The season sees Dick Grayson (Thwaites) form a new Titans team comprising Rachel Roth (Croft), Gar Logan (Potter), and Jason Todd (Walters) in his original San Francisco base. Concurrent with the Titans' return, an old enemy resurfaces in the form of Deathstroke (Morales), whose past conflict with the original Titans team of Dick, Donna Troy (Leslie), Dawn Granger (Kelly), and Hank Hall (Ritchson) caused them to disband. As Deathstroke looks to eliminate the Titans, with his daughter Rose Wilson (Zhang) also taking part in the fight, the heroes face another threat from Cadmus Laboratories when they encounter runaway test subject Conner (Orpin). Meanwhile, Kory Anders (Diop) discovers she is being hunted by her sister Blackfire (Lewis).
A second season of Titans was confirmed in 2018 prior to the premiere of the first season. Filming began the following year and 13 episodes were announced, two more than the 11 episodes of its predecessor. The season was originally planned to feature H.I.V.E. as the Titans' enemies, while Dick would operate under his new mantle of Nightwing after assuming the identity in the initially intended season 1 finale. Before the start of filming, however, the original season 1 finale would be removed and reworked into the second season, which provided a new resolution to the previous season's story in its premiere episode. The second season was subsequently re-envisioned to depict Dick's gradual transformation into Nightwing, with Deathstroke replacing H.I.V.E. Its story was influenced by the 1984 comic arc "The Judas Contract" from Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's The New Teen Titans and the 2003 Teen Titans comics by Johns.
Critical reception to the second season was mixed. While episodes in the first half of the season received positive reviews, the premiere and later episodes were met with a more negative response for the plot, writing, character arcs, and story resolutions. The second season was the last to release on DC Universe following the repurposing of the service into comic distributor DC Universe Infinite and HBO Max's acquisition of its original programming.
Hank, Dawn, and Jason join Donna and Kory in attempting to stop Trigon, but they all succumb to his powers. Trigon breaks Rachel's will by having the heroes attempt to beat Gar to death. With Rachel under his control, Trigon begins to destroy life around him, starting with Angela. However, a still-alive Gar uses his friendship with Rachel to free her. In turn, Rachel saves Dick before defeating her father and freeing the rest. Afterwards, the heroes go their separate ways, with Dick accompanied by Jason, Rachel, and Gar. Dick meets with Bruce to reconcile and reestablish the Titans in San Francisco. Bruce agrees Dick may lead a new team under the condition Jason joins. Meanwhile, Deathstroke comes out of retirement when he learns the Titans have resurfaced.
Three months after Trigon's defeat, Dick continues to train his team at Titans Tower, where Rachel's powers begin to act strangely. Dick attempts to recruit a female metahuman he rescues into the Titans, despite her resistance to receiving help. Jason and Gar identify the young woman as Rose Wilson, Deathstroke's daughter. Hank and Dawn have retired to Wyoming, but tensions ensue when Hank discovers Dawn is continuing to operate as Dove. In Chicago, Kory and Donna fight crime together and capture rogue metahuman Shimmer. Dawn, Hank, and Donna are forced to reunite with Dick when an escaped Dr. Arthur Light begins targeting the Titans. Kory encounters fellow Tamaranean Faddei, who takes her captive.
At the Titans Tower, Donna, Hank, and Dawn meet Dick, who notifies them that Deathstroke is pursuing Rose in the city. Rose reveals to Dick that she is attempting to assassinate Deathstroke because he killed her brother Jericho. Working together against the Titans, Deathstroke tells Dr. Light of his plan to separate the weaker members from the group. After Dr. Light escapes from the original team, Jason convinces Gar to search for him on their own. Jason defeats Dr. Light, but is ambushed by Deathstroke. Meanwhile, Faddei informs Kory that her sister Blackfire has ordered her return to Tamaran to become queen. A call from Rachel about losing control of her powers, however, prompts Kory to trap Faddei in her ship and travel back to her friends.
