Rose

*For the eponymous chracter, see Rose Wilson*.

"**Rose**" is the second episode of the second season of *Titans*, and the thirteenth episode overall. It premiered on September 13, 2019 on DC Universe.

## Synopsis

Three months after their encounter with Trigon, Dick is hard at work training Rachel, Gar & Jason in Titans Tower. Meanwhile, the rest of our heroes attempt the next phase of their lives. Hank and Dawn retreating to Wyoming, while Donna and Kory are on the move, tracking down a rogue meta-human. However, this new normal is soon disrupted by old threats from the past and the emergence of a mysterious young runaway.

## Cast

### Starring

* Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson
* Anna Diop as Koriand'r
* Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth
* Ryan Potter as Gar Logan
* Conor Leslie as Donna Troy
* Curran Walters as Jason Todd
* Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson
* Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall
* Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger/Dove

### Guest starring

* Michael Mosley as Arthur Light
* Robbie Jones as Faddei

### Co-starring

* Spencer MacPherson as Ellis
* Hanneke Talbot as Selinda Flinders/Shimmer
* Jason Stutz as Prison Guard
* Mike Chute as Conference Lawyer
* Heath V. Salazar as Coffee Shop Barista
* Dan Iaboni as Young Guy #1
* Jordan Dawe as Young Guy #2
* William Ellis as Young Guy #3
* Jason Cavalier as Stunt Cop Driver

## Plot

Three months mater, in San Francisco, Dick and Rachel get coffee at a shop. She asks what the name of their new group is, and Dick says that what matters is what they do, not what they're called.

At Titans Tower, a blindfolded Jason tells Gar to come at him when he gives the word. When Gar eventually, Jason easily gets the drop on him repeatedly. Gar finally knocks Jason on the back of the head. Dick and Rachel come in and Jason tells Dick that it's dumb to fight blindfolded like Dick instructed. Dick says that they have to be able to fight no matter what they lose or win.

As they head for some breakfast, Jason tells Dick that it's been three months and he wonders when he gets to go back to Gotham City. Dick tells him that Bruce doesn't think that he's ready yet and neither does he, and that Jason blew his privileges goofing around. Jason for his part, states that this gig is a waste of time, and Dick tells him that he has to learn to fight with a team rather than as a sidekick. When Jason says that the Titans are sidekicks, Dick insists that the new Titans are different. He asks Jason to lend his experience to training the others, as well as his leadership. Jason wonders who Dick is now, if Jason is Robin, and Dick says that it's a good question before leaving.

At San Quentin State Prison, Arthur Light leaves his unlocked cell and finds a corridor full of dead guards. Light uses his subdermal circuitry to absorb the energy from the ceiling lights, and kills a surviving guard who tries to crawl away.

In Wyoming, Hank is training a teenager, Ellis, to ride a horse. Hank then goes to the house where Dawn is watching. She tells him that he looks good and that it beats Georgetown, and assures Hank that she isn't bored. Dawn says that Dick wants them to visit and Hank agrees, much to Dawn's surprise. She figures that masks aren't what they need at the moment, and Hank suggests that they have steak for supper. Hank then assures Dawn that he's good and she doesn't have to worry about him. Dawn agrees and they hug.

In Chicago, Kory joins Donna in a surveillance van. Donna is checking for Selinda Flinders, aka Shimmer. There's been no sign of Shimmer, and Donna wonders if Roy Harper's intel is wrong. Kory says that it's nice to be on Earth where people are still figuring themselves out and they're born with options. She says that she might head to Florida after they bring in Shimmer, and Donna asks her if she's heard anything from Dick. They both denying hearing from them, and Donna is disappointed Dick hasn't asked her to help with the new Titans.

Meanwhile, Rose Wilson walks down the street, her left eye bandaged over, and sees a couple get out of an expensive car.

A bored Rachel reads *The Art of War* and tries to avoid dozing off. She fails, and darkness emerges from her body and surrounds her. When Rachel jerks awake, there's nothing there. She moans in pain and finds scratches on her side. Gar knocks at the door and Rachel sits herself down. When he comes in, he says that he thought Rachel might be hungry and gives her some food. As Gar goes to leave, Rachel invites him to sit on the bed with her. They talk about how Dick is obsessed with training them, and Gar asks Rachel if she has noticed how Dick always tries to be extra nice to him. Rachel figures that it's to make up for almost killing Gar, and Gar says that it's not working. She admits that they haven't talked for a while, and says that she's not the same person she used to be. Gar suggests that she talk to Dick about it, but Rachel figures that he wants them to stay strong and she refuses to let him down for fear that he'll think he's a failure. They both admit that they miss Kory.

