Superman and Lois: Season 2, Episode 5 - Girl... You'll Be a Woman, Soon

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

Plot

As Chrissy goes searching for the truth about Lois and Ally Allston's organization, Lois and Clark help Lana and Kyle prepare for Sarah's quinceañera. Unfortunately, a problem from the past may ruin the evening and Lana's bid for mayor. Meanwhile, as Clark continues the hunt for Bizarro, Jonathan learns about Jordan's superhero training and is recruited to help him, even as he starts to manifest his own abilities.


Influences

The Supermen of America series and Euphoria (anti-drug subplot)


Performances

Sofia Hasmik has a great performance as Chrissy this time, perfectly playing her frustrations with Lois, even though we're meant to believe Lois is in the right.


Artistry

The special effects for the Superman vs. Bizarro fight are top-notch.


Super Trivia

The episode title is taken from a Neil Diamond song.

Neither Tayler Buck or Wolé Parks appear in this episode.

As in the comics, Bizarro Superman has freeze vision rather than heat vision.


Technobabble

General Anderson says that the energy field generated by the Bizarro pendant appears whenever Superman or Bizarro Superman get near it. He believes it is empowering them, somehow.


Dialogue Triumphs

Lois: Chrissy, I know that you're mad at me, but we're supposed to be working on this story together.
Chrissy: Except we aren't. Because whenever I work with you, Lois, I can't help but feel like I'm working for you.
Lois: That's not fair.
Chrissy: May not be fair, but it's the truth. Everything with you is on a need-to-know basis... you deciding what I need to know. Why didn't you tell me the whole Lucy story?
Lois: I didn't think it was relevant.
Chrissy: To whom? You can't just pick and choose what facts you think are important. You did the same thing with Morgan Edge. You only give me the information that you want me to have, and... I wind up looking like an idiot. Makes it really hard for me to trust you.
Lois: I'm sorry that you feel that way.
Chrissy: It's fine. Just confirms what I've always known.
Lois: Which is what?
Chrissy: If you want the truth, you have to find it yourself. 

(Sarah and Jordan are on the Kent house porch, having escaped the party.)
Sarah: God, my feet are killing me. I don't know why anybody would willingly wear those.
Jordan: Want me to, like, massage them or something?
Sarah: Maybe later, when we're old and, like, in our 40s. 

Bizarro: I should've killed you.
Superman: You tried more than once.
Lara: Why are you here, Kal-El?
Bizarro: To save my world... And yours. 


Continuity

The pendant worn by Bizarro is revealed to be a Allston family heirloom, which Ally Allston was given in 1979 when she was eight years old.

Ally's inheritance was contingent upon her accepting the pendant. Her uncle David discouraged her from taking it, saying that it destroyed her father and their family.

It is said that the pendant is tied to Ally's father's life's work and that he was close to completing it before his death.

Lois makes banana muffins for Clark to take to the hospital for Natalie and John Henry. 

Clark plans to go to the hospital to visit Tag Harris, who is still bed-ridden with several broken ribs after the fight with Bizarro Superman.

Lois is starting to think that maybe Lucy was telling the truth about what she experienced and that Ally Allston's talk of shadow dimensions and mirror selves might be real, based on their experiences with Bizarro Superman.

John Henry is reportedly out of the ICU, but is still facing a long road to recovery.

Despite everything that is going on, Lois and Clark have still agreed to host Sarah's quinceañera on their farm.

Kyle is practicing his dancing with Sarah. She is embarrassed when he then starts dancing with Lana.

Sarah does not know who Patrick Swayze is.

The bartender from 204 is identified as Tonya Martinez. She has apparently been trying to call Kyle on his phone for several days.

It is revealed that the Cushings' original surname was Cortez.

Sarah has decided to take back the family's last name as part of her quinceañera. She has yet to tell her grandmother about this decision, however.

Tag tells Superman that he gave the Bizarro pendant to Anderson during his debriefing.

