Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 14 - There Will Be Brood

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

When Spooner and Bishop steal the Waverider, Astra and Spooner find themselves as stowaways on a trip to 1920's Texas, leading to a revelation regarding Spooner's past that she was not expecting. Meanwhile, with the rest of the Legends stranded in 2021, a plan is enacted that requires using Mick Rory as bait.


Influences

There Will Be Blood (title parody, but also subplot involving oil rights in early 20th Century America.) 

Performances

Matt Ryan plays John Constantine as the full-on bastard he is in the comics for the first time in a long while and it is perfect. If this is truly his final turn as the "nasty piece of work," it's a high note to go out on and a suitably tragic end for the blue-collar magus. 

Olivia Swann and Lisseth Chavez really bring the weird friendship between Spooner and Astra to the forefront with this episode. The two characters have little in common apart from their mutual nature as outsiders who don't trust anyone and have little reason to trust the Legends. The show has been subtle about building the connection between the two and this episode sees some surprisingly deep moments as Astra sympathizes with Spooner's desire to save her mother but holds to the Legends' line about not altering your past given her own bad experiences with tempting fate.


Artistry

The direction by Maisie Richardson-Sellers is solid throughout and you would never know this was the work of a first-time director.

Trivia Of Tomorrow

This episode was the television directorial debut of Maisie Richardson-Sellers, who played Amaya Jiwe in seasons 2 and 3 of Legends of Tomorrow and Charlie in seasons 4 and 5. She previously directed a short film, Sunday's Child, which was released in 2021.


Technobabble/Arcana

John astral projects himself into this house to stall the other Legends while Bishop hot-wires the Waverider.

Bishop reroutes Gideon's directory protocols, which short circuits all her communication and navigation functions.

Astra uses the Permuto spell from 605 to temporarily change herself and Spooner into a snow-globe and a fork in order to hide in plain sight while spying on Bishop and Constantine. 

John works a spell that reveals sub-layers of alien text hidden within the map to the Fountain of Imperium. 

John uses a tracking spell to locate the Fountain of Imperium in 1925.

According to Bishop, Earthlings eventually discover that all mushrooms are alien species, noting that mushrooms are not like any other organism on Earth.

Bishop claims he can use the mushrooms to synthesize a temporary serum that will ensure the Fountain finds Constantine worthy if he tries to bond with it again, causing every cell in his body to mimic that of an angelic, selfless child.

John knows a spell that creates a small collection of firefly-like lights. 

John somehow gleans that young Esparanza is Spooner after touching her hand.

An IGCOM is an intergalactic communication device, similar to a smart phone, but much more powerful, in that it can communicate across light years. (It does, however, get spotty reception on Earth, according to Gary.)

Galixiposts is an alien social networking site, comparable to Instagram, where people share pictures of themselves and can tag their friends.

John uses a sleep spell to knock out Gloria, Astra and Esperanza so he can speak to Spooner in private.

John can use his magic to share visions of what he saw with other people.

Astra is also able to astral project, as she remotely talks to John and tries to convince him that Bishop is going to double-cross him.

Bishop speculates that Spooner's blood triggers a chemical reaction which induces a bioluminescent response in the mushrooms around the Fountain of Imperium site.

John knocks Astra out with a spell where he speaks in Tagalog. He says "Suntok ng Demonyo" which translates to "Punch of the Devil."


Dialogue Triumphs

Constantine: Oh, let's be honest. I was never one of you, now, really, was I? A Legend. Nah, I'm a nasty piece of work, and I walk my path alone. 

(Zari attempts to slap Constantine. Her hand passes through him.)
Mick: Ahh! A ghost!

Doc: If I don't buy your land, someone else will. And they may not offer as much as me or be as polite.
Gloria: I have already told you my land is not for sale.
(Doc opens his coat to reveal the pistol he's hiding.)
Doc: Maybe you ought reconsider.
(Spooner opens her coat to reveal the bigger pistol she's hiding.)
Spooner: She said no. 

Bishop: Right, right, right. Okay, you don't know this yet. Earthlings eventually discover that mushrooms are actually an ancient alien species. 
Constantine: So you're telling me I've had aliens in my mushroom masala this whole time?

Astra: What the hell did John do in there?
Spooner: He showed me the truth about my past. The oil men come back and kill Gloria for her land while kid-me escapes and is saved by the Fountain of Imperium. So I'm staying here and protecting them both to make sure that never happens.
Astra: Look, whenever John is involved, things tend to go south.
Spooner: This is my only chance to make sure my younger self has a life with my mom. I can finally get her back. That's all I've ever wanted. I thought you, of all people, would understand that.
Astra: Of course I understand that, Spooner, but...
(Astra suddenly notices the bandage on Spooner's hand.)
Astra: But you just gave your blood to John to open the Fountain, which is the one thing we are trying to stop.
Spooner: You can go after him if you want, but I'm staying here.

Mick: (To Kayla) Ever since that night on the planet, I've never stopped thinking about you. The eggs might be fake, but my feelings for you are... real.

Bishop: (To Constantine) Don't you worry, I got the science covered, emo boy. You just make sure your hocus is pocused.

Astra: John, do you really think Bishop is just gonna let you use the Fountain?
Constantine: Oh, don't be daft. I know he wants to use the powers for himself, but old John Constantine always has a plan. So do me a favor. Stay out of my way. 
Astra: No. Let me bring you back to the team before it's too late.
Constantine: (mockingly) "Oh, let me bring you back to the team before it's too late, John". Don't bloody kid yourself. Come on. You, of all people, understand what I'm doing, don't you? You know what it feels like to be powerless. To desperately need magic.
Astra: You've always had this selfish streak in you, and my mom knew it was dangerous.
Constantine: Now, what would your mum think about you now, eh? Her very own daughter dabbling in the very dark arts that she ran away from. I think she'd be turning in her grave. 

Astra: Spooner. Remember - if Esperanza doesn't go to the Fountain, then you never come back to save Gloria.
Spooner: I'd rather protect her now so I can become the person my mom always hoped I'd be.
Gloria: If she does that, then my little girl and I, - we can stay together, yes?
Astra: Yeah, you'll stay together, but history will be completely changed. And you'll never meet the Legends or help us save Sarah. You'll never become you, Spooner. Which means that... which means we never become friends. And I really don't wanna lose my friend.
Spooner: I can't let that innocent girl go through what I went through.
Gloria: If Esperanza does go, she will grow up without me, but she becomes you, and history will be preserved, yeah? 
(Spooner nods.)
Gloria: Then Astra is right, and we have no choice. Esperanzita has to go.
Spooner: Losing you was the worst moment of my life, Mom. I spent every day trying not to think about what happened to you, and it only made me angry and bitter. I didn't become the kind of person you wanted me to be. Not even close.
Gloria: Yes, you did. You did. You became that person. You are brave. You have a big heart. You are a time traveler. Whether it's aliens or the universe at play, you being here now is not a coincidence. We were meant to find each other again. Whatever powers took you away also brought you back to me. 

(John is writhing in pain as the poison takes effect.)
Bishop: Oh, look, I'm sorry, John. It's nothing personal. You're just collateral damage. Now that you're linked, killing you means I destroy the Fountain.
Constantine: Why? 
Bishop: To destroy the planet, of course. You see, once upon a time, benevolent aliens gifted the Fountain to Earth so it would act as an invisible shield to protect the planet from invasive alien species.
(John moans as Bishop pauses.)
Bishop: I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Once it dies, it's open season on Earth, baby. I've tried saving the planet twice, and humans just keep getting in the way. Now I'm fast-forwarding to the inevitable end so I can finally start anew.

Constantine: Oh, I'm so... I'm so bloody sorry.
Astra: Just tell me what to do. There's gotta be a spell that can help you.
Constantine: Not this time.
Astra: No, you are John Constantine! You always have a plan! You have a trick up your sleeve!
Constantine: As luck would have it, I'm all out of tricks this time. You were my greatest failure... And my biggest accomplishment. God, you look like your mum. She would be so proud of you, so proud...
(John begins to drift as mushroom vines begin to overtake his body.)

Continuity

Zari discovers broken glass and blood in John's house and figures out that something is wrong.

The Demon Constantine tries to bluff his way around the Legends, but nobody believes it.

Zari figures out John is stalling for time and figures out he isn't really there after trying to slap John.

Astra and Spooner are on the Waverider when John and Bishop steal it.

Bishop knows of the legend of the Fountain of Imperium and agrees to help John find it at another point in time in exchange for freeing him from the Legends' brig. 

Bishop knows dozen of alien languages and is able to translate the text John reveals hidden on the map to the Fountain of Imperium.

Neither Astra nor Spooner can pilot the Waverider or a jump ship without Gideon acting as the auto-pilot.

Astra does not have a driver's license.

Spooner and Astra travel to the closest settlement, which is an oil field in Texas in the year 1925.

Astra and Spooner see an injured man named Henry being treated by a local woman, whom Spooner recognizes as her mother. 

Henry is ordered back to work by Doc, the cruel owner of the local oil fields, who owns all the land in the area except for the homestead owned by the healer.

Doc offers to buy the healer's land but she refuses. He reveals a gun as a threat but Spooner scares him off by revealing her own pistol.

