“Deathstroke”
Writer: Bianca Sams
Director: Nick Gomez
Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, Ryan Potter, Drew Van Acker, Minka Kelly, Alan Ritchson, Curran Walters, Conor Leslie, Iain Glen and Esai Morales
Review by Adam Ray
We’re dragged screaming back to the present day in this episode. The context gained from Aqualad means we can see just how dangerous Deathstroke is. The episode plays out as a classic hostage situation, after Jason Todd was taken by Slade and Doctor Light last week.
The Titans face some of their toughest questions, as they wonder what to do next. At the same time we see just how bad a hostage Jason is, and we wonder what can possibly be done to finally defeat Deathstroke.
The Titans spend a lot of the chapter questioning their personal morals. They have something he wants, but there’s no good way to handle the situation. Therefore, they handle it the only way they know how. We get true, fascinating character studies in this episode that stay consistent to how we’d expect them to act. The clashes between such big personalities all feel real, and that’s exactly what we need.
I feel that we, as viewers, have to start wondering about Slade’s plan. We find out that choosing Doctor Light as an accomplice was deliberate, though many other details are left deliciously vague. What happened to Jericho? More episodes set in the troubled past may be in order.
Conclusion
I love an ending that makes me shout my rage at the screen or page. Nothing makes someone want more story than having no answers after a sudden and heavy plot twist. Moreover, I feel that the audience’s biggest questions are still up in the wind.
At this point in the series, the shocking end is the big turning point that the rest of the season will be based on. I cannot wait to see the progression.