Doom Patrol Patrol
No, I didn’t make a mistake when I typed that header. The latest episode of Doom Patrol, released on Friday, is entitled Doom Patrol Patrol and it certainly lives up to its name.
Minor Spoilers Ahead!
Still recovering from the events of the previous episode, our heroes find themselves broken up once again. This time, Cliff and Jane aren’t together as they have been in every other episode. Instead, Jane, Larry, and Rita head out to find the Doom Patrol…..the original Doom Patrol, as part of a plan placed into motion by Mr. Nobody. Rita doesn’t believe that working with Mr. Nobody is a good idea, but Jane’s teleporting personality, Flit, whisks the trio away to a school that is being run by the original team of Mento, Celsius, and Lodestone. Also at the school is its director, Joshua Clay.
While at the school, Jane uncovers a dark secret about the original Doom Patrol. She also learns about her potential future at the school. Rita attempts to heal herself emotionally by rekindling her relationship with Mento and Larry makes a discovery of his own while befriending Celsius.
Victor’s father arrives at Doom Manor to reboot him after his arm cannon exploded and Cliff set off his safety protocols in order to keep Victor alive. When he arrives there are a few tense moments between Cliff, Victor, and Dr. Silas Stone. We get to learn a little bit more about the relationship between Victor and his father, and Cliff seeks out more information about his daughter.
Things start to unravel at the Doom School once Mento begins losing control of himself while talking with Rita. Jane learns what is really going on and she, Larry, and Rita all face off against their own darkest fears. While this part of the show chips away at all three characters, it only hints at what made them who they are in the present. The episode ends with the revelation of a dark secret, Jane questioning her loyalty to the Chief, and a bond slowly growing between Cliff and Victor. We also see the sad fate of the original Doom Patrol and watch as all of the current members tackle their own inner demons.
This was a sad episode in many ways. Cliff’s heart is broken by information he discovers about his daughter. Victor and his father are still estranged, but someone gives Silas a heavy dose of reality that softens the tension between he and Victor. Rita begins to see herself as perhaps uglier on the inside than the outside. Jane is crushed by what she learns at the school. Larry has issues as well, but we aren’t given enough information about his problem to know what is really going on inside of his mind. The most painful thing about the episode is seeing what happened to the original Doom Patrol. All of these moments were played out with a tender hand. This was an excellent episode.
Cast members for this episode included:
- Brendan Fraser/Riley Shanahan as Robotman/Cliff Steele
- Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane/Kay Challis
- Joivan Wade as Cyborg/Victor Stone
- April Bowlby as Elasti-Woman/Rita Farr
- Matt Bomer/Matthew Zuk as Negative Man/Larry Trainor
- Timothy Dalton as Dr. Niles Caulder/Chief
- Phil Morris as Dr. Silas Stone
- Will Kemp as Mento/Steve Dayton
- Jasmine Kaur as Celsius/Arani Desai
- Lesa Wilson as Lodestone/Rhea Jones
- Alimi Ballard as Joshua Clay
As always, thank you for reading my post. I plan on making one or two more posts this week, so keep an eye out for them! Doom Patrol is seriously one of the best shows that I’ve come across in a long time. It’s thought-provoking, humorous, and does an excellent job at making the viewer feel for the characters. Give it a shot. You won’t be disappointed.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 