Legends of Tomorrow Episode 13
And we’re back in business. After last week’s rather inconsequential episode, it finally felt like Legends of Tomorrow got back to telling a story with some actual weight to it this week. If I’m reading this thing right, “Leviathan” is basically the first hour of a four hour season finale, and Legends has by far done its best work when it behaves as if it has no time to lose. Which it doesn’t. “Leviathan” wasn’t perfect, but it moved. Not only that, it really looked great. I don’t think I could possibly have been more impressed with the titular leviathan itself. The battle between Ray and that thing is really, genuinely something I can genuinely say I’ve never seen attempted on just about any genre show in recent years, and certainly not with that level of competency. Hell, it’s something we aren’t even likely to see in a superhero movie any time soon. It was clever, it looked as good as something like this could look on a TV budget, and I’m pretty satisfied. Not that this makes up for some of the stunning leaps in logic that came towards the episode’s climax. But I’ll get to that. Right now, I just want to sing this episode’s praises a little bit longer. In fact… That line, right there. Every now and then, Brandon Routh/Ray Palmer says/does something that just makes me throw my head back and quietly lament that Mr. Routh never got another crack at playing Superman. That’s a straight up Superman line, delivered with Superman’s resolve, by a guy who still looks a hell of a lot like Superman. And right about there is where I feel things started to wobble. I do not understand the Carter/Savage logic happening there at the end. I suppose it’s entirely possible that it’s a bluff. But here’s my real problem… Kendra’s “choice” here is complete bullshit. There is no choice. Hawkgirl has no compunction against killing, and the team is quite clear in the knowledge that this isn’t some superhero battle they’re fighting, it’s war. Savage has to die, nobody will complain, and it has to be Kendra who does it. It’s a war, and Kendra is a soldier. But the idea that she would put one life, soul mate or otherwise, over the lives of billions right there, well…that just doesn’t sit right with me. If Kendra’s bond with Carter is strong enough to have endured for thousands of years, that’s something that operates on instinct, right? It’s in her soul, her gut. But if that’s there, so are her warrior instincts. And I feel like no matter what, that same Chay-ara part of her that tells her she loves Carter so much would also be screaming, “of course this guy has to die right now…do you have any idea how many times he’s murdered us?!?” I just can’t find a way to justify any of this, because it all leads me back to two things: Savage is bluffing (re: Carter) and everyone is dumb and/or Kendra is screwing up royally here. It kind of undermines all the solid work they’ve been doing here. And to follow that up with another watery-eyed Kendra says to puppy dog-eyed Ray “we have to talk” scene? Nope. Uh-uh. What is this, Smallville? Enough. Solid effort tonight. I have a good feeling about the final three. I don’t know why. I haven’t seen them, nor have I visited the future. If last week was this show’s low point, it really still wasn’t all that bad, was it?
DC Universe Time Bubble
– Cassandra Savage isn’t from the comics, sadly. The Savage daughter that I really, desperately want to see on this show, and who would make such a perfect addition to this cast of characters next year is Scandal Savage, though. Holy moley, that needs to happen. – That one bit where one of Savage’s underlings approaches him turned me into a dumbass 13 year old for a second. UNDERLING: “Sir?” ME: “Make out! Make out, already!” Mike Cecchini is too exhausted to write himself a clever byline tonight. Follow him on Twitter or something.
