DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV Series) Pilot, Part 2 (2016) User Reviews

The second part is an improvement

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 8/10 · 24 June 2016]

The second part of the pilot for "Legends of Tomorrow" is actually lots of fun and improves on the first part.

The team thinks Savage is trying to buy a nuclear weapon, so they end up in Norway in an auction. But things go (no surprises here) wrong, and they end up in a fight against time (cough cough) to stop Savage from getting stronger even sooner.

The plot development is interesting enough (even if it doesn't make special sense, time travelling is always fun, as it does offer some great opportunities). There are a couple of nice moments, and in the action department the show delivers (even if all that shooting by Captain Cold and Heat Wave and stick-kicking by White Canary is a little bit repetitive).

But where the show really shines is in the character department. All the characters are still meshing with each other, but we already have some nice situations and dynamics (like The Atom and Captain Cold becoming BFF). The actors are doing a good job in making the characters very interesting, in a cheesy, over-the-top kind of way.

"Legends of Tomorrow" won't be a legendary show. But it can be a really good one. Let's see if they can keep it.

Kicks it up a notch in the second act.

[fredschaefer-406-623204 · 8/10 · 28 January 2016]

The second half of DC's LEGENDS OF TOMORROW pilot kicks things up a notch, giving us an episode filled with the kind of convoluted plot beloved by comic book fans. Now, with all of the introductions and setups out of the way, the show can get down to the business of being superhero show, with plenty of action and twists and turns.

The story picks up right where it left off last week with our ragtag group of misfit heroes out to stop Vandal Savage from selling nuclear bomb to terrorists in Norway of 1975. This they manage to pull off somehow, but Savage manages to snag a piece Ray Palmer's future tech from The Atom's suit, which will allow Savage to build super weapons decades before their time and lay waste to the heroes future. This the plot turns on a tried and true plot device, whereby one problem is solved, but in the process, an even greater threat is created. Now the so-called Legends must double down and track down Savage and get the component to Ray's suit back before irreparable damage is done.

This forces the heroes to split into two groups, with one, headed by Martin Stein, trying to steal a device that will allow them to track the energy giving off by the future tech. This requires the good Dr. Stein to interact with his 25-year former self, a situation fraught with the obvious perils of time travel. The other group has Captain Cold reluctantly teaming up with Ray Palmer to steal an ancient artifact that in the right hand will kill the immortal Savage. This is where the chemistry between the characters really pays off, as the arrogant Dr. Stein is mortified when he meets his even more arrogant younger version, while the straight arrow Ray Palmer and the devious Leonard Snart (Captain Cold) must somehow find a way to work together or be killed by Savage.

My personal favorites, Wentworth Miller and Dominic Purcell, have more than a few great moments in this episode, but it is Victor Garber as Dr. Stein who really shines this time out, as he realizes how little this great man of higher education has learned during his life. So far, in the series, Arthur Darvill's Rip Hunter has been overshadowed by his co- stars, even though he is the nominal leader. Casper Crump's portrayal of Savage might be a little too cartoonish, even for a show like this.

LEGENDS OF TOMORROW is off to good start by taking some of the more interesting characters from ARROW and THE FLASH and giving them their own show. However, it needs to do more; it cannot be just be a show where the so-called Legends find some way to foil one Savage's plots each week. There was a big twist this week with the apparent death of a main character, which hints that bigger things may be in the works. That would be all for the better.

Time Changes, People Don't

[ThomasDrufke · 6/10 · 28 January 2016]

One of the big fears with Legends of Tomorrow with plenty of people was how well this group of actors and characters would work on a week to week basis. I think this episode really highlighted the fact that perhaps not all of the characters are meant to be co- leads. Surprisingly enough, Heatwave hasn't bothered me as much as crime partner, Captain Cold. There's just something about Wentworth Miller's portrayal of the character that really bothers me. But that's just one of the several problems I had with tonight's episode. I think this show will be entertaining, especially with the very unique superheroes this team has, I just don't know if the show will have the emotional gravitas or relatable qualities that Arrow or Flash have. We'll see.

The episode began with a bang as pretty much the entire team took on Savage at an auction for a nuclear weapon. This was of course when we got the brief cameo of Damien Darhk as just another bidder. I don't know if it was a scheduling issue or it was just a fun little cameo but I would have loved to see more from Darhk against this particular team. Perhaps the show didn't want to overshadow Savage, because Darhk would definitely accomplish that. Savage as the main villain has been interesting, but I just don't know that 16 episodes of this will work. I wish I felt more for the characters during the scene in which Hawkman 'dies', but I just haven't spent enough time with all 3 of the characters for me to be on the edge of my seat like I am for Arrow.

But the opening sequence was a marvel to see, as are all of the action sequences. That's the area of the show that shows off the best part of the show, which is the diversity. The show tends to sacrifice logic for entertainment. Such as Rip Hunter suggesting Stein not mess with the timeline at all especially when it comes to personal things, when Hunter's very reason to change the timeline all revolves around a personal tragedy. By the way, is Rip Hunter good for anything in this show besides delivering orders to the team that usually end up failing? I loved finally seeing some awesome ATOM fights when he's actually small. The entire opening felt very James Bond opening sequence esque. And like a lot of Bond films, the rest of the film (or TV episode rather) didn't top the opening.

