Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Doom Patrol season 2, episode 5, "Finger Patrol."
DC Universe's Doom Patrol confirmed that despite everything Cliff Steele lost in his transformation into Robotman there is one aspect of humanity he hasn't lost yet; the ability to dream. The events of "Finger Patrol" showed that while he can't taste or smell anything and lacks the ability to perceive sensations through touch, Cliff Steele still dreams when he sleeps.
Cliff Steele's battle to maintain and regain his humanity was a major theme of the original Doom Patrol comics, and the same struggles were introduced into the DC Universe television series. Out of all of Dr. Niles Caulder's super-powered patients, Cliff has had the greatest difficulty in forgiving The Chief for the horrific actions he took while searching for a permanent source of immortality. Even allowing that Dr. Caulder did what he did so that he could take care of his immortal and seemingly ageless daughter, Dorothy, Cliff argued that didn't give Dr. Caulder the right to make Cliff's daughter grow up without a father.
The events of "Finger Patrol" see Cliff Steele traveling to Detroit with Vic "Cyborg" Stone on a dual-purpose trip; Cliff wants to ask Cyborg's dad about upgrading his robotic body, and Cyborg wants to reconcile with Roni Evans, a woman with whom he had a brief but tragic romance. The two mechanically-enhanced heroes (who had never really gotten along well) wound up bonding over the course of the trip and they achieve enough of an understanding that Cliff offers Cyborg some advice on how to win back Roni's heart. Cliff also apparently enjoys Cyborg's company enough now that he suggests they could fight crime together so he could work out his anger issues by blowing "a hot load of rage all over some bad guys." Cliff even suggests that they have the perfect name for a crime-fighting duo; Steele and Stone.
Cyborg is skeptical, but ultimately does take Cliff's advice on what to say to win Roni over. As the two of them reconcile in an adult manner, Cliff falls asleep in Cyborg's car and experiences a dream that draws upon blaxploitation films like Dolomite and 1970s and 1980s police shows. The brief montage which follows unfolds like the opening credits of Starsky and Hutch, complete with letter-boxing, depicting Cliff and Vic as the sort of cops who shoot first, ask questions never and continually test the patience of their superior, The Chief, who is naturally played by an afro-wearing Timothy Dalton.
The sequence ends with a sleeping Cliff singing the Steele and Stone theme song he worked out, before he is awoken by the noise of two thieves trying to break into another car. It spoils little to say that Cliff's attempted heroics fall flat when he decides to stop the thieves. Still, while the jury is still out on the question of whether or not androids dream of electric sheep, it can't be denied that Cliff Steele is only human when it comes to dreaming.