Nostalgia Patrol

"**Nostalgia Patrol**" is the third episode of the fourth season of *Doom Patrol*. It premiered on HBO Max on December 15, 2022.

## Synopsis

Larry and Jane seek new purpose in Keeg and Kay’s absence. Vic attempts to reconnect with his old crew. A mysterious invitation to a retrospective comes at the perfect time for a newly ousted Rita.

## Plot

At the Doom Manor, Rita was watching soap operas, expressing her frustration at not being the leader of the Doom Patrol, choosing Laura instead, complaining about the actors' performances, before hearing the doorbell ring. Rita was forced to open the door, noticing that there was an invitation to a film retrospective on her films, deciding to go to be recognized. Jane kept thinking about her new purpose as she angrily tried to figure out the puzzle until out of nowhere, Shelley, appeared like a fog, caressing Jane romantically, something she liked. Vic made his way to Pizzatron-3000, where he met up with Deric Hayes, Marcus, and Calvin, who resented him somewhat. With his old friends, Vic talked about his synthetic skin and how he stopped being Cyborg. Deric showed Vic, the Mister Invincible, an robot created with his group the Detroiticons, making Vic feel nostalgic, sharing a friendly greeting with his best friends. Larry was making pancakes, before continuing to fight Keeg for running away from him, refusing to play along.

Laura approached Larry to discuss the problem with his son, reminding her friend that his future self was separate from the adult Keeg, asking him to find a new purpose, surprising Larry with his leadership advice, advising Laura to make amends with Rita. Alone, Rita went to the Cloverton Art House to see her filmography, eating popcorn, noticing that no one was there and her first film that brought her fame, *Secret Rendezvous*, played, moving Rita, but she did not realize that a mysterious green fog, which caused him to fall asleep. During the old friends talk, Marcus apologized to Vic for talking about his mother, though Vic commented that he was fine, thanking them for being Elinore's grave bearers during her funeral and Deric stating that Elinore was the best. Vic told his friends that he was reunited with his mother in the afterlife when he and the Doom Patrol were revived by the Dead Boy Detectives, an adventure that shocked Deric and Marcus, except for Calvin, who complained about Vic for not ask about Deric's life. Deric told how he ran a robotics club with the help of Marcus and Calvin, which Vic offered to help, even though Deric only required Marcus and Calvin, making Vic feel bad. After listening to a game of laser tag against "Your Worst Nightmare", Vic convinced his old friends to relive the old days by playing it, so they all agreed to play.

Out of nowhere, Rita woke up in *Secret Rendezvous* as the character, Polly, being forced by her mother to marry millionaire Alistair Kincaid, which shocked Rita as she remembered every line from the film, refusing to give in to understand the situation, however, she got carried away to relive her old days as an actress while a purple liquid was placed on Rita's necklace. Cliff taped his glove up and talked to Jane about how he felt some kind of orgasm like the time Flex made them feel that way at Danny and Cliff refused to talk about sexual things, before being interrupted by Larry to relax, although they heard the call of meetings for a next mission. Laura met the trio for a "TRUST" session with the intention of supporting Rita in her film retrospective, which they didn't believe because they were hated, but despite everything, Jane and Cliff decided to go with Laura, and Larry also accepted for his best friend. Larry, Laura, Jane and Cliff arrived right in *Secret Rendezvous*, which Larry had seen several times, and arrived at the part where Rita meets Oliver Truman, becoming frustrated that Oliver was not following through on his love like in the original film, being warned by Oliver who begged him to continue with his performance, mysteriously disappearing, confusing Larry for the changed dialogues.

Laura suggested that Rita is truly in the film, shocking the team, watching their friend faint, before seeing the green fog reappear, knocking out Larry, Jane, and Cliff, except for Laura, who managed to escape in her bird form. In another film, Rita discovered that it was the terrifying one: *The Haunting of White Manor*; scaring Rita into having nightmares and the purple liquid kept spreading on the necklace. Stucked in *Secret Rendezvous*, Larry went to the roundabout, where he met another trapped person, "Oliver Truman", who posed as Oliver Truman and called himself "a man in many elements" and Larry talked to him about how he lacked sexuality for his bandages. "Oliver" explained that they were captured by Doctor Janus, who planned to make Rita express emotions with the necklace, offering to guide Larry and accepted the help of his new friend. Laura quickly investigated the ivnitation, discovering that it said "Dr. Janus Productions", a name that seemed familiar to her, deciphering that Janus was an former operative from the Ant Farm, trying to look for weaknesses to save her friends, but found nothing without success, cursing Niles.

