Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched Doom Patrol's Season 2 finale.
In direct contrast to the more blatantly hopeful superhero fare found on shows like Stargirl and The Flash, Doom Patrol has a very complex relationship with concepts such as hope and redemption. But even with all the wicked shit that these characters went through in the show's first 23 episodes, Doom Patrol delivered a seemingly endless supply of ominous despair with its Season 2 finale, with no sign just yet that we'll get a Season 3 at either DC Universe or HBO Max.
Against everyone's better wishes, Doom Patrol's second season got cut short by one episode due to pandemic-related production stoppages. So while it's nice to think that the previously planned tenth installment likely would have given audiences answers to the myriad questions and worries inspired by "Wax Patrol," it didn't happen, so we're just left to contemplate everyone's dark AF endings, including that of the mystical Kipling. Without further ado, let's go over all the big reasons why Doom Patrol's Season 2 finale may be the most dour episode of TV you'll see in 2020 or any other year.
Candlemaker Took Dorothy, Destroyed Everything Else
While there are many different aspects of Candlemaker that I flat-out don't understand, his evolution from "voice in Dorothy's head" to "destroyer of quaint carnivals" went by fairly quickly after Dorothy fucked up and made her big wish. But I don't need to grasp deep character histories to understand that everyone at that town carnival has been temporarily waxed out of commission, save for the now-grieving Niles, whose daughter was completely enveloped into Candlemaker's flames. No clue what'll happen to her now, but Niles will now be all alone in his glumness. Which he deserves, but it's still a dark thing to wish upon anyone.
Miranda's Fall From Grace
Prior to the Season 2 finale, Doom Patrol fans were kept in the...dark...about why Miranda ended up throwing herself in the well. Now we know it happened after another one of the character's tainted romances, this one happening around the Summer of Love, with a real knob-end of a dude who had the great idea to throw a clandestine swingers party. The ordeal was most definitely not sexually liberating for Miranda nor anyone else in the Underground. She was drawn back in and accused of not looking out for Kay's best interests, causing her to take a dive into the well, from which she never returned. (More on that lower, of course.)
Cliff Missed Clara's Wedding
So much of Season 2 has seen Cliff attempting to re-forge a father-daughter with Clara, all while purposefully straining his relationship with Niles. All he wanted to do in the finale is find the right shirt to wear to her wedding, and instead got convinced to join the mission to save Dorothy. The very unsuccessful mission, I will add. Though Cliff's voicemail explanation for Clara was amusing enough, it still highlighted the never-ending race-car track of depressing bullshit keeping the character from finding happiness. (At least in ways that don't include MDMA.)
Rita And Larry Remain Plagued
It's not out of the question to think that Rita's (or Gertrude's) Our Town run will win awards if Season 3 gets ordered, and that Larry will craft a peaceful bond with the Negative Spirit that allows him to go without wearing his bandages. However, none of that happened by the end of the finale, even though Rita did put on a show for her imaginary friend rocking her mother's eyes before The Waxening. Also, it appears Larry didn't have a very active or interesting imagination as a kid, and even Cliff said that was the saddest thing he'd ever heard.
Vic Is Still Conflicted About Roni
While it might be clear to some that Vic's relationship with Roni is far too dysfunctional for a Justice League-adjacent hero, Vic himself still hasn't been convinced just yet. While he thought he was having a decent heart-to-heart with his imaginary friend who just so happened to look exactly like his dad, Vic was really just talking to his biggest cheerleader, leaving him even more confused about how to really feel about Roni's villainous actions. He was also left covered in wax, which was also a most un-Booyah turn of events.
New Miranda Is Actually Kay's Dad, Sorta
Of course Doom Patrol had to bring Kay's dad back into the loop, and of course the surprising return of cool-as-a-cucumber Miranda wasn't real, and of course he/she/it revealed his/her/its true nature to Kay in the final minutes, leaving audiences to wonder what would happen next. While it's not quite clear whether this is a new personality fissure we're dealing with, or if Kay's dad has actually manifested in her mind in some way, the outcome is tragically bleak no matter which way it goes. Because of course it is.
Cliff's Body Got Blown To Bits
Beyond all the mental troubles, Cliff has also been plagued by robotic body malfunctions throughout Season 2. While it seemed like Niles might be able to provide some updated mechanics in the future, that was likely just a pipe dream, and it appears Cliff will now need an entirely new metal skeleton. It was bad enough when his imaginary friend Jesus ripped his arm off – "it's just a flesh wound" – but that confrontation ended with Cliff's body exploding into a bunch of waxed-out pieces. Even Dorothy cried out for him when she saw his hand sitting there, all alone and not attached to his body anymore. But is his brain still okay inside his metal head?
With hopefully more news about Doom Patrol's future coming soon, perhaps during the upcoming DC FanDome event, both seasons can currently be streamed on both DC Universe and HBO Max. While waiting for updates, be sure and stay current with our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what's definitely coming to the small screen in the near future.
