Doom Patrol Review: Dada Patrol (Season 3 Episode 5)

There’s trouble brewing in the Underground as the Doom Patrol makes first contact with the Sisterhood of Dada on Doom Patrol Season 3 Episode 5, “Dada Patrol.”

The Setup

After recovering from their Zombie affliction on Doom Patrol Season 3 Episode 4, “Undead Patrol,” the Doom Patrol head out on a mission from Laura de Mille.

It’s a pretty straightforward plan, infiltrate the Sisterhood of Dada and find out what the ominous-sounding External Flagellation is. 

But the best-laid plans of mice and robot men tend to go awry, especially if you are the Doom Patrol.

Instead of infiltrating the Sisterhood, the gang is separated and sent on individual surreal journeys where they are forced to confront their feelings and insecurities.

If that format sounds familiar, it’s because it is. The series has used that exact setup multiple times.

The settings change creatively, but the format is ultimately the same, whether it’s another dimension inside of a donkey, the afterlife, or a literal mind fog.

It’s a good format and often leads to some of the series’ best character development.

It is, unfortunately, also becoming a crutch for the show. The episode would be more engaging if the format didn’t feel quite so formulaic. That said, there is still a lot to love about “Dada Patrol.”

Identity and self-determination

Five episodes into Season 3, some themes are emerging that cut across most of the characters’ larger arcs — namely themes of identity and self-determination. 

The most explicit example of this is Laura de Mille. She is trying to find out who she is on a literal level. More profound than that, she feels a pull between good and evil within her.

She is a blank slate without any past to inform what kind of person she can be, but the way she describes that pull, it’s as if it’s something beyond her control. It opens up questions about fate vs. free will and nature vs. nurture. 

As of now, it’s apparent that she wants to be a good person, but the question is, how much choice does she have? 

It’s not just Laura and her memory loss exploring these themes. All of the Doom Patrol are asking questions about who they are and who they will be.

It makes sense that this season would cover material that has the Doom Patrol asking these kinds of questions.

Before his death, Caulder — for better or worse — was a focal point of everyone’s life. Whatever they thought of him, he was the common thread that tied them together.

Without Caulder, everyone is untethered. It’s not surprising, then, that his death triggers this kind of self-reflection. 

These identity struggles and questions are not all a direct result of Caulder’s death. Nevertheless, it is the kind of disturbance to the status quo that makes questions like “Who am I without XYZ” and “What am I meant to do with my life” feel more urgent. 

Rita

While Jane had the most emotional reaction to Caulder’s death, Rita seems the most affected by it. Which, again, makes sense. She was the first to live in the mansion and created a comfort zone there to hide in for decades. 

With that safety net disrupted, she is having an existential crisis and searching for some larger destiny and purpose. Yet, even as Rita yearns for a larger destiny, her pattern doesn’t change.

She waits for that destiny to happen to her and looks to others — like Laura de Mille — to lead her to it. 

At least until the end of “Dada Patrol,” when she impulsively uses the time machine to take her to some yet unknown time. 

Whether Rita’s decision ends up being a good one or not, it’s the first time we’ve seen her take her fate into her own hands in such a bold way. For a character that’s been as passive as Rita has, it’s a major development. 

Jane

Jane’s story on “Dada Patrol” is far and away the most emotionally interesting part of the episode.

In my review of “Dead Patrol,” I speculated about the possibility of Kay healing. The events on “Dada Patrol” hint that’s exactly where things are headed. 

 Not everyone is happy about that. Jane might be the only persona not freaking out about it. At least not yet. 

Jane: No one else gets sent on a mission by a time-traveling bird lady to go hunt down some art freaks who pissed of a half man half butt monster who may be trying to destroy the world.

There are two particularly compelling things about this storyline. First, continuing with the theme of identity, Kay healing creates the ultimate identity crisis for the Underground.

Who are they if not Kay’s protector? Do they even exist if Kay doesn’t need them?

The prospect of Kay taking control is a direct threat to the very existence of all the personas, and their response is a defensive one.

They may honestly believe that they are still protecting Kay and that a threat to them is a threat to her. Still, it’s as much about how they perceive themselves as it is what they think is best for Kay.

The second exciting component of this storyline is the potential for the Underground to become a threat to Kay and the parallels of that to real life. 

The personas were created to help Kay cope with trauma. We all have coping mechanisms. They may not be as extreme as the Underground, but we all have ways of protecting ourselves or responding to threats.

Those coping mechanisms can become defensive triggers, though. They can become unhealthy instincts that keep us from moving forward more than they protect us. That seems to be what’s going on in the Underground.

It’s fascinating to think about it as both a sci-fi narrative and as a relatable experience for viewers.

“Dada Patrol” could benefit from a less repetitive episode format. It makes up for that still minor shortcoming, though, with fantastic character work and exciting end-of-episode cliffhangers. It’s another solid episode in what has so far been a great season. 

Stray Thoughts

• What a fantastic introduction to the new character, Shelley Byron. I  hope we see a whole lot more of her the rest of the season.
• Last week it was random prescription drugs. This week it’s shady pop-ups. Cliff should just not be allowed to use the internet unsupervised.
• I haven’t touched on it much in my reviews yet, but Cyborg is having a good season, and Joivan Wade has been killing it.

What did you think of this episode of Doom Patrol? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

New episodes of Doom Patrol premiere Thursdays on HBOMax.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

For the Love of Superheroes: 15 Best Couples of the Arrowverse