"Enter Flashtime:" An Objective Lesson On Valuing Your Spouse's Opinion

The Good: Decent performances, Good direction, Interesting science
The Bad: Not particularly character-driven
The Basics: The Flash creates an engaging problem for the Speedsters to try to solve in "Enter Flashtime."


Every now and then, less for quite some time now, there comes an hour of television that actually keeps me guessing in a way that I end up sufficiently entertained by it. The Flash has gone a long time without having that kind of episode. But with "Enter Flashtime," I actually found myself guessing for almost the entire episode. Indeed, as the protagonists run out of options for a solution to their scientific problem, I kept waiting for the episode - which is entirely incongruent with the rest of the fourth season's plots - to integrate and I bet, fairly early on, that the solution to the "exploding bomb" problem was to let the bomb explode and let a new metahuman solve the problem.

I was wrong, though. Instead, "Enter Flashtime" is all about the value of listening to your spouse.

"Enter Flashtime" follows "Subject 9" (reviewed here!), but does not actually relate to that episode in a significant way. Harry Wells's subplot in "Subject 9" becomes the point for the family drama between Jesse and Harrison Wells in "Enter Flashtime."

Opening with Barry Allen accelerating Iris to his speed to tell his wife that he cannot save everyone this time, the episode flashes back to just under nine minutes prior, where The Flash is training rigorously to run fast enough to enter a breach. Failing to get to a breach Ramon created, Harrison Wells summons Iris and Barry to a meeting where he shows the team that DeVoe had been planning the bus debacle for three years prior to its execution. Jesse Wells arrives from Earth-2, where she and Harry have it out about his inability to talk about her dead mother. The conversation ends abruptly when Detective West is in a shootout at Wade Airfield when he calls for help from the S.T.A.R. Labs team.

The Flash and Jesse Quick find themselves in accelerated time as a prototype nuclear device is detonated. While Jesse goes to Earth-3 to recover Jay Garrick, Barry brings Cisco Ramon and Harrison Wells into "Flashtime" where they recognize the properties of the weapon and how to stop it from destroying Central City. As the three speedsters make various attempts to stop the bomb, Barry debates with his peers creating a breach that will place the explosion in the Speed Force, risking the Speed Force for speedsters throughout the multiverse and all time!

"Enter Flashtime" is well-performed, but heavy on the jargon and it is a surprisingly engaging episode where people work to focus on solving a technical problem. As a result, the bulk of the episode is not character-driven and does not allow the performers to do any powerful acting. Sure, Grant Gustin does a great job of looking concerned, confused, and like he is frustrated, but that is pretty much Barry Allen solving any problem.

Until the episode's climax, where Tom Cavanaugh and Violett Beane rock out a heartfelt, character-driven scene between Harry and Jesse, "Enter Flashtime" is better-directed than it is notably performed or interesting on any character level. "Enter Flashtime" is an episode of The Flash that does not seem to add to the season's overall storyline through its plot, though it is a surprisingly engaging bottle episode.

If nothing else, "Enter Flashtime" reinforces that if you're married, it helps to consult your spouse first for important decisions and it is entertaining. But, it's a pretty basic super hero problem solving episode.

7.5/10

For other television reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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All The Women Return To "Fort Rozz!"

The Good: Good performances, Decent direction, Fun team-up plot
The Bad: Undermines all the main characters for the sake of plot convenience, Predictable
The Basics: "Fort Rozz" and Livewire return to Supergirl for a mediocre team-up storyline!


The DC Television Universe shows have one fundamental problem with their formula: all of them have a super-hero who is surrounded by an ensemble of strong supporting characters. All of the works in the DC Television Universe stand on the idea that no person is an island. The result is that all of the shows are team shows and in some ways Supergirl suffers the most. Unlike Arrow, The Flash, Legends Of Tomorrow or even Black Lightning, Supergirl is bloated with powerful characters and it makes it especially difficult to make compelling adversaries who are able to realistically threaten Supergirl or National City. Between Supergirl and the Martian Manhunter, though, there are few adversaries that the pair could not - realistically, based upon their abilities - take in a fight. Indeed, outside magical adversaries, a Kryptonian and a Martian are pretty much on par with every Earth-based DC Comics villain and with the additional support team of Superman in a neighboring city, allusions to Batman, and the full DEO team, Supergirl is unfortunately hero-heavy. In fact, it is so overloaded with heroes now that the Legion Of Super Heroes has arrived from the 31st Century, it is hard to suspend one's disbelief to believe that Reign - a Kryptonian who has a much greater charge of Earth's sun than Superman or Supergirl but is backed only by religious fanatics - could actually be such an effective adversary against so many heroes.

