DC's Legends of Tomorrow Episode 14 "River of Time" Review and **SPOILERS**

Director: Alice Troughton

Writers: Cortney Norris & Anderson Mackenzie
Air Date:  May 5, 2016

Today is a day for truth, the truth about how good Legends of Tomorrow really is. In general the answer is a solid "ok" out of ten, but the finale is fast approaching and because of that the show's tension is quickly rising. Last episode, the team finally did what they'd been threatening to do the entire series and caught Savage. Also and much more importantly, they had a giant robot fight. With that in mind, I can't really guess what'll happen this episode; or how good it'll really be. More robot fights? Some good ol' fashioned savage waterboarding? Ray and Kendra will finally stop arguing? No, lets not get crazy. I guess we'll all just have to wait and see...

Explain it!

Our episode begins with the team predictably discussing what to do with Vandal. They all know that they cannot kill him without dooming Carter, but at the same time their kidnapping has not altered the timeline. Fortunately, they discover that the technology used in last week's giant robot is from the future. This officially marks Vandal Savage as a threat to the timeline and someone Rip can legally arrest. Thus the crew now knows when to go...

While fixing the ship (in order to travel to the time council), Jax gets horribly irradiated. Apparently, Rip didn't see fit to tell him that the ship's drive was practically Fukushima. This is a pretty irredeemable moment for Rip, to be honest. He had no plan to cure Jefferson at all. Predictably, Savage uses this information to turn the White Canary against Hunter and to begin what I will now call: the circle of flashbacks. You see, while Vandal is playing Canary, he is also playing the rest of the team against each other (Ray and Kendra specially) and provoking similar memoirs.

Once again, we are forced to endure more of Ray and Kendra's relationship woes. And once again, Ray proves to be the most insecure man alive. Meanwhile, Stein pulls a Roofie 2: Electric Boogalo and roofies Jefferson into the past in order to cure him. Some technobabble explanation is given and the audience is supposed to swallow both the cure and Stein still being a dick. But that is a momentary distraction at best as the Ray/Kendra split reaches it's climax...

Like the biggest beta-male in existence Ray manages to get semi-cuckolded, pick a fight with his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend and lose that fight. I winced for his soul. Anyways, Vandal Savage escapes is confronted by the crew and is about to kill Kendra when Hawkman recovers his memories and dies comically to protect her. Another Hawkman bites the dust. I suppose Ray can seek confort on the fact that he, at the very least, is still alive... Oh wait no, just kidding, Carter actually survives the stabbing. Anyways, Savage is captured and the day is seemingly won.

Until the council of Time Masters stab the entire team in the back that is...

Bit's and Pieces:

It might seem strange given all of these episodes flaws, but I was pretty much entertained all the way through. With the exception of Ray and Kendra's scenes (which now seem like a complete waste of time, given how they ended up) the team really has mastered it's internal chemistry. That and Captain Cold is awesome as usual. Also, for the first time in a long time, Savage is actually threatening and we learn that he had a much larger plan the entire time. Sure, his scenes are very reminiscent of the Joker's and Hannibal Lecter's, but hey, there is only so much you can do with intellectual villains. Either way, the enjoyment to be had here elevated this episode to a....

7.5/10