Titans

Premise

The series begins with the Titans disbanded, but the team reforms when original and new members come together to combat evil and other perils across locations such as Detroit, San Francisco, Gotham City, and Metropolis. The first members introduced are Dick Grayson, Kory Anders, Rachel Roth, and Gar Logan. Dick is later revealed as one of the original Titans alongside Donna Troy, Dawn Granger, and Hank Hall. After the Titans reform, they are joined by Jason Todd, Rose Wilson, Conner Kent, and Tim Drake.

In the first season, Rachel seeks Dick's protection from her demon father Trigon, who aims to enslave the world, while Dick tries to move past his Robin persona and Kory struggles with amnesia. The second season focuses on the official reformation of the Titans and their conflict with the assassin Deathstroke, whose prior clash with the original team caused their disbanding, as well as threats from Cadmus Laboratories and Kory's sister Blackfire.

The third season sees the Titans travel to Gotham City after Jason's murder, where they battle a controlled Jason and Jonathan Crane to prevent the destruction of Gotham, while Kory reunites with Blackfire and Donna returns from the afterlife. In the fourth season, the Titans' visit to Metropolis is interrupted by Lex Luthor's murder, and they uncover a prophecy involving Sebastian Sanger, Trigon's son, as the Church of Blood plots to have Sebastian destroy the world.

Cast and characters

Brenton Thwaites portrays Dick Grayson, the leader of the Titans and former Batman sidekick who becomes Nightwing. Anna Diop plays Koriand'r, an extraterrestrial royal from Tamaran with solar energy abilities who joins the Titans after amnesia. Teagan Croft is Rachel Roth, an empath with a demon father who seeks protection from Dick. Ryan Potter plays Gar Logan, a shapeshifter who lived with the Doom Patrol before joining the Titans.

Curran Walters portrays Jason Todd, Dick's successor as Robin, who has both a fun and dark side. Conor Leslie plays Donna Troy, a half-Amazon and former Wonder Girl who shares a brother-sister friendship with Dick. Other cast members include Tomaso Sanelli, Viktor Sawchuk, and Taj Levey as young Dick; Andi Hubick and Afrodite Drossos as young Donna; and Jay Lycurgo as Tim Drake.

Production

A live-action Titans project for TNT was announced in September 2014, with a pilot ordered in December written by Akiva Goldsman and Marc Haimes, featuring Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing and leading a team including Starfire, Raven, Hawk and Dove, and Oracle. Filming was set for Toronto in mid-2015 but was postponed to October, and TNT departed from the project in January 2016. Geoff Johns later noted that the project depended on securing the rights to Dick Grayson.

In April 2017, Warner Bros. announced the series for DC Universe, developed by Goldsman, Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter, with Greg Walker as showrunner. The first season had eleven episodes, with the twelfth moved to the second season premiere. The second season premiered on September 6, 2019, and production was temporarily halted in July 2019 due to the accidental death of special effects coordinator Warren Appleby. The third season moved to HBO Max and was delayed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, taking place in Gotham City with appearances by Barbara Gordon, Red Hood, and Jonathan Crane.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 78% approval rating with an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 based on 46 reviews, with the critical consensus stating that despite tonal growing pains, the series does justice to its source material and shines when the ensemble assembles. Metacritic gave the first season a score of 55 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews. Critics such as Susana Polo of Polygon praised the show for tempering violence with humor and character development, while Charlie Ridgely of ComicBook.com commended Anna Diop's performance.

Forbes contributor Merrill Barr compared the series to Riverdale, describing it as dark and gritty. Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant criticized the excessive violence, and Vinnie Mancuso of Collider found the ultra-violence and moody storytelling not well-executed. The second season holds an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews, with the consensus noting a slight slump at the start but building on the first season's momentum. The third season has a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2 out of 10 based on 22 reviews, with the consensus calling it the best season yet due to bolder storytelling and deeper characterization.