Tag: Legends of Tomorrow

How Many “Shogun” Warriors are in Tow in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow?

When DC’s Legends of Tomorrow are going from set-piece to set-piece (i.e. one time period to another), just what the second series is doing is to slowly reveal a greater plot.

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

*Spoiler Alert

When DC’s Legends of Tomorrow are going from set-piece to set-piece (i.e. one time period to another), just what the second series is doing is to slowly reveal a greater plot. There’s a warning from the future which n body is in on, but it will come into play in later episodes. Without giving too much away, any side-effects from altering the natural course of the timeline (from another series) will take on a butterfly effect.

As much as I like the visit to Feudal Japan, I thought the trip to the Wild West (“The Magnificent Eight” from last season) was better. Both this and last week’s “Shogun” are tributes to Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai. The latter is more blatant, and the reason why I prefer it is because of Jonah Hex. He makes for a mean hombre. Steel, the new one, is only getting started. Nate Heywood makes for a good addition to the team but he has no clue in what he’s doing. Both he and Ray share similar insecurities. They do not have super abilities. That’s not until Ray injected Nate with the super serum to make him a super soldier. While some childish fun ensues to test Nate’s newly formed skin, just how well he wears it will eventually define who he is as Commander Steel.

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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and The Justice Society of America Collides, But What’s Next?

The second season two episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, “The Justice Society of America,” continues to set up the season with even further trials for the entire team with a few spotlights (namely listening to Victor Garber sing).

DC's Legends of Tomorrow --"The Justice Society of America"-- Image LGN202b_0207.jpg -- Pictured: (L-R): Sarah Grey as Stargirl, Kwesi Ameyaw as Dr. Mid-Nite, Patrick J. Adams as Hourman, Dan Payne as Obsidian, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Amaya Jiwe/Vixen and Matthew MacCaull as Commander Steel -- Photo: Katie Yu/The CW -- © 2016 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
(L-R): Sarah Grey as Stargirl, Kwesi Ameyaw as Dr. Mid-Nite, Patrick J. Adams as Hourman, Dan Payne as Obsidian, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Amaya Jiwe/Vixen and Matthew MacCaull as Commander Steel — Photo: Katie Yu/The CW —  © 2016 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

The second season two episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, “The Justice Society of America,” continues to set up the season with even further trials for the entire team with a few spotlights (namely listening to Victor Garber sing). While the first episode teased at Dr. Martin as being the de-facto leader, the next has Sara doing the opening narration. This entry shows the good doctor is not up to snuff when pressure is coming from everywhere and the team is attempting to deal with Nazi Captain Baron Krieger. Originally a character created under the Fawcett Comics label and a villain dealt with by Captain Marvel, could Shazam be in the future for this television series? I certainly hope so! I loved the original television series and comics (both the original and since the DC acquisition), and to see this callback has the DC nerd in me excited!

In the DC Comics purchase of this company’s heroes and revival, this villain proved to be very formidable. I’m hopeful he will come back, along with Damien Darhk. When considering CW’s Flash was dealing with Flashpoint (Paradox) where the hero created an alternate timeline, I’m guessing the inclusion of this character is not only a nod to the comics but also a building up to an eventual reveal that there will be some kind of Legion of Doom for all the heroes in this CW DC Universe to face. In what Krieger morphs into, both teams — the JSA and Legends — have to work together in order to bring him down.

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CW’s Legends of Tomorrow Season Two Goes “Out of Time” Commentary

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Mild-Spoiler Alert!

The CW’s Legends of Tomorrow is venturing into new territory, and census says it feels like classic era Doctor Who material. The Time Masters are gone, wiped out, and Rip feels the group should take on the mantle to correct anomalies manifesting in the time stream. As I recall, even though the third doctor was exiled to Earth, that did not stop the Time Lords from recruiting him for missions they deem needs intervention in. I’m okay with this direction, and still have to wonder if Thanagar (from last season’s finale) has further plans with the planet Earth. To totally ignore a few plot reveals in a finale does not mean these details are unimportant. The showrunners and writers of this show decided this planet is of universal importance in the great cosmic scheme of things.

As the streamlined crew (minus Hawkman and girl) are out to right what once went wrong, I have to wonder how much Quantum Leaping this group will do? As this episode begins, Nate Heywood reveals to Mayor Oliver Queen that he’s finding minor aberrations in the timeline; they go off to find the sunken Waverider and one survivor — Mick — who recounts what has happened. The dire warning from last season where Rex Tyler warned of their eventual death gets explored in a massive flashback making up this episode — and most of the episode shows how the group has gotten better at being heroes.

