Titans season 1 explained

Season Number:1
Bgcolour:
  1. 2C2961
Showrunner:Greg Walker
Network:DC Universe
Num Episodes:11

The first season of the American superhero streaming television series Titans premiered on DC Universe on October 12, 2018, and concluded on December 21, consisting of 11 episodes. It was executive produced by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Greg Walker, with Walker serving as showrunner. Created by Goldsman, Johns, and Berlanti, the series is based on the DC Comics team Teen Titans. Featured in the main cast are Brenton Thwaites, Anna Diop, Teagan Croft, and Ryan Potter. The season also introduces Alan Ritchson, Minka Kelly, Curran Walters, and Conor Leslie, who would join the main cast in the following season. The first season marks the live-action debut of the Teen Titans, as well as the launch of DC Universe's original scripted programming.

In the first season, vigilante Dick Grayson (Thwaites) leaves Gotham City for Detroit in an effort to distance himself from his mentor Bruce Wayne. When the mysterious Rachel Roth (Croft) comes to Dick for protection from dangerous forces pursuing her, Dick finds himself thrust into action as he struggles to distance himself from his Robin persona and control his violent urges. Joined by Kory Anders (Diop), an amnesiac woman with solar-based powers, and Gar Logan (Potter), an animal shapeshifter, the four battle a threat that puts the entire world at risk.

Development of a live-action series based on Teen Titans began in 2014 when the project was picked up by TNT. A pilot written by Goldsman and Marc Haimes was ordered, but never filmed, and TNT passed on the project in 2016. The following year, Warner Bros. announced that the project would move forward in 2018 as the first scripted series for DC Universe. Initially planned to comprise 12 episodes, the original finale would be removed and the intended penultimate episode became the season finale. The season's story was primarily inspired by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's The New Teen Titans comics from the 1980s.

The season received generally positive reviews, with praise for the story, characters, and performances. Criticism was directed towards the violent tone and the finale's cliffhanger ending. The second season, which was announced ahead of the first season's premiere, would use the original finale as the basis for its premiere episode.

In addition to being the first live-action adaptation of the Teen Titans, the season serves as the live-action introduction for the DC Comics team Doom Patrol, who appear in the self-titled fourth episode. The characters introduced would later be featured in an eponymous series on DC Universe, with April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, and Brendan Fraser reprising their roles as Rita Farr, Larry Trainor, and Cliff Steele, although it occupies a separate continuity from Titans.

Episodes

Cast and characters

See main article: List of Titans characters.

Main

Recurring

Guest

Body double Brooker Muir portrays Subject 13 in a post-credit scene. Stuntmen Alain Moussi and Maxime Savaria make uncredited appearances as Batman, while an uncredited actor portrays the character's alter-ego Bruce Wayne. An uncredited actor provides the voice of Alfred Pennyworth. Maisie Williams and Rory McCann appear in archive footage from the Game of Thrones episode "First of His Name" as Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane.

Production

Development

A potential live-action Titans project for cable channel TNT was announced in September 2014.[1] By December, a pilot written by Akiva Goldsman and Marc Haimes was ordered that would feature Dick Grayson emerging from Batman's shadow to become Nightwing, the leader of a band of heroes including Starfire, Raven, Oracle, and Hawk and Dove. The pilot was set with filming to occur in Toronto in the mid-2015.[2] [3] In May 2015, TNT president Kevin Reilly said that they hoped to have the casting locked down by the start of filming and that the show would be "very true" to the comics and "groundbreaking".[4] The series, called Titans and then Blackbirds, was first set to begin shooting in Toronto in mid-2015.[5] Production was then postponed to October.[6] In January 2016, TNT was no longer moving forward with the project.[7] [8] Geoff Johns later commented that he and DC knew about TNT nixing Titans for months.[9]

In April 2017, Warner Bros. announced the series Titans to debut in 2018 on DC Comics' own direct-to-consumer digital service. The series was created by Goldsman, Johns, and Greg Berlanti, who wrote the pilot episode.[10] Showrunner duties were given to Greg Walker.[11] Goldsman, Johns, Berlanti, Walker, and Sarah Schechter are also executive producers of the series through Goldsman's Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti's Berlanti Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television.[10]

Though 12 episodes were initially announced,[12] the 12th episode was removed and the 11th episode became the season 1 finale.[13] The intended 12th episode served as the basis for the season 2 premiere.[14]

