DC Universe’s Titans season 1, episode 10 recap: Koriand’r

For an episode titled Koriand’r, there is very little of her in it. But matters escalate quickly at Rachel and Angela’s home and the Titans may not be fast enough to stop it.

DC Universe’s Titans debuts its scariest episode yet with director Maja Vrvilo embracing the horror aspect of the series. Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) had been attacked by Kory Anders/ Starfire (Anna Diop) in the closing moments of episode 8. In an effort to protect herself, Rachel projects her mind into the consciousness of Hank Hall (Alan Ritchson) and Dawn Granger (Minka Kelly) calling out to them in a creepy, reverse version of the hospital Dawn was admitted to. As we saw in episode 9, Rachel had succeeded.

In the real world, Kory is still strangling Rachel when Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) and Donna Troy (Conor Leslie) arrive. Dick and Garfield Logan (Ryan Potter) are immediately incapacitated, but Donna uses her Lasso of Truth to stop Kory. Kory wakes up with no knowledge of what she’s done, but Rachel’s mother, Angela (Rachel Nichols) refuses to let her stay in the house.

Kory leaves, still struggling with the scattered memories that continue flashing through her mind. Dick knows he has to follow her, and fortunately, Donna has a nifty tracker that she plants on Kory’s getaway truck. Angela tends to Rachel’s wounds, as Rachel reveals that this was the first time she was able to sense Kory’s feelings. Kory wanted to kill Rachel, but at the same time, she didn’t go through with it. She was conflicted, Rachel insists.

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As Angela walks away, a light in one of the rooms mysteriously turns on; then, an old landline starts ringing but she only hears a strange static when she picks up. She seems unperturbed. As Angela is in the garden picking ingredients for food, her old neighbour turns up asking if she knows anything about the train incident that took place a couple of episodes ago. He seems genuinely pleased to see her, but she is understandably reticent.

Rachel is convinced her attempts at healing Kory may have damaged her brain, making Kory want to kill her, but Gar doesn’t agree. Rachel is afraid that Gar will get hurt because that’s what seems to happen to people close to her, but he doesn’t want to budge. Unfortunately, when he reaches out to comfort Rachel, her soul-self lashes out. Things are only going to get worse for Gar.

While Angela tries to sway Rachel into keeping her loved ones close because otherwise, she will be alone like Angela, Gar explores the house. It’s obviously an old house and there are plenty of creepy pictures of a mother and her young twins. I’m not certain if these photographs are significant, yet. When Gar turns to face a mirror, he sees his reflection is caked in blood, like when he attacked and killed the doctor in episode 7, ‘Asylum’. Nothing he does removes the blood from his reflection so he leaves to get some fresh air.

Except outside, the tattered body of the doctor he killed stares back at him. Is this real? He tries to call Dick, but there’s no signal. He tries again and gets that weird static we heard earlier in the episode. Rachel comes over to apologize to Gar, asking him to stay with her, but suddenly Gar feels unwell.

Kory arrives at an abandoned warehouse with Dick and Donna on her heels. She discovers a cloaked spaceship and realises it’s hers. I love how neither Dick nor Donna belittle or second-guess Kory’s assertions about her origins. In fact, Dick looks so pleased when Kory declares it’s her spaceship! I mean, how cool is that?

Titans — Ep. 110 — “Koriand’r” — Photo Credit: 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Inside, Kory finds a book called ‘The Death of Worlds’ which is filled with a prophecy of her world, Tamarran, being destroyed. Rachel is a key ingredient for this destruction because she is the doorway through which her father will enter this dimension. Earth is his first target, but soon it will expand to more worlds. They have to stop him – they have to stop Trigon. But first, one of the images in the book shows Trigon with Rachel… and Angela. ‘It’s a family affair,’ Donna exclaims.

Angela finds Gar collapsed in the bathroom and calls Rachel to help. Just then, the old neighbour turns up; he tries to make a phone call, but again, no signal. Angela leads him downstairs and stabs him to death. I knew she couldn’t be trusted!

This is a different characterisation of Angela from the comics, where she died on an alien world after escaping with Rachel. The Titans showrunners are intent on Rachel losing all hope for some reason, so, of course, Angela is a conniving monster who has set these events in motion to bring Trigon back to Earth. Apparently, if Rachel is to successfully bring Trigon here, she has to complete 400 days of warrior training – training that no one has survived yet. Dick and Kory believe Rachel can do it, but that isn’t good news.

Angela returns to Rachel and tells her to use her powers to heal Gar. But Rachel hardly touches him before he starts dying. Angela believes their only hope of saving Gar is to call Rachel’s father. Easily swayed by her mother and desperate to keep Gar alive, Rachel acquiesces and opens the gateway to Trigon (Seamus Deaver).

This is a bit contrived, but the season needed a quick way to wrap up before the finale and finally introduce the villain who has loomed over the entire season. Having said that, why did Kory mention a 400-day trial when Rachel didn’t even need four minutes to extract her father? I feel like there might be some misunderstanding regarding the Tamarran texts.

Trigon heals Gar, but the planet is at this demon’s mercy. Dick’s car loses power, so he, Kory and Donna run to Angela’s house. There they find the house cloaked. While Dick is able to run through it to the house, Kory and Donna are locked out. Why? We don’t know. Inside the house, Rachel is happy to be with Gar, but Angela is anxious to know when she and Trigon can start healing the world. ‘Not until her [Rachel] heart breaks,’ Trigon replies.

What did you think of this episode of Titans? Be sure to tell us in the comments below!