Legends of Tomorrow season 3, episode 15 recap: Reverting to type
A new episode of Legends of Tomorrow reversed some of Sara’s hard-won character development for no good reason.
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While this episode featured a fun mix of action, drama, and comedy, it was let down but a lackluster ending. The reason being it undid a lot of Sara’s (Caity Lotz) character development because it was convenient for the season’s big arc. It’s possible this regression will be addressed in a meaningful way in the future, but I kind of doubt it. With Mallus, the Darhks and a few other subplots on the boil and only three episodes left this season, the series doesn’t have a lot of time left for nuance. And by watering down its characterization, it’s made me less interested in seeing how things will wrap up this year.
“Necromancing the Stone” began with Sara having eerily, plot-relevant nightmares about her time as an assassin. After assigning the Legends to take care of various temporal anachronisms, Sara was convinced by a vision of herself to wield the Death Totem. Returning from their mission, Zari (Tala Ashe) and Amaya (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) found the Waverider’s systems disabled, Ray (Brandon Routh) critically injured and Sara possessed by Mallus. Sara ordered Gideon to lock down the ship’s systems and blasted Wally (Keiynan Lonsdale) unconscious.
One aspect of this episode I enjoyed without qualification was its direction. Filmmaker April Mullen (Below Her Mouth) did a great her job of making the Waverider’s corridors feel eerie and unsettling. It’s amazing how a change in lighting and framing can make a familiar space feel foreboding. Similarly, the scenes in which the Legends were confronted by Death Totem-generated phantoms of their loved ones were appropriately uncanny and unnerving. The ghosts of the past trope could’ve been really hokey, but it felt emotionally resonate here.
“It was the ‘60s. Everybody was getting wild.”
The Legends informed Ava (Jes Macallan) of their current situation and she sought out John Constantine (Matt Ryan) in 2018. The Hellblazer explained that the Zambesi tribe that worshiped the Death Totem were allies of Mallus. And that past connection allowed him to possess Sara. Constantine also made several references to his and Sara’s sexual past, which made Ava very uncomfortable. Back on the Waverider, Sara incapacitated Zari before she could access the jump ship. The group realized they needed another Totem to counter Sara and Nate (Nick Vento) agreed to wield the Earth Totem.
Having now seen the character on two episodes of the show, I feel that Constantine should become a full-time Legend new season. His presence allows the crew to deal with supernatural threats more effectively and his signature sleaziness contrasts sharps the uprightness of most of the crew. And his ruthless pragmatism would allow the show to explore a brand of heroism that exists outside of the team’s usual paradigm. Constantine’s character is walking embodiment of the notion that guys don’t always win. Forcing the group to deal with meaningful losses could give Legends some much-needed depth.
“We both have excellent taste in damaged women.”
In the realm of the dead, Nora (Courtney Ford) tried to convince Sara to embrace the dark side. Amaya convinced Mick (Dominic Purcell) to wield the newly repaired Fire Totem. Sara incepted Nate and beat him severely before Constantine intervened. Mick’s fire powers and Ava’s declaration of affection helped Sara break free of the demon. Afterward, Sara broke up with Ava out of fear of hurting her.
As it is a superhero romance, I knew Sara and Ava’s relationship was going to hit some weird potholes but this is something else. It’s believable that Sara feels guilty about her past as an assassin and that it would have an impact on her relationships but this came out of nowhere. Sara’s sparring with Nora never reached a level where it felt like Sara was legitimately shaken. Instead, those scenes felt like every other scene in the land of the dead; dull and lacking in urgency.
Sara reverting back to the conflicted, insecure person she was near the beginning of Legends season 2 after a timeout in the Blue Lodge just didn’t feel motivated. This is a woman who has saved the world from super-powered Nazis and buried a member of her crew in the past year. Someone who endures those trials wouldn’t fall apart after one less than compelling “we’re not so different” villain speech.
Next: Legends of Tomorrow season 3, episode 14 recap: Mediocre Rockin’ Tonight
This breakup felt like a cheap way to raise the stakes Sara’s eventual defeat of Mallus. But her being rattled so easily here won’t make her inevitable victory feel more impactful. It’ll just make Sara seem inconsistent as her strength of character will be tied to the whims of the plot. Hopefully, the show will out of the skid before the finale.
Next week, Ava’s big secret will finally be revealed.
Legends of Tomorrow airs on The CW Mondays at 8 p.m.