Doom Patrol has never been one to stray from the weird and outlandish and they don’t seem too keen on changing that anytime soon. Season 2, episode 4, ”Sex Patrol”, makes its mark as one of the weirdest and yet most important episodes, featuring big turning points for many main characters.
Even when there’s a party going on around the team, there is so much more going on inside their heads, making this episode so much more special than what it appears to be. Doom Patrol wouldn’t be the show it is if it didn’t take the time to give these characters room to grow and show that even when you’re super you aren’t perfect and that isn’t always your fault.
Dealing a lot with past and present family trauma, “Sex Patrol” gives us different perspectives of each separate issue while all revolving around one similar topic, whether it be Larry’s guilt of abandoning his children or the feeling of rejection Cliff felt from his daughter. It’s not until the Dannyzens arrive to help invigorate Danny The Brick to the once lively and free-spirited street they once were that the Team can work out some of what’s been eating them up inside. This week’s episode features the return of Flex Mentallo (Devan Long) and Marau Lee Karupt (Alan Mingo Jr), who propose a party is just what Danny needs to begin healing, but it ends up benefiting more than one.
Rita’s story has been one many have been quite keen on since season 1. Her development since the beginning has been nothing short of phenomenal and watching her start to grab life by the horns and take control of what once held her back and face her insecurities is incredibly satisfying. Here she must deal with events of the past that she has long blocked and buried deep within her psyche and she recruits the help of Flex, asking him to “Do the thing he did” before sending them into the white space when they first confronted Mr. Nobody. They begin exuding highly unnatural levels of sexual energy, attracting the shadowy Mr. Evan, countless sex ghosts, and of course, the Sex Men. This is the part where you remember what you’re watching and this doesn’t seem entirely out of the norm.
Season 2 has brought out a shining star when it comes to newcomer Dorothy Spinner the delightful yet dangerous daughter of Niles Caulder, played by Abigail Shapiro, whose theater background comes in handy in her elegant rendition of Gene Wilder’s ‘Pure Imagination” to get the ball rolling on Danny’s celebration. But her constant battle with the candlemaker and the fear of being locked away once more is what makes her such a fascinating character.
“Sex Patrol” may be one of the wackiest episodes yet but its also an incredibly important one, possibly one of the best episodes since “Danny Patrol.” The fact that they’re able to pull off something so unconventional and still keep you focused on the progression of the characters around it should tell you just what this show is really about.
