Plot
Freddy Meyers, the infamous Prom Night Slasher of Central City High, is back from Hell, armed with telekinetic powers and determined to kill everyone who ever made fun of him. As Sara, Ava and Mick find themselves fighting to survive the night at Mick's 15th High School Reunion in 2004, Ray, Nora and Nate travel back to 1989 to try and stop Freddy from going bad in the first place. Meanwhile, Behrad tries to quarterback both teams while keeping his sister Zari under control aboard the Waverider, as Constantine returns to Newcastle to find a familiar face squatting in his old home.
Influences
Various 1980s slasher horror movies, various 1980s coming-of-age comedies and comedies based aroung high school reunions.
Goofs
According to this episode, Mick Rory graduated from high school in 1989. While this would be consistent with actor Dominic Purcell's age (he was born in 1970), it was said that a teenage Mick Rory killed his parents after setting his house on fire by accident in 1990 in 112 and the Mick Rory we saw in that episode seemed younger than a high school senior.(Maybe Mick was aged up post-Crisis?)
Why did the Kathy Meyers in 2004 fade from existence at THAT moment, just before she was about to kill Ava and Sara?
Performances
There's something absolute adorable about Courtney Ford and Brandon Routh's interaction in this episode that instantly sells Ray and Nora's romance, despite their having relatively little time to bring it about on camera. It's also oddly sweet that Nora asks Ray to Prom as they're watching over Freddie Meyers given that neither of them had the typical teen life that allowed for going to high school dances.
It's a subtle thing, but Tala Ashe does manage to portray the new Zari while still showing flashes of the genius hacker and survivor we loved for two seasons. This is particularly evident in the fight scene in the limo. Yes, Zari is still vapid and self-obsessed, but she also maintains her cool and closes the window to make it harder for the Prom Night Slasher to get to her and her fellow ride-sharers.
Artistry
Between the music, the jump-scares, the lighting and the set, everything in this episode captures the feeling of of an 80's slasher movie and an 80's teen coming-of-age comedy at the same time. The best single touch, however, is a light tapping piano tune that is played during all of the action scenes involving the Prom Night Slasher, that sounds like a parody of the famous theme from Halloween.
Trivia Of Tomorrow
The title of the episode is a pun on the 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything, which was about a nerdy guy and his crush on a popular girl and their unlikely romance.
The Prom Night Slasher was believed to be a student named Freddy Meyers. This is a nod to both Freddy Kruger - the murderous school janitor from A Nightmare on Elm Street - and Michael Meyers - the killer from most of the Halloween movies.
There are a number of horror movies based around killings set in high schools on the night of Prom. The most famous of these movies is probably Carrie, based on the novel by Stephen King. There is also a series of four horror movies based around the Prom Night name and a 2008 reboot.
The address on the body bag containing Freddy Meyers' body reveals Central City to be in the state of Missouri, post-Crisis. This is consistent with where the city is located in the comics, where most writers depict Central City as being the DC Universe equivalent of either St. Louis or Kansas City.
Zari uses a social media site called CatChat. This could be a product of CatCo Worldwide Media from Supergirl.
Sara and Ava adopt the aliases of Kelly and Lisa while sneaking into Mick's high-school reunion. This is a nod to the characters of Kelly and Lisa from Saved By The Bell.
A screeching violin plays whenever the Prom Night Slasher appears, in an apparent tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho.
The bullies plan to dump garbage on Freddy mirrors the plan of the bullies in Carrie to shower her with pig's blood after she's jokingly crowned Prom Queen.
Nate sums up the spirit of the episode, saying that Freddy's night went "from John Hughes to John Carpenter." John Hughes is a screenwriter and director, most famous for the many coming-of-age comedies he wrote and directed during the 1980s, including The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. John Carpenter is a film director famous for the many horror movies he wrote and directed, including the original Halloween and The Thing.
The twist that the real Prom Night Slasher is actually Freddy Meyers' mother Kathy comes from the original Friday the 13th, where it was revealed that Jason Voorhees' mother Pamela was responsible for the first wave of deaths of Camp Crystal Lake.
Kathy Meyers' name may be a tribute to actress Kathy Bates, who played the crazed fan in the film adaptation of Stephen King's Misery.
