Rory takes command and manages to find the location of an important alien, but he also lands the Legends in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The team makes the decision to split up, leaving Nate and Zari to work together to stop a nuclear disaster alongside JFK while Behrad tries to leverage his newfound friendship to stop Castro from starting a war. With Spooner's help, Rory makes an unlikely deal that could lead him on a solo mission to find Sara.
In 2020, the television industry aired 493 scripted shows across numerous outlets. The way people consume content now is different than it used to be. It happens according to one's own schedule. As such, it's less necessary to provide ample coverage of each episode in any given season from a show. Moreover, it is simply impossible to watch everything. As such, this site provides 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.
The core mission of the Legends has always been to protect the timeline from the various threats they've had to deal with across the seasons. They frequently mess things up along the way. And yet, they see the benefit of hopefully changing things for the better. They have left their stamp on history. The team has evolved over the years. They are always welcoming new members who seek some purpose and clarity from this specific mission. It's already been noted that Rory is the only original member of the team still here. The rest of the Legends don't expect much from him. It's not particularly noticeable when he just goes missing during a job. That's not a distraction. They know he is probably back at the ship getting drunk and not really engaging with anything else. He is absolutely passionate about certain things. He has a fiery personality. One that initially came across as being hot-headed. He too has evolved over the years. He is a father now. He wants to protect the world for her even though she no longer needs him as much. She is off at college. He is still on the Waverider. He cares about finding Sara. He actually steps up in a huge way. He formulates a plan that gets the team closer to her. Ava was spinning out and desperately hoping that the various aliens she meets could lead her back to Sara. That wasn't true at all. She needed to believe in that mission because that's the only way she can keep functioning in a world without her. The Legends are essentially without their leader. Now, they don't mess up history any more than usual. Plus, they are still capable of handling things in their own unique ways. They acknowledge that not every action may make sense in the moment. It's all done for a purpose though. They appreciate that in each other. The camaraderie must always be apparent. That's what leads this team to success. Rory hasn't been antagonistic in a long time. He can simply stand in the way of the easiest possible solution from occurring. He has functioned in that way before. But now, he has found the motivation to be engaged by this mission. He doesn't really care how everyone else is doing. He simply sees the importance of tracking down Sara. Kayla is the only alien displaced in the timeline who has any viable information. Rory finds her. He sends the team out to retrieve her. And in natural Legends style, they mess up a seismic historic event. It's amusing and absolutely terrifying. The Legends have dealt with this kind of moral conflict before. They are desperate to keep everything as it was. They can't run the risk of changing these important events too much. And yet, their presence is disruptive. The Cuban Missile Crisis is hailed as a massive achievement on President John F. Kennedy's part. And now, Nate and Zari have to be in the room with him to ensure that calm and strategic heads prevail. It doesn't help that they are going up against a warmongering general ready to pull the trigger and start nuclear war. The insanity reaches its peak when the two sides wrestle control of the nuclear football as if they are playing a game of actual football. It's ridiculous and Zari doesn't have much time or interest in it. But they only prevail because Rory makes a deal with Kayla. They siphon out the fuel necessary for this conflict to end in total destruction. They need it in order to travel through space. Rory makes that bargain because he is perfectly capable of taking on the risk. He doesn't want to put any of the other Legends in that situation. He is making a noble sacrifice. It's not inherently wrong or bad that he has changed. Ava had to pull him out of a depressive slump. She needed him as an active part of the team. He may have overcorrected here. But he also carries the weight of this mission and ensures its successful completion. The other members of the team help as well. They serve as distractions necessary for people to approach this life-or-death situation with calmer heads. But the show highlights the insanity of it all. That is always the reliable structure for stories. But again, it all holds meaning. Nate expresses gratitude and acceptance for this new version of Zari. Ava appreciates Rory's noble sacrifice. And Rory is now off to space to retrieve his captain. He takes the Waverider. That will disrupt the overall storytelling of the series. But it can also add some excitement to the boring adventure Sara and Gary have been on - which isn't seen here at all. Moreover, the rest of the team gets to hang out at Constantine's house for awhile - which should be a blast considering he barely tolerates each of them.
