While the Doom Patrol struggles to cope with the cost of being superheroes, the season shines a light on Dorothy Spinner, the young daughter of the team's late original leader Niles Caulder. This standalone episode, titled "Casey Patrol," shows what Dorothy has been up to since audiences last saw her in Season 3 while introducing a new hero to the mix. Providing a meta-textual adventure with lots of genuine emotion under the surface, "Casey Patrol" showcases what Doom Patrol is all about and offers a fun respite from the season's main narrative.
After obtaining her father's necklace with the help of the Dead Boy Detectives, Dorothy lives in a safe haven provided by Danny the Street, but she becomes frustrated by her relative isolation from the rest of the world. Dorothy's wish for a break from the routine comes frightfully true, when the characters from her favorite science fiction comic book, "Space Case," make their way to her home. Dorothy relishes the chance to embark on an adventure with her spacefaring hero, Casey Brinke, but she finds that some stories are best left to fiction as she evades the sci-fi villains coming for her.
Abi Monterey has always lit up the screen as Dorothy, and after a prolonged hiatus from the Doom Patrol's regular antics, she hasn't lost a step. Casey Brinke, created by Gerard Way and Nick Derington during their Doom Patrol comic book run, meets Dorothy's childhood wonder with all the swashbuckling bravado of a pulp hero. Madeline Zima's performance underscores the character's energetic demeanor with the gradual realization that she is a fictional character suddenly brought into a world of real consequences.
This plot point is so delightfully on the nose for Doom Patrol. If the preceding episode saw the team tour Rita Farr's classic Hollywood filmography, "Casey Patrol" provides a sly fourth wall-breaking wink at the reader while acknowledging the comic book source material. With everything from courageously defiant drag queens to robotic drones, "Casey Patrol" represents the HBO Max original series firing on all cylinders and embracing what makes it great. Doom Patrol excels when it incorporates and subverts B-movie and pulp fiction tropes, and this has become especially apparent throughout Season 4.
"Casey Patrol" is a strong reminder that there are still plenty of tricks up Doom Patrol's sleeve and that not all effective stories need the eponymous team front and center for the show to still feel like itself. There are still heartbreaking character moments mixed with that wacky sense of fun and infinite potential without any of the team directly appearing in the episode. "Casey Patrol" distills everything that makes Doom Patrol great into a single episode, with a solid break from the main narrative that brings Dorothy back in the fold along with a new friend.
A standalone episode that is sure to have a greater impact as Doom Patrol Season 4 progresses, "Casey Patrol" stands as the finest episode of the season. With plenty of self-aware humor and storytelling that only serve to accentuate the show's emotional core, Season 4 is continuing to build momentum even in its time away from the main ensemble. With the midseason finale rapidly approaching, Doom Patrol remains as solid and delightfully weird as ever.
Developed for television by Jeremy Carver, Doom Patrol releases new episodes Thursdays on HBO Max.