‘Titans’ Season 2, Episode 12 ‘Faux Hawk’ Review: Highs and Lows

The Titans decide to call it quits once more when the truth about a young man’s death surfaces. Separately, the former friends live their lives the best way they think they can. However, nothing can permanently keep the team apart. While the women of the group work to bring it back together, the men deal with the new chapter of their lives differently. Amid this, C.A.D.M.U.S. does a test run on their new toys.

On Friday’s episode of Titans, Hank Hall/Hawk (Alan Ritchson) spends his days on cage wrestling. Outside Gotham, Rose Wilson/Ravager (Chelsea Zhang) tells Jason Todd/Robin (Curran Walters) the truth about her mission. Meanwhile, Rachel Roth/Raven (Teagan Croft) and Koriand’r/Starfire (Anna Diop) end their search. Dawn Granger/Dove (Minka Kelly) and Donna Troy/Wonder Girl (Conor Leslie) follow after Conner (Joshua Orpin) and Gar Logan/Beastboy’s (Ryan Potter) trail. Elsewhere, Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) receives a new suit.

Wrestling Superstar Hawk

DC Universe

After breaking up with Dawn, Hank decides to take his skills to a place where he can earn money out of it. Now, Hawk is a cage wrestling superstar in a sketchy underground wrestling arena. Not only does he go toe-to-toe with other fighters, but he also relapses to doing cocaine. The new life setup works for him despite how unhealthy it is. Eventually, Hank questions this new lifestyle when a kid (Drew Scheid) robs a laundromat while using Hank’s Hawk Suit. The fact that he forgot that he sold the suit to the kid says a lot about how far he fell after the Titans’ fallout.

Hank’s arc captures how his character deals with loss. It mirrors that of the typical man who deals with his problems. Hank’s image represents those of the types of men who cover their issues up with unhealthy habits. In Hank’s case, it is the (presumably) nightly cage fighting paired with his use of cocaine. Having the kid talk some sense into Hank goes well for both of them. As the kid narrates, wearing the suit gave him the chance to feel like he has a purpose and is sure of it. As Hank tries to advise the kid, he begins to come to a realization. For sure, we will see him suit up and be the hero he needs to be both for himself and the Titans.

Ravager

DC Universe

With the limited time the episode has, it best narrates Rose’s story through multiple flashbacks. Initially, she does not meet her father, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke (Esai Morales). However, Rose soon discovers her abilities and starts asking questions about her father, who she eventually meets. Deathstroke finds her useful and decides to train her, going as far as giving her the Ravager suit. Rose’s real purpose is to be Deathstroke’s eye on the Titans, helping him tear the team apart from the inside.

Rose’s story may be fast-paced, but it works. A complete background of her life pre-Deathstroke is unnecessary, so the episode skips that. Instead, it gives us all we need to know: her mother, Mei (Jennifer Hsiung), is some lady Slade slept with for nothing but pleasure. She lived a typical life that was, unknown to her, funded by Slade’s money. As expected, Slade uses Rose’s curiosity and longing to belong to his advantage, weaponizing his daughter to suit his purposes. In a twist of fate, however, Rose falls in love with Jason, and the entire operation fails.

Lovers no More

DC Universe

After leaving the Titans, Rose and Jason go on a vigilante quest to Gotham. Soon, Rose starts to question what they do, so Jason decides to let her get to know him more. Jason takes Rose to places he holds close to his heart, revealing his life before he became Robin. When it was Rose’s turn to tell her story, however, their blossoming romance ends sourly. Jason’s disappointment tops the charts as he finds out that Rose is in cahoots with Slade up until the point that the duo left the group

Jason and Rose’s whereabouts remain unknown at this point. Jason, for one thing, left Rose in the house they broke into, heading to an unknown location. Rose, on the other hand, receives a call from Deathstroke, informing her that the Titans are coming back together and are in San Francisco. At this point, it is safe to assume that Rose has a 50-50 chance of taking either the Titans or Deathstroke’s side. Although it does seem likely that she will attempt to fix things with Jason, one can equally expect her to join her father and exact revenge on the Titans. All of which depends on her next interaction with Jason.

Search Parties

After Bruce Wayne (Iain Glenn) mansplains the women of the Titans into forming the team back together, they break into two search parties. Dawn and Donna go looking for Gar and Conner, while Kory and Rachel break Dick out of prison. On Kory and Rachel’s end, they find no trace of Dick in prison. All he left is a message informing them that Jericho (Chella Man) is alive. Dawn and Donna are comparably successful in contrast to the latter. Walter Hawn (Raoul Bhaneja), a C.A.D.M.U.S. executive, finds himself in the grasp of Wonder Girl’s lasso. Hawn reveals that Gar and Conner are C.A.D.M.U.S.s’ latest lobotomized pets. Soon, they will unleash Gar and Conner to lower public opinion on vigilanteism. One cannot expect less from Lex Luthor’s right hand, Mercy Graves (Natalie Gumede).

Fruitcake

Dick evades police capture as he somehow escapes Kane County District Correctional. After a visit to Adeline’s place to confirm his theory about Jericho’s survival, Dick seeks out Stu (Currie Graham). One can quickly tell that Stu is no mere shoemaker who has a shop in the middle of nowhere. After a short ramble about how Dick burned his Robin suit, Stu happily forgives him and lets him into where they make the suits, giving us what we all wanted since Season 1’s finale.

‘Titans’ Season 2, Episode 12 ‘Faux Hawk’ Final Verdict

Titans weaves stories that deal with betrayal as well as pain management together in this episode. Here, it presents Rose’s conversion as well as her origin story. Her character development in this one is excellent. Hank, on the other hand, is a representation of the way men often deal with pain unhealthily. Mildly, the show portrays common social issues, and it does so without forcing them to the viewers. Lastly, it gives a delightful treat in the ending: Dick Grayson’s transition to the hero he ought to be: Nightwing.

Titans continues Friday, November 29th, at the DC Streaming Service.