Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 - An Overview (Part 1)

Welcome to DC TV's craziest show yet - a time travel show featuring two reincarnating hawk gods, a reformed assassin, two master criminals, a miniature-sized superhero, and a flaming nuclear man (who's actually two men). Did we mention the main villain is also immortal? Legends of Tomorrow! Enjoy your stay! 

Time travel can be a bit rough, though; there may be some, um, bleeding from the eyeballs. 

Gideon! Plot a course for Legends of Tomorrow, Season 1 - An Overview!

(*Spoilers*)

Pilot, Part 1

So, if you've watched the other CW superhero shows, you know Arrow and especially The Flash had pretty strong pilots (I liked Supergirl's pilot, too, although I seem to be in the minority on that one). You set up your world, you introduce your main character, and you (hopefully) give the audience a reason to keep watching.

The problem with this show is that there are NINE main characters, all with stories to tell. True, they had all been introduced on either Arrow or The Flash before this show started, but, for novices like myself at the time, their stories still needed to be told. 

Unfortunately, that takes up a huge chunk of the episode, as well as just seeing Rip round them all up and introduce himself and his story. Then we have the season-long arc with Vandal Savage and the Hawks to explain, and my god, could the writers have chosen a more complicated story line for that arc. 

(The answer is no, no, they could not.)

So, too much exposition and talking makes for a not-so-great pilot - except for one scene:

The bar fight scene with Sara, Snart, and Mick. If you watch nothing else of this show, watch that scene. It finally shows how great this show can be, with Sara kicking butt and Captain and Tenille's "Love Will Keep Us Together" playing in the background. My kudos to you, writers; that scene is pure gold - and pinpointed, in my opinion, the three best characters on the show.

I also really like the fact that the Legends aren't actually legends, as revealed by Rip. A team of supposed losers fighting to save the world in defiance of their fate is much more compelling than people who already know they're destined for greatness.

Best Quotes:

Snart: "Why did we become criminals?"

Mick: "Because we hate work and love money."

Sara: "If we have the power to change the world, don't you think we have the power to change our own fate?"

Pilot, Part 2

Fortunately, Part 2 is a bit more evenly paced than Part 1. The Legends land in 1975,  sneaking into a weapons auction. But not just any weapons auction - this one is for nuclear warheads, and bids are placed by firing your gun into the air. First of all, that is awesome - and a prime example of the ridiculous, amazing spectacle that makes this show so much fun to watch.

Other highlights: Sara kicking butt again (while stoned, I might add), Ray and Snart having to work together to break into Savage's house (Ray is just such an adorkable puppy it drives Snart up the wall, and I think that's what makes their scenes together so entertaining), and then - and then Carter dies.

We are two episodes in, folks. One of the Legends is already dead. What.

I have to hand it to the writers, that takes some serious guts (specifically, Carter's - I'm sorry). Of course there's the whole reincarnation aspect, so we know he'll be back, but wow - that's one way to fix your overcrowding of characters, I guess!

Also, Stein's younger self - spot on imitation of Victor Garber's Stein. Nice job, Graeme McComb!

Best Quotes:

Sara: "I could be unconscious and still be able to kick the ass of a few rent-a-thugs from 1975."

Stein: "This is right when I meet my future wife, Clarissa. So obviously, we wouldn't want my former self tempted by a sexy assassin from the future."

Sara: "Aw, you think I'm sex-"

Stein: "Do not finish that sentence."

Blood Ties

This episode is a prime example of what stopped this show from reaching its full potential before Destiny (its best episode and the second-to-last episode of the season): it's too dang FRAGMENTED.

Example:

Main plot: Sara and Rip break into a bank to steal Savage's funds. Another awesome fight scene for Sara, where her struggle with bloodlust from the Lazarus Pit is placed front and center, but before it can overcome her completely, she and Rip take a captive to obtain more information on Savage.

MEANWHILE:

Kendra is lying unconscious in the med bay, pieces of Savage's dagger trapped in her bloodstream and heading for her heart (did anyone else miss the part in the last episode where the dagger actually broke?). Ray has to shrink down to get into her bloodstream to pew-pew the pieces into smithereens (which could still probably cause some damage) with Stein there for emotional support. But, Ray has a crisis of confidence.

Side note: Was anyone else terrified when Ray panicked when he was inside Kendra's veins? I know they wouldn't do that on this show, but in the back of my mind I was terrified Ray was going to shoot up to full size and Kendra would just go SPLAT! Ughh. Give me a frikkin' anxiety attack.

MEANWHILE:

Snart steals an emerald and goes to his childhood home, ending up having an unexpected heart-to-heart when he runs into his younger self. He gives the emerald to his father, who physically abused him and his sister when they were kids, so his father won't be sent to jail for stealing it, since it was after he got out of prison that the abuse started.

The conversation between Snart and his childhood self is a really touching scene. Hats off to Wentworth Miller, who injects some much-needed pathos into Snart and makes this a really lovely, sad, heartbreaking moment. We've never seen Snart without a smirk on his face; this is the first time we've seen him be absolutely sincere and genuine, and that really makes the episode. I mean, look at him:

The fact that he can switch from that face to one of pure hatred when his father enters the room gives such an emotional charge to the whole scene, and also makes us aware of just how hard and cynical Snart has had to become in order to leave his past behind. Even though this scene is so out of place from everything else happening in this episode, it's probably the first moment of real emotional connection to one of the characters, and for that I will give the writers their due.

Best Quotes:

Mick: "We know how to case banks. We're practically bankers."

Snart: "Except we take the money out."

Jax: "Is there anything you think about other than yourself?"

Snart: "Yes. Money."

White Knights

No question, this is Captain Cold's episode, and Wentworth Miller makes the most of every minute of it, with Snart's snarky drawl and trademark smirk.

True, this episode probably focuses too much on Snart (considering there are seven other characters who need something to do), but I can't help it - I just love everything he does in this. From that swoon-worthy catch of the military officer at the Pentagon, to stealing Valentina Vostok away from Ray's failed attempts at romance, Snart is cool, confident, and a surprise ladies' man- who knew? Smooth as ice, indeed!

