Legends of Tomorrow Recap: Legion of Doom

By: David Carner (@davidcarner)
 
Welcome to the Legends of Tomorrow review. This week’s episode, “Legion of Doom” (“What a Rush!”) is directed by Eric Laneuville, who has directed numerous films and TV episodes. This episode is written by Phil Klemmer, producer and writer of many TV shows, including Chuck. It was also written by Marc Guggenheim, creator of Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow. Marc is also a comic book writer, with runs on The Amazing Spiderman, Justice Society of America, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
 
Spoilers to follow!
 
We start in Star City, 8 months ago where Damien Darhk’s death is playing on a TV. The camera pulls back to show Malcom Merlyn watching the footage. Reverse-Flash and Darhk show up as Darhk mocks Merlyn, who is sitting alone drinking. The two offer Merlyn a second chance. Fast-forward to present day where Darhk and Merlyn have finished their “interrogation” of Rip. They tell Reverse-Flash that Rip isn’t himself and doesn’t know where the Spear of Destiny is. Reverse-Flash blames the two for losing the medallion. Merlyn and Reverse-Flash argue. Merlyn suggests hypnosis and regression-therapy, and Reverse Flash is intrigued. Back on the Waverider Mick tells the crew multiple time they are idiots, agreeing with Reverse-Flash. The Waverider heads to Central City in 2017. Meanwhile, back at the Legion of Doom headquarters (watch Superfriends kids), Merlyn admits Rip’s mind is gone. Darhk votes to torture again. Reverse-Flash leaves, and Damien decides to sharpen knives in front of Rip. Damien laments on being a henchmen and having to take orders. Damien threatens eyes, and then teeth. The camera pulls away as Rip screams and Damien works on his mouth. The camera comes back to Damien holding a tooth and shows it to the Legion. On the tooth is a barcode to a security box in Switzerland. (Really?) The box hasn’t been accessed since January 2025. Reverse-Flash tells the other two to go there and threatens them if they don’t succeed.
 
We jump to Central City coffee shop in 2017. (Yep, it’s Jitters) Jax finally gets to meet Stein’s daughter, Lily. She uses a ionic transmogrifer on the medallion. Stein is impressed because its handheld, and the smallest he’s seen is the size of a house. A map pops up after using it on the medallion. They go to the Waverider, and Lily freaks out about being on a timeship. Back at the Legion of Doom headquarters, the two argue over how to access the bank. Darhk threatens Merlyn and Merlyn takes a popshot at Darhk.
 
Back on Waverider, they heroes fight over Lily being a time aberration and just the presence of her could create more aberrations. Back at LOD headquarters, Merlyn complains to Rip about his partners, and then threatens him. We jump to Zurich 2025, where Rip/Phil is told to access the box in the bank vault. While Rip is getting the box, the other two talk about Reverse-Flash and begin to wonder about his plan. On the Waverider, we learn that no one knows who Reverse-Flash is, they wonder what is the speedster trying to change with the spear, and I’m beginning to think it’s Flashpoint. Back at the bank, the two villains continue to talk as Rip gets the box, but Rip doesn’t know the access code. The two villains argue if he should leave or not, and Rip walks back and forth toward the door as each tells him to leave then stay. The villains kill the bank employee. Security comes and Dahrk and Merlyn kill them. They leave without the spear.
 
Back on the Waverider, Lily and Ray hook the medallion to Gideon, and Gideon processes the info. The two celebrate with some champagne at the food synthesizer. Mick comes up to get a beer, and Lily talks about how good the “fake food” is. Mick laughs and says, “fake food for a fake person.” Ray laughs it off, Lily says everyone has treated her weird and Mick tells Ray to tell her as he walks off. Lily stops him, and Mick tells her that she is an aberration. He leaves to let Ray explain what that is. Back at LOD headquarters the two villains fight as Rip is tied up again. They seriously bicker like an old married couple, and bring up each others faults, as Rip listens on. The two get blades to duel. Cut back to the Waverider, where Stein is praising Lily as she walks toward him and asks, “what is a time aberration.” He explains it, and she asks if that’s what she is. Stein tries to explain but Lily won’t hear it. He tells her what happened, quite badly I might add, and she cuts him off before he explains the birds and the bees. Lily is very upset, tells him he has her for a daughter now, and walks off. Cut back to the duel in full swing. Merlyn is not doing well. They fight for a while until Rip finally tells them to stop and points out the obvious that Reverse-Flash is the boss and they’re the underlings. Rip/Phil talks sense and the two quit their fight and now team up.
 