The healer reveals her name to be Gloria, who invites Spooner and Astra to her home for a hot meal to thank them for helping during her confrontation with Doc.

Spooner reveals that Odessa, Texas is her hometown.

Spooner speculates that the aliens who kidnapped her and her mother erased their memories and sent her back in time. This would explain why she could never find her mother in the early 21st century.

Bishop theorizes that the mushrooms around the Fountain site John discovers are the tip of the iceberg, and that they are connected to the Fountain of Imperium, which is itself an alien being.

John says that would explain why all the legends of the Fountain had it connected to caves and grottos - i.e. ideal places for growing mushrooms. He speculates that the Fountain can, like a mushroom, grow up out of the ground in certain key places.

As Bishop is taking samples of the mushrooms, John overhears a young girl singing in the forest nearby. Her name is Esperanza. He figures out the girl is a young Spooner after she gives him a flower and he feels some kind of connection while touching her hand.

Gloria says that she moved to Texas from Los Arenales, El Salvador, to start a new life after the death of her husband, Celso. She built the house by herself.

Gloria's mother was also a healer and she's passing the art down to her daughter, who is revealed to be Esperanza.

Based on what Gloria says, Spooner now thinks the aliens abducted her, erased her memories, and took her to the future.

Esperanza takes John to her mother's house, where he is stunned to see Astra and Spooner.

Sara comes up with a plan to get Kayla to give them a ride to where the Waverider is.

Gary comes up with a plan to get Kayla's attention by taking a picture of Mick with fake alien eggs and tagging her in the social media post. This is needed since Kayla won't take Gary's calls, but will respond to the idea of her children being endangered.

Esperanza and Gloria read The War Of The Worlds together every night. Young Esperanza is excited by the idea of aliens and drams of exploring other worlds. 

John tells Spooner that he saw a glimpse of her past and future when he touched the hand of her younger self. He shares the vision with her and Spooner sees Gloria being gunned down by Doc and his men as Esperanza runs into the forest, hurts her hand, bleeds on the mushrooms in the field and some sort of glow envelopes her. 

John says that Spooner can save her mother's life and ensure she grows up with her. All he asks in exchange for the knowledge is a sample of her blood. She agrees to give it to him.

Kayla shows up, furious, but reluctantly agrees to help the Legends after learning her babies are still on the Waverider.

Mick confesses his love for Kayla. She does not care.

Bishop shows John the serum he's made that will make him seem innocent. He says he'll hold on to it for safekeeping. 

Astra attempts to reason with John, saying that Bishop will double-cross him. John dismisses her, saying he plans to double-cross Bishop first. 

Gloria has a gun, but she has never used it. It belonged to her husband.

Spooner tells Gloria that she is her daughter from the future and that she somehow came back in time to this point, and that they somehow became separated on this night. Gloria believes her.

Astra points out the paradox that will be caused if Gloria is saved and Spooner gets to grow up with her mother. Gloria says that she will confront Doc's men, saying that she has faith things will work out, having seen the young woman her daughter will grow into. 

John successfully summons the Fountain of Imperium, which manifests as a giant glowing mushroom.

As the Fountain manifests, Spooner's hands glow with a strange orange energy.

Astra agrees to take Esperanza to the Fountain, while Spooner stays behind to fight Doc and his men.

Spooner taps the power of the Fountain and uses it to make Doc and his men feel the pain their greed caused others rather than killing them. This sends them running and saves Gloria's life.

The Fountain of Imperium draws the young Spooner into it and she disappears, as Astra distracts John, but is knocked out.

Spooner can feel her younger self disappearing from Gloria's house.

Nate still has the clicker for the Waverider that shuts off its stealth mode.

Zari pulls Nate aside as the other Legends run for the ship, pointing out the weird glow from the woods and saying that is where John will be.

John pick-pocketed Bishop's serum and takes it before Bishop can use it himself. This allows John to bond with the Fountain of Imperium, but also poisons John as Bishop saw this coming and put a deadly poison in the serum.

Mick, Kayla, Sara, Ava and Gary discover that Bishop rigged a bomb on the incubator holding Mick and Kayla's eggs and set it so they only had a limited time to gather all the eggs before the bomb went off.

Mick is caught in the explosion trying to save the last loose egg.

Bishop explains that his plan was to kill the Fountain of Imperium, since, by poisoning John once he was connected to the Fountain, it would also poison the Fountain. 

Bishop says he's given up on saving the Earth and elected to destroy it instead, having become sick of humanity getting in the way of his plans to save the Earth. By destroying the Fountain, he hopes to make a fresh start. 

Bishop says that the Fountain of Imperium was a gift from a benevolent alien species who wanted to protect Earth from invasive aliens who might conquer or destroy it. 

At the same time The Fountain of Imperium dies, Spooner senses something is wrong and passes out.

Astra wakes up and finds John as he is dying.

John accepts his death and tells Astra she was both his biggest mistake and his greatest triumph.

John says he can hear the Fountain screaming in his head. 

Zari and Nate arrive just in time for John's body to be enveloped in vines before fading into the earth.

Location

Northumberland County, UK - 2021
Odessa, Texas, USA - 1925


The Crisis Factor

None of the Legends trapped in 2021 brought a Time Courier with them, just in case, and Nate openly wonders why they don't carry them all the time.


The Bottom Line

An excellent episode that gives some much-needed development to the two least-developed Legends and brings the many storylines of Season 6 together in an organic way. It's also a fitting end for John Constantine, assuming the blue-collar magus doesn't have one trick left up the sleeve of his trenchcoat. 

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 13

In which we undertake some sneaky thief work to gather the evidence needed to help Cass out with her questline, before tracking down The King to finally see about getting Rex some much needed robo-dog surgery.

Supergirl Episode Guide: Season 6, Episode 8 - Welcome Back, Kara!

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

Kara returns to work at CatCo and as Supergirl and tries to introduce her father to life on Earth. Unfortunately, Zor-El's overzealous efforts to join her in protecting the Earth lead to a new threat, as Kara tries to deal with the trauma of her time in the Phantom Zone; a task that isn't made any easier by her latest assignment to interview the survivors of the Phantom attacks on National City.

Influences

Captain Planet (the environmental message) and Independence Day (alien technology defeated with a virus)


Goofs

In her presentation on major media platforms that are doing better than CatCo, Andrea Rojas mentions The Daily Planet (#1) and The Central City Citizen (#4). This doesn't make much sense, given that layoffs at The Daily Planet due to decreased sales were why Clark Kent lost his job in the first episode of Superman and Lois and Iris West-Allen said her paper lost 73% of their readers during the time she was trapped in the Mirror World in The Flash. While it was unclear at the time it aired just when Superman and Lois was set in relation to the other Arrowverse series that year, Kara later makes reference to a story that Iris West-Allen wrote in the same episode where she referenced her drop in readership.

While it's believable Lex Luthor wouldn't have issues with dumping garbage in the ocean, it's a little hard to believe he wouldn't try to recover all the Kryptonite that was apparently dropped into the trash island, given how rare it is supposed to be on Earth-Prime.

Granting that Andrea has always been portrayed as publicity minded, it's still a bit of a jump for her to go from being obsessed with bringing down Lex Luthor to being obsessed with learning all about the Super Friends, based purely upon seeing some files on Lex Luthor's desk. (Shouldn't she be more interested in why Luthor is targeting the heroes?)


Performances

The highlight of the episode is Jesse Rath's insulting Oscar and his cry of "I regret nothing!" as he is being pulled into a giant garbage monster.


Artistry

It's a minor thing, but after every time Barry Allen managed to disappear without consequences for months at a time in The Flash, it's gratifying that the script for this episode shows Kara dealing with the fact that her absence was noticed and that her friends lied to cover for her at her job.

The CGI for Oscar the Robot is well-executed.


Super Trivia

The episode title is a play on the classic sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter. 

J'onn determines that Oscar bonded with a Teallian, which he describes as a parasitic creature that can inhabit and animate inanimate objects. In the comics, the Legion of Superheroes member Quislet was a Teallian, who rejected his species hive-mind and went off in search of adventure far from their home planet of Teall.

Oscar the Garbage Monster also seems remarkably similar to the DC Comics villain Chemo. Originally created as an enemy of the Metal Men in Showcase #39, Chemo was a living being made of chemicals discarded by scientist Ramsey Norton, who grew into a giant, toxic monster. 


Technobabble

Zor-El analyzes Earth's oceans and determines they are dying in the same way Krypton's did.

J'onn determines the fire on the trash island was the result of a fuel leak from a Dominator Warp Drive.

Zor-El plans to save Earth's oceans by modifying the Kelex robot in the Fortress to shrink trash and convert it to energy safely. It does this through a new Coluan energy core. He dubs the new robot Oscar, named in honor of Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street.

Lena says he did something similar with a high-pressure energy compactor. 

Oscar's absorbs Daxamite technology that also gives him cloaking abilities, a force-field and a Teallian proto-ray that penetrates Supergirl's armored suit.

Lena says she can decloak Oscar with a signal wave blast.

Brainiac-5 creates a drone-delivered virus that can shut Oscar down.

Dialogue Triumphs

Kara: I don't think I ever wanna hear the word "Phantom" ever again. Not in an opera, not in a Star Wars prequel. Especially not in a Star Wars prequel. I don't even think I could handle an episode of Scooby-Doo right now!

