Titans Season 1 Episode 4 Review: Doom Patrol
Paul Dailly
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Well, that was an eventful hour!
Titans Season 1 Episode 4 finally gave us the much-needed insight into the character of Gar we've been waiting for, while simultaneously setting up Doom Patrol, the spinoff of Titans.
There was an instant connection between Rachel and Gar on Titans Season 1 Episode 3, and with Rachel in a tight spot after her ordeal at St. Paul's, it all seemed a little too easy to have them meet in the woods.
I'm willing to let that slide because it helped the two characters cross paths and expand on the mythology we've been given mere tidbits of information about thus far.
Related: Titans Renewed for Season 2 at DC Universe!
Gar's living situation was fascinating. He was saved by Niles from certain doom and gifted with a room in a lavish mansion that towers above the size of a one-bed apartment, all the latest tech, and even his own dysfunctional family.
I can remove whatever it is inside you, Rachel. This is for your own good.
Niles
That meant he had to agree to some ground rules, but he was forced to live a very sheltered life, and that's likely why he wanted to go out and see what the world had to offer.
With Niles jetting around the world finding the latest people with the most bizarre ailments to save and add to his family of misfits, it left a lot of time for Gar to sneak out.
There was a part of me that agreed with Niles when he initially complained about Rachel being brought into the house.
The world is a messed up place, and it only takes one slip of the tongue to have the media at the door, or something much sinister.
It's difficult for me to agree with Niles because he has all the components of one of those characters who play on the side of good but want to play god when they get the chance.
Niles knew what he was doing when he strapped Rachel up on that gurney. He wanted to find out how her power could benefit his work and didn't care about what that meant for the teenager.
It was only a few scenes before that Rachel was going out of her way to help the women Niles brought in. My first impression of Niles is that he's an ass.
It was poetic justice that he wound up with a broken back, making his work more challenging to carry out. Whether he will cross paths with Rachel or Gar again is another story.
But I'm going to be brutally honest here: I don't think there's anything Niles could do in Doom Patrol for me to get on board with the character.
That's not to say I'm not excited about the spinoff because I am. Robotman was the standout. He wants to follow the orders but is struggling to let go of the past.
Can we all just take a moment to admire the bond that the Doom Patrol family had? Niles aside, they all loved and respected each other, and that's about all you can ask.
The most worrying thing for me was the way Rachel was ready to turn over to the darkness when she was pushed to the limit.
There's no telling what might have happened had Dick not shown up when he did. That said, I did chuckle a little at the similarities between Dick bringing Rachel back from the brink of destruction and the Dark Willow plot on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Related: Titans Season 1 Episode 3: Origins
What the scene proved was that Rachel knows Dick is the constant she needs in her life, and it allowed her to realize that she should stick with him if she wants to keep her violent tendencies at bay.
It took four episodes, but the Titans are finally together. They're a dynamic bunch, and each brings a lot to the table. There's going to be conflict between Dick and Kory.
If you don't unbury whatever it is that's going on, you're going to explode. You got problems.
Kory
There's no way one is going to give the other the leadership role. The only thing they'll be able to agree on is that they need to keep both Rachel and Gar safe.
Hell, Kory was shocked to the core when she realized that Dick would have smashed the dude in the forest's face in if he didn't offer up some answers.
In the man's defense, Dick and Kory showed up out of the blue after his story was balked at by the cops. What did he owe to them?
Nothing.
There's a lot of balls up in the air right now, and I can't quite fathom where this is going, or even what the next move is for our band of superheroes.
What are your thoughts on the Doom Patrol? Was Niles too unlikeable for your liking?
Hit the comments below.
Titans continues Fridays on DC Universe!
Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.
