Warning! Spoilers ahead for Titans season 3 episode 12, "Prodigal"
HBO's Titans reveals that Nightwing has always been jealous of Jason Todd, even if Dick Grayson has always tried to keep that bitterness buried. As the second Robin following Grayson's departure as Batman's sidekick, Jason Todd has always had a complex about not being as good as his predecessor, and those feelings became a motivating factor in his corruption and transformation into the Red Hood. However, it's become apparent that Nightwing has in turn harbored resentment towards Jason for stepping into his old life, and this is confirmed in a vision Dick receives while being submerged in the Lazarus Pit.
Titans season 3 episode 12 begins with Grayson being found dead by fellow teammates Beast Boy and Raven. Having gone on his own to face Red Hood, Grayson is shot and killed by an angry mob of scared Gotham citizens. A key plotline in season 3 has followed Scarecrow's plot to turn the city against the Titans, taking control of the public narrative and blaming the heroes for poisoning Gotham's water supply. In turn, he positions Red Hood as the city's new savior, resulting in lethal consequences for Grayson. A newly transformed Beast Boy and Raven take his body to the Lazarus Pit—the same one Scarecrow used to bring Jason back to life after being murdered by the Joker.
While Nightwing is being healed by the pit's supernatural waters, he has a vision featuring a manifestation of Scarecrow who forces him to look at the darkest corners of his soul. As such, "Scarecrow" reveals that Dick Grayson always wanted Jason Todd gone, seeing as how he took Grayson's place by Bruce Wayne's side, taking his surrogate father. Despite Nightwing's denial, Crane goes on to say that Grayson was the one who ultimately killed Jason by abandoning him at the end of Titans season 2. As a result, the Joker might as well have been Grayson's own instrument in the hands of the Joker. In the vision, Grayson then finds himself wearing Joker's purple suit with Jason's murder weapon in hand, which he uses to beat a manifestation of his young successor. Seeing as how this is all in Dick's own head, this deep-seated jealousy towards Red Hood must ultimately be true.
Thankfully, Grayson eventually stops himself, refusing to give in the darkness, bitterness, and jealously by letting go of the crowbar. Furthermore, he also decides that he's going to stop failing his actual father John Grayson, choosing to believe that there's still time to redeem Jason and bring him back to the light. With that, Dick Grayson was resurrected from the Lazarus Pit as a new hero, instructing Beast Boy and Raven to "unite the Titans" in an attempt to stop Scarecrow, save Jason Todd and restore sanity to Gotham City.
With only the season finale left, the final battle between the Titans and Scarecrow is about to begin—as well as the battle for Jason Todd's soul. That being said, it looks as though a literal death and rebirth was exactly what Nightwing needed to face his own darkness and jealously, allowing him to hopefully reach Red Hood and offer him a second chance to be better, even if it isn't by rejoining the Titans. In any case, the confirmation that Nightwing was always jealous of Red Hood deep down is incredibly interesting and is a fairly unique dynamic to the live-action series. In any case, it's going to be exciting to see where the two Robins go from here now that Dick Grayson has decided to let go of his jealously.
Titans releases new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.