Back on Waverider, Jax feels something is wrong with Stein, he’s drinking brandy. Stein pours his heart out. Jax tells him to tell Lily he loves her. Stein admits his father wasn’t very caring and he was afraid the same thing would happen. In Rip’s office, Vixen keeps wondering about a speedster changing reality. Steel figures out that Reverse-Flash is erased from history. Stein enters and hears the conversation. He remembers Eobard Thawne and how he was erased from history when his ancestor died (See Flash season 1). At the bank, the two villains break into the vault, while Rip frees himself just as Revers-Flash shows up and reties him. Rip tells Reverse-Flash his partners are at the bank and he runs off. At the bank they find an emonic archive, and Thawne shows up to explain that it has Rip Hunter’s memories. Back at Waverider, Steel figures out that Thawne is running from time. That’s why he has to keep running. Vixen says doesn’t make any kind of sense (I kinda agree) but Sara asks Stein if it’s possible. Stein says if he is held in one place they will find out. Back at the bank, Merlyn has shut the door locking all three villains in, and Merlyn has the code so Thawne can’t kill him. Thawne’s alarm goes off, and he looks very concerned as the other two set in for the long haul.
 
Thawne is freaking out, and pleads with them to open the door. Thawne tells what happened, but it’s not a time wraith. It looks like the Black Flash from the comics, and from the Flash. The two villains suggest that Thawne stop running. Thawne is used as bait, and Black Flash can’t find Thawne. They trap Black Flash in the bank vault, and all three escape as partners.
 
Back on Waverider, Lily is trying to leave, and Gideon has been told not to let her. Stein shows up and the two talk. Stein apologizes, and tells her she is not a mistake. Stein admits he didn’t want children, but time gives him what he needs. Lily wants no more secrets and Stein tells her about Firestorm and she laughs at him, thinking he’s joking. She kisses him on the cheek and tells him bye. Stein smiles as we cut back to the Legion of Doom headquarters. Reverse-Flash hints at “addressing some of his shortcomings” in his memory before reloading it in Rips cerebral cortex. We cut to New Jersey, 1776, Christmas day, and a Revolutionary War camp. A soldier walks in and the general asks if he can help. Rip tells General Washington no, pulls out a gun from the present and fires as we cut to black.
 
Quotes
 
“Yeah, I hear 2016 is not my best year, but I plan on fixing that.” – Damien Darhk
 
“They’re idiots.” – Reverse-Flash
 
“This is what I get for relying on a washout and a dead man.” – Reverse-Flash “I don’t like that guy.” – Damien Darhk
 
“This would be easier if we just killed everybody.” – Damien Darhk.
 
“Try and run and I will find you and feed you your testicles.” – Damien Darhk
 
Little Things
 
Neal McDonough plays a great villain in whatever he is in. He was amazing in Justified, he was great in Arrow, and he’s been amazing on Legends. He hands-down has the best lines of this episode.
 
The reconciliation between Stein and Lily was done very well, but it still leaves me wondering if Sara is going to do something to Darhk to save her sister. I don’t dare guess with the way Green Arrow is going. Everytime I think they’re bringing Laurel back I find out how wrong I am.
 
Welp, I made my first error last week, and it probably won’t be the last. There are actually seven more episodes of Legends this season after this one. The episode named “Fellowship of the Spear,” is not the finale, there are two more after it, but I cannot find their titles as of yet.
 
I hope you enjoyed the review. If I missed an Easter Egg, please let me know and if I can confirm it, next week I’ll give you all the credit.
 
If you haven’t today, please take a second to open the Donate a Photo app by Johnson & Johnson. When you donate a photo, $1 is given to the charity of your choice, and Operation Smile is one of those charities. There are several other charities on there as well. Come on back next week and we’ll talk “Turncoat.”

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