Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 Episode 5 review

Tipping it's hat to hit 80s show Miami Vice, Damien Darhk literally dressed the same as Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett, Legends of Tomorrow had zero shame in leaning heavily into the 80s aesthetic. With Reverse Flash/Eobard Thawne turning up to save Darhk from a drug deal gone bad, it seemed the two super villains were still hard at work trying to mess up the course of human history.

On the Waverider the Legends found themselves debating whether they should use their position and power to attempt to change history for the better instead of just being a reactionary force. It's a theme all super teams have to cover eventually and considering they're time travellers the conundrum is double for them; if the past is set, surely the future is too, so can they really change anything? Martin came down hard on the side of preserving history no matter what, leading to he and Jax asking Sara, their captain, what she thought. Stating she needed to follow her head rather than her heart, which very much still wanted to kill Damien Darhk and bring her sister back, it all seemed liked the Legends were on the same page - that was until Darhk resurfaced in 1987 and Sara saw another chance to avenge her sister's death and even undo it.

Following the signal from the newly built "Time Quake Seismograph", the Legends travelled to '87, on the eve of historic nuclear disarmament talks between the US and the USSR. Sensing they may need back up, Amaye suggested they go to the JSA's training facility to request help from the contemporary recruits, only to find it abandoned. Why exactly she thought the JSA would last indefinitely, or that she could just walk up to and gain access to the base that she departed from without telling her teammates over 40 years earlier I've no idea, but they did encounter the aged Obsidian, played by guest star Lance Henrickson, which more than made up for it. The mentions of the JSA being killed in action in the 50s during a mission against the soviets, and of Obsidian being taken off the team as it was a “difficult time”, I got a strong Watchmen vibe. In fact I guessed that Obsidian had been booted from the team due to the ruling of the House of Un-American Activities Committee because as something as simple as Obsidian's sexuality, something that was also covered in Watchmen. The fact that Obsidian revealed at the end of the episode that he had someone special in his life and that "he" was waiting for him, just warmed my heart. (#LoveisLove)

Amaye, with some prodding from Nate, revealed that she and Rex were in love and were planning to leave the JSA after the war to start a life together, adding weight to her quest to avenge his death. This was somewhat undermined by the show's ham fisted attempt to give us the old nudge, nudge, wink, wink that Nate could possibly be her next boo. Considering that from Amaye's point of view, Rex was only killed at most a few weeks ago, it just seems downright distasteful.

The Legends discovered Darhk's plan to to disrupt the nuclear talks, with a bomb no less, but are unable to proceed with a simple snatch and grab of Darhk due to the untimely appearance of Martin's younger self, the second time this has happened of the show. Now, it's fun to play with this element of the show, and Martin is the only character old enough to really play around with this idea of his younger self being present at key moments in 20th century history, but I keep asking myself, how are they going to keep getting away with young(er) Martin knowing about time travel, the Waverider and his future part in all of it? How has it not affected 2016 Martin in a more adverse way? I like to think that they're building to something, but I can't help but feel it's just the writers playing fast and loose with the ideas of time travel.

Upon encountering Darhk, under the White House no less, Sara had her chance to kill Darhk but instead taunted with with the knowledge that his future schemes are doomed to fail and that he'll die alone. As far as questionable decisions go, this has to be right near the top, because as cathartic as that must have felt, now armed with a basic knowledge of what's to come, surely Darhk can change his own fate?

Not that we were left pondering this for long because the Reverse Flash saved Darhk's skin again, this time putting him in a Time Sphere and catapulting him through time. 1987 Damien Darhk just got a major upgrade from constant reoccurring evil to time travelling super menace in the blink of any eye. Bet you're going to wish you'd kept your mouth shut now Sara.