Teen Titans

***Teen Titans*** was an American television series that ran from 2018 to 2021. It is based on the DC Comics team of the same name. It is the third television series of the DCEU and the first television series of Phase 2. It premiered on October 12, 2018.

## Plot Summary

### Season 1

Prior to the events of *Man of Steel*, Dick Grayson leaves the side of Batman to form his own legacy. He becomes the hero: Nightwing. He starts fighting crime on his own for some time. The events of *Justice League* happen, and more villains come out of the woodwork and Dick realizes he can't defeat many of them on his own, so he forms a team of younger heroes to stop them. This catches the attention of a secret organization who wants to kill them, and sends an agent, Grant Wilson, to try and kill them, but he dies before he can do so. So, his father, Deathstroke, decides to complete the mission and the Teen Titans have to figure out how to stop him before it's too late.

### Season 2

After the defeat of Deathstroke, the Teen Titans decide to investigate the organization that sent him and his son to kill them in the first place. What they find is the organization H.I.V.E., who wants to eradicate the "threat" of the Teen Titans, as well as Superman. Under their leader, Queen Bee, the Titans must stop their plans before it's too late.

### Season 3

After the dismantling of H.I.V.E., the Titans start to deal with smaller villains that doesn't threaten them or the world. However, lurking in the shadows is a man named Sebastian Blood who has been spreading his cult and influence from his home country of Zandia onto the rest of the world. When he comes to America, he starting forming another cult here, and when he sees the Titans as a threat, uses people to disparage their reputation and spread his own false one. Despite being beaten down by a public that no longer trusts them, the Titans must save the country, and the world, from Brother Blood.

### Season 4

A new threat arises and this time, it's the most deadly foe that the Teen Titans have ever fought. It's why they were formed in the first place, when Raven implanted the thought in Dick's all those years ago, to make the Titans to fight this threat. She just didn't know when it was going to be... just that it would happen soon. But now, the threat is coming to plunge the Earth in darkness forever... and the threat is in fact her father: Trigon.

## Cast

### Main

* Ty Simpkins as Nightwing/Dick Grayson
* Elle Fanning as Starfire/Koriand'r
* Griffin Gluck as Beast Boy/Garfield "Gar" Logan
* Tyrel Jackson Williams as Cyborg/Victor Stone
* Millie Bobby Brown as Raven/Rachel Roth
* Annalise Basso as Omen/Lilith Clay
* Emilia Jones as Jesse Quick/Jesse Chambers

### Recurring

* Esai Morales as Deathstroke/Slade Wilson (season 1)
* Cynthia Erivo as Queen Bee/Zazzala (season 2)
* Jamie Dornan as Brother Blood/Sebastian Blood VIII (season 3)
* Crispin Glover as Trigon (season 4)

## Reception

When *Teen Titans* first premiered, it received positive reviews from critics and audiences. "The Duffer Brothers have hit it out of the park once again with another show focused on kids/teenagers, emulating the great things Perez and Wolfman did with the characters back in the eighties." Many praised the chemistry between the characters, the writing, dialogue, and performance of Esai Morales as Deathstroke. However, some hardcore comic fans were a bit disappointed to not see fan favorite characters like Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad.

When season 2 premiered, it received positive reception. "The Duffer Brothers second season of their second series once again brings us the live action Teen Titans we've always wanted to see." The performances, writing and story were all praised, especially Cynthia Erivo as Queen Bee. As well as the more episodic adventures compared to the first season.

When season 3 premiered, it received positive reception. "*Teen Titans* might just be one of the best things to come out of the DCEU if they keep going along like this." Many praised the more horror aspects that were introduced when it came to Blood and his cult, as well as the performance of Jamie Dornan. However, some felt that the season was too episodic and not enough focus was on Blood.

When season 4 premiered, it received positive reception. "The final season of *Teen Titans* cements its impact on the DCEU and ends on a great note." Despite being an "out there" choice, many really liked the more laid back and stoic version of Glover's Trigon, as well as the Titans' loyalty to one another being tested.

## Trivia

* The Duffer Brothers were the only choice to helm the show due to their experience on *Stranger Things*. They were unsure since they weren't really comic fans as well as still helming *Stranger Things*, but ultimately decided to do the show.
* Greg Berlanti and Akiva Goldsman wanted to do a Titans show after the latter's pilot for *Blackbirds* fell through on TNT. However, executives passed on their version of the project, and wanted to do a show that was incorporated into the DCEU instead and focus on younger heroes. Plus, many executives and producers called the scripts "absolutely terrible".