This week on Legends of Tomorrow, the team discovered a saber-toothed cat (Smilodon from now on) at P.T. Barnum’s Circus in 1870, and after making things worse as usual, they recruit Amaya again to help capture it. Meanwhile, Ray and Jackson get captured by Barnum, who needs a new star attraction after losing the Smilodon.
1. Titanic
In my review last week, I had some thoughts on Prof. Martin Stein’s arc. Now we know the context for his character this season, so let me just say I’m heartbroken: I was not expecting to say goodbye to both Peter Capaldi and Victor Garber on my favourite shows this year. I’ve adored Garber since I was a kid, because I’d watch Titanic on VHS repeatedly, and his portrayal of the kindly Mr. Andrews was my favorite character.
So that brings us to this week’s mini-Titanic reunion, with Billy Zane guest-starring as P.T. Barnum. After watching the episode, I feel no compulsion to look up Barnum or understand why the character couldn’t have been any old circus ringmaster. Also, it gave the writers an opportunity for a terrible in-joke, with Garber literally saying, “I refuse to set foot on the Titanic, whoever built that ship should be shot!” He delivers it with such gusto that you imagine he’s addressing it to everyone who allowed that line in.
2. B’wana Beast
B’wana Beast is such an outdated goofy Tarzan rip-off, but he was used so topically and effectively in Grant Morrison and Chaz Truog’s “Animal Man” run, so I was more than curious about his appearance on the show. He and Vixen even have a connection in the comics via the Red, the force that connects all animal life on the planet. However, this was B’wana Beast In Name Only, and that would’ve been fine had they not put him in the trailer to tantalize us all. He’s just a silent henchman that happens to have the comic book character’s costume, he did not, as I’d hoped, turn out to be the episode’s secret anachronism.
3. Hateful Nate
This episode was all about bringing back Amaya into the fold after she returned to 1943, because Ray’s allergies cause the team to lose the Smilodon. (Seriously, this episode rests on Ray’s allergy to cats.) Nate has a big strop about being dumped: he literally says after seeing her again that they were fine without her. Really Nate, when there’s a Smilodon loose in 1870? He gets drunk at a bar, exposes his powers to Barnum, causing the ringmaster to kidnap Ray and Jackson (why does he take them instead of the drunk metal man again?)
In response for being told off, Nate calls Amaya conceited. Drowning his sorrows also causes him to be unable to use his powers when he needs to, so he comes across as even more useless. This was probably an attempt to reverse the usual gender roles when depicting a break-up on screen, but his irrationality about his brief daliance left a bitter taste in the mouth. No offence to Maisie Richardson-Sellers, but all this tedious drama could’ve been avoided if the producers just recast Mari McCabe, as they did with Kuasa for this season.
4. Vicious Vixen
That said I like the arc they’ve come up with for Amaya for this season, of her losing control to the animal traits she calls upon. I didn’t think much of her killing the Belgian soldiers last week because of the colonialism, but she almost killed Barnum, as unlikeable as he was, in front of a crowd. Back on the Waverider, she talks about how she fears she lost control after savaging the Belgians, some of whom were only boys, which reminds us as superhero stories should that an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind.
Going back to my criticisms of the handling of Vixen, I feel Mari’s absence is hurting the show. I would’ve much preferred to see Amaya’s meeting with her and Rip, instead of being told about it.
5. Gary
Are we’re supposed to know who Gary is, given Sara recognizes him? Could this gap-toothed agent be the one she seduced into giving her the Time Bureau card last week? If so, poor Sara. The captain spends this episode largely on the Waverider developing a rapport with Miss Trunchbull, sorry, Agent Sharp, who can actually fight. I hope Sharp will turn out to be the agent Sara hooked up with. Shame we didn’t see the two team up and improvise a way to contain the Smilodon though.
Continued belowBonus thoughts:
– I loved how everyone laughed about Mallus. It’s a superhero universe, there’s always something evil on the horizon.
– Who’d win in a shrinking contest between Ray and Brainiac?
– Mick must’ve seen It, but which version?
– “Man of Steel”? Heaven help us if the show ever goes to Stalinist Russia.
– I forgot to mention last week “Aruba-Con” was a pun on the Rubicon because I didn’t realise that. This is the genius reviewing the show for you folks.
Next week: Zari.
