Tyme Patrol is packed; writers April Fitzsimmons and Neil Reynolds make the subplots seem just as big as the main one, which has the team trying to steal some time travel goo from an infamous time traveller (the titular Tyme, voiced by Dan Martin while Brandon Perea handles the, um, roller-disco). He ends up having a surprisingly affecting subplot with April Bowlby, who gets her first great material this episode as she has to take over the team with Robotman (Brendan Fraser, who’s good this episode, voicing and Riley Shanahan moving) no longer wanting to play the part. Also because Joivan Wade has run off.
More on him in a bit.
Matt Bomer’s got his own subplot involving John Getz-aged old man son John Getz. “Doom Patrol” has made some excellent supporting casting choices and some not excellent ones. Getz is workman but sturdy in a reassuring way. There’s potential for the character relationship, which just gets a tease here. This season seems focused on exploring Bomer’s actual regrets instead of his imagined ones… and butterflies. Butterflies are about to be really important.
So while Bowlby, Fraser, and Diane Guerrero go off to get the time gel or whatever, Wade goes home to Detroit and attends a trauma group. Not anonymous because he’s Cyborg, after all. There he meets fetching vet Karen Obilom, which kind of shatters the hopes for the Wade and Bowlby stan. Partially because Wade’s not very good in the flirting so you don’t want to see him do it again. Obilom can handle it though. Initially it’s a forced introduction and subplot, but it ends up giving Wade some character development. Obilom’s a nice addition.
There’s some arguing for Guerrero and Fraser—Guerrero needs Timothy Dalton in a way Fraser doesn’t. We get some more on Guerrero’s backstory, but the acting’s not any better on her newly revealed persona. Turns out the voices were always there, even when they’re like eighties stereotypes in the fifties. Apparently the personalities transcend time, which isn’t impossible for a comic I guess.
Anyway.
Really good cliffhanger, really nice character developments going on. “Doom Patrol”’s going strong into its second season.
Leave a Reply