Zombies come to Legends. Yarp.
1. Yup, Zombies
I had hoped that this would be a backdoor pilot for a G.I. Zombie series or, at least, an introduction that character but, nope! We get a zombie virus from the future infecting confederate soldiers. It was an unexpected plot point, sure, but it was also a rather silly one, though one that the show managed to write some interesting story around (specifically, how killing zombies isn’t that hard, but that without sharpshooters or ample ammunition, it could be tricky).
I did find Stein’s ‘irrational fear’ of zombies to be a pretty funny, and it also established that Image Comics and “The Walking Dead” exist in the Arrowverse. So that’s a thing?
2. Easiest villains yet
It is pretty hard to root against confederates and slave owners who whipped and abused their slaves, and so this episode gave some really easy stakes for which to root. Of course, the show has also shown Nazis, so it isn’t exactly providing all that much moral grey area in terms of who the Legends go up against.
From the second he was shown on screen, we all wanted the slave owner to have his face eaten off by a zombie, and so there was great catharsis in that moment. The show was not at all subtle in showing the slave owner and his associates to be walking garbage, so much so that I wouldn’t be shocked if there were some Southerners of the White Nationalist persuasion who would cry misrepresentation here.
Similarly, it is hard to not root for Grant and the Union army, especially as Grant was a staunch supporter and attempted protector of African Americans throughout his life. I did sort of wish he shot Nate, just because that would’ve been pretty hilarious.
Also: I would take watching this Civil War than reading Marvel’s new “Civil War.” I’m a partisan bitch, though.
3. The long game with Ray
This week showed a lot about Ray, and continued to grow his character past ‘boy scout,’ which the first season didn’t do at all. Showing just how lost he feels without his Atom suit has been especially effective, and the show has been thankfully light on “your real power is your brain and heart” speeches thus far. His brilliance is still on display, even with a somewhat more somber tone.
But let’s be fair: somber for Brandon Routh is still pretty peppy for the rest of humanity, and the positivity he exudes can sometimes be a bit grating. It wouldn’t hurt his character to give him a bit more of an edge. We’ll get to that in the fifth bullet point.
4. Jax gets woke
The show really, really tried to give Jax some cultural context for the slaves he was encountering, and it mostly worked. Sure, we are all aware of the horrible practices of abuse and slavery, but to be forced to see it with our own eyes is something entirely different. The show also did a nice job not suddenly having Jax a student of history and an outspoken civil rights protester: he’s presented as a young man with a good heart but limited knowledge, which worked perfectly well here.
To see his transformation from “we have to follow the plan” to “fuck it, these lives are too important to not free” was a redemptive one, and worked far better than I thought it would have at the start of the episode. Showing Jax early on bump into a white woman, take her hand, look her in the eye and apologize, was the best scene of the episode that featured Jax. It showed him being a gentleman in his own time, and how those same actions made him a pariah in 1863.
I would love to see Jax be more socially aware, and perhaps make that part of his character when traveling through history. The dual pursuits of the mission and justice would be at odds often, and could add some nice tension to the story.
5. The new Captain Cold
I must admit, I did not see this one coming: having Ray potentially take up the cold gun with Mick at his side is a really fun idea. I loved the Cold/Atom flirtation we had last season, with Cold constantly calling him “Raymond,” and Mick’s moniker of ‘Haircut’ is an equally apt term for Ray. The boy scout and the scoundrel make an odd pairing, but last season saw that they had more in common than previously thought.
Continued belowOf course, all of that is undercut a bit by Mick cherishing his status as an outsider, and then promptly wanting someone to join him. Also, describing Snart as ‘the greatest outsider I’ve ever known’ seems a bit odd, as he sacrificed himself for the team and the good of humanity, and was the one who was often much more of a team player than Mick. Who knows, maybe he was just being modest.
This episode wasn’t the most inspiring to write about, but the show has hit a bit of a rhythm this season, and it has been a joy to watch. It is the physical manifestation of theoretical popcorn, and I’ve been digging it.
What about you? Tell me what you think about this season so far in the comments.
