DC’s Legends of Tomorrow is a show that should not work anywhere outside of comic books. We have a rag-tag group of, at best, B-list heroes and villains teaming up to jump through time, saving the day. It’s like Doctor Who, only with lots of punching, actual action and a bit less deus ex machina. Even in terms of the comic book world these heroes sometimes barely register with only a few having had solo series in the past and none currently (at least I don’t think) having one.
That being said Warner Bros. and The CW have once again struck gold where other networks would never dare to tread. I find this quite interesting as Supergirl on CBS was dropped after season 1 (it’s now on The CW for season 2) and Gotham over on Fox has been consistently panned by fans and critics. You know there is something off when Batman and Supergirl based shows don’t work as well as ones staring an Archer, and a dude that travels through time with a bunch of almost no name heroes.
A lot of this has to do with demographics as The CW is the perfect fit for these sorts of shows. The network skews much younger and those that watch The CW are used to a less serious take on things, with a little teenage style drama thrown in (#Olicity). Whatever the case may be this isn’t just some fluke like many thought with Arrow, as now having three top shows (Supergirl will make 4 soon) make the DC television universe must watch TV.
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow season 2 premieres on The CW on Thursday, October 13, and the network has released a new trailer that you can see at the end of this article. It’s your standard CW fare, although the editing it pretty slick, that shows some of the new rotating cast (a major boon to the series and writers that helps keep it fresh). The big reveal that lasts for less than a split-second is out first look at Stargirl, a very popular character that is fairly new to the DC comic universe. Courtney Whitmore (Stargirl) is a huge a part of the Starman legacy, a series that should be required reading for all comic fans. Count us all excited for the Justice Society of America and all that brings with it.
But before season 2 starts we should look back at some of what made season 1 so much fun. Warner Bros. sent us over DC’s Legends of Tomorrow The Complete First Season on Blu-ray to check out to get ready for season 2. I actually reviewed a number of episodes when the show première, so go digging around the site to read those for a little more in-depth look at specific episodes. Where I think the show really works isn’t in that it’s a hero show, but in the cast of characters involved. There is such a diverse cast that it’s really easy to connect with at least one of them on a personal level throughout the shows season. The actors are spot on and you can really tell they are having a great time doing what they do.
Much of the first part of season 1 was occupied with the team learning to work together and coming to really understand the larger nature of their situation against a threat across all of time. I loved that the show heavily pushed that they were all chosen because they we “Legends” in the future. This was really cool and it was exciting to think that these characters would someday push past their current B-level status. But that quickly changes after they all say their goodbyes in the present and find that Rip Hunter (the man who brings them together) lied about almost everything.
He is a rogue Time Master (not to be mixed up with Time Lord) that is seeking revenge for the death of his family at the hand of the immortal Vandal Savage when his fellow Time Masters woult not intervene. But the real twist is that he picked each person for this mission because they aren’t important to the timeline as they all die without having much impact. It’s a punch to the gut, but seeing how each team member deals with this through season 1 makes for engaging television. The pilot episode was broken up over two weeks, something that you don’t usually see anymore on network television, but really helped to quickly establish the show and its cast. The writers gave the show time to breathe and allowed viewers to get a better understanding before the show truly began in earnest.
I’ve mentioned that the cast in on-point, but the time travel element, of which could mess everything up, really works well because of this. It’s fun to see people out of their element travel to the 70’s, 80’s and even the old west, but because of the diversity of cast each comes at it with a different feeling. The world is a much better place today than it ever was, so seeing some tension thanks to the society of a certain age makes for some real solid drama. But as time travel is a two-way street, the team also heads to the future on a few occasions. Episode “Star City 2046” is a standout thanks to letting us see the Arrow world and what’s become of Star City in Rip’s failed future. It’s a strong episode on all fronts, but also draws heavily upon comics lore in many ways, especially with Connor Hawke and Oliver missing an arm; a direct reference to The Dark Knight Returns comic.
The show really played will with time and while it’s something that can easily get confusing (and it does from time to time) they handle it well. There is a clear season arc in play that becomes hard to see thanks in part to the solid writing, but because of that tricky time travel element. An episode like “Left Behind” shows this long-term plan as Chronos, the person tasked by the Time Masters to hunt down Rip Hunter shows his true nature. In a scene of coming full circle, Chronos, who has been following since episode one is revealed to being Mick, one of the current members of Rip’s team. It’s a shocking moment, but one that is set up well and pushes Snart and Mick’s relationship to new limits.
“Legendary” caps an impressive season and while breaking up much of the team, whether that be by choice, force, or death, still manages to set up season 2 in an exciting way. This isn’t Game of Thrones with people dying left and right, but because DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow is about time travel means that nobody is safe and that the writers have the entirety of the DC comic universe to pull characters from for specific missions. In the end we learn the Rip Hunter is a true hero and that the Time Masters betrayed everyone creating/using Vandal Savage to their own altruistic end -At least in their minds. This opens up a new freedom to help throughout time and with new cast joining for season two I am excited to see what the show can do. That said, I do hope we get to revisit some old cast members in the future.
DC’s Legends Of Tomorrow The Complete First Season is out now on Blu-ray and DVD via Amazon (http://amzn.to/2bHQdMb). The season comes on 2 Blu-ray discs and is packed with a number of special features for fans. My favorite of these is the DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: 2015 Comic-Con Panel that lets you sit in on the panel and hear the cast talk about the show. It;s a cool thing, especially for fans. You also get “The Wave Rider” featurette that gets into the wicked cool ship that the team call home. There is also “Legends of Tomorrow: History in the making” featurette, “Hex Marks The Spot” featurette that dives into the great episode that featured Jonah Hex, a number of deleted scenes from several episodes, and the always fun gag reel. This is a package that fans of the series will want to have in their collection.
Check out the trailer for season 2 below:
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