The Titans season 2 finale has promised that one of the heroes is destined to fall - but which one? A certified hit for the DC Universe streaming service, Titans returned earlier this year for an often much-improved sophomore outing. After a rocky start designed to tie up the lingering threads from season 1 - including dispatching Rachel’s demonic father, Trigon - Titans settled into the rhythm of a new status quo. Reopening Titans Tower, Dick Grayson began training what was retroactively dubbed Titans 2.0. The new team was comprised of Rachel, Gar, and, honoring a request from Bruce Wayne, the latest incarnation of Robin (aka Jason Todd). The remaining characters were paired off in other parts of the country. Starfire and Wonder Girl teamed with the FBI to help capture a metahuman criminal. Meanwhile, Hawk and Dove were attempting to live a quiet civilian life as Hank and Dawn.
Best-laid plans went awry, however, when Doctor Light was broken out of prison and unleashed upon the group. Leaving a trail of bodies in his wake, Light was successful in drawing each of the wayward Titans back to San Francisco. Once there, it was revealed that the Titans’ comic book nemesis, Deathstroke, was actually the architect of their torment. As the episodes rolled on, a series of frequently conflicting flashbacks served to retcon the Titans’ history and reveal the seeming death of his son, Jericho, as the reason for Deathstroke’s vendetta. Season 2 also saw the official introduction of Conner Kent (aka Superboy). However, with him also came Mercy Graves and Cadmus Labs - who have since brainwashed Gar and Connor for their own villainous ends.
The official season 2 finale trailer revealed that each plot thread will finally coalesce into an action-packed conclusion. With Gar and Connor unleashed upon a carnival, it’ll seemingly be up to Wonder Girl, Hawk, Dove, and Rachel to help them reclaim control over their own minds. Equally, with the Titans officially starting to reunite, Deathstroke will unleash an all-out assault on the group. At one point cornering a section of the team with a barrage of gunfire, they are aided by the long-awaited emergence of Dick Grayson as Nightwing. Having vowed to defeat Deathstroke once and for all - as well as hopefully rescue a trapped Jericho - the trailer shows Nightwing taking the fight to his nemesis with the help of Rose Wilson (aka Ravager). Unfortunately, the arrival of Nightwing won’t be without a trade-off - with the trailer revealing that while Dick Grayson may finally rise, another Titan will not make it out of things alive. And, based on the footage, three likely suspects have emerged.
Rachel (aka Raven)
The season 2 finale trailer features a number of shots of a funeral taking place. One of those shots features a line-up of Titans members. Among them is Dick, Rose, Gar, Dawn, Kory, Connor, and Hank. Rachel is actually nowhere to be seen. Though Dick turns to look at somebody, it would make little sense for Rachel to be standing apart from her friends in an apparent time of mourning. Equally, Rachel has been having prophetic dreams of late - each of which has been centered on an imminent death. Until now, the victim has been Dick Grayson. In the new trailer, however, when describing the dream, she says, “I keep having these dreams…about being killed by Deathstroke.” Obviously, that could be a case of tricky editing to conceal a name she offers. If the name is Dick’s, however, it would be pointless to hide it - given that those dreams were already witnessed by viewers. Therefore, it could be as it appears on the surface and that coffin seen in the trailer is destined to be hers.
Rachel was a main focal point of season 1 - with her heritage and the source of her powers serving as the central mystery. She was the one who sought out Dick Grayson’s help. She was pursued by an amnesiac Starfire. And she enjoyed a casual meet-cute with Gar. As such, Rachel was largely responsible for this iteration of the Titans even crossing paths. In season 2, however, since banishing Trigon, Raven has been mostly underserved. Though Titans has occasionally touched on the concept of her new powers and being unable to control them, the thread has been largely unexplored. Even when she was indirectly responsible for somebody’s death, it was immediately forgotten about. That fact could either be a death knell for Rachel or a saving grace. On one hand, it could be the writers’ intent to explore Rachel more fully again in the future. On the other, it could be that Titans will have Rachel prove that she’s not defined by the darkness inside her with a heroic sacrifice.
Donna (aka Wonder Girl)
Another conspicuous absence from the funeral procession is that of Donna Troy. Even more telling, however, is the moment when an indistinguishable group is unloading a coffin from a hearse. Seen directly beside it, almost reverentially, is what is clearly her trademark lasso. If it is Donna being laid to rest, it makes sense for her signature weapon to be transported with her body and ultimately buried with her. Though the whole thing could turn out to be one of Rachel’s aforementioned dreams - with Donna being the new victim of her prophecies - the moment seems to lack the otherworldly qualities seen previously. Besides, even if those particular shots are merely visions, it doesn’t mean they won’t still come to pass.
Jason Todd (aka Robin 2.0)
Another likely suspect would be that of Jason Todd. Not only is he absent from the funeral scenes, but he is not glimpsed at all in the trailer. When last seen, he had just learned the truth about how Rose was secretly working with her father. Though Rose was eager to return to San Francisco and seek redemption, Jason declared himself finished with everybody involved. Where Jason went next wasn’t revealed. What has been established, however, is that one of Jason’s defining characteristic is that he cares too much. Though he tries to hide it and push people away, his emotions clearly run deep. As such, it would be almost uncharacteristic for him to not show up at a crucial point - when his friends (or, in particular, Rose) are about to meet their ends. Leaving him out of the trailer would, therefore, be a firm way of maintaining the surprise - especially if his rescue comes at the expense of his own life. It would also be a fitting end to the emotional journey Titans has had Jason on this past season.
Even if Jason doesn’t make an appearance against Deathstroke or the forces of Cadmus Labs, though, it wouldn’t necessarily mean he’s safe from harm. After all, the story of Jason Todd is a tragic one, and one in which his death at the hands of The Joker plays a prominent part. While it’s unlikely that Titans would be able to feature Joker directly, Jason is at as similarly low an ebb as in the comics when captured. As such, the foreshadowed death might not occur at the hands of Deathstroke at all. Having believed they thwarted Slade Wilson and prevented Rachel’s vision from coming to pass, word could come down of Jason having died while they were busy. Given the layers added to Jason Todd in season 2, it would certainly make for a truly emotional and tragic gut punch. Equally, it would firmly set up Jason Todd’s Red Hood arc ahead of the newly-confirmed season 3 in 2020 and would no doubt make it Bruce Wayne that Dick is turning to look at.
While the original season 1 finale was scrapped and repurposed, fans can at least be sure that season 2 will have a much more cohesive conclusion. And while it could all be dream sequences or even somebody else that falls, that would be a waste of effectively tense marketing and some decent foreshadowing. Whatever ends up happening, the episode will no doubt keep fans on the edge of their seats. In regards to who is set to meet their maker by the episode’s end, fans will know definitively when Titans season 2 finale is released. As well as no doubt set up a whole range of angst for season 3. Even if, as per the nature of comic books, it doesn’t remain wholly permanent.
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