A helicopter and police cars chase Rose, who stole the car she saw earlier. She pulls into a parking garage but the police continue their pursuit and cut her off. The Titans watch the chase on TV, and Rose gets out of the car and attacks the police in hand-to-hand. As she takes them down, Jason figures that she's a total bad-ass.

More police arrive on the roof of the parking garage, and Rose leaps off and crashes through the window of an adjoining building, landing in a lawyers' conference room with the impact knocking her unconscious. Dick tells his teammates that he'll be back and leaves.

Rose eventually wakes up and staggers out onto the street.

Dawn tells Hank that he was good with Ellis, and Hank notes that the teenager has been clean for five weeks. He worries that Ellis' friends are trying to get him to party with them again, but figures that Ellis will have to learn to deal with it on his own. Dawn tells Hank that she's proud of him for changing Ellis' life, and Hank says that Ellis is doing all of the work. She suggests that helping kids is his best skill, and they kiss.

Dick finds Rose lying unconscious in an alley.

Meanwhile, Hank wakes up in the middle of the night and discovers that Dawn is gone.

Ellis' "friends" are making meth in a garage. The lights go out and one of them goes out to check the fuse box. Dawn takes him out and the other two hear the noise. His two friends grabs guns, and Dove comes in via the garage door and knocks them out violently and painfully. One of them tries to crawl away and Dove breaks his foot. She orders him to call 911 and turn himself in, and he does so. Once the meth maker hangs up, Dove tells him that his mother would be proud and punches him unconscious.

Later, Dawn returns to the cabin and finds Hank waiting for her. He asks how long she's been doing heroics, and Dawn tells him a month. She explains what she did and insists that she knows what she's doing. Hank says that they have no future with Hawk and Dove, and it's too dangerous. Dawn tells him that it's too dangerous for him and she went alone so he wouldn't risk a relapse. Hank doesn't believe it and reminds her that she was in a coma for a month and he wondered if she was going to die. He tells Dawn that if she can't stop being Dove then they're done.

Ellis comes in, light streaming from his mouth and eyes. He drops to his knees, and Hank gets Dawn out as Ellis continues emitting light and then explodes, destroying the cabin along with himself.

Rose wakes up in a bed, and Dick watches her on a monitor. Hank calls Dick and says that Dr. Light just visited them and Ellis is dead. Dick figures that it's bad and says that they should come to San Francisco so they can figure things out. Hank reluctantly says that they're on the way. Dick returns his attention to the monitor and discovers that Rose is gone.

Rose makes her way through the Tower and gets to the elevator. Dick, Rachel, Gar, and Jason confront her, and Dick tells Rose that they need to talk. The two of them talk privately, and Rose insists that they can't keep her there. Dick says that it's a precaution and he saw what she could do, and she might need some help. He tells Rose that she can leave whenever she wants, but whoever she's running from is still out there. Rose refuses to tell him who, and Dick asks for her name. She says that the less they know the better, and Dick tells her that the Tower is a place where people like her can learn to be the best version of who they can be. Rose says that he's deluded and that bringing her there was a mistake because he'll kill everyone there just to get to her. She refuses to say who "he" is and asks if Dick is going to let her go.

Meanwhile, Donna and Kory wait in the van, Kory listening to some 70's music on a boom box, and Kory turns up the volume when Donna complains. Exasperated, Donna figures that Shimmer isn't showing and suggests that they get tacos.

In the dojo, Gar wonders what Dick is doing with Rose, and Jason shadow-spars. He wonders if they can trust Rose, and Rachel figures that Rose is a person who needs help. Gar figures that she's a metahuman or an alien like Kory, and Jason figures that she's had training. He points out that when Dick checked Rose's eyes, the wound was gone as if it had already healed. Jason wants to kick her out, and Rachel suggests that Rose doesn't want to stay. He says that they can find out exactly who Rose is.

Dick is watching a recording of the newscast when Rachel comes in. He confirms that Rose is staying for now but is intent on leaving, and Rachel asks if they get a vote. Dick starts to defend his choice to let Rose stay, and Rachel says that it's a great idea. She figures that Dick restarted the Titans to give people like Rose a home. Dick warns that Rose doesn't want help, and Rachel suggests that perhaps Rose doesn't know it or can't admit it.

