- The Doom Patrol must confront their childhood imaginary friends before they face The Candlemaker. Meanwhile Dorothy must make a fateful choice.
- The Candlemaker emerges into the real world, and the Doom Patrol and Willoughby must face their imaginary friends that their enemy has created. In the past, how Miranda became Jane is revealed when Miranda tries to move the Girl forward with her life.—Gislef
- Harry the stuffed animal drifts in the water at the bottom of the well, and slowly sinks. Jane floats in the water as well, and remembers her past...
Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 1969
In the past, Jane works in a diner as a waitress. A man, Johnny Bills, is outside on the street playing his guitar and singing for money. Jane goes out on her bench and sits on a nearby bench. Once he finishes, Johnny tells Jane that the song was for her and he knew she'd be out on her bench. She offers him half of her sandwich, and Johnny accepts and asks her where she's from. Jane just says that she's from many places, and gives her name as Miranda. Johnny offers to show her some spots and maybe dance a little, and Miranda accepts his offer for the next Saturday.
Johnny gives Miranda a necklace with a crystal on it, and says that he bought it with the nickels she gave him when he busked. Miranda puts it on and asks if his necklace-giving works on other girls. Johnny asks if it's working on her, and then backs away when he reaches for her. He apologizes and says that he meant no disrespect, and suggests they start over again. Johnny invites her dancing, and Miranda tells him when she gets off and goes back in the diner, looking at the necklace and smiling.
Now
In the dining room, Cliff looks for rock band t-shirts to wear to his daughter's wedding, Larry and Jane/Miranda come in and Cliff tells him that he's going to his daughter Clara's wedding. Miranda says who she is, and explains that she jumped into a well and healed. She says that Jane is "resting", and Larry explains that Jane climber into an old well and it was rough. Cliff takes the news in stride, and Miranda offers him a t-shirt.
Vic is lying in his room playing a love song on repeat. Rita comes in and calls him on playing the same music over and over. Vic says that it's the only thing that helps, and Rita tells him that everyone gets their heart broken, and there's no superhuman strength that can save him from heartache. She says that she had a shot at stopping Roni but froze, and tells Vic that Cliff is leaving for his daughter's wedding and Vic needs to say goodbye to him. Rita sits on the bed and listens to the music with Vic.
Cliff prepares to go, saying goodbye to Larry and Miranda. Herschel appears on the ceiling. As Rita and Vic come in, the giant spider tells the group that Armageddon is happening at the county fair and Dorothy needs help because she can't hold back Candlemaker on her own. Herschel says that all of humanity is about to go up in wax and no one can find Niles. Larry says that they're on their way and Herschel disappears.
The others agree except for Cliff, who reminds them that he hates Niles and he has his own daughter who is getting married. Larry asks if they're Cliff's family, and nobody gives a damn about them except themselves. Vic tells Cliff that it's about Dorothy, not Niles. Cliff insists that he's responsible for Clara and Niles is responsible for screwing up Dorothy, and Rita tells Cliff that if he wants to be the man Clara expects him to be, Cliff will help Dorothy.
Cliff calls Salty's Bar and gets the voice machine. He leaves a message for Clara that something has come up and he might have to miss the wedding. Cliff gives an apology and promises that he'll be there for hid granddaughter's birth.
The fair is covered in wax, and Flit teleports the group in. They look around and come to Willoughby, who is badly beaten up.
Dorothy sits in an arcade and tries to concentrate, holding Candlemaker back. Candlemaker speaks in her head, saying that the time for concentration is over. He says that her friends are there, and Dorothy figures they'll stop Candlemaker.
Willoughby tells the group to get Dorothy and save themselves. He explains that Candlemaker hijacked Dorothy's imagination and summoned imaginary friends to do its bidding. Vic figures that Willoughby is talking about Herschel and Dorothy's imaginary friends, and an irritated Willoughby says that Candlemaker has summoned their imaginary friends. His imaginary friend--a Punch doll-appears, knocks him down, and drags him off. Larry goes after him, but Punch drags Willoughby out of sight. Vic says that they should split up and find Niles. As Larry and Cliff go, before they split up Larry tells his teammate that he never had an imaginary friend.
Miranda goes into convulsions and collapse to the wax-covered midway. Back in the Underground, Miranda finds herself in the train as the alarm goes off. Driver 8 tells her that the line went down, and the alters come in and ask why Miranda went to the fair when Dorothy killed two of the alters. Miranda figures that they pulled the alarm to summon her back and question her and says that her job is to keep them moving forward by making amends. The alters wonder where Jane is, and wonder if she's with Lucy Fugue and Scarlet Harlot because they're also missing. Miranda asks them if they've considered if it's what Kay wants, and if they even know. She says that she does, and they can yap at each other and she has things to do.