Despite the overpower aspect of the good guys on Supergirl, "Fort Rozz" begins with the idea that Reign is such an amazing threat that Kara has to enlist others to help her on a mission. "Fort Rozz" picks up after "Legion Of Super-Heroes" (reviewed here!) and the set-up is that Reign is such an inscrutable and powerful enemy that Kara has to make a new team to simply get intelligence on the Kryptonian. With Alex out of commission, Kara turns to Psi and Livewire for a team-up infiltration mission.

With DEO intelligence on Reign sorely lacking and Alex home with a broken leg (and taking care of Ruby), Kara learns that the only people who might have information on Reign are imprisoned in Fort Rozz. Fort Rozz has taken up orbit around a Blue Giant star, which leaves Supergirl without her powers and in a position that is fatal to anyone with a Y-chromosome. Kara assembles a team of women with powers she believes she can trust - Saturn Girl, Livewire, and Psi - to journey to Fort Rozz to find Jindah Kol Rozz, a Priestess imprisoned there who knows about Reign.

On Fort Rozz, the team discovers all of the cells open and all the imprisoned men there dead. When they are attacked by an inmate, Psi puts a whammy on Irma. After putting Psi and Irma in a safe place on the Legion ship to watch over their prisoner, Livewire and Supergirl head to find Jindah. Psychically attacked by Jindah Kol Rozz, Supergirl is entirely helpless and separated from her allies when Reign arrives to stop her!

"Fort Rozz" is a pretty familiar team-up episode which puts the heroine in a place where she is forced to rely upon her enemies. The episode adds predictable adversity, like a solar flare which will destroy Fort Rozz and puts a ticking clock on the mission in space, and Reign showing up on Fort Rozz. The whole episode has a fairly formulaic execution. Indeed, as Reign and Livewire square off, it is easier for viewers to recall that Supergirl was only able to defeat he with the aid of water and The Flash when reason failed. Reign's ability to harm Livewire is problematic given the precedent from past episodes.

Livewire has a decent arc in "Fort Rozz." She has gone underground because Reign has slaughtered many of her criminal friends. That makes for a sensible motivation for Livewire and her arc is well-executed in "Fort Rozz." Leslie Willis has grown and developed over the course of Supergirl and in "Fort Rozz" it shows. The way Kara reached Willis on her last appearance led her to make real changes and she is a surprisingly compelling character in this go-around.

The episode features a b-plot involving Alex and Ruby. Alex is contacted by Maggie, who wants her passport back. This is a fairly ridiculous conceit as Alex mentions that Maggie traveled a lot; she was not in a rush when she left the apartment she shared with Alex. As such, it is entirely unrealistic that Maggie would have left behind her passport . . . or that it would have taken months for her to ask for it back (whatwith her needing it to satisfy her penchant for travel). This leads Alex and Ruby to have a conversation and allows Alex to bond with Ruby over Ruby being bullied. As the two go off to confront Ruby's bully, the viewer has the sense that the show is moving inexorably in the direction of Alex ending up with custody of Ruby (thus giving her the child - having children being the issue that broke up her and Maggie - and making losing Maggie somehow "acceptable").

Unfortunately, "Fort Rozz" gives Supergirl a good new direction while undermining all the impact of the established villains. Jindah Kol Rozz alludes to Reign's potential allies who need to be found, which offers a good new direction for Supergirl. But Psi has the information about who Reign is and the means to transmit that information to Supergirl or J'onn J'onzz . . . who could put it together. Barring that, Alex now has key information that would allow her to recognize that Samantha Arias is Reign and given how smart and efficient Alex has been in the past, it is disappointing that "Fort Rozz" does not climax with her putting it together.

On the acting front, Sarah Douglas makes an awesome return to the Superman franchise - too briefly - in the role of Jindah Kol Rozz. She makes decent use out of her time on screen, but is given shockingly little to do in the episode. It is Brit Morgan who rules over "Fort Rozz." Morgan manages to be snarky as Livewire, but exhibit an emotional side that shows more range than she was previously allowed. Livewire is hurt by the loss of her friends and scared that she might be next and Morgan plays that emotional gamut well.

