Review: Doomsday Brothers “Daddy Issues”

 

Overview:

Trouble in paradise as Gabe and Rafe find themselves fighting one another. Being influenced by his shadow-side subconscious, Gabe, takes his anger out on his brother, including questioning if they have the same father. And to cap it off, Gabe runs away for an adventure with John Doe.

However, Gabe had no idea that John Doe was on his way to meet the powerful General Hex. Infiltrating the General’s base, Gabe finds himself seeking his approval. Going as far as to commit unspeakable acts and commit himself to Hex’s cause.

Meanwhile, Rafe is feeling vulnerable after fighting with his brother. Suzette manages to help him through the sorrow, in her own special way. Feeling better, Rafe attempts to make things up with Gabe. Unfortunately, it goes very bad for him.

Our Take:

Holy shit!

Doomsday Brothers has been a gem of a show thus far. The program has been breaking open doors and changing the game for adult animation in Canada. The roller coaster of a series has delivered multiple hit episodes and stories while exploring a relatively untouched genre in the medium.

But after watching this episode, it is clear that we have seen nothing yet.

The amount of exposition and momentum packed within this one episode is unlike anything that has come out of the series. As if the majority of the inaugural season was just the first act in a much larger story. A story that is unfolding so quickly in these final episodes that your head will spin.

Where to begin? The number of things to cover is nearly overwhelming.

This episode starts with the biggest falling out between the brothers yet. Sure, their relationship regularly holds on by a string, but this time, lines are crossed.  

There is something different about Gabe, who has a dark side whispering in his ear. Whether this is his own insecurities manifesting or something more nefarious is going on, is unclear. Regardless Gabe is taking some anger out in this episode. And his vulnerability is a dangerous thing when John Doe and General Hex are there to take advantage.

Speaking of… we finally get our first real introduction to General Hex. The man in that has been foreshadowed as our main villain since early in the season. Not only do we get to learn about the bad guy’s master plan, but we also learn about his motives. Every good villain need’s a quality motive, and Hex’s motive holds up. In fact, it is hard to choose sides at this point in the plot. Hex may just be the saviour of the apocalypse.

For the first time in the series, Judith and AENUS do not make an appearance. This just goes to show how jam-packed the main plot had going on for it. However, mentioning her within the episode sets up big things to come for the bunker side-story. And it is sure to play out in a big way over the next couple of episodes.

That is right. This plot is far from over. Concluding with a jaw-dropping cliffhanger guarantees things are only about to get bigger. It would not be surprising in the least if things didn’t wrap up in the next episode either. 

Most likely this will be a three-part piece, with a stinger of a cliffhanger in the season finale. Then it is going to raise the stakes of a second season drastically for fans. If fate is kind, Doomsday Brothers will be signed for that second season in the next week or two. For if this season ends without confirmation of continuation, we may have some stressed fans on our hands.

Everything previously mentioned fails to compare to the big bomb drop of the episode. We have finally learned the origins of the apocalypse and what caused everyone to mutate. And it is not disappointing in the least. It is an original concept that opens the doors for so much more.

This was it. Everything that we have been promised from the show’s creators and the series itself. It plays out right now.  Doomsday Brothers just became a completely different show, and we are here for it. Anyone that has been on the fence about watching, this episode is your permission slip to catch up, because it is better than you expect. And about to get even crazier.