'Titans' Season 2 Episode 6 teases Robin-Superboy bromance and likable Tim Drake influence in Jason Todd's portrayal
Jason Todd, the second Robin, was almost universally despised by fans when he was first introduced in the comics, to the point where DC actually did a telephone poll on whether Jason should die or not in 1988's 'Death in the Family' story arc and the fans overwhelmingly voted in favor of killing off the character.
However, since his resurrection as the new Red Hood decades later, the character has become a beloved figure and that's probably why the DC Universe show 'Titans' chose to make Jason an important part of the series.
Curran Walters' performance as Jason on 'Titans' has made him a lot more endearing than he used to be in the comics. There's still that air of annoying arrogance and general recklessness about him but this Jason isn't a direct copy of his comic book counterpart and that's what makes him so great.
The Jason we meet in 'Titans' is undoubtedly the same person as in the comics with most of the same motivations but the writers have also managed to incorporate some traits from Tim Drake, Batman's third Robin and Jason's immediate successor to the post, when creating their take on Jason. We see a hint of this fusion in 'Titans' Season 2's sixth episode 'Conner' when Superboy/Conner Kent (Joshua Orpin) saves Jason's life.
Jason thanks Conner for the rescue and flashes him a rare, genuine smile. After seeing him arrogantly smirk at people throughout the time he's been on the series, this is the first time we get to see an actual smile from Jason, warm and grateful.
It's also the sort of unguarded, vulnerable moment comic fans are more used to getting from Tim rather than Jason, who puts quite a lot of effort into hiding his emotions. Beyond the surprising vulnerability we see in this scene, what's interesting is the exchange seems to be hinting at a close relationship between Conner and Jason that we'll probably see develop in the coming episodes.
In the comics, Conner is best friends with Tim and not exactly on the best of terms with Jason so this new bromance is something we haven't seen before at all. The show's Superboy is also quite different from the one we know from the comics as he is basically still an infant who is just beginning to understand how the world works.
Considering how dark Jason can get, it should be interesting to see how these two impact each other's growth. Hopefully, Jason can help Conner come to terms with some of the harsh realities of life while Conner could bring Jason out of his shell and help him blossom into a more well-rounded figure.
No matter how Jason's story progresses, the show's treatment of the character has definitely been a hit with the fans. DC Universe recently held a poll mirroring the one that was conducted in 1988 and this time, over 30 years after he was first voted out, the fans finally decreed that Jason deserves to live.
'Titans' Season 2 Episode 7 will arrive on DC Universe October 18.