Writing

Johns said that the series was inspired mostly by the Teen Titans comics of the 1980s, since that comic's run "had so much drama" and "was so revolutionary for its time". He added: "We really wanted to lean into the idea that every Titan of these Titans is a doorway into another genre. With Rachel [a.k.a. Raven], it's the supernatural and the horror, and the first season really focuses on who Raven is and how the Titans galvanize around her". Johns also felt the series would be "a little more adult" than the television series Riverdale, calling it "not necessarily a teen drama, but more of an adventure piece".[15] Regarding the show's tone, Johns said that they "wanted to do something different from everything else out there. We wanted to arrive at a tone that wasn't as welcoming as some of the DC shows have been, nor as nihilistic as some of the films have been".[16] Goldsman said that as the series continues, it will ask "How are these broken people going to cohere? Or will they?" Johns noted that Robin's controversial "Fuck Batman" line in the pilot was a late addition to the script. Dick's actor Brenton Thwaites said of the line: "I thought it was perfect ... This is not a show about Batman. It's a show about Dick".

Casting

The main cast was rounded up between August and October 2017. Teagan Croft was cast as Rachel Roth,[17] followed by Anna Diop as Kory Anders,[18] Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson[19] [20] and Ryan Potter as Gar Logan.[21] Ahead of the series premiere, Diop reduced her presence on social media because of racist attacks towards her casting.[22] [23] [24]

Other casting additions were included during 2017 and 2018. Alan Ritchson and Minka Kelly were cast in the recurring roles of Hank Hall and Dawn Granger, respectively.[25] [26] Lindsey Gort was cast as original character Amy Rohrbach,[27] while Seamus Dever was cast as Trigon.[28] Members of the Doom Patrol are portrayed by Bruno Bichir as the Chief,[29] April Bowlby as Rita Farr,[30] Jake Michaels as Cliff Steel,[31] and Dwain Murphy as Larry Trainor.[32] Elliot Knight was cast as Don Hall,[33] while Curran Walters and Conor Leslie appear as Jason Todd and Donna Troy, respectively.[34] [35]

Filming

Filming for the first season began on November 15, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario,[36] [37] and concluded on June 28, 2018.[38]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 78%, with an average rating of 6.66 out of 10 based on 46 reviews. The site's critical consensus states: "Despite a few tonal growing pains, Titans does justice to its source material and truly shines when its titular ensemble finally assembles".[39] Metacritic gave the series's first season a score of 55 out of 100 based on eight critics.[40]

Susana Polo of Polygon praised Titans for "tempering brutal violence and dark subject matter with humor—and by giving its characters plenty of time to stretch, breathe and become attached to one another".[41] Describing Anna Diop's performance of Kory Anders as the strongest aspect of the first three episodes, Charlie Ridgely of Comicbook.com wrote that "she conveys so much wonder and intrigue with her subtle and genuine expressions, but there is a consistent fierceness and tenacity that is always lurking just beneath the surface".[42] Rosie Knight of Nerdist wrote that the "cast is at the core of what makes Titans so enjoyable", while also praising the scriptwriting.[43]

Forbes contributor Merrill Barr compared the show to The CW's Riverdale, describing it as "a dark and gritty series very far removed from the image the Teen Titans have garnered through a variety of animated outings over the last decade". Barr found that viewers "that take the tone in stride are going to find themselves in the middle of a series dialed directly into their interests".[44] Rob Salkowitz of Forbes wrote that Titans "somehow managed to deliver on the dark-and-foreboding tone that the early DC movies so conspicuously got wrong".[45]

Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant was critical of the show's excessive violence, writing that Titans "doesn't put forward any new or particularly compelling thoughts about its characters or about superheroes in general".[46] Similarly, Vinne Mancuso of Collider said: "If you're just a fan of some good old-fashioned ultra-violence and moody storytelling, this simply isn't a well-done example of that".[47]

Evening Standard reviewer Guy Pewsey stated that the series was "enjoyable and watchable" and although questioned whether Brenton Thwaites could "pull off the role of leader of a group of crime-fighters" as Dick Grayson; he called Diop's performance a "highlight" of Titans.[48]