Caught up in the horror film, Cliff and Jane talk about Rita's films, before freaking out to see a scary boy named Sebastian, locking himself in a closet to figure out what to do, remembering his victory over the Testicle Monster and Jane refusing to. confront the child for being scary. During the laser tag game, the former Detroiticons played against their rivals just like old times. Vic met Deric to protect him, receiving a hint for not being there for them, starting an argument between his former friends, in which Deric complained about not looking for them after his recovery while they searched for him for months, denying that Vic could repair the past, causing their friendship to break and they lose the game. In the closet, Jane told Cliff how she had an orgasm when she met Shelley, who gave her a nice present, surprising Cliff because Jane felt a great emotion of love, asking him to love Shelley regardless of Kay, although Jane mentioned that she couldn't let Kay down by simply loving, before being interrupted by Larry and "Oliver", who recruited them to save Rita. Sebastian terrifyingly confronts Rita, who remembered her actor's name, acknowledging that she was trapped in her old films, listening to the boy's warning to follow Janus's orders or his friends would pay the consequences, confusing Rita, who disappeared for the green fog.

Back at the manor, Laura got drunk from letting her friends "die", toasting the victory against the Were-Butts, lamenting for making Cliff feel the violence, lamenting for making Rita get screwed twice over Malcolm DuPont's death, and becoming frustrated for his sorrows, deciding to give the lead position to Rita when he returns, before going for more drinks while Keeg discovered that the team was in the clutches of Janus. Sent to a galactic film, Rita woke up in different clothes, realizing that Larry, Jane, and Cliff all had suits, except for "Oliver", and the film was mistaken for *Star Trek*, but Larry reported that it was *Spartacus 452*. Rita tried to warn the Doom Patrol that it was a trap, even though the team already knew and Larry warned Rita that Janus was out to steal her emotional juices, asking "Oliver" his real name, which was Mister 104. by the elements of the periodic table, which the team did not understand. Shocked, Rita expressed that she would get no emotions for *Spartacus452* by agreeing just for money, however, 104 betrayed the team, sending Larry, Jane, and Cliff into a castle cell to threaten Rita, revealing that he was in league with Janus, introducing her before the team, and 104snapped his fingers to light a fire in the castle pool. About to be burned alive, Jane tried to use Flit or Hammerhead to escape without success and Cliff tried to use his super strength to destroy the cell, but they realized that the cell was blocking their powers.

Janus revealed to Rita that she had something that belongs to someone very special, which confused Rita into believing it was her emotions, deducing that Janus would win when she tried to save her friends. Regardless of the result, Rita headed to the bridge, giving a speech because she was always a fraud until she met her friends, accepting that even though they believe they don't deserve anything, the team could achieve good things, thanking them for being her family, releasing his last emotion. With the necklace complete, Janus acquired it, stating that "Immortus Will Rise", leaving Rita on the brink of falling onto the bridge, but 104 decided to save Rita from dying, before watching as Keeg appeared to save them, shocking Larry at his son's heroic act, and Keeg entered 104 as the team returned to the real world, finding Rita passed out. Leaving the pizzeria, Vic said goodbye to his friends, receiving Mister Invincible from Deric to take care of him for the next 10 years and before his friend left, Vic claimed to be proud before returning to the manor. The Doom Patrol returned with Rita passed out, worriedly meeting with Laura and Vic to find out what was wrong with their friend.

## Cast

### Starring

* Diane Guerrero as Crazy Jane
* April Bowlby as Rita Farr
* Joivan Wade as Vic Stone
* Riley Shanahan as Cliff Steele/Robotman (physical) and Alistair Kincaid
* Matthew Zuk as Larry Trainor/Negative Man (physical)
* Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor/Negative Man (voice)
* Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele/Robotman (voice)

### Special appearance by

* Michelle Gomez as Laura De Mille/Madame Rouge

### Guest starring

* Sendhil Ramamurthy as Rama/Mister 104
* Elijah Rashad Reed as Deric Hayes

### Co-starring

* Daniel Annone as The Artist
* Caleb Baumann as Tween blerd spence
* Chyna Blasingame as Tween blerd giana
* Ketrick "Jazz" Copeland as Announcer
* Zuri James as Calvin
* Moses Jones as Marcus
* Marc LeVasseur as Oliver Truman
* Andi Matheny as Mother glow
* Timeca Seretti as Doctor Janus
* Gavyn Tyler as Creepy Kid Sebastian

## Trivia

* Four stock music productions are heard in the scene where Robotman and Crazy Jane hide in the closet in Rita's scary movie.
	+ "Terror by Night" composed by Hubert Clifford.
	+ "Stealth by Night" composed by Jack Coles.
	+ "Gravyard" composed by Johnny Pearson.
	+ "Drama Link (D)" composed by Hubert Clifford.