Doom Patrol Season 1 Premiere Review: 7 Ups & 2 Downs

Ups...

7. The INCREDIBLE Cast

Above everything else, the main reason this show works is the fantastic cast. A fine cabal of under-appreciated character actors and rising stars have been teamed together, and their off-the-charts chemistry makes the show crackle with energy and enthusiasm in almost every moment.

The easy highlight is Brendan Fraser as Robotman, whose career has been on a very welcome upswing recently.

And though the majority of his role is simply a voiceover - bar a few flashbacks - he gets a rare opportunity to re-shape his rubber-faced goofball persona into something more dark and tragic.

Timothy Dalton doesn't have a huge role in the premiere as Niles Caulder aka The Chief, but true to form, he classes the production up something fierce and doesn't remotely seem like he's here for a simple paycheck (as you might suspect from an actor of his sure calibre).

Orange Is the New Black star Diane Guerrero is also terrifically spunky as Kay Challis aka Crazy Jane, selling the multi-faceted, distinct nature of her dozens of personalities but also ensuring to bring plenty of heart to the table.

Alan Tudyk also doesn't have a big role in the first episode as Mr. Nobody, but his snarky narration is hysterical, and he's a credit to pretty much anything he touches, so he should fare well once his role grows in future episodes.