REVIEW: Doom Patrol – Season 4, Episode 9, “Immortimus Patrol”

"You were never a monster to me." "That's because in this friendship, you're the monster."

Television Reviews

“Immortimus Patrol ” is a musical-holiday episode. Immortimus is everyone’s favorite holiday, a special day to spend with family, being thankful for the great Immortus and all she has given. The antics reveal greater chemistry between Casey and Jane, even if the former doesn’t know what to do and the latter is firmly in denial. Larry and Cliff are human again, Rita is young, and nobody thinks anything of it. Essentially, everything is perfect, with Jane telling Casey that it would be weird for her (Jane) to hear voices. Madame Rouge is the first Patroller to realize something is amiss, and she quickly wakes everyone else against their will. Cliff takes the news that this is just a fantasy world about as well as you’d expect: he wants to stay and resents everyone else for (eventually) wanting out. When Immortus comes, everyone plays along momentarily. She has a tantrum when they demand to be sent home, informing them that they’re all doomed. 

“Immortimus Patrol” is absolutely bizarre. I’m aware of the trope of musical episodes in shows that are otherwise free of characters bursting into song. I haven’t seen a lot of those, but I don’t think this one worked very well. Doom Patrol has always been partial to irreverent humor and absurd situations. The members of the team singing isn’t necessarily something I take issue with, but the result leaves something to be desired. The cringey sitcom antics like Dorothy wanting a perfect family holiday and Jane’s crush angst are just too much. It went straight past funny or endearing and into second-hand embarrassment territory for me. I can’t even tell if this falls on the writing, the performances, or my own tastes and perceptions. I love big musicals, and I usually love this show, but I’m not sure these two good things needed to be combined. This is the worst episode I can remember. 

The really sad thing is that Matt Bomer has a beautiful voice! I don’t believe I’ve heard him sing before, only knowing him from American Horror Story before Doom Patrol. He sounds lovely, and I’d like to see him in a real musical at some point. It’s no secret that Diane Guerrero has pipes, and she delivers here. I don’t like most of the songs, including all of hers, but she sounds good. The best songs are Larry and Rama’s duet and Immortus/Isabelle’s showstopper, “Doomed.” The duet is sweet, and I adore the big band Bobby Darin sound. This reminded me a lot of the movie White Christmas, although the connection likely has a lot to do with this being a holiday episode and a musical. For Immortus’ part, she is seriously intimidating here. This is also one of the only songs in the episode that has a discernible tune. This song blends into the regular Doom Patrol theme in the end credits, there accompanied by a choir. This sounds SO GOOD and is satisfying in a way that’s difficult to explain. Any time Rouge, Jane, or Dorothy start singing, it’s about to get really cringey. What a shame. I thought I enjoyed the general melody of Vic’s ballad, but the show won’t let it play out! There’s a running gag of other characters interrupting his song. Do you get it? They’re aware of the singing. Ha. Ha. Ha. Let the man finish! This song is ruined by what “Immortimus Patrol” mistakes for comedy. If it were actually funny, or if the song were recognizable at all in this cut-up form, I might feel differently. For his part, Joivan Wade sounds pretty good. He has a lot of charisma in these scenes, commanding the camera to look at him. Why did they pick this song to butcher with an unfunny gag that outstays its welcome? Choices were made here, and they weren’t the best. 

I did pick up on some sparks between Jane and Casey in “Fame Patrol,” but they only interacted in that one episode. I know the show sadly only has three episodes left, but this just feels too rushed for a relationship to develop. Why do these girls already want to be together? Does Casey really understand the implications of a serious romantic entanglement? She came from a comic book and only recently experienced human emotions. It’s kind of like the Barbie movie, except I have no attachment to or preconceived notions about Space Case. So, whatever they do with her, it won’t be competing with a lifelong love of the character for me. I liked it when Casey was unperturbed by the shift to an upbeat musical. She remarks that she’s used to being ripped from one reality into another, which is exactly what I was thinking. Anyway, I’m not opposed to this pairing. I just think it’s unfortunate that it has to be dealt with so quickly. By contrast, Larry and Rama’s relationship was set up and teased in the first half of season 4. As such, it feels less shoehorned and more like a natural progression for both characters. 

Given the show’s brand of humor and the self-awareness of the characters, I’m surprised nobody mentioned the similarity to Groundhog Day. Rouge discovers that every day is Immortimus Day in this reality, likely due to Isabelle’s self-absorption and need for constant validation. This isn’t a flaw; just something I thought of as a slight missed opportunity. Another such near miss comes with regards to Cliff. Look how they massacred my boy! Cliff’s desire to stay in a perfect reality is reduced to, wait for it, “I have a penis and can masturbate here.” Are you serious? Cliff is often used for comedic relief, and his problems tend to be minimized in this way. He wants to be in his human body again, with human hands and nerves and eyes and all of it. I understand that genitals are funny if you are a 12-year-old boy (and I find it funny, too), but come on. This is a little bit reductive of an actual, understandable problem. They did the same thing in the mid-season premiere, trying to make Cliff look dumb instead of treating his concerns with the gravitas the other characters get. And you know what? Maybe it’s OK that he misses having a penis. I don’t think that’s weird or worthy of mockery. Cliff was never the brightest and, as I said, often offers levity in harsh situations. But this is just insulting. The scene where robot Cliff faces human Cliff is one of the only times “Immortimus Patrol” does justice to his character. 

I won’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy “Immortimus Patrol” at all. I love bright colors, bombastic musical sequences, and well-timed choreography as much as the next person. Actually, I probably like those things more, depending on the person. But this episode fails to do justice to the characters, especially Vic and Cliff. I don’t understand why Jane and Larry’s problems are worthy of sympathy and emotional moments, but Cliff and Vic are fodder for mockery. The acting is good, and some of the cast shocked me with their singing chops. The episode looks good, and Isabelle is terrifying at the end! But overall, this may be my least favorite episode ever. I don’t remember being so confused and unsatisfied with a Doom Patrol adventure.