Doom Patrol episode 9 preview: Journey into the Underground

Doom Patrol is breaking down some character-specific arcs, complete with self-discovery and development. This week, the series will turn to Jane and her 64 alters.

Last week, Doom Patrol serenaded us with a necessary melody about LGBTQ+ acceptance, gender expression, and a new non-binary icon (Danny the Street). Every week, the series paints a clearer picture of why we’re so glad this DC Universe show exists. We see so many people metaphorically and physically represented.

Beyond the critical narratives and pesky wildlife, it’s the characters that make Doom Patrol the weird bunch of unlikely heroes. And now, this week’s episode will give us a better look into Jane, her many personalities, and the Underground.

We’ve seen a lot of Jane, both through her characterization and her alternate personalities. However, Doom Patrol‘s “Jane Patrol” will help bridge the gap in last week’s cliffhanger. After all, Karen was Jane’s last resort alter. Now that she’s been pushed into the underground, Jane and her compartmentalized psyche (i.e. the Underground) might need some help and support from the rest of the team.

We’ll let you experience the live-action series’ interpretation of the Underground first-hand without spoiling much (especially if you’re new to the Doom Patrol comics scene, which is getting a new run in July). However, the teaser for episode 9 gives us some hints that this week will include even more comic book arcs mixed with some original twists, which is to be expected.

Jane’s current “cataleptic” situation on the show mimics the same state her comic counterpart was in during Doom Patrol (1987) #30. See, the namesake team had to fight off the five Horsemen. During a personal encounter with one of the Horsemen, Jane (i.e. the dominant personality for Kay, who has been long-since dormant) hides deep in the Underground.

Paralleling this comic book arc where Cliff helps Jane cope with her past traumas, the Well is significant in the Underground. Seeing as the depths of the Well represent Jane’s deepest traumas, Jane will find the part of her that’s the most lost and impacted by her past: Kay.

Because the show is using Karen as the catalyst for this arc instead of Jane herself (even though Jane has intermittently been on extended staycations in the Underground since before the apocalypse), we should probably anticipate that Jane might not find Kay at the Well. Or, at least, Jane will find other painful revelations at the Well. Thankfully, Cliff will journey through the Underground to find Jane.

So hopefully, he’ll be able to act as some much-needed support. We can already tell we’ll need to restock on tissues before Doom Patrol “Jane Patrol.”