It’s Ocean’s Eleven, CW-style, in Legends of Tomorrow's "White Knights," as the gang moves from the swinging seventies into the 1980s! After the confrontation with Vandal Savage, followed by the funeral for Carter Hall, the team finds out that the Pentagon happens to have some classified files on the immortal antagonist that they need in their possession to track him down. Turmoil abounds, however, as the team also deals with their own individual issues, as well as trying to figure out how to work as a cohesive unit with all of their problems holding them down. The Pentagon job goes swimmingly at first, with Captain Cold playing a dashing savior to a slipping soldier -- taking a chance to pinch her security badge, and her wallet. As each team member does their darndest to make sure the mission is a success, Kendra unfortunately goes nuts, and begins tearing through guards, due to her recently acquired “bloodlust” following her recent brush with death.
One of the main strengths of the show is giving each cast member something unique to do with their time, and this episode is no different. From the Pentagon mission to the discovery that Savage is helping the Soviet Union to create their own ultimate weapon (which turns out to be a “Ruskie” Firestorm) the Legends all have their singualr quirks put on display in fantastic succession. In a show of diamonds, the pair of Ray Palmer and Leonard Snart shine the brightest. After taking some “ingestible translators” in order to speak fluent Russian, Snart and Palmer take a trip to the ballet wherein Ray needs to seduce a woman named Valentina who is working on the Russian Firestorm project for Savage. Things don’t exactly go to plan as Palmer strikes out gloriously, only to have Snart swoop in and seduce the Russian scientist himself, leading to a hilarious scene of Snart revealing that he not only stole her heart, but stole her wallet.
Back on the Waverider, White Canary attempts to help Kendra figure out how to control her bloodlust, creating another hilarious scene that has Hawkgirl go crazy and attack Sara, only for Sara to go nuts herself, giving into her own bloodlust! Oh these crazy kids. Hunter is confronted by his mentor with the Time Masters, giving us the return of Kronos, the time-jumping bounty hunter who’s been hired to stop the team at all costs. Kronos is serviceable, but this kind of leads to the idea of Legends having a serious villain problem in terms of creating not only a compelling threat to the heroes, but an entertaining one. It’s a minor flaw considering the show’s characters bouncing off one another is the reason to tune in every week, but I wish we’d be able to have better villains in the team’s path.
The star of the night was Professor Stein, as the concept of Savage’s own Firestorm led him and Jackson to be put on display. In case you forgot, Jackson didn’t exactly join the team willingly, he was kidnapped by Professor Stein and brought into these time-traveling adventures against his will. I find it odd that Jackson thinks that they wouldn’t just come to the exact time they left in the present, but again, time-traveling is a confusing mistress. In order to reach Jackson, and prevent another death like in the case of Ronnie at the end of The Flash’s first season, Stein feels the need to emotionally hurt him, hoping that something gets through to him. This leads to the finale of the episode, with Stein needing to infiltrate the base where Soviet-Storm is being created, grabbing onto the radioactive matrix Savage is using to get the process kicking.
As Stein attempts to pull off the heist, Snart and Palmer try to make sure the whole thing doesn’t blow up in his face, but unfortunately are confronted by Valentina and some Russian stooges. Cue an action scene as Heatwave jumps into the fray, but unfortunately doesn’t manage to salvage the fiasco, with Stein, Rory, and Ray all being kidnapped, though Snart managing to escape. The good Captain Cold confronts the other Captain, Hunter, about what he’s willing to do and who he’s willing to sacrifice on the team for the mission to be completed. It makes for an interesting scene as you wonder if Rip is the right person to actually be leading this team, as his vision of getting revenge on Vandal Savage may be clouding his judgement.
Ultimately another very enjoyable episode from Legends of Tomorrow, as the show continues its stride, with all the characters working seamlessly off one another.
Rating: ★★★★ Very good
Notes of Tomorrow:
- Dear CW, can we get a Captain Cold show already? Thank you.
- Captain Cold – “Gideon, bone me!”
- Heatwave – “I’m gonna get all Rocky IV on your ass.”
- Palmer – “We’re trying to save the world and you’re lifting wallets?”
Captain Cold – “I’m multitasking”
