Doom Patrol (2019) s03e01 – Possibilities Patrol

I’m very jealous of the folks who are going to marathon “Doom Patrol” without a break between seasons two and three. This episode is last season’s finale, only delayed because of Rona. It took me a while to catch back up. I didn’t forget the big things, but I did forget the community theater production of Our Town was actually Our Town Patrol. And April Bowlby would be mocking herself and her friends to regain some sense of professional accomplishment.

But the dramatic resolve in the first scenes—wrapping up the show’s game of chicken with the network, while well-acted and compelling, lack the resonance they’d have if I were still nail-biting over the turns of events.

However, it’s “Doom Patrol,” so pretty quickly, the acting and angst take over, and there’s no time to dawdle. There’s a lot going on. Not to mention Diane Guerrero’s cliffhanger doesn’t finish until most of the way through the episode. It’s probably the actual A-plot. The rest of the episode, which has the team regrouping and reacting to their battle against Abi Monterey’s imaginary but real monster demon at the mansion, is the calm after the storm. Especially since Guerrero’s arc is big stakes every second, as the Underground in her mind gets more hostile and anyone surviving seems more and more impossible.

In the mansion, Brendan Fraser’s trying to get his metal body back into shape enough he can visit his daughter. There’s a lot of good voice acting from Fraser this episode, but not a lot for Riley Shanahan to do in the suit. Not so much easing into the new season but easing out of the previous, including some potential character departures. Matt Bomer’s only got so long he can put off his promise to the alien being inside him, which involves them going off solo. Only Bomer’s worried about Bowlby, and he’s also bonding (a little) with Monterey.

Meanwhile, Joivan Wade’s trying to fix Fraser & Shanahan while fretting on girlfriend-turned-justified-villain Karen Obilom. Dad Phil Morris stops by to offer some sage advice; it’s only a scene, but it’s enough to remind of Morris’s incredible performance on the show.

And everyone’s really pissed off at Timothy Dalton, with Fraser & Shanahan finally getting to have it out with him once and for all. While everyone also takes Monterey’s feelings into account.

A lot is going on, as always with “Doom Patrol,” and by the second half of the episode, the show’s on a very firm footing. Once the music hits its sublime—Clint Mansell and Kevin Kiner’s scoring is so good—the show doesn’t really need it, and it’s just extra, the way it’s supposed to be, like the episode isn’t making up for lost time.

Best acting in the episode is Bowlby, who’s the protagonist of most of the mansion plot. Then there’s some great Fraser voice work. Bomer’s real good. Dalton’s got a hilarious bit in the epilogue. Monterey seems like she’s going to get more than she does. Same with Guerrero, who shares a lot with the other personas in the Underground.

There are also a couple big surprises at the end of the episode, forecasting season three.

“Doom Patrol” is back.

Hallelujah.

Doom Patrol (2019) s01e15 – Ezekiel Patrol

In terms of ambition, scale, and execution, I’m not sure there’s anything better than Ezekiel Patrol. Writers Tamara Becher, Jeremy Carver, Shoshana Sachi, director Dermott Downs, the cast—they set a new bar. With Ezekiel, even though it’s from Grant Morrison, “Doom Patrol” has just fulfilled the concept of Vertigo TV. It’s sophisticated… okay, not suspense. Sophisticated superheroes.

The episode starts with a truly magnificent recap narrated by Alan Tudyk, which makes perfect since since he’s a cosmic narrator and whatnot; it’s not even Tudyk’s delivery, which is fine but not great, it’s the writing. It’s specific to each cast member and it seems like it can’t all be from the comic. But if it somehow is from the comic… I mean, bravo Grant Morrison. It happens.

After the recap and the resolution of the outstanding reveal, which shakes the foundations of the series to its very core and we still don’t understand all the fallout—the cast once again gets split and forced to confront themselves and each other. Some are more self-destructive than others, some are more empathetic than others, some are more uplifted than others—Matt Bomer’s arc with the Negative Spirit seems too good to be true, versus April Bowlby discovering the real world—despite being something she can tolerate if necessary—is really shitty.

Meanwhile Robotman (Brendan Fraser and Riley Shanahan—maybe my trepidation about being a big Fraser in “Doom Patrol” fan is because it seems to overshadow Shanahan’s movement work) and Diane Guerrero form a quizzically symbiotic relationship. Guerrero manages to get a lot of sympathy this episode, just because the storytelling is so good.

Alimi Ballard shows up, including for some flashbacks with Timothy Dalton. Ballard’s not great. It’s too bad. It seems like he could be great, then it falls apart. Doesn’t matter, everything else is great. Like guest star Curtis Armstrong. He’s great. Tommy Snider’s great. Charmin Lee’s great (she’s Vic’s mom in flashbacks). Dalton’s great.

And then there’s Phil Morris.

Morris isn’t the “hero” of “Doom Patrol: Season One”—it’s Bowlby because of course it’s Bowlby, she’s phenomenal—but his performance in the show is singular. I thought it was great before. Morris doubles it this episode. So good.

Great music from Kevin Kiner, great photography from Magdalena Górka. The special effects are excellent. Everything about it is excellent.

It’s been a long time since something’s had such a good first season close as “Doom Patrol.”

I can’t wait for what’s next.

Doom Patrol (2019) s01e08 – Danny Patrol

I just ran a find on this episode’s cast list because I couldn’t remember who did the voice of the new character, Danny the Street. Only to remember Danny only ever talks in text messages. Not, like, SMS messages, but text they’re able to arrange on the… well, not on the street because they’re the Street. But like marquees and store windows and, I don’t know, leaves in the breeze. Danny the Street’s clearly able to communicate because it really hadn’t occurred to me they didn’t speak.

Though maybe there’s some personified speaking in a daydream sequence.

Hopefully that paragraph will make more sense in a bit.

So Danny the Street is a sentient, gender-queer, teleporting street—like city street—and they’re in trouble. Jon Briddell’s a government agent—with the Bureau of Normalcy, which turns out to have some history with Matt Bomer and his alien ghost spirit laser electricity thing—and he’ll stop at nothing to destroy the street. Even though he doesn’t know what he’s trying to destroy—or who—including his former partner, Alan Mingo Jr. (sorry, in 2020 watching the old White cop, Black cop best buddies thing just seems forced and fake as opposed to admirably working class). Mingo had some significant self-discovery thanks to Danny the Street and gets to embody some of the tension. The obscurity is about the spoilers. Director Dermott Downs and writer Tom Farrell do some really neat things with Mingo’s character development and they’d cooler to see unfold, if only to appreciate the craft.

Bomer and Joivan Wade pair off to investigate the Danny the Street thing while April Bowlby and Robotman (voiced by Brendan Fraser and performed by Riley Shanahan, who apparently doesn’t have any dance training, which comes as surprise after this episode) have to try to save Diane Guerrero from one of her personalities who wants to live in the perfect nineties romantic comedy and turns out to be able to do it. Some good comic material for Bowlby, the aforementioned great dancing from Shanahan, and Guerrero’s at least supposed to be annoying this persona.

That subplot’s got nothing on the Danny the Street one—which gets Bomer closer to standout acting than I thought possible and again elevates the show’s potential; it’s an excellent episode.

Doom Patrol (2019) s01e02 – Donkey Patrol

So presumably someone at Warner Bros. watched the “Doom Patrol” pilot and thought it lacked a certain something. Whoever realized what it needed was Jovian Wade’s Cyborg deserves a bonus. Who even thought to ask if the character was available given the Justice League movie.

And it’s not like Wade’s great—he’s fine and amiable—or even a particularly likable character—he’s mostly a dick to everyone he meets—it’s just he’s got the exact right chemistry for what “Doom Patrol: The Show” needs. Wade also brings with him Phil Morris, who’s really good as his slightly shady dad who’s manipulating him—Wade learns during this episode—into his crimefighting career. Morris has big plans for Wade, who’s going to make it to the Justice League in five years.