Jonathan learns about Jordan and Sam's secret training.

Sam recruits Jonathan to help him and Jordan measure Jordan's baseline.

Chrissy complains to Lois that she feels more like she is working for her rather than with her.

Lois recognizes Dr. Faulkner (last seen in 203) in one of Ally Allston's old videos.

Bizarro is revealed to be watching Lois from a distance.

General Anderson refuses to give the pendant to Superman, claiming that there's evidence that it is empowering him and the Bizarro Superman.

Jordan and Jonathan are both able to do 50 push-ups in a minute. Sam says that's impressive for a high-school athlete, but Jordan should be capable of more.

Sarah is revealed to not know how to walk in high heels when she tries on the dress for her quinceañera.

Lois offers to call her father and get him to intercede on Clark's behalf, but Clark says he has to settle things with General Anderson himself.

Clark heads to the dry cleaner to pick up his and Lois' party clothes, as she goes to the Shuster Mines to seek out Dr. Faulkner.

Ally Allston claims her family was chosen to reveal the secrets of what she calls The Ascension to the world.

Ally drugs Chrissy's tea to put her through the Ascension. This process involves her wearing the Bizarro pendant.

Lois finds Dr. Faulkner dead in her office as the Amertek camp, with Bizarro in the same room.

Bizarro flies away rather than try to hurt Lois. This leads Clark to wonder if he is married some version of Lois on his world and if they are chasing the same enemy.

Chrissy wakes up from the Ascension process, after being close to death for some time.

Jonathan offers to spar with Jordan, despite Sam's objections.

John uses Yellow Mist right before he fights Jordan. He is able to easily fight Jordan, dodging his punches and taking him down.

Chrissy describes her time in the other world as if she was her, but not her. Ally claims that the "bizarro" version of Chrissy is her other-half.

Chrissy says that everything in the other world was "off" and that Ally was everywhere in it.

Superman and Lois arrive to warn Ally that Dr. Faulkner is dead and that she may be next.

Dr. Faulkner's first name is given as Kit.

Bizarro is confirmed to be speaking backwards rather than another language.

Bizarro has freeze vision rather than heat vision.

Superman is able to knock Bizarro out by using X-Kryptonite shards as knuckle dusters.

Lois notes that Ally was not surprised with the Bizarro Superman showed up.

Mayor Dean shows up at the quinceañera, despite Lana being certain he'd refuse to show his face there.

Sarah apologizes to Jonathan for not inviting his girlfriend, Candice, due to a limited guest list. 

Clark tells Lois that he's holding Bizarro in Tal-Rho's fortress, where the hologram of his mother is analyzing him.

Lois says she hasn't asked Chrissy what she was doing with Ally Allston but she is going to ask her while she is there.

Jonathan is acting more aggressive and argues with Jordan over which of them should be getting trained to be a superhero.

Kyle gets another text from Tonya, telling her she is outside the party.

Jordan tells Sarah about how Jonathan is acting strange.  She says something has to be up and points to her own depression as proof.

Tonya warns Kyle that she told one of her friends about their affair and she thinks that friend might have sold the story to Mayor Dean.

Tonya denies having told Mayor Dean about the affair herself and claims she honestly thought Kyle was going to leave Lana for her.

Jordan and Sarah accidentally overhear this converesation.

When Kyle returns to the party, he sees Mayor Dean talking with his mother.

Kyle confirms that the entire Cushing family is taking the Cortez name again.

Chrissy tells Lois that Ally drugged her and about how the visions she had of another world were more intense than when she did mushrooms during her junior year. 

Chrissy says that everything Lucy described in her visions about seeing a parallel universe is accurate, but that Ally has taken over the United States and possibly the world in that reality and the parallel version of her father was scared to death of her. She agrees with Lois that Ally is dangerous, but not for the reasons she thought.

Sarah has a panic attack during the father-daughter dance and leaves.

Sarah confronts Kyle over the affair in front of Lana.

