Today marks the day of the 5th episode of the DC streaming service exclusive show, Titans. With the first being comprised of 11 episodes, we have finally reached the midway point of the season and so I feel like I can give an official verdict on the show overall as a whole. The first thing I want to say is that I owe an apology to this show. When those set photos and that first trailer came out, I was objectively against this series. I wanted it to fail because I refused to see how anything about this show could be good. While the first episode certainly didn't quell all my fears about this show, the increased quality of writing and acting throughout each episode has more than earned its due, so before anything else, Titans I am sorry for misjudging you, I can't promise I won't continue to evaluate how I think something is going to turn out based off of what I am seeing, but I have to admit you have certainly proven exception to the rule. Without further ado, let's talk Titans, the best live action, Superhero-Team Show!
The Good
So let's talk about all the good in the show. The most obvious is the writing, having comic legend Geoff Johns write the screenplay for this show so well proves two MAJOR things: 1) comic writers should be the people writing any comic adaptation, film or tv, and 2) that investing in high budget Super Hero TV shows is the best way to do justice for your characters while establishing a connected universe. In this first half of the season of Titans Johns effectively establishes an overarching universe far more successfully than ANY of the DC films have. The reason it has been so effective is due to the episodic nature of a comic book that lends itself perfectly to the TV format. One season of a show can effectively set up more than 4 movies can and they can do it in far less time!
Moving onto the next good thing is the cast. By this point in the show, every character is shining. Some shine brighter than others, Dick and Gar are easily my two favorites of the show, there is no member of the cast that still feels awkward in their respective roles. While these characters are not exact adaptations from the pages, the spirit is there and they become more like their comic book selves each episode. What's more is that these characters are at their best when they are together (which is ironically the name of the 5th episode) as you see both their personalities as characters and fighters play off one another. I am very much looking forward to all the transitions that will be made for these characters over the course of the second half of this season, in particular, a certain boy wonder turning into Nightwing.
The Bad
While this show has very much surprised and impressed me, it's not without its flaws. However, the two biggest ones I feel are somewhat connected. The first of these issues is the very clear cheap production budget. It is no mystery that the biggest thing that turned everyone against the show in the first place is the poor character designs shown from st photos and character posters, and sadly this cheap aesthetic is almost a universal constant. With few exceptions, nothing really looks cinematic in quality and this really hurts the series as I am actively paying 5.99 a month for this subscription service. I would hope to see costumes and action on par with the Netflix Daredevil series if it feels like I am the one picking up the tab actively. Which leads to my next point, the forced use of gore during the fight sequences.
If there is one bad trait this show inherited from the DCEU it's being edgy for edgy's sake, and there is no better example of this than the over the top gore effects in a lot of the fights, especially in the first 2 or 3 episodes. Goreing and maiming people should not be the objective of portraying these characters. While the Titans books of the past certainly dealt with a lot of drama and teenage angst, brutalizing a man's genitals with garden sheers and slicing out the back of people's knees, isn't exactly the repertoire of these characters. While I am fine with some of these being used as shock value to show, in particular, Dick Grayson's struggle with his own personal demons that will lead to the transition of Nightwing. Moments like that are hindered when you watch a fight scene that shows the character years before, being less brutal for sure, but he still appears to be murdering people (it just doesn't seem to bother him as much) because blood is flying in every damn direction the moment he hits a thug with his bo staff. This is not conducive to the story being told and actively hurts it! Hopefully, both of these problems will be resolved by the next season as the show has already been approved for a second and third season. The show can only become better if they continue down the path that they are in, and so long as these characters continue to develop and don't remain stagnant.
All in all, Titans is a great show, at the end of every episode I have been excited to watch more and I patiently endure my week wait for the next episode to drop. I would give Titans a solid 8.5 out of 10 and my official backing for anyone on the fence to go on ahead and binge the episodes they have. Episode 5 of the show, Together, was released this morning and episode 6, Jason Todd, will be released next Friday.
This has been another edition of Comic Relief! I hope you have enjoyed and we will see you again soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment