Doom Patrol Review: Evil Patrol (Season 3 Episode 9)
It’s the penultimate episode of Season 3 on Doom Patrol Season 3 Episode 9, “Evil Patrol,” and things aren’t looking great for our not so merry band of weirdos.
“Evil Patrol” ends with things literally going up in flames as the gang’s personal issues consume them and derail their mission to save Cliff. It’s not just the Doom Patrol who are in a bad spot either.
Madame Rouge’s plans go off the rails when she is betrayed by The Brain, setting up a final confrontation between The Brain and The Doom Patrol when they make their next attempt to save their Robotman.
Laura’s role in all this is anyone’s guess now that she’s been thrown aside by her would-be ally. Still, it’s safe to assume that she will be a major focal point of the season finale. We just don’t know if it will be as friend or foe.
There are some strong moments on “Evil Patrol,” and while it does set up an exciting final episode, it doesn’t quite come together as a whole the way the rest of the season has.
The strongest individual scene of the episode is for once not one with Rita, Laura, or Jane. It’s Vic’s confrontation with his father. Vic’s most engaging scenes all season have been with Silas, but their scene on “Evil Patrol” is their best.
Whether it be TV, film, or books, the best arguments in stories are the ones where both sides are right or at least have a legitimate point. It’s something I always heard from Wynonna Earp showrunner, Emily Andras, and has only proven more true with each new series I watch.
That’s precisely what makes Vic and Silas’s argument so impactful. Whether what Silas did was right or not, his motivation is understandable. What father wouldn’t want to protect his son if he could, especially when he knows all the dangers waiting for him simply for existing as a Black man in the world?
It’s easy to empathize with where he is coming from, just as it’s easy to empathize with Vic’s anger about his father turning him into a weapon without his consent.
Another thing that makes this scene a standout one is the performances of both actors. Joivan Wade and Phil Morris, who plays Silas, have fantastic on-screen chemistry. Wade has been knocking it out of the park all season, but he brings a little something extra to any scene he has with Morris.
They seem to bring out the best in each other and create a spark that makes the tension more palpable.
Doom Patrol – Evil Patrol – Joivan Wade, Brendan Fraser (Photograph by Bob Mahoney/HBO Max)Vic is also the focus of the episode’s other great scene where Vic bonds with Kay. Vic and Jane don’t get many one-on-one scenes together, so in addition to seeing him find a connection with Kay in their shared experience, it’s also nice to see Wade and Diane Guerrero have some screen time together.
I certainly wouldn’t be mad about seeing those two pair up more in Season 4.
There are other good moments on “Evil Patrol,” too. Jane’s scenes in The Underground are, as always, fascinating, and putting aside the uncanny valley nature of the effects, Madame Rouge attacking the Doom Patrol as a baby-sized version of herself makes sure the episode has its requisite “what even is this show” moment.
The episode in between those moments, though, feels disjointed. That is perhaps intentional since the team is scattered and distracted for most of the episode. Whatever the reason, “Evil Patrol” doesn’t hold my attention as consistently as the other eight episodes this season did.
That said, the episode does start to return to form in the final sequence that intercuts the Brain enjoying his newly stolen body with the team — and Madame Rouge — at their lowest points of the season.
If the episode doesn’t hold together on its own, it does do an excellent job of building anticipation for the Season 3 finale, which is a pretty important part of any penultimate episode.
Stray Thoughts
- It still feels like more is going on with Laura than she just changed between 1917 and 1949. We are missing something because truths may change, but I still can’t reconcile those two versions of her without more context.
- Mallah’s passive-aggressive irritation during Laura’s conversation with The Brain is priceless.
- Larry’s Hawaiian shirt is a great dad touch. But also, Larry is trying way too hard for it to be convincing that this is really what he wants.
- In addition to turning characters into puppets, Greg Berlanti properties also seem to have a thing for having their cis male leads give birth to alien offspring (Again, see Legends of Tomorrow).
What did you think of this episode of Doom Patrol? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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New episodes of Doom Patrol premiere Thursdays on HBOMax.
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Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.