Captain "Steal Yo Gurl"

Of course, there are other, probably more important things going on, too: we get our first genuinely intriguing villain, Dr. Valentina Vostok, who wants to create a Soviet Firestorm; Time Master Druce tries to kill Rip, our first clue that the Time Masters aren't a particularly nice bunch; and Sara and Kendra spar on the Waverider - which, while interesting, lacks weight since it remains outside of the main conflict. Blend your story lines, blend, come on!

I do love the ending when Snart pulls his gun on Rip. Their perpetual tug-of-war of leadership in the team is already apparent, and that tension gets jacked to the max when Snart threatens Rip. Leading the Legends isn't an easy job, but, I have to say, at this point I think Snart would make a better leader than Rip. The only thing stopping him is he has to learn to care about the team as much as he does Mick or his sister Lisa. Rip is trying to save the world, but his motivation is ultimately selfish - a fact that will definitely come back to bite him.

Best Quotes:

Ray: "Better go bone up on Vostok's CV."

Snart: "I guess I'll bone up on the ballet. Gideon: bone me."

[Best line, and line delivery, of the episode, I swear. I bust out laughing every time]

Vostok: "You used me. You work for the American government."

Snart: "I'm wanted by the American government, does that count?"

Fail-Safe

This is finally an episode that feels like it can stand on its own, that it knows the kind of show it is, the story it wants to tell and how to tell it. Everyone has something to do; no one is off on little side missions that have nothing to do with the main plot. We have focus, we have clarity, we have even tone and pacing. Finally. Let's show what this show can do!

Mick, Ray, and Stein are captured - time for a rescue mission (and plenty of Prison Break references)! Sara, Snart, and Rip engage the Bratva to break into the gulag.

A stray observation: I don't know if this is a coincidence that this episode is written by two (presumably) straight women, but there are a ton of shirtless scenes here - for Rip in the sauna, and for Mick and Ray when they're being tortured. Is this shameless gratification, or just per the CW contract?

And then there's Snart, J chillin' (metaphorically) in his robe:

Rockin' the white cotton

Meanwhile, Vostok is trying to get the Firestorm formula out of Stein. Ray and Mick are in prison, and they're tortured in front of Stein to make him confess. Rip tasks Sara with killing Stein if the mission fails, and, at long last, Vostok succeeds in merging with Stein to create the Soviet Firestorm. Fail-Safe's plot is solid, which finally gives this show the vehicle to showcase what makes it worth watching: the relationships between the characters.

Ray and Mick are a fascinating combination I never thought would work, but, strangely, it does. Mick works best with his opposites; that's why he and Snart work so well together. Ray is the exact opposite of Snart, yet somehow he and Mick work, too. How?

Well, Snart and Ray place emphasis on different things: Snart is all about the mind, tactics and strategy and planning ahead, while Ray is all about the heart, caring about other people. Mick and Snart's partnership is divisive, with Snart as the brains and Mick as the muscle; Ray and Mick's temporary partnership, however, is more inclusive, with Ray as the heart, and, because of this natural vulnerability and compassion, inviting Mick to also be more compassionate. Mick likewise tries to teach Ray to be more of the muscle and look out for himself. It's an interesting dichotomy, but one that works surprisingly well. It also rounds out Mick as a character a bit more; after Ray takes a beating for him, you can tell he's surprised and touched, and thus more open to caring about somebody else on the team besides Snart, even if he won't admit it.

Stein and Jax as Firestorm is also a great relationship that gets explored here, one that shows how much their trust has grown, and Jax's belief in Stein ultimately saves them from Vostok's Firestorm. But my favorite relationship is the episode's biggest surprise: Sara and Snart.

Snart stops Sara from killing Stein? Is this still Captain Cold we're talking about? Apparently, yes - and that's what makes this episode for me.

From the pilot, Snart's interest in Sara has been clear, but more so as someone to flirt with than to actually care about. Here, though, his actions speak volumes: he recognizes her struggle with self-doubt - trying to ignore her own personal objections for the greater good, her desperation that her dark past might finally result in something worthwhile. He sees that, and seems to understand; for some reason, he wants her to be better. He knows she is better. And so it's him who ultimately convinces her to spare Stein.

This seems to come right out of the blue, and yet, somehow, it fits. The assassin who wants to reform, the hardened crook who believes in her - that's a story I'll keep coming back for.

Best Quotes:

Jax: [after sprinting across prison yard] "Barry Allen who?!"

Snart: "Sara, don't do it."

Sara: "I don't have a choice. It's the only way to save Star City - the future."

Snart: "That's how a killer thinks. And that's not you anymore."

Star City 2046

I hadn't seen Arrow before watching this episode, so I wasn't that invested in what was going on. I'm on Season 2 now, and while I am enjoying it, I'm just not as into it as I am this show or The Flash. If you're an Arrow fan, you'll probably enjoy this episode; I know a lot of people did. As for me, I'll say I wish Grant Wilson had been a bit more intimidating. 

I did, however, love how Snart was completely bored out of his mind in the criminals' den! That was unexpected, and thus frikkin' hilarious.

Best Quotes:

Mick: "We're not going to sit here, are we?"

Snart: "Why don't we stretch our legs at that bank we passed three blocks back?"

Sara: "That's not Oliver Queen."

Ray: "Sure dresses like him."

Snart: [dodging arrow] "Shoots arrows like him!"

Marooned

Well, here we are: the episode that made me fall hard for Legends of Tomorrow. 

I've gushed on and on about this particular episode already, so I'll keep it short(ish) here. But I can't help it: I really love Marooned.

Structure-wise, this episode was a huge relief in that it finally laid the groundwork to give Legends the solid foundation it needs to work as a show: the back story of Rip and his wife Miranda, the reason for why the Legends exist as a team in the first place.

We also got a little world building, as the team encounters a new threat: time pirates, criminals who illegally use time travel to commit crimes throughout the time-space continuum. Now that's an interesting idea, considering with law and order (the Time Masters) you always have someone bent on defying it, and I hope we get to explore that idea even more in Season 2.

