“I used to think the most beautiful thing on Earth was fire. Now I know... its vengeance.”
Episode 9 of LEGENDS OF TOMORROW was a lot of things for me. It was character progression. It was twists. It was action. It was the return of fan favorite characters. It was a fun and unique example of the time travel plot device. But even with all those things combined, in the end it was still pretty lackluster.
From the trailers we were given before the break, the story was pretty simple for us to follow. Ray, Kendra and Sara were left behind in 1958 waiting for the team to return. Don’t get me wrong, I thought and still think it’s a fantastic idea for a time travel show. Actually using the idea of time travel really lets the writers do some fun things with each character’s stories, like the time drift idea for example. Start messing with the characters time lines, feelings and simply get a little weird. But what unfolded really didn’t do much for me. It really seemed predictable.
We probably all guessed that Sara was headed back to The League of Assassins. Not much of a surprise there. I like that Sara reverted back to her old ways. I wish she’d almost dip even more into the anti-hero role. Surprise, surprise I also fanboy-ed pretty hard with the return of Matt Nable. He just captures the mysticism of Ra’s al-Ghul so well that I really don’t care what show he appears on. Side note, it seemed rather easy for the team to break into a castle full of assassins when they gave Oliver Queen and Co. so much trouble. But it was also the League of Assassins in 1960, with a somewhat merciful Ra’s and his first daughter Tailia. A character who would make a very intriguing villain for future seasons of ARROW. [*cough* *cough*]
Even though I have stated before that I’m not the biggest fan of the romance with Ray and Kendra, the time jumping did it justice in a positive aspect. Jumping forward two years let them settle for their surroundings and fall in love, almost to the point of marriage. Now that the team has returned it makes Kendra’s emotional conflict rather interesting. Will she fall in love with her ability to choose or Ray himself?
Now to the big twist. In this episode it was revealed that Heatwave is Chronos. In the big picture, it was something I didn’t hate. But I really didn’t think it was great either. I think it was just a bit lazy. On one hand Chronos could have been a great and new original character to this show and not just a baddie in a mask. But on the other hand, I really want the rivalry of The Rouges to continue. Rory and Snart have been some of my biggest highlights of season 1 so far. So I’m a little double sided. I’ll have to see where they go with it next before I make my final judgement. Another small side note, props to Wentworth Miller on his escape and regeneration of his hand scenes... fun visuals.
Even with the easiness and predictability that I thought this episode contained I still don’t think it was terrible. You can’t ask for a blizzard and complain when you get only flurries. One of the biggest things it lacked was simply Vandal Savage, one of the key cogs of the journey we’ve been on so far. That could happen with the next episode, one with the immortal himself and hopefully stronger goals and bigger ramifications.
Maybe even a tease of what’s to come with Patrick J. Adams and the mysterious character he’s set to portray. Make sure to have your lanterns ready!
Written by Mark Storey, LoT Beat Writer -- Click here to read Mark's posts
Related Posts:
The CW Renews ARROW, THE FLASH and LEGENDS OF TOMORROW For New SeasonsLEGENDS OF TOMORROW Season 1 Episode 8: Great Style But a Bland Story Doesn’t Always Mix
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Season 1 Episode 7: A Heated Betrayal