Did you think Legends of Tomorrow couldn’t get crazier? Think again!
Oh, man, the showrunners really went for it with this one! In the penultimate episode of the season, the show amps up the stakes, the comedy and the heart to 15. Only in this show could the inclusion of a young Barack Obama be considered a footnote!
But that’s where our episode begins. We kick off with the timeline in bad shape. Not only is Amaya threatening to cause a giant anachronism by going to save her older self from death in 1992, but Gorilla Grodd is on the loose. Rip says he’s going after Barry. And he doesn’t mean The Flash. So once again, the Legends must split up. Nate, Wally and Zari must stop Amaya. The rest of the team is on “Obamacare.”
The team quickly handles Grodd, shrinking him down and saving Obama. With that anachronism cancelled, Mallus’ prison remains intact. That’s not the only setback for the demon. Damien Darhk’s second thoughts turn into a full-blown panic. When Mallus nearly breaks free, he completely takes over Nora’s body for a minute. Scared at losing the only person he loves, Damien brings the water totem to the Legends and offers to team up with them to stop Mallus. Sara is less than trusting, but she at least agrees to not kill Damien instantly.
She’s also frustrated by Ava’s refusal to confront Rip over the revelation that she’s a clone. What does Sara do to figure out what to do? She… goes back to Obama in college and talks through the scenario with him. Cause that is what Legends of Tomorrow does! Sara takes his advice for an unorthodox approach to deal with Mallus. She agrees to work with Damien. Ray comes up with a ridiculous idea to shrink down and fly into Nora’s ear, then speak to her as “Mallus.” Since she only listens to the demon, it may give them a way to defeat the possessed Nora.
So….I can’t believe I’m actually typing this….the Legends, inspired by Mick’s Lord of the Rings DVD, hire actor John Noble to do voiceover work as Mallus. Guess who is Mallus’ actual voice actor? Yep, Noble! This is the type of insanity that only Legends of Tomorrow can pull off. It’s off-the-wall, comes out-of-nowhere and is absolutely brilliant. Noble is a delight in his cameo, being affable but also ragging on the “new script pages” he gets.
Somehow, this plan works! Nora is convinced to go to the Waverider, where she’s trapped in a summoning circle. In another MVP performance, Neal McDonough pours his heart out as Damien over his failures as a father. But it’s too late. Mallus is in complete control of Nora. Damien is left broken-hearted and remorseful, not just for what happened to his daughter but for his other misdeeds as well.
In other news, I’m having a Flashpoint flashback at the stupidity going on in Zambesi. Even though Nate knows that the timeline is on the edge of splintering, he agrees to help Amaya save her village. How? By convincing her future daughter to accept her role as a totem-bearer. Of course, Wally’s seen this all go horribly wrong before, but Nate, lovesick puppy that he is, chooses Amaya’s side.
But it turns out that there’s no need to worry about Amaya’s anachronism. In their best example yet of solving a problem with a chainsaw, not a scalpel, Sara comes up with a plan to let the anachronism happen. Mallus would then be released and the Legends, all totem-bearers, can destroy him. Sara even gives Damien the death totem for this plan. Nate gets earth and Ray gets water.
At the moment of truth though, Damien betrays the Legends. He has a vision of Nora, who says she’s still fighting and knows that freeing Mallus will end her life. Despite his last-ditch effort though, the Legends do save Amaya’s village and Mallus is unleashed, killing Nora.
And he’s big. Really big. We’re up to the season finale here. This has been one of the most-packed and fun episodes of this season yet. I can’t wait to see what craziness awaits us next week.
Show Notes:
- Holy shit, they have Grodd say, “Time to make America Grodd again.” That’s…that’s very on the nose.
- When Obama says, “It says Barack on my birth certificate.” Sara goes, “Yeah, you might want to hold onto that.”
- Ray: “What if I got inside Nora?” Damien: (glares) Ray: “Not like that!”
- Ava finally confronts Rip about her origins as a clone. He reveals that there were 11 previous versions of Ava that failed before he found her. This destroys Ava’s belief in anything about her life even more. When the Legends prepare to willingly unleash Mallus, she rejects the idea, leaving the ship. Even Sara’s admission of love can’t bring her back, as she feels there’s nothing real there to love. Let’s hope these two get a well-deserved happy resolution next week.
- In a bit of real-world news, we’re all boarding the Waverider for another season! Legends of Tomorrow has been renewed!