Lana had suspicions about Kyle and Tonya, but believed him when he said it was just harmless flirting while blowing off steam after work.

Lana gives a speech about how honest and strong Sarah is.

Clark leaves the party after hearing the Lara hologram say they need to talk about Bizarro.

Jordan confronts Jonathan on his behavior. This angers Jonathan, which causes his eyes to glow red as if he were about to unleash heat vision.

Jordan presumes that Jonathan is developing powers naturally.

Jonathan asks Jordan to give him some time before he tells their parents because he is sure dad will make him quit football if he has powers.

Bizarro claims to cave to Earth-Prime too kill Ally Allston in order to save his world and Earth-Prime.


Location

The flashback at the start of the episode is set in Metropolis in 1979.


The Bottom Line

A solid episode with one heck of a twist ending.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 24

In which we cut a deal with Ferrari and give him the bird. And because there is no honor among thieves, we immediately set about tricking the trickster and burglaring the burglar to recover what we rightfully stole. We also bid a fond Farwell to the Famous Adventurer as he comes out of retirement and bring a pair of poisoners to justice.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 23

In which Elsa helps us secure a chance to steal the Blackbird, which is in Minos' treasure vault. We then undertake a slightly more honorable (but just as sneaky) mission to secure a peace with Atlantis by breaking into the palace and sneaking into the throne room.

Batwoman Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 11 - Broken Toys

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

Plot

With Marquis revived and Jada Jet out for blood, Ryan finds herself under fire on all fronts. As Gotham's worst villains unite and prepare for war, Sophie joins Luke on a mission, as Alice helps Mary work through her Poison Ivy possession. 


Influences

The Batman comics of Grant Morrison


Performances

Alex Morf steals the show as Zsasz. One wishes he had been set up as the main villain of the season, as he's far more interesting than Marquis and has a strong adversarial chemistry with Javicia Leslie.


Artistry

The fight scene between Ryan and Zsasz is great.


Bat Trivia

This episode marks the directorial debut of Camrus Johnson, who plays Luke Fox.

This episode confirmed that Harley Quinn was once Harleen Quinzel in the Arrowverse and that she existed in the post-Crisis Arrowverse.     

Marquis' costume pays tribute to the Joker, with a purple suit jacket, violet shirt and orange vest. His hair is dyed dark purple instead of green, however.


Technobabble

Joker's joy buzzer was designed so that, when applied to the head, the electrical impulses rendered the parts of the brain controlling empathy dormant. In theory, a zap to a psychotic brain would reopen those neural pathways. 


Dialogue Triumphs

Doctor: Mr. Jet, I appreciate your generous donation to Arkham, but I do have some concerns about your plans for a work release program.
Marquis: I see it as more of a compassionate non-confinement. 

Marquis: So it's true. You mark each of your kills with a scar.
Zsasz: Consider my body my resume.
Marquis: Well, from the look of it, you're probably already collecting your pension, huh?
Zsasz: Heh. There's always room for a few more.
Marquis: Ahh. I was hoping you'd say that. 

Mary: Does it ever get easier, living with the things you've done? And don't say it's not my fault.
Alice: Oh, that's what the Bat Team's been telling you?
Mary: Yeah.
Alice: That's probably because they think you're too emotionally fragile to handle the truth.
Mary: Which is?
Alice: It's totally your fault. That hunter didn't vine hurl himself into the tree, and dyeing your hair back to its natural color doesn't change that.
Mary: So... so what do I do now?
Alice: Easy. You take all of your feelings, and you bury them deep down inside, and you cover them up with a layer of "people die all the time", and then you sprinkle on some "he probably did bad stuff, too", and then you pack it down with a nice little bit of "he might have even deserved it", and then, poof, all those icky, no-good feelings go bye-bye! At least that's what I'd do.
Mary: (uncertain) But... I'm not a sociopath.

