WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Doom Patrol Season 3, Episode 1, "Possibilities Patrol" now streaming on HBO Max.
Doom Patrol showrunner Jeremy Carver broke down the thought process behind the unconventional introduction of the superhero series' new potential antagonist Madame Rouge, played by Michelle Gomez, in the Season 3 premiere.
"We tried to take a really grounded look at time travel and the real realities of what it would mean to travel through time," Carver said in an interview with TVLine about the premiere's cliffhanger ending. "We landed on it being the longest road trip of your life, so you gotta go."
Madame Rouge, who was the first female member of The Brotherhood of Evil in DC's original Doom Patrol comics, made her first live-action on-screen appearance at the end of the HBO Max series' premiere episode, "Possibilities Patrol." Gomez's character arrived in the present day in a time machine looking for the recently deceased Niles Caulder after Rita Farr hears an alarm coming from a device hidden behind one of Doom Manor's bookcases. When Madame Rouge first steps out of her time machine, she immediately has to pee -- and does so right in the middle of the street. The time machine's arrival creates a giant chasm, in which Isabel falls to her death and Madame Rouge simply watches. Carver went on to say, "As for Isabel, it was sad to see her disappear, but she's such a delightful presence on the show. We love her."
It was announced in March that Gomez signed on to portray Madame Rouge in Season 3 of Doom Patrol. Carver later confirmed that Gomez's version of the villain would be dealing with a case of amnesia in the season and won't necessarily remember that she is supposed to be a master of disguise.
"This wrestling with 'Am I good or bad?' is really at the heart of Michelle's character arc this season, and she wrings more out of a line in terms of finding comedy or pathos than just about anybody," Carver said at the time. "I think what she brings to the show is just thrilling."
Doom Patrol follows the reality-bending adventures of robot Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), disfigured astronaut Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), shapeshifting ex-actress Rita Farr (April Bowlby), multiple personality-shifting Jane (Diane Guerrero) and superhero Cyborg (Jovian Wade). Initially premiering on the DC Universe streaming service in 2019 before moving to HBO Max for its second season in 2020, the series has become something of a cult hit for its mix of strange stories, thoughtful character development and dark humor, capturing the spirit of Grant Morrison's classic run on the Doom Patrol comics for DC/Vertigo.
The first three episodes of Doom Patrol Season 3 are now streaming on HBO Max. New episodes will premiere weekly on Thursdays.
Source: TVLine