But what's really great about this episode is the relationships explored within it. The main conflict is the most tragic one: Snart and Mick, who have been at odds since Snart knocked Mick unconscious and forced him back on the Waverider in Star City 2046. Seeing that partnership break down is frikkin' heartbreaking, especially since it's been established from the start how loyal they are to each other. But Snart's loyalties have changed, shown particularly well in the scene between him and Sara when they're freezing to death in the engine room. Once again, Wentworth Miller and Caity Lotz's chemistry is amazing, and in their conversation it comes through loud and clear: Leonard Snart has finally found his heart.

Which makes it even more crushing when, at the end of the episode, after Mick has placed all of the Legends' lives at risk by letting the pirates take over the ship, Snart is forced to take Mick off and "deal with him." 

If your eyes don't water even just a little when Snart and Mick are having that conversation at the end - well, you're made of sterner stuff than I. And then when Snart actually fires his gun at Mick, presumably killing him - "What! What?! What!!" (Me, when I first saw it.) It's so sad...

And yet...

...amazing! That's how you end an episode! What a cliffhanger! What an unforgettable ending! Woo! YES!

Best Quotes:

Ray: "Captain's log, stardate 837.9. We're awaiting word from the away team aboard the Acheron."

Sara: "I don't think Mick's problem is with the ship."

Snart: "You think it's with me."

Sara: "You did knock him out and force him to leave 2046 Star City - which is like Disneyland for felons."

Night of the Hawk

The mid-season finale is set in the 1950's, where a meteorite is turning rowdy teenagers into bird monsters, all kept hidden in an insane asylum under the care of Dr. Curtis Knox, a.k.a. Vandal Savage.

This is the show's first attempt at genre work - in this case, 50's horror movies. Some parts work, some parts don't; the surprising thing is, the one thing that hasn't been working all season finally does: Vandal Savage.

Up to this point, Savage has just been a drain on the show, sapping the energy from every scene he's in. I don't know who's responsible for this casting, and who knows, maybe Casper Crump has done good work elsewhere, but my god - is it possible for someone to have a negative amount of screen presence? Because with Crump as Savage, I might as well be watching static. 

Damien Darkh, for his whole two minutes of screen time in Pilot, Part 2 had more presence than Savage has had through a whole half season's worth of episodes. Granted, the writing is a bit thin, with the character basically going for taking over the world as his main life goal, but for Pete's sake - do you have to be so dull while doing it?

In this episode, Savage works a little bit better as the villain, mostly because the focus isn't so much on him as Earth's eventual dictator as it is on him as the (in his mind) jilted lover. Savage's influence across the whole of time is too broad for us as the audience to know what amount of concern we should be feeling; however, when he shows up on Kendra's doorstep, follows her around at the dinner party, stands way too close during an otherwise normal conversation, and brushes his finger across her face as he leaves - well, we get that creepy, stalker-ish vibe loud and clear. Now imagine your stalker has access to all of time - now we have more of an understanding of the threat Savage poses, to her and Carter, at least, and thus the team.

Other notables: There's a bit of commentary in this episode about racism and homophobia in the 50's, and I like that the show addresses that, especially the comment about the idyllic 50's being an illusion burnished by nostalgia. In related news, Sara finds romance with a nurse at the asylum, and that is very cute; I especially liked seeing Sara sailing in to rescue her love from the monsters. That's a heroic moment usually reserved for a knight on a white horse - I see some justice in it being the White Canary's!

There's also Snart in disguise as a G-man. And, yes. Just yes. Ten points to the wardrobe department!

Best Quotes:

Stein: "Come on, Ms. Lance. Even someone as jaded as yourself can't deny how idyllic this time was."

Jax: "Yeah, if you're white."

Sara: "And a man. And straight."

Stein: "Okay, okay, I get the point."

Stein: "We mustn't dawdle. I believe our lunch hour is nearly at an end. Come along, nurse."

Sara: "Just so you know, Ra's al Ghul taught me to kill someone slowly. Over the course of days..."

And thus, we've hit the mid-season hiatus. 

Despite its flaws, and unevenness in the tone and pacing, I love this show - this ridiculous, bizarre, wonderful show. It's a bit of Star Trek, a bit of Firefly, a little bit if you took The Flash and smashed it together with Doctor Who - my point is, it has such potential, and that's what I love about it. We'll see if it reaches that potential in the second half of the season, which I'll recount in Part 2. 

Until then, my fellow Legends!

What Legends of Tomorrow Means to Me

Los Angeles

(This is going to be more of a personal post; just FYI.)

I may have to end this blog, so I thought I'd leave with as honest of a post as I can.

2016 has been utter crap. I know a lot of people are feeling this way, too, now, what with "Brexit" in the UK and the whole circus act that is the US presidential election. With the horror of black lives taken by police, and the tension that's risen with it. It feels like the world is going to hell. 

For me, personally, it's felt like that for awhile.

I won't spend this whole post complaining; I know no one wants to read that. But just to summarize my year thus far: in March, my grandma on my dad's side died; I found out in April that a friend I knew in college committed suicide; and in May my grandma on my mom's side died, suddenly, from an accident. I think you'll understand that I was terrified the whole month of June, sick with the thought that someone else I loved was going to die, and I could only breathe again when July 1 finally came.

The fear still hasn't gone, though; it's there with me now, every day. I don't think it would surprise anyone that I was officially diagnosed soon after with severe anxiety and moderate depression. The anxiety I've had most of my life; the depression, though, is a more recent development, mainly from (what I've perceived) as failure after failure, and grief. It will hit, like earthquake tremors, on random days. Sometimes I can forget it's there; most of the time I lie in fear, waiting for it to hit and afraid for when it will, hating that this is something I have to be afraid of at all. 

What gave me hope, on gray days when I couldn't feel anything, and on black days when everything hurt, as silly as it sounds, was Legends of Tomorrow.

I never really liked the idea of escapism; I don't want to be the kind of person who runs away from their problems. But when the entire world surrounding you just hurts, when there is no escape - well, I found a precious piece of joy in this amazing, bizarre, ridiculous, fantastic, absolutely wonderful show.