Ava makes reference to being "the final girl" along with Sara. This is a trope in horror movies,where only one of the teenage girls being stalked by the monster survives to defeat the monster at the end of the movie. Typically it's the most pure-hearted or prudish of the young women.
Mick and his high school girlfriend making out to "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" at the end of the episode is a tribute to a similar scene in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
John makes reference to a group of he was part of called the Newcastle Crew. This is a nod to a group of aspiring magicians, musicians and their assorted roadies and groupies that John was part of in the original Hellblazer series. All of them except John were dead by the time the details of how the Newcastle Crew failed to save Astra Logue were explained in Hellblazer #11.
One notable change here from the comics is that one member of the Newcastle Crew was Astra's mother, whom John describes as a powerful witch. Astra's mother was never described in the original Hellblazer comics.
Technobabble/Arcana
One of the items among John's belongings in the Waverider library causes anyone who disturbs it to be haunted by the ghost of a forlorn mariner.
As a fairy godmother, Nora has a sort of radar to kids wishes. She is instantly summoned to assist the most needy person under 18 within her immediate vicinity and hears their wishes in her head until she answers the call. She is immune to this effect while in the temporal zone, presumably because there are no minors to make wishes.
Fairy godmothers give you what you actually wish for or what you think you want rather than what you need. This leaves Nora having to give various children ponies, regardless of their ability to care for one.
Gary has learned how to work a teleportation spell, but it leaves him walking backwards as a side-effect.
Once assigned to a child, a fairy godmother is bound to them until the child releases them. Fairy godmothers can trick their way into being freed and are not required to tell their charges that they have unlimited wishes until they free their fairy godmother.
Zari is able to hack past the encrypted security protocols Gideon uses to manage the locks on the Waverider.
John knows an enchantment that allows him to break wards. The related chant is "I call upon Hecate, Lady of Keys and Guardian of Crossroads. Sever this seal. By my blood, be open."
Dialogue Triumphs
John: (To Sara) I'm off to research a more lasting solution to your Encore problem.
Ray: (peeking around the corner) Did someone say Encore?
(Ray holds the last syllable like a musical note.)
John: I also said no musical numbers, so please don't start.
Ray: Listen, I might have a solution to your problem.
John: I can't take you with me on this one, squire. Where I'm going, I need to walk alone. With Gary.
(Ray enters his room, smiling as he hears Nora.)
Ray: Well, look who's finally off the clock.
(Ray's smile fades as he sees Nora.)
Ray: Oh, no, not again.
(Switch cameras to reveal Nora. She's clad in a powder blue jockey outfit, complete with riding crop.)
Nora: Oh, yes, oh, yes. It's the same thing every time. Kid gets a fairy godmother, what do they wish for? (imitating Oprah Winfrey) You get a pony and you get a pony. Everyone gets a damn pony!
Ray: Well, maybe next time, you should say, "neigh".
(Nora blows a raspberry at Ray and wave her wand, as her clothes change into sweats.)
Sara: All right, everyone. Stay sharp. The killer could be anywhere.
Ava: We gotta get everyone out of here.
(Sara, Ava and Mick approach one of the school doors. Suddenly, Nate and Ray stand up in front of the windows and there is a sharp musical sting. Ray is brandishing a small knife. Ava, Sara and Ray all scream as Mick and Nate look ready to attack.)
Sara: Thanks for the heart attack!
Ray: Sorry. Swiss Army Knife usually solves a jam in a jiff, but these doors are telekinetically sealed.
Zari: I knew it! You stole our family's totem.
Behrad: It's not like that, I...I needed to take it.
Zari: I mean, you could've just asked for it. Mama and Baba would've given it to you.
Behrad: What's that supposed to mean?
Zari: Oh, you really don't know? You're never around, you don't do any work, and they still treat you like you're some kind of hero.
Behrad: If you only knew what I've done, what I've survived, without getting any credit. Not that you'd understand, 'cause you only care about yourself.
Zari: Whatever, don't tell me. But wait till they see you've turned it into a stupid stoner bracelet- hey!
(Behrad grabs Zari's phone and begins talking to it as if live-streaming.)
