'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' Season 5 Episode 4 Review: 'Slay Anything' stops slashers with fairy godmothers
Spoiler alert for 'Slay Anything' - Season 5 Episode 4 of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow'
Brush off your VHS tapes and put on some Belinda Carlisle, because it's 90s nostalgia time and the Legends are going back to high school. In an episode that manages to both riff off classic slasher films and coming-of-age prom comedies, 'Legends of Tomorrow' goes from "John Huges to John Carpenter" and back again enough times for complete tonal whiplash. Step aside, 'Freddy vs. Jason,' this episode brings in the time-travelling 'Freddy vs. Fairy Godmother' episode that would have been right at home with 90s teen films.
The returned soul is that of the Freddy "Prom Night Slasher" Myers. As if that wasn't reference enough, he's also referred to as a "psycho" whose last words were, "I love my mother." 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' was never a subtle show and it gets the bulk of its references out early - not that there aren't plenty more through the course of the episode. The Prom Night Slasher is resurrected and is heading towards their high school reunion at Mick Rory's (Dominic Purcell) alma mater. The premise is a little confusing at first, even for the show, with the Legends traveling back in time to 2004 for a reunion that's celebrating 1989, but it all becomes clearer when part of the team goes further back in time to actual 1989 to stop a young Freddy Myers (Seth Meriwether) from ever turning into serial killer in the first place.
The Legends cast is expanded a little this episode with Zari Tomaz (Tala Ashe) being stuck on the Waverider, slowly starting to remember the life she had there. Also rejoining the cast is their resident fairy godmother, Nora Darhk (Courtney Ford). Nora, who has been a little tired of granting wishes to selfish kids, genuinely wants to help kids become their best selves. As such, there's no better woman to accompany the Legends on their mission. The nature of her fairy powers means that she needs to help Freddy out and in doing so, gets one of the episode's strongest, most heartfelt moments.
The 1989 sections of the show are a sweet high school story that makes the darkness of the 2004 plotline all the more shocking. The show establishes that it will be changing the 2004 timeline, so until that happens the show holds nothing back when it comes to character deaths. Pulling some more minor character depth out of nowhere, Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan) apparently has her own serial killer podcast and there are no better "Final Girls" than the Ava Sharpe/Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) duo.
The episode is a fun nostalgic trip through classic 90s summer films. Both slasher and coming-of-age genres place a lot of focus on characters and give the show an opportunity to really play up the camaraderie that the show's cast has developed. With a traditionally convoluted plot twist reveal and a truly awful solo dance performance, 'Slay Anything' manages to give Freddy Myers the happy ending he deserves and just time enough for Mick to grab his, too.
The next episode of 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow' airs February 18, on The CW.