Doom Patrol: Amends Patrol
November 11, 2021 4:22 AM - Season 3, Episode 10 - Subscribe
To save Cliff and get her revenge on Madame Rouge and the Brotherhood of Evil, Rita makes a desperate last attempt to turn the Doom Patrol into a superteam.
I'm looking forward to season 04 of Doom Force.
posted by haileris23 at 5:13 PM on November 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by haileris23 at 5:13 PM on November 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
This was a great cap to the season! Sure, it was a little anti-climactic, in the sense that it felt like a denouement to the climax that was “Subconscious Patrol.” But now Cliff and Larry are working to let love in, Vic has laid down his arms as a soldier and taken up the mantle of a superhero, and Rita got her personal climax by choosing not to embrace evil (other than the occasional brain boiling). And Jane’s alternates remain an endless source of drama—it was hilarious that in the final, head-stickered roll call before embarking to the Suez Canal, Jane was unconscious, again.
I’m very excited for Rita discovering her new superpowers of making clothing and shoes change size, and deactivating robot self-destruct sequences by shoving them! But seriously, it was nicely underplayed how Rita saved the town* that mocked and exclude her. I also love seeing her take on the role of leader, rather than Madame Rouge, as I suspected early on.
*“From us,” as Larry of course points out.
IIRC someone commented a few episodes ago that it seemed like this show couldn’t go on much longer without the main characters fundamentally changing in a way that would be the end of the show. I don’t count on the show continuing past season 4, but I applaud how much they are shaking things up because they can. The first episode of the series had half the cast literally moping and doing nothing for decades, and now they’re taking a time machine to fight a giant pair of balls! Niles’s death is the best thing that could have happened. I love this show so much and will keep watching it as long as they keep making it.
posted by ejs at 5:53 PM on November 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
I’m very excited for Rita discovering her new superpowers of making clothing and shoes change size, and deactivating robot self-destruct sequences by shoving them! But seriously, it was nicely underplayed how Rita saved the town* that mocked and exclude her. I also love seeing her take on the role of leader, rather than Madame Rouge, as I suspected early on.
*“From us,” as Larry of course points out.
IIRC someone commented a few episodes ago that it seemed like this show couldn’t go on much longer without the main characters fundamentally changing in a way that would be the end of the show. I don’t count on the show continuing past season 4, but I applaud how much they are shaking things up because they can. The first episode of the series had half the cast literally moping and doing nothing for decades, and now they’re taking a time machine to fight a giant pair of balls! Niles’s death is the best thing that could have happened. I love this show so much and will keep watching it as long as they keep making it.
posted by ejs at 5:53 PM on November 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
That was really fun. I hadn’t really thought about it like that and they may prove me totally wrong, but yeah, one more season does seem about right.
I missed Jane & Cliff’s sweary adventures. And I think her and the Fog could be fun together.
Until Rita poured boiling water directly onto someone's brain, had we seen her even try to physically really harm anyone before? Strangling Madame Rouge felt as personal and vengeful as it surely was, but damn, she hit the ground running.
So one thing that I never figured out is whether we’re supposed to question if Cliff has Parkinson’s? I might have missed something, it seems like we're not, but I thought he diagnosed himself off a website and is also getting his meds that way—which doesn’t mean he’s wrong, I’m not sure a regular doctor could even properly examine him, but if that was really all he was going off of, I feel like at least Clara would want him to get checked out before diving in on a particular medication.
It’s very funny to me that this show’s version of the slow motion badass power walk will be the team stumbling out of a piece of mining equipment with their names taped to their foreheads and a sign on the wall reminding them to fight the bad guy.
posted by jameaterblues at 11:29 AM on November 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
I missed Jane & Cliff’s sweary adventures. And I think her and the Fog could be fun together.
Until Rita poured boiling water directly onto someone's brain, had we seen her even try to physically really harm anyone before? Strangling Madame Rouge felt as personal and vengeful as it surely was, but damn, she hit the ground running.
So one thing that I never figured out is whether we’re supposed to question if Cliff has Parkinson’s? I might have missed something, it seems like we're not, but I thought he diagnosed himself off a website and is also getting his meds that way—which doesn’t mean he’s wrong, I’m not sure a regular doctor could even properly examine him, but if that was really all he was going off of, I feel like at least Clara would want him to get checked out before diving in on a particular medication.
It’s very funny to me that this show’s version of the slow motion badass power walk will be the team stumbling out of a piece of mining equipment with their names taped to their foreheads and a sign on the wall reminding them to fight the bad guy.
posted by jameaterblues at 11:29 AM on November 12, 2021 [4 favorites]
Doom Force!!!
I think this show could go on for twenty years if it focused on the Doom Patrol facing external threats that had thematic resonance with our heroes' struggles. I would not be heartbroken. But as long as it foregrounds our heroes' struggles...well...you have to actually solve their problems, and that spells the end of the show. Or maybe not: Vic's problems are ostensibly solved, and I think his next arc is, like...what the fuck do I do now?
It's at an interesting juncture for sure. I feel like it's headed for a conclusion, too, but as always, we shall see....
Ever vigilant,
Kittens
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:38 PM on November 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
I think this show could go on for twenty years if it focused on the Doom Patrol facing external threats that had thematic resonance with our heroes' struggles. I would not be heartbroken. But as long as it foregrounds our heroes' struggles...well...you have to actually solve their problems, and that spells the end of the show. Or maybe not: Vic's problems are ostensibly solved, and I think his next arc is, like...what the fuck do I do now?
