The season long journey of Dick Grayson, Garfield Logan and Rachael Roth continued this week in Titans Episode 7 “Asylum”. Ironically, while the episode is named after the location wherein most of the scenes take place, there is no asylum to be found for our heroes. Fair warning, past this point are major spoilers for “Asylum” if you have not yet watched this week’s episode.
While Dick Grayson confronted ugly truths about himself while traveling with Jason Todd in Episode 6 (“Jason Todd”); Kory, Rachael and Gar were holed up in a Batman safe house in Chicago. Dick returns from his journey of self discovery after defeating the son of Tony Zucco and, together with Kory, they question the captive Dr Adamson. Adamson seeks an audience with Rachael and, against the advice of Grayson, she confronts her would be captor alone. Adamson explains that his organization sees her as the key to a new future. They seek to reunite her with her father. He also tempts her with the knowledge that her mother is alive and being held at the titular asylum. Predictably, Rachael wants to rescue her mother but her three fellow group members disagree; noting that it will at best be dangerous and is most likely a trap. However, while Dick and Kory use the “Bat” computer to analyze the asylum for weaknesses in its security, Rachael and Gar sneak out and travel to the asylum on their own to affect a rescue. Realizing that the two youngest members of their group have given them the slip and certain that they will be captured, Dick and Kory infiltrate the tunnels underneath the asylum only to be captured themselves. Captives of the Cult of Blood, for it appears that this is what the mysterious organization must be, the Titans are subject to torture and experimentation while Rachael is propositioned by Dr Adamson. Rachael resists the temptation and embraces her power as she dispatches Adamson once and for all. She begins searching for her companions and finds Gar in a cage, exhausted and almost broken from continual torture. She releases him from the cage but Gar’s torturer chooses that moment to return and confront them. Gar, angry and determined to protect himself and Rachael, embraces Beast Boy for the first time and savages his torturer in his green tiger form. Meanwhile Dick, drugged and semi-conscious, has been fighting a battle against himself in his mind. He is pummeled by the twelve-year-old version of himself as he is confronted with the knowledge that he hates himself. Racheal and Gar find him in this state, drooling and seemingly broken. Rachael reaches out to him, acknowledging that she needs him and that they are bound to each other as family. Dick emerges from his stupor and semi-conscious is assisted from his torture chamber. Finally, the three of them find Kory. Here, the Cult of Blood have saved their most sadistic torture for last. Eager to know what she is, they have experimented on her, cutting her open while conscious. The Titans make their escape and are confronted by security in the tunnels underneath the asylum. Finally, all of the Titans look to Dick as the de-facto leader of the group and Grayson does not disappoint. Embracing the role of leader and responsibility for the group, he steps forward and dispatches all of the security personnel with ruthless and brutal efficiency. The episode ends with Dick burning his Robin costume paving the way for Nightwing in the episodes to come.
This episode is all about the journey that the characters are on, it is a theme that has continued in the season so far. The one constant this season has been Dick Grayson and he had a catharsis this episode. Dick has finally realized that it was he, with his grief and anger, who poisoned Robin. He has blamed Bruce Wayne, Batman and Tony Zucco but the dark mirror of Jason Todd and the psychedelic drugs given to him have forced him to face the truth.  With this wound lanced and the poison seeping out of his soul, Dick is free to become the man and hero he will become. Garfield has toyed with playing as an animal but in this episode he embraced the full power within himself. Savage and powerful, he channeled that power so that he could defend his friend and himself. In this episode Beast Boy was born. Rachael is still on a journey of self discovery. However, for the first time she exercised her power and experienced no feelings of regret or shame. Instead, worried for her friends and faced with danger she did what was necessary and soldiered on as it were. Undoubtedly her journey will not end until later in the season, presumably with revelations about if not confrontations with her father. Finally, there is Kory. Her amnesia continues and thus she remains in limbo. Presumably this amnesia will end soon and she will begin her journey towards Starfire. All in all this was another spectacular episode in what is a refreshingly and surprisingly good show.  Each episode has left me wanting to know more and though I am familiar with The Titans from the comics I am left wondering where the show will end up; the sign of good writing. I highly recommend this episode and this show to everyone.
Director – Alex Kalymnios
Writer – Bryan Edward Hill, Greg Walker
Brendan Thwaites – Dick Grayson
Anna Diop – Koriand’r
Teagan Croft – Rachael Roth
Ryan Potter – Garfield Logan
Author Profile
Nemesis
Nemesis is a poet, writer and author of the upcoming novel The Long Game. He is a writer of science fiction and supernatural thrillers. Besides novels and short stories he writes for UK based ASAP Comics developing new stories for Level 8 and OPSEC. Nem is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and tries to bring those experiences into his writing.
He lives and works out of his home in Riverside, California with his wife and three children. When not writing he enjoys reviewing comic books and graphic novels for ComicCrusaders.com and living the Southern California life with his family.