Ultimately, though, "Fort Rozz" is a very average episode of Supergirl that is supposed to feel like the stakes are being raised, but instead plods along making the viewer wonder just how inefficient Supergirl and her allies truly must be.

For other Supergirl episodes with Livewire, please visit my reviews of:
"We Can Be Heroes"
"Worlds Finest"
"Livewire"

5/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2018 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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"Into The Speed Force" Is A Surreal Exploration For The Flash!

The Good: Good character work, Decent special effects, Generally good performances
The Bad: Very predictable (and derivative) plot, Very obvious character arcs
The Basics: The Flash goes "Into The Speed Force" to rescue Wally West, while Jesse Quick finds a way to confront Savitar.


One of the conceptual issues with The Flash - both on television and in the comic book source material - is explaining the science of the superhero in a satisfactory way. A long time ago, the abilities of The Flash were revealed not so simply be a chemical reaction that was mixed with lightning, resulting in super-powers. In addition to having altered DNA and a physiology that can be both drained of energy needed to move at super speeds and can act as a speed capacitator (anyone else notice how fast The Flash got away from Barry Allen eating massive amounts of food in order to sustain his energy to be able to run fast?!), Barry Allen gains speed through artificial means - using a tachyon collector developed by Eobard Thawne - and by tapping into a mystical "Speed Force." The Speed Force was namedropped surprisingly abruptly in The Flash well before is was explored in the surreal episode "The Runaway Dinosaur" (reviewed here!). "The Runaway Dinosaur" made the Speed Force into a transdimensional entity of sorts; the Speed Force had a persona and a characterization and The Flash has not satisfactorily found a way to scientifically explain the phenomenon.

So, as the third season progresses and The Flash is forced to go "Into The Speed Force" in his attempt to stop Savitar, the viewer might reasonably be on edge about how the show will deal with that. "Into The Speed Force" follows on the heels of the unfortunately erratic "The Wrath Of Savitar" (reviewed here!), which saw Savitar giving excessive exposition on who and what he is and what the Speed Force is. It also set up "Into The Speed Force" with an unfortunate potential to be entirely derivative. After all, when Savitar manifested in our world, he abducted Wally West to take his place within the Speed Force. Genre fans instantly see the potential of Barry Allen going into the Speed Force as having a plot and character arc identical to what Gunn went through in the final season of Angel (reviewed here!), with Gunn taking Lindsay's place in hell as a form of self-punishment. "Into The Speed Force" is very surreal, like "The Runaway Dinosaur" and is a moody piece that is obsessed with consequences more than giving viewers new information or advancing The Flash.

Barry Allen is moralizing about how the current predicament with Savitar is his fault, because of Flashpoint, when he makes the decision to return to the Speed Force. While the S.T.A.R. Labs team works on creating a technological tether which will allow them to monitor Barry's vital signs, Barry charges Jesse with keeping Central City safe while he is gone. Cisco once again vibes Barry into the Speed Force. As with his prior excursion there, Barry encounters surreal visions of people in his life, most notably individuals he has lost - Eddie Thawne, Ronnie Raymond, and Henry Allen.

With Barry exploring the consequences of the actions of all those who have died in his life, the S.T.A.R. Labs team analyzes the piece of armor Barry severed off Savitar. When Zoom attacks The Flash inside the Speed Force, Barry goes a level deeper by sacrificing his tether to our world. As Barry squares off against Leonard Snart and encounters Jay Garrick, Jesse confronts Savitar and has an inspired victory against him.

"Into The Speed Force" is more familiar than it is audacious, at least to fans of The Flash and science fiction. Blending the images of those who have died - or never existed because of their actions - with a protagonist who has a profound emotional realization to make is nothing new in genre works. "Into The Speed Force" does not add anything significant to that plot concept.

Jesse L. Martin is good during his brief time on screen in "Into The Speed Force." Martin has wonderful emotional range and in "Into The Speed Force" he uses his body language to present Joe West as a man nervous, broken, somewhat beaten down. He is a man suffering the loss of his son and dreading the potential loss of his other son. Martin gives a delightfully subtle performance as West during otherwise mundane dialogue with Barry Allen.

