Superhero Universe
  • Entertainment
    Stefon Bristol, Spike Lee Team for ‘Gordon Hemingway’ at Netflix

    Stefon Bristol, Spike Lee Team for ‘Gordon Hemingway’ at Netflix

    ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ Co-Creator Teams with Vault Comics for Cosmic Hero ‘The Blue Flame’ (Exclusive)

    ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ Co-Creator Teams with Vault Comics for Cosmic Hero ‘The Blue Flame’ (Exclusive)

    Roy Thomas, Former Marvel Editor, Pushes Back on New Stan Lee Biography (Guest Column)

    Roy Thomas, Former Marvel Editor, Pushes Back on New Stan Lee Biography (Guest Column)

    Tom Holland Is Tight Lipped on Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield Cameos in ‘Spider-Man’: “It Would Be a Miracle If They Kept That From Me”

    Tom Holland Is Tight Lipped on Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield Cameos in ‘Spider-Man’: “It Would Be a Miracle If They Kept That From Me”

    Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron Joins Paul Feig Netflix Movie ‘School for Good and Evil’

    Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron Joins Paul Feig Netflix Movie ‘School for Good and Evil’

    Tom Hardy, Gareth Evans Team for Netflix Crime Thriller ‘Havoc’

    Tom Hardy, Gareth Evans Team for Netflix Crime Thriller ‘Havoc’

    Brittany Snow Joins Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega in Ti West Horror Thriller ‘X’ (Exclusive)

    Brittany Snow Joins Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega in Ti West Horror Thriller ‘X’ (Exclusive)

  • Games
    Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

    Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

    Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

    Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

    Nintendo Switch Pro Will Feature Nvidia DLSS, 4K Functionality And Upgrade For Portable Mode – Rumor

    Nintendo Switch Pro Will Feature Nvidia DLSS, 4K Functionality And Upgrade For Portable Mode – Rumor

    Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Showcases Zombies Outbreak In Latest Trailer

    Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Showcases Zombies Outbreak In Latest Trailer

    Overwatch 2 BlizzCon Update Highlights New Maps, Hero Talents, Missions, And More

    Overwatch 2 BlizzCon Update Highlights New Maps, Hero Talents, Missions, And More

    Street Fighter’s Chun-Li And Ryu Coming To Fortnite Soon

    Street Fighter’s Chun-Li And Ryu Coming To Fortnite Soon

    Diablo 4 – Rogue Specializations and World Groups Revealed

    Diablo 4 – Rogue Specializations and World Groups Revealed

  • Science

    Six and a Half Months in Orbit: Junk Food and Sublime Moments

    Six and a Half Months in Orbit: Junk Food and Sublime Moments

    NASA Snags Its First Asteroid Sample

    NASA Snags Its First Asteroid Sample

    The Bold Plan to See Continents and Oceans on Another Earth

    The Bold Plan to See Continents and Oceans on Another Earth

    Here’s How Scientists Mapped the Perseverance Rover’s Landing Site

    Here’s How Scientists Mapped the Perseverance Rover’s Landing Site

    People. Passion. Planets.

    People. Passion. Planets.

  • Tech

    How You Need to SEO Audit to Tighten Up Your Blog Performance

    High-Quality Content Can Improve SEO Ranking. How?

    High-Quality Content Can Improve SEO Ranking. How?

    Why Will Bitcoin Reach New Heights in 2021?

    Why Will Bitcoin Reach New Heights in 2021?

    Things to Take Care When Watching Movies Online

    Things to Take Care When Watching Movies Online

    Top 6 Ways Email Marketing is Changing with AI

    Why is a Wi-Fi Guest Network a Great Idea?

    Why is a Wi-Fi Guest Network a Great Idea?