Sara Lance

Like I said, fear has become a constricting hold on my life. When I wake up in the morning, I have a fleeting second of relief before all the things that terrify me rush into my head - money, job, my future, health, dating, etc. I wake up scared, and I hate it.

Sara Lance is what fearlessness looks like. She is completely confident in who she is and what she can do, and she takes no crap from anyone. She is also brave enough to love people for who they are, and I think that's the most fearless thing anyone can do.

If there's anyone I want to be, it's Sara Lance. I have her White Canary symbol on my phone case; it seems like a small thing, but it means I have a constant reminder to be like her. She reminds me to be fearless; even if on a lot of days I fail, I know I can keep trying. And maybe one day I'll suddenly realize the fear is gone; I'll be like Sara Lance as the White Canary, free to enjoy life and unafraid of anything.

Leonard Snart

Another character I love quite possibly as much as Sara Lance is Leonard Snart. His intelligence, his ability to make a snarky comment about any situation - but mainly his heart. 

I never thought I'd have a hard time trusting people; if anything, I've been too trusting in the past. You become a pseudo-adult and suddenly it's harder to keep in touch with people, or find time to see each other in either of your busy schedules - time passes, and you wonder how many real friends you have left.

Snart makes me believe that I can keep my faith in people, even when I feel alone. Watching him grow from a selfish a**hole to someone so protective of the team and so genuinely in love with Sara - well, it makes me want to trust people again. Because people are capable of so much. They have so much potential. And I want to see that play out, for them to become their best selves. I want to see that from myself, too.

(Also, I want to mention the actor who plays Leonard Snart, Wentworth Miller, is a huge advocate of mental health and self-care, and is quite possibly one of the loveliest people on earth, with a gentle soul and a kind heart. Thank you, Wentworth - your self-care month on your Facebook page got me through April. Thank you so, so much.)

Of course, there's so much else to love about a show about time traveling superheroes and villains. What it really gave me was an hour of wonderful insanity every week away from everything around me - and I cherished it. I could laugh myself silly at Mick growling lines like "I love the 70's!", cheer obnoxiously whenever Sara kicked butt (which she does quite often and very well), and seriously just enjoy the crap out of something so crazy and fun and wonderful. This show saved me. I know it sounds silly, but it gave me joy. After an episode was over, it was back to the real world, but at least for the rest of that day, I felt a little lighter.

Now, about the picture at the beginning: I am a screenwriter. I'm aiming to be a TV writer, however long or however much that takes. Los Angeles is where I need to go to make that happen.

And I am terrified.

This is nothing new. I'm not the first person to relocate there from however-many miles away; but right now I don't know where I'm going to work or where I'm going to live. Or if I'm even going to succeed. I could completely fail. 

Anxiety/depression isn't a big help in this, either (if that's not obvious enough already).

I know I want to write, someday, for Legends of Tomorrow. Maybe even The Flash. Supergirl, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and, eventually, if I'm really and truly blessed by the universe, Doctor Who. I want to inspire people; I want to give them hope, like Legends of Tomorrow did for me. 

I'm no one special; I just hope that one day I can be successful enough to write a show that gives people hope. Because it's something I needed. I think it's something everyone needs. To be reminded of the good things in the world, and of the good people who are in it.

Those are the true legends.

Brief Thoughts on Supergirl Season 1

Supergirl

Genre: Superhero, drama

Number of seasons: 1 (renewal pending)

Best episodes: 

-Pilot

-Red Faced

-Human for a Day

-Falling (definitely the best of the season)

-Worlds' Finest (crossover with the Flash!)

Thoughts:

I'm so conflicted over this show. There are aspects of it that I genuinely love: Melissa Benoist is absolutely perfect as Supergirl; the reveal of Martian Manhunter was brilliant and definitely one of the most consistently intriguing parts of the show; Cat Grant, while at first seemingly a cardboard-cutout stereotype of the b*tchy boss lady, became the show's secret weapon in that she evolved into a sympathetic and complex character, while still dishing out a ton of great one-liners. I also love Kara's relationship with her sister Alex; that, as well as Kara's bond with Cat, is the real heart of the show. In fact, this show has so much heart; it focuses on hope and compassion as the means to save the world, and, while DC Comics characters on the big screen are currently solving their problems by beating the crap out of each other and destroying whole cities, that's refreshing to see.

Having said that...there are definitely things the writers need to work on. For one thing, the show needs better villains. Astra and Non were such a non-threat throughout the series, the finale felt anticlimactic. The other villains, like Vartox, the Helgrammite, Reactron, Jemm - does anyone even remember them? Maybe Supergirl needs to go to a serialized format instead of procedural, because villain-of-the-week plots just aren't working. Also, please no more soapy relationship drama. I kind of expect it from the CW, because it's the CW, but you would think CBS would be a bit better about it. If anything, just make Kara's love interests more interesting - James Oleson is the most boring man on the planet, and it reflects badly on Kara when she's continually attracted to someone so dull. The Flash had more chemistry with Kara in one episode than James had with her the entire season!

Needless to say, Supergirl's status for renewal is uncertain right now. I wouldn't say I'd be heartbroken if it didn't get a Season 2, but I would be sad; whatever its flaws, this show has potential, and I would love to see what the writers could do once they fix the missteps from this season.

How "Marooned" Made Me Love Legends of Tomorrow

How did this become my new favorite show? (Besides Agent Carter, of course.)

I didn't start watching this expecting to love it. I started watching it because Rory, I mean Arthur Darvill, is a Time Lord, I mean Time Master, piloting a TARDIS, I mean Wave Rider, through time and space. With EIGHT companions along for the ride. Essentially I think I was just going through Doctor Who withdrawal (no new episodes until Christmas - urgh), so this was the "diet Doctor Who" I could sate myself with until then.

I wasn't all that impressed with the pilot. It was just a big ol' exposition dump, with too much arguing between the alleged "legends" and not enough action/plot. 

But...I decided to give it another chance.

And you know what? It got better. Not to say the episodes didn't still have their flaws, but each episode was a little better than the last. And some of the characters started to grow on me - oddly enough, Captain Cold, whose snark, intelligence, and complexity completely made up for the ridiculous name; White Canary, fearless and fun-loving, and a stone-cold badass; and even, at moments, Rip Hunter, mainly because Darvill's acting is beautiful, as usual.