Five years before the present day, an assignment sends Deathstroke to San Francisco where Jericho and his mother Adeline are hiding. Assisted by new member Garth, the original Titans capture Dr. Light. Garth and Donna harbor romantic feelings for each other, but Donna has resisted Garth's advances because the Amazons require that she return to Themyscira. After the two ultimately have a sexual encounter, Garth learns from Dick that Donna will be leaving immediately. When Garth appears before Donna at an airport to persuade her to stay, he is shot by Deathstroke. The surviving members of the team dedicate themselves to hunting Deathstroke down. A week later, Jericho is befriended by Dick, unaware that Dick seeks revenge against his father.
After killing Dr. Light, Deathstroke informs the heroes that he will release Jason in exchange for Rose. The original Titans explain their situation to Kory after she arrives, as Gar, Rachel, and Rose eavesdrop on the conversation. Rose attempts to escape when she learns the team is considering surrendering her, causing her to nearly be killed by Rachel's unstable powers. Dick tells his teammates they will ambush Deathstroke under the guise of making the exchange, but secretly meets with Deathstroke in a skyscraper to offer his life for Jason's. Unmoved, Deathstroke reveals he has bound Jason to a scaffold rigged with explosives. Kory intervenes, but she and Dick are unable to stop Deathstroke from activating the explosives, sending Jason falling from the skyscraper.
In Metropolis, Subject 13 escapes from Cadmus Laboratories with Krypto, calling himself "Conner" after the nametag on a uniform he takes. Memories bring Conner to Lionel Luthor's Kansas home before Mercy Graves' team, accompanied by Dr. Eve Watson, attacks him. Defeating the team, Conner confronts Eve, who reveals she created him from the DNA of Superman and Lex Luthor. Eve takes Conner to the original Cadmus facility in San Francisco to help him better understand himself and the traits he shares with his DNA hosts. Urging him to flee, Eve also warns Conner not to draw attention to himself by using his powers, but Conner disregards her warning when he sees Jason falling. Upon saving Jason, Conner is shot with kryptonite bullets as Graves' team recaptures Krypto.
Dick leaves Titans Tower to search for Deathstroke while a hallucination of Bruce torments him over his guilty conscience. In Dick's absence, the team find items planted around the tower that remind them of painful memories. Jason is accused by the other Titans of being responsible, until Dick's search uncovers that Deathstroke has infiltrated the tower. With Jason contemplating suicide over the recent events, Dick admits to him that he is at fault for what has transpired because he killed Jericho. Eve arrives at the tower after freeing Krypto, where she finds Conner dying from kryptonite poisoning. When Eve informs Kory that Conner can only be healed by solar radiation, Kory uses her powers to save him.
In 2014, the Titans use their friendship with Jericho to obtain information on Deathstroke. Against Dawn's advice to leave him out of their battle, Dick recruits Jericho into the team upon discovering the powers he possesses. Jericho agrees to join when Dick tells him the truth about his father and the heroes' search for him. After learning of the Titans' contact with Jericho, Deathstroke severely injures Donna as a warning to stay away from his son. Dick responds by confronting Deathstroke amid a private meeting between him and Jericho, prompting a fight that ends in Deathstroke's favor. Before Deathstroke can kill Dick, however, Jericho is stabbed instead when he jumps in front of his father's blade. Afterwards, the Titans disband.
20
9
"Atonement"
Boris Mojsovski
Jeffrey David Thomas
November 1, 2019 (2019-11-01)
T13.21659
After Dick reveals the truth about Jericho's death, all of the Titans except Gar leave Titans Tower. Jason and Rose depart together, while Rachel accompanies Donna before escaping to be on her own. Gar takes Conner out in public, leading to disaster when Conner attacks the police. Dick encounters Deathstroke, who declares their fight over if Dick remains isolated from his friends, but will eliminate the Titans if they reform. Heeding Deathstroke's warning, Dick has himself arrested by assaulting airport security. Believing their presence together harms others, Hank breaks up with Dawn. Kory learns she and Faddei are being hunted by Blackfire, who became queen after murdering their parents. Forced to kill Faddei when Blackfire takes over his body, Kory vows to pursue her sister.
