HBO Max’s Forgotten 4-Part Fantasy Series Is So Good, You Can Rewatch It Multiple Times

3 weeks ago 11

Published May 30, 2026, 2:27 PM EDT

Kendall Myers is a Senior Author with Collider. As part of the TV and Movies Features team, she writes about some of the most popular releases before, during, and after they premiere. In three years, she has written over 900 articles with topics ranging from classic sitcoms to fantasy epics.

While all eyes are fixed on the developing DCU, it's easy to forget other adaptations of the comics, especially ones that never received the attention they deserve. Over the last decade, there has been every kind of superhero story on screen, but none is quite like Doom Patrol. Leaning into the genre's least realistic aspects, the series thrives on its unique fantasy elements, from magical abilities to a sentient street, which sets it even further apart from the rest of the pack.

While the 2019 show plays fast and loose with logic, it tells a compelling story about its central group and their non-traditional path to heroism, providing a surprisingly heartfelt backdrop to the utter chaos of its premise. Doom Patrol released four seasons, each wilder than the last, but the exciting adventures, emotional depth, and unapologetic humor remain constant throughout. With many layers and unpredictable storylines, the HBO Max series is the perfect choice to watch over and over again.

What Is 'Doom Patrol' About?

Doom Patrol features all sorts of supernatural stakes and unexplained oddities, but the series centers on its characters and their respective trauma. Through the newest arrival in the group, Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), the series introduces a group of individuals who received powers through tragic experiences.

Cliff is really just a brain, freshly out of a 30-year coma and placed in a robotic body following a devastating car accident. His new companions consist of Rita Farr (April Bowlby), a forgotten Hollywood actress who can barely control her shapeshifting abilities, Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), a former Air Force pilot with radioactive negative energy trapped inside him, Jane (Diane Guerrero), a metahuman with an identity disorder who has as many powers as personalities, and Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton), the ambitious doctor who treats them all. However, when the mysterious interdimensional villain, Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk), captures Caulder, these four, along with Vic Stone (Joivan Wade), a cybernetic hero, are forced to come to terms with their past to rescue him.

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Amidst time-traveling villains and nefarious ancient entities, personal stakes grow into world-ending threats over the course of the series. While the story's escalation may seem like a large jump, nothing is too outlandish for a show where a man can track people by tasting a strand of their hair and a donkey serves as an interdimensional door. In fact, these wild twists make Doom Patrol the watchable series that it is. The unpredictability is the hook, and, although it forces the audience to suspend their disbelief, Doom Patrol's unique brand of humor is what makes the show so exciting.

'Doom Patrol' Is a Hilarious and Emotional Binge-Watch

Though most often remembered for its comedy, Doom Patrol is actually a deeply emotional series. Once the main group is thrown together, they slowly develop a found family dynamic. Since none of them really fit into society, they only have each other to lean on. Ultimately, this creates both tension and tender moments that add a layer of relatability to the tragic heroes. The dynamic they share gives Doom Patrol its human moments, which serve as a contrast to the series' more shocking scenes.

Doom Patrol also provides deeply personal development for its central characters. Each member of the team must deal with their trauma as they learn to control their powers, allowing fans to invest in their stories. Cliff works to make things right with his estranged daughter, Larry slowly accepts his sexuality, and Jane digs into her forgotten memories to understand what made her the way she is. These arcs add an entirely separate layer to the series, making the characters more compelling and allowing the audience to become more invested. There's no show quite like Doom Patrol, one that will make you laugh and cry and question what you just saw in equal measure, and that range makes it the perfect superhero series to rewatch again and again.