Doom Patrol season 4 episode 9 recap & review: Immortimas Patrol

In episode 9 of Doom Patrol, the team celebrates a holiday to honor Isabel before realizing that everything is not as it seems. The episode is streaming on Max.

Recap

Dorothy and the rest of the Doom Patrol wake up and perform a song celebrating Immortimas, a holiday dedicated to Immortus. Cliff and Larry are back to their normal human selves and none of them have any memory of the real world.

Casey and Jane perform a musical number together where Casey expresses her feelings for Jane. Jane feels like something is off and things get awkward between them.

Laura and Rita are at the dining table preparing invitations for Isabel and singing a song about being best friends when Laura begins to remember the truth.

She still can’t stop herself from singing every word but realizes that something is wrong. Dorothy and Vic are decorating a gingerbread house and Dorothy talks about missing her father, while Vic talks about wanting to do more than overseeing the robotics team with Derek.

Cliff gets ready to pleasure himself when Laura interrupts him to ask if he has had any crazy thoughts lately. Cliff leaves and Laura notices something in the tape that he was watching.

Larry approaches her to ask about his outfit because he plans to introduce his boyfriend, 104, to the rest of the family. Laura says she has some bad news for him and shows him the video tapes.

Casey walks into Jane’s room where she is painting something. They try to talk about what happened earlier and Casey asks about Jane’s painting. Jane says that she doesn’t know why it’s on her mind, but it’s actually a painting of the platform on the underground.

An alarm rings and everyone gathers in the basement where Laura is waiting for them. Larry is wrapped up in bandages once again and behaves like his old mopey self while everyone makes fun of him.

Laura tells them that the world they are in is fake and that they are part of a superhero team called the Doom Patrol. They laugh it off and Rita heads back upstairs to tend to something. Laura tells Casey to go with her and then shows the others something she found.

When she pauses the videotapes, it reveals what is actually on them. They are the recordings of their interviews with the Chief and one by one they all begin to remember. Laura mentions the name Cyborg to Vic and he remembers the truth as well.

They are undecided on their feelings about this, and Vic offers to break the news to Dorothy while giving them the responsibility of telling Rita.

Vic tells Dorothy the truth and she takes it relatively well, even though she is slightly disheartened to learn about it. Vic then breaks out into a power ballad about his own life and future in the real world.

Jane tells Casey who is taking the news quite well. She also tells Casey that now that she knows the truth, she also knows that she shares her mind with several others, so she cannot possibly have a relationship with Casey.

Larry tells Mr. 104 what they have discovered and while Larry initially wants to get back to the real world, Mr. 104 convinces him that they can live happily in this world.

Rita sees her own interview and tells Laura that she doesn’t want to leave because, in this make-believe world, she isn’t a monster. Cliff calls up his daughter and has a brief conversation before having a duet with his robot alter-ego discussing the pros of staying behind.

Isabel arrives for dinner and the verdict is mixed on breaking out of this make-believe world. Isabel wants all of them to sing her praises but one by one they speak out against her actions.

She then signs off on their doom before sending them back to the real world. She specifically calls out Mr. 104, stating that he’s going to explode very soon.

Recap

• Musical episodes aren’t a trope meant for everyone, and while it has its charms it is usually a Hail Mary when it is employed. The lyrics are wonderfully written and eccentric.
• The performances are also commendable, as the stars are performing themselves and doing something different from their usual fare.
• There are some emotional moments that still seem to resonate with audiences, with the humor in this episode quite effective. There is also a line delivered by Rita to Laura about being a monster that is especially brutal.

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Also Read: Doom Patrol season 4 episodes 7 and 8 recap & review