Doom Patrol: Showrunner on Dorothy and what fans can expect in season 2

Doom Patrol showrunner Jeremy Carver talks about season 2 prospects and the introduction of the new character, Dorothy.

Season one of DC Universe’s Doom Patrol embodied all the wacky weirdness of the team’s comic book origins, ending with a battle against a giant cockroach as well as the introduction of a new major character. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Jeremy Carver suggested there’s more of that in store for viewers in the second season of the show.

In the denouement on the pilot season, Doom Patrol escaped Mr. Nobody’s clutches with Niles Caulder/ The Chief’s daughter in tow. The team is still reeling from the revelation that Caulder had been behind the accidents that led to their physical transformations; accidents he enabled because Caulder wanted immortality in an effort to keep his daughter Dorothy safe.

That tenuous relationship between the team and Caulder will be further explored in the next season, Carver stated, while Dorothy will be introduced as a major character.

"“We’ve introduced something of a major new character with the Chief’s daughter, and we have still simmering resentments between the team and the Chief that will have to be resolved one way or another,” Carver revealed to EW.“We have over 60 years of current and Silver Age and Bronze Age Doom Patrol comics, which really have been a lifesaver and an absolute repository of some of the most wonderfully bizarre and crazy ideas, but also beautiful character moments and depictions. We went full steam into season 1 with a ‘smoke ‘em if you got ‘em’ attitude, and we intend to fully continue that in any potential season 2 to come. There’s a lot more where that came from.”"

But, who is Dorothy? In the comics, she isn’t Caulder’s daughter, but she is taken in by him as a member of Doom Patrol. Initially, Dorothy Spinner was a background character but came to the fore under Grant Morrison. Dorothy has since appeared on and off in Doom Patrol titles. Her character is heavily influenced by Dorothy of The Wizard of Oz, and she even has a pair of red shoes.

In the comics, Dorothy was given up for adoption when she was born with a facial malformation that gave her an ape-like appearance. This also led to Dorothy being shunned by her peers, and due to her isolated upbringing, Dorothy began conversing with imaginary friends. Later, Dorothy realized that she could bring these friends to life, for better or worse.

Considering how Crazy Jane’s vast network of personalities played an essential role in adding to the dynamism of the first season of Doom Patrol, Dorothy’s ‘friends’ will probably add some more flavor when the show returns, and characters like the Candlemaker could make for compelling episode villains.

The introduction of Dorothy could mean a return of Alimi Ballard’s Joshua Clay. In the comics, Joshua helped to welcome Dorothy into the fold and his medical skills ensured she was safe from her powers. How the showrunners handle Dorothy’s characterization will be interesting to see.

The first season of Doom Patrol was character-driven and the explorations of the character’s insecurities, mental health, and acceptance of change were deftly handled. It is essential that Dorothy doesn’t become a punchline or a joke, especially since physical looks are often seen as integral for a woman to survive. Can the show’s Dorothy overcome society’s obsession with artificial facades?

Even though we didn’t see Dorothy in the season one finale, it was obvious that Niles dotes on his daughter, which is understandable considering how much he loved her mother, Slava. One can expect that the father-daughter relationship will be central in the next season. Though, how Cliff Steele/Robotman react will to that since Niles is the reason Cliff can’t be with his own daughter is another conflict that the showrunners can dive into.