WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Titans Season 3, Episode 1, "Barbara Gordon," available now on HBO Max.
The Season 3 premiere of Titans started with one of the most iconic deaths in comic book history. In the first few minutes of the episode, viewers are shown the brutal and merciless death of Jason Todd (Curran Walters) at the hands of the Joker. His death triggers Bruce's (Iain Glen) longtime ally Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) to return to Gotham and pick up the pieces following the tragic event. While in Gotham, viewers also learn how Batman's father figure and longtime friend, Alfred Pennyworth, passed away.
In the comics, Alfred has always been at Bruce's side during his crusade for justice. That being said, while he doesn't make many appearances in Titans, his brief scenes further solidify just how much of a rock he was to the Bat-family. In one of his earliest appearances in Season 1, Episode 3, "Origins," Alfred is heard voicing his disapproval of Bruce, as he includes a recently adopted Dick in his heroic activities. Alfred also gives Dick money to help Rachel Roth (Teagan Croft) and is mentioned to be still communicating with Bruce in Season 2.
In Season 3 of Titans, viewers are kept in the dark about Alfred's fate as Dick goes to console Bruce. To Dick, Bruce's behavior seems out of place and unhealthy since he is compartmentalizing his emotions and diving into work. Dick even calls out the irony of the situation, reminding Bruce that he was the one who told Dick not to bottle up his emotions in the Season 2 finale. However, Bruce doesn't listen and continues his war against crime.
Without options, Dick turns to Barbara Gordon (Savannah Welch) for help and explains how Bruce has been acting. Barbara then reminds him of how Bruce acted the same way during Alfred's funeral, nonchalantly confirming that Alfred died between Seasons 2 and 3. By validating Bruce's behavior as a habit rather than a reaction, the seeds are planted to show how much more unhinged the Dark Knight has become since Alfred's passing. In the previous season, Bruce was far more open and fatherly with Dick, but following Alfred's death, there is a distinct change in his personality.
Dick's dinner with Bruce and Barbara adds more fuel to the fire as Barbara confronts Bruce's approach to fighting crime and his lack of care concerning his adopted children. Barbara believes he is recruiting soldiers instead of children and voices her shame in him before leaving. Everything comes to a head when Dick finds Bruce already scouting for a replacement and even offering the job to Dick, stating, "I can't do this alone."
Alfred was always the voice of reason for Bruce and kept him from becoming the same thing he fights every night. Unfortunately, when Alfred died, Bruce was as alone as he was when his parents died. This, coupled with failing to keep Jason safe, has Bruce's mental health in a nosedive. Bruce needs family like Alfred more than anyone else, and without anyone to talk him off the edge, he eventually does the unthinkable, breaking his one rule, and kills the Joker in cold blood.
The first three episodes of Titans Season 3 are available now on HBO Max. Episode 4 will release on Aug. 19.
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