This week on Legends of Tomorrow, the team recognized Charlie would need help wielding the Loom of Fate, and learned the Chalice of Dionysus would enable that by granting them godhood for a day — and it’s at Nate’s alma mater Howard University, along with the god of festivities himself. But can Sara defeat “Dion” in a game of beer pong? Well, she does have the power to see the future now…
1. Teen Movie Parody Time
This episode’s cornerstones appear to be Animal House and Neighbors, what with the depiction of college as a place of relentless partying, as well as the conspicuous homages to the former, from the flashback of Nate trying to steal the chalice as a student, to Dion’s rallying cry “whimsy! Whimsy! Whimsy!” (Which is a perfectly apt description of the show these days.) It’s appropriate for an episode featuring the god of debauchery, but I can’t help but wonder how a college story featuring more bookish, sensitive gods like Athena or Apollo would’ve gone down — when you think about it, movies and TV about college are still reflecting older writers’ memories of campus life, which may be very different from people my age.
But this is really a critique of other movies, a wish that college was receiving the same sincere treatment the likes of Eighth Grade and Lady Bird have given pre-college; this is Legends, and this is meant to be fun. I certainly got a big chuckle from the endless, pretentious names of the sorority houses, as well as the realization none of them were using the right Greek letters, and the sly Jump Street-esque gag about how everyone looks way too old to be here (“Being a grown up sounds weird.”)
2. “Best father-daughter weekend ever”
There’s a strong bite of social commentary too when we learn Lita’s counselor advised her to apply to Howard University, but the application fee was too high. Ava and Sara encourage her to take the tour while they’re there anyway, but Mick begins to feel he’s embarrassing her in front of the wealthy parents and their legacy kids, so he has Nate pose as her father while he goes back in time to invest in the college and get their name on a building: that’s right, Mick did the thing he was so troubled by last week. Lita sees the rechristened Rory Hall, but reminds him he’s a hero worth far more than any of those rich idiots, and that it wasn’t necessary — seriously, this storyline is so heartwarming. After helping him steal the chalice at the end of the episode, she quips it was the “best father-daughter weekend ever,” to which he sheepishly pats her on the back — probably best not to tell her mom.
3. Fitting In
The theme of not having to fit in continues with Astra, who’s primarily paired with Charlie this week: the two differ on how to get the chalice, with Astra wanting to just seize the thing, while Charlie believes they need to play by Dion’s rules and win it through his Chug Challenges. While trying out for a sorority so they can participate, the two’s bickering descends into physical violence, and they’re promptly “exiled” — fortunately, Zari suggests they start their own group, which they recruit three campus outcasts into.
It reinforces what Legends is about, that it’s a show about weirdos, by weirdos for weirdos: there’s a funny yet powerful moment when one of the girls realizes Sara is blind, and of course, where else on TV can you find a sorority with a blind leader? The Hell-raised Astra slowly realizes she has more in common with these folks than she realizes, and that there may be still be a place for her on Earth — and as her realization that they’ll need to sabotage Dion’s festivities on top of promoting their own party proves, you’ll always need a wildcard.
4. A God Appears
Because of their strong ties to the Wonder Woman and Aquaman corners of the DC Universe, I’ve long advocated Greco-Roman gods appearing on the show, and no offense to Charlie and her sisters, but Dion is a bona fide Olympian, so it was exciting. Riverdale‘s Drew Ray Tanner looked the part — he certainly has the body of a god — although he does seem too nice, and not sleazy enough, to ever feel like a potentially real thorn in the Legends’ side. Again, it’s only a light-hearted episode, but the mythological Dionysus’s parties were so wild they could deadly, and it would’ve made the character cooler if he seemed mad, bad, and dangerous to know.
Continued below5. Self-Cleaning Cup
I winced at the end when all the Legends took a swig from Dion’s chalice (except Zari, who pointed out it was haram, something I’m sure Muslim viewers appreciate wasn’t forgotten): even if there wasn’t a pandemic on, I’d still point out at church you have to wipe the chalice as it’s being passed around during communion. I guess the cup has got actual magic powers so it’s always clean, but that did get an awkward grin out of me.
Bonus thoughts:
– Sara in those shades and her sleeveless top just oozes Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.
– Using time corridors into turn doors into an entrance to a house in another country, neat.
– How did Zari get that gif of Beebo fighting Mallus? Is there a dramatized Legends of Tomorrow in-universe?
– I can’t believe it’s taken this long for the show to make a joke about Nate having literal buns of steel. On that note, Dru- I mean, Shotgun Nate remains Best Nate.
– Sara calling Dion a “d-bag” may be the best minced insult ever; likewise, the initiate who was an outcast because she “snarted” probably did something much worse in the original script.
So all but one of the Legends are immortal for a day, but will it help now that Lachesis has found out about Astra’s betrayal, and wants her to repay her debt? Guess we’ll see next week on “I Am Legends” (yes, really, and yes, it’ll probably be better than the movie).