Rita walks through the fair and comes to her imaginary friend, a giant paper cut out named Mademoiselle Roxy. Roxy wonders how long it's been, and Rita says that it's been 90 years.
Vic comes to a shooting gallery, and his imaginary friend Doctor Cowboy greets him. Doctor Cowboy looks just like Silas, and Vic trains his sonic blaster on him.
Rita wonders what Rita is going to do to her, and says that she is stretchy and blobby now when she wasn't as a child. Roxy says that she has something much better planned than attacking Rita, and Rita running isn't an option.
Doctor Cowboy tells Vic to draw and goes for his gun. Vic shoots him and takes him down, and Doctor Cowboy dramatically "dies". Vic turns away and finds Doctor Cowboy standing behind him, unharmed. He says that he's part of Vic's imagination and that's why he's there, and the two of them need to talk about Vic's female problems.
Roxy takes Rita up on a stage and has her dance, and assures Rita that she's still got it.
Cliff's imaginary friend tackles him: Jesus. The robot man points out that Jesus was only his imaginary friend for half of a summer at Bible camp. Cliff suggests that they talk thing out, but Jesus insists that he's that to end Cliff and kicks Cliff into the nearby funhouse.
Jane drifts in the water and remembers more of the past.
-----
Two years later, Miranda and Johnny set up furniture in their new apartment, and sit. She kisses Johnny and suggests that they fool around, and he agrees. Johnny pauses and says that he's thinking back to the girl he met at the diner, and takes in how they're finally moving in. Miranda admits that she's not as sure about everything she does as Johnny is about himself, and she has things she has to think about before making a decision to move in together. Johnny tells her that he knows he needs her alone time to sketch and talk to herself, but assures her that they'll make it work.
Miranda jokes about hearing that she heard the hippy guitarist getting a job, and is now working for the Man. She kisses Johnny and says that she'll have the place unpacked while he goes to his office job, before the housewarming on the next Saturday. She mentions that "their" friends are Johnny's friends, and Johnny assures her that they all love her. They joke about how Miranda feels alone around them, and Miranda says that she left the moving van unlocked and Johnny should go down before someone steals his self. Johnny runs off, and Miranda looks in a mirror and insists that it's a good thing for all of them.
-----
Jane wakes up underwater in the well and sees a light in the distance, and swims toward it.
Candlemaker tells Dorothy that the only power is there is his. The longer she tries to hold Candlemaker back, the more he'll torture her friends. Candlemaker reminds her that the pain he inflicts is all on Dorothy.
Larry finds Willoughby, shrouded in wax. When Willoughby's eyes glow with Candlemaker's flames, Larry falls on the floor and is transformed into wax.
Jesus jumps into the funhouse balloon pit and continues his assault on Cliff.
Roxy dances with Rita, and Roxy talks about how she was discarded when the young Rita got her part. Rita says that she crumpled Roxy up because of what her mother did to get her the role.
Doctor Cowboy and Vic talk, and Vic says that he knows Roni isn't all bad. Vic figures that the people Roni is killing deserve their deaths for what they did to her. Doctor Cowboy assures Vic that he must have made the right decision because he followed his gut.
As Cliff punches Jesus, his arm freezes up again. Jesus rips it off.
Rita says that she cut out her mother's eyes and gave them to Roxy. After what her mother did, Rita couldn't bear to look at her or Roxy anymore.
Jesus beats Cliff with Cliff's arm, and says that Cliff abandoned him at Bible camp.
Vic asks for advice, and Doctor Cowboy says that Vic made him for affirmation and Silas is the one Vic should turn to for critique. The imaginary friend says that he's there to pat Vic on the back, and says that if Vic is okay with letting a killer go, so is he.
Cliff tells Jesus that he was only at Bible camp because his mother needed him out of the house while she and her husband split up... again. The robot man says Jesus was like a brother to him, but his father came back and swore things would be different with Cliff and his wife. The six-year-old Cliff bought it, and Jesus says that he had no idea. He helps Cliff up and says that he hopes it was worth it to Cliff, and Cliff says that his father didn't change and on some level, Cliff knew he never could but he had to believe in him. He does the same with Clara, and apologizes to Jesus. Jesus hugs him.
Rita tells Roxy that she was the last thing she wanted to be. Candlemaker speaks through Roxy, telling Rita that she became what she didn't want to be: desperate and willing to do anything to get the next role, because that's all she knew. Candlemaker/Roxy turns Rita into wax.
Candlemaker/Doctor Cowboy tells Vic that he'll always be a pathetic little boy that will never grow up, and transforms him into wax.
