Hey everyone, finally our Doom Patrol review has been posted that Seppin has been working very hard on completing. Below is the video where I talk about Doom Patrol. ANd below that is the whole review that you can read. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you!
Doom Patrol. A wacky and crazy group of strange characters from the reaches of the DC Universe. Filled with crazy characters like a robot and a woman with multiple personalities. This show was meant to explore the weird and crazy part of DC unlike anything before. They set out to create a show unlike any other. So, how did the newest original series on DC Universe do?
In a short answer, I would say yes It does a great job exploring the strange side of DC. Doom Patrol succeeds in its crazy adventure with strange story lines and weird characters that you can’t help but love. Each episode is incredible and gripping. The characters’ stories all feel natural and interesting. The quality of the show is a noticeable step up from Titans and clearly shows how the DC Universe can be a successful platform with great quality. And overall, I believe that it is one of my favorite shows that I have ever watched because it feels like a comic book story arc ala Grant Morrison.
But let’s get into my long-term analysis.
Doom Patrol:
As a comic, I never was really interested in reading about them. The only character that I sort of liked was Robotman, but everyone likes Robotman. My only experience prior to watching this series was from the Teen Titans animated series and from that brilliant episode of Titans. This is major because Doom patrol is not a major team like the Justice League or the titans, heck even the Guardians of Galaxy is more well known now. However, I had also heard that Grant Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol was incredible and was some of his best work. Granted that I am not a big fan of Grant Morrison, I can’t help but read his work even though some of it infuriates me. My brother, Wyatt, read quite a few of the stories and was excited about the show, so I had hope.
And I was pleasantly surprised by getting the oddest show to ever be made. It contains concepts from other comic book properties, like Deadpool’s fourth wall breaks. However, this show has more of them than Ryan Reynolds could dream of, and the group of losers much like Marvel’s Guardians or the Suicide Squad. However, there is one aspect of a show that has never been shown before in a comic book film or franchise. And that is family. I believe that it is an important theme in this series because it starts us with Cliff and how he lost his family. To triumphantly gain a new one of strange and interesting people. Sure, it takes time to see the family get together, but by the end, you can’t help but notice how each of the characters has grown towards each other and how significant the family feature has changed. I love it. It is not something you see in every show and its heartwarming despite being found in the strangest show ever created.
But the theme that I want to discuss most is that of comfort. The next theme that I find very apparent is being comfortable in your own body. I think that you could analyze this show and easily come up with close to a hundred examples of this. Each character exemplifies this theme. And I will show you as I talk about these characters.
This show is very accurate and each character’s origin is straight from the comics. And for those that weren’t too sure, Brendan Fraiser is a perfect Cliff Steele. He plays the screw-up racecar driving father well and his voice surprisingly works as Robotman. His acting is not in question in this show because it works, he can play the screw up very well and his acting as a Robot works for him too. Not to bash on him of course, but his talent of “yelling is acting passionately” works wonders in this role. He is a great Robotman and he fits the theme very well. He lost his body in an accident and only his brain survives. He is then put into a Robot and becomes Robotman. He is constantly dealing with the troubles of being a robot and the difficulty of not being able to feel, taste, touch anything. He hates it and shows us a man who doesn’t like his body. He doesn’t want to be a Robot. And it fits the theme wonderfully. The first episode does this by showing us his transition into becoming a robot and lets the audience start to care for him and his transition. Overall, Robotman is a highlight of this series and gives us some of the best lines in the show.
Now, I would love to get into Crazy Jane’s many personas on their own, because each is a completely different character. This acting should be praised for because Diane Guerrero does an incredible job bringing someone different to the fray with every character. Although Hammerhead is my favorite, I believe we should talk about Jane. She is crazy and is constantly dealing with the other people inside her head trying to take over and also her traumatic past haunting her. She never lets anyone get to close in fear of them hurting her or her hurting them. In the show, she grows quite attached to Robotman creating an almost father-daughter relationship even though Jane fights it constantly telling him to leave. But it’s because of her own insecurities that she does this. In a certain episode, she even debates leaving the team and accepting Mr. Nobody’s deal to send her back to before things were crazy. However, she overcomes this with the help of hammerhead who pushes Jane against it. Equally, Jane’s character and lines are needed for this show because it is an absolute delight to see her in each scene. She is incredible.
Rita Fahr is a character with a more physical reason why she isn’t comfortable in her own skin. After a tragic incident on set of one of her films. Rita is changed to have these powers over her body allowing her to shape it and mold down. However, she isn’t quite like mister fantastic and has less control of her powers in the show causing her to become a blob from a 60s horror film. So, how does April Bowlby do? She is good. At points, you wonder why she feels like she’s acting all the times, but then you remember that she was an actress and that’s all that she knows. She is also the most sensible in the group. She refuses to go on crazy quests, but also sees a chance to help others and takes it. Out of everyone, I believe that Rita is the most heroic. In the episodes about the Decreator, I’m not joking that is a world-ending monster’s name, she comforts and tries to help a boy who brought this being about and you see that Rita wants to help people. She is the best when it comes to overcoming her disabilities and trying to be herself. It is powerful to see her get past that and trying to accept who she really is. Rita is a great character and I want to see her play the hero role more often.
