Doing what has to be done.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
The funny thing about Legends of Tomorrow is that it features a team of metahumans who, despite being losers and misanthropes, are arguably overqualified for the missions they carry out. Between Rip Hunter’s advanced technology and the fantastical abilities of heroes like Firestorm and the Atom, there’s theoretically very little this team can’t accomplish, especially when their opponents are simple criminals and soldiers working with decades-old technology. The trick is to create challenges for the team that can’t simply be overcome with fancy gadgets. “Fail-Safe” had the right idea, as it divided the team in half and turned their most valuable assets into vulnerabilities.
Watching “Fail-Safe” made it clear that Legends of Tomorrow is more versatile than Flash and Arrow when it comes to tone. Flash will always be the lighthearted one of the bunch, no matter how much personal drama Barry Allen wrestles with. Arrow, even with the fine-tuning done this season, will always be the darker and more brooding counterpart. But Legends manages to dance on both sides of the line with ease. This episode skewed fairly dark, which was appropriate given the Soviet gulag setting and the fact that the outcome of the Cold War was riding on our heroes’ actions. Several characters were forced to make hard choices this week between protecting friends and making hard sacrifices for the greater good.
No one struggled more in that regard than Rip Hunter. While a clear bond has formed between Rip and his team over the past several weeks, the fact remains that every one of them is a means to an end as far as restoring his wife and child back to life. Several characters described themselves as pawns on a chessboard, and for much of this episode that was exactly how Rip treated them. Fortunately, his better nature won out and Rip chose to put his faith in his new friends, even if that meant risking the fate of the world. Both he and Sara experienced important character growth in that regard.
On a related note, there really does seem to be a degree of sexual tension between Rip and Sara. There’s at least a kindred spirit-type thing going on with them. It would be very interesting to see a romantic subplot develop and Rip have to deal with the idea that he’s fallen in love with another woman even as he’s bending time and space to try to bring his family back. It’s also becoming more and more apparent that Rip’s recurring run-ins with Vandal Savage may have caused the deaths of his wife and son in the first place. As usual, Casper Crump’s Savage comes across as a mediocre villain, but the scene where he gloated about memorizing their faces showed him at his best and most twisted.
This was also an important week for Captain Cold and Heat Wave, as both men showed signs that their code of honor extends to more than just each other. Heat Wave’s arc was especially touching. Against all odds, he actually seems to be warming up to Ray. Before this show began, would Heat Wave ever have risked his life to help a wounded man escape from prison? It’s really nice to see the characters experience tangible signs of growth from week to week. That’s one benefit of an ensemble cast and a relatively shorter season – there’s less room for wasting time.
Someone’s about to feel the Fury of Firestorm.
Every team member enjoyed some solid material this week. Ray offered the only real dose of humor this week as he tried and failed to charm his way into the prison social scene. Jax got the chance to prove himself outside of being Firestorm (even if the whole sprinting thing was a little hackneyed). As for Kendra, she somehow managed to go an entire episode without reminding anyone that she used to be a barista. She also conquered her fear of Vandal Savage and made it clear that their next encounter won’t be so one-sided.
But more than anyone, it was Stein who carried this episode. This episode and last week’s installment have been great about testing Victor Garber’s dramatic chops and forcing the character outside of his comfort zone. Last week it was Stein’s fear over getting his young partner killed. This week it was seeing his friends being tortured in front of his eyes. Garber’s intense performance in that torture scene was crucial, and it was easy to see his guilt and despair over being the cause of their misery. Stein’s struggle ended well enough this week, save for one thoroughly exploded nuclear physicist, but it’s safe to say this ongoing mission isn’t quite the fun jaunt he expected it to be back in the pilot.
It’s also worth noting the fun cameo for Carlos Valdes’ Cisco Ramon. It had been revealed already that Cisco would be putting in an appearance this week, but not in what context. I can’t say I was expecting this. Between this episode and the recent Earth-2 storyline on The Flash, there’s a lot to be said for Evil Cisco.
Finally, Legends of Tomorrow continues to distinguish itself in another way by ending so many episodes on dramatic cliffhangers. The final minutes set up the next conflict for the team as Kronos resurfaced and sent them crashing into Star City circa-2046. It continues to be annoying that Kronos is being used as a plot device and fodder for action scenes rather than a villain with any depth, but at least the outcome was worthwhile. I’m excited to see this dystopian Star City and the Green Arrow and Deathstroke of the future. With so much of the show unfolding in the recent past, it’ll be a nice change of pace to spend more time in the future.
It wouldn’t do for Legends of Tomorrow to completely abandon the humor that is so crucial to The Flash’s success, but there’s nothing wrong with the occasional darker episode like this. “Fail-Safe” made the most of its dramatic premise. Several characters underwent crucial struggles and the entire team emerged on the other side stronger and more unified. And after wrapping up the latest battle with Vandal Savage, this episode set the stage for what looks to be a terrific new conflict.