It's at an interesting juncture for sure. I feel like it's headed for a conclusion, too, but as always, we shall see....
Ever vigilant,
Kittens
posted by kittens for breakfast at 4:38 PM on November 13, 2021 [3 favorites]
Darn, I didn't realize this was the end of the season until I read this thread.
I couldn't figure out why Jane was sticking around in the big robot body. She could have grabbed Cliff (thereby depriving the non-transforming transformer of power and halting his lumbering march of destruction) and teleported out of there. Then, it would simply be a matter of popping Cliff back into his original robot body (that Rita salvaged after boiling Brain's brain), and letting Victor and his dad work to rebuild it (as a father and son bonding project).
Again, that was some nice, clean, legible writing on the flipchart plan. Apparently this team's real superpower is super penmanship.
So are we to assume that Rouge just jumped through space (not time) to create a blank-slate scenario for herself (and to more easily move the time machine to the manor)? Or are we supposed to think she stopped somewhere/somewhen else first as part of her amends trip?
posted by sardonyx at 8:30 PM on November 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
I couldn't figure out why Jane was sticking around in the big robot body. She could have grabbed Cliff (thereby depriving the non-transforming transformer of power and halting his lumbering march of destruction) and teleported out of there. Then, it would simply be a matter of popping Cliff back into his original robot body (that Rita salvaged after boiling Brain's brain), and letting Victor and his dad work to rebuild it (as a father and son bonding project).
Again, that was some nice, clean, legible writing on the flipchart plan. Apparently this team's real superpower is super penmanship.
So are we to assume that Rouge just jumped through space (not time) to create a blank-slate scenario for herself (and to more easily move the time machine to the manor)? Or are we supposed to think she stopped somewhere/somewhen else first as part of her amends trip?
posted by sardonyx at 8:30 PM on November 13, 2021 [1 favorite]
So are we to assume that Rouge just jumped through space (not time) to create a blank-slate scenario for herself (and to more easily move the time machine to the manor)?
Frankly I was confused by the time frames for all the traveling. Driving from Boca Raton to Florida takes 16 or 17 hours, and Giant Cliff was not going highway speed. I don’t know where the bus flipped, or where Rouge abandoned ship, but in the same amount of time it took Cliff to lumber the rest of the way to the mansion—and in the same amount of time it took for Rouge to fly to the Bureau of Normalcy as a bird, find the time machine, and take it to the mansion—and in the same amount of time it took for Vic, Larry, and Jane to have their side quests in the Fog and be teleported to the mansion—Rita made it to Boca Raton, had tea with the Brain, and then made it back to the mansion, with no apparent mode of transport, in heels.
posted by ejs at 9:23 AM on November 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Frankly I was confused by the time frames for all the traveling. Driving from Boca Raton to Florida takes 16 or 17 hours, and Giant Cliff was not going highway speed. I don’t know where the bus flipped, or where Rouge abandoned ship, but in the same amount of time it took Cliff to lumber the rest of the way to the mansion—and in the same amount of time it took for Rouge to fly to the Bureau of Normalcy as a bird, find the time machine, and take it to the mansion—and in the same amount of time it took for Vic, Larry, and Jane to have their side quests in the Fog and be teleported to the mansion—Rita made it to Boca Raton, had tea with the Brain, and then made it back to the mansion, with no apparent mode of transport, in heels.
posted by ejs at 9:23 AM on November 14, 2021 [2 favorites]
Rita made it to Boca Raton, had tea with the Brain, and then made it back to the mansion, with no apparent mode of transport, in heels.
The Brain made a point of mentioning that Malah left his teleport bracelet behind.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:41 AM on November 15, 2021 [2 favorites]
The Brain made a point of mentioning that Malah left his teleport bracelet behind.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 4:41 AM on November 15, 2021 [2 favorites]
THANK YOU!!
posted by ejs at 2:59 PM on November 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by ejs at 2:59 PM on November 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Comics joke: Doom Force was a one-issue Doom Patrol joke that riffed on the X-Treme! extreme Liefeld-created and drawn X-Force; Liefeld had a penchant for giving his characters waaay too many pouches, though he's capable of making self-deprecating jokes about that penchant now.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:28 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Pronoiac at 12:28 AM on November 16, 2021 [2 favorites]
I didn't realize DC actually put that out as a comic. I mean I got the Liefeld refence in the show, but that's actually hilarious. Giffen and Mignola really knocked that cover out of the park! I wouldn't necessarily have even guessed it was their work.
posted by sardonyx at 8:55 AM on November 16, 2021
posted by sardonyx at 8:55 AM on November 16, 2021
Strong second half of the season. Agree with jameaterblues, one more season to see how the new arrangement works out feels right. But this as a finale is sufficiently satisfying, thought forfend.
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The Brain wouldn't have felt the boiling brain waterboarding. No sensory neurons in there.
Really digging Cliff's new body. And his renewed affection with Jane. And everyone agreeing with Cliff's "I want to go home." and it's Nile's mansion.
Liked Larry's story, especially acknowledging that shit like that's complex.
I grew to adore the larva thing.
posted by porpoise at 10:05 PM on December 12, 2021
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The Brain wouldn't have felt the boiling brain waterboarding. No sensory neurons in there.
Really digging Cliff's new body. And his renewed affection with Jane. And everyone agreeing with Cliff's "I want to go home." and it's Nile's mansion.
Liked Larry's story, especially acknowledging that shit like that's complex.
I grew to adore the larva thing.
posted by porpoise at 10:05 PM on December 12, 2021
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posted by Catblack at 7:08 AM on November 11, 2021 [2 favorites]