Frances Patrol

"Frances Patrol" is the eleventh episode of the first season of Doom Patrol. It premiered on April 26, 2019.

Synopsis
While Larry pays a visit to his lost love, John – both in real life and in the Dreamscape – Cliff travels with Rita down to Gator Country to reconnect with his daughter, Clara, after 30 years. Meanwhile, Jane and Vic pursue the “Hero of the Beach” aka Flex Mentallo. But Vic's worried that his operating system might have its own agenda.

Plot
At the Big Sue Motor Lodge, Larry wakes up in a room. John knocks on the door pretending to be a MP, and then comes in. They kiss and John asks why Larry came there. Larry just kisses him again and then they have make love. Afterward, Larry and John eat takeout and share a toast to each other. John says that they've never been there before so it's not a memory like the truck. He figures that he's dead, and Larry assures him that he isn't. Larry explains that he used to drive by the motel and some day he would go there with John someday. John asks if he's happy now, and Larry says that it is now. He tells John that he loves him, and as John responds Larry wakes up as the Negative Spirit reenters his body in the lab. Jane walks off and Rita asks Larry if he's better. He waves her off and after the others leave, Larry asks the Spirit to take him back.

The next day, Cliff listens to a TV news report about Bump being killed by a giant alligator in Florida. The anchor says that he's survived by his daughter Clara.

Rita checks on Jane in the study, and says that it's essential to raise the mind. She asks for an apology from Karen for being mentally abused. Jane admits that Karen is crazy, and refuses to apologize because she's not Karen. She says that she's trying to stay out of her head and find Niles, and yells that she called a team meeting. Cliff comes in and admits that he doesn't know where Vic and Larry are.

In the lab, Vic accesses Grid on the operating system that he moved him to. He notes that ever since his arm regenerated, he's felt good, and Grid says that the healing continues. Vic wonders why his arm cannon acted up during his battle with Beard Hunter, and Grid tells him that he's now 63% Cyborg and stronger. It says that what is happening inside of him is extraordinary, and Vic unplugs himself from the computer.

Rita says that the experience was unpleasant, and Karen complains that they're incompetent. She notes that the comic from Danny says that they should be looking for Flex Mentallo, the Hero of the Beach, and complains that Beard Hunter could have helped them find Niles but they lost him. Cliff says that Bump is dead and he needs to see Clara because she's his daughter. Rita agrees and Cliff asks Flit to take him to Florida, and Jane insists that she's not a shuttle.

Flit appears and teleports Cliff and Rita, and then teleports away. Cliff explains that Clara is inside and thinks that he's dead, and needs a hero. Rita tells him that it's just nerves and walks him through breathing exercises to focus. Since Cliff is in a robot body, it doesn't work very well.

Cliff and Rita go into the bar and Rita tells two individuals that they were friends of Bump. She claims that Cliff is wearing a Halloween costume, and they admire the body's workmanship. Rita leads Cliff away to the bar, and a man who goes by the name Big D, offers to get Rita a drink and flirts with her. Rita gives Big D a fake name and agrees to have a basket of chicken with him.

Vic cuts into his skin and finds metal underneath. Jane knocks at the door and tells him that Flex has a wife named Dolores and she's still alive. She says that they're meeting her in an hour, and Vic says that Jane can go on her own. Jane figures that with Flex MIA, Dolores is all they got and she needs Vic's help. Vic tells her to give him a minute.

Big D tells Cliff and Rita that he and Bump were neighbors. He says that Frances was the alligator that ate Bump. Cliff is less than thrilled to hear Bump described in glowing terms, but then says that Bump was awesome when Big D notices. Big D says that Bump did something stupid by going after Frances. Clara is serving food and Cliff sees her.

In his room, Larry asks the Spirit to take him back to the motel dream. He wonders why it took him there and didn't let the dream play out, and says that he needs to see John. The Spirit leaves Larry, who finds himself in a bar back in his human form. A man tries to flirt with him, but Larry says that he's looking for someone. He finds John at a booth taking to three men, and John gets up, hugs Larry, and introduces him to the others. Larry wants to leave, but John tells him to relax and have a drink and Larry agrees.

Larry goes to the jukebox and tells the Spirit to change it back to the motel room because it's not what he wants but nothing happens.

Rita finishes off her chicken on her own, and Cliff braces himself and goes over to Clara. Before he can reach her, the waitress Sharaine tells everyone to shut up so Clara can say something. Clara hesitantly gets up and Cliff takes her hand to help her up on the stage. She asks if Cliff is a friend of Bump's, and thanks him for coming. Clara then thanks everyone else, saying that Bump took her in after her father died. She explains that Bump adopted her when she turned 18, and Bump took care of her and asked nothing of her. Clara had a gold watch from Cliff inscribed saying that Bump was her hero, and he didn't want to waste any time. Bump went out to catch Frances and got eaten, and Carla says that no sense why he did it but also no sense why he'd take her in. Carla offers a toast to Bump and everyone joins in.