Through the next few episodes, the Legends carried out a bank heist, a rescue from a Russian gulag, a battle in future Star City...and then came "Marooned."

This episode reminds me a little of Firefly's phenomenal episode "Out of Gas." With all the Star Wars and Star Trek references in it, I wouldn't have been surprised if they'd dropped a Firefly reference!

But seriously, guys: I love this episode. I. Love. It.

First off, every single member of the cast has something to do, which is awesome! One of the show's problems has been, inevitably, the size of its cast; it's hard to come up with a story every week where every single Legend is needed. The writers have manufactured sub-plots for when some of the characters have to take a backseat; some of them worked (Snart going back to talk to his childhood self comes to mind; great acting from Wentworth Miller), but most of them feel a little clunky. Here, though, that is (mostly) not the case:

RIP

Here we get some important back story on Rip's conflict with the Time Masters and his love story with his wife Miranda. Though probably the weakest part of the episode (for some reason, Darvill and Alex Duncan just didn't seem to have the right chemistry), it finally gave us a glimpse of how deeply Rip is grieving and how desperate he is to save his family. The opening also captured that desperation very effectively, with Rip obsessively re-watching a holographic message his wife and son left him before their untimely deaths. 

I think this can explain why he blundered straight into a trap on the other ship; he's so desperate he's just not thinking straight.

STEIN

Woo! Stein found his inner badass! Played by the delightful Victor Garber, I think one of the best parts of the episode was when Stein took out that pirate and stole his beret, lol.

I also loved the little tidbit of a back story that we got from Stein's childhood. It's nice to see him having fun. Space Ranger Stein, indeed! 

JAX

Okay, so the other half of Firestorm didn't get to do as much. But I loved his reaction to Stein's awesome entrance, and also getting in between Rip and Rory when they're arguing shows he's got guts. He did try to break them out, and at least on this mission he wasn't kidnapped or left behind on the ship!

SARA

I frikkin' love Sara. Seriously, she is such a badass. Caity Lotz is a trained martial artist, so she does all her own stunts and fight sequences. I love whenever Sara gets to kick ass, because it always looks amazing; I love that I can watch and believe that she is beating the crap out of six guys at once.

What I also love is her sense of fun. Because she is such a great fighter, following TV trope #203, she should be the cold b*tch - but she's not. She's really up for anything, whether that's kicking butt or partying at a bar (and then kicking butt right after). She's faced death, so what is there left to be afraid of? 

The interesting part of that is, what she really has to fear is herself. Sara has her dark side, a bloodlust left from being raised from the Lazarus pit. Seeing her struggle to keep that bloodlust under control shows some great acting on Lotz's part. Sara's struggle also shows how strong she is, and the fact that she tries so hard to keep it together to help the team just makes me admire her all the more.

Regarding other skills, she can also keep up with Snart's level of snark, which I frikkin' love. Which brings me to:

SNART

Holy crap, I love this actor. I'd never heard of Wentworth Miller before this show; I've never seen Prison Break, I haven't watched Arrow or The Flash yet, I just stumbled in to Legends not knowing what to expect. And I got this sneering, snarky, sarcastic, wonderfully over-the-top yet just-understated-enough performance for his portrayal of Captain Cold. And I love it.

It's sometimes hard to know how to play a character in a comic book show, because the plots and characters can be so completely out there and insane, but they still have to be relatable on some level. Miller, I think, manages to strike the perfect balance between sneering comic book anti-hero and real, believable human being. His portrayal is easily one of the most enjoyable things about the show, and the fact that Snart's also probably the most complex character makes it even better.

Within seven episodes, Captain Cold has changed as a character - whereas before he cared only about himself, his partner, and his sister, his circle is now opening up to include the Legends. Snart's found his heart, and the subtlety of Miller's performance within that arc is what really sold me on that piece of character development. I guess I'm just a sucker for a good redemption arc. 

Which also plays into what I'm going to mention next, for better or for worse:

Sara/Snart...otherwise known as #CaptainCanary

I ship it, okay? I ship it, ship it, ship it. Some actors just work really well together, and Wentworth Miller and Caity Lotz have some frikkin' great chemistry. 

Snart and Sara were definitely my favorite characters from the get-go; they've been fleshed out the most in regards to character development, and both are seeking redemption in their own way - Sara from her killer's instinct, Snart from his own selfishness and criminal ways. My thinking is, this character is awesome, and this character is awesome...wouldn't they be really awesome together?

What cemented it for me was "Fail-Safe," when Snart stopped Sara from killing Stein. That was just so...un-Snart-like, I knew something big had changed. I think Snart does have feelings for Sara; I'm not sure he's ready to admit to himself what they are. But we can see that he's changed, and, well - love'll do that. I'm just saying. 

I'm not sure what Sara's feelings are yet. She and Snart certainly seem to get along the best out of all the Legends, whether that's starting a bar fight or, in this case, playing cards. Oh, and confiding in each other while nearly freezing to death. (I absolutely did not squeal when we saw Snart had given Sara his jacket to keep warm. Nope. Not at all.)

We'll see where the writers take it; personally, I can't stand to see good chemistry wasted. If they're setting up a Snart/Sara romance, I'm all for it. It can take awhile for all I care, as long as we get the payoff....And if it doesn't happen, I'll just be over here quietly shipping it anyway.

Character-wise, in finding he cares about the team, Snart's less inclined to act like the brutal, unfeeling criminal he was. Unfortunately, Rory doesn't understand this change, which leads us to the most tragic conflict of the episode:

RORY

It was genius to cast Heatwave and Captain Cold with the two actors who played brothers on Prison Break. Miller and Dominic Purcell brought that brotherly bond to Snart and Rory, which made the ending of this episode even more tragic.

