'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Episode 2 Review: 'Meet the Legends' sees Season 5 get off to a strong start
Spoiler alert for episode 2 of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow'
The timeline has changed - again - but for once, it's not the Legends' fault. At least, not entirely. The 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' did a lot, including the merging of several Earths and the alterations to recent history. One of those alterations is that the Legends are big-time superhero celebrities. Much like the show itself, the concept shouldn't work, but somehow, it absolutely does.
The episode is shot in a documentary format, with little cutaways to close-up confessionals that provide some context to scenes and give us a better look at what the crew is feeling. It's a format that works fantastically for a show that is so comfortable poking fun at itself and that celebrates how weird things can get. Plus, given that the Legends keep dealing with actual historical events, explainer interviews with their resident historian Nate Heywood (Nick Zano) would not be unwelcome.
A quick recap of how the show's cast has been doing in between seasons and how they've been dealing with celebrity life, really shows how chaotic and insane the plot points of the series are. With fairy godmothers, demon possession, werewolves and romance novel publications, it's safe to say that there is no show on television quite like 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' - either in our world or on Earth-Prime.
The show has, by this point, grown quite comfortable with its own ridiculousness, and manages to balance it quite well with important character moments. Sarah Lance (Caity Lotz) is still in mourning for Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) who died (twice) during the Crisis crossover. There's little time for her to grieve, with the resurrection of the Rasputin (Micael Eklund) messing with time again. Sarah's partner, Ava (Jes Macallan), is a little bit at a loss as to how to help Sarah and defaults to trying to ignore the mourning process instead of helping Sarah through it.
This alienates Sarah from her team somewhat, especially with the added headache of the film crew on the ship. The Legends try to take on Rasputin on their own, each in their own unique ways, which of course ends in disaster. The team cleans up, though, and Sarah and Ava manage to have a heart to heart in the midst of a fight scene that wonderfully illustrates just how compatible the two women are. They pour out their feelings while keeping each other safe from henchmen as casually as they would swat away annoying flies.
While Zari (Tala Ashe) is missed, newcomver Behrad Tomaz (Shayan Sobhian) is a wonderful addition to the crew. There's an earnestness and laid-back, friendly attitude to his performance that's endearing and he manages to feel like he's been a part of the Legends team for a while. Given the timeline changes, he actually has been, and he really sells it. Luckily, there's a tease concerning the original timeline and we might see Zari return to the Waverider herself sometime soon.
While Episode 1 of this season finished out the crossover, this soft season premiere is everything that makes 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' such a fun show to watch. It's a strong start to the season and while there are some adjustments to be made to the team's roster, the show has really hit its stride in terms of what kind of show it wants to be.
The next episode of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' airs February 4th on the CW.
