Review: ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 2 Episode 1 – “Fun-Size Patrol”

"Fun-Size Patrol"

Director: Christopher Manley

Writers: Jeremy Carver & Shoshana Sachi

Starring: Dianne Guerrero, April Bowlby, Joivan Wade, Matt Bomer, Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, Stephanie Czajowski, Mark Sheppard, Abigail Shapiro, Julie McNiven & Michael J. Harney. With Riley Shanahan and Matthew Zuk

Review by Steve J. Ray

They're back! 13 months after the season 1 finale, everyone's favourite band of metahuman misfits have finally returned to entertain us. Holy F@9#... I've missed them, so much!

When we last saw the team they'd defeated the nefarious Mr. Nobody, but at great cost to themselves. The Chief had been exposed as the person behind the accidents that gave them their abilities, the ones that had made them all outcasts and misfits. To make matters worse, after escaping Nobody's trap they returned home only to find themselves shrunk to the size of toys; which is how we find them at the beginning of this episode.

Oh, and they've brought Niles' daughter with them, and if you thought the original gang was strange and powerful, young Dorothy could actually be the strangest, and most powerful Doom Patroller of them all.

There's No Place Like Home

Dorothy, played by Abigail Shapiro, is a great addition to the cast. She's sweet, she's charming... and she's downright terrifying. Her power-set is awesome, and you really don't want to mess with her friends. Wow... this kid's got some imagination.

Not only do we have a fresh new face in the show, but we get the very welcome appearance of Mark Sheppard's Willoughby Kipling too. With the whole team angry at him for his betrayal, plus the fact that they're all currently living on a toy racetrack, the Chief has to consider alternate means of regaining the team's trust, and returning them all to full-size. When science fails, what other recourse is there?

Family Gatherings

As if things aren't bad enough in the here and now, we also get more flashbacks to the past, mainly focused this week on Dorothy, Cliff and Larry. These bite-size chunks do so much to add layers of depth, understanding and sympathy to these characters. Abigail Shapiro, Brendan Fraser and Matt Bomer shine in these scenes, but that's hardly a surprise.

As always Robot Man's constant expletives, and almost permanent states of rage and bafflement, are a joy to witness. Wait until you see what he does to let of steam! Talk about not giving a tiny rat's @$$!

Rita and Vic also share some great moments as Cyborg tries to help Elasti-Woman gain control of her powers. Who ever said that learning to be a hero was easy? Joivan Wade and April Bowlby are on top form.

Conclusion

Doom Patrol was undoubtedly one of the best new shows of 2019, and season 2 is off to a great start. The crazy and whimsy are back, but so is the depth, heart and raw emotion. From hilarious scenes of tiny heroes riding up and down from a table-top race track set in a mecano elevator, to moments of extreme violence and horror, this show comes at you from all sides, and with all guns blazing.

Crazy Jane, Cyborg, Robotman, Chief, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman, Willoughby... I've missed you. Dorothy, welcome to the family.

Images Courtesy of Warner Bros. Television