I’ve got a bit of a conundrum here.
I try… I try so hard to keep this website, my own personal website, as clean as possible. I refrain from profanity even though I am fluent in the language, I try to distance myself from the edgelord that I was in my younger years… Basically, I try to make this a place that my children, students, and family can visit without wondering what kind of a monster I am in real life.
Which is why this episode of Doom Patrol is giving me problems.
First of all, I loved it. As far as Doom Patrol goes, it actually my favorite episode of the season and in the running to be my favorite of the entire series. For a series that goes out of its way to be as bizarre as possible, this episode takes the concept of a bizarre series and puts it on a diet of Red Bull, adderall, and cocaine.
The problem is, to keep this website as G-rated as a I can, I can’t talk about the content of the episode very much, I can’t mention some of the characters, and I’m even a little hesitant to say the name of the episode itself. It’s just that nuts.
Okay, the episode is called “Sex Patrol” and it’s pretty much what you expect it to be… and more… and less…
Okay, it’s not what you expect it to be.
After the events of last season, Danny, the gender-queer living city, has been reduced to an inert brick (I told you this series was weird) and, to wake him up, the former residents of Danny including Flex Mentallo, a man who can do anything by flexing his muscles, decide to throw a party.
As this is going on, Rita asks Flex to help her overcome a mental block by… well… I can’t talk about that.
Also, the party is invaded by a demon who…
Oh, wait… I can’t talk about that.
And then these people come to the party to stop the demon by…
I can’t talk about that either.
As you can probably guess, Doom Patrol is not exactly what I would call family entertainment. It’s crass, its full of profanity, and it’s not meant for children. This is a show that just does not give a single solitary fudge and that is precisely the reason why I love it. Doom Patrol is, without a doubt, the best superhero television series on the air today… probably one of the best superhero series that have ever aired in the history of anything ever.
But it’s not for kids, and that’s okay.
Yes, “Sex Patrol” is probably the best episode of the best superhero series on the air today. Every moment of it is a flat-out riot, the characters are broadened and challenged, and the narrative of the series is given a good swift kick in the pants.
I have to give mad props to Abigail Shapiro who plays Dorothy. Not only is this twenty year-old woman playing a little girl in an uncanny and completely convincing manner, she is doing it through a ton of latex makeup and making her a real and emotive person that you believe and sympathize with. It’s really a remarkable performance.
As I said, I loved this episode. It was all over the place and yet, managed to tell an effective, hilarious, sometimes random, but ultimately touching story.
Best superhero series on the air today.
Jason Gaston 