Plot
As Nora Darhk and John Constantine reluctantly join forces to combat Neron, Sara must save Ava from her own personal purgatory while battling her own inner demons. Meanwhile, as Ray and Nate go to investigate Hank's "special project," Zari gets unsolicited advice from everyone regarding her feelings for Nate... even Mick!
Influences
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (title), Jurassic Park (Nate calls his father's idea for a magical theme park Jur-Magic Park) and What Dreams May Come (the hero going into Hell to rescue the person they love).
Goofs
Shouldn't there be someone besides Ray in the Comms room watching the prisoners?
Performances
It's a brief moment, but the scene near the end with John and Ray watching over an unconscious Nora is a good bit of silent acting for Brandon Routh and Matt Ryan, where a lot is said without anything being said based on the pauses and body language.
Artistry
The design of Ava's purgatory and all the various doll boxes is nice.
Trivia Of Tomorrow
The realm in which Ava is trapped is described as a purgatory and not part of Hell. In some Christian traditions, Purgatory is a realm reserved for sinners who aspired to Heaven but did not repent before death. They are allowed to work off their sins by suffering for a time before being allowed admission to Heaven.
Purgatory, it should be noted, is different from the state of Limbo, which is typically reserved for innocents who were unworthy of Heaven due to a lack of faith.
Technobabble/Arcana
Nora Darhk can track a person's whereabouts with a sample of their blood.
According to John, demons require a mortal vessel in order to operate on Earth. Typically they possess a willing host (i.e. a magician who bargains for power in exchange for letting the demon take control for a time)
If the soul attached to a mortal body is not willing to let the demon inside, it has to force its way in, sending the soul into a purgatory of sorts. The purgatory is made up of the worst fears and nightmares of the soul, wearing it down until it gives in to the invading demon or becomes lost. Typically, the soul only has a certain amount of time to escape this purgatory.
It is possible for a magician to send another person into this purgatory, but there is nothing they can do to protect that person once they are there. The ritual John uses to do this requires that he make a circle around Sara and Ava using some sort of ash and a chant in Latin.
Nora uses the word limbo to describe the dimension that Sara and Ava are in. This suggests that this state is different from Limbo and Purgatory which are specific realms referred to by various religious denominations.
John has a charm that can prevent Neron from speaking. Combined with the right chant, it crates a golden ball of light that can knock Neron out.
Sula the Wolf Witch spoke of how it was possible to smother a demon by freeing them from its earthly vessel, like a fish out of water.
Dogs can sense the presence of a demon possessing someone and will react violently in their presence.
Dialogue Triumphs
(Nora offers to help Sara track Ava through her connection with Neron.)
John: Demons communicate. He'll know your past. How susceptible you are. You're a liability.
Ray: She's not a liability! She's a survivor. Unlike you, she's turned her dark experiences into a source of strength! Not an excuse for alcoholism or chain smoking! She also saved your life.
(There's a pause as John rolls his eyes and Ray realizes he might be white-knighting a bit too hard.)
Ray: Sorry. Would you like to add anything?
Nora: No. That about covers it.
Nate: My dad made a deal with a demon to open a theme park?!
Sara: I've died, lost my soul and escaped a demon realm. I'm pretty sure I can handle Ava's purgatory.
Mick: Where's Sara?
Zari: She's with Constantine and Nora trying to find Ava.
Gideon: Actually, they've just returned and Mr. Constantine has called a team meeting in the lab.
Charlie: He can do that?
Mick: No.
Zari: (sighing) Let's go, dummies.
(Zari leaves the room with Charlie and Mona following behind her. Mick sits down and begins eating Zari's abandoned meal.)
Ava: Look, you're allowed to want things sometimes, Sara.
Sara: But what if I can't be the person that you need?
Ava: Let's be honest - neither of us needs anybody, right? But you are who I want.
(Mona is trying to get Zari to send Nate a sexy text with Emojis. Zari is reluctant. Mick is at his typewriter working while this is going on. Suddenly, Mick pulls out a page.)
Mick: Here. Use words. It's erotic but vulnerable.
(Zari looks hesitantly at the typewritten page.)
Zari: Okay. Let me see it.
(Zari takes the page and reads it.)
Zari: (To Mick, coolly) I am not saying "bulge."
(Nora gets shaken as Neron talks directly into her head again.)