Now there is Larry Trainer, who is played by Matt Boomer. At first glance, his costume design is incredible looking. Negative Man’s outfit is perfect with the comics and so is Boomer’s acting. He is guilt-ridden and constantly sorry for himself. At points, it slows down the show but also allows the viewer to see how much difficulty Larry is going through. Before his body burned and a mysterious force entered his body, Larry was having difficulty accepting his homosexuality. He tried to keep it a secret and it tortured him. We see that this is a defining part of his character and makes his burns on his body almost metaphorical for the pain he’s put himself through because he refused to accept himself. In the show as a whole, they do an incredible job portraying the LGBTQ community with episodes like Danny Patrol leading the charge on the silver screen. Doom Patrol is filled with strong statements and doesn’t shy away from talking about such topics and in facts embraces them. Larry’s arc in the show lets us watch him grow as he accepts himself and starts to be himself. Larry’s story is wonderful and shows a man learning to accept his body and his sexuality.
Next, is a tricky one and that is Niles Caulder, AKA the chief. When I heard that Timothy Dalton was recast to play the chief, Wyatt and I freaked out because we both knew that was a dream casting made in heaven. So, how does he do in the show? Unsurprisingly, his acting is great and suits the fatherly character quite well. He even pulls off the darker side of Niles and makes me yearn for a Professor Xavier to do the same thing. He is screwed up, but ultimately wishes to help these people and wants to help them learn to accept themselves. My only issue is that I want to see more of him. For story-driven reasons he is not with the team and spends the majority of the episodes off-screen. However, that is only a slight issue I have and can be easily fixed in a second season. Overall, his character is great and I just wish to see more of him.
Our last hero is not common with the Doom Patrol, but Cyborg is a vital part of this show. He is one of the most interesting characters because he is a hero already, but he is still trying to get used to his new cyber organic attachments. He fits well with the Doom patrol because of this and continues our trend of not feeling comfortable in your own skin because Vic is constantly worried about not having control of his body and fears to lose himself and becoming a complete robot. In a way, he is a foil character to Robot man. They are both now machines learning their bodies, but where Robotman chooses to sit around, Vic uses his newfound talents to help others and truly is a Superhero. Joivan Wade pulls a great performance and would work very well with other characters like the Titans. Overall, Cyborg is a welcome addition to the Doom Patrol.
Here we are the final character. The greatest character in all of Doom Patrol. The true star! Admiral Whiskers…
No that can’t be right. No no no. You’ve done this haven’t you? Mr. Nobody!
Yes, Alan Tudyk’s villain is the greatest villain I have seen on a DC show. He is constantly speaking to the audience due to his incredible reality-bending powers that appear to have no limit. This makes for an impossible foe that leads the viewer to wonder just how our heroes are going to stop him. Well, I refuse to spoil it. His character is interesting because he plays a normal bad guy that is out for revenge, but he is a loser, a nobody until he gets his powers and uses them. His only true desire is for revenge and to finally be noticed and to have the perfect story. His fourth wall breaking scenes are welcome and are some of the best bits of the show. No joke the end to one episode creeped me out because he is just talking to the screen to the viewer and it is strange. But utterly amazing because he brings an air of humor to his performance that is Fantastic. I love Alan Tudyk now just because of his performance here. He sells the show easily. If you weren’t sure about watching it before, just watch any scene with him in it and you will suddenly become interested in this crazy ride that Doom Patrol takes us on.
So, what did I think of the show? I loved it and its characters. I thought that the quality of the show is unmatched and that the characters were all utterly incredible with a villain that is mind-bendingly brilliant. It is a strange and fantastic show with crazy plots unlike any other show before it. It changes what a comic book show should be like and shows that even the weirder side fo comics have a place in the cinematic universe. I love this show and would easily rank it a 9.5/10. It is really that good. This show sells DC Universe because of the quality and the uniqueness that it creates. Each episode is a wild adventure that you can’t wait to experience. It’s a great show and I want to see it continue.
Where do I want it to go? Well, that is a tricky question because I don’t know much about the Doom Patrol and their stories. However, I do want to see more of the Chief and also Flex Mentallo. I think that he is a great character and I want to learn more about him. As for an overarching villain, I question whether they need one. I think that Mr. Nobody was great, but I think that if they were to instead focus on their family aesthetic instead and maybe even start making them heroes could allow for a slew of stories. And if they wanted a villain, then I would recommend the Bureau of Normalcy because they are established and could be a great threat to heroes going public. Another group of villains that could easily make their appearance is the Brotherhood of evil, who was constantly referenced in the first season. It would be a waste to not expand on them and have them make their epic return.
Overall, Doom Patrol is a great show and I can’t wait to see where all these wacky characters go next. This is my first in-depth review I have done and I would like some feedback. Did I do a good job? Are there some parts I should improve on? What did you think and what do you want to see me review next?
~Seppin
~Rek
SeppinRek 