The season finale "Dick Grayson", which was originally intended as the penultimate episode, drew criticism for its cliffhanger ending and not resolving the main storyline of the season. IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave the finale four out of ten, writing that after "Titans got off to a surprisingly good start this year, especially considering all the baggage the series was carrying when it first debuted", the episode "manages to derail that momentum and goodwill with a head-scratching and extremely unsatisfying final chapter".[49] Den of Geek's Mike Cecchini called the episode's cliffhanger "anticlimactic and feels like a cheat".[50] Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Christian Holub said: "The journey to Nightwing is gonna take a lot longer than I thought. But I was really impressed by this season overall, and I'm excited for season 2".[51]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TNT Eyes Titans Superhero Series . . Whitney . Friedlander . September 11, 2014 . December 23, 2016.
  2. Web site: Syfy, David Goyer Developing Superman Origin Story Krypton . Goldberg . Lesley . The Hollywood Reporter . December 8, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141223081805/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/syfy-david-goyer-developing-superman-755060 . December 23, 2014 . live . December 8, 2014.
  3. Web site: Exclusive: Which DC Characters Will Be On TNT's The Titans . Nerdist . Diaz . Eric . February 2, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150202210414/http://www.nerdist.com/vepisode/exclusive-which-dc-characters-will-be-on-tnts-the-titans/ . February 2, 2015 . dead.
  4. Web site: Teen Titans TV Show Promises to Remain True to Comics . Shawn S. . Lealos . Renegade Cinema . May 13, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150519075733/http://renegadecinema.com/36840/teen-titans-tv-show-promises-to-remain-true-to-comics . May 19, 2015 . live.
  5. Web site: Titans TNT Pilot DC Comics now entitled Blackbirds . Season Zero . Lulla . June 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150922211604/http://season-zero.com/titans-creator-confirms-the-shooting-of-the-dc-comics-pilot/ . September 22, 2015 . live.
  6. Web site: Blackbirds (Titans) TNT pilot from DC Comics postponed... . Season Zero . Luclla . June 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150313211405/http://season-zero.com/titans-creator-confirms-the-shooting-of-the-dc-comics-pilot/ . March 13, 2015 . live.
  7. Web site: DC's Live-Action Titans Series Not Moving Forward at TNT . Brett . White . January 7, 2016 . Comic Book Resources . https://web.archive.org/web/20161106021401/http://www.cbr.com/dcs-live-action-titans-series-not-moving-forward-at-tnt/ . November 6, 2016 . live . TNT president Kevin Reilly revealed that production on the long in-development drama series based on DC's Teen Titans property has been stopped..
  8. Web site: TNT Not Moving Forward with DC Comics Drama Titans . Variety . Whitney . Friedlander . January 7, 2016 . December 23, 2016.
  9. Web site: Matt's Inside Line: Scoop on Once, Flash, Lucifer, Suits, 24, Titans, HTGAWM, Castle, NCIS: LA and More . TVLine . Mitovich . Matt Webb . February 2, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160626155811/http://tvline.com/2016/02/02/once-upon-a-time-spoilers-belle-season-5b/ . June 26, 2016 . live.
  10. Web site: DC Digital Service To Launch With Titans Series From Greg Berlanti & Akiva Goldsman And Young Justice: Outsiders . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . April 25, 2017 . April 25, 2017.
  11. Web site: Angel . E. . BGN Interview: 'Titans' Showrunner Greg Walker on What to Expect This Season . Black Girl Nerds . 29 June 2020 . 12 October 2018.
  12. Web site: DC Universe Digital Subscription Service To Launch On Batman Day; Sets Titans Premiere. Ramos. Dino-Ray. Deadline Hollywood. August 29, 2018. August 29, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180830010639/https://deadline.com/2018/08/dc-universe-digital-subscription-service-batman-day-titans-premiere-young-justice-kevin-smith-1202454380/. August 30, 2018.
  13. Web site: A Murderous Batman Is Coming to Titans Explosive Season Finale. Charles. Pulliam-Moore. io9. December 14, 2018. December 15, 2018.
  14. Web site: Titans Showrunner Confirms Original Season 1 Finale Became Season 2 Premiere. Thomas. Bacon. Screen Rant. December 24, 2018. December 26, 2018.
  15. Web site: Robin's 'Fuck Batman' Titans trailer line, explained by DC's Geoff Johns. Alexander. Julia. Polo. Susana. Polygon. July 19, 2018. July 20, 2018.
