REVIEW: Legends Of Tomorrow, S2E17

Legends of Tomorrow brings its high-octane second season to a close with the most daring mission yet: going back in time to 1916 and making sure their past selves keep the Spear of Destiny away from the Legion of Doom. The first hurdle is Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) and the Waverider being miniature-sized, but it’s easily solved by stealing Ray Palmer’s (Brandon Routh) exosuit back from Eobard Thawne (Matt Lescher). Next stop? Saving Amaya (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) and the world at large, even if it means risking reality itself. The team shows great courage by willing to erase themselves, in a move reminiscent of last season’s The Flash finale. Actually, a lot of this episode feels like the previous finale of another show, but we’ll get to that.

The Legion starts the episode off being one step ahead of the Legends as usual, but Thawne murdering Ray the second they return to 1916 felt a little anticlimactic. Just like Amaya’s death couldn’t stand, neither could Ray’s – and even the team knew it. On the bright side, Sara (Caity Lotz) and the group come up with a decent plan despite Mick’s (Dominic Purcell) protestations that they visit Aruba instead. The audience knows the plan is bound to fall apart the moment it’s uttered, but this time the dramatic irony is a little more enjoyable.

Impersonating yourself is harder than it looks.

Nate (Nick Zano) seeing Amaya again was incredibly sweet, especially given the music playing in the moment, even for those who don’t necessarily buy their relationship. Half the Legends needing to take out the other half bordered on comical, but in a way that feels very distinctive to the show. The lighthearted tone amidst the chaos is one of the reasons this season of Legends of Tomorrow has succeeded far beyond the first one.

Time quakes commence the moment their past and present selves begin interacting, and it’s surprising that the characters react so cavalierly to the possibility of a large rupture. Then again, you’ve gotta take things one step at a time when the Spear of Destiny is at stake, and Sara talking things out with herself makes the entire storyline worth it. Nate convincing his past self not to be “the ambassador of chill” with Amaya feels a little less urgent, but whatever keeps her on the show is crucial in my eyes.

“Run like hell, try not to die” winds up being the backup plan when one of the Waveriders can’t time jump due to the paradox, but it’s not a very effective one. The stakes were certainly higher in this battle, and the scene in which both versions of Jax (Franz Drameh) were pierced by arrows was particularly harrowing. The showdown between Sara and Darkh (Neil McDonough) feels a little less important, but only because she made her peace with his role in Laurel’s death earlier in the season.

Thawne returned with “backup” just when it seemed like the Legends were in the clear, and his 300 time remnant were pretty cool to see all in one frame. However, it was a plot point borrowed from The Flash and didn’t end up having much of an impact on Legends of Tomorrow. One speedster alone probably could have done the same amount of damage as all the ones on screen, but what really matters is Sara finally needing to use the Spear to save the day.

Sara’s kept the team together, but what about the universe?

The Spear-given reunion between Sara and her sister Laurel (guest star Katie Cassidy) was heart-wrenching, driving home the point that Sara is not and has never been too dark to “do the right thing.” She is a leader at heart, and she will bend time just enough to save the world but not to ensure her own personal happiness. Her choice to de-power the Spear of Destiny ends up being a much cooler party trick than Eobard inviting all his copies over to fight. The Black Flash coming to collect him is poetic justice, but it once again feels like it came directly from a different show. The special effects in that scene are to be commended, however.

The denouement of Legends of Tomorrow‘s finale includes sending the villains back to “where they belong,” and Mick reminding Leonard (Wentworth Miller) that he will be a better man before he dies was truly touching. Nate and Amaya surprisingly decide to stay on the Waverider, while Rip less surprisingly decides to leave. Everything seems to be tied up in a nice little bow, and the Legends are finally on their way to Aruba… Until the fabric of reality rips apart once more.

Dinosaurs in Los Angeles? Looks like the team messed with time one time too many. Are we in for another Flashpoint next season, only Legends of Tomorrow style? Given how inventive and clever most of the second season felt, hopefully their third one won’t be a retread.