    How the Google Nest Wi-Fi Point and Router is Your Best Friend for 2021

    How the Google Nest Wi-Fi Point and Router is Your Best Friend for 2021

  • Travel
    • Paris
    • Spain
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Tokyo
  • Videos
  • Reviews
    I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

    I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

    For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

    For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

    The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem

    The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem

    qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021

    qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021

    The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie

    The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie

    Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination

    Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination

    Judas and the Black Messiah frames its powerful story around the wrong people

    Judas and the Black Messiah frames its powerful story around the wrong people

No Result
View All Result
Superhero Universe
  • Entertainment
    Stefon Bristol, Spike Lee Team for ‘Gordon Hemingway’ at Netflix

    Stefon Bristol, Spike Lee Team for ‘Gordon Hemingway’ at Netflix

    ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ Co-Creator Teams with Vault Comics for Cosmic Hero ‘The Blue Flame’ (Exclusive)

    ‘Halt and Catch Fire’ Co-Creator Teams with Vault Comics for Cosmic Hero ‘The Blue Flame’ (Exclusive)

    Roy Thomas, Former Marvel Editor, Pushes Back on New Stan Lee Biography (Guest Column)

    Roy Thomas, Former Marvel Editor, Pushes Back on New Stan Lee Biography (Guest Column)

    Tom Holland Is Tight Lipped on Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield Cameos in ‘Spider-Man’: “It Would Be a Miracle If They Kept That From Me”

    Tom Holland Is Tight Lipped on Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield Cameos in ‘Spider-Man’: “It Would Be a Miracle If They Kept That From Me”

    Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron Joins Paul Feig Netflix Movie ‘School for Good and Evil’

    Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron Joins Paul Feig Netflix Movie ‘School for Good and Evil’

    Tom Hardy, Gareth Evans Team for Netflix Crime Thriller ‘Havoc’

    Tom Hardy, Gareth Evans Team for Netflix Crime Thriller ‘Havoc’

    Brittany Snow Joins Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega in Ti West Horror Thriller ‘X’ (Exclusive)

    Brittany Snow Joins Kid Cudi, Jenna Ortega in Ti West Horror Thriller ‘X’ (Exclusive)

  • Games
    Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

    Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

    Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

    Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

    Nintendo Switch Pro Will Feature Nvidia DLSS, 4K Functionality And Upgrade For Portable Mode – Rumor

    Nintendo Switch Pro Will Feature Nvidia DLSS, 4K Functionality And Upgrade For Portable Mode – Rumor

    Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Showcases Zombies Outbreak In Latest Trailer

    Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Showcases Zombies Outbreak In Latest Trailer

    Overwatch 2 BlizzCon Update Highlights New Maps, Hero Talents, Missions, And More

    Overwatch 2 BlizzCon Update Highlights New Maps, Hero Talents, Missions, And More

    Street Fighter’s Chun-Li And Ryu Coming To Fortnite Soon

    Street Fighter’s Chun-Li And Ryu Coming To Fortnite Soon

    Diablo 4 – Rogue Specializations and World Groups Revealed

    Diablo 4 – Rogue Specializations and World Groups Revealed

  • Science

    Six and a Half Months in Orbit: Junk Food and Sublime Moments

    Six and a Half Months in Orbit: Junk Food and Sublime Moments

    NASA Snags Its First Asteroid Sample

    NASA Snags Its First Asteroid Sample

    The Bold Plan to See Continents and Oceans on Another Earth

    The Bold Plan to See Continents and Oceans on Another Earth

    Here’s How Scientists Mapped the Perseverance Rover’s Landing Site

    Here’s How Scientists Mapped the Perseverance Rover’s Landing Site

    People. Passion. Planets.

    People. Passion. Planets.

  • Tech

    How You Need to SEO Audit to Tighten Up Your Blog Performance

    High-Quality Content Can Improve SEO Ranking. How?

    High-Quality Content Can Improve SEO Ranking. How?

    Why Will Bitcoin Reach New Heights in 2021?

    Why Will Bitcoin Reach New Heights in 2021?

    Things to Take Care When Watching Movies Online

    Things to Take Care When Watching Movies Online

    Top 6 Ways Email Marketing is Changing with AI

    Why is a Wi-Fi Guest Network a Great Idea?

    Why is a Wi-Fi Guest Network a Great Idea?

