Titans “Jericho”

So, um, I have some questions.

See, I’d heard about this episode a bit.  I saw a YouTube video where the maker argued Titans is the worst superhero show on TV and used a moment from this episode to prove it.  Not a bad moment.  Quite the contrary, it’s a good one.  Jericho, in a flashback, learns how Deathstroke murdered Aqualad, and after learning the Titans befriended him initially to get to his father, he forgives them and gives Dick a hug.  The hug was a good moment.

It was also, apparently, totally improvised by the actor.  Nothing in the script about it at all.  And the actor?  This is, like, his first acting job.

The point was that the show could maybe do with some more genuine emotion of a positive nature amongst its cast and characters like that hug.  I am inclined to agree.  Titans is often a frustrating show.  The characters are gloomy, and they just don’t talk to each other, an action that would probably save them a lot of trouble.

Anyway, this episode serves as a series of flashbacks showing how the original Titans team broke up while also flashing back to Jericho’s childhood on how he lost his voice, how he learned what his dad did for a living, and how Deathstroke/Slade handled that.  In a few words, Slade doesn’t handle it very well.

What he does instead is somehow nearly kill Donna and Dick in one-on-one fights.

OK, Dick I get, but Donna?  The superstrong warrior trained by Amazons?

Then again, Deathstroke kills a few of Amazons too.

We also get a variation on Jericho’s powers.  He can possess other people he makes eye contact with, but he leaves his physical body behind when he does that.  Dick offers Jericho a spot on the team, the others all like him, but there are problems.  Noted of course when Dawn tells Dick what Dick is doing with Jericho was wrong.

Look, this version of Dick Grayson is pretty bland, but he’s right when he reminds her she told him to “be Batman”.

Point is, Jericho and Dick both go to confront Slade separately.  Dick is about to die when Jericho takes the blade for himself, and he dies instead.  And for that, Dawn breaks up with Dick and the Titans as a group also break up.

So, my question:  why didn’t anyone stop to think what “be Batman” actually means?  And for that matter, why is Donna the only former Titan still willing to talk to Dick?  She’s the one who nearly got killed!

Well, I am sure I will somehow have less questions in the future.

Wait, I always have more questions.  Stupid Titans.