A touching moment between two robots. Photo courtesy of KSiteTV.
Please Keep In Mind That This Article Contains Potential Spoilers For “Danny Patrol” and Events That Occurred Prior
It’s not every day that a show introduces you to a sentient genderqueer street named Danny. But hey, that’s Doom Patrol! Those familiar with the comics will know that Danny plays an important part on the proceedings—and I bet they’d never would have thought in a million years that Danny would make it on screen. Needless to say, Doom Patrol is a treasure we don’t deserve. Living on Danny Street are the Dannyzens—outcasts of society taking refuge in the only place they feel themselves. It’s a familiar message—one that I can’t deny was fairly cliched. But then again, throw in a sentient street whose life force is fueled by parties and the citizen’s energy, and any cliche can become more interesting.
With the introduction of Danny the Street, the story took aim at Larry. Clearly the place resonated with him. He knew he felt at peace there, even if he wouldn’t allow himself to accept that. This led to the episode’s best, and extremely powerful scene: the musical number. It was simply a blast to watch. Larry just letting go like that (and Matt Bomer getting to join in) really hit hard. Then came the speeding train: cut to Larry still seated. It all simply played out in his head. It’s truly tragic just how much self torment is going on within him, given everything he’s been through.
Larry has a moment. Photo courtesy of KSiteTV.
I mean Larry really had a big day. Not only did he meet a sentient street that caused him to take a mental dive into who he was, but a huge adversary from his past showed back up: The Department of Normalcy. Sadly, their existence easily showed as the weakest part of the episode. Their motivations—an entire secret government agency—were simply to eradicate anything that wasn’t a heterosexual staying close to societal norms. I get that those sentiments fit right into the story of the episode, but it doesn’t make them as an organization compelling in the slightest. Rather they leaned into shallow and dull territory,and were simply only there to service Danny and Larry’s story. Thankfully their investment in the story doesn’t look like a complete lost cause. The flashbacks when it came to Larry’s time in their custody managed to spark some intrigue. I hope that their role in future episodes (if any) will serve more the story in more interesting ways.
While Larry and Vic spent time with Danny, Rita and Cliff were invited to Karen’s! There was a lot to love about this plot. From Rita’s reluctance in going along (April Bowlby absolutely kills it), to Jane/Karen’s antics, and Cliff stepping up at the end—it was aces on all levels. I also really enjoyed the small moment with Cliff and the child. It was just a neat, random moment of human connection in the midst of Cliff desperately trying his hardest to click with Jane again. Bonus points for how well it was synced with what Larry was going through as well.
Karen and Cliff have a disagreement. Photo courtesy of KSiteTV.
Doom Patrol got back to the weird this week as we met Danny The Street. That didn’t keep the show from doing what it does best: balance the strange with some great character building. It’s a shame that The Department Of Normalcy wasn’t up to par with everything else the episode had to offer. Though, the team seems to have a bigger problem on their hand. Jane is catatonic, and the Underground seems to be in chaos—it’s Cliff’s time to shine.
You can catch new episodes of Doom Patrol when they air on DC Universe streaming network every Friday.