Brainiac-5: You sorry excuse for a Roomba!


Continuity

This episode takes place one day after 607.

Brainiac-5 picks up a special cake for a party to welcome Kara back to Earth.

Kara power naps under a yellow sun lamp to recover the energy she spent flying herself and Zor-El to J'onn's ship.

Kara is having nightmares of the Phantom Zone as she sleeps.

Kelly Olsen misses the party, as she's undergoing orientation at her new job with Social Services.

Zor-El says the technology of the Watchtower dwarfs that of Krypton. J'onn thanks him but notes that Watchtower draws upon the technology of many worlds.

Zor-El says that he intends to go to Argo City to reunite with his wife, but first he wants to see the life Kara has built for herself on Earth.

Zor-El poses as Kara's Uncle Archie.

Nia explains to Kara about how she covered her absence by telling Andrea Rojas that she was in deep cover interviewing Darien resistance leader Miguel de Miranda at Cat Grant's request. Nia originally made this excuse in 601.

Andrea is annoyed when Kara says there is no story, resulting in her having the assignment to cover Supergirl's defeat of the Phantom dropped on her.

Andrea threatens to fire the whole writing staff of CatCo if they are not the #1 news outlet within a month's time. They are currently #8 thanks to the public turning on them after Lex Luthor's acquittal in 602.

Nobody had told Kara about Phantoms attacking National City while she was gone because they didn't want to worry her.

William tells Kara that he started dating a pediatrician named Mary while she was gone and it is getting serious.

Kara and her father team to stop a falling satellite. 

Kara and Zor-El discover a garbage island made of cast-off material from Luthor Corp and the DEO 1000 miles off the coast of National City that is full of toxic chemicals.

Kara tries to sell the story of the island to Andrea, but she is uninterested until she finds out Lex Luthor was responsible for the dumping. However, she assigns the article to William and tells Kara to get her an interview with Supergirl.

Lena and Nia have a talk about their nightmares from the Phantom Zone and how Nia is missing her mother even as Kara is reuniting with her father.

Zor-El confirms that Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van designed the Fortress of Solitude. 

Kara has a PTSD flashback of Lex Luthor blasting her with the Phantom Zone projector as they look around the Fortress of Solitude.

William determines that the trash island was made by a third-party hired by LuthorCorp and it all, sadly, was completely legal. Andrea still asks him to find a way to blame Lex for it.

Zor-El binge-watched Sesame Street to learn about Earth culture while Kara was recovering under the sun lamps.

Andrea uses her teleportation powers to break into Luthor Manor in search of proof he's responsible for the trash island. Instead, she finds several files profiling the Super-Friends.

Oscar goes haywire after bonding with a Teallian and becomes impossible to track after absorbing Daxamite cloaking tech. He also acquires a force-field.

Brainiac-5 enters into Oscar's trash pile in order to manually release the virus.

Zor-El admits he is afraid to face his wife again given his failure to save Krypton, even if he did save his family and many lives.

It has been nearly 40 years since Zor-El became trapped in the Phantom Zone.

Andrea published William's article on the trash fires without the Luthor angle.

Andrea says CatCo needs to write more articles on the local superheroes and they can make CatCo big again, like Cat Grant did with Supergirl.

Lena tells Nia that she's going to go visit the village where she was born and try to build a connection with her birth mother. 

Kara tells Alex about how bad the Phantom Zone was.

Alex tells Kara about her nightmares of losing Kara forever.

Kara references a piece Iris West-Allen wrote in F704 about how Central City rallied after the fight with the Mirror Monarch and how she needs to write something similar about National City moving on from the Phantom attacks.

The episode ends with a thunder storm raging and Nia waking up from a dream and saying the name "Nyxly."


Location

A trash island 1000 miles off the coast of National City
Fortress of Solitude


Untelevised Adventures

Brainiac-5 takes Zor-El to Argo City at the end of the episode.


The Bottom Line

A serviceable yet largely flawed episode. While individual parts are groanworthy, the cast makes them work even as the technobabble starts flying and Oscar becomes increasingly implausible.  Andrea is still the show's weak link and it would have been much better if she'd been allowed to gracefully fade into the background at the end of Season 5. At least the romance (muted as it was) between Kara and William has finally come to an end.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 13 - Silence of the Sonograms

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

Tensions are heightened on the Waverider, with the Legends on high alert and Bishop's latest clone in their custody. As Ava begins interrogating the super-genius and Gary tries to help Mick through his pregnancy pains, Zari recruits Spooner and Astra to help her figure out what Constantine is trying to hide from her and the team.


Influences

The Silence of the Lambs (title, scenes of Ava trying to get into Bishop's head only to have him get into her mind), the Critical Mass story arc of Hellblazer (demon Constantine) and every sci-fi comedy based around a man being pregnant. (Red Dwarf and Junior come to mind.) 

Performances

Jess Macallan nails the moment in which Ava's mask breaks once Bishop finally gets to her.

Raffi Barsoumian is amazing as Bishop, turning the smarmy hipster scientist into a credible threat, even as we're left wondering how sincere he might be about wanting to join the Legends and find redemption.

In the moment when Zari 2.0 confronts John over his drug use, we see the same steel at the heart of Zari 1.0 and Tala Ashe, who has done such a good job making both versions of the Legend into likeable and distinct yet similar characters is amazing.

Artistry

The sequence of Bishop and Ava dancing to "Perfect Day" is well shot and the music perfect.

The effects work for Mick's pregnancy is top-notch.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

This episode was originally planned to be the season finale. 

This is the first episode not to feature Behrad since he joined the team in Season 5.


Technobabble/Arcana

Bishop claims that he lowered the oxytocin levels in all the Ava clone to inhibit their capacity to feel love and process emotions. Ava thinks maybe this is why she is having a hard time planning the wedding.

Bishop suggests a formula made of mushroom and ginger to ease Mick's birthing pains, which is poured into his ear. According to Sara it doesn't taste half-bad to her alien tastebuds. In actuality, the formula is meant to induce labor, which Gary reveals at the end of the episode.

Astra knows a spell that can restore lost memories.

The potion John has been using to increase his magical power is known as a Scarlet Lady in Hell.

Bishop determines that Mick's children are breach babies, which means they have to come out the nose rather than the ear.

Spooner has a custom gun that can shoot through the metal doors of the Waverider.


Dialogue Triumphs

Sara: What are you doing here? How are you even alive? 
Bishop: What a fantastically boring question.

Zari: John's lying to me, again.
Astra: Huh, glad he's feeling like his old self. 

(Ava and Sara are administering Bishop's formula to Mick.)
Ava: I made Bishop think that I needed something from him, and he proved himself to be trustworthy, for now. But believe me, this is just the opening move of our little chess match.
Mick: What does that make me? The pawn?

(The Beast appears before John, wearing his familiar coat and tie.)
Constantine: Oh nice. You're wearing my clothes now, are ya?
The Beast: Well, someone's gotta pick up the mantle and you're in no shape for it, but you don't have to suffer, Johnny.
(A woman's voice echoes around them, whispering "Suffer, Johnny...")
Constantine: (laughs) Yeah, yeah, yeah. Another snort of the Scarlet Lady and I'll be right as rain. Is that it? You know, it's not the first time I've gotten clean.
The Beast: And why haven't you dumped it? You'll never be clean, Johnny.
Constantine: (laughing with a more manic edge) You know, you're not even real. You're just a figment in my imagination, some damn junkie hallucination!
The Beast: And without magic, you're just a pathetic ex-smoker in a trench coat who lies to the people he loves.

The Beast: Can you see John? You'll never be rid of me. I am you. 

Ava: Admit it. I'm weird! Why the hell did you have to make me so weird?
Bishop: Look, first off, I didn't make you. Yes, I designed you, but everything you've done in your life, that's your accomplishment, not mine. And you not knowing whether you want a vegan cake or not doesn't matter. (pauses) I'm gonna take that back... vegan cakes are disgusting.

(Astra and Zari have just confirmed John blanked Spooner's memory.)
Astra: Where the hell are you going?
Zari: Oh, I'm just going to break up with my lying dumpster fire of a boyfriend. 

Bishop: Sara, you've got this all wrong. I don't wanna hurt him. I wanna help him.
Sara: And why would I trust you?
Bishop: Because I am you.
Sara: You wish.

Bishop: You know what they say when you fight yourself? You're destined to lose.
Sara: Destiny's so last season.

Constantine: Look, you deserve someone who is bloody fantastic, all right, not some pathetic has-been, honestly.
Zari: I have spent my whole life trying to be somebody for everyone else. When I'm with you, I can just be myself. That is the greatest gift. I love you. Not your magic. You.
(John leans in but Zari gives him a firm look.)
Zari: Hey, I'm not an idiot. You have told me so many lies. I need the truth. The truth.
Constantine: The truth is... I don't know. I don't know who I am without magic... I don't know how the hell I'm gonna get through this. I mean, I want to... but if you still love me after everything that I've put you through then... I wanna do it with you. 

Continuity

The unseen figure from the end of 612 is confirmed to be Bishop.

Bishop says that his current incarnation is the last since his data was corrupted when his lab was blown up and before his upload was complete. 

Bishop tries to talk Sara into letting him join the Legends. She locks him up and gives Spooner orders to shoot him if he does anything to escape.

