Legends of Tomorrow S01E16 “Legendary” REVIEW
Airing in the UK on: Sky1, Thursdays, 8pm
Writer: Story by Greg Berlanti & Chris Fedak, Teleplay by Phil Klemmer & Marc Guggenheim
Director: Dermott Downs
Essential Plot Points:
- Rip insists on returning the Legends to 2016, feeling that there is nothing else that they can accomplish on their mission. The team doesn’t want to let him leave them behind, but he tricks them into staying. Sara is reunited with her father and is devastated to learn of Laurel’s death. Mick tries to return to a life of crime but is unhappy with his options for partners. Ray pulls him aside for a heart-to-heart and offer his condolences for Snart’s death. Ray feels that he was the one that was supposed to die. He proposes that Ray and Mick can partner up and finish what they started.
- Stein and Jefferson also realize that they need to get in contact with Rip. Sara joins them at the spot of Rip’s departure and together, the Legends are able to send a transmission to Rip. Rip returns and the team is insistent that he is not leaving without them again. They’re a team.
- Meanwhile, in 1944 France, Kendra is able to get away from Savage long enough to send the team a message via a soldier’s helmet that she recognized from Rip’s ship. Sara demands that Rip take her back so she can save Laurel but he disarms her and knocks her out with a sleep gun. The helmet moves locations on board the ship due to a temporal displacement caused by Kendra’s message and Rip realizes what has to be done. He has Gideon set course for Kendra, Carter, and Savage’s place in time.
- In the past, Savage extracts blood from Carter and Kendra, revealing that the Thanagarians had sent three meteors to ancient Egypt that became the source of each of their powers. He intends on using the blood to active the alien technology of the meteors so that he may erase time all the way back to 1700 BC where he can rule.
- On the Waverrider, Sara wants to save her sister’s life. Rip explains that there is no way to save Laurel and that interfering would only result in her father also dying.
- The team reach 1944 France and end up in a fight, after which they are only able to rescue Carter. Carter informs the Legends of what Savage is planning, and Stein is able to deduce that he will conduct the same ritual across three time periods that will create a temporal paradox to destroy everything after ancient Egypt. He then deduces that the three time periods are 1958, 1975, and 2021.
- Mick and Ray travel to 1958, Sara and Firestorm to 1975, and Rip and Carter go to 2021. They must all kill the respective Savages of those time periods simultaneously as the ritual begins. Kendra is able to break free during 2021 and aid in the fight. All three groups are able to kill Savage and as he is now mortal due to the ritual, this time his deaths are permanent.
- Ray uses his suit and Firestorm their powers to destroy the first two meteors, and Rip uses the Waverider to send the last meteor into the sun so it doesn’t explode and destroy the Earth. The ship is badly damaged and Rip, feeling he has nothing left, decides to go down with it. Gideon has other ideas and informs her Captain she isn’t ready to die. They eject the meteor and prepare to make one last jump back to the Legends.
- The crisis over, the team take stock. Rip declares he will now work to defend the timeline and that everyone on the team is welcome to join him. Eventually, everyone decides to join Rip except for Kendra and Carter who decide to stay behind in order to protect 2016.
- The team minus Kendra and Carter are preparing to leave 2016 when they hear an explosion. They turn and watch in horror as a second Waverrider, badly damaged, crash lands. A young man in a cape strides out and tells them they are exactly where they said they would be. His name is Rex Tyler, he is a member of the Justice Society of America and he’s been sent to save their lives. By their future selves..
Review:
Finales, good and bad, are a culmination of everything that’s led up to them. In Legends’ case the good has been the tension that’s built across the show and the bad how how off-putting and one-dimensional of a villain Vandal Savage has been. Both made it quite the relief to finally see the Legends defeat him and show just how much of a team they have become.
The chemistry among the team members and formation of new partnerships shows that even more, and the script cleverly lays the groundwork for things to come in future seasons. These are not the same people who reluctantly stepped aboard the Waverrider at the start of the season and it’ll be interesting to see how they change next year. The final cliffhanger in particular proved intriguing and we’re looking forward to seeing how the show does when it returns. Bring it on, JSA!
The Good:
- There were a number of action sequences between the various Vandal Savages and the Legends that gave the stunt coordinators the chance to show off. They did a great job choreographing sequences that fit cohesively with one another while also maintaining styles unique to each character. Caity Lotz was particularly impressive, and her background in dance, Wushu, Taekwondo and Muay Thai continually marks her out as one of the best action performers working today.
- There were many partnerships on display, with each offering up a different dynamic for viewers to enjoy. The recent shift in relationship between Ray and Mick is the one that will be most intriguing to see play out when the show resumes, given how different the characters are in background and personality. An honourable mention must also be given to Jefferson and Stein (“Firestorm”). The moment near the end of the episode where you find out Jefferson was conspiring with Stein’s wife to get the scientist out on more adventures was particularly entertaining.
- Arguably, the most talked about development following the episode’s conclusion was the appearance of Rex Tyler from the “Justice Society of America”. It was only a matter of time before more characters from the comics would be introduced so only time will tell what specific source material the writers will draw inspiration from.
The Bad:
- Due to the nature of the network and the shorter length of episodes, the pacing is a bit strange. The Legends being left behind by Rip is a fair enough plot point to introduce conflict but because of the time constraints, it feels as if they were barely away from their adventures before Rip had circled back around to bring them back.
And The Random:
- It may be a bit self indulgent but that shot of Rip standing on the Waverider right after it seemed as if he’d fallen to his death was COOL.
- Sara’s “Ah man, you got my boots wet,” after Firestorm melted the the second meteor was a nice comedic touch to demonstrate the banter and chemistry of the team.
- Rex Tyler made his first appearance in Adventure Comics 48 in 1940. He draws his powers from the Miraclo pill, a chemical that gives him superhuman speed and strength for 60 minutes. He’s an interesting character and if they play up the addictive nature of Miraclo in particular then there’s lots of opportunity for some intense drama with him.
- Rex is played by Patrick J Adams, who is best known as Mike Ross, one of the two leads in legal drama Suits.
Reviewed by Jenevia Kagawa Darcy