John: (suspiciously) You alright there, love?
Nora: Yeah. I just need some coffee. I'm fine.
(Nora gets up and moves past John to the next room.)
John: And I'm sober.
(John take a pull from his whiskey.)
Neron: (describing John Constantine) Cocky cowboy wearing his hangover like a ten-gallon hat.
(As Ava and Sara take their leave of the Emoji conversation, as Zari fights Charlie and Mona for her phone.)
Ava: You know, we should probably talk about whether or not we want kids.
Sara: Eh - let's wait until the other eight are old enough to handle it.
John: I'm not asking for forgiveness, Des.
Desmond: (coldly) Good.
John: (moving to cut him off as he tries to walk away) Just wait... wait, Des.
Desmond: You saved me, Johnny. I'm grateful for that. But it doesn't change anything.
John: I know. (holds up a mind eraser) You know I can make it all go away, Des. Make you forget.
(Desmond just look at John.)
Desmond: No. You sent me to Hell. (pauses) That's something we're both going to have to live with.
(Desmond walks to the Time Bureau exit and doesn't look back, as John just stands there.)
(Ray and John are watching over an unconscious Nora)
Ray: I couldn't let her get hurt again.
John: Oh yeah, well, you just rolled straight in there like a knight in shining armor, and nearly got her killed.
Ray: (quietly) I didn't mean to.
(There's a long pause. It's clear John is thinking about Desmond and his own actions trying to save his boyfriend.)
John: (commiserating) Yeah, I know.
Continuity
Sara finds her and Ava's apartment ransacked.
John confirms that Nora Darhk didn't kill Hank - it was Neron.
Nora says that she developed a connection to Neron she can use to track him.
John does not trust Nora because he thinks shes susceptible to being influenced by demons after being a host for Mallus.
Nora does not trust John because he abandoned her to the Order of the Shrouded Compass in 310.
John, Nora and Sara determine that Ava was kidnapped two weeks ago.
Nora is able to sense that Ava was thrown against a mirror, which broke, before being strangled.
Nate has Gary help him start shredding all the documents involving Hank's plays for Heyworld.
Gary says he feels like Erin Brockovich, though Nate rightly points out that they are the bad guys attempting a cover-up in this scenario.
Ray tells Gary and Nate that Ava is missing
Gary is confirmed to be Jewish, as he makes reference to having a dream about Ava driving him to Schul.
Gary goes off to take care of Ava.
Ray tells Nate about Hank's deal with Neron.
Nate tells Ray about the plan for Heyworld.
Nate gets a phone call from a man named Mikey T. who is overseeing the construction of the theme-park at Buckwood Downs.
Nora tracks Ava to a cheap motel called The Sleepaway Inn. She's alive but non-responsive.
John guesses that Neron is preparing Ava to become a demonic vessel - either a replacement for his current body or someone else.
John sends Sara into Ava's personal purgatory.
Ava's personal purgatory resembles an IKEA-like store called MegaStör.
Mona declares that Zari and Nate's couple's name should be Natari.
Gary says he will watch after Sara and Ava while the rest of the Legends are dealing with John, Charlie and Nora go after Neron.
Mikey T. recognizes Nate as he shares his dad's jawline. He says Hank talked about how great Nate was all the time.
The construction team is currently working on a dragon's lair and a unicorn rodeo/jousting arena.
Nate tells Mikey T. to start tearing down the whole park.
After Gary starts taking care of Ava and talking out-loud about how he is there for her, Gary appears in Ava's purgatory as one of the employees.
Gary in Purgatory suggests that Ava and Sara check out the wardrobe department.
Sara and Ava have to put together a wardrobe in order to make a doorway out. The wardrobe falls apart when Sara just tries to put it together intuitively. Ava insists on using the directions but they wind up having pieces left over. Eventually the door opens when they agree that what they made together doesn't have to be perfect to work.
Neron whistles "Pop Goes The Weasel" as a continual tick.
Charlie, Nora and John are able to trap Neron by having Charlie pose as Ava.
Nora and John lock Neron up in a cell at the Time Bureau and within a magic circle.
Neron tells Nora and John that all he's doing is fanning the flames of what mortals do to themselves when Nora asks if he's trying to inflict fear and anger on humanity.
Gary in Purgatory tells Ava and Sara they have to choose the right mattress to move on. He also says they have to get out of the store before Tabitha shows up.
