Questions Doom Patrol Needs To Answer Before The Series Finale
DC fans were dealt a devastating blow when Warner Bros. announced that Season 4 of "Doom Patrol" would be its last. But they received some good news as well when they learned the Season 4 finale was written to work as a satisfying conclusion. With that in mind, the show's ending becomes an exciting opportunity to close things out on a high note.
Having debuted in 2019 on DC Universe, "Doom Patrol" has enthralled audiences from the very beginning. Often considered one of DC's best live-action projects by critics and fans alike, "Doom Patrol" tells the story of a group of superpowered beings who are taken in by a man named Niles Caulder. He doesn't just house them, though — he also helps them learn to control and handle their incredibly unique abilities. Over the course of its four seasons, "Doom Patrol" ranges far and wide in terms of storytelling, characters, and themes. If it's looking to provide a truly satisfying finale that brings the whole wild show together, it has many opportunities to explore — and a whole lot of hanging plot threads to address. These are some of the biggest questions that "Doom Patrol" still needs to answer before it arrives at the end.
Will the Doom Patrol regain their immortality?
One of the strangest elements of the first three seasons of "Doom Patrol" is the fact that none of the main characters seem to age, despite the fact that some of them are over 100 years old. In Season 4, the team's lack of aging is finally given an explanation. After Rita suddenly ages overnight, the Doom Patrol meets an old ally, Willoughby Kipling, who explains that Rita has had her immortality drained by the agents of Immortus. He also explains that members of the Doom Patrol were given their immortality through experiments done by Niles Caulder, using fragments of the Longevity Talisman that went to his daughter Dorothy after his death. Jane and Larry also lose their immortality, causing them to begin aging as well.
What "Doom Patrol" has yet to explain is whether or not there's any way for members of the Doom Patrol to regain their immortality. While Niles' experiments may not have given them truly everlasting life, the longevity they received from his talisman allowed them to stay young well beyond what nature permits. If regained, they might have a significant number of years left. Only time will tell if Immortus' actions can be undone, or whether Rita, Jane, and Larry's loss of immortality is permanent.
Has Larry finally found someone to love?
Larry Trainor has had a difficult love life. During the 1950s and '60s, the Doom Patrol member known as Negative Man was married to a woman named Debbie, with whom he had two kids. However, Larry had also taken on a lover in John Bower, with whom he worked in the Air Force. Larry was forced to hide this relationship, which put a strain on it and his marriage. Eventually, John told Larry that he wanted to run away with him, leaving the Air Force and Larry's family behind. This caused a rift between the two. After Larry's exposure to the Negative Spirit, he lost both relationships.
Since then, Larry has lived a mostly solitary life, with few relationships outside of the Doom Patrol. The radiation that his body gives off is fatal to those he comes in contact with, unless he's wearing his bandages. This makes physical intimacy especially tough. However, things might be looking up. The first part of Season 4 introduces a new character named Rama, also known as Mister 104. Rama initially works against the Doom Patrol, helping Immortus steal their immortality, but he develops feelings for Larry after merging with Keeg. He also explains that his abilities allow him to be around Larry without his bandages on. Here's hoping Larry has finally found the love he deserves.
Will Jane remain as Kay's primary?
Jane is a core member of the Doom Patrol team. Despite sometimes going by the moniker Crazy Jane (given to her by Rita), Jane is quite ration: She's just one of the many personalities living inside the body of a woman named Kay Challis. After years of suffering abuse at the hands of her father when she was just a child, Kay developed dissociative identity disorder. Numerous personalities (often called alters), intended to protect her psyche, live within her. After experimentation, Kay's different personalities gain individual superpowers. Some, like Flit, can teleport, while others, like Flaming Katy, are pyrokinetic.
Since Kay still views herself as a young girl who needs the protection of her alters, she rarely controls her body. Instead, she designates a personality as the "primary." The primary takes control of the body and keeps peace between the alters. During the majority of the series' run, Jane serves as Kay's primary alter. In many ways, she most closely resembles a version of Kay who has been hardened by the world around her. However, it's revealed this wasn't always the case. A personality named Miranda was the primary before Jane, and Doctor Harrison takes over as primary at the end of Season 3. Jane regains her role as primary in Season 4 — but will this last? Fans will have to watch to find out.
What is Mr. Nobody's fate?
