Distributor: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Episodes: 9
Duration: 50 minutes (per episode)
Doom Patrol: Season 2 (DVD) – Series Review
A year ago, we were pleasantly surprised with the release of the first season of Doom Patrol. While we expected a generic superhero series in a dark and gritty DC universe, we got a band of misfits who are simply trying to cope with their lives on a day-to-day basis. Things got hectic when the secluded makeshift family soon found themselves in all sorts of chaotic and absurd adventures. The first season ended with all of them shrunk to the size of a Smurf, except for Larry. Now, with Niles’ daughter also in the picture, things are getting even more bizarre in this second season.
In this second season, we are thrown into the aftermath that cost Danny the Street’s entire form to be compressed into a single brick. The unsung heroes of the first season are now the size of small insects, except for Larry (Matt Bomer). Niles (Timothy Dalton) is now very much hated by the group, but he is trying to find a solution for the group’s current predicament. A new member of this band of misfits is Dorothy (Abi Monterey), who seemingly has a lot of ‘imaginary friends’ she can actually summon. It soon becomes clear that Dorothy, even though she may have child-like features, is a force to be reckoned with. This is even to the point that the world may or may not be doomed with how she turns out.
Other storylines again revolve around each of the character’s personal lives. We see Larry cope with the loss of a family member, Jane (Diane Guerrero) struggles internally with the other personas in her body, Cliff (Brendan Frasier) is once again feeling sorry for himself, Rita (April Bowlby) finally learns to control her body and, last but not least, Cyborg (Joivan Wade) is opening up to an outsider.
Just like the first season, Doom Patrol’s flow is just perfect. You’ll alternate between wacky and chaotic situations, to then jump back to the very serious underlying plot. We get more than enough action, and hilarious topics to plow through in this second season. Sadly, with the ongoing pandemic, things were wrapped up one episode sooner than expected, and we do feel like things have not been properly concluded for this story arc. Luckily the series has already been renewed for a third season, so it’s more than worth the watch.
In terms of the cast of the series, not much has changed. We see a few new faces pop up here and there, most often only sticking around for a scene or two. The character of Dorothy is added to the band of misfits for season two, and this role is played by Abi Monterey, who handles this part with a lot of grace. The make-up and her acting performances go hand in hand, creating the illusion we are actually looking at a young child. It was actually quite surprising to learn that the actress behind the supposed 11-year-old Dorothy is actually 20 years of age in real life. Another new frequent character on the show is Roni, who is played by Karen Obilom. Even though Roni seemingly has a lot to offer in terms of story value, the character doesn’t always feel properly fleshed out and ends up being somewhat superficial.
While the Coronavirus made things a lot harder for many movies and series to get produced, we also notice this when looking at the special features from physical releases. The DVD edition of the second season of Doom Patrol has barely anything to offer. We get a short snippet about the make-up used for a few characters, and a 2-minute clip that is basically a thank you to Georgia for letting the crew film there. The latter feels useless, as it literally shows you nothing of interest.
Conclusion
Doom Patrol: Season 2 might actually be one of the best DC series out there. While it is certainly not a series for everyone, especially with the never-ending chaos that unfolds, this is a very original and unique series that distances itself from traditional superhero tropes. While we regret that this season was only nine episodes long, we enjoyed every single minute of it.
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