Bishop notes Ava's engagement ring and that Mick is still alive, noting that Kayla had strong thoughts about him ceasing to exist.

Gideon determines that the new Bishop clone is missing 6% of his original DNA structure.

Ava, devout serial killer podcaster that she is, asks for a chance to profile Bishop. Sara reluctantly agrees but says she and Nate will be listening in to the interview.

Constantine wakes up to find Zari waiting for him. She asks why he has a scar when she stabbed The Beast and demands the truth. John says he thought it was all part of the game. Zari is skeptical but agrees to let him sequester himself until he gets his new powers under control.

Astra agrees to help Zari figure out what John is hiding, but says they should talk to Spooner about the Fountain of Imperium.

Nate and Sara play chess as Ava interviews Bishop.

Ava's particular model of Ava Clone was dubbed Bossy Ava, but Bishop says he wanted to call her Boss Ava.

Bishop claims that he's realized he made a mistake and that he sees Sara and Ava as the closest thing he has to family.

Bishop offers to help Ava plan her wedding.

Bishop also claims that he can help Rory, having recognized the symptoms of a human mating with a Necrian.

Bishop claims to have spent eons trying to meld humans and aliens but never thought of "the old fashioned way."

Spooner has no memory of her time with John and the Fountain of Imperium after the fascists coming into the cave. This leads her to conclude John cast a spell on her.

Astra suggests Spooner let her work a spell to restore her memory before they confront Constantine. Spooner refuses to abandon her guard duty until Ava takes over.

Bishop claims to be a medical doctor and offers to look at Constantine, having overheard something is wrong with him.

The Beast has taken on John's form and is taunting him, claiming to have always been a part of him even before his addiction to the blood potion.

Ava has never been to a wedding before and was known as the party pooper of the Time Bureau.

Ava's favorite flower is a cactus.

Ava's favorite color is gray.

Ava does not like appetizers and doesn't understand why people need to eat before eating a full meal.

Bishop has been reborn over 200 times. That was, at least, where he stopped counting.

The planet where Bishop met Sara is identified as Pliny X19.

Bishop claims to have changed because Sara taught him humility. 

Astra restores Spooner's memories of 610 and how John drank some kind of potion after being found unworthy of the Fountain of Imperium.

Astra tells Zari they shouldn't confront him until they figure out what the potion he's taking is.

Sara has a good vinyl music collection.

Bishop suggests "Perfect Day" from Lou Reed's album Transformer as the perfect song for them to dance to at their wedding. He winds up dancing with her with it and suggests they could have a father-daughter dance at the wedding.

Ava has a breakdown after Bishop talks about wishing the could be part of the wedding and leaves her gun behind in his cell.

Gideon confirms that Bishop is 100% human but has yet to identify the other 6% of his new genetic code.

Ava says she believes Bishop is sincere about seeing them as family.

John tells Zari that he loves her as she comes to check on him.

John denies having anything to say when Zari asks him if anything is wrong.

Mick begins to experience contractions every six seconds as he goes into labor - a sensation which feels like eating a handful of hot peppers and then passing large pointy rocks through the head hole, according to Gary's father. In Mick's case, however, the babies will have to come out through his ears.

Delivering Necrian babies can take up to two weeks, according to Gary.

Mick agrees to make Gary the godfather of his 48 children, to his delight.

Zari confronts John regarding the blood potion and forces him to choose between her and it. He chooses her.

After John says he is going to lock himself in his manor until the withdrawal symptoms are over, Zari says she is going to stay with him.

Ava says that she never had a real family and isn't really sure that she knows how to love someone properly, especially after what Bishop told her about trying to breed the ability to love out of the Ava Clones.

Sara assures Ava that she love her.

Ava shows Sara what she had planned for the wedding so far. She selected a lemon buttercream cake topped with maraschino cherries and a tapas bar for the appetizers. Sara says these are just what she wanted, but goes pale when Ava says Bishop did most of the picking.

Gideon determines that the 6% of Bishop's DNA that wasn't his belongs to Sara Lance.

The Bishop clone also had knowledge of Sara's passwords and escapes from his cell using the System Override phrase - Spaniel, Broad Tricycle.

The Bishop clone also has all of Sara's fighting knowledge and is able to knock her out.

Bishop delivers all of Mick's babies, who are healthy, as best as Gary can determine.

Bishop voluntarily surrenders himself to be locked in the brig again, saying he wants a chance to earn the team's trust. Sara is still skeptical.

John affirms that he wants to get clean and Zari says she wants to be with him but he is not out of the woods yet after all the lying he did.

Bishop tries to contact Constantine through the coms, having stolen Rory's implanted communicator while delivering his babies. John removes his own communicator to cut off the signal.

The Beast throws John around and seems to take over his body, calling Bishop and asking what he wants as he starts smoking a cigarette.

The Bottom Line

A solid, yet oddly balanced episode, with equal parts weird science and Gothic horror.

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 12

In which we start exploring the Sunset Sarsaparilla bottling plant - nominally to shut down a counterfeiting operation but mostly to loot the place of all the Star Bottlecaps we can find. And punch robots. Always punching robots.

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 11

In which we learn a bit more of The Kings' philosophy and, having restored peace to Freeside (well, peaceful as it gets in a Chaotic Good town policed by Elvis impersonators) we head back to Jacobstown to help The King heal his dog, Rex. (Or is that heel his dog, Rex? Hmmm...)

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 10

 In which, after tracking down the rest of the people who owe the Atomic Wrangler money, we get an audience with The King and start helping him keep peace in the kingdom of Freeside. Our first mission?  Look into rumors of a guide cheating his customers, before investigating a report that the NCR is roughing up Freeside citizens.

Superman and Lois: Season 1, Episode 15 - Last Sons of Krypton

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

Clark's worst nightmare comes true, as Jordan is possessed by the zealot Zeta-Rho. As The Cushings help General Lane in preparing Smallville for a Kryptonian invasion, Lois embarks on a dangerous journey to save her son as Clark and John Henry prepare to fight the Eradicator.

Influences

Reign of the Supermen


Goofs

Sarah is show arriving with her parents at the crash site where General Lane and Jonathan were left behind, despite having been there earlier when Jordan was abducted in the last episode. (It's possible she ran to her dad's truck and the scene started with them all leaving it.)


Performances

Honestly, it's impossible to single out any one member of the ensemble as particularly fantastic. They're all spectacular. 


Artistry

The shot of Superman hovering over the world just listening is a powerful, cinematic moment.

The shot of John Henry falling to Earth is equally powerful and a nice callback to the first episode.

Super Trivia

This episode was directed by Tom Cavanagh, who plays the various versions of Harrison Wells on The Flash.

The title is a play on Superman's nickname, the Last Son of Krypton, referencing his half-brother Tal-Rho as another surviving son of Krypton.

When Sarah asks General Lane if they have any idea what happened to Jordan, he says the World's Finest are looking for him. This is a nod to the World's Finest comic book, which was devoted to Batman and Superman team-up stories.

Jonathan is seen playing Injustice 2 - a video game in which Superman is a character. (He is playing Sub-Zero and loses.)


Technobabble

John Henry and Jonathan find a way to apply John Henry's red solar tech to his kinetic hammer, enabling it to pierce the Eradicator's energy shields and drain his power. Unfortunately, it must be thrown a long distance and has to hit him dead center to be effective.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Lois explains her plan to rescue Jordan.)
Clark: Lois... 

Lois: You and Kyle and all the other people that Edge used as Subjekts, you all said the same thing... that there was a darkness that overcame you when you were eradicated. I've been helping Jordan push through that darkness his whole life. I can do it now. I can access his memories and wake him up. 

Clark: Yeah, but they won't just be Jordan's memories, they'll be Zeta-Rho's too. And if he realizes you're in there like I did with the Edge, he'll wake up, and then he'll come for you. 

Lois: And if that happens, Jonathan will be there. I have seen him under pressure and he is in complete control. Clark, you and I brought the boys into the superhero world and I wasn't sure it was the right thing to do but I have seen how capable they've become. They're strong like their father. 

Clark: Like their mother. 

Jonathan: Here's all the weapons I borrowed.
(Johnathan drops a sheet holding a goodly amount of weapons on John Henry's work bench. He gives Jonathan a withering look that seems to say, "Really?")

(John Henry lays out his plan for using the red sun hammer to stop Eradicator.)
Lois: I'm guessing you only get one shot at this?

Clark: I'll handle Edge. 

Jonathan: Right, 'cause that's totally doable. I mean, he only has, like, six other badass Kryptonian dudes with him.

(There is a long pause. The blunt teenager spoke the truth nobody else wanted to admit.)

Jonathan: Look, those are terrible odds. This is really the plan? 

Lois: It's the only plan we've got.

John Henry: So. Terrible odds.
Clark: Sure. But better together.

Lois: How's it going out there? 

John Henry: A work in progress. 

Jonathan: Jordan, you gotta wake up. Promise if you do, I'll never ever... do any of the stuff you hate.
(Jonathan sighs and turns around. Suddenly, Jordan's eyes open.)
Jonathan: Jordan! Mom did it!
Zeta-Rho: No. She didn't. 

Lois: Jordan. Honey, I'm here, okay? I'm here. 

