Trigon (episode)

*For the titular character, see Trigon.*

## "Trigon"

"**Trigon**" is the first episode of the second season of *Titans*, and the twelfth episode overall. It premiered on September 6, 2019 on DC Universe.

## Synopsis

The season two premiere episode follows directly after the apocalyptic events of last season's finale. With Rachel's father, Trigon having successfully turned Dick dark, he sets out to win the others over to his side by embracing their inner darkness. With everyone under Trigon's control, Rachel and Gar find themselves fighting what seems like a hopeless battle against the powers of Trigon.

## Cast

### Starring

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

### Guest starring

* Seamus Dever as Trigon
* Rachel Nichols as Angela Azarath
* Demore Barnes as William Wintergreen

### Co-starring

* Afrodite Drossos as Young Donna
* Adam Langton as Donna's Dad
* Kristian Kadirgamar as News Reporter
* Kathy Maloney as ATF Agent
* Danijel Mandic as Strange Man
* Zack Thompson as Clerk

## Plot

Rachel tells Trigon to release Dick from his mental enslavement, and tries to use her powers against her father. Trigon easily shrugs them off and tells her that he won't allow her to use magic. He says that she enslaved Dick by bringing him there, and that was her purpose. Angela insists that Rachel has given the world a gift, and Rachel realizes that Angela used her. Trigon says that all that is there is loss and betrayal, and everyone she loves will leave her and disappointment awaits her. He tells her to let her heart break because it's inevitable, and then she'll be free to join him.

Gar comes in and tells Rachel that they have to go. She runs out with Gar, and Trigon tells Dick to hunt them down. Once Dick leaves, Angela tells Trigon that she should have prepared Rachel better. Trigon assures her that they won't fail and tells her to have patience, insisting that Rachel's heart will eventually break and then the world will be his.

In Wayne Manor, Jason Todd drives through the house on a motorcycle , hits a railing, and falls down the stairs. Thrilled, Jason figures that it was epic and gets to his feet. Hank and Dawn arrive and realize who Jason is, and says that Rachel sent them to find him. They figure that they need Bruce, not Jason, and say that they know about the Batcave and are Dick's friends. Jason says that Bruce is with the Justice League and he has the place all to himself. He claims that he's their guy, and Hank and Dawn laugh. Jason insists that he wants to help Dick after he freaked out the last time they met, and asks where Dick is. They admit that they don't know either, and Jason says that Dick has a tracker in him so they need Jason. Hank tells him that Dick disabled it, and Jason says that there's a second tracker. He offers to track it if they let him go with them, and the duo reluctantly agree.

Koriand'r tries to blast through the shield surrounding the house and fails. Donna tells her that she's wasting her power, and points out that Koriand'r was sent there to kill Rachel. Koriand'r isn't impressed and the two of them start to argue. Hank, Dawn, and Jason arrive, with Jason wearing Dick's costume, and Jason and Hank say that Jason is the new Robin. Donna introduces Koriand'r and they explain that Rachel mentally summoned them to this location. Koriand'r explains about Trigon and how he can only fully manifest after he breaks Rachel's heart.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Gar run through the house and the hallway expands to infinity. They go to the upstairs bedroom and lock the door, and Gar sees the eyes of the figures in the portraits bleed black. Rachel explains that Trigon is trying to scare them as black veins spread through the walls. She insists that they have to get Dick back to normal, and they hear Dick outside calling to Rachel. Dick kicks at the door and says that it ends with them all being together. He figures Rachel wants to talk to him to get through to him, and then breaks a hole in the door and peers in.

After Rachel spots a papered-over door, Gar looks out the window and sees the others. Rachel figures that they have to get to them before Trigon does, and they go through the door just before Dick breaks in. Realizing where they've gone, Dick goes through the door after them and follows them to the basement.

Trigon sees the other heroes outside and has Angela create a breach in the shield. Donna tells the "Titans" and the new Robin to follow her in. They enter the breach, and Koriand'r finds herself alone. Rachel and Gar arrive and Rachel tells her to stop the others before Trigon gets to them. She warns that it's too late and it's her fault, and tells Koriand'r to kill her before Trigon uses her to possess the others. Koriand'r refuses but Rachel tells her to do what she came to Earth to do. Koriand'r starts choking her and punches Gar unconscious when he tries to interfere. Koriand'r apologizes and blasts Rachel to ash... the black veins spreading from her eyes.

