Legends of Tomorrow Review: Pilot, Part 2 (Season 1 Episode 2)

The second episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, “Pilot, Part 2” is an utter mess. Is it a story about two destined lovers who fall in love over and over again over a span of 4,000 years? Is it a story about a dorky tech and two criminals who try to steal a dagger? Is it a story about a middle-aged professor meeting his younger self and trying to make sure he doesn’t miss out on meeting his wife? Is it a story about a group of people who try to fight together as a team and constantly fail? Maybe it’s about a creepy Time Master who lurks in the shadows of his own ship, stepping out only to tell his passengers what they’re doing wrong.

Last week’s series premiere lacked camaraderie and chemistry. The hope that a second episode would bring the team together is destroyed by a writers room that pushes too hard with more terrible, corny dialogue and lack of any emotional connection to the characters — whether it’s an emotional connection on the part of the viewers, or an emotional connection between the characters themselves.

This is brought out especially in light of Carter’s death. Does anyone actually care that Vandal Savage kills him? Kendra’s complete turnaround on her feelings for him are very unbelievable, especially since she’s been given only four episodes to get to know him (including the episodes of The Flash and Arrow). The scene in which the team vows to bring Savage to an end to avenge Carter is cringe-worthy — how many of them had more than an hour’s worth of conversation with Carter?

The question is: how could the writers possibly think that calling off someone as unlikeable and boring as Carter would bring any sort of emotional punch to the show? Especially when viewers are too busy laughing at the corny lines — “This ends here and now, Savage. You’re coming with us!” — and an actual literal interpretation of a black market — where everyone wears black except for Damien Darhk.

Here’s the thing: this show has so much going for it. The interactions between Ray and Snart are pure gold — and unforced. Sara Lance is great at being a badass (not so great at the humor though). Heat Wave’s dry humor saves a scene when it goes sour. On The Flash, Professor Stein used to be a sincere, warm older man who seemed to only want to teach and help others — where has that wonderful person gone? What the writers should be focusing on are these little nuggets of acting talent, chemistry, and niches – and finding them in the other characters as well.

What did you think of this 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.