DC’s strangest group of Super Heroes are back again to save the world – that is if they can find a way to grow up…both figuratively and literally. Following the defeat of Mr. Nobody, the DOOM PATROL now find themselves mini-sized and stranded on Cliff’s toy race car track. Here they begin to deal with their feelings of betrayal with Niles Caulder aka The Chief, while confronting their own personal baggage. As each Super Hero faces the challenge of moving beyond trauma and failure, they must come together to protect the newest family member, Niles’ daughter, whose powers remain a mysterious but real threat to bringing on the end of the world.
For in-depth thoughts on Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season, please see my colleague Ben Belcher’s piece on the series here.
Video Quality
Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original broadcast ratio of 2.20:1. This framing along with the impeccable cinematography gives the show a cinematic quality that the Arrowverse shows cannot hold a candle to. You really feel like you are watching something on par with a DC film during the course of the season. The color palette runs on the cooler side with a focus on blues, but there are some magical instances of beautiful colors popping off the screen. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to an excellent amount of detail in shadows. The levels of detail this presentation is able to eek out is quite striking, as all of the subtle details in the production design are easily identifiable. Skin tones appear very natural across the entire cast throughout the season. The special effects employed throughout are first rate and perfectly rendered here. There are no egregious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable in this transfer. The Blu-Ray is quite stunning as it brings a meticulously crafted series to life in a gorgeous manner. This presentation is a visual treat.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with an incredibly active DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that creates a truly enveloping world. Dialogue always comes through crisp and clear without being stepped on by the powerful score or any sound effects. Action sequences and more kinetic moments are given the appropriate power in the mix with a forceful showing in the low end. Ambient sounds are also precisely placed in the rear channels. The spatial awareness of the track is pretty insane at times, and the panning techniques are used to great effect. Special consideration should be paid to the soaring series music from Kevin Kiner. His work perfectly sets the tone for the story, and it creates a nicely enveloping sound that draws you further into the show. The audio presentation here is fantastic on all levels.
Special Features
- Doom Patrol – The Magic of Makeup: A nine-minute featurette that takes a look at the really impressive makeup work including creating the look of Dorothy, Lucy, Red Jack and more. Getting to see various behind-the-scenes moments offers a fun insight into the process.
- Doom Patrol Season 2 – Come Visit Georgia PSA: A two-minute conversation with Production Designer Carey Meyer in which he explains what makes Georgia such a great place to create this world and touches upon some of the locations he crafted this season.
Final Thoughts
The second season of Doom Patrol continues to establish its place as one of the most fun and inventive DC properties currently being adapted. Through its bonkers storytelling and well-established characters, you are drawn into a world which you do not really want to leave. The new Blu-Ray set offers a pretty excellent A/V presentation and a couple of fun special features. This is a show that you want to watch again and again, and this release will more than satisfy those needs. Highly Recommended
Doom Patrol: The Complete Second Season will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on January 26, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.