These Titans have been put through the wringer all season, but nothing compares to the torture they go through this week. Before this, we knew that these people cared about each other. After this episode, however, we know how much they love each other.
After capturing Dr. Adamson, Kory and Dick learn that Rachel’s biological mother is still alive. The pair think they need to plan a good strategy if they’re going to save her. But Rachel and Gar don’t really give them the chance to plan anything before diving head first into danger.
Rachel and Gar, the dynamic duo
As extremely frustrating as it was to watch these teens disobey their new adoptive parents, it’s still completely understandable. They are teens, after all. I spent most of the episode wanting to pull my hair out because deciding to go find Rachel’s mom alone is possibly one of the dumbest decisions they’ve ever made.
But I was still happy to see Rachel and Gar teaming up on their own. This is one of my favorite Titan friendships and I just really enjoy watching them together. I love that Gar has Rachel’s back no matter what. And Rachel’s got his. It’s such a sweet friendship and I can’t wait to watch them grow closer.
Kory and Dick are two worried parents
As soon as Dick realizes the two kids are gone, he grabs Kory and they’re both on their way to find them. There was no hesitation either. It’s become second nature for Dick to be super protective of Rachel and now Gar. It’s hard to believe that there was once a time he was planning to leave her behind with his two friends.
Of course their rescue mission does not go as planned. They’re caught relatively quickly, just like Gar and Rachel were. But that was to be expected since it was obvious that they were pretty much walking into an ambush and no amount of planning could have helped. The point is how protective these two unattached people have become of two kids they barely know. I love that family dynamic that they currently have.
What Rachel giveth, Raven can taketh away
We already knew about Rachel’s healing powers from when she brought the deer back to life. Now we know that Rachel can also take back the healing she’s done to someone or something.
When Dr. Adamson tried to show Rachel the capacity of her powers, he did so by cutting his own throat so she could heal him. Later, when she’d been captured by his people and he told her that her friends were being experimented on, she took back the healing and that opened up his wound again. He bled out on the floor in possibly one of the goriest scenes of the series so far.
Rachel’s powers can obviously be used for good or evil but now we are starting to see just how powerful she really is and it is terrifying.
Dick Grayson’s Psyche and the Death of Robin
While he was captured, Dick probably took the brunt of the mental torture they were dishing out. He was drugged and hallucinating, which caused him to see the darkest parts of himself. This is the same kind of torture that was done on the Nuclear Family to turn them into mindless assassins. Its possible that was their intention with Dick.
Except he saw himself as a child and realized that while he spent his entire life blaming the man who raised him and the man who killed his parents, he really needed to look inside himself to see who was to blame for all his darkness.
In one of my favorite moments of the episode, it was Rachel that brought Dick back from the brink of darkness by reminding him of his promise to never leave her again.
And after fighting his way out of the asylum protecting his new family, Dick finally burned his Robin suit. This series really is an origins story for Nightwing and I have a feeling we’re closer to his arrival than I thought.
Gar crosses a line that he may struggle to come back from
Gar made it known that he’d never bitten anyone when he first showed off his ability to transform into a tiger. In this episode, he had to go further than he’d ever thought he would in order to protect Rachel.
Transforming into his green tiger, Gar didn’t hesitate to bite one of the asylum doctors until the man died. What transformed from that was an obviously scared boy that you couldn’t help but feel sorry for.
I love that Rachel didn’t hesitate to get closer just to show Gar that she’s still not scared of him despite what he’d done. Their bond has only been strengthen after this because she knows that the line he crossed was in order to protect her. I hope Gar opens up about it though. He really shouldn’t hold it in longer than he has to. This is something that would be great for the four of them to bond over since they all have darkness within themselves.
Highlights
- Dick and Kory’s interrogation of Dr. Adamson really was just two lethal parents super concerned about their daughter.
- Gar and Rachel having each others backs no matter what because they get each other that much.
- Dick’s entire hallucination was so brutal to watch. Somebody please protect him.
- My heart completely shattered when he was in the bat cave and calling out for Bruce. I don’t care what anyone says, Dick Grayson loves his dad.
- Kory’s torture was making me anxious. I really thought they were going to do permanent damage.
- Dick taking on all those guards by himself. He is such a badass.
- Gar attacking that doctor was so sad.
- The burning of the Robin suit felt so final. I hope the Nightwing costume comes along sooner than later.
- Rachel’s dad is getting closer to coming and I don’t trust her mom at all.
- Dick and Rachel’s father/daughter dynamic is still the heart of this entire show and I love it.
An all new episode of Titans is available to stream every Friday on the DC Universe app. Here is the trailer for next week’s all new episode: