DC Universe’s second streaming series continues its upward trend in the fourth episode, “Cult Patrol.” As the gang encounters Willoughby Kipling and learns of The Cult of the Unwritten Book our gaggle of freaks get more fleshed out, the humor remains on point, and the visuals continue to improve. So what makes this episode of Doom Patrol so great? Let me share five observations with you to pique your interest. And remember, as always, beware of spoilers.
1. We’re Not a Team
I’ve stated in the previous three reviews that April Bowlby’s Rita Farr is one of the standout performances of this show. We knew who Rita was from the pilot, an arrogant actress whose status and beauty were ripped away from her that had resigned herself to solitude yet could not let go. She’s fought at every turn against heroism and simply wants to live away from society in the rickety old mansion of Niles Caulder. This defeatist attitude has been challenged by circumstances and a certain Cyborg and this episode gently prods and pushes her towards being more.
Rita’s interactions with Elliot in the latter episode give us a glimpse of what she’s destined to become. None of these characters are or should ever be “heroes.” Larry himself elaborates to Elliot how much he hates that word, because it is “dangerous. A title other people hang on you, and you’re supposed to carry it around.” These aren’t heroes. They’re something else. We get a sliver of that something when Rita stops Kipling from murdering Elliot by exhibiting her potential of becoming “Elasti-Girl.”
I’ve previously noted that this series finds its strengths in its weirdness and humor, but the character development of this cast is coming along swimmingly. Even characters new to this episode are well established. The opening scene spanning across three of Elliot’s birthdays is delightful. It presents Mother and Father Archon with an expert precision, appearing wholesome with a hint of darkness at first and going full-blown horror once we hit “you get down here and eat this fucking cake Elliot!” Father Archon’s facial expressions in the middle really sell the entire sequence as he blows the party horn while uneasily looking at the candles, telling the audience all is not well.
2. Jane Has Cliff
This episode effortlessly presents a series of contrasts along its roughly sixty minutes. Beyond the division between Rita and Vic, new character Willoughby Kipling is placed in direct contrast with Cyborg. The scene that sees the two of them awaiting hordes of attackers from Nurnheim plays wonderfully with this division as they debate the merits of science vs magic. When Kipling asks Vic if he’s stoned only to be rebutted with “running a weapons inventory” kicks off a great interaction highlighting Vic’s straight-laced nature juxtaposed against Kipling’s seemingly-aloof disposition.
Cliff and the many personalities of Crazy Jane also provide a delectable dichotomy as the many shes are also given room to play. Rather than be bombarded with multiple multiple personalities this week we get two, and they are far more effective than in previous episodes. Cliff and Hammerhead butt heads (not literally, as that would be far bloodier than last time) throughout the first half of this chapter, and while Hammerhead seems to have little distinction from the Jane personality short of intense anger, it plays well. This is flipped well when Cliff and Jane are transported to Nurnheim and we are introduced to Penny Farthing, a demure and stammering brit who would sooner turn herself over to monsters than fight alongside Cliff.
3. The Office of Mr Bag of Goat Shit
Again, though, the humor of this series elevates it far and wide above the previous Titans. Moments like Cliff’s referencing Kipling as “Mr Bean Guy” and “drunk David Copperfield” are chuckleworthy and bring levity to a rather dark property. This series is not light, in any way. With its heavy use of bombastic language, brooding languish, and bitter lethargy among its characters the action and hilarity make this far more of a romp than Titans or the DCEU’s output.
4. Well This is Only the Second Floor
One of my heaviest criticisms of this series to date has been its visual effects, which improved tremendously across the last two installments. “Cult Patrol” gives little in the way of poor production, as the creative team has finally landed a balance between practical and computer generated effects. The Archon’s throne in Nurnheim is such a minimal and yet visual pleasing spectacle that blends the two in a manner that needs no criticism. Creepy clowns are always creepy and this leads to what may be the best moment of the episode.
Continued belowThe setting of Nurnheim, Kip’s cigarette burn portals, and soldiers made of dead skin and letters that were never sent make up for the Rita-blob of the pilot in every way that matters. These are the type of visuals this series should have been aiming for in the very beginning, only opting for the use of CGI when it is called for, such as the blue horse head singing “Horse With No Name” and Cyborg’s sonic cannon, which somehow manages to look better than anything we were victimized by in Justice League‘s very tinfoil-esque presentation of Vic.
5. Maybe I Should Have Used “A Hard Day’s Night”
This is the first real two-part episode of the series, it would seem, and rightfully so. The character of Willougby Kipling would be wasted without more exposure and such a high-stakes engagement would seem less so if a resolution were met in less than an hour. Despite its rough start, Doom Patrol has ironed out the wrinkles and now has me on the edge of my seat waiting for next week.
