Jessie Robertson reviews the seventh episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow season 2…
You’re really, really not helping, Cisco….
So, after a long night of no CW (or any television product for that matter), I’m time traveling back to this morning to bring you this review (I think Mick was driving). I find it ironic that one of the best Legends episodes isn’t really about any of the Legends, except for Prof. Stein. The Invasion 3-night crossover (don’t get me started with night one) actually ends up being more about Barry and Cisco and the repercussions of Flashpoint than anything else and it works quite, quite well. I kept wondering to myself (and out loud) to what end will Berlanti and crew go to make Barry Allen seem like an awful person and have Cisco continue to be completely un-Cisco like go on? Well, it was leading up to this. In a way, Barry and Oliver sort of switch roles a bit; Barry is the one continually down on himself, letting guilt ride him to an early grave, while Oliver embraces being more hopeful, not just in himself but others as well. It’s a strange dynamic but one that (during this event) lead to one of the best Arrow episodes as well. They’re on a quite a streak.
Martin takes stage left as the ripples of Flashpoint have left him with a daughter; or so it seems. But as completely ridiculous as the Legends tried to make it that they never messed with history, (which is so unbelievable it’s laughable) we find out Martin did, on accident. When he tried to make sure his younger self didn’t miss the opportunity to be with the love of his life, he took it to heart and to bed, sorry, to “Pound Town” as Jax so eloquently put it. And Stein has a daughter. Turns out a joyous, brilliant daughter that obviously worships him. Stein informs Caitlin, being a time traveler, he has the ability to do what Barry can’t: erase his mistakes from time completely. But, as he gets to know her and see her for not just an “aberration” but a flesh and blood person made from his flesh and blood, he can’t do it. He convinces Jax to keep it a secret so he can have this happiness. It’s a touching story and an extremely believable one, a choice Barry and Thea both made the same as Stein this season, at least at first. So, we’ll see where this goes.
Since it’s Legends, time travel is involved, a trip to 1951, a rescue of a Dominator, all to feed into showing Cisco, ignorant to wanting to be a real life sci-fi hero, undid the past same as Barry and now put the whole world in the path of the Dominators. This is the crux of the episode as Barry, ready to give himself up to save humanity, is talked back into fighting by his friends, one amongst them, Cisco, in a touching speech (I’m so emotional since having my second child). I did find himself and Felicity more than slightly annoying during this whole crossover though; something a lot of fans are wont to do but usually doesn’t affect me; here it did.
Kara gets brief moments to shine, in action (taking down a whole horde of Dominators, then zipping across the world planting devices on them the heroes use to deal them incredible pain) and as her alter-ego, riffing with Ollie, mending fences and getting awkwardly hit on by Mick. That comment felt icky, even though she’s a grown woman. Cisco bestows a device to which she can use to travel to the Arrow-verse and vice versa , so that’s fixed. The crossover wraps up nicely after a massive battle between the heroes and the Dominators, Firestorm gets a huge moment for his transmutation powers (transforming the Dominators meta-human bomb into water) and a DEO is formed on this Earth. The episode concludes in the most wonderful, low-key way where Barry and Oliver are in a bar, sharing a laugh and a drink and a bit of philosophy they have learned in their crime-fighting careers and how they could never live a normal life again and they know it.
8.5/10- The crossover was big, bold and overstuffed, at times, while also being personal, introspective and well-acted. It was a very well done job and I think it prefer it in many ways to last year’s battle with Vandal Savage.
Other Notes:
– Ray notes to Sara as Kara walks by “she looks so much like my cousin” hint hint (he used to play Superman)
– You know that weird looking “how was this never mentioned before” hangar warehouse place the heroes all hung out in that looked identical to the Hall of Justice from Superfriends? Well, that was the Cincinnati Museum downtown about 20mins from where I live. It looked awesome on the show!
Jessie Robertson
Originally published December 3, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
