Warning! Spoilers ahead for Titans season 3, episode 5
The flashback narrative in Titans season 3, episode 5, “Lazarus,” makes a Red Hood redemption possible, and in turn makes the show’s portrayal of Scarecrow significantly darker. Previously Red Hood had seemed irredeemably evil while the stoner version of Scarecrow came across as almost goofy in comparison. Episode 5 showed what really lay beneath both of those facades.
After his death at the hands of Joker in Titans season 3, episode 1, the ex-Robin, Jason Todd (Curran Walters), returned from the dead as the villain Red Hood. Episode 5 of the latest season of Titans demonstrated that Scarecrow (Vincent Kartheiser) was behind his resurrection and had used one of Ra’s Al Ghul’s Lazarus Pits to bring him back. Scarecrow is first introduced as a prisoner in Arkham Asylum that is working as a consultant with the Gotham PD. Jonathan Crane seems relatively harmless at first, eager to trade information for drugs and easily getting caught in traps around the cabin that Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) takes him to, but that depiction takes on a new light when Scarecrow is revealed as the mastermind behind Red Hood’s creation.
Red Hood’s crimes played into the previous depictions of Jason as violent and rage-filled, but it was conceivable that the Titans might forgive him if he showed a genuine change of heart. However, Titans season 3, episode 3, “Hank and Dove” made the character seem irredeemable through his drawn-out murder of the Titan Hank/Hawk (Alan Ritchson) and his lack of remorse for the act. Yet, the depiction of Scarecrow at the beginning of episode 5 demonstrates that he was behind each step of Red Hood’s plan. When Jason shows concern about the plan having killed Hawk he demonstrates a glimmer of good that signals he might be redeemed later. In turn, Scarecrow’s callous disregard responding “who’s Hawk?” and making a joke shows how ruthless and dark the character really is.
The latest episode of Titans spent its flashback to show the human side of Jason Todd, signaling to viewers that he is not beyond redemption with a vision of Donna telling him that he “still has time.” Introducing his longstanding friendship with Molly is instrumental to this, with his quip “you still trying to save me?” and her retort “always” likely to be called back to later in the season. Jason is shown being pushed to his limit by his own fear of failure and a loss of identity in a similar way to the character’s comic book narrative where he learns that Bruce thought that he was a failure as Robin in “Batman R.I.P.” It is key to his potential redemption that his very first action as Red Hood is to complete his mission with Molly of saving Diego Martinez.
It’s in stark contrast to Jason’s potential redemption that Scarecrow’s true colors are shown. Beyond his disregard for Hank’s death, it becomes clear how much he is manipulating Jason by controlling his fear. While Jason originally made a drug to be able to face Joker, Scarecrow presents his own version of the drug that presumably has additional effects and pressures Jason into taking it. This takes Scarecrow’s recreational drug use, which can be seen more positively through its modern legalization in many US states, and twists it to make him an oppressive force.
All of this makes Scarecrow’s goofiness read as unsettling, notably as he dances to “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” in his Arkham hideout and prepares his plan to wreak havoc and terror on all of Gotham. All of this keeps the new spin on the character present while bringing in darker elements that more classically track with the comic book character and the Cillian Murphy portrayal of Scarecrow that many viewers will be familiar with from the Christopher Nolan movies. Titans’ season 3 looked set to use Red Hood as its main villain, but this change makes Scarecrow the more dramatically evil figure, which aligns with the fact that Kartheiser is not expected to return for season 4.
Titans releases new episodes every Thursday on HBO Max.
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