‘Doom Patrol’ Season 1, Episode 13 ‘Flex Patrol’ Review: Embrace

When the Doom Patrol broke into the Ant Farm, they had one plan in mind. It sounded simple: get in, get their friend, get out. However, when an entity that manipulates the entire course of existence to his liking, all plans can be rendered useless. One of the team members, in particular, learns of this in the hardest way possible.

On Friday’s episode of Doom Patrol, the misfits escape the Ant Farm. Arriving at Doom Mansion, Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero) and Cliff Steele/Robotman (Brendan Fraser/Riley Shanahan) try to refresh their new friend, Flex Mentallo’s (Devan Chandler Long) memory. Meanwhile, the Negative Spirit shows Larry Trainor/Negative Man (Matt Bomer/Matthew Zuk) the way to fixing Flex’s mental state. At the hospital, Rita Farr/Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby) comforts Victor Stone/Cyborg (Joivan Wade) as he stays by his Silas Stone’s (Phil Morris) bedside.

Meet Flex Mentallo

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Following the show’s theme of bringing Superheroes from the past, Flex’s introduction takes place in the 60s’. In his time, Flex was one of America’s leading heroes. His hometown often thanked him for his good deeds, and he freely roamed around as a respected citizen. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Normalcy took notice of his strange abilities and eventually captured him. The time Flex spent in captivity was when he first met Larry and the Negative Spirit, eager to escape and go back to his wife, Dolores (Haley Strode). The Bureau took custody of Dolores, however, ending Flex’s struggle.

Flex’s character post-confinement was nothing like his previous self. He did not even know his real name anymore. Also, his life now revolved in watching an old soap opera called ‘Secret Hearts.’ Jane and Cliff’s attempts at jogging his memory proved a bust, and it was not until when Larry shows up that they had a real lead to Flex remembering his past self. When Flex reunites with his wife, Dolores (Susan Williams), he instantly recalls his identity. Their reunion would have been perfect if it was not for the Bureau’s failsafe that took Dolores’ life. The show permits him a brilliant execution of his powers at the end though, and it was a pretty epic scene.

Accepting Past Mistakes

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Rita and Cyborg’s intertwined plot mainly revolved around forgiving yourself for the mistakes you made in your lifetime. In an emotional dialogue with a Hospital Patient (Edward Asner), Rita expressed her regret over a life she indirectly ruined during her time as a Hollywood star. The patient turns out to be Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk) all along, but he nonetheless helped Rita get rid of that burden.

Cyborg, on the other hand, was a complete mess. He reluctantly reactivated Grid at the end of the episode and will probably not be part of the team’s attempt to save Niles Caulder/The Chief (Timothy Dalton), at least at first. It is nice to see him off of his high horse and all, but I sincerely hope that Silas wakes up to encourage him to join the fight. Cyborg’s rough background often does not compensate for his attitude problem, but I think he is a misunderstood person.

Comfortable

Cliff and Jane were not always the best of friends, but Cliff’s visit to The Underground changes this. A previous episode reveals that Cliff sees Jane as his daughter, Clara, and coming to Jane’s rescue further proves this point. Cliff may seem brash and a bit dense at times, but he knew that Jane could use someone to talk to and that is what he wants her to see in him. Jane, on the other hand, generally dislikes being vulnerable but is slowly opening up to Cliff. Their duo best portrays how hard it is to get to know someone and accept everything about them minus using romance. Sure, Cliff is a robot and all, but he is every bit as human as everyone else in the show.

Nobility

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Now that Larry and the Negative Spirit are in good terms, they both understand each other on a profoundly personal level. After all, they share every bit of their experiences especially in their time as the Bureau’s captives. The best aspect of their relationship is that they do not need the use of words to comprehend what each of them wants to say. At some point, Larry even permits the spirit to leave him and let him die in exchange for its freedom. However, it could not deny the fact that it developed a strong bond with Larry, so it ultimately stays.

‘Doom Patrol’ Season 1, Episode 13 ‘Flex Patrol’ Final Verdict

Mr. Nobody’s ending monologue sums up how brilliant the episode is. The characters now reached their best selves and are ready to face him and save The Chief. Also, the show never falls short of providing the characters excellent back stories plus impeccable dialogues. Now, we are yet to see how the showdown between Mr. Nobody and the Doom Patrol will play out. Unless, somehow, Mr. Nobody manages to kill the show’s writers or something.

DoomPatrol continues Friday, May 17th at the DC Streaming Service.