Not the movie presumably.

Morris is great.

Also great this episode is April Bowlby, who is definitely able to pick up and carry the show just like I figured she’d need to do. The comedy just works better with Wade throwing a different kind of wrench in things. Also doing his part is Matthew Bomer, who has a great comedic sequence this episode when he tries to leave town only his electro-alien inhabitant says no.

Again, unclear if it’s really Bomer under the mask, but I at least saw some lips moving this time. There’s no way it’s not looped in though. He’s got to be muffled.

So if the new guy’s just what the show needs, if Bowlby and Bomer are doing all that heavy lifting, how are Brendan Fraser (voicing Robotman while Riley Shanahan does all the physical acting) and last episode’s de facto lead Diane Guerrero. Well…

Guerrero starts the episode really strong.

Then goes into a coma or something. She’s not talking. Once she starts talking again… it’s not great. It’s not terrible, but you do wonder who else they tested. As for Fraser and Shanahan? It’s almost like writers Neil Reynolds and Shoshana Sachi only wanted to give Robotman and Guerrero so much. There’s a big effects sequence when the rest of the Patrol go into a goat’s belly—just watch it—but maybe making the Robotman helmet move is really costly.

Shanahan’s physical performance is better here. Fraser’s just playing potty-mouth Fred Flintstone though.

Wait!

He didn’t play Fred Flintstone! Wow.

Okay. Well. He’s doing a rehearsal for it.

There are some really well-directed sequences—Dermott Downs—and some surprisingly great music—Kevin Kiner and Clint Mansell—so even with Alan Tudyk’s narration still being cheap “Rocky & Bullwinkle” and with some optics about Bomer’s closest sixties homosexuality, “Doom Patrol” is on the rise.

Batwoman (2019) s01e03 – Down Down Down

Ruby Rose flirts with a bartender played by Brianne Howey from “The Passage,” which basically makes the episode. It's in the middle of Rose investigating Tommy Elliot (Gabriel Mann in a part he really ought to appreciate more), billionaire pal to Bruce Wayne who seems to know about Bruce’s other life. Rose has time for the investigation because Rachel Skarsten is taking it somewhat easy this episode.

Howey’s the first modern working actor to show up. Recognizable to me anyway. She adds a lot of class to the product. They didn't cast down acting-wise for a Rose love interest, they casted up.

The stuff with Mann gets a little too long in the tooth and must be even less interesting to people who don't know he's going to be coming back as villain Hush. The show’s doing long-term planning by episode three… which is confident, perhaps overly so.

The best parts of the episode, other than involve Rose’s step-sister Nicole Kang. She's stuck at Mann’s party, which ends up being an attempt to draw out the not available Batman (the city thinks Rose’s Batwoman is the original male model), and in danger, with only Meagan Tandy (Rose’s ex) and her dimwit husband Greyston Holt to protect her. Holt doesn't know Tandy used to be with Rose (or is bi) and Kang has a lot of fun teasing the situation. Even though Rose and Kang are on the outs from last episode, Kang’s still getting a lot, which is good. Kang’s the best regular cast member… Skarsten might usurp that title but not yet.

Speaking of Skarsten, she gets the C plot this episode. The plotting details on whether Skarsten is Rose’s long lost twin sister aren't amazing—they're trying not to be too confusing—but the pacing of the plot is good. Even in this episode, which gets a little long.

Of course, if it didn't have Rose’s terrible letters to Cousin Bruce as narration, it might not seem so long. They're really, really bad. They seem bad at the beginning of the episode, then they get worse. The last one implies the first three episodes are the real pilot too—Rose gets her full Batwoman outfit for the last fight, along with portentous “I will not fail my city” narration nonsense.

So a significant dip down from last episode, but not necessarily in as bad of shape as after the actual pilot.