While Ray is worried about Nora, he is suddenly faced with his own problem that forces him to do the unthinkable. Nate and Zari are stuck in an awkward limbo, so Sara devises a plan to send them on an easy mission together. Charlie and Rory are approached with a lucrative offer that could upend their lives.
In 2018, there were 495 scripted shows airing amongst the linear channels and streaming services. The way people are consuming content now is so different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, there is less necessity to provide ample coverage of each specific episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site is making the move to shorter episodic reviews in order to cover as many shows as possible. With all of that being said, here are my thoughts on the next episode of The CW's Legends of Tomorrow.
"Egg MacGuffin" was written by James Eagan & Tyron B. Carter and directed by Chris Tammaro
There are plenty of comedic hijinks throughout this episode as it pertains to Rory and Charlie addressing the fans of his erotica novels as well as Nate and Zari being sent on a mission to retrieve an egg in the 1930s. And yet, the entire story ultimately pivots around the deals that both Ray and Gary strike with Neron. This season has had a different approach to its central villain. It has built the story out of the idea that demons are essentially trying to cut deals in the most manipulative ways possible. The audience should trust that Neron will keep his word no matter what. He just continues to present as this powerful being who can foil any plan that Constantine, Nora and the Legends concoct to defeat him. They believed that they had vanquished him for good by ridding him of a host in the previous episode. Instead, he only found a new host in Ray. It's fascinating to see Ray deal with not having control over his full body. It's not some story where Neron lays in wake and slowly makes major moves on the ship and the various missions throughout time. Instead, he immediately makes his presence known because he wants complete control over Ray's body. He's not fine with sharing a host. He will push Ray into killing a loved one to ensure that his soul is damned to Hell and can be taken over by a demon. He is pushing Ray into that inevitable outcome so that he is so desperate and broken that he's willing to cede control voluntarily. As such, it's fascinating to see where Ray hits his breaking point. For a large portion of this story, he has isolated himself. He doesn't want to smother Nora to death. He doesn't want to get too close to Nate. He can't count on Gary for much help whatsoever. And yet, Nate ultimately does get close. Ray doesn't have enough control to defeat Neron. That leads to a brutal fight which sees Ray giving up in order to save his best friend. That is such a powerful and earned moment. Nate may have spent so much of this season off the Waverider and in 2019 with the Time Bureau and his father. But he too has such a vested interest in taking down Neron. The demon killed his father. And now, it has taken over his best friend. But Neron escapes the ship because he gets help from Gary. There is a running beat throughout the episode of Sara proclaiming that the doormat in every single story should be looked at with suspicion because they are never given the credit that they deserve. It's true of the discovery of the golden egg. It's probably true of the book that Sara, Ava and Mona are reading. And it's also true when it comes to Gary. He has been a long-suffering agent with the Time Bureau since that organization was first introduced. He and Ava are basically the only characters of importance in that environment. He too has a relationship with the Legends. But now, he feels under-appreciated because people only come to him when they need help. Of course, Ray wasn't reaching out for Gary's expertise. He needed Constantine to expel this demon. It just has the unfortunate consequence of Gary also being tempted by the demon who can make him whole once more. That too is a character turn that feels justified because of how much the main characters have seen him as the comic relief sidekick. Sure, the show has long accentuated that fact too with his oblivious awkwardness. Now, he presents as having more importance than ever because he wants to be taken seriously as a threat. That could have a number of wide-reaching consequences. But the Legends may soon find themselves armed with a dragon. So, that should complicate things as well despite this loss to the team.
