Titans Season 3, Episode 8 recap: Can prodigal sons return?

In Titans Season 3, Episode 8, “Home,” the Titans come closer to taking down Gotham’s big new threat. But somehow, they’re always one step behind the bad guys.

The HBO Max show delivers a more pensive episode with this installment. Though light on the action, it still gives viewers key insights into the characters and their dynamics.

Some interesting developments here are the growing relationship between Conner and Blackfire. They’re in full-on romance mode, which has been teased ever since the two characters met.

It’s a sweet and unexpected pairing, but not something Starfire appears to approve of. Where is this going to go in Titans?

Titans Season 3, Episode 8 – Fooled again

Scarecrow never seems to want to give up. Despite losing his entire drug operation to the Titans, he’s still trying to poison Gotham’s water supply in Titans Season 3, Episode 8.

It’s a silly plan, and Jason Todd wants no part of it. Jason walks away after knocking out Scarecrow. And for once, Scarecrow doesn’t look as sure anymore.

Alone and afraid, Scarecrow wants his minion back. When an inspection agent comes across Scarecrow, the Gotham villain is surprised by the man’s kindness. It helps that Scarecrow looks like an ordinary person who’s walked in off the street.

That doesn’t stop Scarecrow from killing the man, of course. The agent unwittingly gives Scarecrow some important information. Scarecrow’s plan to drill into the water supply would never have worked. He would have needed the power of the sun to get through the steel.

With that information and sans Jason, Scarecrow goes looking for solace in an unexpected place—his own mother.

Dr. Crane Sr (Debra Hale) is a psychologist who’s tired of her own son. She’s cut him off and wants nothing to do with him—she doesn’t mince words either. But Scarecrow is desperate enough to pour his heart out anyway.

So, what is the fearmongering Scarecrow’s greatest fear—failure. Not living up to expectations has pushed Scarecrow to do whatever he can to take Gotham. A dark void threatens to envelop his efforts—his mother assumes it’s Batman, but Scarecrow insists it’s a metaphor.

But whatever fears he may have, Scarecrow’s mother can’t help him. Nor did she even want to. She’d alerted the GCPD the moment he walked through her door. They arrive shortly after Scarecrow has taken his mother’s life. The GCPD, always on time.

Titans Season 3, Episode 8 – Family

Most of the Titans have given up on Jason, especially because he murdered Hank Hall. But one Titan refuses to give up on his friend—Gar Logan.

In Titans Season 3, Episode 8, Gar manages to convince Jason’s friend, Molly, to keep him in the loop about any communication they have.

Molly knows Jason is Red Hood, but she knows nothing about Jason’s past as a Robin and a member of the Titans. But Gar’s pleas reach her, and Molly agrees to keep Gar apprised about Jason’s whereabouts.

Back in Wayne Manor, Dick, Kory, and Conner are ready to take Jason down whenever they get a chance. Gar refuses to stand for it. Yes, Jason killed Hank, but Gar is certain it was actually Scarecrow’s doing.

Plus, the Titans gave Gar a second chance when Cadmus turned him into a killer. Why can’t they do the same for Jason? This gives everyone pause. Of course, Blackfire thinks this is a great plan—she’s all for second chances!

Meanwhile, Starfire has bigger problems to worry about. Her sleepwalking returns, not caused by Blackfire this time. In her visions, she sees a woman crying out for her child. A pram appears, and in it is a baby with glowing green eyes just like Starfire.

What does it all mean? Starfire needs answers, but when she tries the sensory deprivation tank again, she lands up in a neighborhood that has no significance to her. We’ll have to wait for more answers.

Dick and Barbara are enjoying their new relationship, which they plan to unveil at a gala event. Of course, this being the Titans, that plan goes south. And by south, I mean Dick never makes it to the gala.

Instead, Dick ends up being hit by a truck looking for Jason, whom he finds. Dick is torn between trying to save Jason and expecting to be murdered. Jason actually calls the paramedics to save Dick.

