DOOM PATROL Episode #1 Review by Eric Holzmann

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S1/E1 “Pilot” Synopsis: The team — tired of being stuck in Doom Manor — decides to visit the local town while The Chief is away; the seemingly harmless field trip leads to some grave consequences, including an encounter with the mysterious and powerful Mr. Nobody.

During season 1 episode 4 of TITANS, we were introduced to the team that would become the subject of the 2nd live-action show on the DC Universe app, the loveable losers, better known as the Doom Patrol.  Since then, the anticipation for this show has been pretty high among many DC fans.

Well, the time has finally come for the Doom Patrol to shine.

The story follows four broken people who have been reborn as superheroes and decide to use their powers to protect the town they live in.

There’s Robotman, a bulky robotic body whose human brain is that of former race car driver Cliff Steele (voiced by Brendan Fraser).  Then we have Larry Trainor, a former World War II pilot who was in a terrible crash but survived due to his interaction with an energy field and becomes Negative Man (voiced by Matt Bomer).  Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero) is a woman who has 64 different personalities, and each one has a different power.  Lastly, there’s Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby).  She is actually Rita Farr, a former actress from the 1950’s who also encounters an energy field on the set of a film which makes her skin become elasticized when she is under extreme stress.

The vulnerability of the characters is what gives Doom Patrol its appeal.  While other heroes are shown embracing their powers almost from the beginning, these misfits don’t understand their abilities and are sometimes even scared of them.  Part of that is because their caretaker, Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton), has kept them in seclusion from the rest of the world as a means to protect them, mostly from themselves.  This is completely different than what we’re used to seeing in this team building type of show.

TITANS.  That show was a very mature take on a superhero team that historically has been considered more of a joke.

DOOM PATROL knows what it is and it sticks to it.  I am going to pay close attention to the reception of the show, but for me, I think it has the potential to be a fun ride. – Eric Holzmann