It might not speak well for the future of Legends of Tomorrow but “Star City 2046” was easily the best episode of the series. The reason that this is troubling because the reason “Star City 2046” was so great was because it had almost nothing to do with the seasonal arc of Legends of Tomorrow. This was an episode of Arrow that found its way into Legends of Tomorrow. It was a peanut and chocolate type of combination but it probably won’t have much a lasting effect. Still “Star City 2046”) was fun (and surprisingly emotional) while it lasted.
Sara’s Crusade
After narrowly escaping a firefight (or was it an arrow fight?) with the new Green Arrow, the team regroups on the Waverider. Rip goes through some expositional nonsense about how this isn’t a set future but a potential one. Rip has Jax, Stein, Ray and Kendra stay back on the ship to repair it. Rip inside takes Mick and Cold to find a piece of equipment inside the city to repair the ship, specifically inside Smoak Industries. Sara forces Rip to take her as well saying that she knows the city best. She doesn’t use her best argument though that Mick and Cold are literally the two worst people to take into a city overrun by criminals. Rip needs some back-up that isn’t going to stab in the back at the first opportunity.
Legends of Tomorrow Recap: The Team Rushes to Save Stein from Prison >>>
Once the quartet steps off the ship, things quickly go to hell. A gang war breaks out in front of them and the team watches as the new Green Arrow tries to stop it. During the battle, the Green Arrow is shot. Sara rushes off to save him, with Rip not far behind. Meanwhile, Mick and Cold prove my earlier statement and join one of the gangs. Well, Mick does anyway. Cold keeps trying to get them back on mission.
Sara tracks down the new Green Arrow. He tells her that the city has been overtaken by Deathstroke. It’s not the Deathstroke from Arrow but his son, Grant Wilson. Oliver Queen has been missing since the new Deathstroke took over the city 15 years ago and is presumed dead. It is during this time that Rip finds Sara. Green Arrow agrees to take them both into the destroyed Arrow cave to look for their desired piece of tech. Instead, they find a grizzled, elder Oliver Queen missing one arm.
Unhappy Reunions and Awkward Pairings
An arm isn’t the only thing that Ollie is missing. He has also lost any kind of hope. Oliver has no patience for the new Green Arrow who is revealed to be John Diggle Jr. John is going by the name Connor Hawke because he apparently doesn’t deserve his dead father’s name. Really though, it’s just because Connor Hawke is a name of a popular character from the comics. In any case, Oliver tells Sara, Rip and Connor that pretty much everyone is dead and that he can’t help them.
The new trio leaves and to find an abandoned warehouse of technology. Rip finds the MacGuffin that they need to fix the ship but another gang attacks them. The gang has been ordered to take them on by the new Deathstroke. Hearing about this, Cold convinces Mick to go help their friends finally and the two arrive to stop the fight. While Sara and Rip are saved by the intervention, Connor is taken.
If you’re wondering what is happening back on the ship, don’t. On the Waverider, a comedy of errors is unfolding from a very different and much worse episode. Ray and Jax both discover that they have feelings for Kendra. Stein does a lot of bumbling between both guys trying to set Jax and Kendra up. It’s supposed to be humorous but mostly it’s nauseating. This is not even to mention that Kendra isn’t interested in either of them.
A Difference of Opinion
Rip tries to convince Sara to leave Connor behind but she refuses. Even though Rip tells her (again) that this is just a potential future, Sara can’t let it go. Sara points out that Rip started this whole mission because his wife and son were killed by Savage in the future and that’s just the tiniest bit hypocritical. It’s an excellent point that really makes you wish Sara had followed it up with a punch to Rip’s face. Rip tries to counter that he is also trying to save the world, which is cute, but a total lie.
Meanwhile Mick and Cold begin to have it out about their early disagreement. Mick says that the world of 2046 Star City is all he has ever wanted, a city in flames. Cold is looking at the bigger picture and what joining the Legends and defeating Savage can gain them. Mick doesn’t care and tells Cold not to order him around again.
Saving Star City
Sara brings Old Ollie his old bow and persuades him to go after Connor with her and save him. Armed, literally, with a robot arm, Oliver shows up just as Deathstroke is about to execute Connor. With Sara’s help, Ollie attacks in a fight scene so awesome you’ll also forget that it takes place in the same street that has been the setting for every exterior scene thus far. The duo free Connor and the new Green Arrow joins the fray.
Was Killing Off Hawkman on Legends of Tomorrow a Good Idea? >>>
The final nail in Deathstroke’s coffin though is when Stein convinces Rip and the team to join the fight. Together, the team takes on the Deathstroke army. This leaves Oliver to take on Deathstroke, himself. With an assistance from Connor, Oliver takes down the new (inferior and whiny) Deathstroke. Sara leaves the Green Arrow, new and old, to save the rest of the city.
The team departs 2046 Star City to pursue Savage. Mick watches the destroyed city go wistfully. Ray stands with him and muses that the gangs seemed like Mick’s kind of people. Mick responds that he doesn’t know what kind of people are “his” anymore, which is an ominous line if I have ever heard one.
Legends of Tomorrow airs Thursdays at 8pm on The CW.
(Images courtesy of The CW)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
Derek is a Philadelphia based writer and unabashed TV and comic book junkie. The time he doesn’t spend over analyzing all things nerdy he is working on his resume to be the liaison to the Justice League.