Jordan: I'm sorry I'm not strong, Mom. 

Lois: Yes, you are. 

Jordan: He said that I was pathetic. An embarrassment, and the weakest of my kind. 

Lois: Jordan, that's 'cause he knows how strong you really are. 

Jordan: I'm not strong, Mom. 

Lois: Yes you are. 

Jordan: I'm not strong, Mom! 

Lois: Yes, you are. What Zeta said is not true. You have no idea how strong you are. You're stronger than any of us. All your life you have been strong. You are a fighter. I need you to fight now harder than you ever have. You find that strength that I know is there. You find that strength to come back to us. I know you can do it, baby. Find that strength and fight.

(After Clark catches him falling from orbit.)
John Henry: Nice timing.
Clark: My best.

Superman: I've seen more than my share of disasters. Big, small, natural, or otherwise, they can change a place forever. And it's not just the physical destruction. Sometimes it's the people who may never be the same. Oftentimes, a crisis has a way of revealing a person's true nature, for better or worse. 

Chrissy Beppo: Makes me wonder, are you at all worried that this would make people afraid of Kryptonians? 

Superman: (smiling) You mean me? That's not something I will ever be able to control. But I know who I really am, just like I know who the people of Smallville really are. 

Chrissy Beppo: What do you mean by that? 

Superman: This small town was hurting. Its people were hurting. An event this big could have destroyed it, could've torn it apart, but it didn't. It brought it back together. I saw people find strength they didn't know they had, face their fears, become heroes. I'm not the one who saved Smallville. Its people did. And I know because of this experience, by going through this together, Smallville will be stronger than it has ever been before. 

(John Henry turns down Lois' offer to stay with them on the Kent farm.)
John Henry: Nah, I don't know. I don't think that's a good idea. 

Lois: Clark and I talked about it. He really trusts you.
John Henry: It's not about him. Every time I look at you, I see my wife, the only woman I've ever loved. She's with someone else and they're happy. 

Lois: John...

John Henry: No, I know you're not her but it doesn't change how it feels. 

Lois: I just want you to be happy. 

John Henry: I know. Which is why I can't stay. 

(Lois pulls John Henry into a hug.)

Lois: Thank you for everything. 

John Henry: Just take good care of your boys... - all three of 'em. 

Clark: (On Jor-El) Growing up, I always felt different... alone in some way. I had so many questions about who I was, why I was here. And all that changed when I met him. He taught me so many things about my homeworld, about my family, about myself. But the greatest thing... the greatest thing he ever did for me... is just be my dad.

Natalie Irons: Mom?!

Continuity

As the episode opens, Clark and John Henry have had no luck finding where the Eradicator took Jordan, after searching Morgan Edge's Fortress, his lab, his office or the site of the Fortress of Solitude.

Clark goes back out to search and asks John Henry to stay behind at the Department of Defense in case the Eradicator attacks it.

Kyle and Lana help treat General Lane's injuries and agree to help get him back to the DoD command center in Smallville.

Sarah asks Jonathan why Morgan Edge took Jordan. He does not answer her.

The next step of Zeta-Rho's plan involves resurrecting the Defense Council of Krypton.

Lois confronts Leslie Larr, but doesn't get any information apart from Zeta-Rho planning something Superman can't stop.

A mob of protesters haver swarmed the DoD outpost in Smallville.

Lana, Kyle and Sarah elect to stay and help manage the crowd and calm people down rather than abandon the neighbors who abandoned them.

Superman hears Jordan and goes to him, but it's part of a trap Zeta-Rho set.

The Eradicator comes to Smallville and implants the minds of the Defense Council of Krypton into the bodies of six of the soldiers who stand against him.

John Henry tries to fight him, but the power of the Eradicator drains his suit to half power after one attack and his red sun missile from 112 cant penetrate Eradicator's energy shield.

General Lane orders Smallville be evacuated.

John Henry asks Jonathan to help him inventory his red sun weapons and see if they can work something out.

Clark describes overcoming Zod's mind as nearly impossible, suggesting Jordan might not be able to avoid being taken over by Zeta-Rho the same way.

Lois suggests using the device that let Morgan Edge enter Clark's memories in 111 to try and reach Jordan.

Sophie Cushing is said to be with her grandparents.

John Henry and Johnathan enhance the kinetic hammer to unleash red solar energy on impact.

Clark gives Jonathan the sonic weapon Killgrave used in 104.

The Eradicator goes into the Shuster Mines and a cavern full of X-Kryptonite, apparently planning to charge the whole town of Smallville from there.

Zeta-Rho and the Defense Council guard the mine entrance.

Superman knocks Zeta-Rho out and has John Henry transport Jordan's body back to Lois and Johnathan at the Kent Farm.

Lois starts digging through the mindscape, but keeps coming back to Zeta-Rho's memories of insulting his son when they first met.

The energy surge started by the Eradiator triggers an Earthquake and several fires in Smallville.

Lana and Sarah start guiding people into the diner to use it as a shelter, as Kyle runs into a burning building to save a girl.

Zeta-Rho awakens in Jordan's body. Jonathan shoots him once with the sonic gun but it only works for a moment before he starts strangling him.

Lois finds Jordan in a memory of him hiding in his room. She tells him that he's far stronger than he thinks and that he has to fight Zeta-Rho. This inspires him to break the control.

John throws his hammer at the Eradiator from orbit, as Clark charges in to hold him steady. It takes the last of his power to manage this, but the shot connects and destroys the Eradicator, leaving Morgan Edge as only himself. The energy surge also seems to free the DoD soldiers from the control of the Defense Council.

Leslie Larr seems to sense the Eradictor's detruction from her cell.

Superman makes a statement confirming that Morgan Edge was a Kryptonian, but does not reveal to the world that he is his half-brother. He also explains how his plan was to transplant Kryptonian minds into human bodies, but he no longer has the ability to do that. He also says that a mineral in Smallville allowed this to happen, but it can't happen anymore.

Kyle holds a barbecue to celebrate the city's salvation.

Kyle devises a new recipe for what he calls Victory Ribs, but he says he's only sharing it with Lois Lane.

Kyle and Lana apparently made their peace with most of the people in Smallville.

Lana is on speaking terms with Emily Phan again, after sharing a box of white wine together.

Kyle got his job back as the chief of the Smallville Fire Department so they are staying in town.

Jonathan sees Tegan Wickhem at the victory party and she smiles at him.

Lois sold the brownstone the Kent's used to own in Metropolis and used it to match half the offer Chrissy Beppo was given for The Smallville Gazette. She says she wants to partner with her on the paper. Chrissy agrees.

John Henry got a call from the Department of Defense offering him a job. He asks General Lane why he didn't ask him personally.

General Lane explains he is stepping down from active duty to focus on his family.

John Henry tells Lois that he's thinking of reaching out to the version of his sister that exists on this world.

Lois says he'd be welcome to stay and help out on the farm while helping Clark defend the world, but John Henry says it would still hurt too much to see a copy of the woman he loves with someone else, even though, logically, he knows she is not his Lois.

Sarah tells Jordan that she loves him too.

The remnants of Jor-El's crystal are buried under a tree on the Kent family farm.

As John Henry is about to go on the road, he receives a report of a spaceship locking onto the CPU of his power armor, which is approaching the Kent farm at high velocity.

The spaceship is piloted by Natalie Irons, who somehow followed her father across the divide between realities.

The Bottom Line

A fantastic finish to a fantastic season. This is Superman done right.

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 9

In which we make our way into the south side of Freeside and head to the Atomic Wrangler casino in search of a deadbeat who owes the Crimson Caravan money. We then take on some work tracking down other people who owe money to the owners of the Atomic Wrangler. Not a very Doctorly thing to do, but there is madness to my method and a greater good to be worked out... eventually.

There's also a side gig recruiting new "temporary love interests" for the bar and a quest best not mentioned involving a sex bot. But I just mentioned it, so never mind.

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 8

In which, after grilling one of the local junkies for as many unique tips as we can before I get sick of it or run out of caps, we start trying to help some of the local junkies get clean. We also finally check out the goods and services at Mick and Ralph's.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 12 - Bored on Board Onboard

 For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

With Constantine's magic having overloaded Gideon's jump-drive, the team is forced to fly back to Earth the old-fashioned way to preserve the Waverider's energy. Tensions mount as the team try to keep themselves entertained, leading to a murder mystery themed game night. Unfortunately, things go awry when Constantine tries to make the game more interesting with a spell that places the players inside the game. Meanwhile, Mick and Gary, who were left out of the game, deal with an unexpected guest.


Influences

Clue (the game and the movie), Jumanji (characters stuck in a game they have to win to escape) and the Critical Mass arc of Hellblazer.

Goofs

It is unclear why the Legends can't use a Time Courier to return to Earth. (Presumably there may be a limit to how far they can travel in space, even if they can go anywhere in time.)


Performances

Matt Ryan slays as The Beast and Constantine.

Tala Ashe and Shayan Sobhian get some great interactions as Zari and Behrad.


Artistry

The episode features some outstanding horror-movie style direction and imagery.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

John's interactions with his dark side resemble his encounters with the Demon Constantine from the Hellblazer comic - a being born of a ritual John worked to take the worst parts of himself and turn them into a different being. In this case, however, the process that created the Beast seems to have been accidental.


