DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, ‘Pilot, Part 2’ Plot Summary
The team tracks down Savage (Casper Crump) to a warehouse munitions deal where things get dicey. After a piece of The Atom suit is found by Savage, Professor Stein (Victor Garber) must find his younger self to track down the tech and right the future.
“Pilot, Part 2” can be easily described in one word. Excessive.
Legends of Tomorrow’s second episode was aggressively excessive in all areas. There were two long fight scenes that erupted way too easily and which were fought way to carelessly for a bunch of people who are trying to keep a low profile. The first battle during the arms deal went on so long, with no singular focus. I sincerely believe a whole five minutes went by without any actual dialogue. But I think what really got me, regarding excessiveness, was the actual auction.
I don’t know if you know this but everyone attending the arms deal was evil and they have guns and know how to use them. So if you thought they were pansy asses think again. Instead of demurely raising a hand or paddle to place a bid on the weapon, they WOULD FIRE THEIR GUN straight up INTO THE AIR. I still cannot believe that was an actual thing that actually happened for real in a show created by adult humans with experience in the television industry. It was just too ridiculous.
The overindulgence doesn’t end there though. Legends of Tomorrow has too many characters and while that does not necessarily spell doom, the handling of the characters does. The plot lines are too weak to support the many character arcs the show is trying to build which is making me very aware of just how many people there are to keep track of.
“Pilot, Part 2” started to run a pattern that I’m not entirely fond of. The gang is still in 1975 tracking down Vandal Savage (Crump). They track him to evil auction. (Quick Sidenote: all arms deals seem to take place in a warehouse by a body of water if it’s during the day or in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere with a gravel lot if it’s at night.)
Anyway, after a confrontation with one of the other big bads looking to buy Savage’s nuclear weapon, the Legends enter into the epic battle that leaves a piece of Ray Palmer’s (Brandon Routh) advanced atom suit tech in the hands of Savage. This is the “gasp-worthy” turning point because the future has now been changed. In order to restore the future timeline they must find the younger Professor Stein (Garber) who has a device that can track Palmer’s tech. But of course that goes awry and the future is changed again!
I’m already over this. Some shows (Fringe, I’m looking at you) do time travel, alternate universes, etc. very well. Their plot points have no holes and they manage to stay away from the time travel cliches, or if they do fall into a cliche trap they do it very well. Legends of Tomorrow is not that show. “Pilot, Part 2” cemented itself in the lazy cause and effect plotline, not once but twice and that is not ideal. It’s actually very concerning for future episodes.
However, I have a big question that I need answered immediately. Ray Palmer is a genius. He has his doctorate. He had enough money and power to by Queen Consolidated and then run it. He made the Atom suit and is super smart and knows stuff and is qualified in everything basically. So then why is his role on Legends of Tomorrow the beautiful blundering idiot? I am confused where this comes from. What gives?
“Pilot, Part 2” was uninteresting and corny as hell with uninspiring dialogue. If someone wasn’t snapping off a quick one liner, then they were spurting out science/mythology/history/time travel monologues that were blatantly made up even with suspension of disbelief in play.
I am very disappointed with the second episode of Legends of Tomorrow. The Flash, in my opinion, is an excellent show and did very well integrating into the already set universe of Arrow while establishing itself as an individual series.
So yes as a series, Legends of Tomorrow had a high bar to reach. But instead of jumping and brushing the bar with a fingertip, the second episode army crawled on the floor leaving a gaping stretch of air between it and the high standards created by The Flash.
Rating: 2.5 out of 10
