On the 100th episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Gideon collapsed while helping Astra and Spooner find their way to Gwyn Davies. Astra cast a spell to enter her mind, where she and Spooner met a subconscious representation of Jax, who directed them to repair Gideon’s fractured psyche with a trip down memory lane.
1. Gang’s (Almost) All Here
As well as Franz Drameh as Jax, this episode sees the return of (deep breath) Victor Garber (Martin Stein), Brandon Routh (Ray Palmer), Courtney Ford (Nora Darhk), Arthur Darvill (Rip Hunter), Wentworth Miller (Leonard Snart), and even Falk Hentschel (Carter Hall, aka Hawkman.) It was great to see all these faces again, as well as Sara Lance in her original outfit (which must’ve fun for Caity Lotz to direct in), and to be reminded of how much this show has changed, as well as to witness unseen events from the previous seasons.
That said, it was pretty conspicuous who didn’t come back for new footage: we got Hawkman, but not Ciara Renée as Hawkgirl, even though her musical background would’ve been great for all the songs in this episode. Mick Rory appears, but Dominic Purcell doesn’t, with a double filling in the character having a hangover in a single scene; Purcell clearly didn’t feel like coming back, but given how long he was on the show, it’s weird Mick isn’t in the final corridor scene. Still, I’m grateful for how many cast members they did bring back (and while Maisie Richardson-Sellers didn’t appear as Amaya or Charlie, she did direct an episode last season.)
2. Bishop’s Also Back
The other (real) Legends are a no show this week, with the only additional storyline being the younger Bishop regaining his memories of his abduction by the team, and his traumatic memories of nearly being killed by his older self’s monstrosities. He works out that he made a copy of Gideon from the Waverider‘s computer, with the implication being that he created the evil version that tries to take over her in this episode. But this has never been a non-linear show, and these aren’t flashbacks…
3. That’s Life
Gideon’s angry alter-ego is not really a virus, but instead a manifestation of her fear and uncertainty about becoming human. She reveals she came to love the Legends because Rip reprogrammed her to prioritize them over the timeline, as she was dubious about his plan to recruit them against Vandal Savage, which leaves her in a depressed state, wondering if her evolution from officious A.I. to empathetic soul was all a delusion. However, after Astra and Spooner take her through some happier memories, Gideon realizes she doesn’t have to destroy her dark side, but merely assert her dominance: to be human is to live with loss and self-doubt, the bad as well as the good, otherwise you might as well be a robot. When you think about it, none of us consent to being born and becoming a person with relationships, which are sometimes wonderful and sometimes painful, but like Gideon does here, we just have to accept it and move on.
4. Will Not, Can Not, Stop Making Fun of Itself
Drameh gets to use a British accent as Jax here, because it’s apparently how Gideon (herself voiced by fellow Brit Amy Pemberton, with her own accent) remembers him. Subconscious Jax quips the answer may be that he sounds cooler, which Astra replies is “debatable,” something that made me laugh because Olivia Swann is also British. Later, she complains after hearing Rip for the first time that he’s also British, and it’s like Swann is going to smash the fourth wall and ask why she had to use an American accent.
Similarly, the first thing Evil Gideon’s version of Zari 1.0 does is place a donut in her mouth, while Sara and Ava immediately call each other “babe” when they confront Astra and Spooner, as if the writers were apologizing for overusing that term. Also a Beebo toy shows up, and Astra is naturally disgusted by it; Legends writers, please don’t feel the need to apologize for it, this was the 100th episode, and for better or worse, he’s the most iconic character on the show.
Continued below5. No, Bishop Really is Back
Bishop is understandably mad that the Legends used him and then attempted to send him back on his maniacal path, and he uses his copy of Gideon (reset with her original personality) to plot his revenge. I’m guessing he found blueprints stored within her to build his own time ship and destroy the Waverider, and y’know what? I hope it causes the Legends to do some soul searching about how flippantly they wiped his memory. I’m glad the writers decided not to forget about it — say what you will about Rip, but if he understood Gideon needed to care more about people than destiny, then so should Sara, Ava, Nate et al.
Bonus Thoughts:
– What show would dare have such a complex title for its 100th episode? This one does.
– Using every iteration of the show’s logo for the title card was simply great.
– I’m honestly not sure if I ever heard “Love Will Keep Us Together” until seeing this episode: I wonder what Toni Tennille would make of the song being called bad but also good.
Congratulations to the Waverider crew on reaching 100 episodes: this isn’t quite the episode I ever imagined it would be, but it was still a lovely reunion party. See you all next time for “Speakeasy Does It.”
