Doom Patrol Episode 9 RECAP (VIDEO SCRIPT)

Readers, I’m happy to announce that this episode and probably the next episode of Doom Patrol are extremely streamlined

No B plots, just one solid story from beginning to end, which considering this episode of Doom Patrol I was not only expecting, but would’ve been pretty upset about if it actually DID interrupt with a B plot

Because you don’t just tackle a subject as complex as Jane’s actual mental health, and then decide to through a “meanwhile” scenario for everyone not involved for us to look at simultaneously like the shit’s not important.

No, you do the right thing, and make the shit that happens while Jane’s comatose on the outside its own episode, which they did. And I’m very happy they did it. (Pause) Because HOLY SHIT

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Jane Patrol

• So Rita and Cliff are able to successfully get Jane back to Doom Manor, while inside her head Karen has been taken to the Council of Janes to pretty much stand trial
• /And can I just say that I actually dig the fact that not every one of her alters looks like her? Like, the fact that they would have their own facial features and uniquenesses outside of what Jane’s physically limited to within her own head is really dope./
• It also makes signalling Hammerhead out EXTREMELY FUCKING EASY.
• /T-There she is; sh-she’s right there./
• And of course Jane is down there with them as well, but the other personalities find her and immediately pressure her to leave the Underground and head back up. She doesn’t do that, and instead goes rummaging through the Underground to find answers and meaning.
• /Of course the squad doesn’t know this, so they fear the worst is happening to her. And after Vic offers a suggestion on how to get her conscious (Play Clip) the Negative Spirit leaves Larry’s body and connects Cliff and Jane’s brains together on some Days of Future Past type shit, transporting him into the Underground WITH HIS FACE!/
• From then on, we’re just focused on Jane’s search for meaning in one of the memories that are associated with her and Cliff’s journey to get her back, and it’s pretty interesting to watch.
• However, Cliff’s journey doesn’t start off as easily as I make it sound
• /(Clip) SEE?? EVEN CLIFF KNEW!/
• He gets thrown in prison soon afterwards, but is freed by Penny; the alter that took over for Hammerhead during the Cult Patrol episode after they got transported into the snowglobe.
• /She lets him know that after a visit from a freaky set of psychic alters called The Sisters that Jane is heading toward the Well; a portion of the underground that holds the darkest memories for her. In order to head there, you have to go as deep into the Underground as possible, since the deeper you go, the darker the memories./
• The last alter that went to the well was an alter named Miranda; one of Jane’s first. She didn’t turn out so hot afterwards...
• Look, if I show you the clips in question, this video will get demonetized for sure, so just take my word for it (Reading Rainbow sound)
• Anyway, Cliff and Penny eventually catch up with Jane before reaching the well, and Cliff tries to talk her into coming back.
• This backfires because of two reasons. At least to me
• 1) Every time Jane asks why Cliff is in her brain or tells him to leave, he never mentions the fact that the Negative spirit connected his with hers and that he’s pretty much stuck there until they’re both back
• 2) Despite making some progress in how he views himself, Jane’s still able to tell that Cliff still has a sense of parental attachment to her that he hasn’t worked out yet and is using that as one of his main motivators
• And while I’m glad that she called him out on it, this told me a lot about how this episode was gonna end
• /This argument between Cliff and Jane is evidence that despite us learning about how her mental space works and being a momentous amount of development for her, this isn’t 80% her story. Cliff is gonna have at least 40% of the development in the story that is literally centered around Jane, and its probably gonna come down to the last portion of the episode/
• And while it’s something that I definitely saw coming since episode 2, the episodes following it gave me hope that there wouldn’t be that big of a tie between the two going forward, especially since they did such a good job at having them be their own people and develop on their own
• Especially once we find out a very interesting truth that was referenced to earlier in the episode, but we get a better picture of it when we see Jane finally reach the well.
• We finally get an association with the puzzle pieces she was terrified of in her Mento nightmare in the Doom Patrol Patrol episode
• The reason why they’re so traumatic for her is because it was through those puzzle pieces that she was born...as an alter
• That’s right. Jane isn’t the original personality. That title goes to Kay Chalice
• /And Jane was created as a means to endure what I’m pretty sure is the sexual abuse brought on by her father, with he and the jigsaw puzzle being the first things she associated with her initial role/
• By the time Cliff reaches the well, he’s back as his Robotman self after dealing with some self-realization of his own
• /And as I figured, he was able to not only keep Jane from falling into the well and losing herself, but give her the strength she needed to overcome her trauma instead of being capable of doing it herself before the two return to the surface/
• Sometimes, I HATE being right
• Because given the progress Jane has made, if she would’ve come to this realization herself, this would’ve been her Rita moment.
• It wouldn’t have downplayed the other alters, nor would it have undermined Cliff in any way. If anything, it would’ve shown us and Cliff that she COULD overcome the darkness in her by herself; that she DIDN’T need him to be the hero like she said earlier on in the episode.
• /It would’ve also been beneficial for Cliff too, because it would’ve caused him to truly double-think on why he looks at Jane the way that he does, and re-evaluate both himself and his overall perception of her in order to build a better and a more healthier relationship because of it./
• But then I realized that’s not how the show’s gonna handle this at all, when I remembered the scene that played out when Cliff and Penny were still searching the underground for Jane
• (hope scene)
• See what I’m talking about?

Now, I’m not saying that she can’t have hope for a better life because of the interaction

But the show I realize likes to play up Cliff’s overall link with Jane in this way, and I just thought it would’ve been really sweet if she didn’t need him in the way that both the show and that scene has been handling this angle

I’d honestly prefer that the two be on a similar wavelength of respect as opposed to her being dependent on him

Honestly, I’m glad that the next episode is gonna focus on what Vic and Rita were up to while Cliff and Jane were playing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Because as good as this episode was for revealing what it revealed and exploring Jane’s headspace, I’m really irritated with how the episode ended

Also, DC Universe missed a PRIME opportunity to use Breaking Benjamin’s Diary of Jane, and I am UTTERLY disappointed.

Not mad. Just disappointed.