DC's Legends of Tomorrow

[Jeff of Earth-J]

[Richard Willis]

The show Timeless is really wild. They actually go back to try to stop history from being changed, and some things get changed anyway.

[Captain Comics]

I must be going deaf, because I kept hearing "the sphere" when they said "the spear" and "Holy Lands" when they said "Holy Lance." Didn't ruin the ep for me, but I was always self-correcting what I thought I heard and missing the next thing said.

But it was fun, and I wrote this week's column on the Legion of Doom, so had reason to look at some of it again. There's a lot of fun bits, like Amaya telling young George Lucas "You're our only hope" and the trash compactor scene.

I also thought it clever that the writers were winking at the audience with a lot of this stuff. Like Rip Hunter as a director pissed off because his Vandal Savage actor doesn't deliver a sense of menace -- which was exactly the critical reaction to the Vandal Savage on the show. And later he says that the Spear of Destiny is just a McGuffin -- which it is in the A plot, too, unless you really believe the bad guys are going to win (which they won't).

It was pretty clever, I thought.

[JohnD]

I agree, this was a clever episode. When Steel  and Atom asked the ship to decide on the movie they were going to watch at the end of the episode, was anyone but me rooting for American Graffiti? I for one would hate for that film to be lost to history because George only found interest in Syfy/action adventure films.

Captain Comics said:

I must be going deaf, because I kept hearing "the sphere" when they said "the spear" and "Holy Lands" when they said "Holy Lance." Didn't ruin the ep for me, but I was always self-correcting what I thought I heard and missing the next thing said.

But it was fun, and I wrote this week's column on the Legion of Doom, so had reason to look at some of it again. There's a lot of fun bits, like Amaya telling young George Lucas "You're our only hope" and the trash compactor scene.

I also thought it clever that the writers were winking at the audience with a lot of this stuff. Like Rip Hunter as a director pissed off because his Vandal Savage actor doesn't deliver a sense of menace -- which was exactly the critical reaction to the Vandal Savage on the show. And later he says that the Spear of Destiny is just a McGuffin -- which it is in the A plot, too, unless you really believe the bad guys are going to win (which they won't).

It was pretty clever, I thought.

[Captain Comics]

Strange that George never used the Spear of Destiny in Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Incidentally, I always associated Raiders with Spielberg more than Lucas. How am I wrong, movie fans?

[JD DeLuzio]

You're not wrong. Spielberg directed. Lucas co-authored the story and produced.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

SPOILERS ......

What was it Captain Janeway said about time travel?  "It gives me a headache"?  I feel her pain.

Last week opened with Rip killing Washington on Christmas Day to lure the Legends to 1776 and celebrating by giving some redcoats modern weapons.  The Legends travel back to Christmas Eve, 1776, to warn and save Washington ... and up pops Rip with all of his anachronistically-armed redcoats.

I guess that works, if we assume that Rip anticipated that the Legends would come back on the 24th, and time traveled back from the 25th with all of his little army to trap them.  But it does raise the question of exactly how the Legion are time travelling.  Since I don't recall seeing a timeship, I've been assuming that Thawne was ... well, carrying the others through the time barrier.  But it's hard to imagine that he'd do that for all of those redcoats.  Did I miss something?  Do they have a ship?

This week, we learn that Camelot was created by Star Girl.  But Arthur, Guinevere and Galahad are real.  So did she manipulate their destinies to shape a Camelot that wouldn't have otherwise existed?  And if so, where did she get the idea to do that?  Are we looking at one of those information paradoxes?

Ow ow ow!

[ClarkKent_DC]

A long time ago -- back when I used to care about Star Trek -- I read The World of 'Star Trek' by David Gerrold, who wrote the script for "The Trouble With Tribbles" episode.* He mentions some cowboy movie where, during filming, one of the actors showed up wearing a period-accurate mustache ... and was laughed off the set. As Gerrold put it, movies and TV aren't about accuracy; they're about putting contemporary man in a period setting, be it the distant past or the far future.

Which is to say, if you want accuracy, Legend of Tomorrow is NOT the place to get it. Me, I'm trying to figure why "protecting history" means protecting only Earth's history.

That said, this show is increasingly sinking into the realm of "turn your brain off and watch." 

*I also read David Gerrold's book The Trouble With Tribbles, about the making of that episode. It's good reading.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

ClarkKent_DC said:

That said, this show is increasingly sinking into the realm of "turn your brain off and watch." 

I can't disagree, except from my point of view that's an improvement. Last season it was closer to "Turn off your brain, and the TV while you're at it."

[Richard Mantle]

I'm in the 'Much Improved' camp.
Last season was barely watchable, now most of each episode is just about bareable.
I really miss Captain Cold but Steel us working well and thankfully Mr Rory is getting some great moments.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Getting rid of the Hawks and Rip was a huge improvement -- they traded up with Vixen and Steel. And now with Rip as a bad guy, he's actually watchable. And I miss Snart too, but Rory has really stepped up his game.

[Richard Willis]

On April 4, Legends of Tomorrow will air its season finale in Flash's time slot, followed by iZombie.

[Doctor Hmmm?]

Props for the Hall of Doom and the LOL Prison Break joke.