DC Universe's "Doom Patrol", which recommences June 25, has become a quirky anthem for being different, with a profane Lewis Carroll feel. It's also significant reason why folks are subscribing to the online, superhero source. (For the record, the series is now shared with HBO Max, which doesn't impress me one iota, but more on that gripe some other time.)
"Doom Patrol", like its comic-book foundation, is shamelessly irreverent, much in the Deadpool vein, but maybe such isn't so off course, since the Doom Patrol has always acted as DC's answer to Marvel's varied X-Men.
To sustain the show's fearless flow, its unerring cast returns. Timothy Dalton leads the charge as Chief Niles Caulder. Brendan Fraser voices Robotman as Riley Shanahan wears the big guy's armor. Joivan Wade, meanwhile, breathes life into the ever practical Cyborg, while Matt Bomer becomes once more the anguished Negative Man, with Dwain Murphy beneath his Griffin-ish wraps. Diane Guerrero screams away as the super-complex Crazy Jane; and the drop-dead-gorgeous April Bowlby has no choice but to steal the scenery as the flexible-to-a-fault Elasti-Woman. Last but not least, Alan Tyduk (DC's Man of a Thousand Voices) hovers in the memorized backdrop as the oft-mentioned Mr. Nobody, though it appears for a time, Brandon Perea's Dr. Tyme is our surrogate baddie. Abigal Shapiro, meanwhile, joins the gang as the downtrodden but character-conjuring Dorothy Spinner, the ape-faced girl, who so happens to be Caulder's dear daughter. (I do hope that Devan Chandler Long revisits as Flex Mentallo; he pumped lots of ethical energy into the initial season's later episodes. The producers would be wise to make him a regular at some point.)
For obvious reasons, the pin-up fan within me makes the elastic Rita Farr my favorite misfit, though it wouldn't hurt to see Bowlby in a steady stream of bikini/lingerie shots. (She certainly wasn't shy about dressing down for "Three and a Half Men".) Beyond a doubt, she's the most underrated of today's sex symbols, and her fine, physical attributes (droopy elongation excluded) should be flaunted to the max. (Go on, condemn me for saying so. In the spirit of the Doom Patrol, I'll retaliate with a hardy spit in your eye, unless you so happen to be a match for the beautiful Bowlby, in which case I'll replace my fury with congenial constraint.)
As to what Season 2's ongoing plot might be, I've no idea (beyond there being a pick-up on last season's "Dr. Cyclops" cliffhanger and something to do with time travel). To be honest, I don't care to know. I mean, why spoil the element of surreal surprise? In the least, it's gotta maintain its garishness (though less shopping on flashy Danny{the}Street would be beneficial, no matter how noble the intent).
As such, the series should attract even more viewers once word of mouth spreads. (Interest in "Doom Patrol" could also lead folks to try "Titans", "Stargirl", "Swamp Thing" and "Harley Quinn".) Yep, there's no telling what good ol' "Doom Patrol" might inspire, but no matter what it is, it's bound to be offbeat and therefore worth our while.
This season was engaging, a fine sequel to the first and more "Alice in Wonderland" meets "Wizard of Oz" than I would have expected.
ReplyDeleteThe publicized villains were misleading, though: not quite in the Netflix/Marvel way, but still not quite what was promised. That's okay. It all worked, and that's all I'll say without giving too much away. (Hey, I'm a poet and didn't even know it.)
Dorothy was the real triumph, though. She was this season's story core. She gave a lot of depth to the continuing exploit, and the other characters shined as they orbited her.