Similarly impressive is Grant Gustin's performance in "Into The Speed Force." While there is the delightful moment for the viewer when Wentworth Miller makes his appearance, Grant Gustin consistently delivers in "Into The Speed Force." Gustin manages to give a forceful and interesting emotional performance in "Into The Speed Force" without simply turning on the waterworks or playing off Candice Patton's emotional performances.

The character dynamic between Jesse Quick and H.R. Wells is engaging in "Into The Speed Force." Jesse experiences the loss of Wally West incredibly hard as she had a budding romance with him. H.R. is still trying to find his place on Team Flash and in "Into The Speed Force," he actually serves a decent purpose. The portrayals of H.R. and Jesse are so good in "Into The Speed Force" that viewers who were new to The Flash would never guess that Tom Cavanaugh and Violett Beane had worked together playing different versions of their characters.

"Into The Speed Force" is not at all bad, but it is surprisingly unremarkable. It is the point at which viewers might reasonably come to believe that The Flash does not have any new material to present . . . or is unsure how to present any familiar conflicts in a new way.

For other works directed by Gregory Smith, please visit my reviews of:
"Invasion!" - Legends Of Tomorrow
"Leviathan" - Legends Of Tomorrow
"Marooned" - Legends Of Tomorrow

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into The Flash - The Complete Third Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the third season here!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other television and movie reviews, please visit my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Neglect The Team: The Legends Of Tomorrow Are Minimized For "Invasion!"

The Good: Moments of plot motivation, Special effects, Performances
The Bad: Minimizes the Legends Of Tomorrow characters, Minimal character development, Surprisingly few big moments for the actors to rise to.
The Basics: "Invasion!" concludes with the Legends Of Tomorrow, who get pushed aside for big moments for Cisco, Barry Allen, Supergirl and the Green Arrow.


If there was a show that needed a crossover episode with another show or shows less than Legends Of Tomorrow, it does not come readily to mind. After all, the super-team-up series was created out of supporting characters from Arrow and The Flash and in its second season, the series ditched its only unique character (and adversary) and introduced more new characters, while borrowing villains from both The Flash and Arrow. And yet, when the Dominators were introduced in The Flash episode "Invasion!" (reviewed here!), the Waverider crew was called back to Earth, 2016 to help in the fight. The story that climaxed with several members of the Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl and Legends Of Tomorrow team getting abducted by the Dominators continued on Arrow with their "Invasion!" episode (reviewed here!), which included the Legends Of Tomorrow heroes White Canary and Ray Palmer (who originated on Arrow). Legends Of Tomorrow concludes the "Invasion!" and finally informs viewers where Firestorm was while Sara Lance and Ray Palmer were aboard the Dominator ship and The Flash and Supergirl were working to save them!

For fans of Legends Of Tomorrow who have skipped the crossover episodes on the other shows and are picking up "Invasion!" right after "Outlaw Country" (reviewed here!), the main continuity issue to grasp with is that between the final shots of "Outlaw Country" and the beginning of The Flash's "Invasion!" Ray Palmer built a brand new Atom suit . . . and at some undefined point within the episode, during an alien invasion, he found time to paint it. And the content of the mysterious message that Barry Allen sent to the Waverider was revealed.

The five abductees are returned to Earth and after Thea is returned home, Dr. Heywood pitches going back to Redmond Oregon, 1951, when the Dominators first visited Earth. Oliver Queen asks Kara Danvers to stay in the present, even though he acknowledges it is wrong for him do push back that way. While Felicity and Cisco geek out on the Waverider, Dr. Snow brings Lily Stein (Professor Stein's daughter) to S.T.A.R. Labs to help Dr. Stein figure out how to use nanotechnology to defeat the Dominators. In 1951, Rory, Heywood and Jiwe witness the Dominators taking out much of the Army. While the trio is able to incapacitate a Dominator, they are abducted by men in black.

While The Flash, Arrow, White Canary and Atom prepare to meet with the new President Of The United States and are abducted instead by the men in black, in the past, Heywood learns why the Dominators are on Earth. The Dominators came to Earth when they recognized a potential threat from the J.S.A.'s metahumans! The leader of the men in black explains that Barry Allen broke a silent truce Earth had with the Dominators when he created the Flashpoint-tangent. The Dominators are willing to live in peace again if Barry Allen turns himself over to them. Cisco vibes him and Heywood into the Dominator ship where the Dominator they saved declares that metahumans must be stopped before they become a threat to the Dominator homeworld. When the Dominators drop their anti-metahuman bomb on Earth, Dr. Stein's anti-Dominator weapon must be deployed on them while the Waverider stops the bomb.

