Legends of Tomorrow Season 3 Episode 10
What if Amaya just isn’t that interesting? And that overarching story is great! It’s a really effective vehicle for a solid Sara Lance episode. Unfortunately, the other two story strands of this week’s episode never really weave together: the Sara story is a pretty straightforward horror tale, with imagery lifted from lots of other exorcism media, while most of the rest of the gang just hangs out being funny or trying to help exorcist-receiver (exorcisee? No, that sounds lewd) Nora Darhk. That’s a jarring tone shift, but something Legendshas pulled off a bunch in the past. The third story is Amaya and Kuasa trying to…talk? I guess? The show uses this week to start telegraphing its endgame. Mallus has invaded the body of a young woman in a mental hospital in present day Star City. Constantine comes to exorcise her, hears her saying Sara’s name, and decides to go chat with Captain Lance about what she might have to do with this person. So a team goes to help with the exorcism, while Zari and Ray keep working on an anti-magic nanite gun (so, if we’re being simple, an anti-magic tv magic gun) and Mick watches football live for the first time in three years. Kuasa shows up to defend the posessed girl, and Amaya and Nate freeze her and bring her back to the ship while Mallus controls the body of young Nora to send Sara, Leo Snart and Constantine back to 1969. While they try and fight their way back, Zari discovers Nora in the hospital and decides to take her out for a day on the town with Ray. They end up at CC Jitters, where Nora gets possessed by Mallus again, and we find out that Zari’s totem is one of “the six” that are a real problem for Mallus. We’re supposed to transfer this big happening’s importance over to Amaya too – her Tantu sorry Anansi Totem and Kuasa’s water totem are also part of “the six.” But it’s bad for Amaya that the biggest development in her portion of the plot this episode happens in someone else’s story. I honestly think it’s because people recognize how boring and bloodless her interactions with Kuasa are. They’re hollow melodrama, not entertaining or particularly well written or acted. Amaya goes from wanting to free Kuasa to wanting to refreeze her in the space of about 30 seconds, with no real explanation or natural progression. It’s a shame, too, because otherwise this episode was a lot of fun. Sara and Constantine have meaningless, damaged person sex. Mick and Snart are an absolute riot. Ray and Zari continue to glow together on screen. Constantine is pretty handsome. Did I mention Constantine? It feels like I’m being harsh on Legends: this was a good episode, one I enjoyed watching a great deal. It’s just…this is the best DC show on television* and I know it can do better. After two and a half seasons of generally stellar TV, I have faith that it will, too.
DC Universe Time Bubbles
– Hear me out: what if it’s not Mallus. What if the big secret of the issue is that he’s actually MalICE, the ex-Marauder who inhabited Polaris for like, 30 issues of Uncanny X-Menback in the 80s? No? Wrong company? Okay, fine, good point. – Speaking of underutilized plots, I’m not entirely sure why they brought Leo Snart into the show for a couple of episodes other than “because he was available” and “because it’d be fun.” I don’t actually mean to complain here, except that he’s gone now and I want more Captain Cold and Heat Wave time. – “Astra,” who Mallus names as someone Constantine “already failed,” is a reference to his show. Astra Logue died when Constantine screwed up an exorcism early in his own show. Her comics history is DARK AF. Don’t look it up. – Best bit of the episode is Mick confusing his Englishmen. – “Room 237” is a reference to The Shining. That’s the room Danny isn’t allowed into. – The big revelation for the plot is that Mallus is some sort of demon. I think smart money is still on a Legion villain, only now I’ve moved away from the Time Trapper and over to Mordru the Merciless, an invincible sorcerer who lived for thousands of years. We’ll see – I’m going to keep guessing these Legion villains until somebody finally uses them and proves me right all along. – Next week: RIP ESCAPED THE POKEY!
