Titans’ rushed season 3 timeline has wasted the potential of Red Hood’s twist and setup. The DC Universe series made its HBO Max season 3 debut on August 12th by dropping the season’s first three episodes. Titans hit the ground running with adaptations of Death in the Family and Under the Red Hood. These are stories that were originally separated by nearly two decades. Nonetheless, these highly anticipated storylines made up the majority of the promotional material generated for the current season. Trailers promised audiences their first live-action adaptation of the death of Jason Todd followed quickly by his as Red Hood, and the series has followed up on that promise.
Titans’ adaptation of Death in the Family occurs in the season’s first episode, “Barbara Gordon.”, an episode that also introduced the future Robin, Tim Drake, and former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. Gordon replaced her father as Police Commissioner following Jim Gordon’s weird death. All this, while catching audiences up on the Titans, shoehorning in Jason Todd’s brutal death, and Batman’s violent revenge which leads to his abandonment of the cowl. Clearly, a lot happens in the season’s first episode, and the series doesn’t slow down. By the end of episode 2, Dick and the others have already discovered the secret of who’s under the Red Hood, ruining the famous twist.
These iconic events lacked the necessary time to truly affect the characters in meaningful ways and severely limited their ability to create increasing conflict between the characters. After all, Death in the Family and Under the Red Hood are two historic events in DC canon and Titans reduces them to mere footnotes in the first episodes of the season. This is just the most recent demonstration of how quickly this series burns through plot and story hoping to maintain the audiences’ attention. Unfortunately, this rushed timeline ultimately wasted Titans’ adaptation of the famous storylines.
There is a reason Death in the Family is still discussed and referenced in comic books, films, and television; it’s a powerful story. It was the first time Batman was forced to confront losing a sidekick, as well as functioning as Joker’s most personal attack to date on the Dark Knight. It’s not meant to be a toss-away story. It fundamentally changed Batman’s criminal interactions. Instead, Titans’ rushed season 3 adaptation reduces Bruce’s pain to a few scenes before Batman kills Joker and abandons Gotham. One of Batman’s bleakest moments is reduced to a cheap narrative trick to get Bruce out of the picture and set up Red Hood.
To make matters worse, Jason Todd doesn't even stay dead for an entire episode. Within what seems to be only a matter of days, Red Hood is wreaking havoc in Gotham’s criminal underworld. Moreover, Titans’ entire adaptation of Under the Red Hood essentially lasts less than an episode. By the end of episode 2, aptly titled “Red Hood,” Dick confronts Red Hood. After a short fight, Dick discovers Jason Todd under the mask. This rushed reveal wastes the memorable twist. Furthermore, it not only undercuts any conflict the series could have built up surrounding the investigation, but it also severely undercuts Batman's murder of Joker.
Consequently, by the end of season 3’s first two episodes, Titans has already burned through two of Batman's most iconic storylines. Additionally, the stories were used in such swift succession that neither story received proper development. As a result, each adaptation suffered and left little room for a later payoff. Titans allocated no time to either of their adaptations and established a rushed timeline that wasted two of Batman’s most recognized stories. Though there is still time for Titans to capitalize on Red Hood and Blackfire, Tim Drake’s story may hold the key to this season’s success.