Mr. Nobody, whose real name is Eric Morden, is a major character in "Doom Patrol" Season 1. A member of the Brotherhood of Evil, Mr. Nobody undergoes an experimental process to give himself superpowers. Unfortunately, Niles Caulder destroys the machine during the experiment, giving him unstable abilities that make him nearly omniscient. He often breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience directly. Much of Season 1 revolves around Mr. Nobody's plans to get revenge on Niles Caulder. Despite being the season's main antagonist, however, Mr. Nobody redeems himself in the end by using his narrative powers to help the Doom Patrol defeat the Brotherhood of Dangerous Animals. Notably, this ends with him trapped in a painting.
Unfortunately for fans of the character, Mr. Nobody has yet to appear outside of Season 1. The only closure audiences receive in subsequent seasons comes from Ernest Franklin, who is also trapped in the painting with Mr. Nobody. He explains that the former supervillain is able to escape the artwork by getting a job on another show. It's a fourth wall-breaking joke that perfectly fits Mr. Nobody's character, but it's still a bit of a loose end. A surprise appearance from this beloved character could fill in the details and give Mr. Nobody's story the perfect conclusion.
Will Space Case return to her comic book or stay in the real world?
Casey Brinke, a spacefaring superhero who goes by the moniker Space Case, is one of the most exciting elements of "Doom Patrol" Season 4. However, unlike the many other superpowered beings on this show, Casey actually originates from an in-universe comic book series. Space Case is particularly special to Dorothy Spinner, Niles Caulder's daughter who goes to live with Danny the Street after her father's death. Frustrated with her life and angry at her father, Dorothy accidentally brings Space Case and all of her villains, including her evil father Torminox, to life.
After being given life in the real world, Casey quickly befriends Dorothy and tries to stop her father, who is serving Immortus and trying to steal the Longevity Talisman. While Casey has only appeared in a single episode so far, she's already stolen the show with her over-the-top one liners and naiveté regarding how the real world works (death as permanent is still a new concept for her). The episode "Casey Patrol" sees Casey and Dorothy leave Danny to find the Doom Patrol, meaning audiences will probably be seeing more of her in the second half of Season 4. It will be interesting to see if she returns to the comic book world, or remains in the real one.
What led to the Buttpocalypse?
The opening moments of "Doom Patrol" Season 4 introduce viewers to a future timeline that takes place after an apocalyptic event. Later on, the Doom Patrol learns that the event is known as the Buttpocalypse. Sound goofy? It is — but it's also supported by the canon. In the universe of "Doom Patrol," there is indeed an intelligent race of beings who resemble butts with legs. They're known as the were-butts, and viewers are introduced to them in Season 1. It is later revealed that they're being detained at the Ant Farm, and subsequently escape. While the were-butts may seem silly, they're surprisingly vicious, and end up killing many of the Bureau of Normalcy's agents. Later on, the were-butts become zombified.
After travelling to the future and back, the Doom Patrol realizes they need to put a stop to the Buttpocalypse — but they don't know what event causes it to happen. They change a few things up to see if they prevent the dark future, such as replacing Rita with Laura as the team leader. They also hunt down Darren Jones to prevent the infection from spreading and capture the last remaining zombified were-butt. However, Cliff, not wanting to kill the poor creature, puts the were-butt in the freezer. In the final moments of the first half of Season 4, the audience sees that this were-butt has thawed and escaped. It remains to be seen if this event leads to the Buttpocalypse.
Will Dorothy finally join the Doom Patrol?
From Season 1 on, Dorothy Spinner spends a lot of time with the Doom Patrol. While her father Niles Caulder is still alive, Dorothy lives with him in Doom Manor. She fits in quite well, being over 100 years old, yet still looking and acting like a young child. In addition to not aging, Dorothy also has the power to bring imaginary friends to life. Much like Kay uses her alters to protect herself, Dorothy uses her friends for protection and companionship. However, despite having a lot in common with the other members of the Doom Patrol, she never officially joins the team.
After Dorothy's father dies, she leaves Doom Manor to find her own way in the world. This eventually leads her to join Danny the Street, a sentient avenue who provides a safe haven for good-hearted outcasts. But in Season 4, Dorothy begins to realize that she'll never be happy cooped up in her trailer on Danny Street. After teaming up with her favorite hero Space Case, she sets out to meet up with the Doom Patrol. Dorothy officially joining the team could bring her story full circle, but it remains to be seen if "Doom Patrol" will come to this conclusion.
What is Immortus' plan?
