Titans

DC Universe

Season 1 Episode 9

Hank and Dawn

Hank and Dawn is an episode that attempts to do two things, give the viewer a look back and subtly move the story forward at the same time.

With Dawn still laid up in the hospital after the rooftop fight against the Nuclear Family, Hank hits the bottle to numb his own pain. As he passes out in Dawn’s room, the scene shifts to Hank’s memories of growing up with his brother Don. Hank’s past with his brother definitely fuels the rage he feels in the present and that rage comes out at everyone, especially after an event where Hank sacrifices himself to protect his brother. A theme that permeates their lives as the sons of a single, working mother.

They live a hard life and manage to persevere despite their circumstances. When Don notices that Hank’s health is becoming an issue, his intervention causes a rift between the two and Don decides to find a way to channel Hank’s rage and aggression.

Dawn relives her own past in her unconscious memories. She recalls her life as a ballerina and how her mother decides to go back to Dawn’s abusive father. It’s a bone of contention between the two of them as they leave a local restaurant and run into Hank and Don who have come off a night of being superheroes. It’s a random, chance meeting that ends in a tragedy that brings Hank and Dawn together.

As they continue to live through their memories and the pain that brought them together, Rachel invades their visions to call for help from an unusual source.

This is an interesting episode that seemed more of a backdoor pilot for the Hawk and Dove series than something connected to this particular arc. It’s a good story regardless because it deftly weaves the threads of these characters lives together in a narrative that showcases both emotional pain and triumph. Hank’s past is traumatic on many levels and Ritchson does a great job of conveying both the confident frat boy and the victim of trauma. Kelly does a great job of being a calming influence, but she is more aggressive than Hank as evidenced in her confrontation of his childhood abuser. Definitely a good Hawk and Dove episode, but there were too many Titans related questions that were left in the air.

Titans S01XE09 0.00 7.8 Overall 7.8/10

