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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow Certainly Gets “Legendary” & Theories for This Series’ Future

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By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

*Spoiler Alert!

The Thanagarian threat will not arrive in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow for some time. With an exit and fitting finale for the storyline between Chay-ara, Khufu and Hath-Set (i.e. Kendra, Carter and Vandal in their current incarnations), one fight has been put to rest in this week’s season one finale, “Legendary.” Another danger is coming, but as for who that is (apparently this new villain makes Savage’s megalomania tame in comparison), that depends on how well viewers know their DC Comic’s lore. A member from The Justice Society of America, the precursor to the Justice League, pay a visit to set up the next season.

In an episode which borrows a few ideas from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “All Good Things…,” namely in having to solve a problem (more like a fight) that takes place in three different eras. To put a stop to a bomb that can destroy all of time requires facing it past, present and future. In what Savage adds to the fact, three meteorites came crashing upon ancient Egypt to impart its magic of ressurrction/immortality to certain individuals nearbg. As I suspected, they were sent in advance by the Thanagarians to this planet, but for what purpose? Dr Stein calculates the proximity of the two planets being close occurs irregularly and this alignment is important to cause interstellar destruction (just how mathematics can do that, this bit of astrophysics needs Stephan Hawking to help explain). Just why this detail is important does not get the decent explanation that’s needed until Savage says he wants Earth’s time-space to revert back to Egypt, the Middle Kingdom 1700 BC so he can be pharaoh and have Chay-ara turned into his consort. He’s quite simple minded, wanting to rule a dynasty instead of a galaxy. Perhaps he just wants to start small?

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Changing “Destiny” in “The River of Time” can be a B*tch in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

In order for the Earth to survive in Legends of Tomorrow, only a Thanagarian can defeat one of their own.

vlcsnap-2016-05-14-04h52m47s386Trying to circumvent destiny is nigh impossible in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Rip Hunter has only one chance to prevent his wife and son’s death, and he’s screwed it up. He can not try again, and now he has to accept the role The Endless Destiny has in store for him. This noun has been used far too much throughout the series and I’m starting to think it’s in reference to a living cosmic force.

The only way to change the demise of Rip’s family is to confront the person holding The Book of Souls and this character existed in the DC universe decades before author Neil Gaiman adopted him to become part of his Sandman world. While the Vertigo Comics universe does not necessarily exist in this series, I like to think these cosmic entities are persistant much like how Q endures in the Star Trek universe. Desire and Despair shape this leader’s feelings every week in his need to elude a dark future.

Last week’s “River of Time” was a throwaway piece to set up Vandal Savage’s big reveal as a servant of the Time Masters. However it’s doubtful he enjoys being manipulated like a puppet just to deal with a greater threat. In “Destiny,” the Thanagarians are coming and the reasons why are not too clear. According to the time lords, without him to lead the world, humanity will be destroyed by this mysterious race. However, for viewers familiar with the DC comics universe, Hawkman and Hawkgirl came from this world! While the series revealed Chay-ara and Khufu as Egyptians consumed by a meteorite’s radiation, thus mutating them (and Savage), I wonder if they might have some spiritual connection with that alien home world in an ancient astronaut kind of way. After rewatching the episode a few more times, I’m also questioning the rock’s origins. Might it be from Thanagar.

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How to Put Down a “Leviathan” in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

Sometimes the worst idea is the best. As for why the Legends of Tomorrow team never thought of simply ripping Vandal Savage from the time-line at the start would have drastically changed the course of events for everyone, and although that would have created the grand-father of all paradoxes (i.e. how can his tyrannical rule begin in the first place) in “Leviathan.”

The episode titles not only set the tone for each show but also suggests how this season will climax to its series one finale. “Blood Ties,” “White Knights” and “Progeny” are significant such that this series will be a generational product. There’s a reason for the series writers to decide Savage took the time to have children. The idea was alluded to in the past titles. Cassandra is just as vicious as her father. She’s been led to believe Per Degaton is the reason the planet is as messed up as it is and it’s up to pops to clean up shop to unite the world. However, as this TV series has revealed since its initial broadcast: time wants a particular course of events to happen. It’s impossible to alter it completely.

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