DC Universe’s Titans season 1, episode 9 recap: Hank and Dawn

Titans brings us an in-depth character study of two characters we had met earlier on the show. How did Hank Hall and Dawn Granger become the superheroes Hawk and Dove?

When last we saw Dawn Granger (Minka Kelly) and Hank Hall (Alan Ritchson), they were in hospital following the attack by the Nuclear Family in Titans episode 2, ‘Hawk and Dove’. Dawn was in a coma with a bereft Hank vigilant by her side. In the latest episode of the DC Universe show, we are introduced to the origins of these characters.

Hank and his brother Don (Elliot Knight) film their first night out as superheroes Hawk and Dove. They are dressed in amateur costumes ready to take down a pervert who lawyered up and got away scot-free. The man doesn’t see them coming and it is obvious how excited the two heroes, especially Hawk, are to be attacking criminals. ‘Batman and Robin, you got company!’ Hawk roars at the camera.

In the present, Hank leaves Dawn’s bedside to steal some medication, probably to numb the physical and mental pain he is suffering. As he dozes off, he reminisces about his life. As a child, Hank (Tait Blum) was a star football player, eagerly cheered on by his brother (Jayden Marine) in the stands. But there is a disturbing truth to Hank’s success. The team’s coach (Trevor Hayes) has taken a shine to Hank, and when he sees young Donny he tries to cajole him into the locker room. Hank, realizing that the coach is vying for his brother, sends Donny away before following the coach into the room on his own.

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An older Don – wearing a Superman t-shirt like Dawn was wearing in episode 2 – is at home, still cheering his brother on when Hank is hit on the field. Don goes looking for Hank, who is at a party, asking him to check if he’s got a concussion from the several hits he’s taken this season. Hank insists he’s fine before collapsing. The doctor confirms that Hank has post-concussion syndrome. She suggests he rest, but Hank wants to finish the season.

Don takes matters into his own hands and informs the athletic director, thereby benching Hank. Hank is outraged and his anger spills out when a bystander asks him to step outside the library where he is arguing with Don. The two brothers brawl and end up at the Dean’s office, who wants an official apology from Hank, but Don’s had enough – his brother has given everything to his school, including his health and a lot more. The only thing left for the school to do is to kick them both out.

Once expelled, Don and Hank move into the apartment we saw Hank sharing with Dawn earlier this season of Titans. In Hank’s dreams Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) calls out to him but he doesn’t see her. Don eludes to the fact that he knew his older brother was protecting him from the coach when they were children. He wants to help his brother channel his anger now that Hank doesn’t have football, so, they decide to track all the sex offenders in their area and take them out one by one. They are obviously successful since the papers report on their activities and even get their names correct.

Dawn Granger was a ballerina with her own fan club in her mom, Marie (Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Marina Sirtis). They celebrate her successful performance with a delicious-looking afternoon tea, but their revelries sour when Marie tells Dawn that she is returning to London, ‘to him’. We can only assume that Dawn is referring to her father or step-father, an abusive man who has hurt her mother, her sister and her. She is crushed to hear her mother is going back to him, understandably so.

I love that these two characters are seen as supportive of each other. While they’re strolling back home, they bump into Hank and Don on B-Street. Marie is quite taken with the ‘handsome lads’ but before they all get to know each other an errant car crashes into the group.

Learn how Hank and Dawn became Hawk and Dove on tomorrow’s #DCUTITANS, only on #DCUNIVERSE. pic.twitter.com/oemeTc6JpJ
— DC Titans (@DCTitans) December 6, 2018

Hank and Dawn are unable to share their suffering in the Grief Group meetings for the B-Street Tragedy. Instead, they connect with each other later, swapping stories about the brother and mother who died. When Dawn returns to the meeting, Hank doesn’t show. It stirs Dawn to voice her inner turmoil – the tragedy that this group of people have suffered is that they lost people they love to an accident; there is no one to blame and that’s what makes things so unfair.

Hank and Dawn are unable to share their suffering in the Grief Group meetings for the B-Street Tragedy. Instead, they connect with each other later, swapping stories about the brother and mother who died. When Dawn returns to the meeting, Hank doesn’t show. It stirs Dawn to voice her inner turmoil – the tragedy that this group of people has suffered is that they lost people they love to an accident; there is no one to blame and that’s what makes things so unfair.

She leaves to find Hank waiting outside and they start seeing each other more often. As they get closer, we see the two of them attempt to replace Don and Marie with each other – going to afternoon tea together, eating at Don’s favourite pizza place. They hang out in Hank’s apartment and Dawn eventually discovers his Hawk outfit.

Instead of being perturbed, Dawn is understanding. Hank tells her that he became Hawk to help the neighbourhood and help himself as well, revealing the childhood abuse he suffered at the hands of the coach. Dawn is shocked to hear that Hank didn’t go after the coach – after all, isn’t that what Hawk and Dove were created to do? But Hank couldn’t face the man, it would have made what happened to him real.

Hank’s revelations keep Dawn up at night. She finds the name of the coach and goes after him. Despite her dance and jiu-jitsu skills, she’s not prepared for him having a gun. He’s also ruthless, kicking her when she’s down. Before she can fight back, Hank comes to the rescue. Face-to-face with the coach, he unleashes his anger. When Dawn discovers the coach has even more pictures of children, she refuses to leave. Hank continues punching the coach, before the camera cuts away.

When Dawn wakes up the next day, it seems like she regrets what they did. They obviously didn’t split up, because they’re still a couple in the present day, but Dawn is interrupted by Rachel’s pleas. She wakes up from her coma to tell Hank that they have to find Jason Todd, because Rachel needs their help.

Next. Titans: Is the show mature enough to tackle darker subject-matter?. dark

I am pleasantly surprised by this episode. It was a thorough, heart-breaking character study that makes these characters endearing. Everything Hank went through is implied, and I appreciate that writer Geoff Johns decided to handle this subject with sensitivity. It’s only taken Titans nine episodes to capture any sense of nuance. This episode also effectively answers a question I had asked several weeks ago – yes, Titans is mature enough to handle darker subject-matter, that too with a deft and understanding hand.

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