Titans review: Koriand’r explored Kory’s past but left us wanting more

Titans episode 10, “Koriand’r,” gave us an abridged rundown on Kory’s past on Tamaran; however, the episode left viewers searching for more answers.

After embarking on an excursion into Hank’s sleep-induced and drug alternated flashback sequences, we learned about Hawk and Dove’s past before they became full-fledged vigilantes. Committing to the timely theme, Titans episode 10, “Koriand’r,” started to delve into Kory’s past before she landed on Earth.

Yet despite being her titular episode on the series, Kory received just over 10 minutes of screen time (and yes, we timed it). The title itself might be DC Universe’s most devious misdirection to keep fans from guessing Trigon’s manipulative rise in the series and Dick Grayson’s hallucinations in the next and final episode (thanks to a certain demon).

However, during Hawk and Dove’s two titular episodes (episode 2, “Hawk and Dove,” and episode 9, “Hank and Dawn”) both of the characters featured in the titles rightfully dominated the episode air time. Granted, Hank received significantly more screen time then Dawn in episode 9; however, that’s understandable seeing as Dawn championed the scenes in the second episode.

Thus it’s definitely strange Kory was given such limited screen time in an episode meant to explore her character’s ambiguous identity, both for her and the viewers’ sakes.

Titans — Ep. 109 — “Hank and Dawn” — Photo Credit: Ben Mark Holzberg / 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.  All Rights Reserved

Overall, this episode had a more demonic overtone. That’s expected, given Kory and Rachel’s longstanding and sometimes complicated history with each other both in their televised and comic book iterations. Despite the swift transition from the start of our Tamaran history lesson to meeting Trigon (which we’ll delve into more on a later date), we did learn a bit about Kory Anders (i.e. Koriand’r). Since the title of the episode indicates that it focuses on Kory, we’re going to focus on her character in this review.

Kory feels remorseful for what she did to Rachel

We understand that Kory had no control over herself as she abruptly recovered her sequestered memories, especially since her memories included a critical mission to kill Rachel. Seeing as episode 8 ended with Kory attempting to kill someone who she protected like a daughter, episode 10 finally extended that perpetual suspense.

Titans season 1, episode 10. Photo Credit: DC Universe via Warner Bros.

Kory doesn’t necessarily remember choking Rachel or using her fiery powers on her; however, she immediately understands the gravity of her actions and blames herself, despite her lack of complete consciousness during that moment. Instantly, she looks at Rachel and recognizes the fear on her face, so Kory steps back, likely to make Rachel feel a bit less uneasy around her after she unknowingly attempted homicide.

Titans season 1, episode 10. Photo Credit: DC Universe via Warner Bros.

Since Rachel views Kory not only as a role model but also as a motherly figure (before she was reunited with her birth mother, Angela), Kory also atones herself misguided blame onto herself for Rachel’s residual emotional trauma from the attack. Because Kory loves Rachel as a friend and like a daughter, she immediately distances herself from the rest of the Titans team.

She uses her distance to keep the team safe from herself in her time of uncertainty. Realizing that she unintentionally hurt someone she deeply cares about and has risked her own life to protect, it’s implied that Kory is implicitly afraid of herself and what she might do if she doesn’t find answers about her identity.

Though she tries to push away from Grayson in the scene outside of the factory, Dick supports her because, thankfully, he understands that Kory doesn’t need to be alone and she shouldn’t feel like she needs isolate herself from her friend (either as a self-induced punishment or to protect her found-family).

All things Tamaran

Albeit her scenes were abbreviated, we did learn a bit about Kory’s past. Before Kory embarks on her Tamaranean ship, she responds to a disembodied voice, “X’Hal.” Although we don’t learn anything specifically about X’Hal’s television counterpart, her comic book predecessor has a convoluted and upsetting story arch, which involves physical and sexual abuse, experimentation, cultural genocide, and colonization.

On Titans, given X’Hal’s proximity to Tamaran, viewers can assume that X’Hal’s story arch within the Titans timeline takes place after the Psions invaded her home planet. Hopefully, we’ll see and hear more about X’Hal, the Tamaranean Goddess and Okaaran.

Titans — Ep. 110 — “Koriand’r” — Photo Credit: 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

On board the ship, Kory, Donna, and Dick flip through the Gul’ron Dez Dire when the three learn about why Kory was sent to kill Rachel: Rachel is the portal to Trigon, the disgraced and banished interdimensional demon, and if she doesn’t kill Rachel or stop her connection to her father, Kory’s home planet will be destroyed.

With Tamaran as the next target on Trigon’s planetary destruction agenda, the next episode and Titans season finale will likely focus on stopping Trigon, which will likely take place in the form of Garfield and Grayson temporarily banishing him back to the portal he came from.

Though the remaining episode on DC Universe’s Titans will focus on the demonic plot that’s been looming in the distance (and Grayson’s proceeding demonic hallucinations because of Trigon’s presence on Earth), hopefully, season 2 will continue to give us more answers about Kory’s past. Who knows? We might even catch a glimpse of Kory’s sister, Kom (Komand’r, i.e. Blackfire) in the next season. After all, we still have a lot of unanswered questions about Kory and Tamaran in general.