The Doom Patrol may be one of DC’s lesser-known superhero teams, but they shine whenever they get the spotlight. They made their live-action debut in Titans last year in one of the season’s best episodes. Now they have their own show and it is exactly what it is supposed to be: weird, fun, emotional, and downright crazy.

We had the opportunity to view the pilot early but no worries, we won’t be delving into any spoilers. Before I get into details, I must start with that fact that intro sequence for the show is quite fantastic and gave me Westworld vibes. It’s miles better than the Titans’ intro, that’s for sure. The question is, does the show itself learn from the mistakes of first DC Universe show and make something that stands on its own? I certainly think it does. It isn’t perfect by any means, but a great start for an exciting and different superhero show that will become a hit for the DC Universe.

The best way to describe the pilot without giving spoilers away is that it’s like the first half of a movie. Clocking in at nearly an hour, we get an origin for each of the members of the Doom Patrol while also setting up the main storyline for the season. That includes the villain Mr. Nobody, but more on that later. Everyone gets their time to shine and each actor gives their all to the show. Rita Farr and Crazy Jane are among my favorites, with Negative Man not falling too far behind. Timothy Dalton is a very welcome replacement for Chief. However, there’s one character that completely surprised me.

The real standout is Brendan Fraser’s Robotman, who delivers a brilliant performance that is both nuanced and revealing. Flashbacks allow Fraser to be on camera and he truly shines, but he still gives just as great of a performance as Robotman. He had the most development and became the heart of the show very quickly. Just in the pilot alone, there are enough twists and turns in his story to leave you shellshocked.

The villain of the show is Mr. Nobody, played by Alan Tudyk, and he’s a force to be reckoned with. He gets his own introduction in the pilot as well, but his main function will surprise people. You see, he narrates some of the show and intentionally breaks the fourth wall. His character is so powerful that he is aware that the events are taking place in a show. It allows for out-of-the-box comedy that may or may not hit all the time, but for the most part, I found myself thoroughly enjoying it.

The pacing of the show is surprisingly smooth even with the hour runtime. This is probably due to the number of characters the show focuses on right off the bat. It is also evident DC put a lot into this show, the production value is great and the visual effects are very serviceable. There was a lot of love poured into this and I can’t wait to see what else is in store for our superhero team.

Doom Patrol has a fantastic start that shows a lot of promise for the rest of the season. From the characters to the story, there is more than enough to grip the audience and take them for a ride. The performances from the entire cast are exquisite, with Brendan Fraser’s Robotman being a revelation. It isn’t perfect, of course, but this is by far one of the best things DC Universe has put out (yes, including Young Justice Outsiders).

Rating: 9/10

Are you excited for Doom Patrol? Let us know in the comments below! – Marcos Melendez

Doom Patrol is set to debut February 15th on DC Universe

The drama revolves around superhero outcasts Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), who are led by modern-day mad scientists Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) and Cyborg (Joivan Wade).