Titans-Doom-Patrol-Featured-final Television 

Five Thoughts on Titans “Doom Patrol”

By | November 5th, 2018
Posted in Television | % Comments

Well fuck Batman y’all and welcome back to Titans! We come upon this week the fourth episode of the first of the DC Universe original shows and boy is it both a clunky introduction to a spinoff show, but also maybe the best episode of Titans thus far? Maybe, just maybe, leaning off the crazy, crazy violence works for the show? But what would I know.

We get our introduction to the Doom Patrol and all their weird glory and more weirdness as we chug along! Let’s dive in!

1. Meet the “conventionally challenged.”

This episode picks up as Rachel is on the run after killing some nuns and she meets Gar in the forest after their flirtatious encounter last episode. He picks her up and takes her back to the old Caldur Manor on Danny Street (nice continuity nod there) and we meet the Doom Patrol. Or, as the Chief calls them, the conventionally challenged.

There’s Cliff “Robotman” Steele, voiced by Brendan Fraser, who’s favorite word might be fuck which is hilarious, Larry “Negative Man” Trainor, who’s powers we don’t see at all and who looks like a really bad gauze wrapping who can cook, and Rita “Elasti-Gir” Farr, who begins the episode as a fleshly, body-sized, brain looking thing. All of these “freaks” were compiled by the “Chief” (more on him in a bit), as he brought them all back to life. In fact Gar’s story is inherently tied to the Chief as he cured him of his disease that turns him into Beast Boy, which is far closer to comic Gar than recently memory. While I’m not convinced by the costumes, (Larry’s particularly), this feels like the Doom Patrol. They’re weird, eccentric, and on the outside. It’s Geoff Johns (who solely wrote this episode) doing Gerard Way doing Grant Morrison. It’s both the worst backdoor pilot and the best episode of Titans so far.

It’s odd for a few reasons, one cause Cyborg isn’t around and he was announced to be, and two, cause the actors for the spinoff will change some. Nonetheless, the tone and vibe of this episode is weird acceptance and happy family, and they nail it. It’s a far cry from the first three episodes, and still clunky, but thank God it’s something palatable. I wasn’t looking forward to any future DC Universe ventures. I now think Doom Patrol next year has promise. We’re rightin wrongs now baby!

2. Dinner dynamics and more

Nothing from point one is better illustrated than in the dinner scene. Larry cooks a ton of good, unhealthy food. Cliff salivatingly masturbates to Rachel’s meal as he can’t taste food no more cause he’s a robot. Rita stuffs her plate because she needs the calories to maintain her form even though she’s trying to stay prim and proper. And Rachel just fits in. Who’d a thunk that Raven could so easily be a member of the Doom Patrol, but I guess “early teenage, still struggling with being a demon’s daughter, outcast” Rachel is just one of the gang. This all only works because Rachel has such a good rapport with Gar. Teagan Croft and Ryan Potter’s sort of just natural, friendly chemistry goes a long way here. This is the first episode that any of the emotional connections feel earned or logical.

The dynamic between the members of the Doom Patrol also feel loving and realistic. They’re really the first group of people in this show that are already supposed to have a sense of connectedness, and they do. Even Niles Caldur’s sadistic “I saved you, you owe me,” attitude works in their family of outcasts. Johns did this one right. The Doom Patrol are a hit. I hope we see more of them.

3. Bad accents

Actually wait, scratch that, I hope we see more Cliff, Larry, and Rita. Niles can take his bad Eastern European or Mexican (or somewhere in the middle?) accent and get the hell out. Bruno Bichir plays the mad scientist this episode ahead of Timothy Dalton’s casting in the upcoming series, and I can’t pin where the Mexican actor and director is supposed to be from. Him talking was more a distraction than it was additive to the episode. It was like bad Borat impressions and all kinds of awful. I’m glad he’s not coming back for the show, when he showed up he not only made things worse (in the literal, antagonistic sense), but tossed out a lot of the good will this show began to show this episode. Especially with his “I’m not mad, I’m disappointed” attitude, mixed with a lack of care for his wards/test subjects. You’re not supposed to like him, so you don’t, but wow is that oversold.

Continued below

4. Dick beats dads

Oh right, so Dick almost beats the shit out of a father in front of his young son. Yikes.

Let me back up. Rachel and Gar scare off some drunk, redneck hunters who are killing deer not in a hunting zone, and that’s the vehicle for how Dick and Kory find Rachel after she flees the scene of her crime. Brenton Thwaites and Anna Diop have a great, electric chemistry together as a disgruntled cop/sidekick and amnesiac alien who’s already killed some bad people, but definitely thinks birdie boy’s being a shithead. He is, she’s right. They conduct their investigation in the B plot which leads them to this residence. Dick “interrogates” a man with fists the face. It’s horrible> Kory and Dick talk about his inner violence, his struggles, and he starts to lighten up which very clear by episode’s end.

I’m fine with Dick on a journey of self-discovery. I don’t know if he’d pound a, mostly, innocent man repeatedly. But, this is the most toned down it’s been in four episodes. So we’re getting somewhere. And the characters are self-aware enough, at the moment, to realize their wrong. So progress? Maybe?

5. Get outta here

Alight so Niles experiments on Rachel and she cripples him, and Dick calms her down in a compassionate move that the character has not had thus far. So, Kory, Dick and Rachel all are leaving the Manor by episode’s end, and the Doom Patrol basically just tell Gar to leave. Just go. Not even in a, “Leave we don’t want you,” or in an emotional, you need to go join the crew move. Nah, it’s just gtfo Niles is in a wheelchair and you’re young so you should live. No assumption that Dick and co. want to take him, and really no engaging with his feelings at all. Just leave. It’s really odd. But at least the team is all together. Four episodes in, and the Titans are finally the Titans.

That’s all for this week folks. Sound off in the comments below, and come back next week as we start doing Titans team things?


//TAGS | Titans

Kevin Gregory

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