The Doom Patrol has always been one of the odder groups out there, and then took a deep turn into serious strangeness back when Grant Morrison got his hands on them. The team of outcasts with strange powers, feared by the world they protect, led by a brilliant man in a wheel chair (Sound familiar? The Patrol actually debuted before the X-Men) has been through a lot different incarnations, including a series that has also been through some oddness. Starting on DC Universe, then leaping to HBO Max, but also notionally linked to the Arrowverse and the Titans, the Patrol has gone through some changes on screen and in the comics. Now, the third season of their truly unique show comes to an end with “Amends Patrol.”

Things didn’t end well in the last episode. Cliff was captured by the Brotherhood of Evil and removed from his robot body, and most of the rest of the group finally decided to get their act together and try and help him. Then their weird short bus (make your joke here) got blown off the road by Jane suddenly manifesting a new power, and even Madame Rouge ended up in trouble. No one is really in a good situation except, oddly, the Brain (of Brotherhood fame, not Pinky and…).

The majority of the team manages to pick themselves up out of the wreckage of their bus, no one looking great. Larry is having issues with his strange parasite, Vic still has no powers, and Jane isn’t waking up. Rita, focused to the point of obsession, wants to push on, and the rest of them shake their heads and tell her this isn’t going to work. Jane has another odd interlude in the Underground before rejoining the team, Vic tries to get Rita to see reality, and an old friend/foe pops by to offer some advice to the obsessed Elasti-Woman.

Deep in some different woods, Madame Rouge comes around and realizes she’s not in a good place on any level, and has some company she doesn’t want. The captive ends up having a discussion with Monsieur Mallah, which ends in a few unexpected developments and the discovery of the discarded tech of the Brotherhood of Evil. In a very much not natural fogbank, Jane runs into some familiar faces and Larry learns more about what’s going on with his weird alien parasite. While Jane bargains with some other personalities, the Brain, in Cliff’s body, goes from enjoying his day to being plagued by his past as Cliff makes an unexpected return, with a little help from Rouge. Even while working towards the same goal, Cliff and Rouge can’t stop bickering.

Jane begins to learn just how bad things are for the other personalities from Kay’s Underground, and the depths that some of her opposition is willing to go to in order to get their way. Remember the map with arrows that showed Indiana Jones traveling? They put their own spin on that, complete with social media commentary, as Cliff and Rouge make their unusual way across the country. Cliff, oddly, is actually trying to do a pep talk kind of thing. It’s not usually his area, but a lot of things have changed. There’s a shift in the power dynamic, an unexpected departure, and Cliff realizes that maybe things haven’t really changed all that much for him after all.

Victor, Larry, and the Librarian talk about what’s going on and some choices Larry needs to make, which leads to a rambling story about a dog that eventually comes to a point. I get what this character was trying to say, but there has to have been a better way to do it. Rita finally attains a goal, and finds out nothing is what she expected as she confronts an old enemy. Rouge revisits some old haunts, relives some old memories, and gets into an argument with an AI that’s narrating some of her life.

Jane tries to find a way to make things, if not better, at least acceptable to the various factions within Kay, and shows she’s smarter than she gets credit for. Larry and Victor team up to try and help both Larry and the alien, finding out that one of the things keeping everyone safe is causing them a lot of problems. And, still trying to fix things in all the relationships he’s managed to damage, Cliff pays a call on Clara and her family. The poor guy really does seem to be trying to change. It’s a shame it took this many decades for him to make progress, but I guess it’s the start of something better for them.

The Brain gets a sort of breakup note, which is an entertaining spin on one of his major relationships, as well as a nod to a story that Grant Morrison has in his comics. Rita and the Brain talk, and Rita decides to take matters into her own hands. She’s not always the most effective character around, but she’s very on target this time around, and it’s a dark, cold side of her I don’t think we’ve seen before. With a little help from a frenemy, Larry and Vic get where they were trying to be, both looking like it wasn’t an easy trip. Jane has a chat with someone that hints at maybe something good happening for her finally. Down in the Underground, one of the rarely focused on personalities gets a chance to shine and takes over an important project, which will hopefully make things better for everyone down there.

Things start building to the conclusion as a lot of weird changes happen all at once. Jane and Vic confront Rouge, who has at least taken precautions to deal with the side effects of something she knew was coming. It’s a very entertaining bit and, as always, Michelle Gomez does a fantastic job with it. Cliff arrives, but has lost control of some important things and may be on his way to becoming a serious threat. Larry tries to help and shows that, even under new circumstances, he’s a long way from a superhero. Finally, Rita takes a hand in ending the problem, although how she got here from Florida that quickly is never touched on.

Jane and Cliff patch up their strained relationship, and Rita even manages some progress with Rouge, which takes a lot on Rita’s part. The team makes some resolutions about how they are going to move forward, and, while I have no doubt there will be bumps in the road, it’ll be interesting to see. Finally, a new threat emerges, the team jumps into action in their own unique way, and everyone disagrees with Cliff on what to call themselves. It’s about the only time we’ve seen everyone in agreement, and an amusing note to end things on for the season.

What I Liked: Rita showed some real growth here, and, to my surprise, so did Cliff. The scene with Cliff and Jane near the end was actually very touching. Rouge showing back up at Doom Manor and her reactions to seeing the group were great. I liked how the tables were turned on the Brain, and believe he deserved what he got, although that does leave Cliff in a bad place potentially.

What I Didn’t: I get it’s not that kind of show, but it would have been nice for Larry’s new take on things to actually let him do something useful instead of being comic relief. Rita, and several others for that matter, are moving around the country with no effort. Distance is apparently barely an inconvenience. I hope they’re going to find a way to get Cliff into a better situation than we leave him in.

It wasn’t a bad end for the season. Doom Patrol will be back for one final, shortened season after this. I’ll give this episode a 3.5 out of 5, and the season a 3. A few times it just felt too much like they were trying to be weird for the sake of being weird.