Donna finds herself on a city street. Her younger self is demanding ice cream from her father, and Trigon is the ice cream vendor. Donna watches as they go into an apartment to get a younger Donna's camera, and she realizes what day it is. She runs inside to save her father, going up the stairs. The interior is on fire, and Donna breaks into the burning apartment and finds her father burned to death on the floor. She hears her younger self calling for help and finds her hiding behind a couch. When Donna tries to pick her up, she disappears. Donna goes out into the hallway and sees the arsonist responsible for the fire leaving. She grabs him and asks why he did it, and he says that he likes watching things burn. The man begs Donna to arrest him, and she throws him out the window to his death as black veins spread from her eyes.

Jason is in the ruins of the Batcave. He sees Batman buried beneath the wreckage and realizes that he's dead. Dick tells him that he saw that Batman was going to kill the Joker, and take Gotham City down with him. Dick proceeds to warn Jaso, that like Bruce, he could break just as easily. So he needs to be put down as well. They fight and Jason blinds Dick with a gas grenade. Dick recovers and beats Jason, and Jason spits blood on him. His opponent continues beating him, and finally slams Jason into a case containing the gun that killed Bruce's parents. Jason grabs it and shoots Dick dead as black veins spread from his eyes.

In their apartment, Hank tells Dawn that he shouldn't have involved her because his coach was his problem. A drug dealer who is really Trigon arrives at their door and gives Hank a packet. Hank goes back inside, shows Dawn the packet, and tells her that it will help her more than he ever could. He melts the drug and injects it into the willing Dawn, and she lies back as Hank tells her that everything is better as black veins spread from his eyes.

Gar and Rachel find the others and realize that Trigon has possessed them all. Trigon steps forward and says that he would give the world to his only child. Dick comes in and tells Rachel not to fight it, and Gar insists that they're still in there. The Titans attack Gar and Rachel, beating Gar and knocking Rachel back. As the others kick Gar, Rachel reminds Dick of when he promised to help her and asks him to help her now and stop the others. Dick nods to her, and then goes over to Gar and strangles him. Rachel runs to her friend's body, then turns and faces the Titans. She screams in fury and the glass around her shatters.

Trigon refuses to save Gar, saying that he told her it would end and now everything that happened is on Rachel's hands. He tells Rachel that all she is is a bringer of death, just like him. He figures that it breaks her heart, then reaches into her chest and pulls her heart out. Rachel collapses and the heart turns into ash in Trigon's hand, transforming him into his true demonic self. He looks at the glowing shard within Rachel's heart and completes his transformation.

Trigon inserts the shard into Rachel's forehead and says that with it she will have power to rule the world with him. Rachel awakens, her eyes surrounded by black veins, and she stands up and smiles. Trigon tells her that they're family now and the world belongs to them, and he and Angela walk out of the house. Angela asks if they should begin, and Trigon snaps her neck and walks off, death and decay spreading before him.

Inside the house, Rachel smiles in satisfaction. Gar recovers consciousness, turns into a snake, and slithers across the floor. He reverts to human form, takes Rachel's hand, and realizes that she's still him. Gar begs her to come back to him, and Rachel finally reverts to normal. She figures that she has to reach Dick first before they can confront Trigon, figuring that she was supposed to find him because of her dream.

Rachel touches Dick, and he turns to her. She tells him to remember, and Dick finds himself in his vision of the Batcave. Rachel appears and says that it's her, and she came there to save him. Dick insists that he doesn't need saving, and Rachel tells him that Trigon has been pulling the strings. She continues by saying that Dick would never kill Batman, and Dick says that he's been dreaming of killing him since he was 12. Rachel reminds him that he taught her how to let go of the darkness, but Dick tells her to shut up. Undeterred, Rachel says that it isn't him and she had a dream about him at the circus when he was a boy. Dick grabs her by the throat, and she touches his wrist and takes Dick to the circus tent on the night his parents died. Rachel is on the opposite platform and says that she's coming to him, but if she dies in the vision she dies for real. She asks if that's what Dick really wants, and then releases her grip. Dick finally catches her before she can hit the ground, and the black veins disappear.

In the real world, Dick reverts to normal. Rachel welcomes him back and says that she needs a minute alone with her father. She goes outside, pushes past the others, and tells them to stay there. Rachel then goes out into the field where Trigon is standing and calls to him. Trigon invites her to join him, and Rachel says that she would but she has stuff to do. She thanks him for showing her who her family really is, summons the darkness within her, and sends it swirling out. The darkness explodes outward and Trigon is banished out of the Earth dimension.

The Titans wake up on the porch, back to normal. Dick runs to Rachel as she comes back, and after a moment they hug. Rachel says that she's okay and Dick tells her that he is as well... now.

Later, the ATF clean up the area and the agent in charge says that the new group, the Titans, have averted the crisis. The new Robin steps in front of the camera and yells that the Titans are back and Hank quickly hurries him away. They join the others in the woods and Hank apologizes to Gar for beating him. Dick admits that he doesn't know where he and Rachel are going. Koriand'r approaches Dick and tells him that he's good with the kids, but hitting the road isn't for her. She says that she has a few thoughts about what to do next, but refuses to say what they are.

