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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Here we are, folks. This week’s finale to Jeremy Carver’s Doom Patrol Season 3 takes DC Comics’ titular team to where they need to go. The episode is titled “Amends Patrol”. Executive producer Chris Dingess pens the teleplay, while Harry Jierjian (Gossip Girl, The Flash, Supergirl) serves as the director.
According to Warner Media, here is the synopsis of Doom Patrol Season 3 finale.
As the Brotherhood of Evil closes in, the Doom Patrol try to set aside past issues in hopes of becoming a true superhero team – or risk being taken out for good.
In this review, I will be discussing this past week’s final episode of the season. There will be spoilers to follow, as the title of this article suggests. Please read ahead at your own discretion.
Plot Summary
Prologue
Following last week’s episode, the Doom Patrol come to. Rita Farr (April Bowlby) lies outside the bus, her right arm outstretched. Victor “Vic” Stone (Joivan Wade) comes out of the bus carrying an unconscious Jane (Diane Guerrero), while Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer and Matthew Zuk) is receiving shocks from his “sentient tumor”. Rita tries to give the team a rallying speech as Jane finds rubble blocking her from accessing the Underground.
Vic, Larry, and Jane claim they don’t have what it takes to save Cliff. Shelley Byron (Wynn Everett) breeze into the scene and takes them into her Fog, then tells Rita about what effects the Eternal Flagellation has had on people around the world. She also says that she believes Rita and Laura De Mille/ Madame Rouge (Michelle Gomez) are not “completely lost”.
Elsewhere, Monsieur Mallah (voiced by Jonathan Lipow) tells Rouge that he has not killed her. She is restrained to a gurney, with a jar containing Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser)’s brain resting atop her. She accidentally drops the jar while trying to break from her restraints.
In the Fog
Jane follows fellow persona Hammerhead (Stephanie Czajkowski), while another persona tells Larry he must merge with his tumor. At the sweet shop, Jane then finds some of the other personas, including Pretty Polly (Hannah Alline), whom she discovers is breaking down into ash. Dr. Harrison (Catherine Carlen) enters and tells Jane she is glad the personas left Kay’s mind. Jane tells Harrison that she cares more about control than freedom, and they make a bargain to return to Kay’s mind.
Vic sees that Larry’s tumor does not look too well. Larry says, “Until this moment, every major event in my life was forced on me,” to which Vic tells him that the negative spirit chose him. Vic offers to hold the tumor for Larry as they travel back to the mansion.
The Brotherhood of Evil
Back at the Floridan resort, The Brain is getting along with people while he is in Robotman’s body. Using a golf cart, he tries to flee Rouge, who is controlling a gigantic robot with Cliff in The Brain’s former body, but she squashes him with a foot. Rouge and Cliff then travel north. En route, Cliff tells Rouge that “[t]here’s always a chance [for himself] to change”. He also believes that she can change as well. Cliff takes wrests control of the robot from her. She spares from destroying him, as he suggests there is still some good inside of her. Rouge shape-shifts into a bird and flies away.
Rouge travels to the Sisterhood of Dada’s hideout, where she opens a secret door to a hidden room. There, she finds the time machine. She uses it to perhaps redeem herself. Shipley (voiced by Erik Passoja) narrates her journey. Meanwhile, Cliff visits his daughter, Clara Steele (guest star Bethany Anne Lind), her partner Mel (Walnette Santiago), and his grandson at their home. He apologizes for his actions; he states, “I always wanted to be special, wanted to be the man. I was so focused on being great, I forgot to be good”. Clara responds that she just wants him to be healthy. Cliff flees before the police can catch up to him.
In the Brotherhood of Evil’s resort Boca Raton room, Rita finds The Brain, who still remains and survives in the top half of Robotman’s body. Mallah left a note behind for The Brain, stating that he has left the Brotherhood. The Brain asks Rita to help him rebuild the Robotman’s body to get back at Rouge. Instead, she opens the cap of the robot’s cranium and pours a kettle of hot water onto the brain.
The Mansion
Back at the mansion, Jane and the personas clear the rubble from the path into the Underground. She reveals to Hammerhead that she gave control of the body to Harrison. Meanwhile, Larry returns to his room, where he allows the tumor to emit a negative spirit baby and enter his body.
Rouge returns to the property’s front yard via time machine, where she has yet again lost her memories. Cliff passes by the mansion to return his teammates’ belongings, but he has now lost control of the robot giant. He heads into Cloverton; Jane teleports inside, while Larry flies off with them. Jane activates Cliff’s self-destruct system.