Once Dick wakes up and finds Barbara has also foregone the gala to be by his side, Dick finds himself hallucinating. And as one would expect from Dick, he doesn’t tell anyone.

The hallucinations are vague, Batman-related, but not quite. Are they telling him to become Batman? To save Jason? Fight Scarecrow? Who knows! Dick certainly doesn’t.

But thanks to Gar, Dick gets to meet with Jason—kind of. There are some old tunnels Batman used as escape routes. Jason wants to meet there. He comes clean about his actions, and Dick gives him a way to return home. That’s all Jason wants right now.

Jason offers to meet at another place and time, and Dick agrees. Unfortunately, neither of them realizes that they’re not alone. Scarecrow has been listening, and he’s hatched a plan.

Titans Season 3, Episode 8 – Robins

Before Dick’s accident, his plans to head to the gala were interrupted by an unlikely source in Titans Season 3, Episode 8. Tim Drake isn’t just a mega-fan of Batman and Robin—he’s been studying them since he was a child.

Tim arrives at Wayne Manor with an urgent request to speak with Dick Grayson, who he knows is Nightwing. Dick refutes the claim, obviously, but Tim has proof.

Way back when Dick was at Haly’s Circus, Tim saw him perform a perilous stunt. Dick’s own father was the only other person who could perform it. Imagine Tim’s surprise when he saw Robin and later Nightwing do the same during their fights?

It also led Tim to realize that Bruce Wayne was Batman. Dick hides his shock very well, but Tim’s not buying it. He knows he’s right. But Tim doesn’t want to use the intel for anything. He wants to be Robin.

Tim knows Robin is dead, as does all of Gotham. But Tim isn’t sure who the second Robin was. He’d made the connection to Jason Todd, but that wouldn’t explain how an alive Jason was standing opposite the Drake’s restaurant the night Tim’s father was shot.

Dick manages to wheedle his way out of the conversation, but Tim will not stop with his request. Gotham needs a Batman and a Robin. Tim believes he can fill that gap. And he’s willing to do anything to prove it to Nightwing.

Tim promises to find Scarecrow himself, despite Dick’s pleas not to get involved. Tim starts by following Jason wherever he goes. And he ends up finding Scarecrow, all right.

We’ve seen how ruthless Scarecrow can be. The possibility of being found out by a boy moments before his great plan can go ahead doesn’t sit well with Scarecrow. He has a gun, and he uses it on poor Tim.

Jason finds Tim lying in his own blood and wants to know what Tim was doing there. Tim wants to be Robin. This isn’t really what Jason wants to hear right now.

The Titans arrive soon after, and Beast Boy gets help for Tim. Nightwing and Starfire race inside the location given to them by Jason and get a lock on Scarecrow. Starfire tries to stop Scarecrow, but her powers ends up blowing the place up.

Though Nightwing and Starfire are alright, they realize that they’ve played into Scarecrow’s hands. He couldn’t have got his toxin into the Gotham water supply on his own. Starfire just gave him the tools to do so. Gotham is going to be on fire very soon.

Final Thoughts – Titans Season 3, Episode 8 is an interesting rumination on family

Redemption arcs are hard. They’re also one of the most popular methods to develop characters.

Titans Season 3, Episode 8, tries very hard to prove that Jason Todd needs to be redeemed. As much as I love the character, we need more to get to that point.

I also hope that Tim Drake survives and does actually become Robin. He’s a massively popular Robin who recently began exploring his queer identity in the DC Comics. We really need Tim to live!

I’m beginning to wonder when the secondary plot with Raven and Donna Troy is going to happen. We’re eight episodes in, and we’ve only caught a single glimpse of Donna in a dream sequence.

Perhaps with Gotham in disarray, Raven and Donna Troy can be the saviors for the city? I sincerely hope so.

This show has been keeping me on my toes, and I am still enjoying that aspect of it. What will we get next week? Who can tell!

What did you think of Titans Season 3 Episode 8? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Titans Season 3 is streaming weekly on HBO Max.