Hasitha Fernando reviews the eleventh episode of Doom Patrol…
Our ragtag band of Super-zeroes are as conflicted as ever. Cliff accompanied by Rita makes an attempt to reconnect with his lost daughter Clara. Larry’s Negative entity meanwhile, pushes him to revisit his estranged lover and reconcile the past. Back in Doom-Manor Vic discovers to his horror, that his cybernetic system is expanding uncontrollably. Lamenting that they still couldn’t save Caulder, Jane decides to follow a clue left by Danny the Street with Vic’s assistance. But not all goes according to plan…
In this episode each of our characters embrace what they fear the most. Some, like Cliff and Larry fear their painful pasts. While others like Vic, fear what they would eventually become. Cliff resented the fact that Bump Weathers became Clara’s adoptive father. It crushes Cliff even more, when he found out how much she actually loved Bump. In spite of his depraved self-destructive behavior he still loves his daughter deeply. And it is this love that makes him realize the error of his ways when he’s given a second lease of life as Robot-Man. The scenes involving Clara and Cliff truly tug at your heartstrings. Great stuff. Due praise goes to Brendan Fraser for his phenomenal work, breathing life to his character through his voice.
All his life Larry has led a double-life. Born in an era of prejudice and being a cog in the military industrial complex, Larry hid behind a curtain of normalcy in order to ‘fit in’. By doing so he alienated himself from everyone in his life who loved him-his wife, children and his lover John. The accident served only to further alienate him from the rest of the world. Adding insult to injury is the entity that resides within him who is beyond his control. As the series progresses Larry realizes that he cannot simply divorce himself for the entity; it is here to stay. The entity forces Larry to revisit John and make peace with something that has been eating away at him from within, for all these years. The reunion between Larry and John was intimate and emotionally resonating.
Seeing Jane’s violently apocalyptic artwork left an indelible impression on Vic’s mind. Doubt has now taken root, as he fears that he will become the monster depicted in the drawing. His deepest fear is realized in this episode as he stumbles upon the inevitable truth; with every passing moment he is becoming less human and more machine. Only time will tell, what the future has in store for Vic.
As we edge close and closer towards the grand finale, I will say this. So far, it’s been one amazing roller-coaster ride of emotions and boy, am I glad I bought the ticket!
Hasitha Fernando
Originally published May 1, 2019. Updated April 30, 2019.
