I’ve been worried about “Legends of Tomorrow”’s renewal for a while now—though it’s not like The CW has renewed any of their shows, they’re just not renewing early this year—but if Knocked Down, Knocked Up ends up being the series finale… it’s a dreadful series finale.
As a season finale, it’s generally okay. It’s way too full, primarily because of how much time is spent introducing Donald Faison, who presumably will be back as regular (or at least a recurring guest star) in the potential next season. Faison’s the “fixer” at the fixed point where Matt Ryan has to go to save his potential boyfriend, Tom Forbes. Fixed points in time can’t be changed without apocalyptic consequences.
The episode ignores Forbes having no idea Ryan’s a time traveler or ready to throw caution to the wind and have a loving, gay relationship in 1915 or whenever. Presumably, that character development would happen next season.
Ditto the episode ignores Adam Tsekhman and Amy Louise Pemberton being reunited after Pemberton’s AI partner (also Pemberton, just voice) tried to kill him last episode.
The episode doesn’t even have enough time for the Forbes rescue mission, which has been Ryan’s entire purpose on the show. At least playing this character. There’s a rushed moment with Ryan realizing he’s been misremembering the battle (having suffered years of untreated PTSD); again, maybe they’ll get to it next season.
However, the episode nicely bookends the relationship between Pemberton, Olivia Swann, and Lisseth Chavez. They started the season together with Swann trying to magic a solution to their spaceship problems; they end the season with Swann trying to similarly magic a solution. Only evil AI Pemberton’s gotten wise and created herself an android body; there are a cute couple Terminator references. Well, at least one, but then also just the general vibe.
Caity Lotz gets a big arc for the episode—discovering even more repercussions to being half-alien now—and it gets the most immediate resolution. Since it’s such a dire mission—the last time they tried changing a fixed point, it was a disaster—Lotz decides to keep her news a secret from the team (and wife Jes Macallan in particular).
There’s also a farewell for a regular cast member, which comes off very convenient and somewhat underdone. It’s also potentially got huge ramifications for another cast member if the show gets renewed, anyway. Otherwise, everyone’s just left with the undercooked finish.
Other than Pemberton, Swann, and Chavez, Lotz probably gets the best episode. Tala Ashe and Shayan Sobhian get the worst. They’re accessories. Nick Zano, Tsekhman, and Ryan probably get second-best. Jes Macallan seems disinterested with the entire outing until halfway through. Maybe it’s director Kevin Mock’s fault for not keeping the energy up, or perhaps it’s just emphasizing introducing Faison at the expense of the regular cast.
Faison’s charming enough. It doesn’t matter if they don’t get renewed, though.
As many fingers crossed as humanly, alienly, and robotically possible, the show goes on, especially given the episode’s punting on all the character development.
Leave a Reply