Spoilers. Also each episode had been written as they released so they reflect that.
Dumb Patrol
Back with another episode of Doom Patrol. Last episode we were left off with Cliff being launched into space with Niles Caulder heading off to maybe killing his own daughter.
This episode follows Cliff as he crash lands back on earth and he has to journey back home. Rita decides to shadow a beekeeper to prepare for a role in her upcoming play. Niles goes back to where he met his long lost love to try and rationalize killing her own daughter. Then Cyborg, his girlfriend, Larry, and Miranda (who is now controlling Jane’s body) become infected with small creatures that essentially makes them stupid.
This is another good episode in the books for the show. While there are some moments that are meant to be building the larger story of the season, it’s really just an enjoyable monster of the week episode. The larger focus of the episode is the infection that many of the characters deal with which leaves Miranda immune but shows her as a very inactive character. There isn’t really that much to this episode, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.
Also the show does do a good job saving Jane’s storyline. I didn’t really have any issues with it before, I just thought that they might’ve been fastforwarding some of the development that is taking place between the different personalities in her mind. But with the ending reveal of another personality missing they seem to be alluding to a big conflict with all the personalities in her mind. I’m looking forward to seeing where this goes. I’m also glad to see Cliff’s daughter come in again at the end just because I’m excited about the character possibilities. Then with Niles now asking Kipling to carry out his daughter’s death, I can’t wait to see how the next episode turns out.
For problems, I still don’t care about Cyborg’s relationship but it plays out fine in this episode because those characters spend most of their time with other characters that I’m just more interested in. For other stuff, there wasn’t anything that I straight out disliked in this episode, but I can’t help but feel like this episode is just filler. Enjoyable filler that made me laugh, but still filler. There is plot movement but most of what happens feels like it goes without consequence. Still a fun watch, but probably won’t stick with me as other episodes have.
Dad Patrol
Ramping up to the finale that isn’t really the finale. So this season actually never finished filming, so I’m not actually expecting an ending to this season. Nonetheless, by the end of this episode I was quite excited.
The broad strokes of this episode are that Niles decides to take Dorothy on a final get together before she dies. Cyborg finds out his girlfriend had murdered someone that had disfigured her body. Cliff reconnects with his daughter. Then Jane goes out to find the stuffed animal that Kay, the original personality in her body, that she had lost as a small girl.
The start of this episode actually had me uneasy. The opening of the episode just felt strange to me. It seemed to be made up of mostly unpolished dialogue with beginning takes of filming. This is more directed to the opening that takes place in Crazy Jane’s storyline. I’m assuming this might have something to do with a rushed production, maybe with them trying to get as much coverage before a predicted shut down with COVID-19 while they were filming. But that’s really just a theory on my part. Maybe they thought it was good dialogue and takes or it was just other production issues. Also I felt like we needed more exposition for what Cyborg’s girlfriend did. It really felt like something got cut that would’ve developed it more. But again, I can’t claim that actually happened, it’s just a theory.
With that said, I really enjoyed seeing Cliff overcompensate in order to reconnect with his daughter and watching Dorothy grow up which even devastated me more at the end when Niles and Kipling decide to kill her. Also despite my issues with the start of Jane’s story, I’m really excited to see what the new primary personality, Miranda, is trying to do. And I can really say that about the entire episode. No matter how it started off, I’m excited to see where it goes. Even with Cyborg’s girlfriend, Roni (I don’t think I’ve ever referred to her by her name, sorry), I’m hyped to see how she turns out as a potentially new villain with the Uma jelly now powering her.
I’m really excited moving forward despite their not actually being a finale in the next episode. Even if they had finished the season, I do think that they probably wouldn’t tie up the arc in this season. Last I read they were slated for ten episodes but now they are ending at nine. I feel like there are so many dangling threads and necessary development that the original ending would’ve likely been a cliffhanger with everything continuing in the following season (this is another theory).
Man, it would really suck if they got cancelled after already losing an episode. I’ll talk more about this in the closing thoughts.
Wax Patrol
Heavy Spoilers for this episode.
Goddamnit. That’s a bad goddamnit by the way. The goddamnit is not because the episode is bad. It’s great. The goddamnit is because this is not a finale and we aren’t getting one due to the pandemic.
The episode picks up right at the end of the last where Dorothy is no longer able to hold the candlemaker inside her mind. Cliff must then also ditch his daughter’s wedding in order to help the gang go and stop this monster.
Last episode I thought some elements were roughly put together. That’s not in this episode. It’s fantastically put together. It’s short and sweet and a fantastic build up to a final showdown between Dorothy and the demons she holds inside her. Too bad it ends with the Candlemaker seemingly killing Dorothy. By the way, Dorothy ain’t dead. I’ve never been so sure of a fake death since slow zoom on Jon Snow in Game of Thrones that translates to: “We ain’t done with him yet, fucker!” Though with the way the episode is filmed, it should be seen as an obvious fake out.
I’m a big believer of the journey is always more important than the destination but I do think that having that destination, no matter how bad or good, does give some fulfillment to what the viewer goes through. Even if it’s a Game of Thrones situation where the destination is the result of a bunch of guys saying: “Shit! We’re running out of time. Just fast forward everything so we have an ending.” (Just to be clear, I think Game of Thrones was worth watching no matter what you thought of the final season.) Now, I think whatever the writers had planned would’ve been great. I also think with the developments so far in this season a third season would be required regardless with all the developing threads. This is unlike the first season which still left some thread but the overall story was still pretty self contained.
Overall my only problem with this episode is that there is no finale following. Otherwise, I think this is a perfect episode. I just want a cap for all the journeys we’ve been through so far. I think the reason I’m a bit more manic about it is because I don’t even know if the show is going to get renewed.
Closing Thoughts
So as you might tell, I still really enjoyed the show. Ultimately though, I don’t feel like I got the same kind of closure like I did in the first season. I think there might have been too many developing threads even if the panamic didn’t shut down production. But I’m okay with that, the show is just getting more ambitious in its scope following the first season. What’s important is that the show still feels like it has purpose which many shows lose following their first seasons. The show’s positive even helps me forgive some of the weaknesses that they run into along the way.
If you couldn’t tell, my biggest problem lies that there is no real finale for the season. I know this couldn’t have been helped and now that some time has passed since I watched it I’ve just accepted there isn’t anything to be done. I’ve still enjoyed most of the time I’ve spent with the show. I’m just worried that we will be losing some fulfillment with this season’s arc because I really think there is a good chance that this show might be cancelled. While the show is pretty well like, I don’t see it getting that much coverage. I also don’t really see the viewership numbers for the show as you don’t with most exclusively streaming shows. Due to the lack of media coverage I have to assume that the show isn’t that popular. I hope I’m wrong, I hope that lots of people are watching the show but I’m not that optimistic. It would just suck if the show got cancelled after losing an episode due to circumstances out of their control or without even finishing this plotline with Dorothy which was the overall point of this season. By the time that this article comes out there already might be news on if they got cancelled or renewed. Maybe they’ll renew it because HBO Max just doesn’t have enough exclusive content. But with new HBO shows still being exclusive to the service, I don’t think they really need to worry about that.
I’d still say the show is worth watching even if it does get cancelled. But please watch it now. I want season three!
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