The season 1 finale of Doom Patrol surely did not disappoint us. The show culminated with a bizarre, unexpected, cringe-worthy face-off between minor characters. The set-up initially throws viewers off course with this chaotic scene. But we didn’t let the distraction of oddities draw our attention away from the theme that emerged; the one that pervades each episode: identity formation.

What makes us the people we are? Is it the experiences we have? The people who raise us? Doom Patrol consistently asks us to disentangle chaos from trauma and grow to be more self-accountable. It is satisfying to see our fictional friends gain these important lessons. Psychologists, too, encourage clients to find meaning and purpose in the midst of adversity. We urge people to avoid the helpless question, “when will I be released from this?” and instead ask, “what am I learning about myself?”

The final episode also pitted the team against their ultimate enemy: themselves. They needed to work together in order to find refuge from an impending disaster. During times of crisis, leaders can be more effective if they point us toward a common goal or common purpose, identify a common “enemy” (or thing to conquer), and push through fear to keep us moving forward and staying hopeful. We put the show to the test to see if effective leaders were prominently using these methods during the toughest times for the Doom Patrol. These strategies could be considered helpful guidelines during the challenging obstacles, hardships, and shared traumas experienced during the Summer of 2020. And beyond.