Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 4 recap: Time to save Danny Street

Danny broke in half in the Doom Patrol Season 2 premiere.

Following the shenanigans of the first season finale, Danny Street was reduced to a brick. In the Season 2 premiere, Dorothy accidentally dropped the brick and broke Danny in two. In Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 4, the Dannyzens – the people who lived on Danny Street – arrive at the Doom Manor to put them back together.

This being Doom Patrol, healing Danny requires a party. Among the Dannyzens are Flex Mentallo (Devan Long) and Maura Lee Karupt (Alan Mingo Jr.) and they bring all the glitz and glamour Danny needs to cheer up. And Danny’s not the only one in need of a smile.

The entire team has been down in the dumps and this party could be the cure they need. If only things were that easy.

Though Cliff is able to come to terms with his estrangement from his daughter and the Chief’s betrayal, Larry’s euphoria is fleeting. Rita pulls him into dance and then runs off with Flex. Then, a rather attractive Dannyzen dances with Larry but is frightened away when Larry explains that removing his bandages will end in a horrible, painful end for everyone at the gathering.

Seems like Larry’s arc in Doom Patrol Season 3 will focus on him either coming to terms with being eternally alone because of the radiation or perhaps he could find a partner who is immune to the poisoning. Larry deserves happiness.

Cyborg returns and gets some sound advice from Maura about accepting people despite their past. I love it when this show reflects on real-world problems – they should do it all the time. Will this make Cyborg return to Roni?

One big positive from the party is that the various personalities of Jane who attempted to take control of the host body, eventually give up and allow Jane to be the primary. It’s way too crazy outside the Underground.

Doom Patrol Season 2: Trouble is Brewing

We know that Rita’s been striving to control her abilities and she is mesmerized by how effortless Flex makes it look. He tells her to clear her mind and she asks him for help. Any other show would have seen these two characters jump into the nearest bed together, but instead, Rita requests Flex to use his powers to get her to release her pent-up emotions and clear her head.

It doesn’t help that Rita accidentally conjures a world-ending demon who has to be defeated by secret agents. But that’s not the important part.

Rita’s lived a long life; there’s a lot of stuff she’s either forgotten or buried. In Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 4, memories of Rita’s childhood resurface where her mother appeared to be having an affair with a famous producer in an effort to make Rita famous. This isn’t going to help Rita’s confidence.

Another character suffering from confidence issues is Dorothy. She’s been locked up most of her life and now that she – and her imaginary friends – have tasted freedom, there’s no going back. The Dannyzens and Doom Patrol are such delightful friends to her. Rita applies make-up, Flex calls her beautiful, and everyone is speechless by her singing. Abigail Shapiro, who plays Dorothy, has plenty of theatre experience and it shows in the power and beauty of her voice in this episode.

But Dorothy’s fun ends when it’s bedtime. Niles is correct for treating her like a child, but he is too strict. The evil Candlemaker whose sinister presence has been heard since the start of the season eggs her on to break curfew and attend the party. She really shouldn’t be there. Dorothy may be 103 years old, but she’s mentally a child and this rave is not for the eyes of a little girl.

Dorothy and Candlemaker believe that Niles is desperate to put Danny back together so that he can lock Dorothy up again. Danny doesn’t help by confessing that they are Dorothy’s friend, but that’s not their only job. They are essentially holding Dorothy prisoner.

While the seeds of fear and anger are sowed in Dorothy’s mind, Danny is on the mend and takes off with the rest of the Dannyzens. Dorothy remains at the manor but her trust in everyone around her is shattered. Later when she asks Rita if she’s beautiful, a dazed Rita repeats her mother’s words ‘you have other talents, focus on those’. That’s not what Dorothy wanted to hear.

There’s a lot to love about this episode, especially the tender moments between the cast and Dorothy. The character moments on this show are spectacular and genuinely make me smile or emotional. However, I cringed at the subplot. Some people enjoy the quirkier aspects of Doom Patrol, but it’s an acquired taste for many.

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What did you think of Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 4? Do you think Dorothy’s headed down a dark path?