21
10
"Fallen"
Kevin Sullivan
Jamie Gorenberg
November 8, 2019 (2019-11-08)
T13.21660
Incarcerated at the Kane County Correctional Facility, Dick helps illegal immigrants Rafi and Luis escape prison before they can be deported to Corto Maltese. Rachel joins a group of runaways led by Dani after she uses her powers to save Dani from her abusive father Caleb, unaware she also caused his death. Conner is found at Titans Tower by Mercy, who convinces him to return to Cadmus by assuring him they can fix his personality shifts. Mercy takes an interest in Gar when he is brought to Cadmus with Conner and Krypto. Searching for Rachel, Donna uncovers the aftermath of Cadmus' assault on the tower.
While in isolation, Dick realizes Jericho is still alive inside of Deathstroke's body. Kory, Rachel, Donna, and Dawn are lured to the Elko Diner by Bruce in an effort to reunite the team. Learning of Dick's incarceration, Rachel and Kory head off to rescue him, while Donna and Dawn leave to search for Gar. When they raid the prison, Rachel and Kory find Dick's cell empty, with a message about Jericho being alive. Rose, growing close to Jason, informs Deathstroke that she is done helping him manipulate the Titans. Mercy has Gar subjected to an experiment that causes him to involuntarily turn violent upon command.
23
12
"Faux Hawk"
Larnell Stovall
Tom Pabst
November 22, 2019 (2019-11-22)
T13.21662
Gar is unwillingly used by Cadmus to violently unleash his powers in public, which Mercy plans to culminate with an attack on a carnival. Donna and Dawn plan to stop Cadmus when they learn about Gar's and Conner's brainwashing. Unable to find Dick, Kory and Rachel return to San Francisco to also rescue Gar, while Kory's powers begin to diminish. Rose admits to Jason that she had been helping Deathstroke, causing Jason to leave her. With the Titans reuniting, Deathstroke contacts Rose to join him in eliminating them. After Adeline informs Dick of Deathstroke's plans and asks him to save Jericho, Dick obtains a new costume. In Wyoming, Hank struggles with drug addiction while working as a cage fighter.
24
13
"Nightwing"
Carol Banker
Richard Hatem & Greg Walker
November 29, 2019 (2019-11-29)
T13.21663
Rose, joining Dick's side, kills Deathstroke while Jericho jumps into her body. Advertising him as a supersoldier to potential bidders, Mercy has the brainwashed Conner defeat Gar at the carnival before sending him after the Titans when they intervene. The team frees Gar and Conner from their brainwashing and defeat Cadmus, but Donna is killed when she prevents a damaged transmission tower from landing on civilians. In the aftermath, Rachel leaves for Themyscira with Donna's body in an attempt to resurrect her, Jason departs by himself, and Dick, Kory, Gar, Hank, Dawn, Rose, and Conner form a new Titans team. Elsewhere, Blackfire arrives on Earth by taking over the body of a pregnant woman.
Dog actors Digby, Lacey, and Wrigley portray Krypto, a dog possessing Kryptonian powers who accompanies Conner.[5]
Guest
Seamus Dever as Trigon: An interdimensional demon with the power to destroy worlds and Rachel's father. Dever also portrays an ice cream truck driver and a drug supplier in the illusions created by Trigon.
Ahead of the series' premiere at New York Comic Con in October 2018, Titans was renewed for a second season.[12][13][14] Greg Walker returned as showrunner from the first season, who also served as an executive producer alongside Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter.[15]
The season was the last to release on DC Universe due to its original programming moving to HBO Max in 2021 and the repurposing of the service into comic distributor DC Universe Infinite.[16][17]
Writing
The second season was initially planned to follow the events of the original season 1 finale, which would have seen Dick Grayson assume the identity of Nightwing and establish H.I.V.E. as the Titans' next adversaries.[18][19] After the original season 1 finale was pulled, elements of the episode were given to the season 2 premiere, which became the resolution of season 1's Trigon story.[20] H.I.V.E. was replaced by Deathstroke, while Dick's arc into Nightwing was re-envisioned to conclude in the season 2 finale.
