“Doom Patrol” which is streaming on the DC Universe app features follows the story of a group of unfortunate who have each suffered a personal tragedy, imbuing them with powers but awful side-effects. It’s an impressive cast, to say the least. Bizarre, weird, strange are descriptions that barely begin to cover the insanity that the show is housed in.
“Doom Patrol” has Cliff Steel, a race car driver who suffered a car accident losing the use of his body, having his brain placed in a robot frame (voiced by Brendan Fraser/ robot body Riley Shanahan). Crazy Jane who has 64 distinct personalities within her each with their own powers (played by Diane Guerrero). Larry Trainor who was an Air Force test pilot in the 50s who crashed after breaking through the atmosphere, leaving him disfigured, irradiated, and bonded with a “negative cosmic entity” (voiced by Matt Bomer and portrayed in his bandaged form by Matthew Zuk). Rita Farr a golden age Hollywood star who, due to an accident on the set of her final film, left her body in a semi goop form (played by April Bowlby). Vic Stone, famously Cyborg, an up and coming superhero in the group (played by Joivan Wade). This hodgepodge group of misfits is brought together by genius Niles Caulder, whose advances in tech and the interestingly arcane saved their lives (played by Timothy Dalton).
As the show develops it delves into the unique characters through not only confrontation but weel placed flashbacks. What you learn early on in the show is these people were utter failures as human beings. You see lives that were dominated by selfish, narcissistic, cowardly choices, and the path they each took came with no small amount of pain for the people in their lives. What unfolds is a journey of broken people dealing with the issues of their lives and the pains of their current predicaments. The underlying theme of pain and loss is subverted through the first season by a larger arc of healing. These characters have to navigate utterly bizarre villains and off the wall situations to become heroes, whether they wanted to or not. Coming face to face with their issues becomes integral in the group becoming cohesive, but that is tenuous at best.
“Doom Patrol” presents a group of broken people who’s accidents pales in comparison to the mess they’ve already made of themselves. During season 1, the enigmatic villain Mr. Nobody (played by Alan Tudyk) brilliantly breaks the fourth wall as he menaces the team. But it’s interesting the damage he causes them doesn’t come from brute force, but rather by playing on their individual fears, and insecurities. While conversely the character Danny the street, is a kind, powerful, genderqueer, living street that is a haven to all sorts of beautiful souls free to live and be themselves. Danny is the antithesis to all the conflict the team experiences. The end result of finding peace and forgiveness in yourself and becoming a better you.
As far as action the show has its fair share but it usually falls back on the notion that displays of force are basically ineffectual when compared to the team’s greatest strength; talking, with several scenes are set up to resemble group therapy. As abrasive and angry a character may seem at a given time you see the soft flow of vulnerability lying just underneath. The show leaves you less amazed they fought an incomprehensible threat and saved the day but more so that they are still together at all.
A new addition to the team in the second season is Dorothy Spinner, played wonderfully by Abigail Shapiro. She is a one-hundred-year-old primate faced 11-year-old girl. The daughter of Nile Caulder can manifest her imaginary friends, one of whom is evil and powerful to leave the world in two, the Candle Maker.
“Doom Patrol” is a reflection of our traumas, and fears but at the same time is emulates our desires to grow as healthy individuals, connected to each other with love and acceptance.
Getting out of our own ways is sometimes harder than beating a reality-bending sociopath or navigating dimensional door housed in a donkey, as any talking cockroach can tell you.
Written by Victor Mercado