Rory isn't my favorite character, but I do like him (really, if there was a show with just Snart, Rory, and Sara, I'd watch the heck out of it). He's a great contrast to Snart, which makes this conflict feel inevitable, with Snart growing and changing while Rory still just wants to burn and kill and steal. Rory's one good trait is his loyalty to Snart; that was emphasized by Snart's story about Rory saving him when he was jumped by the other kids in juvie. So we can understand Rory's sense of betrayal when Snart no longer sides with Rory's criminal inclinations.

Add on top of that Rip's insults, spewed from the depths of his desperate frustration, and Rory is done with the Legends. He may not be as smart as Snart, but he's still a very dangerous threat - now one that has to be taken care of.

The final scene of this episode is just heartbreaking. You can feel Rory's hurt and anger as Snart aims his gun at him. Wentworth Miller frikkin' got me in this scene; that anguish on his face was enough to make me start tearing up. Who would have thought that this show would make me cry? Freakin' Wentworth Miller - this scene is a stab to the gut, and the tears in Snart's eyes just make it all the more heart-wrenching.

In the end, though, did Snart kill Rory? I don't think so. That line - "Only one of us is walking out of here alive" - has me thinking maybe he froze his legs to the ground or something (if that's the case, nice one, writers). Really, though, it doesn't even matter if he let him live - the betrayal's been made, and I don't think it's one Rory will ever forgive Snart for.

Other sub-plots:

RAY

While the other Legends are experiencing a lot of doom and gloom, Ray, meanwhile, is his usual adorkable ray of sunshine; Brandon Routh has awkward charm down to a science. He goes out in the Atom suit to repair the hole in the ship, and we get a nice exchange between him and Kendra - before he, you know, nearly dies. 

While this is probably the second-weakest sub-plot, it did give us a scene where Ray's character was rounded out a little more. We don't always get to see much of him when the other Legends are experiencing their share of drama, so it was nice to see him get a bit more screen time.

KENDRA

Oh, Kendra; someday you'll get your own story line.

I've been waiting for Kendra to quit moping in the shadows and start being a frikkin' Legend. This episode she got to do some actual ass-kicking - woo! Finally!

I don't know if I'm 100% behind the whole Ray/Kendra thing - for one thing, it's going to be super awkward when Carter comes back (although that can be as far in the future as the writers want it to be, he was by far the worst actor on the show). But hey, why not - if this is what gives her more screen time, maybe that will lead to a plot line that doesn't involve a potential love interest.

Overall:

This episode was just pure fun, with a huge smack of heartbreak at the very end. It also had a ton of Star Wars and Star Trek references. Some people may have thought it was a bit much; I, however, was enjoying myself too much to care. The time pirates, while maybe not the most well established villains, were the necessary vehicle to get this story rolling, and once it did - wow! We learned so much about Rip, Sara, Snart, and Rory, as well as getting to watch Stein immensely enjoy kicking some butt. Throw in some fantastic fight sequences, DC Comics references as secret commands for Gideon to fly the ship (nice one, Rip), a scene that showcased the exceptional chemistry between Sara and Snart, and no Vandal Savage - this episode was all I ever wanted from Legends of Tomorrow. 

And now I'm in it for the long haul. Kudos to you, LoT Writers Room; I'm hooked!

5 Reasons Why Agent Carter Absolutely Needs a Season 3

What you are looking at above is one of the most badass women in the Marvel universe, and possibly one of the best female characters on television right now. Her name is Agent Peggy Carter, and she is wonderful, in every sense of the word.

You've seen me mention the show Agent Carter before, and there's a good reason I'm bringing it up again: because it needs to be renewed, and here are a few reasons why:

1) Peggy herself

The way the writers have crafted this character is phenomenal, and Hayley Atwell does a magnificent job playing this amazing woman. Peggy Carter is tough, intelligent, charming, witty, charismatic, and compassionate, a true leader who people rally around, because she inspires trust and compassion - she's an inspiration, period. Even her doubters, who initially scoff at her because of her gender, end up trusting her with their lives, and she never lets them down. 

She's a genuinely complex character, and it's fantastic to see a woman portrayed on screen who feels real. She's tough, but never cold; she's kind, but never weak. Even in her moments of potential weakness (which she has, because she is actually a multi-dimensional, complicated character), she has her friends to help her through, and Jarvis, Sousa, Rose, etc., would all follow her to the end of the line, and we as an audience can see why. Seeing a woman in a leadership position where she is so obviously in her element is awe-inspiring, and I would love to see more characters like her, both in the Marvel universe and in television/films in general.

Peggy Carter, ladies and gentlemen. If you don't love her, you are wrong.

2) Its uniqueness as a show

There's no doubt about it, there is no other show on television like Agent Carter. Its status as a period piece gives it a unique chance to give us a delightful run through the late 1940's, with fantastic costume design, classic cars, and nostalgic settings like a New York Automat; with its comic book roots, it's also able to have a little fun along the way.

While Season 1 was a bit more focused on drama, Season 2 lightened the tone considerably, bringing out the best comedy we've seen yet from the writers and actors, particularly James D'Arcy (as Edwin Jarvis). With the show settling comfortably into that vein of lightheartedness (for the majority of the season, anyway), we got some memorable sequences that cemented the kind of playfulness that I think can be seen as the show's signature: action sequences set to 1940's songs, Peggy's dream sequence with its homage to old Hollywood musicals, etc. 

You won't see anything like this on any other show, and the fact that Agent Carter can pull it off is a testament to its awesomeness, and the clarity and focus of its showrunners' vision.

3) Its perfect cast

We've already mentioned the magnificence that is Hayley Atwell. Do you know who else is fantastic? James D'Arcy as Edwin Jarvis - Peggy's loyal driver, best friend, surprise badass, and incredibly hilarious comic relief. I love the bond between Peggy and Jarvis - they truly would do anything for each other. Their friendship is the heart of the show; the fact that it started with Peggy punching him across the face now seems more than a little amusing.

I could spend all day describing these awesome actors - Enver Gjokaj as Daniel Sousa, I love him to death, he is a fantastic actor, and perfect for this role; Chad Michael Murray - even when Thompson is an a-hole, you still feel like there's more to him than he shows, and there is; Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, one of the great comedic highlights of any episode; and Wynn Everett as Whitney Frost - I mean wow, she knocked it out of the park; this is one scary-as-heck villain, but complex as well.

