DC's Legends of Tomorrow Round Table: A Hero's Journey on Steroids
Carissa Pavlica
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The big superhero (and villain!) mashup is here!
We're breaking down DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 Episode 1 with first impressions, what stood out, what we might have changed and how Vandal Savage will stand up as a big bad.
Join TV Fanatics Jim Garner, Hank Otero, Jay Ruymann, and Meg Bonney as they answer the tough questions about the newest CW series. We'd love to year your thoughts, so please share them us by dropping them in the comments.
First impressions of the show?
Jim: I really enjoyed it. All the effects were very well done and given they are doing this on "TV budget" that is saying something.
Hank: I thought the Guardians of the Galaxy/Star Wars vibe was sensational. This series feels very different from Arrow and The Flash. Though there are probably too many characters to service, it's going to be a fun ride. I'll be honest, I expected Vandal Savage to be more intimidating and interesting, not feeling him. However, I think the real draw here is going to be the time traveling and seeing our characters interact in the different time periods.
Jay: I really enjoyed it. For the premiere, it felt very balanced, which is strange, but I agree, it definitely should've been a two hour premiere. There are too many characters to get acquainted with in such a short time, and it's doubtful we'll see much from any of them this season, other than a select few.
Meg: I really liked it! It was so much lighter than Arrow, which I loved! I agree with Hank that there may be too many characters, but I think this is going to be a great show.
Which character do you think really stood out and why?
Jim: For me it is a 3-way tie of Snart, Rory, and Sara. Their trip to the bar was so much fun. Snart and Rory backing up Sara in the bar fight was great character bonding time. Besides Rory/Snart had some of the best lines of the night!
Hank: Sara is a standout for sure, but then again she always has been. That's why she is back from the dead. While Captain Cold and Heat Wave were entertaining, I sympathized most with Ray Palmer's story. Brandon Routh is terrific and it's nice we're finally going to get a chance to know him outside the Felicity/Oliver drama. Ray's scene with Oliver was one of my favorites.
Jay: I agree, Sara was the most memorable part. She's so different than she ever was on Arrow and it's fun to see her more relaxed and comedic than dreadful Oliver Queen-esque.
Meg: I love that Sara is hanging with the bad guys on the ship. They tried so hard to make her something she wasn't when she was with Oliver and his crew. Now, she seems much more comfortable and her overall tone is lighter, which really works for her. I also really like the time master bounty hunter. That's a really cool touch.
Talk about something that really works in the show's favor.
Jim: I love that the show is actually about these eight people wanting to change what history remembers about them. That they aren't really legends of tomorrow yet, but they want to change that. It is your "hero's journey" on steroids.
Hank: I like that Jimbo, very nicely put. I think the fact we are already familiar with most of these characters from their time on Arrow and The Flash is a massive advantage. We get to spend time with folks we are familiar with on a brand new journey. It's totally brilliant!
Jay: I enjoy that there's so many characters. It's such a shame when it's a small main cast and there's no chemistry, but given nine series regulars, each character is bound to have the other that they're closest with, and it'll be interesting to play with the dynamics. I really enjoyed Sara and Captain Cold's interacts in the premiere.
Meg: My favorite thing in this episode was the music and the fashion of the 70s. I hope they continue to use music from the time period they are in because it really worked here.
What is something you might have done differently?
Jim: I would have done a two-hour premiere night. The show was clearly filmed with the idea of a two-hour kick off, why not do it!
Hank: The premiere is definitely a two-parter, strange they split it up. I hated that Dr. Stein drugged Jax. That was awful and so out of character. Plus, it forced Jefferson to bitch and complain for most of the episode. Erase that bit! It would have been nice to see Barry Allen, but then again there's always Part 2.
Jay: Possibly more focus on the mission. Perhaps this is coming in part two, but the premiere didn't really familiarize anyone with Vandal Savage. I also really disliked Rip Hunter and how his character came across.
Meg: I agree with Jay, Hank and Jim. I think a longer intro would have been better. It felt sort of rushed at the end and I would have liked more time in 1975. Particularly, more time for Sarah, Snart and Rory is cause some trouble.
What is one time period you really want them to travel to and why?
Jim: I'm a sucker for the old west. I really want to see how they handle the 1800, specifically around western frontier.
Hank: My favorite Doctor Who episodes always take place in the future. I'm curious to lean more about Rip Hunter and 2166. Going back to the 70's was a bit cheesy, wasn't it? I feel like the VFX team will blow our minds with a futuristic setting, weapons and vehicles etc. To infinity and beyond!
Jay: I want to learn more about the future that Rip is from. I want them to visit and explore what Savage has done to the world, or what's left of it, and learn more of how everyone's lives were lead.
Meg: The 80s please! I really don't like that the most recent TV representation of the Sunset Strip in the 1980s is Wicked City. Bonus points if Sarah is accidentally ends up in a music video and they mention it randomly on Arrow, like "Hey that girl looks just like Sarah..."
Do you think Vandal Savage is a sustainable big bad for the duration of the series?
Jim: He'll do for the first season. Remember that nature abhors a vacuum. Once they stop Savage it stands to reason another "big bad" might have taken his place.
Hank: As I mentioned above, I'm not crazy about Savage as a big bad (so far). However, I do think we're stuck with him for this first season. Who knows, perhaps he will get more interesting? Just don't kill any more little children to prove yourself a badass. That only makes you an a-hole in my book dude.
Jay: I think he has potential for a season, but not an overarching villain. Barry and Oliver took him out in two episodes, there's only so far they can drag out the inevitable conclusion.
Meg: I think they will find a way to lock him up or something, but I don't think they will be rid of him in DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 1. I think we will be stuck with him longer than that.
Join us to watch DC's Legends of Tomorrow Season 1 Episode 2, and check out photos from the installment below!
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.
