Note: It’s a busy week for me, so this will be a much shorter review. The same will likely apply next week.
When The CW dropped the first trailer for Legends of Tomorrow back at Upfronts in May 2015, I came into it hoping for an hour of light entertainment, particularly after how miserably depressing Arrow’s third season was. And yet, Fail-Safe, Legends’ darkest instalment so far, was probably the best of the show’s debut five episodes.
Once again, Sara’s arc took up most of the best scenes from the hour, as Legends did some nice work further developing her return from blood-thirsty assassin to hero. We saw some of this back in the third episode, but this was perhaps more successful mainly because of how much of an impact there was on the larger world. Her scenes with Snart have been amongst the best of the show so far, and that didn’t let up here. That Snart was the one to keep her from reverting back to her old ways was a smart move, one that was in-character for a criminal with a code. While Sara’s interactions with Rip a few weeks ago were great, this made a lot more sense given the sketchy nature of both their pasts.
Putting Victor Garber and Stephanie Corneliussen in a room together for much of an episode was only ever going to be a good thing, but the show benefited greatly from providing Stein with a worthwhile and interesting story. Stein’s initial refusal to give in, made even more impressive in the contrast between it and his previous enthusiasm to tell ‘Cisco’ the formula, made for an enjoyable set of scenes.
Even Ray, who has been something of a problem character in recent episodes, was great to watch as he attempted to survive time in the Gulag. Tonally, he’s been out of sync with virtually every character this season, and that continued here. That was mostly the point, however, and his inability act like he actually belongs during his time incarcerated made for some great moments, particularly when compared with how emotionless and fine with being in prison Mick was. Ray stepping up to prevent Mick from being tortured, despite him probably being more likely to resist, was a bold move. It says a lot about what kind of person Ray is, and it’s the kind of development that he really needed.
I’m still yet to care in the slightest about Kendra. Her interactions with Jax served as very little more than a ‘we need to push the plot forward’ moment, assisted by a somewhat monotone piece of exposition. Not that Kendra was any more worth watching as a character when he was on the show, but Carter’s death seems to have left a hole whereby it becomes nearby impossible to smartly and naturally incorporate her into the plot.
Odds and ends:
- I like to think of Rip interrupting Gideon as she was about to tell them the probability of the plan working as Legends’ Star Wars reference.
- “I never met a building I couldn’t break into” and “This isn’t my first prison break” were a little too on the nose, but I’ll take it.
- Vandal Savage died again, and Rip got his watch back. That was fun, I guess.
- Pretty sure that a miniature nuclear explosion is going to get noticed.
- Chronos (who is, apparently, alive, despite having been shot down by Russian missiles in the previous episode) forced the team to crash land in Star City in 2046, where they encountered the Green Arrow. It just wasn’t Oliver. Next week could be a fun episode.
What did you all think of Fail-Safe? Let me know in the comments below!
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