Category: Directed by Andi Armaganian

Legends of Tomorrow (2016) s05e11 – Ship Broken

It’s a good episode with a great twist in the third act but it’s not the episode the cold open promises. We’re supposed to be getting pyromaniac, patricidal supervillain turned time-traveling adventurer and romance novelist Mick (Dominic Purcell) bringing daughter Mina Sundwall onto the time machine ship to hang out for the weekend. We’ve seen Purcell and Sundwall for really brief scenes but never actually having a subplot together.

And, we don’t again.

Because the rest of the Legends are playing with the Loom of Fate and it causes some kind of electromagnetic pulse, knocking out the ship’s systems, without actually bending reality the way they were all hoping.

Or does it. Because the more everyone digs, the more unlikely it seems the ship’s issues were caused by the pulse. Instead, it appears to be intentional sabotage and suspect number one is visiting demon (or lost soul?) Olivia Swann. Swann protests her innocence and tries to sway Tala Ashe to her side while Caity Lotz comes out of her coma (good, when she opened the episode still in it, I was worried we’d have another Sara-less episode). Only Lotz now has future sight. She touches someone and she can see their future. And they’re all dead. In the near future. From stab wounds.

And the more people she touches, the clearer the future becomes—she’s the one who’s doing it.

Throw in Gary Green bringing an emotional support dog (he’s got a note) onto the ship and it’s a pretty full episode.

Lots of fun along the way, lots of cute moments for Jes Macallan and Lotz, a few nice scenes for Purcell and Sundwall—Nick Zano, in his most appealing performance in ages, tutors history student Sundwall and reminds he joined the show as a historian.

Other reminders to the past have Lotz listing all the guys who’ve left the show over the years, which is a really nice touch. The direction, from Andi Armaganian, is really nice.

There’s a great line from Matt Ryan, who’s got less to do this episode than usual, about how as long as someone’s not a weekly villain, the Legends welcome them—Swann’s worried everyone’s still mad at her for unleashing demonic killers on the timeline and he’s assuring her. It’s got a nice echo at the end.

I still hope we get an episode where Purcell and Zano have to help Sundwall with a history report on how important historical figures would view the world of San Dimas, 1988.

Supergirl (2015) s05e07 – Tremors

In an incredible turn of events Mitch Pileggi as the big bad—Leviathan—is actually kind of fun. Pileggi’s a millions of years old alien (he was around to see the dinosaurs get it) who for some reason has hung out on Earth and run a secret society. It’s not clear why. It’s also not clear why his army of regular people followers include humans who can’t outsmart Lena Luthor (Katie McGrath). Lena’s smart and all, but shouldn’t a millions of years old secret society have better tech than her?

So, Leviathan. Doesn’t exactly pay off and Pileggi doesn’t look quite Rock-like in his Black Adam-esque outfit (and he reminds a lot of Vandal Savage on “Legends”), but it’s actually all right.

Shame the rest of the episode digs deeper into the established pit.

Lena’s also on Team Supergirl for a scene; just enough to remind how good McGrath is with the rest of the cast. She and Jesse Rath’s two or three line banter is more personality than the show’s had in ages. But then her arc is all about her telling Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) they’re now sworn enemies. It’s an awful scene, hinging entirely on Lena having iced Lex for her friends and then it turns out the friends all lied to her. How the show has ruined Lena is one of its many significant faults (ditto not just having McGrath and Benoist get together romantically instead of queer-baiting for, what, three seasons now). It’s not like McGrath is good in the villain reveal (because she’s not exactly a villain, just a pissed off gal pal). Benoist’s a little better but not very concerned why Lena wants a weapon capable of killing everyone on the planet.

If the writing were better, who knows, it might be a good scene.

Speaking of bad scenes, Alex (Chyler Leigh) blathering on to girlfriend Azie Tesfai in an unending declaration of devotion ought to, really, get someone a pink slip. It’s so bad. So bad. Leigh’s not strong enough to carry the scenes and Tesfai isn’t ready for such a big role. Though, again, might just be the terrible writing.

Meanwhile J’onn (David Harewood) has a ludicrous scene with Ghost Dad Carl Lumbly, who I’m glad is getting a check and all, but the Martian family trouble subplot is, well, the pits. It’s perplexing why anyone thinks the scenes are a) a good idea or b) effective. It’s terrible stuff.

Though I guess Phil LaMarr is a little better as Harewood’s brother this episode, though it’s not a high bar.

I figured this episode would be bad but it’s even worse than imagined. The Lena payoff is a complete fail for the show, the characters, and McGrath.