Review written by: Melisa Hontiveros
I have been a fan of the Teen Titans ever since I was in Grade 6 watching their 2003 TV series. Their perfect blend of serious and playful tones made the show popular and inspiring to our generation of viewers, with fans still clamoring for its continuation fifteen years later. (Yes, it’s been that long.) Since then, I’ve loved all of the iterations of these beloved characters, whether it be in TV, movies and comics (give or take a few comic book runs.) Understandably, I have been very excited for the live-action adaptation of my favorite heroes and I would like to share that excitement to all of you through a non-spoiler first season review of Titans. After all, who better to write a review than a fan of the main characters of our story?
Let’s start with a bit of background on how the live-action adaptation came into fruition. Since 2014, there have already been reports of a Titans TV show being developed under the TNT network. Now four years later, we find the show has become a reality under the DC Universe streaming service. So far it has only been available exclusively in the United States but it will be available globally on Netflix starting January 11.
Now on to the show itself. Titans stars Brendon Thwaites as Dick Grayson/Robin (who played Henry Turner from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, and Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan (who was the voice of Hiro Hamada in Big Hero 6). Casting was spot-on for the series. (yes even Starfire’s.) They were able to present their characters accurately and their interactions with each other felt genuine — like they’ve been lifted from the pages of the comics. The overarching theme of the season is the characters’ discovery of their own identities and abilities, as well as their battle with their inner demons. Let’s go into each character in depth.
This first season might have focused on Rachel and how she brought the Titans together, but most of the spotlight was really on Dick Grayson’s inner struggle to develop his identity outside of Robin. He has the most character development out of all the characters in the first season. They took time to establish his past and how it related to his internal struggle of fighting the darkness inside of him or embracing it. This is accurate to the source material since in the comics, the Teen Titans started with Dick still in his Robin persona, but he would eventually leave this to take on his identity as Nightwing. Fans have been speculating that he would eventually wear the new costume in the show, but I’m here to tell you that it won’t be in Season 1. One thing that has been met with mixed reactions is the amount of violence Robin dishes out in this season. Most R-rated fight scenes involve Dick Grayson giving out his tough justice to his enemies. Some have even said that this is a bit out of character for the Boy Wonder, but I believe it is all part of his internal battle against the darkness that has taken over him from his time as Batman’s protégé. Throughout the season, viewers are taken on his journey of self-discovery that would ultimately lead to the unexpected season finale. (No spoilers!)
Going into Kory Anders, or Starfire as we know her, initial reactions for her character have been mixed at best, especially on her costume design. Fortunately, Starfires’s provocative look has relevance to the story. She will be wearing most of the same clothes for the first few episodes, though, so you would have to bear with that outfit for a bit. Her hair though was not part of a cover or a disguise, since even in flashbacks she has been shown to have the same kind of hair. Not sure why the costume designers went for that kind of hair, but you wouldn’t mind it once Kory appears on screen. Her strong-willed and no-nonsense nature is very entertaining to watch. But be warned, she is not the sweet and naïve Starfire that you know from the animated series. This version of Starfire is closer to her New 52 iteration in which she has lost her memories and has no regard for human life. As ruthless as that may sound, her love and care for Rachel is apparent on-screen, and it even reminded me of their close relationship in the comics and in the 2003 animated series. She also acts as a protector for Gar and Rachel, especially since they are a lot younger than Dick and Kory in this version of the team. Those qualities made her loveable despite her hair and her fur coat.
Next up is Gar Logan, or Beast Boy as we know him. A former member of the Doom Patrol, his introduction was integrated well with the debut of the eccentric superhero team. Ryan Potter did a great job in bringing his fun side to the series. His boyish charm and knowledge of superheroes allowed him to be a breath of fresh air through the serious tone of the series — but don’t mistake him as just the comic relief. His character also experiences struggles with his inner beast as he finally uses his abilities to defend himself. He is still exploring his powers at this point, as he can only transform into a tiger. Though he is the least explored character in the season, I am excited to see where they will take him and how far it will develop throughout the series.
And finally, we have the focal point of the team – the main reason why the Titans formed in the first place – Rachel Roth. Despite her age, Teagan Croft did an amazing job of bringing Rachel to life. (Which says a lot because Raven is my absolute favorite character in the Teen Titans.) It’s amazing how the team banded together to help her in her cause, and how naturally those connections formed. But out of all these relationships, the one that stands out the most is the one with Dick Grayson. As in the comics and in the series, they have a special bond since he was the first person that she asked help from and they have a unique understanding on battling the darkness within them. One main difference in this iteration of Rachel though is that she is oblivious of her demonic heritage, which made her very susceptible to the manipulations of different people. Despite that, she has proven to be resilient and strong even when things were bleak for her and the team. There is still a lot of growth and potential for her character so I will be eagerly awaiting to see what they have in store for her in the upcoming season.
Aside from the main team, we also have other superheroes who stood out in the first season of Titans. Hawk and Dove, which were played by Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly respectively, had two episodes dedicated to them, letting their comic-accurate costumes shine through. Admittedly though, their backstory episode felt out of place in the order of episodes of the season. Despite that, I loved Dawn every time she was on screen. She was the beautiful, calming voice of wisdom to Dick and Hank’s brute force and aggression. Another strong female figure in the series was Conor Leslie’s Donna Troy/Wonder Girl. She serves as the older sister to Dick Grayson, giving him advice and support though his internal struggles. Not only that, but we also get to see her in action and though it was short, it just goes to show how much of an awesome badass she actually is. Last but definitely not the least, we have Curran Walters as Jason Todd. This is the first time we see the infamous character in live action and he was able to portray his angst, his inclination to violence and his cocky nature accurately. The on-screen tension that he has with Dick Grayson felt like it came from the pages of a comic book. These heroes may not have had the most screen time in the first season, but they were able to shine and make an impact whenever they were on it. I’m excited to see where the writers will take these characters when Season 2 comes along. (Especially Jason Todd. wink)
I would love to share more of my thoughts on the season, especially on the season finale, but I’ll wait until the first season comes out on Netflix. Hopefully this lengthy review has you hyped up for the first season of Titans. And may you enjoy it as much as I have, not just as a fan who has been waiting for this for years, but as a viewer who enjoys a compelling story with inspiring characters.