Sitting on the mattresses ages Sara and Ava . The two wind up arguing over price vs. reliability and the test ultimately leads the two to discuss that they aren't afraid of committing to each other or growing old with each other but that Sara has issues with planning for the future and Ava can't face the future blind. They pass on when they agree they don't need each other but they do want to be with each other, no matter what.
Sara and Ava once went on a date to an escape room together.
When Nate learns that Neron has been captured, he locks himself in the cell with him.
Neron tells Nate that Hank was an unfortunate snag in his plans. He had no interest in building a theme park - that was all Hank's idea.
Neron gave Hank power in exchange for access to an army of nightmarish creatures that could terrorize people into giving up their souls.
Ray just barely stops Nate from breaking the circle around Neron. Nate snaps out of his rage when he punches Ray and realizes he's being manipulated.
Sara and Ava wind up in a mock-up of their kitchen where the realities of real life (washing dishes, garbage,light fixtures breaking, bills to sort through) keep piling up and threatening to overwhelm them. Ava disappears after Sara dismisses her declaration that she wants a life with Sara and to have hobbies and something outside her job as a "time-traveling superhero" even if that means dealing with the boring stuff. Sara refuses to go to the suburbs and recycle until she dies.
Sara escapes into an aisle full of Ava clones, all set up in boxes like Barbie dolls. The variants include Sexy Ava (low-cut dress), Healthy Ava (aerobics outfit), Fun Ava, Exploring Ava (astronaut), Luxurious Ava (sunglasses and fancy dress) and Assertive Ava (soldier).
Mona tries to get Zari to compose a sexy emoji message to send Nate.
Mick writes a romantic message for Zari to text Nate.
Nora goes to Neron, apparently ready to make a deal.
Neron claims to be capable of bringing Nora's dad back from the dead. He confirms that Damien Darhk is in Hell and that he misses his daughter.
Neron makes reference to his Tabitha being on Earth soon and how they'll put John away for good. It was his intention to make Ava into a vessel for Tabitha.
Ray convinces Nate that he should be proud of the man he helped Hank to become in all the time they spent together at the end. This inspires Nate to stop the Heyworld from being destroyed.
Nora seemingly turns on John and gets ready to free Neron.
Sara flees the aisle and, once the lights are out and she's refused to pic one of the other Avas, she goes into the As-Is section of the store. It is here she finds the real Ava. This test was born over Ava's anxieties over being a clone and how Sara could have any other woman, so why would she want her when she's nothing special?
This revelation - that Sara sees her as someone unique - gets Sara and Ava out of the purgatory.
The alarms go off as Neron leaves Desmond's body, as Neron prepares to enter Nora. Ray sees this from the comms room.
In his natural form, Neron looks like a black smokey clowd with glowing red eyes and a red heart.
It's at this point we realize this was a planned trap and that Constantine was playing possum.
Together, Nora and John attempt to hold Neron in place. Unfortunately, Ray charges into the room, distracting John, which breaks the spell.
Nora releases a blast of violet energy that seems to drive Neron off but also knocks her unconscious.
Zari ultimately decides to just ask Nate out for a date directly. She regrets this immediately.
Nate changes into his Steel form to stop a wrecking ball from destroying the dragon lair. Unfortunately, his phone is destroyed in the process, so he doesn't get Zari's message.
Zari chickens out on asking Nate out after she goes to ask him about the text.
Desmond says he wants nothing to do with John and nothing from him.
Desmond also refuses John's offer to erase his memory of all the time he spent in Hell.
Nora is stable but unresponsive after the battle with Neron.
John promises the unconscious Nora that he won't abandon her this time.
Neron is revealed to have taken refuge in Ray's body, as he begins whistling "Pop Goes The Weasel."
Location
Ava's Apartment - Washington DC - 2019
The Sleepaway Inn - Washington DC - 2019
The future site of Heyworld - Washington DC - 2019
Time Bureau HQ - Washington DC - 2019
The Bottom Line
A bit of a waste of most of the cast, who have nothing better to do than harass Zari about her love life. The purgatory scenes also fall flat due to the erratic pacing and the unnecessary (for once) addition of Gary adding levity where it really should be tenser. The bits with John and Nora almost make-up for it. As it is, this episode is far from bad, but it's not as great as the rest of the season so far.
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