Cliff goes out with Rita and says that he didn't talk to Clara and she said that Bump was her hero. He wonders how he can compete with that, and figures that he has to capture Frances to prove himself.

Larry stands at the bar and drinks, and John comes over and invites him to dance. As Larry reluctantly does so, John tells Larry to enjoy what they have and they're safe there. He says that they can go anywhere and do anything, but they can't because even in the dream Larry is worried about what other people think. John asks Larry to be with him no matter what, and tells Larry to let go because the world has changed but he's stayed the same. He wonders what kind of life Larry has and says that he doesn't want to spend his last day that way. Larry asks what he means, and John tells him to take a chance if he wants one.

Waking up from the dream, Larry asks the Spirit what is happening and wonders what chance he's supposed to take. The Spirit doesn't answer, and Larry realizes that it's drawn the word "Erie" on the door.

Cliff and Rita go out in the swamp and Rita says that Frances is deadly. She says that the name she gave Big D was her real name and that's who she wants to be. Cliff wants to be himself again and wants the watch back. He explains that he won the watch years ago and he'll wrestle Frances to prove he's a hero. Cliff walks off into the swamp water and Rita spots a nearby boat, gets in, and rows after him.

Larry takes a taxi to a home in Erie and rings the doorbell. A nurse, Evette, answers the door and realizes who Larry is. She's surprised that he's there and invites him in, then leads him to the now aged John's room. Evette explains that John has been drifting in and out, and keeps saying Larry's name. There are mementoes of John's life on the dresser, including a photo of Larry.

John wakes up and is surprised that Larry came, and offers his hand. Larry takes it and John talks about how he saw Larry when he got closer. He talks about their time at the motel, and Larry says that he'd go back there whenever he can. John doesn't care how Larry is there as long as he's there, and asks Larry to help him to the porch. Larry is glad to pick him up and carry him.

On the porch, John apologizes for what he said at the bar. Larry tells him that he came there because of what John said, and John admits that everyone he knows died. He says that he's glad Larry came.

Vic and Jane drive to where Dolores said to meet. Jane asks what the matter is, and Vic says that Grid is acting up and he turned the AI off. Jane wonders how Vic can move with the AI shut down, and Vic says that he did what he had to. Jane tells him that she feels like there's someone in her that wants to control her, and wonders why Vic doesn't call Silas. She figures that Nobody is screwing with Vic's mind, but Vic figures that the machine is taking over and he can't stop it. Vic wonders why Jane wants to rescue Niles, and she wants to hear why Niles would have locked her up at the same home where the original Doom Patrol was.

A man outside fights with a woman, and Jane goes out and tells him to leave the woman alone. As she goes after the couple, Dolores approaches Vic and tells him to look at her elbow. When she does, an object on it glows.

The man, Agent Dirk Ellis, tells Jane to look at his elbow. He punches her and Jane sees a pin on his lapel. She kicks him back and he jumps into a van and tells the driver, the woman he was supposedly arguing with to get away. Jane then discovers that Vic is gone.

Cliff and Rita continue into the swamp, Cliff calling for Frances to come out. Rita says that it's getting dark and they have to go back, and Cliff insists that he has to find the watch. He complains that anything he could say to Clara would be stupid, and yells at Frances to come out so he can get the watch. Cliff finally goes silent and immobile, and Rita wonders if he's okay. She rows over to him and figures that he fried his brain, and wonders how she's going to get him out of the swamp. Summoning her determination, Rita yells at Cliff. He says that he's there and that they should go home, and Rita agrees. Cliff tells her to go ahead, and once Rita rows off, Cliff does the breathing exercises. Frances emerges from the water and attacks him.

Elsewhere, John asks Larry how he's still so young, and Larry explains that the radiation did it. He explains that his wife died of cancer and he stayed away from his children because it wouldn't do them any good. Larry admits that he hasn't lived much since the accident, and John was his last real thing. John admits that it wasn't easy going away, but he got over Larry eventually and moved on. He tells Larry to move on as well, and they hold hands. Larry says that he meant what he said at the motel and says it again, and tells John about the relationship that he does have with the Spirit. He figures that he finally knows what the Spirit wants, and looks back to discover that John is dead. Larry pulls the blanket up and tells John to sleep well. He has a vision of being with John one last time in his youth, thanks the Spirit, and leaves.

Cliff returns to the bar and Clara says that she'll be with him in a bit. She goes to the kitchen and when she comes out, discovers that Cliff is gone. He left the gold watch on a table and Clara finds it.

