In the eighth episode of Titans Season 3, it was all about “Home” and in many ways what that means, as well as how home is where forgiveness can be found. As dog lovers, we often think of our dogs (and other pets) as home. And yet still we didn’t see Krypto until the very end of the episode when he was needed for a confrontation.
So why was it especially frustrating in an episode titled “Home” that we didn’t see the canine contingent of the Titans until there was a potential battle scene? Because we got to see Barbara Gordon and her goldfish more than we saw Krypto the SuperDog. In fact, there were multiple scenes in which we saw Barbara with her fish, making sure the leaking water from her ceiling wasn’t getting into the fishbowl, and even joking about them with Dick Grayson.
If we can see two to three scenes with a goldfish bowl, why can’t we get more of Krypto? He is an actual member of the Titans. He is SuperBoy’s sidekick. And he is a member of the family.
Members of the Titans may know what “Home” means, but sometimes they still seem clueless when it comes to who makes a home
And all of this brings me to Jason Todd and his desire to be heard, loved, and appreciated. Can we just point out that one of the main reasons that Jason was able to be corrupted by the Scarecrow was because he wasn’t getting what he needed from the Titans or Batman?
Here is a young man with issues and when he reaches out for help, it is like no one really listens. His mentor couldn’t even be bothered to give him a proper burial and when it was pointed out that that the Titans and Batman were his family, it was brushed off like it meant nothing. And if that is how he was treated in death, what must it have been like when we couldn’t see him before?
Now that Jason is realizing that he was wrong and he wants to come home again, he is once again not being heard. If it wasn’t for Gar (aka Beast Boy), we may not even see Jason as a sympathetic character, even as a villain.
If the team can’t even treat each other as family who deserves to be acknowledged and respected (as in Krypto, Gar, even Blackfire), why would Jason be any different.
The third season of Titans has given us a number of fascinating looks at this team dynamic. And yet, not all of them have been good. Because at this point, it is not just Krypto who isn’t getting the support and attention he deserves, it is also the human/metahuman members of the team.
What did you think of episode 8 of Titans? Were you happy to see even a brief glimpse of Krypto on our screens? Do you agree with the idea that this team is dysfunctional when it comes to what it means to be a family? We want to know.