DC is making a name for itself with its new series in 2019. DC, who could not find what they wanted in the cinema, achieved the consistency they wanted and managed to impress the audience with its series. To be honest, we can say that they finally found the somber vibe we were looking for. Dark, wild, and a bit absurd. The reason DC was loved or the expectation by the audience was the themes that set them apart from Marvel. Titans and Doom Patrol did this in a significant way. 15 episodes first season was prospering, and I’m sure everyone will be pleased.
Let’s briefly touch on the plot of the first season… A mad scientist named Niles Caulder, aka The Chief, hosts people who are marginalized by society because of their extras or have problems that are too big to be able to blend with society. He offers them the opportunity to “survive.” He supports everyone at home so they can adequately use their talents or “problems” according to them by being a father. Those in the house are also quite exciting names. So let’s see in order.
Cliff Steele is a NASCAR racer who died in a car accident. The Chief takes his brain, puts it in a robot, and brings it back to life. Continuing his life as Robotman, Cliff is the most entertaining character of the series. He is a character who never shuts up even though his mouth never moves and enjoys being thrown into everything; 4 out of 3 words are swearing. Rita Farr used to be a famous actress, but her body was deformed due to an accident. Rita, who looks beautiful as before when she stays calm, turns into something strange blob-thing when she starts to stress. Crazy Jane is a schizophrenic patient who has 60 personalities in her head. She can appear as a different character in each episode. Larry Trainor, aka Negative Man, is a pilot whose entire body was burned after a plane crash. Larry, who survived the accident thanks to the electric entity that entered into his body, has to spend his life with the “someone else” in him. And Cyborg is added later to this crazy cast. Niles Caulder, kidnapping by a crazy villain named Mr. Nobody, Cyborg comes to find Niles, whom he loves like his father, to unite everyone in the house. The fun starts after that.
No one on the team is a superhero. And they have no intention of being. Although they have strange powers, they are not names that can use it. In fact, they all have serious problems with themselves. Some of them can’t forgive a certain memory or get used to their power, which marginalizes them. As we watch the series, we encounter their regrets and problems one by one. The successful connection between the comic book and the series is also established here. Doom Patrol is a team of outcasts. Throughout the 15 episodes, we witness the drama as well as entertainment. And these drama parts do not bore the audience; they are processed successfully.
Another essential feature of the comics is that they and their adventures are extremely absurd. Doom Patrol has always had exciting enemies. Even more interestingly, the Doom Patrol villains don’t care about “destroying the world.” They pursue other purposes. The 15-episode series delivers this absurdity and motivation of the villains wonderfully. All kinds of mania, nonsense, and strangeness are present in the series, which is what makes the series delightful. There are all kinds of maniacs and weirdness in the series, with unicorns guiding, men with T-Rex heads, cockroaches who want to dominate the universe, talking streets, men who do magic by squeezing their muscles, and more.
Doom Patrol replaces DC’s sought-after dark part with absurdity. Another feature that distinguishes the series, which does not fall short of brutality and action, from all existing series: Breaking of the fourth wall. The narrator of the series, the supervillain Mr. Nobody, knows that you are watching the series, and from time to time, he gets excited like you, expresses what you want to see, and interprets your feelings. Since I have never seen such an approach before, can easily say that Mr. Nobody is one of the reasons that make the series watchable.
Long story short… DC has done another successful show after Titans and came up with a Doom Patrol that is almost the same as its comic book. With its engaging characters, absurd narration, and villain chatting with you, the series is like a carnival tunnel full of exciting adventures. It manages to entertain you. DC’s following projects, Pennyworth, and Swamp Thing, are already starting to whet the appetite. So I am looking forward to them now.
Cast & Crew,
creator: Jeremy Carver
starring: Diane Guerrero, April Bowlby, Matt Bomer, Brendan Fraser, Riley Shanahan, Matthew Zuk, Joivan Wade, Timothy Dalton, Alan Tudyk
USA | 2019 | 15 EPISODES |