REVIEW: Doom Patrol Season 3, Episode 10, “Amends Patrol”

"I've got our team name: Doom Force!"

Television Reviews

*SPOILERS*

“Amends Patrol” finds the crew surrounding their crashed van. Larry’s worm attacks him, and Jane is out of commission altogether. Rita tries to rally them to soldier on to Florida. The Patrol can’t see eye to eye as Shelley appears and envelops them in fog. Laura wakes up tied to a bed with Cliff’s brain in a jar as Mallah leaves her for dead. Jane finds Hammerhead in the fog. One of Kay’s alternates tells Larry that his worm is named Keeg and wants to merge with him. Laura pilots a giant robot powered by Cliff’s brain and uses it to step on The Brain in Cliff’s body. Hammerhead leads Jane to the other alternates, who are crumbling just like the Underground. Dr. Harrison arrives and warns Jane not to rile everyone up, pushing Jane to negotiate to get everyone back into the Underground. Cliff realizes he can control the giant robot, prompting Laura to leave. However, she declines the opportunity to kill Cliff. Vic convinces Larry to merge with Keeg. Rita finds the Brain instead of Cliff. Laura reminisces at the old home of the Sisterhood of Dada. She finds the time machine and climbs inside, determined to change herself for the better. Jane trades her position as Primary to get Dr. Harrison to return to the Underground. The Brain offers to help Rita kill Laura in exchange for helping him fix his body. However, Rita says she’s different from Laura because she’s driven by her love for her friends and kills the Brain. Kay’s alternates return and begin repairing the Underground. Back at the Manor, Larry and Keeg become one. Jane and Vic find Laura emerging from the time machine with a newly re-wiped memory. Cliff walks right past Doom Manor, having lost the ability to command his new form. Larry and Vic follow him to help, but Rita stops Laura in her tracks. In her attempts to stop Cliff, Jane inadvertently triggers his self-destruct function. Laura remembers what she did and concludes that she does deserve to die. As Cliff descends on a local little league baseball game, a giant Rita halts his march. The local news praises the Patrol for saving Cloverton, encouraging Rita to embrace the idea of a super team. As Dr. Harrison presses Jane to honor their bargain, the Patrol climbs inside Cliff, using the time machine to face their next foe.

“Amends Patrol” is a sheer delight from start to finish. I only wish I had known going in that this was the season finale; I’ve had trouble keeping track of these things lately. I found season 2’s brief 9 episodes refreshing, for the most part. The ending was a touch abrupt (thanks, COVID), but after the way season 1 dragged its feet, it worked well overall. I know I really enjoyed season 3 because I find myself wishing for more than the 10 episodes we got. Let’s dig in.

I love the way season 3’s back end, and “Amends Patrol” in particular, explore Rita’s new take-charge personality. Now that Rita has new memories from having lived a different life, she’s a different person. It’s a simple enough concept, but I love ideas like this, seeing how a person could have turned out under different circumstances. In going through a series of events and choices Niles could never have imagined, Rita collected the skills needed to become the leader he knew she could be. I’m still a little unclear on what memories Rita possesses, though. They said in a previous episode that she didn’t actually remember her housemates, but she sure acts like she does. Maybe she regained her original memories off-screen at some point. Perhaps she had a huge revelation like Laura does in “Amends Patrol.” But unless I missed something, I think this should have been shown since it’s a pretty big deal. The relationships among the Patrol drive the show, and remembering your friends is pretty crucial to maintaining a relationship with them.

What they do with Laura in “Amends Patrol” is pretty spectacular, too. The scene where she quietly goes through familiar motions in the Sisterhood’s old hideout oozes melancholy, and you can really feel how remorseful she is. Whether Laura is capable of meaningful change is a major point of “Amends Patrol,” and while it would be difficult to forgive what she did to Malcolm and the Sisterhood of Dada, I think it’s a question worth asking. I have to applaud the execution of this character’s arc throughout the season as a whole; she runs the gamut of emotions and labels. Her old post at the Bureau of classifying people as weapons, heroes, villains, etc., serves as a window into the complex, troubled woman. Laura herself is a weapon. I loved this character from the start for her one-liners, the mystery surrounding her, and Michelle Gomez’s charismatic performance. Even after everything that’s happened, I don’t hate Laura. I don’t know if Rita can (or should) forgive and reconcile with Laura, even if she does straighten out. But they have tremendous chemistry, and I love it when these two share the screen. For that matter, I don’t think I’ve said enough about April Bowlby’s performance as Rita. She’s always been good if perhaps overshadowed by beloved stars like Brendan Fraser and the powerhouse balancing act Diane Guerrero performs as Jane and several of her alters. The Rita of “Amends Patrol” is essentially a new person, a powerful woman who commands her abilities and the respect of her team members. You love to see it. Anyway, I think this shift displays what a good performer Bowlby is by showing her range.

Laura isn’t the only one trying to make things right, as the episode’s title would suggest. Cliff is an obvious example, going to Clara for yet another chance. I like that Clara actually wants to have a good relationship with Cliff and is willing to help him make it work. Most shows would continually use Cliff’s scorned daughter as a source of drama to challenge his character, but Doom Patrol is better than that. Cliff disappointing such a caring, understanding person makes it sting all the more when he comes to his senses. I like that to regain said senses, he had to be cut off from all physical sensation. “Amends Patrol” is the first time Clara’s wife has appeared happy to see Cliff. I find this interesting since he’s done nothing to win her over, but I assume they did this to end this story thread on a happy note for the season finale.

Meanwhile, Larry accepts Keeg in the hopes of doing better this time than he did with his first Negative Spirit. Larry is perhaps the Patrol member who has undergone the most significant change after Rita. He’s had to accept himself, his son’s choice to cut him off, and the absence of his first Spirit. And this is after he spent two seasons learning to appreciate and accept that the Spirit was with him! I’m glad this means he won’t be dying; the effects look great when he flies in the Spirit form, and I eagerly await seeing where this subplot goes in future seasons.

Jane’s situation with Dr. Harrison is more than a little troubling. I’ve found most of the alters increasingly frustrating this season, but Dr. Harrison is the ringleader and, therefore, the worst. She seems to want to cause as much trouble as possible for Jane and Kay, the most sympathetic personalities in Kay’s body. Jane’s hand was forced by her own impending doom, as well as concern for Kay and the others. But giving Dr. Harrison control over Kay’s body and life can’t have good repercussions. Speaking of Jane, her scene with Cliff inside his new body is excellent stuff. It’s funny, heartfelt, and perfectly encapsulates their wacky friendship. I also love Cliff’s attempts to push “Doom Force” as a team name, to everyone’s annoyance.

While this isn’t a fault of “Amends Patrol” in particular, it bothers me that Dorothy and the Dead Boy Detectives haven’t been mentioned since “Dead Patrol.” With Niles dead, Dorothy is half of his legacy, Rita being the other half as the new head of Doom Patrol. I guess this is set up for Dorothy and her new friends to return in a big way for season four, but I feel this storyline should have been followed up on at some point this season. This just brings it all back to the low episode count. Unlike season 1, which was good but dragged a bit, season 3 was great, and I’m left wanting more.

“Amends Patrol” is a great finale to a strong season. The choice and execution of themes have been phenomenal; the characters underwent meaningful change, and this season has balanced comedy and depth of feeling remarkably well. Laura and Rita have been great all season. I like the uncomfortable, incomplete place “Amends Patrol” leaves their relationship, if it can even be called that. I’m sad the season is over, and I can’t wait for the next one, and hopefully, more to follow.