On top of it all, the actors all seem to genuinely enjoy working together and being on Agent Carter; it would be a crime to split up such a perfect cast, whose enthusiasm and love for the show they're in shines through in their amazing performances.

4) Potential story lines

Season 2 is way too soon to stop the show; there's just so many more story lines it could explore. This is the woman who founds SHIELD; wouldn't it be great to actually get to the point where we see her create it?

This works on the period drama side of things, too; how cool would it be to see the show move through the 50's, maybe even the early 60's, and watch how the stories evolve with the changing times? Season 1 dealt with the aftermath of World War II, Season 2 with the Red Scare and the beginnings of nuclear warfare - what other parts of history could be worked into the narrative?

Whatever the writers have planned for Season 3 (and they apparently do have something planned, we just need to get there), this show has so much more mileage in it, it would be a shame to cut it off when it's just found its niche.

5) THAT CLIFFHANGER

Even with cancellation looming on the horizon, the writers still ended the season on a cliffhanger. I really admire their optimism - but seriously, what the heck?? The key? Peggy's file?! Thompson??! If this show gets cancelled, we will never know the answer to these questions. And, according to the show runners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, apparently it's something pretty great. GAH.

So, what can we do to save the show? Here are a couple things ABC has said we can do to get their attention:

-Re-watch the episodes! Even if you just have Hulu running in the background while you do other stuff on your laptop, ABC keeps track of online views, so the more views Agent Carter gets, the better!

-Tell ABC! Use the link below to tell ABC what you love about the show and that they should renew it. Through the link, you can email them, or you can call them and leave a message. Both of these take less than 30 seconds to do - I both emailed and called them, and you can, too!

http://agentcarter.net/let-abc-know-how-much-you-love-agent-carter 

-Tweet/Facebook about it! Use Twitter and Facebook to get the message out #RenewAgentCarter

It's a complete shame such a wonderful show is facing cancellation, and we need to do something about it. Talk about it on social media, blog about it, join forces with your friends and/or fellow Agent Carter fans to blitz comment sections of articles about the show, like Agent Carter's Facebook page, etc. - if we're loud enough, we can make our voices heard! Let's "do as Peggy says" - #RenewAgentCarter!

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride and What It Means for Season 4

Well, it's been confirmed: filming for Season 4 starts in April 2016, and we'll have it on our televisions by January 2017. I'll not deny it, that's a lot of waiting, but at least we got a Christmas(ish) special to sate us while we wait. (Note: *SPOILERS AHEAD*)

And what a Christmas special it was! Completely and utterly insane, but so entertaining, and it gave us so many wonderful things:

Doctor Hooper! Molly rocks the mustache better than John, lol

Fat Mycroft! Good lord, lol

Spy Mary! I'm so glad they kept her back story

Mrs. Hudson and her protest of silence against her not speaking in the stories, lol
"Give her some lines, she's perfectly capable of starving us!"

And sight gags like this:

Speedwell's! In Internet speak: "Aw yiss!"

And of course, the ultimate reveal (or, one of them):

"Miss me?"

So, what did I think of the special? Well, let's talk about three things:

The MESSAGE: So, to my surprise (and I'm pretty sure everyone watching), this special ended up being about feminism.

As a feminist myself, I can't say that I found myself against the notion when I realized what the episode was truly about. I was just a bit taken aback, since I don't think any Sherlock episode before has really had a message. Was this a bold move or a potentially damaging one? (I suppose that question really sums up all the choices made for this episode!)

I confess I was a bit unsure of the execution when the camera lingered on Mary after Holmes and Watson went dashing out to solve another case. Is this whole episode going to be her complaining about how unfair it is for women in this time period?, I wondered. I mean, it certainly was unfair, but that wasn't what I'd come to watch.

But then Mary receives the message from Mycroft, and we discover a fantastic thing: that in this story line she's still a spy, and she, too, dashes off to solve the Abominable Bride case. I personally love this addition to the show's canon; I even sort of wish it was part of the Conan Doyle stories. Mary Watson is so rarely in said stories, and is so casually killed off, perhaps now we can say her many absences were because she was on spy missions, and her death must have happened in the field, so its true circumstances had to be hidden from Watson. I'll definitely keep that head canon, as it's so much better than what we have.

Through the mystery of the Abominable Bride, we are ultimately led to the secret society behind it, what Watson temporarily labels the League of Furies:

How to describe this scene? It's not offensive, at least not intentionally. I mean, the hoods were probably a poor choice, especially when you're trying to portray these women in a positive light, but I think the costumes were supposed to be purely for effect, not necessarily as part of their portrayal as women - as Moriarty says, "Is this crazy enough for you? Gothic enough?" The hoods were simply to invoke the mood of a classic Conan Doyle mystery, of shadowed halls and secret cults and mysteries stranger than our imaginings. So, I wasn't offended; I can see why other people might be, but I don't think that was ultimately the intent.

Then why was I still uncomfortable watching this?

After thinking about it, I realized it wasn't the message that was making me uncomfortable; it was the execution of said message. Because this speech is so heavy-handed, so smack-you-across-the-face, just not subtle at all.

I'm uncomfortable because it's bad screenwriting.

The whole episode stops in its tracks just for Sherlock to explain to us exactly what we're supposed to take away from this episode. There's no subtlety, no nuance, nothing for us to figure out for ourselves - no, it's just words, words, words. Ugh.

Up to this point, I really liked how the portrayal of the women of the Sherlock universe had been handled: Molly disguising herself as a man to be taken seriously in what's seen as a man's profession; Mary getting out from underneath John's condescension to solve cases and mysteries for the British government; Mrs. Hudson protesting her character's silence, because so many women are often ignored and made to think their words and opinions don't matter; and Lady Carmichael and her fellow Brides, taking up arms against a world that tells them they are lesser, that their suffering doesn't matter, that verbal and emotional abuse is their lot in life. I see all these women, and I understand them; perhaps murder is a bit much, but I understand the emotions behind it.

We don't need Sherlock Holmes to explain that to us.

