Titans arrived on DC Universe on October 12, 2018, with a promise that the Teen Titans could carry a live-action series. It ran four seasons and 49 episodes, ending May 11, 2023, and moved from DC Universe to HBO Max along the way. The show’s best idea is Dick Grayson, and its worst habit is never trusting him.
Trailer, via DC.
Dick Grayson Leaves Robin Behind
Brenton Thwaites plays Dick as a man trying to separate himself from Batman. Thwaites called him a “reluctant leader” who is “trying to figure out who he is at the same time he’s trying to keep the crew protected and safe.” That tension is the spine of the series. The first season follows Rachel Roth, an empath hunted by her demon father Trigon, as she pulls Dick, Kory Anders and Gar Logan back together.
Rachel, Kory and Gar
Teagan Croft’s Rachel is the show’s emotional center. Croft said the bond with Dick is “more of a father-daughter relationship” because both “share the same feeling of abandonment.” Anna Diop’s Kory begins with amnesia, unaware she was sent to kill Rachel. Diop built the character around an “innocent, naïve, pure, fun, curious” quality. Ryan Potter’s Gar, a shapeshifter who turns into a green tiger, brings warmth to the show through humor.
Deathstroke and the Original Team
Season two reforms the Titans, with Dick training Rachel, Gar and Jason Todd. Deathstroke returns, and the old team’s prior conflict with him is what broke them apart. Season three adds Conner Kent, Superman’s clone, and Tim Drake. The cast list grows faster than the writing can carry it.
| Character | Actor | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Dick Grayson | Brenton Thwaites | Leader, former Robin |
| Kory Anders | Anna Diop | Tamaran royal, Starfire |
| Rachel Roth | Teagan Croft | Empath, Raven |
| Gar Logan | Ryan Potter | Shapeshifter, Beast Boy |
What Holds and What Doesn’t
The casting is the strongest part. Diop and Croft do real work with thin material, and Thwaites sells a hero who keeps failing the people he protects. The problem is structure. Four seasons and 49 episodes spread across Detroit, San Francisco, Gotham and Metropolis, and the show never settles on what it wants to be. Deathstroke, Cadmus, Trigon, Blackfire — each threat arrives before the last one lands.
Titans is worth watching for its leads and its central idea about inherited damage. It is not worth defending as a whole.
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