Jesus says that he's not Jesus, and Candlemaker/Jesus throws Cliff through the wall. The pieces of Cliff turn into wax.
-----
At the housewarming party, Miranda gets one of the guests, Bob, a drink. She sees two girls kissing and chuckles, as a man joins the two women. When Bob tries to kiss Miranda, she pulls away and says she has to deliver the drink. Miranda goes over to Johnny and says that Bob kiss her. Johnny says that it's cool and tells Miranda to be cool about it as well. Miranda says that she didn't know it was going to be that kind of party, and asks if Johnny knew. He suggests that it could be good for them as something new, and he'll be with her. Miranda tells him that she can't, and Johnny abruptly says that they shouldn't have moved in together because they're in two different places. He hoped getting the place would shake Miranda out of her rut, and he asks her if she wants to move forward. Miranda hesitantly agrees and goes into the bathroom, crying. She looks in the mirror and tells herself and the alters that they have to do it and it will be fine.
Johnny brings in Bob and his wife Tilly, and Tilly embraces Miranda while Johnny and Bob look on approvingly. Tilly then kisses Johnny, and the party turns into an orgy. Johnny has sex with Miranda, and she looks up and sees Johnny as Daddy. Daddy tells her that she's a good girl, and Miranda breaks into tears. She begs Daddy to stop, and says that she has to go. Johnny hugs her tighter, and Miranda finally yells at him to get off of her and shoves him off. Miranda walks out, and Johnny goes after her and asks what the matter is. Miranda turns to look at him, and then collapses
-----
Miranda lies in the underground, and Hammerhead leans over her and yells at her. When Miranda gets up, she sees Driver 8 in the nearby train, and as she walks away she sees the alters laughing and smoking. The Secretary hugs Miranda and says that she was supposed to keep them safe, and Miranda walks away, shocked, clutching at Johnny's necklace around her neck.
Miranda goes into the farmhouse and finds Kay sitting on the floor, in a fetal position. The bedroom door slams shut in Miranda's face as she tries to apologize to the girl, and Miranda discovers that the door is locked. Whispering through the door, Miranda tells Kay that she thought she could lead them forward but just lead them back, and she's sorry
Going to the well, Miranda lets herself fall into the well,
The other partygoers gather around the unconscious Jane, wondering if she OD'd, and Jane finally opens her eyes. Jane tells Johnny that she's good and asks the others if they want to go back to fucking. She mocks their "free sex", then tells them that they know nothing about love. It's control cooked up by men like Johnny, and they take control from clueless bitches and women let them because they've tricked themselves into thinking it's a choice.
Jane walks out and when Johnny goes after her, she says that he knew how to push it on Miranda. Johnny says that he thought it would help them grow, and Jane says that it's only about him having sex with new women. Disgusted, Johnny tells her that "Miranda" needs help because she's crazy. Jane punches him in the nose and walks out, saying her name is Jane.
The aging Niles crawls through the wax on the midway and checks a hypodermic in his pocket. He calls to Dorothy, who hears her father and walks out of the arcade. Niles begs her to come to him, but first cover her eyes. She cries as she sees the wax-transformed group, and Niles tells her not to look. Dorothy said that she did it and it's all on her, and Niles says that they can still fix it.
Jane swims to the light
Niles can't crawl any further, and begs Dorothy to come to him. Slava appears and says no, She says that Niles and Dorothy's friends can't protect Dorothy, and it's up to Dorothy alone.
Kay walks to Jane's station, which is closed
Jane finds the necklace that is giving off the light, and takes it.
Miranda comes up behind Kay, and Kay says that Jane isn't there.
Niles says that Slava unleashed Candlemaker on Dorothy. Ignoring him, Slava asks Dorothy if she's a girl or a woman.
Jane finds Miranda's corpse near the necklace.
Niles insists that Dorothy has to always be a little girl. Slava tells him that he doesn't know, and he insists that Dorothy can't beat Candlemaker.
Kay figures that the creature appearing as Miranda isn't the real Miranda.
Slava tells Niles that it's Dorothy's time and she must grow up. She offers Dorothy the red shoes.
Kay wonders who "Miranda" is, and "Miranda" caresses Kay's hair.
Niles tells Dorothy not to do it. He says that Dorothy has no chance where the others failed, and begs her not to confront Candlemaker. Dorothy tells him that she knows what she has to do, and puts on the red shoes. The pyre forms behind Dorothy and ignites. When Slava offers her daughter her spear, Dorothy says that she can make her own and a spear of her own appears in her hands.
After a look back at Niles, Dorothy advances toward the flames where Candlemaker is waiting. Candlemaker grabs her and pulls her into the fire, and the flames go out as Niles calls to his daughter and cries.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content