Vic, meanwhile wakes up in a chamber, shackled to a chair and Darren Jones is in the next room and welcomes Vic to the Ant Farm.

Starring

 * Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane,Flit and Hammerhead(inhabiting Kay Challis' body)
 * April Bowlby as Rita Farr
 * Joivan Wade as Vic Stone/Cyborg
 * Alan Tudyk as Eric Morden/Mr. Nobody (credit only)
 * Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor
 * Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele/Robotman

Special appearance by

 * Timothy Dalton as Dr. Niles Caulder/The Chief (credit only)

Also starring

 * Riley Shanahan as Cliff Steele/Robotman
 * Matthew Zuk as Larry Trainor

Guest starring

 * Tom Fitzpatrick as Elder John Bowers
 * Gary Basaraba as Big D
 * Kyle Clements as John Bowers
 * Bethany Anne Lind as Clara Steele

Co-starring

 * Cj Sykes as Flirty Man
 * Chris Mayers as Guy #1
 * David Abed as Guy #2
 * Eddy Rioseco as Guy #3
 * Jon Briddell as Darren Jones
 * Katina Rankin as Anchorwoman
 * Marc Farley as Salty #1
 * J. Thomas Bailey as Salty #2
 * Suzette Stuebben as Sharaine
 * TJ Jackson as Bartender
 * Alison Mills Newman as Evette
 * Mac Wells as Agent Dirk Ellis
 * Chelsea Bruland as Small Woman
 * Susan Williams as Dolores

Trivia

 * This week Jane took charge of the search for the Chief and decided that Flex Mentallo could be the break they need to crack the mystery wide open. In order to find Flex, Jane arranges a meeting with his former girlfriend Dolores. If Jane had read the comics, she might have known that Dolores meant trouble. Readers first met Dolores Watson in 1990’s Doom Patrol #39 (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case), when she was searching for her former boyfriend Flex. Dolores was eventually intercepted by the Bureau of Normalcy, who brainwashed her into becoming their sleeper agent. Dolores reunited with Flex in Doom Patrol #43 (written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Richard Case and Steve Yeowell), and as the Bureau arrives she apologizes to her former lover before aging rapidly to dust. In most of Dolores’s appearances she’s depicted wearing green clothing...because she and Flex were both created by a child’s magical green crayon.
 * In this week’s episode, Flex is referred to as “hero of the beach," a title that has some special significance. Some of you may have noticed that comic book characters will occasionally appear with logos floating over their heads to introduce the characters to the readers. With Flex, his “floating logo” (known as his “hero halo”) is part of the story and the other characters can see it. During a flashback in 1991’s Doom Patrol #42 (written by Grant Morrison, penciled by Richard Case and Mark Dringenberg), Flex discovered that whenever he used his muscle powers, the words “Hero of the Beach” would appear above him as a halo! Flex had lost that ability in the following years, but was able to regain it while in the Bureau’s captivity during Doom Patrol #44 (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case).
 * The Bureau of Normalcy struck this week, sending two of their agents to abduct Victor and Jane. Dolores was able to subdue Vic with a device on her elbow. This is a reference to a similar abduction method the Bureau employed in the comics. In 1990’s Doom Patrol #36 (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Kelley Jones), the Bureau tried to get Jane to look at their elbows, but instead of a scientific device their sleeves had a metaphysical tear. Anyone who gazed at this tear would be magically transported to the Tearoom of Despair, an interdimensional prison. Jane embraced the challenge and wound up too strong-willed for the Tearoom. Whether in comics or live-action, the Bureau has never been able to stop Jane with the “look at my elbow” trick.
 * For weeks, Larry has been having strange dreams involving his former lover John Bowers. In this episode we learned that these were more than dreams. Assisted by the Negative Spirit, Larry was communicating with the real John this whole time. The elderly John accepted the experience and said he was too old to be asking questions, but it’s understandable if some viewers are confused. But this telepathic ability has manifested in the comics a few times over the years.
 * In 1989’s Doom Patrol #19 (written by Grant Morrison and penciled by Richard Case) the Negative Spirit evolved and fused itself to Larry Trainor and Eleanor Poole to become the being known as Rebis. This was the first time the Negative Spirit was given the ability to connect two people’s minds and it wouldn’t be the last. As Rebis, the Negative Spirit also used this ability on Cliff and Jane in Doom Patrol #30 (adapted into the “Jane Patrol” episode) and again in 2017’s Doom Patrol #6 (written by Gerard Way, penciled by Brandon Bird and Nick Derington).
 * The ongoing subplot of Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man continued this week, as a news report gave an update on the odd villain’s trial. Apparently, authorities are unable to get Larson to testify against his dinosaur head! It’s a shame because the dinosaur head would probably rat him out in an instant!