WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Titans Season 2 episode "Bruce Wayne," streaming now on DC Universe.
Forget the nightmare-vision murderer and the genteel father figure, this week's episode of Titans establishes the best version of Bruce Wayne is the Batusi-performing, imaginary one.
Although Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) displayed a dash of that Adam West warmth and charm in the Season 2 premiere, he cranks that up to 11 in "Bruce Wayne," where he serves as the manifestation of Dick Grayson's guilty conscience. Tormented not only by Jason Todd nearly dying in the previous episode, but only by his own role in the death of Slade Wilson's son, Jericho, Dick (Brenton Thwaites) is prodded and ridiculed by visions of his mentor. "Bruce" mocks his former protege's failures as a leader, a rolls his eyes at his apparent inability to remember precisely when the Titans last faced Deathstroke, a disastrous encounter that led to the team's disbandment (note: it was five years ago, not six or seven).
When Dick sets off on his own in an effort to track down Deathstroke, his conscience of course follows, expressing doubt about his plan ("Everything else has gone so well"), and then provoking him to violence ("Why don't you stick his head in the deep fryer?"). But it's when Dick arrives at a cabaret, in search of information about Slade's associate Wintergreen, that "Bruce" really shines.
As Dick questions one of Wintergreen's former love interests, Bruce materializes onstage, between twin fan dancers. And, Boy Wonder, does he have the moves. Smiling broadly, he further antagonizes his one-time sidekick as he moves to the music before smoothly transitioning into the Batusi, originated by Adam West's Caped Crusader in the 1966 premiere of Batman, "Hi Diddle Riddle."
In that episode, Batman pays a visit to the surprisingly brightly lit disco, What A Way To Go-Go, in an effort to solve the Riddler's clue. There, a drinks spiked orange juice, and dances the Batusi with the villain's assistant, Molly (Jill St. John), before succumbing to the effects of the drug.
The Batusi became iconic (it was reprised in the Season 1 episode "The Pharaoh's in a Rut"), and has been homaged over the decades, in comics and animation, and in such films and television series as Pulp Fiction and The X-Files. However, few likely expected the dance move to appear on DC Universe's Titans, which eschews camp for a significantly darker tone.
Bruce's work isn't finished with the dance number, however. He guides, questions and cajoles Dick throughout the episode until he finally arrives at the decision he should have made a long time ago: to unburden himself of the secret he's carried for the past five years. With that Bruce fades away, presumably to Batusi in someone else's head.
Streaming now on DC Universe, Titans Season 2 stars Brenton Thwaites as Dick Grayson, Anna Diop as Kory Anders, Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth, Ryan Potter as Garfield Logan, Curran Walters as Jason Todd and Conor Leslie as Donna Troy, with Minka Kelly as Dawn Granger, Alan Ritchson as Hank Hall, Joshua Orpin as Superboy, Chelsea Zhang as Rose Wilson, Chella Man as Jericho, Drew Van Acker as Aqualad, Esai Morales as Deathstroke and Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne.