WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Titans Season 3, Episode 6, "Lady Vic," available now on HBO Max.
In Titans' third season, fans were shocked to learn Dr. Jonathan Crane (Vincent Kartheiser) was the one pulling Jason Todd's (Curran Walters) strings. He helped develop the anti-fear toxin, which led to Jason dying and becoming Red Hood. Worst of all, Jason leaked all the Bat-family's secrets to Crane, making him the ultimate villain. Interestingly, as the latest episode indicates, rather than a collaboration, their relationship is pretty similar to Star Wars' Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
As deadly as Jason is, Crane thinks of him as a pet, calling him his "Padawan learner" in jest. Soon enough, however, we see Scarecrow does follow Sith doctrines. Jason wants to step up their drugging of the city to make Gotham fearless, so it can descend into carnage -- their chemical Death Star, if you will -- but Crane urges patience. He's the master of this operation, and when he subjugates Red Hood, it feels a lot like what Palpatine did.
In the Marvel comics especially, we see the Emperor physically beating down Vader, torturing him mentally and time and time again -- especially with the emergence of Luke Skywalker -- reminding him that he's replaceable. It's something he's done with all his apprentices, and Crane follows in that trend by showing an insubordinate Jason a toxic scene to remind him of his place.
During a hospital slaughter, he has Jason look on as Lady Vic slices people apart, telling him that he better fall in line or there'll be someone else to take his spot alongside Scarecrow. It's the Sith Rule of Two and a clear parallel to Palpatine and Vader. This is also Crane proving he knows every move on the chess board, and he is, in fact manipulating a big game and controlling plays, which is what Palpatine did -- particularly to bring himself back in The Rise of Skywalker.
Jason doesn't take kindly to this, however, as it stirs the emotional maelstrom within, just like it did for Vader. Both characters actually crave justice, but on their terms. The two also have another thing in common: they don't like someone telling them how to do things -- Batman and Nightwing for Jason, and in Vader's case, the Jedi Order. To both 'heroes,' these folks are systems of oppression, ergo their dark turns. It just so happens that their new overlords turn out to be more of the same.
It speaks to why Jason lost himself, killing Hawk and harming Tim Drake's family, evoking the casualties Vader caused when he let the beast inside consume him, such as Obi-Wan Kenobi. But ultimately, just like Vader had light inside, Red Hood does too, because we see Jason in a panic, as his Robin doesn't like the murderous path they're on now.
This isn't the change Jason wanted, so there's a slight chance he could indeed be redeemed. However, he might not survive if he continues this way, which would once more nod to how Vader died after 'stopping' Palpatine in Return of the Jedi.
The first six episodes of Titans Season 3 are available now on HBO Max. Episode 7 releases Sept. 16.
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