Behrad: (mockingly) What up, Z-listers? Turns out even a sacred totem couldn't reverse the sucking void that is my soul.
Zari: Hey, screw you. I'm not a void. I'm a business.
(Nora chases after Freddy as he storms from the cafeteria.)
Nora: Freddy, wait!
Freddy: Leave me alone!
Freddy: What?
Nora: You don't want to be alone right now.
Freddy: (angry) How would you know that? How would you know what I want? I spent years wanting these kids to be my friend and I couldn't even make it happen with a fairy godmother! I cannot wait to be done with this stupid place and I hope they all get what they deserve!
Nora: (desperate) No, you don't mean that!
Freddy: Yeah, I do!
Nora: No, you don't! Look, I get it. I have given in to my demons. I know what it's like to want to make the world feel your pain, but that is not who you are. I see so much more in you. (softly, crying, touching Freddy's shoulder) Listen. God... Being yourself? That is a magic stronger than any wish. Being truly okay with myself, scars and all, is how the right people truly found me.
Gideon: How did you bypass my encrypted security protocol?
Zari: Oh, just by being a businesswoman, makeup guru, bad bitch, and overall genius.
Zari: So this is what you do? Travel around time and save people using wind? That's... I wouldn't say cool, exactly, but no wonder you're the favorite.
Behrad: The favorite? Mama and Baba only treat me how they do 'cause they're worried about me. I mean, I've been in business school for five years. You were a self-made millionaire by the age of 19.
Zari: (dryly) You're right, I am very impressive.
Behrad: Like, how did you jailbreak your way out of here anyway?
Zari: I was poking around your weird little screens and suddenly I knew how to hack my way out.
Behrad: Right. Yeah, time travel always has these weird side effects.
Zari: Huh. Well, hopefully it wears off because I was thinking of sticking around for a while.
Behrad: Huh. I weirdly wouldn't hate that.
Continuity
Freddy Meyers died in the electric chair at some point in 2004 after being convicted on 7 counts of murder at his high school prom on June 2, 1989. His final words are that he loves his mother, who is the only observer of his death apart from the prison guards.
The guard who was delivering Freddy Meyers body back to Central City was killed after losing control of his van
Sara asks John when he is going to finish moving out of the Waverider, saying they have a box of his stuff labeled "arcana" in the library. John advises her not to move it.
John leaves the Waverider to research a permanent solution to the Encore problem.
Ray suggests that maybe they can reform the Encores before they become damned using Time Travel. Sara is skeptical.
Nora shows up on the Waverider for some downtime from her Fairy Godmother job.
Nate stops Behrad from blanking Zari's memory, fearful it might cause her to forget everything she might remember about being a Legends.
Behrad still doesn't believe what Nate says about Zari being the woman from the message in 502.
Zari's ringtone is a cat meowing. This could be a nod to her being turned into a cat in 408.
Zari tried to get in touch with a social media friend called Blue Ivy.
Zari is locked up in the lab. She complains that she has a sneaker drop to promote and she's releasing a new fragrance for her Dragoness line.
Reference is made to Ava being an expert on serial killer trivia; a fact that first came up in 407.
Ava now runs a podcast on serial killer history called StabCast.
Ava ranked Freddy Meyers #5 on her list of the greatest killers of all time.
Nobody except Nate listens to StabChat, despite Ava sending out e-mails about it. Sara didn't even know it existed.
Ava theorizes that Freddy Meyers has come back from the dead to go after his final girl - Tiffany Harper.
StabChat has some kind of promo-deal to offer a discount on mattresses to its listeners with the code LACERATION.
Tiffany Harper was able to beat Freddy Meyers with a trophy she used as a makeshift weapon.
Mick Rory was part of the Central City High class of 1989.
According to Mick, Freddy Meyers was a loser nobody liked.
Allie was a girl Mick dated in high school. She wrote him when he went to Juvie. He was going to break out to take her to their senior prom but he wound up blowing it off.
Mick lies to Allie when she recognizes him and says his name is Dick.
Central City High's mascot is the Cavalier.
Tiffany Harper is the first person killed at the reunion in 2004.
