I decided there wasn't a way to get around this pay-per-view stuff, let alone not shell out for an entire, online channel. It's the only way I could hope to see DC Universe's "Titans", produced/developed by Akiva Goldsmith, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanit, among other DC masterminds.
The series's Titans are, of course, young (duh), but act like adults, with great sensibility, responsibility and if ever there's gonna be a time for tears, it'll be (I should hope) for good reason. Guess that might make "Titans" an adult program... (Rumor says it'll be violent, as well, and as such, not conducive to the timid of any age.)
Brenton "Gods of Egypt" Thwaites fills the lead as Dick Grayson, a grown-up Robin. Why not call him Nightwing, then? No matter. In comic-book lore, Robin has long been the Titan leader. It would only be a matter of time, anyway, before he'd switch suits and labels, and even then, the change wouldn't be radical. A Robin by any other name, after all... (For this incarnation, Grayson also acts as a Detroit detective, which is interesting, if only in how it alludes to "Dark Knight Rises" lore.)
The show's premise, at this point, is really one of construction, with Grayson crossing paths with Rachel Roth/Raven, played by Teagan Croft, who has nightly visions of him, while she's tracked by the curious Koriand'r/Starfire, played by Dana Diop. A bond will form among them. From there, once a week for the following eleven (starting Oct 12), more members will enter, until the concept looks as it should.
Ryan Potter will appear regularly as Garfield Logan/Beast Boy (expect lots of CGI). However, on the sporadic, look-forward-to roster, we'll have Dawn Granger/Dove, played by Minka Kelly and Hank Hall/Hawk, played by Alan Ritchson. (Ditko fans will appreciate the significance.) Other heroes will act as special guest stars, like April Bowlby's Elasti-Woman (va-va-voom!!!); Jake Michaels' Robotman; Dwain Murph's Negative Man; Bruno Bichir's Chief; and then there's (hold on to your seat, and let that dramatic drum roll...), Curran Walters' Jason Todd (Robin II for our purposes here) and Conor Leslie's Donna Troy/Wonder Girl. Holy Smokes and Hot Damn!!!
Anticipate friction between the Boy Wonders, though the crossover won't cover much of the season. Still, depending on how the encounter is handled, it could be good or bad from a dramatic/historical stance. In the same vein, keep in mind that "Titans" is a concoction reputedly influenced by certain members of CW's staff. That, too, could be good or bad depending on the creative command. Lord knows, we don't need another ethically challenged "Supergirl" or fact-distorted "Legends of Tomorrow".
Despite the evident obstacles, I do hope "Titans" works. It's just a shame one has to sign up and shell out to see it, but if it's worthy of its DC roots, the $7.99 a month might be worth it. Besides, the DC Universe has other wonders in store for subscribers, including "Doom Patrol"; "Harley Quinn"; "Stargirl"; a new "Swamp Thing", and so it goes...