    How the Google Nest Wi-Fi Point and Router is Your Best Friend for 2021

    How the Google Nest Wi-Fi Point and Router is Your Best Friend for 2021

  • Travel
    • Paris
    • Spain
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Tokyo
  • Videos
  • Reviews
    I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

    I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

    For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

    For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

    The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem

    The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem

    qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021

    qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021

    The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie

    The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie

    Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination

    Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination

    Judas and the Black Messiah frames its powerful story around the wrong people

    Judas and the Black Messiah frames its powerful story around the wrong people

No Result
View All Result
Superhero Universe
No Result
View All Result

Doom Patrol is still one of the best superhero shows on TV

by
28 June, 2020
in Reviews
3.7k 156
0
Doom Patrol is still one of the best superhero shows on TV
1.6k
SHARES
12.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterPin it
1200x627 Get More Done, Together
ADVERTISEMENT

[Ed. note: This review of Doom Patrol season 2 includes spoilers for season 1.]

In quality, 2019’s Doom Patrol TV series was up there with HBO’s Watchmen. Its comic-book parent debuted in 1963 as an uglier, more misanthropic version of Marvel’s X-Men — until Grant Morrison and Richard Case’s acclaimed 1980s run on the series took that idea and ran with it, taking the group of superhero misfits on a series of surreal adventures. The Doom Patrol TV series took that idea and ran even further, creating something that was weirder, more colorful, and far, far more joyously queer than audiences had seen in mass-market superhero TV or movies to date.

Unfortunately, it was only available to DC Universe subscribers. But with the second season of the show launching on both DC Universe and the higher-profile HBO Max this week, it’s worth wondering: Can Doom Patrol keep it up for a second year running?

Judging by the first three episodes of the season, the answer is, “Well … kinda.”

Let’s start with what’s missing from the second season, because that answer is simultaneously simple and slightly more complex. It’s no surprise to anyone who watched Doom Patrol season 1 that Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk) wouldn’t be around this year. Nonetheless, the show suffers from his absence; not only was he one of the show’s most obviously fun elements, but without his self-aware narration and constant puncturing of the show’s pretension and tendency toward emotional melodrama, what’s left is … the show’s pretension and tendency toward emotional melodrama.

Not that those are necessarily bad things. Taking the lead from its comic-book inspiration, Doom Patrol is as interested in its characters’ internal lives as it is in more traditional stories of superpowers, fights, and how the two collide for endless spectacle. When it comes to consistently using powers and heightened abilities as a stand-in for emotional states, it’s up there with the longtime champion of that particular metaphor, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Timothy Dalton as the wheelchair-using Chief of the Doom Patrol.

Image: Warner Bros. TV

If anything, the metaphor has only been amplified in the opening episodes of the new season, with a renewed emphasis on the characters’ trauma and their emotional needs over the episodic plot demands expected from a superhero show. What appears to be the A-plot of each episode — can the group be restored to full size after last season’s cliffhanger? Can the team find the rare mineral the Chief needs? — takes a clear backseat to what’s happening inside the characters’ heads, literally in the case of Crazy Jane (Diane Guererro) and newcomer Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro).

The show’s focus on its characters’ emotional states is worthwhile — and it’s useful in differentiating Doom Patrol from the countless other superhero movies and shows out there. But for every successful zinger about shared psychological pain, it wouldn’t entirely be a bad thing if the creators paid a little more attention to the plot every now and again. Pacing and structure are recurring problems in the first three episodes of season 2 in a way that wasn’t the case in the show’s debut year, in large part because Alan Tudyk was there to provide cutting remarks and quick escapes from scenes before things went too far down the road toward navel-gazing.

There’s also the problem that, even allowing for the last-episode reveal that the Chief (Timothy Dalton) was responsible for the accidents that turned Cliff (voiced by Brendan Fraser), Rita (April Bowlby, easily the underrated highlight of the show) et al into the self-described freaks they are, each of the main characters have completed their emotional journeys already. There are subplots surrounding how Larry (Matt Bomer) feels his absence from his kids’ lives as they’ve grown old, or Rita’s desire to become a superhero, but at this stage in the season, they feel underwhelming and unnecessary, especially compared with what’s happening elsewhere at the same time.

Thankfully, it’s not all sophomore slump. As dark as the season opener “Fun Size Patrol” gets, the show’s humor pushes back to the fore in “Tyme Patrol,” the second episode, with a centerpiece that also restores some of the enjoyably camp quality that made the first year so special. Admittedly, a showdown with a time-traveling scientist permanently stuck in a roller disco in the 1970s isn’t quite the return of everyone’s favorite transgender sentient street, but Danny the Street is still around as Danny the Brick, and almost guaranteed to return before too long.

