HomeTelevisionTV Recap: DC's Legends of Tomorrow, 'Marooned'

TV Recap: DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, ‘Marooned’

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‘MAROONED’ PLOT SUMMARY:

Ignoring the warnings of the rest of the team, Rip (Arthur Darvill) answers a distress call from another timeship hoping to use its computer to track Savage (Casper Crump). The timeship belongs to time pirates who take most of the team hostage, leaving their rescue in Professor Stein’s (Victor Garber) hands.

In medical shows, law shows, and police procedurals the hard data and the jargon used is accurate. When the science or the law is incorporated into the plot line, the information is rooted in fact and boosts the story. There is a real set of rules the writers have to follow to create each episode. The difference with Legends of Tomorrow is the “science” of time travel and timeships is not real. There are no experts that can call out mistakes.

There are other shows rooted in made up things. Anything considered science fiction deals with hypothetical science and the like. Fantasy can have magic or different species or completely new places. These shows, the good ones at least, make up their own rules and stick to them. The difference with Legend of Tomorrow is the rules are made up as the series progresses. The storytelling around time travelling science is lazy and used as a fix-all for every unexplainable plot point.

“Marooned” starts off with the creation of another rule which informs the entire episode. The Waverider’s location finder, as with all timeships apparently, has to reboot after a time jump. I’m honestly not sure what the exact rule is, but I am sure it feels forced and distinctly plot devicey. (And, yes, I realize I made up a word in the middle of a rant about people not following rules, but I don’t care and leave me alone!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwJJAH8OzT0

Because the computer is down, they haven’t been able to look for Savage (Crump). But then they get a distress call from another timeship and Rip decides to go to their aid so they can use that ship’s computer. “Marooned” is about fleshing out Rip’s character and revealing some of his history. The events for this episode are mostly contained within this week alone; it’s not going to spill into next week or the week after like the previous episodes have. That’s really why the laziness of the time travel science and facts are so blatant. It gives a setup for Rip’s flashbacks to seem natural.

I’m cautiously going to say that I’m enjoying the friendship between Snart (Wentworth Miller) and Sara (Caity Lotz). This is a big thing for me to admit because I have been very vocal (to friends and family) about my extreme distaste for Sara and Lotz’s mouth acting. Their scenes this week are organic and reveal their characters’ motivations.

Continuing with even more extreme caution, Ray (Brandon Routh) is a bit better this week. It’s nothing life changing, but they feel like real characters written with a little bit of care. Ray finally gets the chance to be more than the hilarious “cut to Ray doing the opposite of what someone just said” gag. He’s closer to the Ray Palmer we know from Arrow. He’s capable and smart and helpful. Go, Ray.

I’m just gonna jump back to Snart (Miller) real quick because, Goddamnit, I love him. The showdown between him and Mick (Dominic Purcell) when the time pirates board Waverider is just so amazing. Snart forever.

I won’t say I’m into Legends of Tomorrow. There are still many things that annoy me and other things I mock in my spare time. But I was invested in “Marooned.”

Rating: 5 out of 10

Marley Ghizzone
Marley Ghizzone
Marley Ghizzone is the current music editor and former Breaking News Editor for The Pop Break. Aside from writing news, Marley reviews television shows and the odd film. Pop culture is her drug of choice and her talents include binge watching entire seasons of TV shows obsessively fast and crying over fictional characters. Marley is a graduate of Rowan University. Follow her on twitter: @marleyveee
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