The Prom Night Slasher has been resurrected with telekinetic powers, which are used to cut the lights and seal the exits at Central City High. This traps Mick, Sara and Ava in the building and Ray and Nate outside of it.
John lived in a house in Northumberland County for a time. This is the same county as Newcastle.
John discovers that the house is been squatted in by Charlie, who has adopted John's face.
John told Charlie about his house while he was drunk once.
Ray carries a Swiss Army Knife at all times.
In 1989, Tiffany Harper asked Freddy Meyers out to the Prom at the last minute.
Nate and Ray, both nerds in high school, immediately realize that Tiffany must be working with the bullies to set up Freddy.
Nate and Ray poses as teachers and try to talk Freddy out of going to Prom. They are not successful.
A woman named Lori is stuffed in a locker by the Prom Night Slasher and the locker is telekinetically crushed with her inside it, killing her messily.
Nora is summoned to help Freddy Meyers, as the most needy teenager on Prom Night in Central City in 1989.
Freddy tells his mother that he won't be staying home for movie night as he's going to Prom. This disappoints her.
Freddy wishes for a stylish new suit for Prom. Nora also arranges for him to get a limo to take him to Prom.
Zari confirms that Behard took the family's Air Totem and turned it into a bracelet.
Mick Rory used to sneak out of the school through a vent in the wood shop.
Allie isn't seeing anyone - boyfriend or girlfriend.
Allie is killed by the Prom Night Slasher.
Tiffany Harper was supposed to be setting Freddy Meyers up to have garbage dumped on him while on the dance floor, but she winds up steering him away at the last moment because Freddy is honestly nice to her unlike most of the guys she hangs out with,
Brad, the lead bully, throws a drink on Freddy when the trick doesn't work. He reveals the truth about Tiffany and Freddy runs off, though Tiffany shows obvious remorse for what happened.
Nora gives Freddy another wish to show off his dance moves to his classmates. She backs this up with a pyrotechnics display and turns the rain of garbage into fairy dust.
Zari has a flash of her past self's memories and is able to hack past the encrypted security protocols to let herself out of the room she is locked in.
Freddy frees Nora from his control.
Freddy, Tiffany and a bunch of her friends leave the party in Freddy's limo. Zari goes with them, thinking it's an Uber Gideon called for her.
Mick is killed when the Prom Night Slasher turns his fire against him telekinetically.
The Prom Night Slasher is revealed to be Kathy Meyers - Freddy's mother.
In the original timeline, Freddy took the blame for the killings to save his mother,after she killed all the teenagers who were trying to take her boy away from her.
Kathy Meyers had a heart attack in Iron Heights the night of Freddy's execution in 2004. She was sent back from Hell and attacked the can transporting Freddy's body so that she could have him with her forever after she finished killing the rest of Freddy's classmates.
Ava and Sara are able to fight back against Kathy Meyers in 2004.
Zari is able to unmask Kathy Meyers in 1989 after using her new perfume to blind Kathy Meyers during the original round of killings. Behard shows up and finishes the fight, knocking Kathy Meyers out with a blast of air, saving the original seven victims of the Prom Night Slasher. This causes the Kathy Meyers fighting Sara and Ava in 2004 to fade out of existence.
In the new timeline, Freddy Meyers and Tiffany Harper got married and are seen dancing together at the reunion in 2004.
Mick runs into Allie again and the two make out in a janitor's closet.
Gary fills Charlie in on everything happening with the Encores and why John came back to Newcastle.
John tells Charlie about the Newcastle Crew and how the ghost of Astra's mother is still haunting the building, sealed in a single room by John before he left the house before.
The episode ends with John breaking the seal on the room holding Astra's mother and going inside.
Location
Iron Heights Penitentiary - 2004
Central City, Missouri, USA - 2004
Northumberland County, UK - 2020
Central City, Missouri, USA - June 2, 1989
The Bottom Line
Damn near perfect and an instant classic. Easily the best episode of the season so far. One of the top five best Legends episodes ever. Not a beat is wasted and every member of the ensemble gets a moment to shine. The only real weakness is the subplot with Constatnine, Charlie and Gary does feel a bit tacked on, but at least their scenes don't distract from the main plot.
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