Doom Patrol (TV Series)

''Doom Patrol'' is an American superhero television series developed by Jeremy Carver. Based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, the series features Jane ( Diane Guerrero), Rita Farr (April Bowlby), Vic Stone (Joivan Wade), Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer / Matthew Zuk), Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser / Riley Shanahan), and Chief (Timothy Dalton) as the members of the eponymous Doom Patrol. Although Bowlby, Bomer, and Fraser reprise their roles from the series ''Titans'', the two shows are set in separate continuities.

The series premiered on February 15, 2019, exclusively for the DC Universe streaming service. The second season aired on both DC Universe and HBO Max, with the two streaming services releasing episodes simultaneously on June 25, 2020. A third season, released exclusively on HBO Max, premiered on September 23, 2021. In October 2021, the series was renewed for a fourth season which premiered on December 8, 2022.

Plot

''Doom Patrol'' follows the unlikely heroes of the eponymous team who all received their powers through tragic circumstances and are generally shunned by society. Most members of the team were treated by the Chief, a medical doctor who gave them residence in his mansion to help protect them from the outside world. Their name derives from an earlier Doom Patrol team that was formed by the Chief.

The first members of the Doom Patrol to be introduced in the series are Jane, the dominant identity of a traumatized woman with dissociative identity disorder; Rita Farr, who struggles to prevent her body from turning to a gelatinous state; Larry Trainor, who has an entity of negative energy living inside of him; and Cliff Steele, whose brain was placed in a robot body following a car crash. The team is later joined by cybernetically enhanced superhero Vic Stone.

In the first season, the Chief is captured by the malevolent Mr. Nobody, sending the Doom Patrol on a journey to rescue him. Along the way, they discover secrets about themselves and the Chief, who they eventually learn is responsible for the tragic events that gave them their powers.

The second season sees the Doom Patrol joined by Dorothy Spinner, the Chief's daughter who possesses the ability to bring her imaginary friends to life. While the members of the Doom Patrol face their own personal dilemmas and contend with the truth about the Chief, Dorothy inadvertently endangers the world when her powers threaten to unleash an ancient entity known as the Candlemaker.

In the third season, Dorothy's battle with the Candlemaker reaches its climax and the Doom Patrol suffers a tragic loss when the Chief finally dies of old age. Although, the Doom Patrol's ally Willoughby Kipling salvages Chief's head, stating that his time isn't over yet. In the aftermath, the team go their separate ways as they struggle with their identities when the arrival of Madame Rouge in a time machine sets them on a new path.

In the fourth season, the Doom Patrol begin doing more heroic activities while dealing with the coming of Immortus.

Cast and characters

* Diane Guerrero as Kay Challis / Crazy Jane
* April Bowlby as Rita Farr / Elasti-Woman
* Alan Tudyk as Eric Morden / Mr. Nobody (season 1)
* Matt Bomer and Matthew Zuk as Larry Trainor / Negative Man
* Brendan Fraser and Riley Shanahan as Cliff Steele / Robotman
** Shanahan also voices the Brain in season 3.
* Timothy Dalton as Niles Caulder / The Chief (seasons 1–3)
* Joivan Wade as Victor "Vic" Stone / Cyborg
* Skye Roberts as Kay Challis (season 3–present; recurring season 1–2)
* Michelle Gomez as Laura De Mille / Madame Rouge (season 3–present)

Episodes

Season 1 (2019)

Season 2 (2020)

Season 3 (2021)

Season 4 (2022)

The final six episodes were written by Tamara Becher-Wilkinson & Bob Barth, Eric Dietel, Aliza Berger & Talia Berger, Akaylah Ellison & Tom Farrell, Chris Dingess, Shoshana Sachi & Ezra Claytan Daniels respectively.

Production

Development

''Doom Patrol'' was announced on May 14, 2018, as an intended spin-off of ''Titans'' for video on demand service DC Universe after co-creator and executive producer Geoff Johns revealed that ''Titans''' fourth episode would feature and be titled after the Doom Patrol on February 10, 2018. Despite the initial order and sharing characters and actors, however, ''Doom Patrol'' occupies a separate continuity from ''Titans''.

Fifteen episodes were developed for the first season, which premiered on February 15, 2019, and concluded on May 24, 2019. Jeremy Carver wrote the pilot, and served as an executive producer alongside Johns, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter. Production companies involved with the series include Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The series is influenced by writer Grant Morrison's run of the comic.

On July 20, 2019, it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con that ''Doom Patrol'' had been renewed for a second season, which premiered on both DC Universe and WarnerMedia's video on demand service HBO Max on June 25, 2020. The season was originally intended to have 10 episodes, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was shut down before the 10th episode could be completed and the season instead comprised nine episodes. In September 2020, the series was renewed for a third season exclusively on HBO Max. In October 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a fourth season.

