With the usual amount of chaos and absurdity, the Doom Patrol returns for its fourth and final season. Last season shook up some of the status quo, and now they’re following up on that with at least a partial new direction, new leadership, and a lot more of the same craziness we’ve come to expect. Breaking with the convention of most of their titles to date, the season starts with the simply named “Doom Patrol.”

We start off in the future, which is never a good thing for superheroes of any kind. The future, with the singular exception of the Legion of Super Heroes, is always dark, gritty, and things are so much worse than the present. This continues that trend as we see a hooded figure skulking through the ruins of Cloverton, the town Doom Manor is just outside. Things are looking very post-apocalyptic before we finally see who this is.

Back in the present, we see that, as at the end of last season, Dr. Harrison is driving the shared body Jane usually runs, and it’s a tribute to makeup, wardrobe, and the talented Diane Guerrero that each alternate has such a distinct look and mannerisms. Harrison is watching the rest of the team and making assorted very unflattering notes about their various psychological issues. We get to see the team in action under Rita’s leadership, which is partway between a normal team leader and a movie director. They clash with a very obscure villain who is suitably odd for the show. We also see Vic is not happy with his reduced role as he gets his own odd encounter. The team still has many issues to work out, but actually manage to win, almost in spite of themselves.

In her ongoing recorded notes, Dr. Harrison remarks on her time being divided between her work and her obligations, which brings us back to the Underground. Jane is apparently trying to adapt to not being in charge, and Harrison provides an endless barrage of criticism, which of course helps everything so much. They bicker, and the main point of the scene seems to be to remind viewers that A) these two don’t like each other much and B) Kay is missing. Vic and his dad Silas work together on a project, and actually manage some real talk as they go. It’s a nice change.

This leads to the team being summoned by an alarm, and Vic and Silas present their new project: they have not only finished Cliff’s new arm (since his entire body was stomped flat last season and they’ve been working on it as they can with a major shipping issue world-wide) but installed something new that really excited him. The entire team is happy for Cliff, although the serious tension remains between Rita and Rouge. They finally decide to take a road trip to celebrate Cliff’s new addition, although Rita ends the scene with more snark and contempt for Rouge. Rita can be really, really cold when she wants to be, and she really wants to be.

The road trip turns into an unlikely sing-a-long, with even Dr. Harrison joining in. They have an unexpected encounter on the way, which links back to when Rouge first showed up in Cloverton. They get jarred way off course and end up back in the ruins we saw in the opening scene. With their transport temporarily out of action, they go check out Doom Manor and promptly fall into a trap, which is mostly Cliff’s fault. They meet the mysterious figure from the opening, who tells them why the world is so screwed up, and then sends them off to chat with themselves in this time frame. To no surprise, it doesn’t go well for anyone. One of the team doesn’t have a future self at the manor, and prowls around, making a few interesting discoveries.

The most impactful meeting is Larry and his new version of the Negative Spirit, Keeg, dealing with their future selves. Future Larry isn’t really communicative, but Keeg and the him from the future apparently have an intense exchange which freaks the energy being out. To no great surprise, the team finds out at least some of what’s going on isn’t what it seems, and there’s treachery afoot. There’s a flashback to 45 minutes ago and we see the team being plotted against. Things aren’t looking good for anyone, but as I said before, the future is never a happy time for superheroes, even messed up, half-ass ones like this incarnation of the Doom Patrol. There’s an attack, a surprising decision, a last-minute escape, and a death right out of the time travel tropes section.

The team manages to get home, after Vic argues with them about some choices, and then gets an enigmatic message from the future. Larry and Keeg start having some problems, and it echoes some of what we saw in the future. I’m not sure if this is a paradox, a self-fulfilling prophecy, or just Larry’s usual run of bad luck and emotional ineptitude. Or some combination thereof. With more than enough going on to set up a few plots for the season, we move on to a series of wrap-up scenes.

Harrison goes back to Jane, her usual icy overconfidence in shreds. Jane admits to a few things, and then there’s a really odd development that, best I can tell, already changes at least some of the future they want to avoid. Jane finds herself in control again, and has something new to puzzle out. She’s not at all happy about it, and I don’t blame her. Rita, shaken by what she’s seen, does some packing, and gets interrupted by her least favorite person. She and Rouge argue, resolving nothing. Victor ponders his odd message, and Cliff makes a weird, but touching, resolution. All this leads to a final scene which brings back a character we haven’t seen in a while, the group they belong to, and a dire warning which namechecks another character from Doom Patrol canon. It’s a hell of a note to end on.

What I Liked: It was nice to see them working as a team, and even being almost effective for a change. As I said before, Diane Guerrero does an amazing job with switching characters so effortlessly. I’ve been a fan of Michelle Gomez since her Dr. Who days, and she continues to do a great job as Rouge.

What I Didn’t: I get where Rita is coming from, but if she really wants to be leader, she needs to get over her issues with Rouge, or go ahead and kick her off the team already. This isn’t going to work for anyone long term. The threat to the future just seems like another visit to a running joke that’s about played out. Sometimes this show is great, sometimes they seem to be trying to be weird just for the sake of being weird, and this seems to be one of those times.

It was a decent enough start to the season. I’ll give it a 3 out of 5. More weirdness awaits, I have no doubt.