REVIEW: ‘Doom Patrol’ Season 3 – Episodes 4 “Undead Patrol”

Doom Patrol has kicked off their Season 3 with an explosive bang of utter madness, dropping three episodes in a day: “Possibilities Patrol,” “Vacay Patrol,” and “Dead Patrol.” Now in the fourth episode, “Undead Patrol,” the team must deal with the after effects of escaping the realm of spirits, while a mysterious woman takes residence in their house, trying to jog her memory and find out who the hell she is.

Developed, and executive produced by Jeremy Carver, starring Diane Guerrero (Crazy Jane), Matt Bomer (Larry Trainor / Negative Man), Brendan Fraser (Robotman), April Bowlby (Rita Farr), and Jovian Wade (Cyborg). Doom Patrol tells the story of a dysfunctional group of metahumans that were the test subjects of a mad scientist on the quest for immortality. The episode is directed by Kristin Windell, who directed two episodes from the series thus far.

After escaping the underworld, with the help of the Dead Boy Detective agency, the team is back topside. Now, a strange woman is walking around their kitchen offering them tea, played by the fabulous Michelle Gomez. This is a woman we’ve seen tunnel into this reality and seemingly set off one of the Chief’s alarm systems, and she needs the help do the Doom Patrol. However, the team is about to have their own issues, as some of their problems have followed them back from the land of the dead.

I unapologetically loved the opening three episodes, and I was thrilled to see this show back on my screen. That being said, this episode felt a little one-dimensional and chaotic in places. Yes I know, Doom Patrol lives and breathes chaos, but it’s not the fun kind. This episode felt more like a bridge to get from point A to point B, or rather a filler.

The show still finds that unique twist, that Doom Patrol seasoning to make things especially weird, and oh boy, I wasn’t prepared for just how weird things were about to get. Even if I could, I’m not sure I could quite express what I saw, but trust me, when you see it you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Up until this point, the flow of the story has made sense, and even when it’s appeared to be carnage for the sake of it, the overarching plot can still be felt. For Episode 4 though, it’s just not as prominent. I’d say the takeaway is Gomez’s character on her path to discovery to figure out who she is, but everything else just feels like extra padding.

Overall, Episode 4 of Doom Patrol “Undead Patrol” was downright outrageous, and as about as off the wall as the show gets. Yet, it felt like it lacked some direction, as the connection to the larger plot was lacking. Be prepared to utter words you never thought you would when the show introduces a whole new element of mythical creatures to the game.

Doom Patrol Season 3 Episode 4 is available now exclusively on HBO Max, with a new episode coming next Thursday.