Donna and Kory end up going for tacos, and Shimmer comes down the street toward them. They say that they're taking Shimmer in, and Shimmer transmutes a newspaper into steel and throws it at them. She misses, and Kory and Donna go at her. Donna pulls Shimmer to her with her golden lasso, and Kory knocks the villainess out.

In Gotham City, Bruce is going through some notebooks with coded writing. Dick calls and describes the situation with Rose. Bruce reminds Dick that he didn't want to stay at first, either, and figures that he provided a tangible outlet for Dick's rage after he lost his parents. When Bruce suggests that there are ways to find out who Rose is, Dick notes that he hasn't put nine trackers in her and she's an adult. Bruce advises Dick to keep Rose there until she is in the right frame of mind to make decisions, and to make sure they're the right ones. Dick asks Bruce if he'd take him in again, and Bruce assures him he'd do everything exactly the same.

The FBI take Shimmer away, and tells Donna that she'll see her again. Donna steps away to take a call from Roy, and a tamaranean approaches Kory. He greets her by name and his eyes glow like hers. She asks who else they sent. but instead, the tamaranean stuns her with some hand device, while calling Kory "his highness", and carries her away. When Donna comes back, there's no sign of her friend. Dawn calls Donna and says that they have a problem.

The next day, Dick takes Rose out and gets coffee and scones for the two of them. He says that he's going to drive around and see if they're being followed, and Rose insists that she's fine on foot. Dick asks if she's sure she wants to stay, and Rose insists that she is. He tells her that he overstepped by picking her up on the street, but each of the Titans has learned that being special and alone doesn't work. Dick offers to teach her what he's teaching them, which is to have each other's back, and pulls over to let Rose out. As she gets out, Dick gives her a phone with his number if she wants to call him. As she prepares to get out, Rose tells Dick her name.

A light forms in the back of the car, and Dick gets Rose out as the light explodes.

Meanwhile, Gar and Jason run a check on Rose's DNA and finally identify her as Rose Wilson, the daughter of Slade Wilson. Jason tells Gar that Slade is also known as the villain Deathstroke.

## Notes

* This is the first episode of *Titans* to mention the term "metahuman".
* Some of this episode's easter eggs include:
	+ While shown in the previous episode, the Titans new headquarters was officially called Titans Tower.
	+ Rose's comic book counterpart first joined the Titans when Roy Harper was leading the group in *‘The New Titans’ #122*, and has come and gone from the team a few times. Which has had its fair share of betrayals along the way.
	+ During her stakeout with Kory, Donna mentioned receiving intel from Roy Harper. Roy is a very important character in Titans lore, originally appearing as the Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy in *‘More Fun Comics’ #73*. He first fought alongside the Titans in 1966’s *‘Teen Titans’ #4*, before later flashbacks revealed he helped start the team. Roy and Donna have also had an on-again off-again romance since 1969’s *‘Teen Titans’ #19*.
	+ This week also featured the supervillain Shimmer,whose real name is Selinda Flinders, as seen on the computer screens in Donna’s stake out van. It's also lists her country of origin was listed as Australia, a nod to her nationality in the comics as well. Shimmer first appeared along with her brother Mammoth in 1981’s *‘The New Teen Titans’ #3*, where she used her element changing powers to plague the team.
	+ Dr. Light is a villain which first appeared in 1962’s *‘Justice League of America’ #12* where he almost defeated the entire League single-handedly.
	+ This light based villain was born developed his own super suit that helped him manipulate light for his murderous crimes. His television counterpart seems to be able to use the powers without the suit, something the comics version eventually learned how to do.
	+ Dr. Light first fought the Titans in 1976’s *‘Teen Titans’ #44*, and since then he’s become a regular member of their rogues gallery. While his comic counterpart is sometimes written as menacing, and other times as a comedic buffoon, it’s appears that the live action version will be portrayed as more menacing.
	+ While they were waiting for Shimmer to show up, Kory told Donna that she was considering a move to Florida. Which is a reference to Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti’s ongoing *‘Starfire’* series. This particular series follows Kory as she makes a new life for herself in Key West, with hijinks ensuing as she tries to assimilate into the Florida community.

### Videos

Titans 2x02 Sneak Peek "Rose" (HD) DC Universe
## References

1. ↑ "Titans S02E02: “Rose” – synopsis, photos, and discussion" - Batman News
2. ↑ All the Easter Eggs from TITANS Episode 2-02: “Rose” - DC Universe