Zsasz: I'm actually glad that we ran into each other, Ryan, because I got to say you have done really well for yourself.
Ryan: (dryly) Much appreciated.
Zsasz: Uh, I meant to get you a congrats gift after you made Wayne CEO, but by the time I got around to it, you'd already been disgraced, and it just felt like it'd be bringing up a sore subject, but honestly, congrats and... sorry.

Jada: You know this man?
Ryan: In another life.
Zsasz: Life. Thank you. Man, I was really struggling for a segue there, and you totally bailed me out. Life, as in yours, Ms. Jet, is hanging in the balance here.
Jada: You got the evidence you came for.
Zsasz: Heh. I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that.
Jada: Then why don't I make it simple? Whatever you're being paid, I'll triple it.
Zsasz: Well... Considering your son hired me, killing you just lets him inherit more money that he can then give to me. So it's really just a waste of our time, yours especially.
Jada: Well, if it's me you're after, then you can let my daughter go.
Zsasz: Whoa. Daughter? Wait. I thought your mom was dead, right? Dead mom number one died in childbirth, blah, blah, blah, foster care, and then you were adopted by dead mom number two. So how does that make her soon-to-be dead mom number 3?
Ryan: She's not. She's my biological mother, who didn't die in childbirth.
Zsasz: So after years of separation, you two actually found each other and reconnected only to discover that despite being apart you both stormed the corporate CEO patriarchy to become powerful titans of business? Now that's what I call a happy ending. Heh. Except for the part where I have to do what childbirth didn't, but... uh-oh... twist! There is a chance for a last-minute rescue but only if Batwoman comes to save you.

Zsasz: The suspense might kill me before I have to kill you. Heh. So if you two have any last mother-daughter things you want to discuss... funeral arrangements, perhaps... now would be the time.

(Jada has just told Ryan the tragic truth about why she abandoned her.)
Zsasz: I just want to thank you both for letting me be a part of this special moment. Truly. Thank you. But... It seems Batwoman is a no-show, and I'm afraid a deadline is a deadline. It's a very violent word when you think about it, but entirely appropriate to this moment. Ryan... any last words for Ms. Jet
Ryan: Yeah. Mom... Duck.
(Ryan moves into action and takes Zsasz down.) 

Jada:mSo where do we go from here?
Ryan: Well... based on recent history, you call Dana DeWitt with your latest scoop outing me as Batwoman.
Jada: I wouldn't do that to you.
Ryan: You sure about that? Ever since we've met, all you've done is take away anything good in my life. You came after me as CEO of Wayne, and you came after me as Batwoman, and you think some sob story about how you tried to give me $2 million would make a damn difference. Did you ever wonder where I was, how I was doing? Did you ever even think about me?!
Jada: Of course I thought about you!
Ryan: Yeah. Just not enough to check up on me. You want to know what I would have wanted instead of $2 million? A mom who cared enough to make sure I was in good hands, that I had someone to walk me to school my first day of kindergarten, someone to make me cupcakes for my birthday, someone to yell at me for staying up too late watching TV, but I had to wait 14 years for any of that!
Jada: You're right. And look at you... the child I gave nothing to, and you achieved all of this. I gave Marquis everything... And look how he turned out. Maybe the greatest thing I ever did for you was staying out of your life.

Marquis: If I knew you were gonna be snooping, I'd have cleared my browser history. 

Mary: So everything you said your therapist told you about healing, doing all the hard work, those were all lies?
Kiki: Oh, no, no, no. That was all true. I just didn't want to do it. In my defense, though, my therapist was Harleen Quinzel, so, you know.


Continuity

As the episode opens, the water diverted from the Gotham Dam into the sewers taxed the city's cheap infrastructure, leading to flooded sewer lines which backed up into the streets and flooded the area around Mary's clinic.

Marquis left a clown doll behind in his bed after escaping Mary's clinic.

Mary blames herself for what has happened, due to her helping Poison Ivy recover her strength and telling Marquis Ryan's secret identity.  The rest of the team tell her that wasn't really her and not to worry about it.

