Hasitha Fernando reviews the eighth episode of Doom Patrol…
Jane part ways with the group momentarily, following Cliff’s psychotic meltdown. She seeks refuge in one of her more outrageous personas; an overtly high-spirited yet volatile character named ‘Karen’ who possesses the power to infatuate individuals. An anxious Cliff and reluctant Rita goes after her. Meanwhile, in their search for Caulder, Vic and Larry stumble upon a sentient, gender-queer, teleporting street named ‘Danny’. The street is being pursued by the Bureau of Normalcy, with whom Larry has past experiences with. Its agents once subjected Larry to inhuman experiments, hoping to weaponize the Negative entity within. Morris Wilson (Alan Mingo Jr.), a former Bureau agent tasked with hunting down Danny has now turned turtle, becoming one its allies and embracing his true nature. Together Vic, Larry and Morris make a stand to thwart the Bureau’s nefarious plans and free Danny from endless persecution. Following a botched nuptial, Jane is rendered catatonic and her fragile subconscious withdraws to a deeper state…
If that premise doesn’t make your head spin, I wouldn’t blame you. It’s a heady concoction that is bound to test the general audience. However, if you, like me have ventured THIS far into the TV series, it means you are here by choice. You relish this audacious vichyssoise and crave for more. Danny the street is a haven for oddballs, rebels, outcasts and just about anyone who doesn’t fit into the rigid framework of what society deems as… normal. For the first time in their lives Larry and Victor feel right at home, embracing their true selves unafraid of repercussions. Agent Morris Wilson’s transformation from hardened secret agent into a budding drag queen is also tastefully executed. This is extremely progressive entertainment, especially for a comic-book TV series.
The decision to explore the topic of ‘social inclusivity’ in this episode- via a sentient street, no less-was a timely one. We have now reached a global paradigm shift from a social stand point; in one end of the spectrum there stands the bullheaded ultra-conservatives and jingoists, in the opposite end we have the altruistic liberalists and social pacifists. The election of the likes of Donald Trump, who vanguard right-wing ideologies are merely the symptoms of a disease. A disease deeply rooted in peoples fear of the ‘other’. These ‘others’ are viewed as radical thinking moral degenerates who are a threat to society, disrupting the established status quo. It is this fear that has driven humanity to commit atrocious acts over the centuries; the Spanish Inquisition, Jewish Holocaust and Soviet Holodomor are just such examples. Once again, opting to touch on such a controversial topic as well as, exploring the origins of an individual questioning his sexuality is very bold indeed.
Featuring excellent all-around performances from the cast, ‘Danny Patrol’ was an episode with a lot of chutzpah. Using a comic-book TV series as a vehicle for social commentary was a gutsy move. And showrunner Jeremy Carver pulls it off in style, never shying away from the nitty-gritties. I’m loving this TV series more and more. Let’s see what next week has in store for us.
Hasitha Fernando
