Titans Season 4 Episode 9 Review: Dude, Where's My Gar?
Paul Dailly
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It wouldn't be Titans without an exposition-heavy hour that took us away from the central conflicts.
Titans Season 4 Episode 9 will go down as one of the show's most polarizing hours because much of the developments should have happened sooner.
Gar's abilities have been the topic of much debate since the beginning of the series, and one of the biggest complaints about Titans has been how the abilities of our key players are handled.
What are the chances the series will end with a big battle involving everyone using their powers to their full potential?
The series has relied on this family theme, despite everyone tackling something deeply personal preventing them from being happy, so it has to end with everyone coming together, right?
Gar has always struggled with a sense of belonging, and even though he masked his insecurities with wit, it was interesting that the show finally leaned into his true potential.
The information dump during the first half of "Dude, Where's My Gar?" wasn't as engaging as it should have been, but the episode's placement could be to blame.
Dominic: Garfield Logan.
Rachel: Gar, where are you?
Gar: Rachel!
Dіck: Gar!
Gar: Dіck?
Dominic: Yes. Protector of The Red. I have found you.
These kinds of episodes have rarely been handled well by Titans, but at least Gar's inner conflict was crucial to him returning to be with his family and, of course, to be a part of the final battle against Brother Blood, Mother Mayhem, and possibly, Trigon.
Gar has been one of the best characters on Titans for many reasons, and Ryan Potter delivered his best work to date as this young man coming to terms with past trauma to move on to the next stage of his life.
We don't know what the future holds for the Titans, but we do know that all of the superheroes are finally reaching their full potential, which gives Titans Season 4 a sense of finality, even if it wasn't always supposed to be the end.
Gar's past is heartbreaking because, for many reasons, he felt alone and unsure of what the world wanted for him.
For such a young kid, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and you could see it in the flashbacks to the zoo.
Gar returning to that scene to give his younger self a pep talk was necessary because who wouldn't want to give advice to their younger self?
Now that he has returned and has a much better grasp on his abilities, it should make for a more confident Gar on the battlefield, assuming the show has time to give us all the big moments we deserve before the final scene.
Lisa Ambalavanar's return as Jinx was unexpected because the Titans Season 4 midseason premiere certainly made me think she was gone for good.
It's hard not to ponder the possibilities had Titans landed a Season 5 renewal. Jinx was the MVP of the team this season because she had so much information about witchcraft and Mother Mayhem's tactics.
Gar: Jinx. Hey. Am I dreaming?
Jinx: Ugh. Still asking the boring questions, I see. Come on, Gar. Are you awake or asleep?
Gar: Why not both? Am I dead?
Jinx: Mmm. No. But I am. Again. Thank you, Titans. I mean, mostly dead. This isn't my first funeral or eve of resurrection.
The team probably wouldn't be intact if not for her skills. Thankfully, Jinx is familiar with death, so there's a chance she would have returned down the line to help the team some more.
She certainly earned her place in a short time.
The decision to include various superheroes from across the DC Universe in the final scenes was a great way to tip the hat to the superhero franchise that gave us plenty of hours of entertainment.
The DC Universe is on the cusp of something very different as James Gunn and Peter Safran usher in a new era of heroes, so this is probably the last time we'll see any of these characters.
The crossover with Stargirl's Courtney Whitmore could have been so much more.
After learning about it filming last year, I hoped we would see many of the characters interact, but unfortunately, Courtney was only used as a friendly face to help Gar in his quest to return home.
Gar: Hello?
Courtney: Huh? Are you all right?
Gar: Where am I?
Courtney: You're in Blue Valley. Nebraska.
Gar: Nebraska? Oh! North America.
Courtney: Yeah, you came from nowhere. Just a light in the sky. I saw it. Cosmo! Sorry. Do you need help?
Gar: I need to get to my family.
Courtney: Well, I know how important family is. I get the sense that you do. I need to get to them. Where are they?
Gar: Uh, good question. Take me to my family!
Courtney: Who are you talking to?
Gar: Take me! Oh! Whoa!
There were so many possibilities here, and while I grinned from ear to ear with all of the cameos, it made me think of the future we're not getting because of these changes to the DC Universe.
As a result, those final scenes feel more like little easter eggs that will get the internet talking but will never lead to anything else.
That's very unfortunate, but the upside is that the movie and TV universes will be more connected in a similar vein to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
All we can do is tune in for the final three episodes of Titans before the universe gets a reset.
Gar's return set the stage for another crossover with Doom Patrol, but whether that will actually lead to anything of substance on Titans Season 4 Episode 10 remains to be seen.
What are your thoughts on Gar's journey and finding out how to use his powers?
Did you expect all of those cameos? Do you think the show could have done a better job of placing this episode earlier?
What are your theories for the final three episodes?
Chat with me in the comments, Titans Fanatics.
Catch Titans every Thursday on HBO Max.
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
