey, what the hell's the matter with you?
Conner: I'm sorry, it was an accident.
Man: Take it easy. If you want the shirt, it costs money. 12.50, or, uh, two for 25.
Conner: We don't have any money.
Man: Then come back when you do.
Conner's struggle to find the balance between good and evil is going to be tough to watch, but it was a great little hiatus from all of the Deathstroke drama.
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The new hero/villain swooping in to save Jason's life was no surprise. Given that the producers chose this as the episode to introduce him, it was poised to conclude with Superboy attempting to save a life.
Mercy and her team shooting Conner after his big save was downright cruel, but it's hard to believe them killing off Lex's investment so soon.
It would be anticlimactic, for sure.
The likely scenario is that Conner will join the Titans, and they will help him get Krypto back from the agents.
I know what I am now. What the hell's the matter with you?
Speaking of Krypto, he was another great addition. He stepped in to fight the bad guys at every opportunity, but the best was when he successfully turned the rocket back around the way it came from.
Related: Titans: Joshua Orpin Cast as Superboy
Given that the Titans still have Deathstroke to deal with, it would be great to spin Conner and Krypto off to a series of their own. There sure seems to be a lot of stories to cover.
My one true hope is that Conner does not spend too much time with Jason because I can't imagine what mischief Jason will get our new friend into.
The rest of the Titans will probably be happy to have Conner on the team because of the ever-increasing threat of Deathstroke.
The way Deathstroke treated Jason was a message, and one that the rest of the heroes have got to take seriously if they want to survive him.
"Conner" was breathtaking from start-to-finish. It felt like a movie and further reiterated that DC Universe is the best destination for superhero dramas.
Now, the stage is set for a thrilling second half of Titans Season 2.
What did you think of the big arrival? Do you think the Titans will take down Deathstroke before turning to Cadmus?
Would you watch a spinoff with Joshua Orpin's hero/villain at the wheel?
Which new character did you like the most on this particular installment?
Hit the comments below.
Titans continues Fridays on DC Universe.
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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
