After last episode’s puzzling choice to focus on two minor characters, we get back to the main story with only one episode after this. Things are building to a head, and there are some big surprises about some characters’ origins and true allegiances. And we finally get to see one of the first Titans in action. There’s a lot going on in the not really well named “Koriand’r.”

 

I guess to make the “Hank and Dawn” episode make more sense, this one starts with Rachel wandering lost in some strange, echoing hallway, and we see her side of those few appearances of hers in that story. This strange and never quite explained side-trip ends with Rachel snapping back to the present, and Kory trying to kill her. Most of the team goes down fighting Kory, but Donna bursts in with one of her trademark weapons and subdues Kory with minimal effort. The true powerhouse on this team is the Titan formerly known as Wonder Girl. The Titans logo even looks different after this fight.

 

In the shocked aftermath, the team tries to figure out what just happened. Angela isn’t in the mood for explanations, and wants Kory out of her house, NOW. Rachel worries she did something wrong trying to heal Kory’s memories, and Angela assures her she didn’t. Gar figures out who Donna is, and is just as star-struck as when he learned Dick was Robin. Either the earlier Titans got more famous than it has seemed so far, or Gar is a huge hero fan. Kory wakes up and has no idea what happened, looking very confused at the others. Suddenly getting some flashbacks of her missing memories, Kory says she needs to go and takes off, leaving behind a stunned team and a sobbing Rachel. Dick tries to get Kory to stop, fails, and Donna pulls a cool trick to keep tabs on the wayward Titan.

 

Angela takes care of Rachel in the aftermath of the attack, and Rachel wonders what happened with her friend. Gar brings Rachel an ice pack, and Angela leaves to make them some food. Because it’s perfectly natural for the mother of a teenager to leave her in her bedroom with a boy she doesn’t know sitting on the bed with her daughter. Angela doesn’t go to make food, but wanders into another room, fidgets with a few things, and there’s a lot of tense build up with the only pay off being a phone call that ends up being strange noises. Dick and Donna follow Kory, having a conversation that covers Kory’s motives, Dick’s love life, and the brilliant dialogue of “She’s not a killer. She kills people sometimes.” That’s kinda what “killer” means, Dick.

 

In more scenes that don’t quite work, Angela goes outside to tend the garden, which looks to be in remarkable shape for having been left on its own for years. Angela cuts her thumb, which seems like it should trigger something, but all that happens is Thomas Carson, a guy she knew from high school, shows up asking questions. At least that part makes some degree of sense as we learn he’s with the sheriff’s office. They sort of flirt and he drives off. Kory gets a brief scene of her just driving. Yup, driving. No car chase, no realizing she’s being followed, no flashbacks, just her driving along. Why we needed that scene, I have no idea.

 

Gar and Rachel finally get fed, which Gar eats enthusiastically and Rachel pokes at. She’s still worried she did something to Kory. Angela comes in and sees this and apologizes for not having much to work with in the food department. Gar is sure that “Dick and Wonder Girl” will figure everything out. The boy has a bad case of hero worship. Rachel starts suddenly wallowing in despair and tells Gar he needs to leave, because everyone she’s near gets hurt. This mood change came on sharply with no warning, although I may have a theory about this and something that happens later. She snaps at Gar, who then wanders off. Angela asks what’s wrong, and Rachel admits she drove Gar off because he was trying to make her feel better, which leads to some odd mother/daughter bonding. Gar goes to the room Angela was in earlier, and has an unsettling experience with a mirror. He goes outside, and hallucinates the tech he killed back at the asylum. Rachel finds him and apologizes, and he says he has to go lay down.

 

Kory arrives at yet another big abandoned industrial place, which seem to recur a lot on this show. Dick and Donna arrive immediately behind her, which isn’t subtle. Kory doesn’t seem to be either surprised or mad that she was followed, she’s too busy having flashbacks and staring at the building. Dick offers help, which she refuses, and she breaks the chain at the door to get in. She does ask who Donna is, and gets, “I’m the one who knocked you out,” for an answer. They go inside, and, after some wandering, all get scanned by some odd purple light. I guess it likes what it sees, as the cloaking field shuts down and they see Kory’s ship. A hatch opens, Kory goes in, and, after looking at each other for a moment, so do the others.

 

Angela looks in on Gar, who is out cold on the bed. Me, I wouldn’t be sleeping in the same room as the weird mirror, but I guess Gar didn’t care by then. Angela encourages Rachel to rest, and they end up talking about the nature of the strange power inside her. Donna admits to being impressed by the spaceship, and Koriand’r tells them what she remembers of her home and her mission. Kory paints a grim tale, and Donna makes a connection from the images they see, both on the computer and in an old book.

 

Back at Chateau Azarath, Gar is looking worse and worse. He makes it to the bathroom and collapses. Angela wakes up Rachel and tells her Gar is sick. Angela says she doesn’t know what’s happening, and then has to go answer a knock at the door. Despite the late hour, Thomas is back with flowers because he saw the lights on. What is he, staking the place out? He sees what’s going on, can’t get his phone to work, and follows Angela’s directions to the landline in the kitchen to get help. The other three are driving back, worried about what’s happening to their friends, and trying to find a way to prevent the dark tale Koriand’r told them from coming true.

 

Thomas can’t get through on the land line either, and then gets an idea what’s going on, but gets it too late and is more or less removed from the play of events. Angela tells Rachel she has to use her powers to help Gar, and the young hero tries. When she’s not up to the task, Angela comes up with another plan that sounds like a bad idea, even to Rachel. But, she’s desperate enough to go along with it, and things get a lot worse.

 

The others get most of the way there and their car dies, along with all the power in the area. As the three Titans start running, there’s an unexpected reunion in the house. The others get to where the house should be, and just see a few specks of energy floating around. Dick charges forward and disappears, but when the others try, they slam into some unseen barrier. There are some dark claims made inside, and the episode ends with Dick getting to the house and going in.

 

What I liked: Seeing Donna in action was great. She’s the best and truest adaptation in this series. I’m glad Kory has at least most of her memories back. The ship was kind of cool. I believe the relationship between Dick and Donna. Gar’s hero worship is at least consistent.

What I didn’t: Gar continues to get the short end of the stick, and is not only mostly window-dressing, but just a victim. The house is in great shape, with power, water, and phones after being vacant so long. Several of these scenes didn’t really work, like Angela in the room alone and Kory driving. Dick’s confusion about what “killer” means was just odd. And, once again, there are several scenes that are ridiculously dark. I don’t mean thematically, although that happens, too. I mean, they are like the Battle of Winterfell scenes everyone complained about in Game of Thrones; it was hard to see what was happening.

 

It was an odd, uneven episode. I’ll give it a 2.5 out of 5. I’m really not sure how they’re wrapping all this up in one more episode.