Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Habitat for Inhumanity.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III January 21, 2021

Despite first appearing in comics several months before The X-Men, DC's Doom Patrol is sometimes regarded as a second-tier version of that much more popular superhero family -- basically, the Hydrox to Marvel's Oreo. Either way, these two comics represented opposite sides of the same cookie: both starred diverse super-humans rescued from a society that refused to accept them at face value, but Doom Patrol went a step further by making its titular characters resent their own abilities. Though created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney in 1963 (with obvious creative input by artist Bruno Premiani), Doom Patrol is perhaps best known for its complete takeover by celebrated Scottish scribe Grant Morrison in 1989 after his Eisner Award-nominated run on DC's floundering Animal Man. Morrison shook up Doom Patrol considerably, offering a surreal take on the series while introducing bizarre new characters such as Flex Mentallo, Danny the Street, and Crazy Jane, whose multiple personalities each had their own unique superpower.

Of course, long-time fans of the comic already know that DC Universe's ongoing adaptation of Doom Patrol is most closely tied to Morrison's output, serving up a suitably oddball blend of action, comedy, and profane absurdism that definitely wouldn't fly on basic cable. This surprisingly short nine-episode second season picks up where the first one left off, jumping head-first into possibly deeper waters whether or not you're up for a swim. The show's gleeful embrace of ludicrous supporting characters and plot twists is both its most endearing element and it's Achilles' heel: Doom Patrol really does lead viewers around by the nose and, depending on your mood during each episode, might either be a delirious romp through uncharted superhero territory... or a long and potentially confusing 50-odd minutes.

The former outweighs the latter during these episodes, beginning with the visually arresting opener "Fun Size Patrol" which finds the team learning to live in pint-sized form as Larry "Negative Man" Trainor (Matt Bomer and Matthew Zuk) prepares cute little meals and works on curing them. Full of terrific practical effects that wouldn't feel out of place in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it's as visually stimulating as it is well-written... which includes the tragic origin story of "new member" Dorothy Spinner (Abigail Shapiro), ape-faced daughter of Chief Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton). And while other early highlights dot the landscape of Season 2 -- from the horrific entrance of Jack the Ripper stand-in Red Jack (Roger Floyd) in "Pain Patrol" and a potentially world-ending orgy in "Sex Patrol" that might resurrect street-turned-brick Danny -- this batch of episodes picks up speed and strength as it progresses. The turning point arrives during episode 5, "Finger Patrol", where Larry Trainor and April Bowlby visit Larry's family, and Vic Stone (Joivan Wade) nurses a relationship with military vet Roni Evers (Karen Obilom). This deepening of the core characters' humanity proves more interesting than Doom Patrol's fun but ultimately hollow ventures into more abstract territory.

Another reason why Season 2 stays the course is its reliance on more internal conflicts, with the biggest being Season 1's revelation that Niles Caulder was purposefully responsible for his team's disfigurements. Many take it differently: the base-level anger of Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser) is understandable, whereas the mixed reaction of "Crazy Jane" (Diane Guerrero) pretty much depends on who's driving the bus... but all are clearly affected and this changes the overall mood inside Doom Manor considerably. Niles' primary confidants this time around are Dorothy, who drives her dad's fading will to live, as well as Jane's childlike persona "Baby Doll" who almost becomes a second daughter to him. In different ways, both are also directly responsible for the re-emergence of the Candlemaker, an ancient being who torments Dorothy at night and plays a substantial role in de facto season finale "Wax Patrol". (A tenth episode was planned but unfilmed due to the COVID pandemic, which cuts the Season 2 narrative a little short.)

So while Season 2 technically offers "more of the same" it's also a much different experience than the first year, which hit higher highs but lower lows during a more drawn-out 15-episode format. This shorter run makes Season 2 a bit more manageable to binge-watch, as its wildest detours are short-lived enough to not distract from what makes Doom Patrol such an enjoyable experience: great core characters. It's packed tightly onto a two-disc set from Warner Bros. that, length aside, is likewise similar to Season 1 with its solid A/V presentation and minimal bonus features.

Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Doom Patrol's mixture of vibrant, candy-colored hues with dark and moody moments might be challenging to preserve on disc, but Warner Bros.' rock-solid 1080p transfer does the show's visuals justice. Expected problems like banding are kept to an absolute minimum but still visible from time to time (screenshot #28), although more subtle gradients are rendered extremely well in low-lit areas like Doom Manor and nighttime exteriors. Image detail and textures are once again very striking; the first to come to mind are Larry Trainor's wool coat and bandage wraps, Cliff Steele's piercing red eyes, and the terrific makeup effects for Dorothy and many of the show's supporting characters. Season opener "Fun Size Patrol" is a standout in particular, as its creative prop design achieves a pretty convincing illusion that often looks seamless thanks to this transfer's fundamental strengths. Although not much depth is achieved in Doom Patrol's darkest moments, the fact that these shadowy environments are clearly readable is a minor miracle in itself; if limited to DVD, they'd likely succumb to poor compression or require edge enhancement to look halfway decent.

Overall, these episodes easily play as well as those found on Season 1... if not slightly better, since the lower episode count gives each dual-layered disc a little more breathing room. Though I'd love so see what Doom Patrol looked like in full 4K, I doubt many die-hard fans will find much room for improvement here.

Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The default DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix likewise preserves the show's tightly defined but unpredictable sound design, which ranges from quiet conversations in empty rooms to full-on onslaughts of cataclysmic proportions. Somewhere in-between is where much of it lies: mostly front-loaded dialogue and well-placed discrete effects with good separation. Music sits largely in the rears with a full dynamic range, especially evident during the show's gently propulsive opening theme. LFE is once again very well represented, especially during the often-unexpected appearances of a few ancient beings and other CGI baddies, as well as infrequent trips to more supernatural environments. While Doom Patrol's most absurd moments contain a few additional sonic surprises that I won't dream of spoiling here, fans can rest assured that this thoughtfully designed surround track is, once again, just as impressive as the terrific visuals.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during each episode and all applicable bonus features; these are formatted nicely with no obvious sync issues and fit right within the 2.20:1 frame.

Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Doom Patrol: Season Two arrives in a keepcase with two hubs and a matching slipbox. A two-sided episode list insert sits in place of the usual Digital Copy code, which may prove frustrating for fans of that format. The bonus features (on Disc 2) are limited to a few odds and ends that don't add much value but are still worth a once-over. No deleted scenes this time around, which is disappointing... and how about a cast commentary or two in the future?

• Doom Patrol: The Magic of Makeup (9:09) - This short but sweet exploration of Season 2's more impressive feats of practical makeup includes comments from FX designer Bill Johnson, special FX makeup artists Derek and Eric Garcia, as well as a round of prosthetic layers for Abigail "Dorothy" Shapiro (seen above).

• Come Visit Georgia PSA (2:18) - Similar to the Season 1's same-named extra, this short conversation with production designer Carey Meyer deals with the joys and challenges of finding shooting locations.

Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Doom Patrol continues to chug along with an impressive commitment to comic book authenticity, dropping its great core characters into increasingly bizarre situations and encounters that border on inaccessible to outsiders... but if you're already in the club, welcome back and enjoy yourself. Although shorter than the first season by six episodes, this is another mostly consistent batch of adventures that, pound for pound, stands up to its surprisingly good first year. Warner Bros.' two-disc Blu-ray set follows suit with another rock-solid A/V presentation, although the bonus features once again come up a little short. If you enjoyed Doom Patrol's first season, this one's a no-brainer.