Mild spoilers for anyone who hasn't yet checked out Doom Patrol's first few Season 2 episodes.
Doom Patrol Season 2 formally introduced Dorothy Spinner, Niles Caulder’s daughter. For the most part, Dorothy was shown to be sweet, kind, and just wanted to feel loved and protected by her father. However, beneath Dorothy’s warm demeanor lies something a bit more terrifying. The Season 2 premiere’s opening scene offered a sneak peek into what she was truly capable of and actress Abigail Shapiro has shared what it is that ultimately makes Dorothy so “dangerous.”
Dorothy is never really alone, despite having spent 90 years of her life in hiding. That’s because she is able to bring imaginary beings to life. That, in and of itself, doesn’t sound so threatening, but the fact is that Dorothy’s powers have the potential to do a lot more damage. Doom Patrol Season 2 has offered only a glimpse of what Dorothy’s abilities beyond conjuring imaginary creatures. But, how dangerous is she really? Speaking with CinemaBlend about her Season 2 arc, here's what Abigail Shapiro told me:
She's definitely very dangerous. She doesn't have very much control over her imaginary friends. And as you can tell from the first three episodes, not all of them are good, especially the Candlemaker.
The Candlemaker was introduced in the Season 2 premiere of Doom Patrol. For now, he’s basically the terrifying voice inside Dorothy’s head that's asking her to make wishes. Considering one wish led to utter death and destruction, it’s no wonder Dorothy’s incredibly scared of the Candlemaker.
Abigail Shapiro, whose effective turn as Dorothy marks her very first on-camera experience, went on to reveal exactly what made Candlemaker such a heightened threat. In her words:
The Candlemaker in particular has the potential to bring an end to the world, and because [Dorothy] doesn't have much control over that, it makes her a definite threat.
That’s pretty scary. But all Dorothy has to do is not make any wishes, right? That is much easier said than done, though, and Candlemaker is persistent and eerily convincing. So far, the only way Dorothy’s been able to avoid manifesting Candlemaker is to put a pillow over her head. Hopefully, Niles or one of the other Doom Patrol members can teach her how to control her powers without any pillows around, as to avoid Candlemaker bringing an untimely “end to the world.”
All that said, Doom Patrol has established that it’s only when Dorothy’s placed in terrifying situations that her powers prove wildly unpredictable. Abigail Shapiro concedes that Dorothy’s imaginary friends have one goal in mind.
Ultimately, her friends are there to protect her. So even though they may be evil, some of them, they're still doing their job: protecting Dorothy.
While Dorothy’s imaginary friends are busy trying to protect her, she’ll be impacting the rest of the Doom Patrol with her outlook on life, which is a lot brighter and optimistic than Candleman's, or even Cliff's. Here’s hoping that Dorothy’s place on the team is the start of her realizing that she’s got real friends, and not just imaginary ones.
Doom Patrol Season 2 is currently streaming on both HBO Max and DC Universe, with new episodes releasing on Fridays. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere schedule.