Technobabble/Arcana

Without jumping and no other drains on the power, it will take the Waverider 3 weeks, 2 days and 21 hours to journey from Galaxy Lanes to Earth.

Gary says cocoa butter can be used to treat the itching common to those hosting the eggs of a Necrian.

John works a spell with a Gaelic incantation that resizes the robe he got Zari. This spell causes John to hurt his hand, but he is healed after drinking his blood potion. 

John works another spell with a Gaelic chant that redecorates the lab with candles and other things that make it look more like a yoga studio.

John casts a spell that places the Legends within the reality of the Beast Slayers game. The spell is linked to the rules of the game, but the rest of the gaps are filled in by John's imagination. This is why the mansion of the game board resembles his house.

Kayla tracked the Waverider by reverse tracking her pod detector which she notes, with annoyance, was attached to her ship before the Legends took it.

Necrian tentacles are a part of a Necrian's body but are also their own creatures, like earthworms and starfirsh arms. They are often given names, such as Lefty.

Zagurons are carrion creatures. 

According to Gary, male Necrians are submissive to their women and female Necrians have a "love grip" they can use to remove their eggs from a male host they presume to be an unfit parent. This means that Mick can't tell Kayla that he's pregnant for fear she might kill him to save her children or just eat his brain outright.

John works a spell with a Gaelic chant to try and take the Legends out of the game using deadly nightshade, pulverized whalebone and his blood potion.


Dialogue Triumphs

Zari: Wait, are we in actual space?
Nate: Yep.
Zari: Do I want to know why?
Constantine: Desperate times. The world was at stake. All that malarkey.

Behrad: Guess we're doing hot yoga. But in the interest of preserving the sanctity of this practice, I ask that you keep your pants on.
Constantine: Well, in the interest of achieving a higher state of consciousness, I must bare myself to the elements.
Zari: Come on, B. You know how he is.
Behrad: Sure, but I'd rather not know all of him right now, okay?

(Everyone is beginning to turn on Nate.)
Nate: Guys, besides Gary, who has been very quiet, by the way, I'm the only one who has any idea how to play this game.
Constantine: Not exactly, mate. We'll be fine without you. Don't you worry.
Spooner: So do we vote on Nate?
Zari: All in favor?
(Everyone except Nate and Behard raise their hands.)
Behrad: I abstain.
Sara: Doesn't matter. Don't need him. (in French accent) You have been accused.
(Thunder booms and a wolf howls as lighting flickers in the windows. Suddenly, Nate falls forward, a knife in his back. Everyone reacts with horror as they see, pinned on the knife blade, is a card which reads GUESS AGAIN.)

Sara: What if the longer the game goes on, the more realistic it becomes? Is anyone else starting to feel more like their character?
Spooner: I feel like shooting something, but that's normal.
Astra: Yeah, I wouldn't be able to tell either. 
Zari: Prima donna. (gasps) I do feel extra dramatic and quite squeamish.

Behrad: Splitting up is a cardinal sin to survival and creativity!

Behrad: I don't want to die in here. Maman and Baba will never know the truth about me, about us. If we get out of here, I'm coming clean with them.
Zari: Oh, please. Like you'd ever risk damaging Maman's view of her... (says something in Farsi)
Behrad: Oh? Maybe I should tell her how your magician boyfriend got you to drink wine.
Zari: You would not.
Behrad: You're right, I wouldn't. But how can you not see what John's doing here? He told us himself, he filled in the gaps of this illusion with his own imagination. I mean, this is some new level of a bad trip.
Zari: What is your problem with him?
Behrad: My problem is that he's being a jerk and you're not seeing it. Ever since he came back from the Fountain, he's been acting like an asshat jock on steroids.
Zari: Oh, working out your issues from high school much?
Behrad: If by that, you mean worrying about your choice in men, then yeah, I am. We need to call him out. He's the Beast. If we vote to accuse him, we can end this. 
Zari: I can't.
Behrad: Why not?
Zari: I love him.
Behrad: I've never heard you say that about anybody before.
Zari: Well, I've never... felt it. I can be myself with him, you know, no games, no pretense. He makes me happy.
Behrad: Have you told him how you feel?
Zari: No, no, that feels... very scary to be vulnerable to another person like that. I mean, can it even last, you know? You know how John is.
Behrad: Yeah, but... you gotta take that leap.
Zari: Okay, now you like him again?
Behrad: I never disliked him. I love the guy, but something is definitely off about him.

(John is having a coughing fit in the attic. He is suddenly joined by a hooded figure wearing a plague doctor mask. This is the Beast.)
Beast: You can end the game. You know how. You just can't do it. You won't do it.
Constantine: I've tried ending it.
Beast: By shooting back some magic potion number nine? Tsk, tsk, tsk. With every sip, you make this prison and me stronger. You're not in control of the magic, John. It's in control of you.
Constantine: Yeah, just do me a favor, right, and you kill me or piss off because I am done playing games.
Beast: No, you're not. You love this world. You love the power. You love me.
Constantine: Like hell I do.
(John lashes at the Beast and knocks its mask off. Underneath, it is John. The Beast laughs.)
Beast: Oh, don't look so surprised, John. I've always been here. You just never looked me in the eye before. You never wanted to confront the part of you that sabotaged all your relationships, doomed your lovers. The game made that possible. It made me possible, gave me a playground to sow destruction before your very eyes. Here I am, fueled by your new addiction and loving every moment of it. It's all tricks and lies. 
Constantine: I'll kill you, you bastard!

Constantine: Oh, what's a busted-up old codger like me done to deserve a woman like you?
Zari: I don't know, must be magic.

Continuity

The episode continues immediately from the end of 611, with the Legends leaving Galaxy Lanes.

Zari 1.0 apparently beat Nate at bowling and promises him a rematch on their next date night.

Spooner hates high-heel shoes.

Zari 2.0 emerges from the Totem World and immediately runs off for some alone time with Constantine.

The Waverider's jump drive was damaged thanks to John's teleportation spell. 

Gary invites everyone to join him in a game of the Beast Slayers RPG. Sara and Ava say they need to focus on planning their wedding. 

Sara and Ava divide their wedding guest list into four groups. Group A is those they need to come. Group B is those they want to come, but it's okay if they can't. Group C is people they need to send an invitation to and pray they don't show up. Group D is people they shouldn't tell about the wedding until it is too late.

Barry Allen is in Group D.

Ava says that inviting Barry Allen to her and Sara's wedding will guarantee that a supervillain shows up to destroy it. This is a reference to the events of S308 and how the wedding or Barry Allen and Iris West was interrupted by Nazi soldiers from Earth-X.

Sara and Ava forbid the playing of video games or using the food replicator as excess power usage is increasing how long it takes them to get home.

Spooner is reading H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds.

Behrad grows suspicious about John based on his behavior in the hall, as he goes off to treat Zari to a spa-day on the ship.

Behrad holds a yoga class for Nate and Zari. John tries to take part, but leaves after Behrad stops him from performing yoga while naked.

Sara and Ava get into an argument over the guest list over how Ava included the actors who played her parents in Group A, but not Black Siren, the doppelganger of Sara's sister Laurel.

With everyone on edge on Day 3 of the three week journey, Sara orders everyone to play Beast Slayers with Gary.

Beast Slayers is a Gothic adventure roleplaying game where each player takes on the role of a guest at a dinner party only to be hunted by a mysterious beast. Once one of the players dies, they have to work together to identify the beast among them.

Gary takes on the role of the narrator. Ava plays the eccentric detective. Sara plays the black widow. Spooner plays a big game hunter. Constantine plays a consumptive doctor. Behrad plays a starving artist. Nate plays a wealthy foreigner. Zari plays a prima donna opera singer. Astra plays a reluctant soothsayer.

John works a spell that places everyone inside the game.  This leaves Gary alone, with the game figures changing to resemble the Legends. Despite this, Gary still apparently has control over the game.

Ava asks Sara if they should have John cater the wedding given the food he conjured into the game world is apparently amazing.

Behrad refuses to drink despite it being illusionary. Zari, on the other hand, agrees to try the wine John conjured up as part of the dinner.

Gideon picks up a distress beacon from an approaching ship. The noise of the alarm distracts Mick, who was working on a puzzle.

Mick's hair grew back overnight. This is apparently a sign that he's in the fourth quadmester of pregnancy. It is also a good sign, as it means the babies are healthy.

Mick recognizes the distressed ship as the one Bishop piloted. 

Sara and Ava gave orders not to use any systems needed to get them back to Earth before being taken into the game.

Mick insists that he is acting captain when Sara and Ava aren't around. Unfortunately, the distressed ship is already docking before he can make this point to Gideon and activate the weapons.

The ship turns out to be piloted by Kayla, who is not happy about having been abandoned on Bishop's planet by Mick back in 607.

The Beast Slayers game runs itself in Gary's absence.

Ava is the first person to be killed by The Beast. While she doesn't "die" she is left unable to speak.

Nate takes command of trying to puzzle out the mystery of the Beast, leading everyone to vote to accuse him. 

Nate dies after being stabbed in the back.

John begins to show signs of being consumptive, leading to the revelation that everyone is becoming their characters the longer they stay in the game world.

Sara is about to say something, when she too suddenly dies.

Nobody else has a beast card.

