Doom Patrol showrunner opens up about how the pandemic led to that cliffhanger S2 finale

If you thought Season 2 of Doom Patrol ended a bit abruptly, you were not alone. The acclaimed DC Universe series left its heroes in a strange predicament at the end of its first season, but the second season conclusion left us with an even steeper cliffhanger. This time, though, it wasn't by design. According to showrunner Jeremy Carver, we have production shutdowns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic to thank for where we left things with the world's strangest superheroes.

**Spoiler warning: There are spoilers for the Doom Patrol Season 2 finale ahead!**

The Season 2 finale, "Wax Patrol," seemed to be setting the stage for both an epic final battle and a major reveal. While Jane struggled with her own mysteries in the Underground, including an effort to uncover who "Miranda" really was and what exactly happened to create the Miranda issues all those years ago, the rest of the team headed off to help Dorothy in her fight with The Candlemaker. With the stage set for a showdown, the team began a battle with their own childhood imaginary friends and then ... well, they lost. When we left them at the end of Season 2, Larry, Rita, and Cliff were encased in wax prisons by The Candlemaker, leaving Dorothy to battle him alone.

If it seemed like a tricky place to leave things, that's because it was. In an interview with TV Line, Carver explained that there actually were plans for a 10th episode in Season 2, but as a shutdown loomed over the cast and crew, he and his team were forced to adapt "Wax Patrol" to become the substitute season finale. 

"We knew we were facing a potential shutdown [while working on Episode 9], so we were able to do a bit of a pivot and make sure that Episode 9 would be just as satisfying of a conclusion to the season as if we had moved on to Episode 10," Carver explained. "There were probably a few more loose ends than there would have been if we’d gone all the way through Episode 10, but we were very happy with how we were able to structure it to give us a satisfying end to the season."

While the showdown with The Candlemaker is a clear cliffhanger setting certain characters on a path that would kick off a potential third season, the situation with Jane/Miranda is a little trickier. She is, as always, in conflict with herself, trying to get to the bottom of what exactly happened to Miranda, and who the personality claiming to be Miranda actually is. According to Carver, addressing that is a high priority should the series get a chance to return.

I’ll say that you’ll get a better understanding of who that identity is as we move into a new season, should we be lucky enough to get a new season," he said. 

So, now the big question is whether Doom Patrol will indeed be back for Season 3 somewhere down the line. While Carver noted that he was pleased at what the show's creative team was able to do in terms of finessing "Wax Patrol" into a season finale, there are of course more storylines to follow, and he'd like to keep following them.

"No one likes to have unanswered questions. I think there’s enough there that people can go away with some satisfaction. There’s a little more we want to say about this, and should we get the opportunity, we’ll be saying it," he said. "I could play coy and say that what you see is what you get, but I’ll be honest with you and the fans. There’s a little more there to deal with, and we’d really love the opportunity to do it."

The entire second season of Doom Patrol is now streaming on DC Universe and HBO Max.