If you’ve been keeping up with the second season of Titans, then you’ve noticed how the principal cast has considerably ballooned in order to accommodate for the likes of Jason Todd, Hawk, Dove and Ravager being full-time additions to the team.
That said, one would’ve thought Aqualad would be added to those numbers since his introduction had been heavily publicized. But as it turns out, he’s seemingly a one-shot because, well, he’s dead.
You see, this week’s episode, incidentally titled “Aqualad,” was completely told in flashback. For those of us wanting light shed on the history of the team’s first cycle, this came as a welcome treat. And in the midst of this, we learned of how Dick Grayson, Hank Hall, Dawn Granger and Donna Troy got along with Garth – especially Donna Troy.
Throughout the episode we got the message that Garth had been in love with Donna for years loud and clear, though he didn’t make his feelings entirely apparent until they were older in age. But with Donna being called back to Themyscira, he laid it all out on the table.
In the short-term, it paid off for Garth because he was able to make love to the woman whom he’d adored for quite some time. Furthermore, his intervention at the airport convinced her to stay behind – but their shared jubilation was short-lived because Deathstroke shot him through the chest from a safe distance, killing him quickly.
Tear-jerking as this development proved to be, it solidified the threat that is Slade Wilson, not to mention revealing why the team views him as such a formidable foe. A promo released earlier this week summed up Deathstroke’s hatred for the young heroes, as the stage is now set for some epic confrontations to come.
To some, Aqualad likely being a done-in-one character may come as a disappointment, but again, this adds such credibility to Slade as the big bad. Still, there’s a positive coming for the heroes, and that’s Superboy. It can’t be much longer before he makes his presence known, so maybe Deathstroke had better begin watching his back.
Titans airs on Fridays on DC Universe.