Kayla amputated her left tentacle, Lefty, after being stung by a Zaguron to prevent the poison from infecting her.

Mick uses the Waverider medbay to create a new tentacle for Kayla.

Kayla offers to fix the Waverider jump drive since her ship is on Earth.

Astra tries to use her soothsayer powers in the game to figure out who The Beast is. It doesn't work.

Spooner declares that Astra is the only person among the assembled Legends (i.e. Azara. Zari, Behrad and Constantine) that she trusts. Astra says she feels the same way.

Astra and Spooner wander off alone to hunt the Beast. They are the next to die.

Behrad and Constantine accuse each other of being the Beast. Zari refuses to choose between them. This leads John to go off to the attic alone, despite his becoming weaker from his TB.

Gary discovers that the MedLab is still drawing power after Kayla is healed. This leads to the discovery that "Lefty" is printing something.

Lefty strangles Gary into submission and takes his glasses. 

Kayla knocks Mick out, saying that she owes someone who saved her.

Mick tells Kayla he is pregnant before he blacks out.

Behrad decides to tell his parents the truth about what he's been doing with his life if he gets out of the game alive.

Zari admits that she truly loves John but is scared to admit it.

John is confronted by The Beast, which is made up of the dark aspects of his own mind.

Zari stabs the Beast in the back. This action frees everyone from the game world.

John blames Gary for the game getting messed up since the Beast wasn't any of them, according to everyone else.

When they get out of the game, they are on Earth, parked by Constantine's house.The entire ship has been shutdown and Gideon has to be rebooted.

The Legends see Lefty. Spooner later hunts it down and kills it.

Constantine leaves to chill in his house. Zari says she will come over later with his favorite tea.

Zari tells Behrad she will tell John about her feelings later.

Behrad goes to visit their parents, but changes his mind about telling them about his being a time traveler.

The other Legends find Gary and Mick, noting that Gary's glasses are missing and that Mick regrew his hair.

When Zari checks on Constantine, she finds a wound on his back corresponding to her attack on The Beast.

Sara hears the Space Girl song David Bowie wrote about her and follows it into a room. Though the scene stops before we see who is playing it, it seems clear that Bishop is back and Kayla grew him a new body.


Location

Deep Space - 2021
Northumberland County, UK - 2021


Untelevised Adventures

Spooner catches Kayla's severed tentacle off-camera.


The Bottom Line

A darn-perfect bottle episode that seems to be establishing an epic send off for Constantine as the series tackles the one major Hellblazer story the series had yet to tackle.

Fallout: New Vegas - I Am The Doctor II - Part 7

In which we start talking to folks around the Followers of the Apocalypse homebase and see what we can do to start helping out. This involves a shopping trip for medical supplies and finding a new job for a dominatrix cowgirl ghoul. I love this town.

Superman and Lois: Season 1, Episode 14 - The Eradicator

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

As Morgan Edge builds his power and bides his time while undergoing a horrific transformation, Lois becomes worried about how much time Jordan is spending with Sarah. Meanwhile, Jonathan grows closer to John Henry and Clark pays Lana a visit.

Influences

Reign of the Superman (Steel and Superman teaming against Eradicator, with Jordan as Superboy)


Artistry

The special effects work and action sequences are of cinematic quality.


Super Trivia

This episode originally aired three weeks after episode 113. Coincidentally, there's a three week gap between the events of both episodes.

Mention is made of one of the newly made Kryptonians being brought down at Jurgens and 4th Street in Metropolis. This is a nod to writer/artist Dan Jurgens, who was one of the creators responsible for the Death of Superman storyline.

Technobabble

Jonathan notes the difference between a rocket launcher and a missile launcher.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Clark hears General Lane's alarm go off.)

Clark: Speaking of, it’s your dad.
Lois:  Did he find Edge?
Clark: No. He seems upset.
Lois: He’s always upset.

(John Henry is making adjustments to his hammer. Jonathan is watching him work.)
Jonathan: So how many volts is that?
John Henry: More than you can handle.
Jonathan: I don’t know. I’ve used it before with no problem.
John Henry: Well, it would be a problem now.

(Jonathan picks up a random part.)  
Jonathan: So what other modifications are you making?

(John Henry takes the part from him, clearly annoyed.)  
John Henry: What did I say about asking questions?
Jonathan: Not to ask them.
(John Henry nods as Jonathan walks over to his power armor. He points to the bug symbol.)
Jonathan: So what’s… what’s the deal with this? 

(John Henry is waiting for his hammer to come back on-line as he faces a Kryptonian. The hammer finally finishes recharging and comes to his hand. He spins and throws it.... past the Kryptonian.)

Kryptonian: You missed.

(The camera tracks the path of the hammer, as if flies into Leslie Larr and sends her into the side of a building, saving Lois Lane and Janet.)
(We see a number of reaction shots of Lana and Kyle and the kids at the party, as well as Lois herself, stunned by the sudden attack.)

(The hammer goes flying back to John Henry's hand, knocking out the Kryptonian on the return flight.)
John Henry: (into radio) Larr’s down, and I got another one. (to himself) I’ll never miss.

Continuity

This episode takes place three weeks after the events of 113.

The opening scene repeats the closing scene of the last episode, showing Morgan Edge close to the sun, absorbing solar energy as he hears the voices of the Kryptonians in the Eradicator, now seemingly all in his head.

Lana is said to be holding another open house when Lois asks Jordan if there will be an adult in the house while he's hanging out with Sarah Cushing.

Jonathan has been spending a lot of the last three weeks working with John Henry Irons and is eager to go back to working on his hammer.

Teague Family Hardware apparently went out of business and is the fourth small business in Smallville to close down in the last month.

Chrissy Beppo wrote an article attacking the Department of Defense still occupying Smallville and blamed them for the business closings, since people are scared to come into town to shop.

General Lane agrees to speak at a Smallville Town Hall meeting about what happened with Morgan Edge and explain why the Department of Defense has stayed in town for so long.

Clark goes to Lana's open house and discourages her from moving, saying that she's the heart of Smallville since his mother died.

Sarah tells Jordan she doesn't think they'll be moving since her parents can't find anyone to buy their house.

John Henry tells Jonathan he has nothing left to teach him and tells him to go enjoy being a teenage rather than spending time around him.

Chrissy tells Lois that she got an offer to sell the Gazette and that she might have to take it given that their subscriber base is shrinking as Smallville gets smaller.

The crowd at the town hall meeting is actively jeering General Lane and his soldiers when they show up.

Kyle goes to clean out his locker at the firehouse during the town hall meeting, knowing most of his former men will be there.

Jonathan and Jordan get invited to a party by Sarah's ex-boyfriend, who pointedly ignores her as he talks about it at the diner.

Sarah tells Jordan she can go without him, as she promised to play with Sophie and play "Princess Hair Salon."

Lois reveals that Morgan Edge is still on the loose.

Derek Powell's mother, Sharon, shows up at the meeting and shows a letter from the Department of Defense saying her son's death in 105 was still under investigation when it was clearly a part of what was going on with Morgan Edge.

Tamera thanks Kyle for everything he did to fight for her because of the people who were reluctant to accept a Black woman as a fire-fighter and says she put in a good word for him with the chief of Bristol County, where Kyle applied for a job.

Sharon Powell tears into Lois, saying she has no idea what it's like to lose a child. This causes Lois to freeze up, given her miscarriage, which was revealed in 108.

General Lane and his men are forced to leave the meeting after they get a message that Morgan Edge just attacked the facility where Leslie Larr was being held. Clark slips out at the same time.

Larr and Edge show up in Metropolis and hover above Centennial Park. 

Lois goes with Clark and immediately starts trying to help evacuate people, while searching for a GBS colleague who has a video camera on the scene.

General Lane says he'll call his grandsons and make sure they get home safe.

Jordan and Jonathan ignore General Lane's calls, figuring he'll call back if it is important.

Jonathan apparently helped John Henry build a missile launcher for his armor.

Kyle starts to have second thoughts about moving from Smallville based on his talk with Tamera. Shortly after he tells Lana this, he gets a phone call from the fire chief in Bristol County, who wants to hire Kyle to replace him as he retires. 

Bristol County is a two hour drive away from Smallville.

Sarah storms off after calling her parents hypocrites for trying to leave Smallville to start a new life somewhere else after everything they ever said about fighting to save their hometown.

The Eradicator can now transfer Kryptonian minds into human bodies merely by looking at them. This causes four new Kryptonians to emerge as Superman and John Henry confront Leslie Larr and Morgan Edge.

Larr confirms that there is no Morgan Edge or Tal-Rho anymore and that he has become something else.

Jonathan runs into Tegan Wickhem at the party and she apologizes for trying to manipulate him before. When he dismisses her apology, she claims she honestly did want to hang out with him but everyone in Smallville thinks she looks down on them because she moved there from Central City two years ago.

Tegan says her father was sent to prison and her mom felt they needed a fresh start.

Sarah crashes the party to talk to Jordan and tells him about the move.

Sarah and Jordan's conversation is interrupted by a news report of the battle in Metropolis.

Lois finds Janet, the colleague from GBS, and takes command of her broadcast to tell the public what is going on.

