DC Universe’s second series for their streaming platform had a rough but enjoyable start last week. The pilot episode was mostly carried by its stellar cast, making up for poor CGI and some odd pacing. So how does the second installment stack up? Let’s delve into it and, as always, beware of spoilers.
1. We’re Not Heroes
One of the standout performances from this excellent cast easily lies in April Bowlby’s Rita Farr. Her freakshow attitude toward herself and her housemates is perfectly representative of the type of team this is. They’re not the Justice League. They’re a band of oddities who can’t function in normal society, and they’re completely aware of it. “This is what the world looks like when we try to live in it” is an astute summation of what happens when this team tries to team.
If this show leans into moments like Cliff chasing a donkey amidst the ruins of Cloverdale, or the gang pouring Rita into the donkey, it will continue to be the Doom Patrol that fans are tuning in for. Weirdness is a strength here, and “Donkey Patrol” flexes that muscle well.
2. The Narrator
Alan Tudyk is an absolute gem. A fan-favorite for roles like his turn as Wash in Firefly as well as a myriad of voice-acting stints, Tudyk is an actor that thrives in any production. Doom Patrol is no exception to this. While we see little of Mr. Nobody, Tudyk’s narration is splendid, tying the narrative together while dropping some of the episode’s best jokes. One of the best bits involves Nobody narrating to Timothy Dalton’s Chief in a fourth-wall breaking moment, just after taking stabs at fans of Grant Morrison and the show itself.
Doom Patrol is stumbling a bit so far, but Tudyk gives the audience reason to keep coming back to “clown town” week after week.
3. Crazy Jane Does Not Play Well With Others
Truthfully, Crazy Jane does not play well at all. Diane Guerrero is given a lot to play with in “Donkey Patrol”, but little of it lands. Jane’s multiple personalities mostly lack distinction. The Underground seems to house a multitude of personalities with little to no personality whatsoever. Of the identities used in this episode, the only two that stand out would be Babydoll and Silvertongue. Sadly, the former plays like a bad caricature and the only interesting thing about the latter is the use of visual effects.
I hope to say I’m more impressed with Crazy Jane in later articles, but for now she is arguably the weakest of the show’s roster.
4. The Visual Effects are Improved, Somewhat
Rita’s transformation in the pilot was one of its most jarring moments, with poor visuals pulling the viewer out of the experience. This is common for pilot episodes, usually produced to convince studios to greenlight a full season of a show, granting access to a higher budget and stronger effects.
Those effects do indeed improve here, though. Moments like the team entering the donkey doorway and landing in Nobody’s dimension is competently done. The twisting effect on the paintings and the color grading work well and are pleasing to the eye. The aforementioned Silvertongue’s powers are also displayed in a matter befitting of the idea.
There are still some low points, however. Larry’s flight scenes really stand-out as being obvious CGI, often looking like a PS2 cut-scene. There is one other effect though that ties in with, and hinders the positives of my final thought:
5. Cyborg
It’s worth noting that, while I have criticisms of the visual presentation of Cyborg in Doom Patrol, it is hands down better than that of Justice League. The costuming is much more subdued here, which stands to reason when considering budgetary restrictions in television as opposed to film. That trimming down of the robotic elements of the character makes for a better look, but it’s still not great. I’m unclear if Vic’s faceplate is completely CGI or simply enhanced by it, but in the more well-lit scenes it sticks out like a sore, cybernetic thumb.
Joivan Wade still plays the role well, however. Much as I hate to keep comparing this production to that of Justice League, Wade is allowed to express far more personality than Ray Fisher was, making Cyborg a perfect fit for this team.
If the improvement from the pilot to this week’s “Donkey Patrol” is any indication, Doom Patrol shouldn’t take long to find its stride. Despite some missteps it has a lot going for it, and subplots like the relationship between Larry Trainor and the entity inhabiting him give viewers multiple threads to pull at each week.
Also this episode closes out with David Bowie’s “Lazarus”, from his final album “Blackstar”, and if that’s not a reason to give “Donkey Patrol” a thumb-up, then you need to listen to more Bowie.
