Jessie Robertson reviews the first episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow season 2…
Hold on, Einstein was an undersexed horndog?
I gotta be totally honest here: I’ve never watched a minute of Legends of Tomorrow. Arrow and Flash, along with having a family and full time job, keep me pretty busy, so I never tuned in. But, when duty calls….I answer. I do plan on doing my due diligence and catching up hopefully before long but for now, I’m watching with completely fresh eyes so this may be a scatter-brained look back on this season opener.
Dr. Nate Heywood breaks into Oliver Queens’ mayoral palatial office to request his help to save the Legends; he thinks they’re in trouble. He also knows Queen is the Green Arrow. Why and how does he know all this? He just does for sake of this plot. So, they submarine down to the bottom of the ocean to find the Waverider (a New Gods reference), apparently their time traveling ship. They find no one on board save for Heat Wave, who was in stasis (how does Oliver know that? It was written on the computer screen behind him) He recounts a tale of Nazi’s blowing up New York City with a nuclear (sorry, atomic) bomb which at that point could have only been built by Albert Einstein; so logically, they knock him out and kidnap him. Einstein’s portrayal is as over the top and maudlin as you would expect. The Nazi’s get away with the bomb (w help from a stylish Damien Dahrk in pinstripes) and launch it underwater; Rip Hunter, leader of this ragtag group, “time-scatters” them away to different points in history and has the Waverider take a full on facial from the nuclear (sorry, atomic) bomb and that’s where we leave it.
Ok, the dialogue is cringe-worthy, first and foremost. Sara’s line “so who else could have built an atomic bomb in 1942 besides Einstein?” just doesn’t even need to be said. Then you have Mick’s classic “I love roasting Nazis.” It is slightly unbearable. My first initial take is this show is poised as the no-nonsense goofy show that travels through time, with Arrow being the dark, violent show and Flash being the funny, sci-fi show. But, shouldn’t this be the funny sci-fi show? We know all these characters, but sadly, none of them stand out save Sara; I love her on this show. She’s like a wild animal, using her raw basic instincts, she’s either fighting or , well, I think you know the rest. She has one mission: Kill Damien Dahrk. It’s something we understand and get behind; the motivation is clear and it fits with this After-Lazarus-Pit modus operandi she lives in. I got a kick out of her. Ray is still Ray, although slightly less charming when he doesn’t have Felicity to play off of. Mick is pretty unextraordinary; he was sort of a good pair with Captain Cold (whom I loved, but didn’t see him around) and without him, he’s just a hard to understand meat head with a fire gun. New addition Nate Heywood seems really bland and cut from a casting call notice with no description of a personality.
This episode has a lot of set pieces, quick jaunts through history, but I don’t know if I’m supposed to take it seriously or not. If The Flash is dealing with time travel as this serious thing that ripples throughout time and alters peoples lives constantly, how can the time-traveling these guys are doing (within the same universe) not be ripping it to shreds? If it’s supposed to be funny, it needs to find better timing and character interaction. I was not enamored with the show; the only saving grace besides the quick casting call of “Villains Arrow and Flash Already Beat Up” was the end. What an appearance!
The Justice Society of America! In Comic-accurate costumes? Sign me up. I can get behind this.
Score- 6.5/10- Does this show have any steam left? I’m really curious now to see what season 1 had in store; Oliver being here was nice but I missed his presence when he was gone and that’s not good.
Jessie Robertson
Originally published October 14, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
