Legends of Tomorrow Review: Pilot, Part 1 (Season 1 Episode 1)
Unlike The Flash, DC’s second spin-off, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow does not have a smooth take-off. With choppy dialogue, almost sub-par acting, lack of chemistry between the actors, and an episode (potentially season-long) structure that’s very linear for a TV show about time travel, “Pilot, Part 1” does not impress.
Not only does the pilot fail, it also puts into perspective how unoriginal Hollywood’s writers can be. Instead of using the character of Rip Hunter from the comics and creating someone based off of that, they meld the characters of Captain Mal Reynolds from Firefly and The Doctor from Doctor Who, throw in a personal tragedy in the form of Rip’s murdered wife and son, and then call it a day.
Speaking of Firefly, maybe the writers should have taken another clue from the space western and written a pilot with a fully formed team battling Vandal Savage some time in the future, maybe six months or a year after Hunter puts the team together. It would’ve been a far more fascinating show if they’d taken advantage of its timey-wimey-ness and put aside the idea of telling a story linearly, perhaps showing the audience how Hunter put the team together later on, like Firefly’s “Out of Gas.” Viewers love origin stories, but they already have the entire cast’s origin story. When writers try to force a continuation of it with uncoordinated dialogue that probably causes the awful chemistry between the characters, it fails to interest.
For example, the scene in the bar with Sara Lance, Heat Wave, and Captain Cold is the most enjoyable scene in the premiere by far — just three people drinking one-dollar beers and fighting up a storm. That is what the entire pilot should have been like — no awkward interactions and no forced camaraderie. The writers split up the team immediately after putting them together. Why? What they should’ve written is an episode in which the nine people the writers want everyone to love immediately are kicking ass and taking names together. A group of people bonding together by fighting evil is what the viewers expect — and want. Hopefully, the coming episodes will not continue to deprive us of that.
My last bone to pick with the writers involves Professor Stein. Firstly, where is his wife? Does he remember that he’s married to Clarissa? Does he even bother to tell her where he’s going, or does he just disappear again? Secondly, kidnapping? Really? I would’ve thought that a man as educated as Stein would understand the concept — and know that it’s wrong. Unfortunately, his willingness to drug Jax and force him to go on Hunter’s mission is really unforgiveable — not on the character’s part, because, thanks to Victor Garber’s wonderfully balanced portrayal, Stein is beloved by all — but on the part of the writers, their out of character presentation of Stein, and their level of trust among viewers. So far, that level is not very high up there.
The pilot isn’t the worst that’s graced television screens across America. There’s plenty of action and laughs — the latter coming specifically from Ray Palmer — but considering that it’s another DC spin-off, one would think they would be able to drudge up a little more creativity.
What did you think of the pilot episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments below!
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DC’s Legends of Tomorrow airs Thursdays at 8/7c on The CW.
Emma Leigh
Emma is an executive assistant in the interactive games industry. She spends her time adoring Joss Whedon, tweeting about massive fails in the shows she watches, and cooking while watching Friends. She lives with her girlfriend in Southern California, where they hole up in their apartment on weekends to watch television about superheroes and vampires.