Most of the best character moments in "Invasion!" are preoccupied with other characters and subplots. Cisco Ramon and Felicity Smoak spend a decent amount to time working to resolve Ramon's post-Flashpoint issues with Barry Allen. Ramon is deeply hurt having learned that Barry Allen's temporal meddling was directly responsible for his brother Dante's death in the new timeline. But around the moment Cisco Ramon mentions he and Felicity will fix the Dominator ship stored aboard the Waverider, fans of Legends Of Tomorrow are compelled to ask "Where the hell is Jax?!" Ramon's arc in "Invasion!" is strangely inorganic, moving the character to a place where he can simply accept and forgive Barry Allen.

Similar odd failures of characterization come from Mick Rory, who seems to rely upon Dr. Heywood for time travel issues. Rory was Chronos; he knows what a time jump is!

For the Waverider crew, the main character development comes when Dr. Stein properly meets his daughter. It makes no genuine sense that before visiting Lily, Dr. Stein would not have asked Dr. Snow about her (or his life/their prior interactions together). Dr. Stein recognizes that he caused Lily to be created as a result of a pep talk he gave his earlier self. He commits in "Invasion!" to returning to rectify the problems in the timeline and eliminate Lily from ever existing. When Lily freaks out, Stein has to step up to become a better parent to her.

Barry Allen is the character who is given an important character choice in "Invasion!" and the whole team that has been assembled for the crossover event steps up to change his mind. But, like so much in this episode of Legends Of Tomorrow, before the real character weight of the moment can be realized, a big plot event (in this case, a literal bomb) is dropped into the episode.

The Legends Of Tomorrow are presented mostly as an afterthought in "Invasion!" Rory and Lance garner a decent laugh with their shared reaction to the new President and Brandon Routh gets a laugh by making an oblique reference to his role from Superman Returns (reviewed here!), but outside of Stein and his brief scenes with Jax, the Legends Of Tomorrow are poorly used in "Invasion!" Indeed, when Amaya channeled an elephant, my first thought was "cool, she'll knock out all of the Dominators on the rooftop and surprise all of the other heroes" . . . but "Invasion!" was not her moment to shine.

The special effects in "Invasion!" are amazing, save a single shot of Supergirl rescuing Arrow.

Ultimately, the Legends Of Tomorrow episode "Invasion!" feels rushed and utilizes characters from the other DC Television properties in more significant roles than the characters one might have tuned into this show for. Indeed, if the Legends Of Tomorrow had just left the Waverider when The Flash called for help, they would have contributed about as much as they did in this episode.

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Legends Of Tomorrow - The Complete Second Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the sophomore season of the time traveling hero team here!
Thanks!]

4/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Fighting The Future With The "Leviathan" On Legends Of Tomorrow!

The Good: Moments of plot, Special effects, A few character moments
The Bad: Mediocre performances, character arcs and very basic plot structuring
The Basics: "Leviathan" puts the Legends Of Tomorrow in 2166 in a last-ditch attempt to thwart Vandal Savage.


Legends Of Tomorrow is having an erratic first season and, sadly, as it has progressed, it has become more and more preposterous from a scientific perspective. After drawing out a simple problem with a painfully simple solution for an entire season and several episodes where the main storyline and characters get sidetracked, the show delved into a dubious bit of science in "Last Refuge." Fans of The Flash were softened to the concept earlier in the second season with the episode "The Reverse-Flash Returns" (reviewed here!), but seeing it in action makes it seem somewhat ridiculous: the crew of the Waverider, following the events of "Last Refuge," are temporal remnants. By pulling their younger selves out of the timeline to avoid being erased from existence by The Pilgrim, the heroes of Legends Of Tomorrow now all exist in a weird tangent condition where they are fragments of people who disappeared in a timeline that is now solidifying without their presences.

That leads us to "Leviathan." "Leviathan" follows Rip Hunter's declaration at the climax of "Last Refuge" (reviewed here!) that - in their fight against Vandal Savage - the crew of the Waverider has, literally, run out of time. "Leviathan" puts the crew back in the future, this time in 2166, where they will attempt again to stop Savage. Despite his previous claims, Hunter is now taking the crew to fight Savage at the peak of his power.

