The Flash Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Legends of Today
Carissa Pavlica
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Kendra Saunders is now part of the in crowd.
It's a good thing she's also an ancient Egyptian priestess with abilities, because as soon as Vandal Savage attacked her, and Barry saved the day on The Flash Season 2 Episode 8, Cisco outed his buddy. Whoops!
A lot went down during this hour, but for most of it there was no conclusion. That's because it's the beginning of the two-part crossover extravaganza with Arrow. And it worked really well in that respect.
Essentially the hour set out to do a several things; set up the crossover, give viewers some backstory on Kendra they can take with them to DC's Legends of Tomorrow, introduce the holdouts who still aren't watching Arrow and also giving a little something to those who won't be watching either of the other shows so they wouldn't be left feeling watching was a waste of time.
Did it accomplish what it set out to do?
Yes, yes, yes and maybe. Let's start with the maybe.
While it makes sense that there needed to be something for those who don't watch Arrow to enjoy, the standalone scenes with Caitlin, Harry, Joe and Patty weren't exactly fulfilling. Maybe you'll disagree with me.
It's great that Harry hasn't given up on trying to find a way to make Barry faster, and it's damn scary Zoom is apparently at least twice as fast as the Scarlet Speedster. Something tells me no amount of running on a treadmill is going to help Barry out at this point, and Harry is on the right path with pharmaceutical enhancements.
So why was Jay so against "Velocity-6"? He doesn't want to be treated as a lab rat. Got it. Harry failed five previous times to get it right. OK. What else? Caitlin is helping Harry now, and she wouldn't do anything that would put them in jeopardy. There must be more to this entire tale than we're aware.
In the end, Jay took it and wasn't harmed by doing so (and it worked on our Earth) since Patty shot Harry thinking he was our Harrison. Why didn't Joe let her in on that secret? That's a pretty important one, especially if she's been given the key to the castle.
So, that story wasn't overall my favorite, but it was there for all you Flash fans uninterested in the crossover material. Did it work for you?
For the crossover portion, we received quite a treat. As soon as Kendra's life was in peril, and Barry recognized the mystical aspect of it, he suggested they bring in Team Arrow. It was almost all fun and games after that, including the first encounter with Damien Darhk.
For a second, I thought Damien did something to make Team Arrow disappear. Give me a break! I sometimes get so wrapped up in watching that I forget what I'm watching. I don't know what was more fun, seeing Diggle throw up from the trip or:
It's The Flash? Did I know we knew The Flash? We know The Flash. OK. I didn't know we knew The Flash.
Thea
I'm with Thea. I don't know who knows what when or where anymore. At least I knew that Kendra didn't know any of it. Score! That whole opening Arrow scene was amusing and on point. It helped to show Flash viewers the lighthearted side of Arrow, so they don't have to be afraid it's all darkness all the time.
When the group started to squabble, Felicity toned it down with the suggestion of drinks at their place. That allowed them time to revisit a lot of crossovers past, including the time Oliver told Barry guys like them don't get the girl. Oliver could now admit he was wrong.
Barry: Didn't you tell me that guys like us don't get the girl?
Oliver: Yep. I was wrong.
All of these characters have grown so much from where they were a year ago. Not only do we know them better, they know each other better. That's the benefit of the big Arrowverse that has been created with characters crossing without an "event." The same happens on Chicago Fire and its sister shows. Worlds exist and within them people who come and go. That makes it a pretty exciting time on television.
Of course, Savage broke into their party, made threats. Oliver, apparently, held back his kill shots, as he was angry at how aggressive Thea was with hers. Hey, sometimes you take the shot, Oliver! Her best shots, while they struck gold, didn't kill the guy.
Now that their home is a bit of a hazard, what with it having no window, the entire group finds itself back at the Arrow lair to discuss Savage. The only guy who has any answers is Malcolm Merlyn, who has become a bona fide magician, appearing right in the middle of the lair after the electricity pops off and on (with a League of not-so-gentlemen). Talk about a hazard.
I'm never going to warm up to Malcolm. That he's alive will always be a bad thing. He brings nothing but danger. Mark my words. Even when he brings information, it seems to have a sinister edge. My favorite part of having Malcolm around was definitely Barry's reaction to his rando appearances in the middle of the room. Grant Gustin is such a gem.
Kendra's journey is surprisingly realistic. It felt more natural than expected. Learning these types of things about yourself isn't normal, but Cisco tries to tell her to embrace it, as he understands what she's going through. Hawkman only shows himself after she tentatively begins to accept herself. It's never a dull moment with this crowd.
I've done the math, and if they've been killed by Savage 206 times in 4,000 years, that means they die on average at the age of 19. Those are terrible numbers. They don't live AT ALL. Thank goodness Kendra fell in with Team Flash, because going it alone has not worked. Hawkman, however, didn't get the best welcome.
As an aside, if I was either Kendra or Carter, I'd switch my name immediately to Chay-Ara and Khufu. Well, maybe not if I was Carter. But Chay-Ara is a kickass name.
With everyone in Central City at the end of the hour, Kendra embraces her true self, learns to fly and we finally see the scene from the teaser trailer this past summer in which Oliver learns of the Flash coffee. It's also where he first sees his son with his ex, Samantha. There are big things coming for both The Flash and Arrow teams, you guys.
In a Flash:
- Do you really think there is ANY treadmill in the world that could hold Mach 2? I don't think so.
- Absolutely LOVED all of the banter. Felicity and Oliver at the beginning when she was talking in his earpiece? Priceless.
- Barry to Oliver: Sleeveless. Don't you get...cold?
- Would Felicity REALLY not have followed Cisco's specs to the letter with regard to building the new lair? Has love made her sloppy? She's supposed to be a real nerd! Copper wiring, dammit!
Okay, you guys. You're up! What did you think, and are you totally psyched for the conclusion of this one? If you don't normally watch Arrow, will you be tuning into Arrow Season 4 Episode 8? Comment away!!
Don't forget, you can always watch The Flash online if you need to catch up with any of the action of the past, especially you new viewers. Welcome!
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.