Casting

In July 2018, it was announced that April Bowlby, Brendan Fraser, and Matt Bomer would star in ''Doom Patrol'' as Rita Farr, the voice of Cliff Steele, and the voice of Larry Trainor, respectively, after being cast as the characters for guest appearances in ''Titans''. Diane Guerrero was also announced to be joining Bowlby, Fraser, and Bomer as Jane. In August 2018, Joivan Wade was cast as Victor "Vic" Stone / Cyborg, Alan Tudyk was cast as Eric Morden / Mr. Nobody, and Riley Shanahan was cast to physically portray the cyborg version of Cliff. The next month, Timothy Dalton was cast as Niles Caulder / Chief and Matthew Zuk was cast in October 2018 to physically portray the bandage-covered Larry. In March 2019, Mark Sheppard was announced as Willoughby Kipling.

In January 2020, Roger Floyd was cast as Red Jack, a malevolent entity, in the series' second season. Other second-season castings that February included Abigail Shapiro as the Chief's superpowered daughter, Dorothy Spinner, and Karen Obilom as Roni Evers, a military veteran with a mysterious past who Vic meets while attending a PTSD support group. Samantha Marie Ware was cast as one of Jane's identities in March 2020, later revealed to be the former primary identity Miranda. On March 10, 2021, Michelle Gomez was cast as Madame Rouge, a new series regular for the third season. In April 2021, Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant were cast as the Dead Boy Detectives. Later that month Micah Joe Parker, Wynn Everett, Miles Mussenden, Anita Kalathara and Gina Hiraizumi were cast as members of the Sisterhood of Dada, while Madalyn Horcher was cast as a guest in connection with Sebastian Croft and Ty Tennant. On September 23, 2022, Madeline Zima was cast as Casey Brinke for the fourth season. On October 17, 2022, Sendhil Ramamurthy joined the cast as Mr. 104 in a recurring capacity for the fourth season.

Filming

Principal photography for the first season began on August 30, 2018, in Olde Town Conyers, Georgia. Filming continued in Georgia throughout September 2018, in Lawrenceville and at Briarcliff Mansion. Principal photography for the first season finished on April 10, 2019.

Filming for the second season began November 2019 in Georgia.

Filming for the third season began on January 4, 2021. Filming wrapped on June 6, 2021.

Filming for the fourth season began in February 2022 and was completed on August 16, 2022.

Release

The first season of ''Doom Patrol'' premiered on DC Universe on February 15, 2019, with episodes releasing until May 24, 2019. The first season consists of 15 episodes. A second season premiered on both DC Universe and HBO Max on June 25, 2020. The third season premiered on September 23, 2021, exclusively on HBO Max. The fourth season premiered on December 8, 2022, with the first two episodes of the season available immediately and the rest debuting on a weekly basis on HBO Max.

In the United Kingdom, the first season was released exclusively on StarzPlay on January 2, 2020. The second season premiered July 16, 2021. The third season premiered November 14, 2021.

In Australia, the series is streamed on the Australian streaming service Binge.

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 96% approval rating based on 53 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "DC Universe finds breakout material in this iteration of ''Doom Patrol'' thanks to a fully committed cast and the writing's faith in weirdness." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 70 out of 100 based on reviews from 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Jesse Schedeen of IGN rated the series premiere 9.0 out of 10, stating that "''Doom Patrol'' is the best reason yet to sign up for DC's streaming service. 'Doom Patrol''offers a wicked sense of humor with heart, wit and tragedy to spare. The cast works incredibly well to form an entertaining dysfunctional family."

The second season holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 29 reviews with an average rating of 8.3/10. Its critical consensus reads, "As entertaining as the first, but with more emotional depth, ''Doom Patrol''s second season explores darker corners without sacrificing any of its wonderful weirdness."

The third season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 10 reviews with an average rating of 7.9/10. Its critics consensus states, "By adding strange new spices and a heaping tablespoon of unconventional plotting, ''Doom Patrol'' remains an endearing bazaar of absurd delights."

The fourth season has received a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 reviews with an average rating of 7.7/10.

Accolades

Further media

''Titans''

Rita Farr, Larry Trainor, and Cliff Steele from the ''Doom Patrol'' continuity were intended to appear in the original season 1 finale of ''Titans''. The appearances were removed after the original season finale was pulled.

Arrowverse

The ''Doom Patrol'' incarnations of Jane, Rita Farr, Vic Stone, Larry Trainor, and Cliff Steele make cameo appearances in the Arrowverse crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths", which depicts the series as taking place on the world of Earth-21. Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, Matthew Zuk, and Riley Shanahan appear in their respective roles from ''Doom Patrol'' through archival footage.

References

External links

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2010s American LGBT-related drama television series
2010s American science fiction television series
2019 American television series debuts
2020s American LGBT-related drama television series
2020s American science fiction television series
American action adventure television series
2010s American comedy-drama television series
2020s American comedy-drama television series
2010s American superhero comedy television series
2020s American superhero comedy television series
DC Universe (streaming service) original programming
Doom Patrol
English-language television shows
HBO Max original programming
LGBT-related superhero television shows
Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Television shows based on DC Comics
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios