The fourth season of “Titans” is off to a solid start, as it wasted no time in establishing duo antagonists Brother Blood and Mother Mayhem as formidable threats. Lex Luthor was introduced and dispatched in the very first episode, and it is revealed he was delving into the occult in order to prevent his imminent death. Conner finds himself in a conflicted state as public perception takes hold of his identity. A series of brutal murders happen across Metropolis, and just when it seems the Titans have successfully solved the case, they are challenged by Mother Mayhem. The third episode builds on that while introducing new characters.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Titans’ Season 4, Episode 3: Recap And Ending
Right after the team gets thwarted at the hands of Mother Mayhem, the Titans reunite in their RV. Rachel’s hair has turned white, and for some time, she remains unconscious. As she wakes up, she finds her soul self gone. She is unable to experience the world simultaneously from a regular and mystical perspective like she used to. She confesses to Garfield that she feels kind of relieved after the burden of bearing collective pain seems to be lifted off of her. At the same time, however, she questions whether or not this is an act of evading responsibility, even though the powers were not hers by choice. Garfield has no answer to that.
Elsewhere, two Metropolis Police Department workers die from blood magic, and forty gallons of blood get stolen. May Bennett, aka Mother Mayhem, returns to the temple of Azarath and stores the stolen powers of Raven in a crystal. She calls Sebastian Sanger and fakes her voice to mimic the impression of the investor and sell him false hope about buying his game. Earlier, distraught over his mother’s demise, Sebastian gains hope and agrees to meet at the investor’s office. Sebastian goes to the office and unsuccessfully tries to convince the clueless investor (the real one) about the call and the meeting. All of a sudden, almost in a trance, the investor commits suicide by stabbing pair of scissors through his eyes. Even though Sebastian tries to help, he is arrested on suspicion of murder.
As Raven is incapacitated for the time being, Dick seeks help from another adept magic user to tackle the threat of Mother Mayhem. He and Kory visit Bludhaven Penitentiary to meet a prisoner named Jinx, a former thief and grifter hailing from Gotham. However, before they can initiate a conversation, she flees from prison using magic. Dick is able to track her down red-handed at a crime scene. Kory mistakenly opens and takes a look at the object Jinx is stealing, which turns her into a rock. In order to undo the effects of the object, Dick and Jinx go to the artifact’s owner. We also get to know that Dick was her old flame, but keeping with Dick’s reputation of ducking through relationships, he messed this one up too. Kory, in her stupor, receives a vision of her trainer from Tamaran, Zadira, who warns Kory about the impending catastrophe and tells her that only she can help her team get over this threat. On the other hand, Dick learns that Jinx could have undone the spell by herself, but she needed a distraction to steal even more from the owner. Dick deduces that Jinx might have a heavy bounty on her, which is why she is taking such high-stakes scores. Jinx agrees and states the amount to be five million. Dick agrees to provide her with the entire amount if she helps Kory and the Titans with the witch (Mother Mayhem) situation. Jinx reluctantly agrees and frees Kory.
Rachel and Gar venture through the jungle, and Gar keeps getting ominous premonitions. They see the sky turning scarlet, and Gar hears someone urging him to join and help them. Gar feels a strange connection with an elemental red force that keeps calling him to warn of some dark energy. Conner and Tim visit STAR Labs as they go through Tim’s training and murder investigations. Superboy searches for a pattern among the victims, crosses-searches the symbols, and deduces that Sebastian Sanger might be the next victim. Anxious, he calls Dick to give him another chance against the witch, but Dick asks him to stay put as saving Sebastian is their priority.
May Bennett visits Sebastian in custody and tries to manipulate him using his sentiments. She almost convinces Sebastian to utter the words “Azarath Metrion Zinthos” with the promise that everything will be alright. Just as Sebastian is about to utter the last word, the duo Dick and Conner snatch Sanger away from May’s clutches. They flee the scene, and May grins from a distance. The episode ends with Garfield and Rachel standing at the same point with a skeleton hanging from a tree, the spot that Gar saw in a trance several times earlier.
Thoughts
The third episode slows down the fast-paced storytelling of the first couple of episodes in favor of character introductions and character moments. May Bennett is planning something sinister, as she seems to have vast prior knowledge of the Titans and Sanger, and the way she is not chasing the team around even though her interference could have stopped them says much about the self-assurance and strength she possesses. Garfield and Kory keep having hallucinations and ominous premonitions, which suggest a substantial role they will play.
In comics, Jinx is an Indian sorceress, and Lisa Ambalavanar’s portrayal of the character is charming, witty, and strong. Her addition to the Titans roster will surely feel unique as she brings some needed lightheartedness. Even though Dick promised to help her by handing over the money, her allegiance can’t be trusted just yet.
Superboy, aka Conner Kent, keeps struggling with his eagerness to prove himself, as he hasn’t gotten over the shock of Lex’s murder, it seems. He almost becomes desperate to get a shot at May, which makes us question whether he is looking to subconsciously avenge one of his fathers. Also, his traits related to Lex start surfacing when he skillfully tracks the Assyrian Race bloodline pattern to the symbols found in the crime scenes. The mysterious “Red,” in comics, is a force that connects all animal lives and microorganisms in the universe. Just like Swamp Thing is an avatar of green, Beast Boy can tap into the red. It seems Beast Boy is going to explore the vastness of his capabilities in the near future.
See more: ‘Titans’ Season 4: Episode 1 And 2: Recap And Ending, Explained