Leslie Larr flies up behind Lois, in imitation of how the Lois of John Henry's earth died at the hands of Superman in 108. Jonathan recognizes this and tells Jordan it's just like the video he saw of the other Lois Lane's death.

John Henry is able to knock out Leslie Larr from a distance.

Superman and John Henry are able to bring down all the Kryptonians except the Eradicator, who flies off.

General Lane is informed that his grandsons are not at the Kent farm.

General Lane crashes the party and drags Jonathan and Jordan home. He agrees to give Sarah a ride back, however.

The Eradicator attacks General Lane's vehicle, leaving Lane injured. He takes Jordan with him.

Jordan tells Sarah that he loves her before he is abducted.

Jonathan summons his father and tells him what happened. 

Superman can't find any sign of Jordan or the Eradicator on Earth.

In a concrete bunker, the Eradicator transfers the mind of Zeta-Rho into Jordan's body.


The Kryptonite Factor

It seems uncharacteristically lazy of the show's writers to have Jonathan and Jordan blow off their grandfather's phone calls to build the drama.

It's also a bit odd that General Lane doesn't have a full military escort and his protection is limited to a Kryptonite pistol in his glove compartment, given the circumstances.


The Bottom Line

A largely enjoyable episode, despite some contrivances in the script and the drama of Smallville's collapse being undercut by the Battle of Metropolis. The action sequences of Steel and Superman fighting to protect Metropolis are pitch perfect and the cliffhanger is a killer.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 6, Episode 11 - The Final Frame

For a summary of the episode guide layout & categories, click here.

Plot

When the Legends track down another Alien pod, they find a device that transports them to a cosmic bowling alley. Before consulting Sara, Astra and Mick, Spooner makes a bet against the reigning champs for a ride back to the Waverider, but not everyone is happy about the plan when they realize what they are up against. Elsewhere, Nate plans a romantic date for him and Zari 1.0, but nothing goes as planned. Meanwhile, Behrad and Gary try to distract Ava, from what's going on as she searches for the perfect wedding dress.


Influences

Kingpin (comedy based around high-stakes bowling), the film version of 2001: A Space Odyssey (the scene of Sara putting the Earth back), the writings of Douglas Adams (particularly The Restaurant at the End of he Universe) and Jack Kirby's New Gods comics.


Performances

The whole cast is on fire in this episode.


Artistry

Jes Maccallan does a fantastic job of pacing the episode. This has some of the best comedic timing the show has ever seen.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

This episode was directed by Jes Macallan and marked her directorial debut.

The cubes used as invitations by The Pin Killers resemble the Motherboxes utilized by The New Gods.

Like the Coluans in Supergirl, The Pin Killers are capable of trapping planets in a compact form, though instead of placing them in bottles they change them into bowling balls.


Technobabble/Arcana

John has a fire spell which involves chanting "Fiery flames, burning blazes, infernal conflagration!"

John also has a spell that simulates the effects of marijuana, which starts with the chant "Cannabis edible, euphoria incredible, brain matter bendable..." but Behrad stops him from completing it.

Zari 1.0 can apparently only leave the totem safely for a day at a time or that is as long as they've gone testing to see how long she can leave it. In either case, she and Zari 2.0 have a schedule worked out.

Gideon's safety protocols do not allow her to attempt a time jump without plotting a safe exit vector.

John works a spell to take the Waverider to Earth which requires four elemental aspects of fire, air, earth and water. Behrad gives him some dirt from his garden, air from his totem, a glass of water and fire from his lighter.

Spooner's gun has a power dial that runs all the way up past 10 to a raised middle finger.


Dialogue Triumphs

Sara: So we've been abducted by aliens.
All: AGAIN!

Astra: I am not putting my feet in those fungus-filled shoes or my fingers in those fungus-filled holes.
Sara: All right, then you can cheer us on from that fungus-filled chair.

Ava: Thank you, everyone here, for making my day about a floating bowling alley.

Jeff: Jamie, I can't die without you knowing the truth. I got a secret vasectomy, and that's why you never get pregnant.
Jamie: Are you friggin' kidding me?
(Jamie turns around and starts to leave.)
Jeff: Wait, wait, baby.
Jamie: Not rock and roll, Jeff. Not rock and roll at all!
Jeff: If we have kids, we won't be able to afford our stuff, right? Wait, wait, where are you going?
Jamie: Into town! To find someone whose truck works!
Jeff: Wait!
(Jeff chases after Jamie, leaving Nate and Zari alone.)
Nate: Oof. That's rough.
Zari: Hey, am I a bad person if I found that very, very enjoyable?
Nate: No, no, no. They're terrible people.
Zari: Okay, good. 

Mike the Strike: I'm not a god. I'm just an average Joe who loves to bowl and destroy countless worlds. 

Buddy: They turned my bowling alley into a bullying alley. 

(Spooner sees the scars on Mick's hands.)
Spooner: I suppose that's one good reason to keep your gloves on.
Mick: There's others.
Spooner: Hmm?
Mick: My past is not for everyone to see. 


Continuity

As the episode opens, Sara, Mick, Astra and Spooner are searching for an alien pod at a junkyard in Kansas City, Kansas.

Behrad is testing a new recipe for marijuana brownies when Constantine arrives on the Waverider.

Behrad notes that Constantine's magic seems to be super-charged.

Zari 2.0 is currently inside the totem while Nate and Zari 1.0 are on a camping trip.

Nate's campsite was double-booked and is taken over by an obnoxious couple named Jeff and Jamie when he and Zari get there. 

Spooner says the pod they've just found is the last one in the timeline.

A puzzle box inside the alien pod transports Ava, Mick, Astra and Spooner to Galaxy Lanes, a bowling alley somewhere in deep space. They are also all outfitted with matching bowling shirts.

Spooner says she gets alien vibes from the whole bowling alley.

Ava is using the fabricator to try and design the perfect wedding dress. She asks Gary to help her.

The manager of the bowling alley is a man named Buddy, who looks human but is not.

Buddy created Galaxy Lanes because he loved bowling so much.

Buddy says that bowling was invented on Earth and that everyone else in the bowling alley are aliens in human form.

Spooner asks one group of players, the Pin Killers, for a ride back to Earth. Their leader, Mike the Strike, agrees, if the Legends can beat them in a game of cosmic bowling. 

Nate notes they should be able to see the Northern Lights but he can't even see any stars in the sky where they are.

Nate made Zari's favorite meal - abgoosht - and brought her favorite brand of donut. Unfortunately, he accidently brought Spooner's bag instead of the one he packed and the only food in it are MRE rations.

Nate tries to use his Time Courier to return to the Waverider, but it isn't working for some reason.

Nate and Zari discover on their radio that the sun has apparently disappeared and it is night everywhere on Earth and that massive chasms have opened up in Mexico, Canada and Alaska.

Nate and Zari try to borrow Jeff's truck to head to town and figure out what is going on. Unfortunately, he and Jamie decide to come along.

The battery in Jeff's truck dies because he was running all his camping gear (including a pizza oven and hot tub) off of it.

On the Waverider, Gideon says she can't find the Earth.

Gary tries to distract Ava from the disaster by nit-picking her dress, while Constantine and Behrad gather everything John needs for a spell to take them to Earth.

Neither Sara nor Astra have bowled before. Sara turns out to be a natural, but Astra is not very good at all.

Mick refuses to take his gloves off, which hampers his ability to bowl as he can't put his fingers in the ball holes.

Spooner is a phenomenal bowler, thanks to one of her foster fathers who took her with him on his league nights.

John tries to work a ritual that will take the Waverider to Earth.

The Legends discover that the Pin Killers claim the home worlds of every team they beat as trophies.

The other members of the Pin Killers are Clare the Spare and Merv the Curve.

Jamie asks Zari if she and Nate are in a distance relationship and then asks if they can really handle the distance when they can get along alone for so long. This makes Zari start questioning their romance.

A furious Ava tries to enter Galaxy Lanes but discovers it is sealed until the match with the Legends is over.

Zari, Nate, Jamie and Jeff come to the chasm in Alaska and then see Mick in the sky above them.

Mike the Strike is revealed to be using Earth as a bowling ball.

Buddy would like to kick the Pin Killers out of his alley, but the rules say they can stay as long as they are the league champs.

Spooner hurts her hand after it gets caught between two balls on the ball return.

Zari tries to talk to Nate about their relationship being doomed, but Nate says the alternative (i.e. not trying to make it work) is much worse.

Buddy suggests the way to beat the Pin Killers is to counter their negative energy with everything that makes bowling good - i.e. jokes and snacks and having fun.

Spooner finds out the reason Mick wears gloves all the time is to hide the burn scars on his hands.

Spooner gets Mick fingerless gloves that let him hide his hands but still bowl.

Zari uses Spooner's gun to shoot Mike the Strike's hand from a distance.

Astra bowls a strike to win the game by throwing the ball granny-style.

Sara throws the Earth back into space.

Buddy senses power in Constantine, but mutters to himself that power will be the death of him.

Buddy takes a photo of all the Legends together.


Location

Kansas City, Kansas, USA - 2021
A national park in Alaska - 2021
Galaxy Lanes - Deep Space - 2021

The Crisis Factor

The normally paranoid Spooner suddenly doesn't think twice about making a bargain with aliens for a ride home.


The Bottom Line

Possibly the most random episode in the show's history but also one of the most fun.