Legends of Tomorrow “The Chicago Way” entertains mightily. There are some comic moments, the odd poignant moment (Think Leonard’s haunting of Mick.) and one heck of a shocker at the tail end of the episode.
Rip Hunter has reappeared, sans Brit accent, sans time travel and sans a sense of humor. (Okay, Hunter never really had what one could call a funny bone when he ran things, but this version of Hunter seems downright dour.)
The former time traveler is now, apparently, a film, or television, director who is documenting his own time master adventures. Or is he? The rumor mill has been busy since the second season started with hints that Hunter would return and that he was be “very different.”
This clearly means that more about the old master has changed over and above his new accent. As an end to the episode, this voyeuristic view of Hunter’s Hollywood life is a puzzler.
It is almost as mystifying as Mick being visited by the dead Snart. Due to the time of year, Leonard’s haunting of his old pal could be seen as a “ghost of Christmas past” theme. Snart is, after all, warning his old partner in crime not to follow the goody-two-shoes crewmembers or he could end up dead.
Of course on the flipside of the Snart coin Vixen is working overtime to thaw the cold, cold heart of Rory and it seems to be working. The comically dour Mick is warming to Vixen and vice versa. (Stealing a bottle of illegal “bootleg” hooch for Mick was cute and endearing…Just saying.)
The story this week featured a lot of the Reverse-Flash, too little Damien Darhk (our favorite DC villain) and just the right amount of John Barrowman’s uber baddie Malcolm Merlyn.
It has to be mentioned here that both McDonough and Barrowman kicked it in their 1920’s duds. Snap brim fedoras and long coats made the two men look beyond sharp. No one on the good guy team looked as hot as the duo of villains.
Mick Rory telling Vixen that the bad guys have more fun was spot on but he forgot to mention that they look better in their outfits. Poor old Reverse-Flash was stuck in his supervillain onesie and was not allowed to play dress-up.
Back to the storyline: The entire episode took great pains to let us know that “The Chicago Way” was a trap, or at the very least, a ruse to ensnare the team into a certain course of action. The added twist of Hunter as director added another level of confusion to the existing plot.
While there is no apparent connect to the 1967 Hunter and the 1927 scenario, it has spawned a number of questions about the former leader of the Legends and why he is in the director’s chair.
More importantly, the stage is set in this mid-winter finale for the Legion of Doom to assemble. It looks as though Leonard Snart may be more than a figment of Mick’s imagination. (Marc Guggenheim has hinted that this version of Snart, like the other surprise guest in this episode; Rip Hunter, may not be the Captain Cold the Legends remember.)
Legends of Tomorrow airs Thursdays on CW. The next installment of Legends will air in January 2017.
Cast:
- Victor Garber – Dr. Martin Stein
- Brandon Routh – Ray Palmer / The Atom
- Arthur Darvill – Rip Hunter
- Caity Lotz – Sara Lance
- Franz Drameh – Jefferson “Jax” Jackson / Firestorm
- Matt Lutscher – Eobard Thorne / Reverse Flash
- Dominic Purcell – Mick Rory / Heat Wave
- Nick Zano – Nate Heywood / Citizen Steel
- Amy Pemberton – Gideon (Voice)
- Maisie Richardson-Sellers – Amaya Jiwe / Vixen
- Neal McDonough – Damien Darhk
- John Barrowman – Malcolm Merlyn
Guest starring Wentworth Miller as Leonard Snart, Isaac Keoughan as Al Capone and Cole Vigue as Elliot Ness.
Mikes Film Talk 