It's interesting, actually, how Sherlock is portrayed as a feminist in this version, while in contrast John is portrayed as a misogynist (and pretty much any other -ist in the book). Sherlock sees Lady Carmichael as an intelligent and discerning individual, and says so. While he says it to spite her husband, it has a genuine ring to it, and that genuine respect holds true when he comes across the society of Brides. He understands their motives, their anger, their resentment, and thus their rebellion (he just explains it in a few too many words). 

Intriguingly, it seems that his feelings cross over to the modern universe, as we see Molly and Janine as two of the vengeful Brides, and also flashes of them from His Last Vow. I think we're supposed to conclude that Dr. Hooper's surprising hostility arises from Sherlock remembering Molly's anger at him for taking drugs, and knowing she would be angrier still if she knew he was on drugs now. Sherlock's guilt over deceiving Janine shows when her Bride self speaks of men betraying women and treating them badly. He knows he is one of those men, and so, in this drugged-up mess of a mind palace, he is condemning himself.

This crossing-over into the modern day story line leads us to our second important aspect:

OVERLAPPING UNIVERSES:

What do you think? Too much overlap? Just enough? Is it entertaining? Obnoxious? Clever? Too clever?

The mind palace is a narrative device introduced in Season 2 in The Hounds of Baskerville, and was featured prominently throughout Season 3, especially in His Last Vow. In this episode we see it as the story's ultimate framing device, as it's left vague as to whether modern Sherlock is creating his Victorian era persona via the mind palace and a pretty heavy drug cocktail, or Victorian era Sherlock is dreaming up modern Sherlock through a heavy dose of cocaine. To be honest, I love the ambiguity; the last shot especially is wonderful in showing the the two dimensions side by side and that Sherlock Holmes, no matter what century he's in, is always "a man out of his time."

What bothered me about the mind palace, though, is that it may have taken away from a perfectly good mystery. It's around the hour-mark that Holmes discovers the society of Brides, and in that we have our mystery solved. I don't know about you, but I've missed having good mysteries in Sherlock; Season 3 was good, but it didn't really have any great cases except for His Last Vow, and even that was more about Sherlock's own flaws and shortcomings than it was about the case itself. In The Abominable Bride, we actually got a pretty intriguing mystery, and to see it solved in the end was immensely satisfying. There was just one hang-up: Lady Carmichael. Why did she hire Holmes to uncover the society she herself was a part of? It's at this point that the mind palace really comes into play (and the last half hour of the special is completely crazy because of it), but I couldn't help feeling it took away from the satisfaction of a good resolution.

If we actually got a good mystery out of the mix, I think I might have been fine with just an hour-long special; they could have come up with a reason for Lady Carmichael to bait Sherlock Holmes. Maybe she wanted to see if he could figure it out, as a test; if he couldn't, they were safe from anyone else who would try to uncover them. If he could, then maybe they could ask him to join them, or at least help their cause. I don't know; I just know the mind palace part of it didn't feel strictly necessary.

Don't get me wrong; I love Andrew Scott as Jim Moriarty. I'm glad they were able to bring him back because he is just perfection as the off-kilter Jim. But in speaking of the story in general, I'm not sure the mind palace was really beneficial to it. 

The mind palace is a clever idea, and it definitely gives Sherlock as a show a unique look and feel. But the mind palace is only meant as a narrative tool; when it becomes the whole of the narrative structure, the show becomes purely style over substance...which brings me to what I'm worried about for Season 4.

SEASON 4:

At the end of The Abominable Bride, Sherlock announces that Moriarty is definitely dead, and he knows exactly what he's going to do next. All the rest of the characters, understandably, react to his statement like this: ???

So, is Moriarty dead or not? Did this special give us an answer? Well, I believe it did, so here's my interpretation of Moffat and Gatiss' hijinks:

The Abominable Bride started out as just one person, Emelia Ricoletti. When she died, her friends took her place - really, anyone could be the Bride, as shown by Janine and Molly dressing up as her to scare Lord Carmichael and to distract Holmes and Watson while Lady Carmichael killed her husband. 

How it ties into Moriarty is this: Moriarty is dead. However, other villains can still use his image to intimidate and to distract Sherlock and John from whatever's really going on. Like the Bride, Moriarty's identity can be taken on by anyone - including whoever's responsible for the image of his face flashing up on every screen in England. 

Of course, I may be wrong; you never know what insanity Moffat is going to pull out of his sleeve, and we've still got a good two or three months before filming starts for him to dream up a new interpretation of what's really going on. But I do think this theory makes the most sense in regards to the special. Even if Moriarty is dead, they can still bring Andrew Scott back via the mind palace, which I think is part of the reason why they're using it more and more.

BACK TO REALITYYYYY

My fear for Season 4 is that it will be more of Season 3. Not that Season 3 was bad, but it was nowhere near the kind of quality Seasons 1 and 2 were. Moffat and Gatiss are focusing less and less on good stories and more and more on the characters. It's not like they're bad characters, either; it's just that the stories need to be used as a vehicle to expand on those characters, not the other way around. The characters themselves don't have the chance to shine or evolve when the narrative around them is weak. To be fair, the show has gone through a lot of the more well-known Conan Doyle stories, but still, isn't adapting material what you're good at, "Mofftiss"? There are still so many stories left, surely you can find a way to create a good story out of some of the most entertaining mysteries ever written?

To be perfectly honest, even with its flaws, The Abominable Bride is a genuinely good piece of entertainment; I've watched it three times, and I know I'll watch it again. Its dialogue is well written, its characters are awesome, it has more than a few hilarious moments as well as some genuinely creepy scenes with the Bride, the mind palace is insane but enjoyable stuff, and all the Conan Doyle references really are a treat for anyone familiar with the stories. It just needed a bit more focus to be on par with the likes of A Scandal in Belgravia, A Study in Pink, The Reichenbach Fall, etc.

I hope Moffat and Gatiss realize what they need to work on and fix it, then take what they're good at already and wrap it all up in a good mystery. That's what we need for Season 4, and I can't wait to see what's in store for us when it does eventually come around.

January 2017 - we've waited this long, we can make it!