Part one of "Doom Patrol" Season 4 sets up Immortus as the rest of the series' main antagonist. Loosely based on the DC Comics character General Immortus, this version of the villain is an inter-dimensional being who lost his immortality long ago. Season 4 reveals that said immortality is linked to the Longevity Talisman Dorothy got from her father. Immortus seeks to regain the talisman, along with all its fragments — including the ones used to prolong the lives of the Doom Patrol's members.
This is momentous enough, but there seems to be even more to Immortus' plan that just prolonging his own life. He tells his followers, including Rama, that he wants to create a better world by erasing the terrible things that have happened in peoples' pasts. While it's clear that Immortus' plans won't end well for our heroes, it's still unknown whether he's genuine about wanting to make the world a better place. He could be telling the truth ... or his promises might only be meant to control his followers.
Can Rita finally put her past behind her and remain friends with Laura?
Rita Farr, who goes by the superhero title Elasti-Woman, has a lot of reasons to hate former supervillain and current Doom Patrol member Laura De Mille. The two begin as friends in Season 3, when Rita travels back in time to 1917 and finds herself working for the Bureau of Normalcy. Laura introduces Rita to a secret club of metahumans known as the Sisterhood of Dada, who work within the Bureau. However, Laura eventually betrays the Sisterhood, leading to the death of member Malcolm DuPont, whom Rita had fallen in love with.
By Season 4, Laura has renounced her past misdeeds and joined the Doom Patrol in an effort to make amends with Rita. While Rita has begrudgingly accepted Laura's place on the team, she constantly degrades her and tells her that she wants her to leave. However, things begin to look up after the two are turned into teenagers in "Youth Patrol." They finally air their grievances, and begin to heal their broken relationship. In the following episode, they appear to be on better terms. Can they truly regain the friendship they once had? Maybe so ... or maybe not.
Will Victor Stone choose to become Cyborg again?
Victor Stone, aka Cyborg, is probably the most famous character to appear on "Doom Patrol." Along with being a major member of the Teen Titans in many of its most famous iterations, Cyborg also plays a huge role in the live-action "Justice League" film. Cyborg is, simply put, one of DC Comics' most popular heroes. So when Victor Stone makes the radical decision to ditch his Cyborg technology in order to live a more normal life in Season 3, it's a pretty big deal.
Much of Vic's Season 4 story revolves around his attempt to reclaim his pre-Cyborg life. This includes rekindling his relationship with his childhood best friend, Deric Hayes. While Vic and Hayes initially butt heads over how he handled life after becoming Cyborg, they're eventually able to become good friends once more. Despite this success, there are a lot of hints that Vic may want to get his Cyborg tech back after all. He's still a member of the Doom Patrol, but is frustrated that his lack of powers sidelines him. Moreover, his friends mention that he should have done more with his previous position as a superhero. Vic might stay the course — or he might return to a tech-based life of do-gooding.
What will it take for Dorothy to make peace with her father?
Saying that Dorothy Spinner has a complicated relationship with her father might be a bit of an understatement. After all, their relationship dates back over 100 years, and in that time, Niles wasn't always the best father. While he loves Dorothy, he fears her ability to conjure imaginary creatures — particularly the dangerous Candlemaker. Because of this, he hides Dorothy away in Danny the Street to protect her, though this also makes her feel terribly alone.
So, when Niles is killed trying to save the team from the Candlemaker, Dorothy is left with a lot of unresolved feelings about her father. In Season 4, she expresses these feelings to Danny, and ultimately leaves with their blessing. While she clearly misses her father, she still feels a lot of anger towards him for leaving her alone over the course of so many years. Hopefully, Dorothy will find some closure with her father before the show ends its run.
Can the Doom Patrol make a comeback?
"Doom Patrol" is ending its run after Season 4 concludes, but its characters' stories might continue on after it's done. With James Gunn's new take on the DCU about to debut, anything is possible. Not every outcome is good: If the DCU chooses to streamline most projects into one cohesive universe, standalone efforts might no longer have a place. This could include shows like "Titans" and "Doom Patrol," which are uniquely independent. If their characters live on, they stand a strong chance of being totally revamped.
However, unlike "Titans," "Doom Patrol" deals with relatively unknown characters (save for Cyborg) DC might not be in a hurry to recast. And, since "Doom Patrol" deals in the weirder and more meta aspects of comic book storytelling, its heroes could easily be brought into DC's new universe through some sort of multiversal shenanigan. The style of humor that makes "Doom Patrol" so special also matches well with Gunn's style, as seen in "The Suicide Squad" and "Peacemaker." This makes the characters of "Doom Patrol" a natural fit for future projects. Will this lead to good news for fans of these beloved heroes? Here's hoping.