10 DC Storylines That Absolutely Shouldn’t Have Worked On TV (But Completely Did)
Comic books are part of a medium that lends itself to strange and creative storytelling, something that is especially true of the DC Universe. With a huge cast of colorful heroes and villains, DC is home to some of the weirdest, wackiest, and most wild storylines in all of comics. As a result, translating those kinds of plots and characters to the screen can yield varying outcomes. Moreover, allowing the DC world to be as comedic, dark, and/or disturbing on television as it can get in the comics is a tall order.
Regardless, some DC projects have met this challenge with truly memorable variations on the world, characters, and lore of the franchise. While not all of them are accurate to the comics, shows like Smallville, Gotham, Doom Patrol, and The Flash all managed to pull off their own twists on the DCU, including story beats that may sound ill-thought-out on paper, due to being too dark, too silly, or too high concept. Here are 10 storylines from DC television that somehow worked:
10 Doom Patrol's Season 4 Ending Was Bizarre & Beautiful The Final Moments Of Doom Patrol Are Strangely Cathartic Doom Patrol is easily one of the most outlandish shows in DC"s repertoire, which tracks because the team is similarly outlandish. Starting in 2019, the series aired for four seasons, first on DC Universe then on Max, and it starred Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, Jovian Wade, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Timothy Dalton, and Timothy Dalton, among others. This group of outcasts are sort of a subversion of what one might expect from a superhero team, as all of them are imperfect people who have suffered traumatizing accidents that made them metahumans.
The Doom Patrol is formed by Dr. Niles Caulder (Dalton), who treated them post-accident and offered them a place in his home. Long story short, all the members had been experimented on and given "longevity" as part of Caulder"s Immortus Project, but they lost their lengthened lifespans in the final season. Though some characters regain their longevity through eating Immortus" toenails (yes, really), not all of them are so lucky. The series gives each character an emotional send-off, with the team disbanding after the death of Rita Farr (Bowlby).
The most impactful yet strange part of the ending sees Robotman/Cliff Steele (Fraser) seeing into the future of his grandson, Rory, and watching him make the same life mistakes he made - namely abandoning his family - before breaking the cycle of abandonment both Cliff and his father had participated in. After that montage, Robotman says "I made it home" and powers down, losing his battle with Parkinson"s. While the moment is undoubtedly weird, it is also incredibly heartfelt and caps off Cliff"s arc in a satisfying way.
Regardless, some DC projects have met this challenge with truly memorable variations on the world, characters, and lore of the franchise. While not all of them are accurate to the comics, shows like Smallville, Gotham, Doom Patrol, and The Flash all managed to pull off their own twists on the DCU, including story beats that may sound ill-thought-out on paper, due to being too dark, too silly, or too high concept. Here are 10 storylines from DC television that somehow worked:
10 Doom Patrol's Season 4 Ending Was Bizarre & Beautiful The Final Moments Of Doom Patrol Are Strangely Cathartic Doom Patrol is easily one of the most outlandish shows in DC"s repertoire, which tracks because the team is similarly outlandish. Starting in 2019, the series aired for four seasons, first on DC Universe then on Max, and it starred Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, Jovian Wade, April Bowlby, Diane Guerrero, Timothy Dalton, and Timothy Dalton, among others. This group of outcasts are sort of a subversion of what one might expect from a superhero team, as all of them are imperfect people who have suffered traumatizing accidents that made them metahumans.
The Doom Patrol is formed by Dr. Niles Caulder (Dalton), who treated them post-accident and offered them a place in his home. Long story short, all the members had been experimented on and given "longevity" as part of Caulder"s Immortus Project, but they lost their lengthened lifespans in the final season. Though some characters regain their longevity through eating Immortus" toenails (yes, really), not all of them are so lucky. The series gives each character an emotional send-off, with the team disbanding after the death of Rita Farr (Bowlby).
The most impactful yet strange part of the ending sees Robotman/Cliff Steele (Fraser) seeing into the future of his grandson, Rory, and watching him make the same life mistakes he made - namely abandoning his family - before breaking the cycle of abandonment both Cliff and his father had participated in. After that montage, Robotman says "I made it home" and powers down, losing his battle with Parkinson"s. While the moment is undoubtedly weird, it is also incredibly heartfelt and caps off Cliff"s arc in a satisfying way.