Rouge finds a note attached to her clothes that tells her what she needs to know and how she can help. However, Rita arrives and nearly chokes her out of consciousness. She demands that Rouge remembers what she’s done and the bad that he caused Rita in the past.
In what they felt to be their last moments, Cliff thanks Jane for putting up with his matters and shenanigans in their time as teammates. However, Rita stretches her entire body to be the same size and build as the giant robot. She stops Cliff from destroying a little league baseball game.
Epilogue
A local news reporter (Orelon Sidney) talks about the Patrol’s heroic act and refers to them as “a group of superpowered eccentrics”. (Of course, this act was because they were trying to save the town from themselves.) Rita tells the team that they must give themselves their label, that they must try to do good.
Rouge says she wants to join to redeem herself. Rita accepts this so she can keep an eye on the woman. A Breaking News report of a giant monster – which Cliff describes to look like “a big nutsack with demon pubes” – is shown on the waters of the Suez Canal. Rita takes this as a sign of fate. Jane returns to the Underground, where she gives control – as the primary persona – over Kay’s body.
Rita uses the time machine to teleport the team through time and space to the monster’s location. Cliff carries the rest of the team in his giant robot body, and the time machine digs its way into the ground.
Support Patrol
Other personas not mentioned above but appearing in the episode are as follows: The Secretary (Jackie Goldston), Silver Tongue (Chelsea Rivera), Driller Bill (Shay Mack), and Mama Pentecost (Va Lui).
Sutton Johnston appears as Terry Gonzales.
Discussion
I love how well “Amends Patrol” wraps up the season. Scott Winig returns as the director of photography, while Brian Wessel and Jaron Downs return as editors. I didn’t find the teleplay to have any major issues, and at a run time of 49 minutes, the pacing is fine as is. The episode tied up loose ends, unlike the Season 2 finale, which left viewers on a cliffhanger. I doubt the Doom Patrol will be shown fighting the scrotum monster in the Season 4 premiere. However, if they do, I would like to see how that is depicted.
The episode’s end credits pay special thanks to the DC Comics artists and writers who had worked on the Doom Patrol comic book runs over the years – Richard Case, Nick Derington, Neil Gaiman, Vince Giarrano, Paul Kupperberg, Erik Larsen, Steve Lightle, Grant Morrison, George Perez, Ivan Reis, Joe Staton, Matt Wagner, Gerard Way, and Marv Wolfman. It also pays respects to the late Jack Dennis Wilson. I found this to be a nice touch as if to suggest a turning point for the show. The team has finally grieved over their former mentor, and now they believe themselves to truly be a team.
The episode only gets better once we see the giant robot… Because look, Fraser’s character is now inside of a giant robot! The music is beautiful to listen to, and the cinematography is not so bad. Additionally, you cannot go wrong with the costume designs here.
Performances and Character Developments
Fraser puts on a good performance, and I love this development in Cliff. I do wonder if the character will be in this new robot body for seasons to follow, or if his brain will be transferred elsewhere eventually.
Larry’s development is neat, and I am interested in how Victor Stone will contribute to the team in the next season or so. Guerrero does fine as Jane, and it’ll be interesting as well to see what becomes of the personas and Kay as the series progresses.
Bowlby and Gomez steal the show for me in what scenes and performances they deliver. Their dynamic has been crazy over the past several episodes, but now we see them trying to bond once more. Rita’s response to the news reporter was nice. She asks the team:
Am I the only one who is tired of letting the world label us? Misfit, eccentric, good, evil. It’s time we choose to label ourselves. Who are we? What are we? Why are we? Maybe we are weapons, but a weapon is only a tool as dangerous as the hand that wields it. What if we choose to become weapons for good?
This speech is well-written, but I would like to know why she delivers this monologue while wearing that sweater. Nonetheless, Rita makes for an excellent team leader, and I would like to see how she functions in the future.
Final Thoughts
“Amends Patrol” fixes some issues that the Doom Patrol has had for a while. It’s a great transition into what fans hope to be their next stage in their journey, whatever that may be. Overall, the episode is a celebration of how far the team has come and where they go from there.
Doom Patrol Season 3 is available to watch on HBO Max!
Have you seen this series yet? If so, what are your thoughts on it? Let us know! For more adaptation, adaption, comedy, drama, superhero-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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