TITANS s01e04 - “Doom Patrol” Analysis
Available in: DC Universe (United States) and Netflix Episode Length: 45:07
Story:
★ More flashbacks, this time detailing how Gar got his ability to shapeshift, due to a radiation infection two years before the actual timeline of the series. ★ Raven finds Gar while running in the forest and they leave together. ★ Dick and Kory decide to go after Rachel instead of starting a pointless discussion. ★ Gar takes Rachel to the place he lives, but before they reach there, they stop two deer hunters, scaring them away. ★ The place he lives is a manor, and it's not with his real family (watch out for this recurring theme in the series!). ★ Gar's "family" is finally introduced: people who got together with the help of Chief, a doctor that healed them and allowed them to keep living, albeit exceptional situations force them to live secluded. ★ Dick and Kory keep investigating clues for Rachel. ★ Back to Gar and Rachel, they enjoy a nice dinner and learn more about each other, and about Gar's family, until the Chief comes in. ★ When the Chief arrives, they all go down to a restricted area where a patient waits, but the situation turns sour, and Rachel intervenes, healing the patient until she is stable. ★ Dick and Kory find the hunters' house, to search for more clues about Rachel's whereabouts. Unfortunately, the man doesn't answer Dick's questions, and he loses control, punching the hunter. ★ Chief explains to Rachel how everyone came to live together in the Manor, and how he helped them by doing what the traditional medicine couldn't, and even offered to help her. ★ Dick and Kory have another heartfelt discussion about problems and emotions. ★ While Chief is trying to help Rachel, she changes her minds and attacks him after he tranquilizes Gar. Dick and Kory arrive just as this is happening, with Dick running to help Rachel while Kory stays behind with the rest of the family. ★ Dick manages to stop Rachel before she loses control, and they leave together with Gar, his family staying behind with Chief.
SCORE: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
-----------------------------
Character:
★ Dick and Kory leave their problems aside to look for Rachel, showing once again that they can surpass their differences for a greater good, making a good team. ★ We have our proper first view at Gar, who seems to be an optimistic person, despite his abilities and predicaments. He helps without waiting for nothing in return, lighting up Rachel's hard life. ★ Our first look at Gar's family proves them to be an unconventional group of people: Cliff, an ex-pilot who suffered a severe accident and now is a robot; Larry, a man covered in bandages, and Rita, a beautiful woman that suffers from a painful mutation. ★ Chief is a doctor who uses unconventional methods to heal people condemned by others, but he seems to have a hidden plan behind the good doctor façade. ★ Gar is now part of the team and seems like he will provide some light-hearted moments from now on.
SCORE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
-----------------------------
Music:
★ Get ready for some Rock & Roll! The first song that kicks in already dictates the general vibe of the episode. The sound effects are well explored, with cooking and robotic noises, for example.
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy;
AC/DC - Thunderstruck;
Mario Grigorov & Dwight Batteau - Every Little Movement;
Frank Sinatra - We'll Meet Again.
SCORE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
------------------------------
Visual:
★ Blown up buildings and deep, snow-filled, forests, that's how we start the episode. This time, we get a look at different characters with diverse styles, like the robot man, bandage man, and the blob woman. Also, a lot of brown tones from the Manor, a nice contrast from the usual blue hues.
SCORE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
SCORE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