Legends of Tomorrow Review: This is Gus (Season 6 Episode 9)
Legends of Tomorrow Season 6 Episode 9, “This is Gus,” takes a deeper look at Behrad as it takes the team to one of his favorite places in the world: the set of a niche sitcom.
“This is Gus” will undoubtedly feel familiar to longtime viewers because this show has done an episode very similar to this in the past. Way back in the second season, “Raiders of the Lost Art” had Nate and Ray meeting their childhood idol George Lucas and try to convince him to stay on the path of filmmaking or vital parts of themselves will start to disappear from the timeline.
It wouldn’t be unfair, in that respect, to say that Legends of Tomorrow is retreading ground with a different character and this episode isn’t as successful an endeavor as its predecessor is but there’s still a lot of value to be found here.
Mostly that comes from the show trying to solidify Behrad in our minds as a singular presence on the team and this is a good way to go about it. “This is Gus” allows the series to really break Behrad down into his base components and make the audience understand at his core.
What ends up making this a weaker attempt at this than “Raiders of the Lost Art” is that there is something incredibly concrete in the ways that Nate and Ray lose themselves. It’s George Lucas, this pop-culture figure that most have a firm grasp on fro why that would be a substantial pillar for development.
With “This is Gus,” however, it is fabricating something that is very meaningful to Behrad but there isn’t that same touchpoint for viewers. We care because Behrad cares and the episode lays out the reasons why it’s important but it’s a foundation that feels a lot more isolated. That’s partly the point.
This is an episode that makes a really strong case for representation and seeing at least a version of yourself on the screen. His favorite show of all time is one that wouldn’t click for a hundred other people but it strikes at something inside of him. It’s niche and very specific and that’s entirely why it matters.
It’s the CW completely at war with itself during this episode. The same network that might give you representation in ways that you’ve never seen before on screen will take steps to ruin it or take it off your television entirely. This isn’t exclusive to one network but it is Legends of Tomorrow acknowledging and criticizing that dichotomy.
“This is Gus” makes the case that good representation or a show has the capacity to change your life. It’s this appreciation for the medium while also taking shots at it. Television can be a transformative experience, if everyone involved is willing to let that happen, and it doesn’t matter if it’s silly or not.
It all coalesces into a rather compelling portrait of Behrad and the character he is. Yes, he’s a stoner who’s only there mentally about half the time but, just like his favorite show, there’s a lot of value in him.
What did you think of this episode of Legends of Tomorrow ? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Legends of Tomorrow airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Drew Koenig
Drew has an ongoing, borderline unhealthy obsession with pop culture, but with television in particular. When he's not aggressively trying to get out of a perpetual state of catching up, he can be found passionately defending the ending of Lost. More of his online work can be found at The Lost Cause and he also co-hosts The Lost Cause Pod.
One thought on “Legends of Tomorrow Review: This is Gus (Season 6 Episode 9)”
Who sings that song “Let the money talk” when Behrad was all dressed up scene?
Comments are closed.