Rachel and Gar get in Donna's SUV with Dick. Dawn and Hank say that they shouldn't meet again in a while and Dick agrees.

In a cabin in the woods, Slade Wilson is cleaning himself off. His guns lie around the cabin. Slade stares at himself in a cracked mirror and clutches at the metal table, bending it in his hands. He then goes to the nearby grocery store and buys supplies, and Slade sees the newscast on the TV about the Titans. When Jason comes on, Slade recognizes him. The clerk comes back and discovers that Slade is gone.

Slade's friend Wintergreen lets himself and Slade into his secured home. Wintergreen says that there's been interest in Slade's services, and comments that Slade hasn't contacted him in years. They go to a locked basement chamber and Slade insists on entering the key code himself. The two men go inside and find Slade's equipment there, just as he left it. Wintergreen says that he got the blood off as best he could, and Slade looks at his Deathstroke costume. His friend asks if they're back in business, and Slade smiles.

Dick pulls up to Wayne Manor and Bruce Wayne comes out. He looks at Dick and smiles, and after a moment Dick goes in with him. Bruce admits that he was surprised that Alfred Pennyworth told him Dick was coming, and notes that Dick has been busy with the Titans; both old and new. Dick admits that they didn't part on the best of terms, and he wants to say a few things to clear the air. He tells Bruce that part of him was still there and he's been trying to make sense of what happened to him as a child. Dick didn't know what to do with the darkness inside of him, and he hurt others because of the way Bruce weaponized his childhood. He tells Bruce that the why or how doesn't matter anymore and Bruce did what he thought was best for him so he wouldn't dwell on his parents' death.

Bruce asks about the darkness in Dick, and Dick says that he had to let it go so he could realize what Bruce did to help him. He agrees to describe them another time, and Bruce congratulates him on being cryptic. Bruce pours tea and says that things haven't been the same since Dick left, and says that Jason has rough edges that could use sanding down. He suggests he might take a new approach, and asks Dick if he has any new tricks. Bruce tells him to let him know if he needs anything, and Dick says that he's been thinking about San Francisco and the Titans. His mentor agrees but on one condition.

Dick, Jason, Rachel, and Gar drive to San Francisco and enter a penthouse. Jason and Gar run off to check their new home. Gar imagines Dick, Donna, Dawn, and Hank are there in their costumes. Jason finds the training dojo and smiles in satisfaction.

Rachel looks out the window at the view of San Francisco, and Dick joins her. He says that it's home, and Gar and Jason join them.

### Videos

DC Universe's Titans Season 2 "Trigon" ClipTitans Season 2 Sneak Peek (HD) Robin vs Robin
## Trivia

* This episode was originally intended to be the finale of Season 1, however was moved to Season 2 for it's premiere episode.
* Some of this episode's easter eggs include:
	+ This episode took heavy inspiration from “*The Terror of Trigon*”, a classic storyline that ran in 1984’s ‘*The New Teen Titans*’ #1-5 which was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by George Perez.
	+ Jason Todd's relationship with Hank and how combative it was in this episode, is in line with their relationship in the comics.
	+ Donna’s backstory was further explored due to Trigon’s traumatic vision,and her genesis is inspired by the origin given to her comic book counterpart back in 1969’s ‘*Teen Titans’ #22*
	+ Bruce keeping the gun that killed his parents appears to be nod to *‘Detective Comics’ #575*, which part of the “*Batman: Year Two*” storyline.
	+ After Raven got her heart pulled from her body, which then turned into a jewel that was placed on her forehead. As a result, she now looks closer in her appearance to her counterpart in the 2003 ‘*Teen Titans*’ animated series.
	+ Dick coming back to Wayne Manor to finally have a talk with Bruce, appears to be paying homage to *‘Batman’ #416* & *‘Robin’ #14* respectfully.
* The episode is dedicated to *Titans* special effects coordinator Warren Appleby who died from an accident at the time Season 2 was in production.

## Goofs

* After Trigon is defeated, the person being interviewed on the news is cut off by Jason when she says "we seem to have-". However, when the news report is later seen by Deathstroke, she is cut off when she says "we seem to have escaped any significant-".
* When Kory says goodbye to Dick, Rachel, Gar, and Jason, she waves with both hands. However, in the next shot, she is only waving her right hand.

## References

1. ↑ "Titans: First Official Season 2 Photos Reveal Who Trigon Infected" - CBR
2. ↑ All the Easter Eggs in the TITANS Season 2 Premiere - DC Universe