“Titans” Red Hood (TV Episode 2021) – IMDb

Season 3 continues with a great follow-up episode to episode 1 which was also directed by Carol Banker. I thought the writing would be on the same level as the previous episode but it was actually better, a lot better. Episode 1 which was titled “Barbara Gordon” introduced most of the new cast and did two unexpected things, killing Jason Todd but it was for the better as he’s one step closer to becoming one of my favorite antiheroes of DC Comics… Red Hood of course. The other unexpected yet brilliant thing was the storyline with Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon and Bruce Wayne in how Bruce did the thing he swore to never do… To kill the Joker, I’m pretty certain that’s what happened as it subtle yet clear thanks to Iain Glen’s superb performance as Bruce Wayne. The episode follows the aftermath of those events. Vincent Kartheiser makes his anticipated appearance as Jonathan Crane, and the plot regarding Kory Anders develops faster than the previous episode. It’s also nice to see other characters get more screen time, especially Gar Logan who is the heart of the show. The chemistry between Brenton Thwaites and Alan Ritchson and their respective characters are some of the best of the show, their banter and friendship seem so natural, like so many of the actors in Titans.

There’s plenty of world building through visual storytelling and of course its writing. The cinematography is on the same level, simply breathtaking. The new sets and locations were great, the production value have really gone up and I love the huge amount of detail they put in with things like props and so on, the creators really care about the source material. The fight and action sequences isn’t remarkable but good, mostly because they seem personal and that the visual effects hold up. It’s always nice to see the superheroes using their powers. The final fight where Nightwing goes up against Red Hood was brilliant, a bit short but still brilliant. They use their skills and it’s an even fight, that’s what made it so entertaining for me.

Summary: Red Hood is more action packed and has a much faster pace, and it succeeds in having two separate tones, darker and lighter. I think it fits the show. There’s also a lot of moments I liked, lots of acting performances I liked and just a near perfect episode.