Facing Your Past
Out of all the superhero shows on TV right now, Doom Patrol is by far the best. After watching Gotham earlier today, the gulf in class between that and this show is really quite extraordinary. This week Doom Patrol returns to winning ways, delivering another amazing episode of emotionally charged drama and a deeper connection with our core group of characters. We begin with a brief look at Larry experiencing pleasant dreams while the Negative Energy was busy connecting Robotman and Jane together. As he continues to struggle with the reality of things, Jane calls a meeting while Cyborg connects his AI up to the mainframe computer. It turns out something extraordinary is happening inside of him but quite what that is, is left up for debate. The ultimately leads him to cut open his skin and check what’s underneath, only to find wires and electronics connecting everything up there too. Sick of the bickering in Doom Manor, Jane teleports Rita and Robotman over to Gator County in a bid to help Cliff reconnect with his daughter. This all comes about after her step-father was involved in an accident. Taking to the stage in a nearby bar after finding her, she gives an emotional speech about her Father and what an inspiration he was, which leads Cliff to theorize that if he saves the day, he could win his daughter back. While Cliff embarks on his mission involving wrestling alligators, the swamp and a precious watch, Negative Man agrees to bring Larry back to his visions after much deliberation. Once there though, Larry refuses to be alone and gets uncomfortable around the crowds which leads him to lament Larry’s lack of change after all these years. When the vision ends with things left unresolved, he leaves the house and visits his long lost love to finally clear the air. When he gets to his house, his lover is an old man now and as they watch the sun rise together and open up about the way they feel about one another, the man passes away leaving Larry to think about his life. The episode then ends on another cliffhanger after Jane and Cyborg’s ambush results in the latter being kidnapped and thrown into a dark, dingy room. As the person responsible for kidnapping him steps forward into the light, we’re left wondering quite where Doom Patrol will go from here. Doom Patrol continues to surprise and this week’s episode is arguably the best since the show came on air. While that’s quite a bold statement to make, especially given the other episodes on offer, the emotional consequences every character faces here works beautifully. The contrasting story all smashing into one another as they experience heart ache and pain while the overarching plot continues to develop. Quite where Doom Patrol goes from here is anyone’s guess but based on this showing, it can only lead to good places.
