Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

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

Wax nostalgic.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 21, 2022

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 WB's ongoing adaptation of Doom Patrol is most closely tied to Morrison's output, serving up a suitably oddball blend of action, comedy, and very profane absurdism that definitely wouldn't fly on basic cable. It's currently winding down its fourth season on HBO Max with a fifth season still up in the air... but for now, those who have been collecting the series on Blu-ray thus far can rest easy knowing its home video run is still going strong. Not surprisingly, Season 3 follows suit with previous releases: despite its continued shorter running time of just 10 episodes (longer than Season 2's nine-episode run, but a full five episodes fewer than the first), it gets a full three discs to breathe along with a handful of brief and mostly inconsequential bonus features.

But I'll be completely honest in that Doom Patrol's appeal is starting to fade a little this time around. I'm not exactly watching the series out of sheer obligation at this point, but its unhinged weirdness and familiar narrative beats are growing long in the tooth; what once felt new and exciting now feels like a series beginning to spin its creative wheels. I'll concede that this observation applies more to the characters than the plot lines: one can only take so much potty-mouthed Robotman or Rita Farr pining for a pre-gelatinous state, even if certain circumstances have noticeably shifted her placement within the group. Our lineup of usual suspects needs more than one major character death, ensuing fallout, a hasty promotion, and a new look for Cyborg (Joivan Wade) to stay fresh during its third year and, although the arrival of shape-shifting Brotherhood of Evil veteran Laura De Mille / Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez) is certainly welcome, I still felt myself a little less invested in Doom Patrol as a whole with each passing episode.

Luckily, the stories at least push this series back to expectedly decent heights, with enjoyable mini-arcs and one-offs like the titular group's temporary death and trip into the underworld and back, as well as Laura's De Mille's debut and a few brief stops through time. "Least essential season of Doom Patrol" still isn't exactly a damning insult: it holds a spot above most of the absolute glut of superhero-themed entertainment these days, and despite the series' ever-increasing familiarity it continues to feel like almost nothing else on the small screen. I'm willing to bet that most fans of the show will see this thing through to the end -- be it Season 4, 5, or beyond -- and if nothing else, Doom Patrol has planted a freak flag hard in this sub-genre's crowded landscape. As mentioned earlier, Warner Bros.' Blu-ray package likewise holds the line with another rock-solid A/V presentation and a price tag that makes up for the lack of extras.

Episodes include: "Possibilities Patrol", "Vacay Patrol", "Dead Patrol", "Undead Patrol", "Dada Patrol", "1917 Patrol", "Bird Patrol", "Subconscious Patrol", "Evil Patrol", and "Amends Patrol", with 3-4 on each disc. Here's a trailer.

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

As far as I know, the behind-the-scenes visual aesthetic of Doom Patrol hasn't changed since its debut, so you can refer to my separate reviews of Season 1 and 2 for an overview of the series' overall appearance. Bottom line: this all digital production is heavy on the shadows with a mostly muted palette and levels of distinct color saturation that are highly similar to the HDR enhancement added to most 4K productions. (This was actually Doom Patrol's source presentation during the show's time on DC Universe but it's now shown in 1080p SDR on HBO Max.) On the encoding side of things, this season is at least as good if not better than previous years: each dual-layered disc gets no more than 3-4 episodes apiece, which means there's plenty of room to breathe and no flagrant compression artifacts such as macro blocking and black crush. (Mild amounts of banding can be spotted during extremely challenging scenes like the foggy boat ride above, but nothing too far outside of expected format limitations.) All told, it's another great-looking run of episodes with lots of off-kilter visual appeal. Will Doom Patrol ever be offered in true 4K UHD for future season home video releases, or perhaps even a full series set in the future? Probably not, but one can only hope.

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

Similarly, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix reflects an overall similar audio experience as previous outings, mostly offering front-heavy dialogue and a wide overall presence for background effects, the original score, and plenty of surprising sonic flourishes along the way that support the series' frequently loopy and unorthodox atmosphere. It's plenty ambitious for a small-screen production and, like the visuals, enjoys a fine transition to Blu-ray.

English (SDH) subtitles are also offered during all 10 episodes and all applicable bonus features.

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

This three-disc set ships in a hinged keepcase with bright yellow cover art, a matching slipcase, and an interior print that lists disc contents. A Digital Copy is also tucked inside and all bonus features can be found on Disc 3.

• Digging Deep into Doom Patrol: Introducing Madame Rouge (2:15) - Key cast and crew members discuss the new character introduced this season, as well as mining 60 years of Doom Patrol history to find her... but as the running time implies, this is more of a shallow promotional featurette than a deep dive.

• This Season On (1:46) - A Twilight Zone-style trailer for this season's crop of episodes.

• Georgia PSA (5:21) - Another promo piece for the production's state of origin, as well as the challenges of shooting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not sure why the background music is so loud, though.

• Doom Patrol Season 3: Life After Death (14:19) - Finally, a decent behind-the-scenes featurette! This short but worthwhile piece offers a nice overview of this year's multiple story arcs in the wake of Season 2's finale, as well as individual character paths that include comments from key cast and crew members.

• Filter Not Included: Robotman's Best Lines (2:57) - Just under three minutes of memorable one-liners and, of course, plenty of swearing from almost everyone's favorite character. Some in Japanese, too!

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

Doom Patrol continues its run with another batch of off-center episodes loaded with black comedy, odd guest stars, and an overall vibe that gleefully flips off traditional superhero fare. I can't say I was quite as enamored with the experience from start to finish this time, as I didn't feel it brought enough refreshing revelations to the table for what might be a penultimate season. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray stays the course with a solid three-disc set that gives all ten episodes plenty of room to breathe, another impressive technical presentation, and a batch of bonus features slightly more satisfying than previous years. Recommended to those who have seen and enjoyed Doom Patrol this far, obviously.