Details: Aired in 2017. This is a four-part crossover, television show special comprised of episode 8 of season 3 of Supergirl, episode 8 of season 6 of Arrow, episode 8 of season 4 of The Flash, and episode 8 of season 3 of Legends of Tomorrow, in that order. Each episode is about an hour-long and aired on the CW.
Ever since the CW started airing more than one DC Comics superhero show, they began to air an annual crossover episode where the heroes on all their respective superhero shows team up in a self-contained story arc and fight a common enemy. This means more special effects, more action, and more funny/strange moments between characters who would normally never interact with one another.
The crossover miniseries this year is the largest to date as it combines the cast of Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and Legends of Tomorrow. You’d think it wouldn’t work, but despite some cringe-y moments, it mostly does. If you are at all a fan of the CW’s superhero shows, this is the television event you should watch.
Details: Airs on the CW. Each episode is about an hour long including commercials. There are seventeen episodes in season two.
If your familiar with the series, there’s not much to say about this season. It’s more of the same from season one. This isn’t a bad thing, there’s just no evolution or improvements.
Legends tomorrow returns for a second season. Last season ended with the deaths of the Time Masters and a member of the Justice Society of America crashing the time machine and giving them a warning.
Season Two picks up about six months after that. The Justice Society of America person who showed up warns them not to go to the year of 1942, then seems to disappear from existence. Afterwards, the team gets in the ship and takes the place of the deceased Time Masters, chasing time criminals and trying to protect the timeline.
As with the first season, this is a fun show. It isn’t meant to be exact, nor is it meant to make a whole lot sense. If you think about it too hard, even within the context of a superhero world where time travel is possible, it all kind of falls apart. Their motivations, the in show logic of their actions, it’s all pretty nonsensical. Even still, if you just take it at face value, enjoy the explosions and the jokes and the running around history, mingling with famous historical figures, then you will have a good time.
Score: 7/10 Look forward to new characters, super nazi’s, and cameos from cast members of The Flash and Arrow. Speaking Nazi’s, I just love when the media portrays over the top Nazi’s, especially when they have super powers. There’s just something about a Nazi officer angrily screaming orders in German that I enjoy. Schnell! Nein!
Legends of Tomorrow is an interesting show. There are a lot of reasons why this should fail. First of all it’s a spin off. If the prior spin off s for Supernatural were any indication, there is a high chance a spin off will fail. It is also filled with B list superheroes and guest star actors that only showed up momentarily on the Flash and Arrow, if at all.
On the other hand, it further explores the DC Comics universe and gives comic book fans live action performances of their favorite heroes/villains. It’s something most comic book fans have waited their whole lives to see and with such a built in fan base the show should very likely succeed.
It was unsurprising then with all these factors for and against this show that its financial performance was… well… sorta good and sorta bad. I’ve read articles on how this thing was almost canceled for it’s ridiculously large budget and then I read that it’s getting another season. Mixed messages on whether or not this show is a success.
In any case, what do I think? I think this show is a mixed success and yet, I am undoubtedly a fan and eagerly awaiting the next season.
The premise is this: Rip Hunter, time traveler from the future goes back in time to our present to assemble a group of heroes to save the world from an apocalyptic future.
It took a couple episodes to really get into it. You have to understand that this is a feel good, adventure show, somewhat in similar tone to the old Hercules and Xena shows, but with more science fiction and superheroes. What really hooked me was something that happened a few episodes in… which will be put in spoiler captions at the very bottom of this entry.
It’s plot points like these, these time travel plot points were time passes differently for different characters that really hooked me. A good time travel story uses foreshadowing and reference to past events to increase the tension and effect of plot twists. Legends of Tomorrow does that wonderfully by giving us glimpses of potential futures and explanations of how our cast of characters brought about past events.
The special effects are used plentifully and while not perfect, more than do the job of telling a great science fiction/superhero story.
The cast is also adequate and the characters are all explored to some degree. They each also have their own plot lines throughout the season.
Score: 6.5/10 A shaky start for what can be a great show. The cliff hangar at the end of the season introduces a whole myriad of questions. Which actors will join the cast? Which heroes/villains will show up? What will happen to the current cast? I can’t wait to see what will happen.
SPOILERS*
Hawkgirl, the Atom, and White Canary get left behind in the 1950’s… for like three years. Canary goes back to the League of Assassins and regresses from some time travel sickness. Hawkgirl and the Atom actually build a life together and try to live happily ever after.
Muse Bank 