'Doom Patrol' Season 3 Is Introducing New Villains, Heroes, and More Things in Between
Published Aug. 10 2021, 7:02 p.m. ET
When we last saw our favorite ragtag team of super-zeros, they were facing their greatest fears, and nothing looked promising for them. But now that Doom Patrol is officially heading back to HBO Max for Season 3, we have a little (very little) hope that they'll end up OK.
In the recently released trailer for Season 3, we got a glimpse at what's to come for the heroes, and all that we can really determine is that if you thought "Sex Patrol" was the wildest Doom Patrol could get, you're in for a shock. We're about to do some dimension-hopping, time-hopping, and after-life-hopping, as well as a whole lot of "piffle paffle." We're also going to be faced with a new crop of villains, including the sometimes villainous Madame Rouge, who is playing a major role this season.
Who is Madame Rouge in 'Doom Patrol'?
Madame Rouge has her origins in the DC Comics source material the series is based on. In fact, she has a complicated history with The Chief in particular. Similar to Rita Farr, Laura De Mille was originally an actress, in this case, a French stage actress.
But an accident led to her having a split good and evil personality, something that intrigued the Brotherhood of Evil's Monsieur Mallah, a French-speaking gorilla, and the Brain, a brain, who will also be making appearances this season. Mallah performed surgery on Laura that caused her evil personality to become dominant, creating Madame Rouge. She became the only female member of the Brotherhood of Evil, with her primary powers being disguise, mimicry, and elasticity.
Luckily, Niles recognized that there was some good coming back in Madame Rouge, and he helped overcome her evil side. The two also were romantically tied. But, unluckily, the evil side came back in full force, and she vowed vengeance on the Doom Patrol, as well as the Brotherhood of Evil for tampering with her. Going into Season 3, we know that Madame Rouge has a very important mission, but she can't remember what it is. The question seems to be, is this mission on the side of good or evil?
Madame Rouge is being played by Michelle Gomez in Doom Patrol. The 54-year-old has been involved in many supernatural stories before, with her most recent credit being Mary Wardwell in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. She also had a recurring role as Missy in Doctor Who. Doom Patrol isn't Michelle's first DC show adaptation. She previously played The Lady in Fox's Gotham.
Where does the Sisterhood of Dada come in?
In the Season 3 trailer, we see a handwritten note that says, "Laura De Mill" and "Sisterhood of Dada." The Sisterhood of Dada is a gender-swapped version of the Brotherhood of Dada, which Mr. Nobody forms after being rejected from the Brotherhood of Evil in the comics. Interestingly enough, the Sisterhood doesn't claim Madame Rouge among its members, but judging by the trailer, she'll tie into their story.
When is the release date for Season 3 of 'Doom Patrol'?
At this point, Season 3's trailer left us with far more questions than answers. Is the team really dead? If Mr. Nobody left the painting somehow, is he coming back in Season 3? And will he have ties to the Sisterhood of Dada, like he was tied to the Brotherhood of Dada in the comics? And what the heck is Madame Rouge's mission? And, perhaps the biggest question of all, will HBO Max allow a cybernetic brain and a super-intelligent gorilla to find love with each other, like in the comics?
These questions and more will (hopefully) be addressed when Season 3 premieres on HBO Max on Sept. 23.