Titans season 4 review: Dark and gritty series ends on a feel-good whimper

Season 4 of Titans sees the titular team face off against a magical threat in the Cult of Blood as each member looks to their future. All episodes are now streaming on Max.

Story

Lex Luthor chases a supernatural power source but is betrayed and killed by May Bennett. Before his death, Lex reaches out to Conner and asks him to join his cause.

A game designer named Sebastian Sanger begins to experience hallucinations that eventually lead him to May who reveals herself to be his mother. She tells him that he’s the son of Trigon and must take on the mantle of Brother Blood and summon Trigon back to Earth.

The Titans work toward stopping this calamity as Conner is disillusioned by Lex’s words and tries to do things his own way that involve things falling on the wrong side of the morality scale.

The team goes through personal journeys as well that help them realize important things about their life. Ultimately, they succeed in defeating Brother Blood and prepare for the next chapter in their lives.

Performances

Brenton Thwaites once again leads the Titans as Nightwing and he’s a calming presence as the leader who knows the importance of having support. Thwaites has put in a good shift as the first Robin and his character does get the ending he deserves.

Mame-Anna Diop goes through several conflicts as Starfire with the question of her survival constantly being brought up. In the end, she does the noble thing and still returns with her life intact, and Diop impresses in the role.

Joshua Orpin does a lot of heavy lifting this season as he goes through a villainous turn, although it occasionally reads as a teenager going through an emo phase. While the character isn’t exactly given a decent story, Orpin does his best nonetheless.

Joseph Morgan plays the primary villain, Sebastian Sanger (Brother Blood), and he performs quite well as a character who is always going through some kind of inner turmoil before finally losing his mind and giving in to the darkness.

Ryan Potter and Jay Lycurgo round out the team as Gar and Tim Drake and they do a serviceable job, although Potter doesn’t necessarily convince during more emotional scenes and is better suited the humor side of things.

Positives

The special effects and the costumes used in the series have always been quite impressive and this season is no different. The new Robin suit, Gar’s transformation into different animals, and all the magic involved in the season are all quite impressive visual feats.

Negatives

The story isn’t really compelling and there are inconsistencies throughout the season. Conner’s story arc is groan-inducing by the end despite starting with real promise.

The episode focused on Gar is another one that feels quite inconsequential and more of a chance to plug the “DC Multiverse” in a shameless marketing ploy that is only cool for a brief moment.

The show has relied on a darker tone for most of the show and while they have narratively shifted it slightly in this season, the lighting of the episodes remains the same which is frustrating as it’s difficult to see the action at times.

Verdict

The final season of Titans aims to give a fitting farewell after it was understandably canceled and while they round out the arc of the season suitably, it’s nowhere near the level that a series finale warrants. The characters have interesting narratives of their own but it isn’t enough to save a show that was floundering from the beginning.


Also Read: Titans season 4 finale recap, review, and ending explained

Nadeem Abdul
Nadeem Abdul
Nadeem is an editor for The Envoy Web and an avid fan of films and shows. He has spent a significant amount of time taking in all kinds of genres and has a particular interest in the sci-fi and fantasy realms including series like Doctor Who, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Young Justice among others.

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