If nothing else, this episode did have some fun moments like when Sara smoked weed with young Stein. It's been interesting to watch Sara take on such a vastly different role than she had on Arrow. I loved the dark and badas* Sara on Arrow. Sure, this Sara will have more fun but will the blood lust return or is she going to just continue to have this alter personality? Alas, I'm still looking forward to next week even if this episode was a pretty big let down.

+Cool fights and action sequences

+Young Stein bits

+ATOM

-What was the point of having Darhk in the episode

-Will Hunter even have a role out in the field?

-Didn't feel any emotional weight during Hawkman's death

6.5/10

includes ups and downs but disappointing downs..

[ovkil · 6/10 · 29 January 2016]

I wanna write so much but I will pick some to focus;

firstly,ups;

+very cool fights in action +the graphics are in good shape that's a plus

+strong story that will lead to so many good episodes

at this point everything is good, but........downs;

-why on earth that these so called heroes didn't kill the man that brought them together when they all got the chance WHEN BEING TOGETHER ??

-and why only carter attacks savage to kill him? I felt really angry when Kendra didn't attack him!!! was this episode all about the Kendra being remembered what's written on the dagger and was she supposed to say it when they kill the savage ??? I mean you are kidding right??

-the professional thieves "so called".... why didn't they shot down the fuse of the home before they break the glasses?? they are supposed to be the best in 2016 but they stuck in a little cell in 1975...funny and unrealistic..again.

-lastly, if you want only to kill the savage in 1975, you will make a plan for the first time you encounter him and do it! from my point of view, no one wants to kill him, every time he talks and they talk and nothing happens..not a single attack to him...

If you want to make a good TV series and to be last longer, you will do it with a little sense to mind...

I really hope there will be more sense in this series after this one.

• 6,5/10

Outstanding Action And Decent Character Development

[veikkohoffman · 19 March 2016]

The second part of this spectacular sci-fi pilot didn't impress me quite as much as the first one, but it comes close. The "legends" navigate their way through new twists and turns as the plot unfolds into a new direction and the characters get more fleshed out. And be warned: there are spoilers of this episode ahead.

In this episode, the team continues its efforts to stop Vandal Savage in the 1970's. One of the best parts of this installment is the action sequence where the main characters interrupt a massive arms deal in Norway. It's a perfect showcase of the insane, fast-paced comic book entertainment that makes this series so engaging - to the right audience. I definitely belong to said audience, as I enjoyed watching this chaotic fight scene. Heat Wave and Captain Cold making a mess, Hawkman and Hawkgirl soaring over the battle to confront Savage, Firestorm taking care of a nuclear bomb, White Canary showing her awesome sword fighting skills - what's not to like? The shot of Atom flying across the area from Stein's pocket to the other end of the room was especially fantastic.

From there, the story progresses to an interesting new level, as Martin Stein meets with his younger self. This leads to some humorous moments as well as emotional ones. Meanwhile, a break-in gone wrong on Snart, Rory and Palmer's part leads to an intense confrontation with Savage - and the death of Hawkman. It was more surprising than it was sad to see him go, seeing as the character hadn't been developed much. With a show like this and a character like Hawkman, it wouldn't be too big a shocker if the writers find a way to bring him back eventually. But for now, he's dead, and Savage remains at large.

One two-part pilot isn't enough to properly and fully introduce ten major characters (Rip, the legends and Savage), so there's still a lot to learn of these colorful personalities - though this episode did a good job at fleshing them out more. Rip asserts himself as an honest and confident leader, while Dr. Stein's characteristics are explored through two different stages in his life. Sara seems to be acting quite humanly despite all the Lazarus Pit business. Flashbacks shed light on Carter and Kendra, as well as on Vandal Savage himself. Based on the two first episodes, he isn't exactly the greatest supervillain out there, but I suppose he gets the job done for the purposes of the story. I'm slightly skeptical of a 16- episode season devoted to the team stopping him, but I won't judge until I've seen how it plays out. So far the writers have found good ways to slow the characters down with various twists and obstacles, and I have a feeling they still have quite a few aces up their sleeves.

The rest of the main cast require more development before I can form a proper opinion on how they are written. So far, Ray Palmer seems likable and interesting, while Leonard Snart and Mick Rory make a first impression as entertaining - if a bit too cheesy - anti-heroes. Jax is also coming across as a good character, and I think people are complaining about Franz Drameh's acting too much. Speaking of acting, this episode has some strong performances - especially Victor Garber as Dr. Stein, as well as Arthur Darvill's continually brilliant performance as Rip Hunter.

All in all, Legends Of Tomorrow's second episode may not be perfect, but in my opinion it's definitely worth watching and easily enough to keep me hooked. The ending (in which, by the way, Hunter seemed to break the fourth wall for a second - it's hard to say for sure) sets up for an exciting third episode, so it looks like the series continues to ride on a strong note.

2nd ep

[nalwro · 1/10 · 1 June 2020]

And already bs like losing part of his armor. that does not predict well for the future.

Too Much Mouth Noise

[nebohr · 4/10 · 31 October 2021]

It's asking a lot; no actually it's too much to ask: for viewers with no former knowledge of the story to keep track of eight plus characters. It tells me that the writers have unnecessarily narrowed their audience.