S4 E3: “Jinx”
With Rachel seemingly powerless after the confrontation with Mother Mayhem, the Titans are down one magic-wielding member.
Enter Jinx.
Historically a Titans villain, this version of Jinx (Lisa Ambalanavar) is a modern take on the sorceress who has what seems to be a romantic past with Dick Grayson. She has been using her magical abilities to fatten her pockets and got thrown in prison, but with everything going on Dick needs her help. However, it becomes evident right away she isn’t going to make things easy for him.
The rest of the Titans are all dealing with different issues and are reeling from their battle with Mother Mayhem. Her defeat of them has not only weakened Rachel, but the rest of the team is also struggling with inner demons. Gar and Kory are having visions and premonitions due to her presence. Whatever Mother Mayhem’s plot is, they figure to feature in it prominently. It’s also becoming clear she has pretty intimate knowledge about all of the heroes which is why she always seems to have the drop on the team.
However, her biggest target, clearly, is Sebastian. After framing him for the murder of one of the investors he was trying to pitch his video game to, she tries to appeal to his sentimentality and get him to say “Azarath Metrion Zinthos”, which is a clue to who she is and who she works for.
The one character who is clearly struggling with a host of things is Conner. Meeting Lex Luthor has really set something off in him, as we are beginning to see some of Lex’s worse traits. He is also trying to make up for his failure in the battle against Mother Mayhem and acting recklessly. He is one to keep an eye on as this season unfolds.
This episode dials the pace and focuses more on specific character moments. The scenes between Kory and Dick, Rachel and Gar, Conner and Tim, and Mother Mayhem and Sebastian are deliberately shot and go to great lengths in further explaining the story within the story. Also, while the addition of Jinx adds some lightheartedness to the group it also adds an element of uncertainty as she is not one to be trusted. – Eric Holzmann
S4 E4: “Super Super Mart”
FLASHBACKS!
Something Titans has done a good job of during its run is explaining how we got to the current timeline we are in using flashbacks. Whether it was showing the original version of the team together or Dick’s relationship with Donna and Bruce, the writers have done an excellent job giving us the backstory to set up their current motivations.
In “Super Super Mart”, it’s May Bennett/Mother Mayhem’s turn to travel back in time. What we find is rather shocking but puts things into focus as to who she is, what she wants, and how the Titans factor into all of it. We learn that she is part of “The Organization” and was recruited by Trigon himself as part of his plan to fulfill the prophecy (which we already know was supposed to be Rachel). However, she gives birth to a son and not a daughter and is imprisoned when she refuses to accept this, vowing to prove it should be her son.
By now it’s clear what her interest in Sebastian is and why she had to steal Rachel’s powers. It appears he is the son of Mother Mayhem and Trigon, thus making Rachel his half-sister. The team’s sole focus is keeping Sebastian safe while they figure out how to defeat this new evil and prevent whatever plans Mother Mayhem has for the world.
This episode ups the superheroism a bit from the previous one. They battle zombies (including a zombie version of Deathstroke) and we see how truly powerful Jinx is. Conner is also still trying to show everyone he’s still “Superboy” but when he gets stabbed by some magical dagger we are once again reminded that this is a different kind of enemy they’re facing.
“Super Super Mart” answers so many of the questions behind Mother Mayhem and it really begins to bring everything into focus. While the Titans all have their own things they’re going through, it appears it all stems from her and her presence in their lives. Things are only going to get more interesting from here. – Eric Holzmann