The Waverider arrives in London, 2166, three days before Hunter's family will be killed, Hunter disembarks with Lance, Snart, and Rory to try to capture Savage. Studying footage of his speech, Saunders recognizes her bracelet on the arm of a woman at Savage's side. The team is overwhelmed, though and they have to flee. Hunter takes Palmer, Jackson, and Stein to meet with the last remnants of the Resistance. Unfortunately, the attempt they made on Savage's life leads the villain to go into hiding in his bunker, which makes stealing the bracelet virtually impossible. Still, Snart and Rory manage to confront the woman and, upon abducting her, they learn that she is Savage's daughter.

Cassandra tells Snart the story of Per Degaton and how he ruled over Earth before Savage stopped him, while Rory helps Saunders melt down the bracelet to coat the mace Carter Hall left her. The Waverider is attacked by Savage's ultimate weapon - a giant robot - moments after Stein figures out what the weapon is and brings the rebel refugees aboard the ship. In the attack, the Waverider is severely damaged. When Snart turns Cassandra, Palmer makes alterations to the Atom suit to make it super-large. With the Atom fighting to protect the refugees, Hunter, Snart, Rory, Lance, and Hawkgirl make an all-out assault on Vandal Savage!

"Leviathan" refers to the bracelet that Cassandra Savage is wearing. The bracelet is a simple snake and Saunders has a plan to use it to try to defeat Savage because she was wearing it at the time of the meteor incident in ancient Egypt. The title also refers to the massive robot weapon that Savage unleashes on the rebels.

Sadly, "Leviathan" takes a pretty long time to get around to revealing the obvious. The moment Cassandra tells Snart about Per Degaton, the viewer has to wonder why Snart does not reveal the truth about Per Degaton and Savage to her. In "Progeny" (reviewed here!), the Waverider crew is taken to earlier in the 2100s and Hunter explains the methods Savage came to power. Savage used Per Degaton to execute his will and eradicate much of the Earth's population. "Leviathan" pays off the events of "Progeny" and it is a remarkably satisfying development.

"Leviathan" is more than just a gimmick to introduce Vandal Savage's daughter and create a big comic book-y special effects-driven battle. The episode hinges on Snart's backstory with his abusive father, Stein's inherent humanity, and the conflicted relationship between Kendra and Ray Palmer. As a fan of The Flash, it is cool to see Snart develop and grow, but have his future be guided by his known backstory. Similarly, Stein's sense of ethics, like Palmer's, make him a character who has heroic potential and Dr. Stein's desire to save lives grounds the episode's more fantastic episodes.

Palmer and Saunders, though, have a somewhat tired "will they or won't they" vibe and "Leviathan" seems to be pretty much the end of that. Palmer is clearly in love with Saunders, as a result of their being stranded in the 1950s together for years. By the end of "Last Resort," Saunders and Palmer were engaged. In "Leviathan" Saunders is once again torn between Palmer and the now-dead Carter Hall. The internal conflict for Saunders has grown tired, but it plays out in the episode's final act in a way that sets up the final two episodes of the season. Despite how predictable the moment is, at least for the moments before the reveal, the way Saunders reacts to Savage's final act of treachery is impressive.

The performances in "Leviathan" are good, but none are truly exceptional. Casper Crump, for the first time, does not stand out with any specific quality as Vandal Savage. This is unfortunate as the episode introduced Savage's daughter; Crump exhibits no real emotion for his immortal character's daughter. At the other end of the spectrum is Ciara Renee. Renee actually dominates the final act of the episode with Saunders's sudden emotional revelation and her shock is well-performed. Renee has not had a lot of chances to shine in Legends Of Tomorrow, but she does for "Leviathan."

Ultimately, "Leviathan" is entertaining and a clear bridge episode, working hard to set up the first season finale, but it is much more plot-based than character-driven and it is subject to the absurdities that have preceded it.

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Legends Of Tomorrow - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the premiere season of the time traveling hero team here!
Thanks!]

6/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Character Redeems The Legends Of Tomorrow Bottle Episode "Marooned!"

The Good: Character development, Moments of performance
The Bad: Dull plot, Mostly predictable acting and character arcs
The Basics: Legends Of Tomorrow ventures into pure science fiction territory when pirates in space and time take control of another ship and try to take the Waverider.


