Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Titans: The Fourth & Final Season Blu-ray Movie Review

As we prepare to embark on our last outing with the Titans, those who wish to catch up on what has come before can read about the First Season here, the Second Season here, and the Third Season here. Titans: The Fourth and Final Season works to provide more character depth for Raven, Beast Boy, Conner Kent, and Tim Drake, while bringing some classic comic book villains to threaten the Titans and the entire world on what is, for now, their final mission. Again, this is a much more adult affair that injects coarse language and graphic violence into its episodes, so viewers should be forewarned. As is the case with any series (or film) that has comic book roots, there are extra rewards for those who have read the series, but it is certainly accessible and enjoyable for those who are new to the Titans. It's just that those who have done their homework may find just a bit more to enjoy.

If Season Three's Gotham-bound action was unrelentingly dark, Titans: The Fourth and Final Season begins with a very different vibe - the Titans have gone bowling. Definitely in keeping with the spirit of the team and underscoring our need to remember that these are young people, it's fantastic to see the team interact on a more casual basis and enjoy themselves for a change. This brief interlude is only made possible by the fact that at the end of Season Three, the team elected to decline the use of Bruce Wayne's private jet to whisk them back to San Francisco and instead opted to jump into an RV and have a road trip. But this RV has nothing in common with the one that Cousin Eddie piloted in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, this is a state-of-the-art mobile command center that serves as their de facto headquarters for the season. It's an interesting move that grants the team the ability to explore a bit more and yet remain connected to each other and the brain trust at S.T.A.R. Labs.

The fun at the bowling alley is short-lived, and soon the team is on the way to Metropolis, and Conner is very excited to meet one of his parents. Metropolis serves as an excellent counterbalance to last season's Gotham setting. DC's Metropolis is generally depicted as bright, shiny, and full of hope and futuristic technology. While it's not the Metropolis we saw in Superman: The Complete Animated Series it is a welcome change from the grit, danger, and decay of Gotham. S.T.A.R. Labs is key to the season. The building is a massive and impressive structure filled to the rafters with fit and attractive twentysomethings who are all tops in their fields. A small group of them is crucial in providing weapons and training for Tim Drake so that he can more efficiently matriculate into his role as Robin without wasting Nightwing's time to do this work and freeing him to face the more salient challenges the season has to offer. As we move deeper into the season they also provide resources for the Titans to track their enemies, understand the true nature of the threat, and devise a plan to save the day. And, without giving too much away, the good people of S.T.A.R. Labs are also utilized to establish additional emotional resonance. It's fantastic to see them and the location play such a big role in the season rather than just being a quick visit to a fancy lab to grab some futuristic gear, never to be seen again.

Bringing Mother Mayhem, Brother Blood, and Trigon to the season signals that we are going to spend quite a bit of time focused on Raven. Her story arc is sure to please comic fans, and the overall storyline devoted to this quartet allows the series to bring a significant horror bend to many of the episodes making it a pleasant departure from more straightforward super heroics. While Conner and the rest of the team may hate magic, its prominence in the season actually allows for some unexpected twists and encounters, taking us to places we would not otherwise see and helping to differentiate it from an entertainment environment crowded with superhero content. Magic also helps to level the playing field. It's no longer just a matter of brawn versus brawn. Were that the case, the Titans should win with ease between the increasing might of Starfire and a Conner Kent who hasn't yet even mapped out his full potential. Some well-placed fists and energy blasts should put-paid to most foes. Not so with magic on the table. Powers and people can come and go, protections can be deployed, and things are never what they seem, requiring the team to do more than just punch evil in the face.

As rewarding and entertaining as the season is, if it has any failing it's a lack of sustained momentum. Episodes surge the story forward and then pause, surge the story forward and then pause, robbing this season of the tension that was so well built up and maintained for Season Three. The inability to maintain momentum and tension also diminishes the sense of stakes. In Season Three, the fate of Gotham was on the line and that felt monumental. Here, to begin with, the fate of the entire world is at risk, and yet I never really felt that worried. Even as Brother Blood moved closer and closer to his final goal, there was never really an edge-of-your-seat feeling.

The following episodes comprise Titans: The Fourth and Final Season. The very abbreviated summaries are intended to provide a general summary of each episode without spoiling anything that cannot be discerned or deduced from the cover art or the official synopsis:

Disc One:

Titans: The Fourth & Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Titans: The Fourth and Final Season receives an expectedly solid 1080p transfer that is very much in keeping with how the previous entries of the series have been treated. Depth and detail are high and are appreciated, not only in closer, more intimate shots inside the RV, but in establishing shots focused on Metropolis in general and S.T.A.R Labs in particular. The contours and textures of S.T.A.R Labs are surprisingly sharp and textured creating a commanding presence for a structure that should be impressive and memorable. Its STARK Industries-like interiors are also loaded with sharp and impressive details rewarding a visual examination of the setting. As with other seasons, the show tends toward a large number of dark or dim locations, but blacks never crush. Colors are vibrant, stable, and rich. Starfire's purple costume is again a highlight, as are Raven's blazingly white costume and hair. Skin tones look true and healthy. I did not notice any damage, defects, or anomalies in the transfer.

Titans: The Fourth & Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track is a winner. Surrounds leap into action during battle and crowd scenes, adding depth but never overwhelming. A very talky show, the audio track handles dialogue well. Every line that is delivered, no matter how quiet, is distinct and clear. Much of it is front and center focused and it is all well-balanced. Music, while present in this season, never feels quite at prominent as it did in Season Three. However, when given a chance to be the focus it fills the soundfield nicely with excellent clarity and the required power. More often than not the music sits just under the action and dialogue feeding the atmosphere, and crucially, in a few episodes, some 70s radio staples cheerfully lilt or bounce along to the action of our heroes. Sound effects are punchy, crunchy, and convincing. Oozy wet slithers delight as do the more bombastic blasts from Starfire and Conner, the infrequent gunshots, and the always impressive explosions. They're subtle when they should be and room-filling when they need to be. English SDH subtitles are also available.

Titans: The Fourth & Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the supplemental material is located on Disc 3 and is as follows:

Titans: The Fourth & Final Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is a bang to conclude Titans: The Fourth and Final Season, it's just not as big of a bang as it could and should have been. A small group of characters hold on to the spotlight and the threat from the villains is real, but the season can't maintain and escalate the tension needed to really make us fear for the end of the world on a continuous and ongoing basis. The denouement, while more than acceptable, wasn't really the one I would have hoped for in total, but part of it, arguably the most important part, was perfect. Still, Titans: The Fourth and Final Season is a solid capstone to our adventures with Titans, loaded with characters, costumes, and iconic moments from the comics that are sure to delight fans, as will a few guest appearances and cameos. Happily, both the audio and video presentations are up to par with what was present on the other seasons, even if the special features were a bit on the skimpy side this time.

Is this really the end for our heroes?! I sincerely hope not. The cast was universally strong, the costumes and visual effects were great, and the plots and storylines were close enough to the source material to truly capture the feeling of the comics brought to life. The Titans, as a team, lend themselves well to the small screen and there are certainly many more stories left to tell. Hopefully, we get to explore them at some point. But until then, we have this Titans series which is more than strong enough to warrant repeat viewings - something I'll be starting over myself very soon. Fans of the series will want to pick up Titans: The Fourth and Final Season faster than you can say, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos". Recommended