In spite of the plot imbalances, the show’s character work remains note-perfect, with showrunner Jeremy Carver and his writers managing to find new depth and connections to characters seemingly exhausted decades ago in their comic-book incarnations — there are parallels drawn between Jane and Dorothy here that feel entirely fresh — while similarly finding ways to explore and expand on comics stories that first appeared more than a quarter-century ago.

Cyborg, Negative Man, Robotman, Rita Farr, Crazy Jane, Danny the Brick, Dorothy Spinner, and the Chief on a poster for Doom Patrol season 2.

Image: Warner Bros. TV

And the cast is as good as ever. Bowlby’s uptight Rita is still a favorite, but everyone involved delivers fine work and seems to be enjoying doing so. There’s a particular joy in Brendan Fraser’s increasingly frustrated exclamations as Cliff that’s almost impossible to describe, and Guerrero’s Jane remains charmingly subtle even as her storyline demands more and more from her transformations. Seeing Timothy Dalton get more chances to interact with the cast as a Chief is similarly a thrill, as is a scene where Dalton either demonstrates an unerring ability to sing poorly on purpose, or else proves that no one can make “Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter” sound good. (It is, admittedly, somewhat unclear which is the case.)

Doom Patrol’s second season may not be as on-point as its debut year was. But based on its first three episodes, it’s still a show that zigs where others zag, and it manages to find new spaces and new stories to explore in a genre that feels increasingly crowded. Even if it missed a step as it starts over, it’s still one of the best superhero shows on television, and well worth watching.


Previous Post

Halo Infinite Teaser Confirms the Return of The Banished

Next Post

For decades, this legendary documentary was only available as a YouTube bootleg

Related Posts

I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)
Reviews

I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

25 February, 2021
For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing
Reviews

For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

25 February, 2021
The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem
Reviews

The CW’s Superman & Lois finds a new way to solve The Superman Problem

25 February, 2021
qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021
Reviews

qomp review: the best Pong cinematic universe of 2021

21 February, 2021
The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie
Reviews

The superhero squirrel is the dullest part of Disney’s superhero-squirrel movie

21 February, 2021
Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination
Reviews

Nomadland is about the breathtaking journey, not the destination

21 February, 2021
Next Post
For decades, this legendary documentary was only available as a YouTube bootleg

For decades, this legendary documentary was only available as a YouTube bootleg

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
‘Big Country’ Brings Western Noir to Comics

‘Big Country’ Brings Western Noir to Comics

25 November, 2019
How organisations can prevent external eavesdropping and influence through electromagnetic emissions

How organisations can prevent external eavesdropping and influence through electromagnetic emissions

28 October, 2019
The State of Planetary Defense

The State of Planetary Defense

28 October, 2019
Chatbots

Healthcare and Technology: How RPA Improves Healthcare Efficiency

4 November, 2019
Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

0

0

0

0
Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

26 February, 2021
Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

26 February, 2021
I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

25 February, 2021
For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

25 February, 2021

Recommended

Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

Oddworld: Soulstorm Comes To PS5, PS4, And PC April 6; PS5 Version Will Be Free For PS Plus

26 February, 2021
Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

Five Nights At Freddy’s: Security Breach Gets Tense New Gameplay Trailer

26 February, 2021
I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

I Care A Lot will make you worry about your grandparents (and Peter Dinklage)

25 February, 2021
For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

For All Mankind season 2 shows how much prestige drama TV is changing

25 February, 2021

About Us

Get the latest news and reviews on games, science, technology, and entertainment

Categories

  • Entertainment
  • Games
  • New York
  • Paris
  • Reviews
  • Science
  • Singapore
  • Spain
  • Tech
  • Tokyo
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
No Result
View All Result
  • Entertainment
  • Games
  • Science
  • Tech
  • Travel
    • Paris
    • Spain
    • New York
    • Singapore
    • Tokyo
  • Videos
  • Reviews

© 2019 SuperheroUniverse.com

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In