DC Universe’s Titans season 2, episode 6 recap: Conner

We’ve all been wondering where Superboy’s been since his arrival was teased at the end of the first season of Titans. Now we know.

Jason Todd plummeted to his supposed death at the end of the previous Titans episode, but the showrunners leave us hanging by focusing on Conner, aka Superboy (Joshua Orpin), and Krypto the Super-Dog in episode six of the season. Cadmus, the laboratory that illegally created these Kryptonian characters, markets itself as a humanitarian company with an eye on the future. And, of course, we all know that they are anything but.

Subject 13

Episode six takes off immediately after the season one finale. We see Subject 13 break out of the facility and rescue Krypto. Not knowing his own name, Subject 13 takes the name of the security officer whose clothes he steals – Conner. Then, the two of them escape.

Cadmus are in disarray when they realize Subject 13 is missing. Dr. Eve Watson (Genevieve Angelson), the expert behind Subject 13 is grilled by Mercy Graves (Natalie Gumede), personal security specialist to Mr. Luthor. She wants to know how to track Conner because Luthor wants his ‘experiment’ back.

Eve tries to analyze what Conner could be doing. Despite having the full-grown body of an adult, and the powers of a Kryptonian, Conner is a veritable child in terms of experience. He’s never seen the world around him. Worse still, Eve and team embedded memories in Conner, some of which could cause him to react in… uncomfortable ways.

Eve asks Mercy to set up a task force to find Conner, and Mercy insists that Eve join them on the field.

I Think We’re in Kansas

Superboy is a hero at heart, but because he doesn’t understand the world, he accidentally robs the elderly woman he saved from a mugging, all so that he can buy a Superman t-shirt. Yes, that black and red Superman t-shirt which we all know and love. By the way, this isn’t the first time Titans characters have donned Superman tees – both Don Hall and Dawn Granger were seen wearing a blue Superman t-shirt in the first season.

Conner’s false memories lead him to Kansas, where he thinks he’s heading home. Conner had intended to go to the Kent farm, but when he arrives, Conner doesn’t realize that he’s landed up at the Luthor home instead. He meets Lionel Luthor (Peter MacNeill), old and blind, content living on his own. But Lionel’s presence triggers violent memories of an abusive father – memories taken from Lex Luthor.

In his twilight years, Lionel is proud of Lex’s achievements, but when he is confronted about his abusive behavior by Conner, Lionel becomes defensive. He tries to counter Conner’s claims by saying Lex always lacked a moral compass. This is not what Conner wants to hear, especially since he’s so confused about what his memories are that he no longer knows where he begins and Lex ends.

Just then Cadmus storm in, firing willy nilly. Conner is protective of Lionel and makes fast work of the armed guards.

Superboy’s Origins

Superboy spots Eve in a van outside the Luthor farm and confronts her about his origins. She explains that Conner is a genetic clone created similar to all humans – except Conner has two dads. Conner knows enough to realize that while Superman is revered, his other dad Lex Luthor is reviled. He’s dying to meet his fathers, but Superman doesn’t know he exists and Eve is adamant he never encounters Lex.

To protect Conner, Eve defies Mercy Graves’ orders and takes her creation on a road trip. Eve came up with the idea of creating a genetic clone but didn’t believe that Cadmus would go through with it. In order to maintain an element of moral decency in Conner’s creation, she stuck around and didn’t abandon him. While all this is wonderful, would it have been that hard for the casting directors to find an older actress to play Eve? She has a Ph.D. and has been working on this Subject 13 project for six years – she could be a genius, but it’s such a stretch of the imagination here. Why are casting directors so averse to casting age-relevant women actors who are 40+?

Conner is a fractious child, itching to do whatever he wants. Eve explains that the more he uses his powers, the more attention he’s likely to attract from Cadmus. When Conner refuses to listen, she takes him to see all the failed experiments that led to Conner’s creation.

This revelation makes Conner believe that he is a monster, but Eve assures him that he isn’t. His instinctive reaction is to save people, but his anger is fuelled by Lex’s anger. This means Conner has to be extra careful.

With Cadmus almost at their door, Eve urges Conner to always be on the move, to not set down roots and to never become a hero.

After leaving Eve, Conner stoically avoids getting involved in any encounters, but when he sees Jason Todd falling from above, Conner instinctively super-jumps to save him. Yay! Jason’s alive! For the first time, Jason is humbled by someone else’s actions, but his happiness is short-lived. Mercy collars Krypto with a Kryptonite collar and shoots Conner through the chest. Dick and Kory arrive to find Jason kneeling next to a dying Conner. Surely Superboy can’t already be dead?