Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7 recap: It said don’t open the box!
By Monita Mohan
So many bad ideas in Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7.
In Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7, Vic brings Roni to the manor to introduce her to the rest of the team. She couldn’t come at a worse time. Niles, Cliff and Dorothy are up in space (as far as the team knows), Rita is off to rehearse for her new role as the blob lady in the Cloverton play, and Larry is depressed because his grandson is in the hospital and he can’t go and meet him.
The only bright spark is Miranda. She’s competent and calm, making feasts for the team and offering help and counseling whenever they need. What a change from Jane, who is a chaotic fireball.
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All this is going to be the least of the team’s problems! And Miranda is the one who’s going to help save the day.
Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7: Why would you open that box?
A mysterious carton has arrived at the manor and immediately infects the team into making very poor decisions. The box contains the painting that the former held Mr. Nobody and Beardhunter. Now, they’ve disappeared, and a mysterious species named Scant have taken over.
These creatures are deadly. Infected people will continue making bad decisions until it kills them. The ‘dumb’ in the title refers to the team’s actions caused by these creatures. I am a bit disappointed with the use of this word – ‘idiot’ or ‘fool’ would have sufficed, rather than using an ableist term like this.
To reiterate how foolish the team is, Larry asks Miranda to bring Flit to the surface so he can teleport to meet his grandson. They walk in looking like themselves and immediately have a SWAT team on them. They then get the ‘bright’ idea to dress up as doctors, except, Larry doesn’t disguise his bandages, nor does Flit fix her hair. They don’t get far.
At the manor, Vic decides he doesn’t need Niles to fix Roni’s technical issues. He’s going to do it himself! Miranda stops him in time before they’re pulled into the painting. Willoughby Kipling tries to stop them, but he gets infected and pulled in as well. Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7 has some continuity errors – it’s not as polished as we expect the series to be.
In the painting, the team finds Beardhunter, desperately hiding from the Scant. He escapes but the team is captive. Thankfully, Miranda is immune to the Scant. She summons Silver Tongue who annihilates their queen, thereby killing the rest of them.
Freed, Vic and Roni agree to continue to explore their relationship, while Larry tries to find out his grandson’s condition. It doesn’t sound like he’s doing too well.
Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7: Making amends and finding answers
Niles kicked Cliff out of his spaceship, but Cliff eventually landed on Earth. He’s outraged and wants revenge. But Cliff is stuck in the middle of nowhere and can’t hitch a ride. Then his legs stop working and he can’t get through to the manor (because everyone’s in the painting). In desperation, Cliff calls his daughter and explains how his life turned out like this.
Eventually, Cliff’s legs activate again and he returns to the manor, to find Clara waiting for him. I really hope Cliff finds closure and is able to form some kind of relationship with his daughter. He can be a loving father, unlike Niles.
Ah, Niles, he is the worst. He returns to his wife’s original resting place to find a way to protect the world from Dorothy. To his horror, Niles discovers that the Candlemaker creature is an intrinsic part of his daughter and there’s no getting rid of him.
Realizing the world will never be safe with Dorothy alive, it seems that Niles asks Kipling to ‘take care’ of Dorothy. Now, all signs point to Dorothy being killed, but I wonder if Kipling has another plan.
Rita may be the only person on the path to healing. While she is shadowing a beekeeper for her role, she gets some great advice about overcoming her imposter syndrome and forgiving her mother’s misguided attempts to advance Rita’s career. By the end of the episode, Rita saves a man’s life. Has she finally got control of her powers?
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Did you enjoy Doom Patrol Season 2, Episode 7? Do you think Rita has finally become the hero she’s meant to be?