'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Season 5 Episode 6 Review: Get a little bit Genghis Khan with 90s' best action scenes
Spoiler alert for Season 5 Episode 6 'Mortal Khanbat'
'Legends' usually depends a lot on its villains and gimmicks. A good gimmick can save the show from a weak villain and vice versa, and when both work well, it's 'Legends' magic. This episode, both villain and gimmick take a surprising backseat to Charlie (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) and John Constantine's (Matt Ryan) show-stealing side plots. The episode's take on 90s Asian cop flicks features some of the best action scenes of the season, and Terry Chen plays quite an imposing villain, but both turn out to be oddly forgettable in the face of what comes after.
It's 1997, Hong Kong is about to be returned to China after being a colony of the British Empire for 157 years. Seeking to take advantage of the situation is a resurrected Genghis Khan, who has spent most of the past 700 years trying to escape his own tomb. He's taken control over local Chinese mobsters, putting the Legends squarely in the middle of a 90s action cop movie, more or less. It leads to some incredible, over-the-top action scenes that 'Legends' could frankly use a lot more of. Fast-paced, stylish, with just enough ridiculousness to make you ask what the hell is going on without being entirely dissatisfied with the lack of answers.
It's the show's second strong Constantine story in a row, as he tries to confront his own mortality. His increasing recklessness in order to avoid admitting vulnerability is performed brilliantly. He gets out of it with a last-minute deal that puts him in more trouble than he started out with, of course, but that's just what Constantine does. It could feel odd that what might have been his last moments are spent with Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) and Gary Green (Adam Tsekhman), but it works.
Charlie's reveal has some fascinating implications. That she's one of the original Fates. That she might have just been the one responsible for giving humans free will. And that there's another seasonal goal to focus on besides the Encores and that Constantine's deal puts him in direct opposition with her — is quite a surprise for the show to bring up this far into the season. Though it's only revealed later in the episode, it's obviously the bigger focus, as the Genghis Khan plotline just sort of forgettably fizzled out.
With lines being drawn, it's looking like the Legends may be coming into conflict with each other. Or will John Constantine have to stand alone, against them?
The next episode of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' airs on March 3 on the CW.