Well as soon as it was shown to be a flashback episode everything about it became super predictable. Not always a bad thing. The actor who played Garth was more likable then half the actors on this show. Wish he would stuck around
The action for this show can be so inconsistent. One one hand the training sequences (though repetitive) have been really good, and so was the Rose chase sequence. On the other hand we have these really choppy and dark fight scenes in this episode. The action looked really cheap.
I was liking how the Deathstroke assassinations in the beginning started until that fake CGI sword popped out of the priest's chess. Regardless the sequence felt pretty pointless because it said nothing about Slade's character (I also don't like how everyone keeps calling him Deathstroke for no reason, like when in the flashback he had been ID'd by Dick and he called him that).
Agreed about the Deathstroke costume. The red light defeats the purpose of selling Slade as a one-eyed badass. There's something so unsettling about Slade with his one eyed mask that makes him so intimidating and iconic. It worked so well on the Teen Titans animated series for instance. I bet the costume designer saw that he's been called "Deathstroke the Terminator" and thought this was a brilliant idea.
Agreed about episode feeling predictable with Donna and Garth. Garth has always been one DC character I've been interested in and I didn't find anything in this portrayal interesting. The actor is fine (and fineee) but he looks too much like Arthur Curry/Aquaman to me and I didn't find his character or love story with Donna any bit compelling. I do really like the actress playing Donna though. I think she sells every scene she's in. I'm also excited about the kid playing Jericho. He's got the kind of energy this show needs desperately more of, because so many characters in it are just boring to watch, especially Dawn, Dick, Gar, Raven and Kori.
Weaker episode overall. I hope this season picks up things because it started off really well.
Theory:
-- When we see Dick approach Jericho with some apparently ill intent, we are lead to assume Donna's "Be Batman" remark and the fact that the heroes are going for revenge will lead to something bad happening. But I don't think it will be Jericho's death. I think that maybe Dick is hiding him from Slade - that he'll pull back before crossing some line in his quest for revenge and help Jericho and maybe his mother; we saw how paranoid she was and trying to keep Jericho hidden. The real question will be who knows this and who thinks Jericho's actually dead. Does Rose think so and maybe that's why she's helping Slade? (if she is) Or does Slade know and he's keeping that from her so he can use her? Keeping information from those you love and are supposed to trust seems like it might be a theme.
In general, there seems to be a big arc in terms of the parallels between Dick/Batman and Slade/Rose/Jericho. Who will repeat the sins of the father, who will rise above that influence, etc? Dick "saving" Jericho - keeping him away from his dad, would be an act on Dick's part to metaphorically pull himself away from Batman and the darkness that he's afraid has infected him.
So Aqualad can stand there and take Dr. Lights blast but Donna is running for her life? That's the only issue I had.
I've been enjoying this season so far but we're 4 episodes in .... where the hell are Conner and Krypto already?
So is the idea that the Titans... killed Jericho as revenge for what Slade did to Garth?
I've never shipped Donna and Garth in the comics (Diana and Arthur on the other hand...), but I liked their relationship here. The Nemo story was cute. Naturally it couldn't last, but it was still cool seeing a bunch of costumed Titans fighting a super villain.
That was weird because it had his picture and said "Wilson, Slade" and Dick said "His name's Deathstroke".
That would be an interesting twist.
Since this was our introduction to Garth, we can assume he's pretty tough physically in this continuity (to a point anyway).
There's no way they're going to have the Titans murder a deaf kid who's guilty of nothing other than being Slade's son. I think we can safely say that.
I do wonder if Slade's weird morality is such that his contract was to kill "The Titans" and that's why they break up - to negate the literal word of the contract.
I tend to give them breaks on the action sequences and the CGI. I mean all of Aqualads water CGI was cringe. But, I gave it a pass. And they have continuously made Beastboy plot points weaker cause they cant CGI a ton of animal forms all the time.
Who is the liaison character Donna had make arrangements to get to the island? Is she a real comics character?