We were promised a “Titans around the globe” feel this season, and "Trust" provides the first glimpse at what Glen Murakami and his creative team meant.

When we last left the Titans, The Brotherhood of Evil was poised to strike, and their cunning plan was to start on the fringe, thinning out the reserve Titans while gathering intelligence on the main team members.

"Trust" opens with Wildebeest in danger. While running scared in the desert, he frantically attempts to contact Robin and the rest of the team on his Titans communicator with Madame Rouge hot on his tail. His attempt proves futile, as Rouge catches up to him, although his fate remains uncertain as we only witness the destruction of his communicator.

The Brain’s plan is simple: obtain possession of a Titan communicator so the Brotherhood can listen in on Titan conversations. The next target on the chopping block is Hotspot, who Rouge finds steadfast in pursuit of a petty thief through the back alleys of a small town.

Admittedly, skepticism seemed to suggest that these episodes would play differently, with the cameos promised comprising of simply the first five minutes of the episode, tops, before the rest of the familiar Titans swoop in to battle the Brotherhood of Evil. Not only did this episode debunk all preconceived notions in this arena, it also accomplished something far more unexpected.

In the process of establishing Hotspot as more than merely a background character, "Trust" manages to make Madame Rouge dangerous…strike that, deadly. We don’t know if she actually killed off Wildebeest, although this is unlikely given the circumstances. However, the ruthless situations Hotspot finds himself in while facing Rouge are uncompromisingly lethal.

The action is fast paced and strikingly nerve racking, in part because we half expect the Titans to show up before they finally do. In the process, Hotspot’s desperate position is made increasingly grimmer as Rouge manages to manipulate the circumstances into her favor.

At first, her powers seem to be misrepresented in part, as she only seems to display her ability to become whatever she wishes in ways that simply bend and contort her form at will to dodge Hotspot’s flame blasts. Her powers, however, are far greater in capability, as she can literally take the shape of anyone she wishes to, becoming a chameleon and capable of tricking anyone with her perfect replications.

When she learns that Hotspot’s heat powers prevent her from touching him, she decides to step back and play a mind game to outwit her prey. Posing as Robin, Rouge attempts to coax Hotspot to power down, knowing that she will be able to overpower him once his heat has been switched off. Hotspot questions Robin’s leadership choices, and at times Rouge pushes too far.

Truth be told, there is another level at work here that adds yet another layer of complexity to this Titan season. Specifically, Rouge seems anxious to take out the Titans herself, despite The Brain’s strict orders to follow his commands. She seems interested in luring both Robin and Hotspot to their doom, and although Robin manages to escape with his life, we are left in the dark regarding the fate of Hotspot.

One thing is for sure, the Brotherhood still manages to get their hands on a Titan communicator and proves that even Robin is susceptible to Madame Rouge’s guile.

The Boy Wonder isn't perfect after all.

With this new format allowing the Titan reserve members a chance to shine in the spotlight, this leaves hope that we may actually see some developments with characters such as Kid Flash and Jericho in future episodes. The latter could open up windows to revisit Slade and Terra territory, and perhaps create a bridge between earlier seasons and the current arc.

Next up: "For Real." Nope, this isn’t an Ali G episode, it’s the Titans, and everyone’s favorite Harry Knowles reference, the Control Freak, returns. Here is the test for season five: will "For Real" hold up to the stellar start so far? One thing is for certain, the return of Titans East seems promising. See ya in six or seven!

Mario Anima