Season Review: The Doomies Season One
Overview (Our Take):
In the sleepy coastal town of Ouimper, friends Bobby (Max Mittelman) and Romy (Madison Calderon) are desperate for something strange to happen. When they come across a magical rune, their town is suddenly overrun with monsters that they must fend off.
Our Take:
Disney has had a pretty good month regarding its new shows. Earlier, it released an epic sports fantasy series, “Dragon Striker”, that has been receiving solid word of mouth. Sadly, I haven’t been able to check that one out yet, but considering how good the animation looked, that could change sooner or later. Now, the high-and-mighty studio has released another original series for Disney+ that aims to become the next “Gravity Falls” or “Stranger Things” in terms of its concept. The series I’m referring to is “The Doomies”, an animated horror-comedy adventure depicting…you guessed it, kids battling monsters that are invading their town. Sounds similar to “Stranger Things”, does it? Well, you’re not wrong.
“Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85” did seem like a more friendly version of the hit Netflix series, given its animation style, but it retained the dark tone of its live-action counterpart. “The Doomies” certainly has the feel of a family-friendly answer to “Stranger Things”, with a presentation that resembles the familiar essence and style we’ve seen in other shows from Disney Television Animation. Though at some points, the art designs do remind me of those from “The Loud House”. But for those growing up with Disney shows, it can also be described as a spiritual successor to “Gravity Falls”, which seemed like a better comparison based on the first few episodes. Bobby and Romy play off as the oddball, fearful boy/tomboy duo seen in Dipper and Mabel from “Gravity Falls”, and the episodes highlight their “monster-of-the-week” narratives serving as a bridge for the characters’ battle against Mordem.
Does that make it a bad thing? Well, it’ll depend on one’s expectations of its overall plot. Personally, I thought “The Doomies” used that similarity well enough to deliver another entertaining entry to the horror genre for young viewers. Its narrative doesn’t quite reach the heights of “Gravity Falls” in terms of themes and emotional depth. However, it more than makes up for it with its comedy, which occasionally pokes fun at its own tropes and even at Easter eggs from popular horror films like “Evil Dead” and “Night of the Living Dead”. It’s one of the shows that never take themselves seriously, and while some of its jokes didn’t land in their execution, it still evokes amusement and light-hearted frights, as seen in other kid-friendly horror options.
However, I will also say that its season structure was a bit of a stretch. Rather than the usual 12-episode structure, the first season of “The Doomies” consists of 22 episodes. The first eleven episodes involve Bobby and Romy joining forces with lighthouse keeper Doug (Jon Bailey) and fearless warrior Kim (Noel Gibson) to save Ouimper from Mordem. In contrast, the remaining ones feature the tweens dealing with a dangerous conspiracy surrounding their town. In a way, it’s basically two seasons in one package, which may seem better than waiting between seasonal releases. But for the story it’s telling and the “monster-of-the-week” blueprints, it does wear out its welcome a bit.
As someone who watched and liked “Gravity Falls”, I was initially curious about how “The Doomies” would live up to the well-received series, since they seem to have a similar premise. While it doesn’t match what “Gravity Falls” offered in terms of narrative tropes, it’s a suitable substitute that blends kid-friendly horror with amusing “monster-of-the-week” antics. Its episode count for an entire first season was a bit much to handle, given its repetition and overall plot, which will hopefully be fixed if a second season is announced. Fortunately, it was compensated for by the charismatic chemistry between Max Mittelman and Madison Calderon, fun humor, and a solid presentation from Xilam Animation. When compared to other shows involving kids or tweens battling supernatural threats, “The Doomies” is what you would expect without delivering much else to make it stand out. But in terms of its satisfaction, I didn’t mind hanging out with this new group of monster hunters.
