The CW's Legends of Tomorrow - Episode 4.01 "The Virgin Gary"
After the Legends defeated Mallus and wiped the final anachronism from time, they find themselves in unfamiliar territory with the Time Bureau. All that changes when Constantine informs Sara of a new magical threat that leads the team to Woodstock. Constantine thinks he knows how to defeat the new threat, but will need the help of the team and their special talents to help with his spell. Nate and Rory go on an adventure leaving Nate facing someone from his past.
In 2018, it has become very difficult to keep up with every television show out there. It's even more difficult to provide adequate coverage on this site about the episodes that air every week. Not every show can get full coverage because of my busy and hectic viewing schedule. As such, some reviews will now be condensed to give only some summary thoughts. But it also affords a space for me to jot down my thoughts on the various episodes. And so, here are my thoughts on this week's episode of The CW's Legends of Tomorrow.
"The Virgin Gary" was written by Phil Klemmer & Grainne Godfree and directed by Gregory Smith
It remains so impressive to see just how silly and ridiculous the show can get without losing touch with its grounded storytelling elements as well. This hour takes things in an even more magical direction with the addition of creatures released from the underworld when the Legends broke Mallus free from his chamber. And yet, it's just as important to see that conversation between Sara and Ava about moving in together as a couple. Sure, it's lame how Sara chooses to keep this new threat a secret from her girlfriend who is in charge of the Time Bureau. However, it's not going to be a plot point dragged out across multiple episodes this season. Everyone has a fundamental understanding of what's going on. Even though the timeline has been fixed of all of its anachronisms, it still needs constant saving by the Legends. It's also just hilarious how the members of the team all casually make their way to Woodstock knowing something is wrong but not alerting each other. Sara understands that it's the potential spot for the latest mystical creature attack. Ray and Zari suspect that Nora has gone there to create more havoc. And Nate and Rory realize that history has been altered because this celebration of love has turned into a horrific massacre. The source of all of this drama is a unicorn as well. That creature has the perception of being magical and majestic. This hour dispels that notion completely. The unicorn is a vicious creature that feasts off the hearts of humans. It has the power to subdue its enemies with visions of fantastical ideas built from their own subconsciouses. It's odd how Sara seems to avoid dealing with those side effects even though she was laced with the same substance as the rest of the team. And yet, she has to go get John Constantine in order to fight this newest threat. He's the one who warned her about the imminent danger. The Legends are only able to beat the unicorn because of Constantine's magic as well. Sure, it means using Gary as prey because he happens to be a virgin. He becomes a virgin with only one nipple after all of this is over as well. But at least he survives. He isn't brutalized by the unicorn. It is sent back to the other dimension where it came from. However, this doesn't inspire Constantine to join the team. Sara wants him there because of his magical expertise. She sees how well he could work in this kind of environment. And yet, he remains a loner in this world. He believes that people only get hurt when they get too close to him. However, this new threat seems bound and determined to catch him and destroy his life. It allows the show to have a scary sequence where Constantine appears in nothing more than a towel. But that is still effective enough to deliver this terrorizing message. Whether he likes it or not, Constantine may need to rely on the Legends for support. This show has always highlighted the power that comes from unity even though the personalities of the team are so wildly different. That's also on display with Nate's story of reuniting with his parents. The show has already done a fair amount of story with his family lineage. His grandfather was a superhero as well. But now, it's clear that he is yearning for his father's approval even though he can't show off what he actually does for work. He has saved the world several times with the team. He is a superhero. But he still has father issues. That's a little too familiar at the moment. And yet, it's also bound to get complicated in some significant way now that Nate's father has a job at the Pentagon. Moreover, it's just fun to see Nate and Rory get the clarity they need about love and loss while hallucinating thanks to the unicorn.