Any television series that has a simple, focused plotline is bound to run into issues whenever it does a bottle episode. Limited series's, especially ones that might have a rotating cast if they are continued, have a hard time truly developing their characters if they get sidelined with too many bottle episodes. Legends Of Tomorrow is known to be a limited series - should it continue past its first season, it will have several cast members changed out. The show has struggled to find its footing because it is attempting to balance somewhat well-established characters (Dr. Stein, Leonard Snart, Ray Palmer) with newer characters who have not yet had the chance to develop (Jax, Rip Hunter, Kendra). Legends Of Tomorrow has an admittedly simplistic plot; the team was assembled to kill the villainous Vandal Savage before he can rise to power in the mid-22nd Century.

"Marooned" picks up a week after "Star City 2046" (reviewed here!), with the repaired Waverider leaving the alternate, ruined future. Immediately, it establishes itself as another bottle episode where the team is sidetracked by another divergent plotline and, as one might suspect, the best viewers can hope for from it is that it will allow the characters to grow and breathe. Coming out of "Star City 2046" there is some great potential for character conflict, especially as Mick Rory begins to truly resent being part of a team and working under Snart. So, with pretty low expectations, I sat down to "Marooned" hoping that I would see how it might fit into the larger narrative of the DC Television Universe and how it might enhance the characters from this generation of Legends Of Tomorrow.

Fortunately, the character aspect saves an otherwise straightforward and occasionally dull episode of Legends Of Tomorrow.

Opening with Rip Hunter watching a holographic message from his wife and son, Hunter is unsettled with Dr. Stein interrupts him. The timeship Acheron sends a distress call and, in an unlikely twist, Mick Rory stands up as eager to save them. Hunter wants to help in order to get Gideon a software update, while Dr. Stein is thrilled to explore space and learn more about the Time Masters. As the drop ship approaches the Acheron, Hunter recalls his training, when he was involved in a simulation involving time pirates and with his fellow Time Master lieutenant. Aboard the Acheron, Hunter, Rory, and Jax are abducted by time pirates, led by Captain John Valor.

When the pirates blow a hole in the Waverider, Snart and Lance try to seal the breach. In the process, they are trapped in the engine room that continues to bleed heat (and possibly air) out into space. While Palmer tries to save the Waverider, Mick Rory allies with the pirates to escape the Acheron and be done with Hunter's mission. When Mick returns to the Waverider, he comes with pirates and his teammates must take down him and the pirates to save both ships!

"Marooned" instantly begins with its heavies playing important moments. While Victor Garber is relegated to exposition and portraying empathy at the outset, his range quickly comes into play as Dr. Stein is excited at the possibility of space travel. Arthur Darvill opens with a deeply emotive performance as Hunter watches the holograms. Similarly, Dominic Purcell immediately pops in "Marooned" as Mick Rory. Purcell plays frustrated and angry almost the entire episode and "Marooned" is another decent episode that allows Mick Rory to illustrate the depth and the determination in his character. "Marooned" may be a bottle episode, but it finally - effectively - explains why Rip Hunter included Mick Rory on his team and how dangerous Rory is.

"Marooned" has some unfortunate, obvious, expositional lines. When Lance and Snart end up stuck in the room with the hull breach, Caity Lotz is forced to deliver one of the most stale lines of the series to date. That said, there is a lot of fun to be had in "Marooned." Ray Palmer geeking out and making Star Trek allusions is a lot of fun. The writers do not waste time with making Palmer simply sealing the breach; his conversation with Saunders deepens his character. Similarly, Dr. Stein is fleshed out well through his enthusiasm for classic science fiction and his excitement about space travel.

Legends Of Tomorrow is a bottle episode and on the plot front, it is straightforward. The character elements redeem the dullness, though, as Saunders and Palmer progress their relationship, Hunter's family situation is explored, and Mick Rory's character defects lead him to a showdown with Snart. But the performances are pretty much well within the known range of the actors involved (though Darvill's portrayal of Hunter is deeper than usual). Still, the episode averages out as pretty standard television instead of anything horrible or extraordinary.

For other works with Callum Keith Rennie, please visit my reviews of:
The X-Files: I Want To Believe
Tin Man
Silk
Blade: Trinity
Memento
Excess Baggage

[Knowing that single episodes are an inefficient way to get episodes, it's worth looking into Legends Of Tomorrow - The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-Ray, which is also a better economical choice than buying individual episodes. Read my review of the premiere season of the time traveling hero team here!
Thanks!]

5/10

For other television season and episode reviews, please visit my Television Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2016 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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