  16. Web site: Titans Creators And Cast On The Long And Winding Road To The Screen. Dade. Hayes. Deadline Hollywood. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  17. Web site: Titans: Teagan Croft Cast As Raven In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . August 3, 2017 . September 6, 2017.
  18. Web site: Titans: Anna Diop Cast As Starfire In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . August 23, 2017 . September 6, 2017.
  19. Web site: Titans: Brenton Thwaites To Play Lead Dick Grayson In DC Live-Action Series . Andreeva . Nellie . . August 31, 2017 . September 6, 2017.
  20. Web site: Titans: Brenton Thwaites As Robin In DC Superhero Series . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . December 1, 2017 . December 4, 2017.
  21. Web site: Titans: Ryan Potter Cast As Beast Boy In Live-Action Series For DC Digital Service . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . October 18, 2017 . October 18, 2017.
  22. Web site: Abad-Santos . Alex . Teen Titans' Starfire is an orange alien. Racist fans don't want a black woman playing her. . . December 20, 2018 . July 27, 2018.
  23. News: Titans: Anna Diop faces racist backlash from comic book fans . December 20, 2018 . BBC . July 26, 2018.
  24. Web site: Sheets . Katie . Racist Trolls Have Pushed Titans Star Anna Diop Off Instagram . Study Break . December 20, 2018 . July 30, 2018.
  25. Web site: 'Titans': Alan Ritchson Cast As Hawk In DC Live-Action Series. deadlin. September 7, 2017.
  26. Web site: 'Titans': Minka Kelly Cast As Dove In DC Live-Action Series. deadline. September 7, 2017.
  27. Web site: Titans TV Show Casts Lindsey Gort as Dick Grayson's Partner. screenrant. September 29, 2017.
  28. Web site: Castle's Seamus Dever Joins DC's Titans Superhero Series. tvline. January 17, 2018.
  29. Web site: Doom Patrol's The Chief Cast In 'Titans' TV Series. comicbook.com. February 15, 2018.
  30. Web site: Titans casts Drop Dead Diva star as Elasti-Girl. entertainmentweekly. February 20, 2018.
  31. Web site: Jake Michaels cast as the Doom Patrol's Robotman in DC's Titans. February 24, 2018.
  32. Web site: DC's Titans Live-Action Series Casts Negative Man. comicbookresources. February 28, 2018.
  33. Web site: DC's Titans Reportedly Casts Elliot Knight As Original Dove Don Hall. screenrant. August 14, 2018.
  34. Web site: TITANS EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: JASON TODD FACES OFF WITH DICK GRAYSON - IGN FIRST. ign. September 13, 2018.
  35. Web site: DC's Titans reportedly casts Conor Leslie as Wonder Girl. flickeringmyth. April 29, 2018.
  36. Web site: Current Productions & News. City of Toronto. March 20, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180320211154/https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/industry-sector-support/film/current-productions-and-news/. March 20, 2018. live.
  37. Web site: Pinewood Toronto to Double Production Space as Hollywood Takes City to Full Capacity . Vlessing . Etan . . December 12, 2017 . December 28, 2017.
  38. Web site: Brenton Thwaites Posts Moody Robin Photo to Celebrate Titans Wrap. Shaw-Williams. Hannah. Screen Rant. June 28, 2018. July 16, 2018.
  39. Web site: Titans: Season 1. Rotten Tomatoes. 2018. June 12, 2021.
  40. Web site: Titans: Season 1. Metacritic. 2018. January 27, 2019.
  41. Web site: DC's Titans series review: There's more to it than 'F**k Batman'. Polygon. Susana. Polo. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  42. Web site: Review: Titans Is Campy, Violent, and Utterly Satisfying. Comicbook.com. Charlie. Ridgely. October 4, 2018. November 2, 2018.
  43. News: DC Universe's Titans Is Surprising, Compelling, and Full of Great Characters. Nerdist. Rosie. Knight. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  44. News: Titans Review: The Riverdale Of DC Comics Adaptations. Barr. Merrill. Forbes. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  45. Web site: OK, We Need To Talk About Doom Patrol. Rob. Salkowitz. Forbes. May 26, 2019. May 30, 2019.
  46. News: Titans Premiere Review: Mature Content Doesn't Make For Mature Storytelling. Screen Rant. Kevin. Yeoman. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  47. News: Titans Review: Teen Titans, No. Collider. Vinnie. Mancuso. October 4, 2018. December 14, 2018.
  48. Web site: Pewsey . Guy . Titans on Netflix: Swagger aplenty as superheroes and their sidekicks unite in a new crime-busting crew . . 19 July 2020 . 16 January 2019.
  49. Web site: Schedeen . Jesse . Titans: Dick Grayson - Review . . 29 June 2020 . 21 December 2018.
  50. Web site: Cecchini . Mike . Titans Episode 11 Review: Dick Grayson . . 29 June 2020 . 21 December 2018.
  51. Web site: Holub . Christian . Titans season finale recap: Shadow of the Bat . . 29 June 2020 . 21 December 2018.

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