Filming for the second season began on April 2, 2019,[29] and concluded on September 20.[30] Production was temporarily put on hold in July due to accidental death of special effects coordinator Warren Appleby;[31][32] the season 2 premiere is dedicated in his memory.
Release
Broadcast
The second season premiered in the United States through DC Universe on September 6 and concluded on November 29, 2019.[33] Outside the United States, the second season became available for streaming via Netflix on January 10, 2020.[34]
Home media
The second season was released digitally and to DVD and Blu-Ray on March 3, 2020.[35]
Reception
The season 2 premiere, written by executive producers Akiva Goldsman (pictured), Geoff Johns, and Greg Walker, was met with a mixed response.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season holds an 81% approval rating based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 7 out of 10. The critical consensus reads: "Though Titans's sophomore season suffers from a slight slump at the start, it quickly resets itself, building on the momentum from its first season while laying fascinating framework for where the show could go".[36]
The premiere episode "Trigon" was criticized for having story elements originally intended for the season 1 finale. Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant wrote that the premiere "feels like two distinct episodes roughly stitched together, rather than a proper start to a new season" and "the show's simply carrying too much baggage at the start and is reaching for a conclusion too long after the ostensible end of season 1 to deliver much in the way of a fulfilling resolution or a promising new beginning".[37] Giving the episode a 5.8/10, Jesse Schedeen of IGN called it "an extremely messy episode, with one half tasked with wrapping up Season 1's Trigon storyline and the other laying the groundwork for a new status quo and new villain" and "delivers a very anticlimactic finish to Season 1's story", although he found promise for future episodes.[38]Den of Geek reviewer Aaron Sagers said the premiere "would have served as an excellent season 1 finale", but concluded that "it feels quite a bit like a much-needed course correction for this series" and gave it a 3.5/5.[39]
Following the premiere, early episodes of the season earned a positive reception. In a review for the second episode "Rose", Forbes contributor Linda Maleh called it "the real season premiere" and wrote, "season 2 has taken the best things about season 1, and elevated them".[40] Praising the sixth episode "Conner" and Joshua Orpin's performance in the title role, Sagers said that "it is a strong introduction of the anticipated character, and Titans makes up for the fact we've waited so long in the season for it".[41] Schedeen gave the eighth episode "Jericho" a 9.3/10, which he described as "easily the strongest installment of Titans: Season 2, and a clear contender for the series' best episode overall".[42]
However, the later episodes were received more negatively. In a review for the 11th episode "E.L._.O.", Charles Pulliam-Moore of Gizmodo wrote that "Titans seemingly lost its focus" after the eighth episode and "with just two episodes to go, it doesn't seem possible that the writers are going to be able to wrap things up in satisfying or interesting ways".[43] For the finale "Nightwing", Pulliam-Moore called it "a travesty of epic proportions", criticizing how the episode concluded the season's storylines.[44] The death of Donna Troy in the finale was widely panned as illogical and unnecessary, with several reviewers questioning if electrical discharge from a transmission tower would have been sufficient to kill the character. Although giving the overall episode a 3.5/5, Sagers commented: "Even if I were to accept that Donna couldn't withstand that electrical charge, and even if I could explain why the super-boy [Conner] didn't rush to stop the falling tower, the death played out in cheap fashion, like yet another box that had to be ticked for the finale".[45]Entertainment Weekly's Christian Holub said that "Donna Troy's last-minute death felt so stupidly unnecessary that I can't help but throw up my hands at this whole season finale", describing the scene as "such a stupid death I honestly thought it was a joke at first".[46] Donna's actress Conor Leslie agreed with the criticism during a 2021 interview, noting the episode aired shortly before a Wonder Woman 1984 trailer that depicted Diana Prince unaffected by lightning.[47]