Luke can't fix the Joker's joy-buzzer.

Luke suggests that maybe his father's AI might have some information on the joy buzzer that might help, but that they have no idea what happened to it.

Mary tells everyone she gave the AI to Marquis in 308.

Kiki Roulette was the name of the Joker's toymaker. She created his acid flower, nerve gas bombs and joy buzzer. Alice suggests that she might be able to repair the joy buzzer.

Kiki Roulette was said to have avoided capture and disappeared.

Mary decides to try and find Kiki after Luke tracks a woman named Kathleen Rogers with a similar eye-glasses prescription. Alice goes with her.

Ryan tells Sophie and Luke to lay low.

Ryan tells Sophie they can figure out their relationship later.

Marquis gives a speech at Arkham about the city failing the mentally ill and how he's starting a program to help them out while donating money to support the asylum.

Ryan recalls that Jada said that she had something on Marquis that protected her.

Marquis makes arrangements to release the worst criminals in Arkham, including serial murderers and rapists out to work for him. This includes Victor Zsasz.

Zsasz last appeared in 203.

Mary asks Alice for advice on coping with the killings she committed as Poison Mary.

Alice recognizes the lady running the halfway house as Kiki Roulette. 

Luke breaks into Wayne Tower, with Sophie coming along.

Sophie tells Luke about her kissing Ryan.

Sophie is the only person on the Bat Team with SWAT certification.

Ryan goes to Jada to beg her to release whatever evidence she has regarding Marquis because he is about to endanger the city.

Zsasz goes after Jada and recognizes Ryan from their earlier encounter.

Zsasz smashes Jada's tapes.

Zsasz says that he left a note on the Bat-Signal, so there's still a chance that Batwoman might save Jada and Ryan, as he had instructions to kill Jada in front of Batwoman and is under orders to wait from Marquis.

Jada reveals that she did not pay a doctor $2 million dollars to cover up her affair and pregnancy. She gave that money to her doctor to give to a young couple she had been told was desperate for a baby of their own. It was not until years later that Jada learned that Ryan had been abandoned at a fire station and the doctor had kept the money for himself. 

Jada realizes Ryan is Batwoman after watching her take down Zsasz and figures out that is why Batwoman didn't come to save her.

Alice and Mary take Kiki to The Joker's old workshop, where her tools were.

One of the items in the workshop is a Talkie Teddy doll, which Kiki combined with a fragmentation grenade. 2 adults and 3 children were killed by the deadly dolls, with another 12 suffering permanent injuries.

Kiki tells Alice and Mary that her therapist gave her some advice on how to cope with the guilt of being a killer and says there was no secret beyond learning to live with it and take responsibility for what you did.

Sophie admits that she was into Ryan before she knew she was Batwoman, after Luke jokes about her having a type.

Luke recovers the AI of his father but decides to use the opportunity to hack Marquis' laptop.

Ryan tells off Jada for abandoning her and thinking she can be easily forgiven.

Luke contacts Ryan and tells her they found out Marquis made contact with Kiki Roulette. 

Kiki repairs the joy buzzer but says it has only enough charge for one go.

Marquis's followers show up and capture Alice and Mary, having been called by Kiki.

Marquis and his followers ambush Luke and Sophie.

Kiki reveals that what she told Alice and Mary about her therapist was true, but that she didn't want to work past her guilt. She also notes that her therapist was Dr. Harleen Quinzel (aka Harley Quinn)

Everyone is able to escape from Marquis' cluthes.

Jada reveals that Ryan was named after Jada's father.

The Lucius Fox AI tells Luke that he is proud of him.

Marquis has plans for the joy buzzer and shocking one more person.

Mary looks for Alice in her old subway lair.

Mary made a bug-out bag for Alice to get her out of town.

Alice says she doesn't want to be Alice anymore and wants to get the joy buzzer to make herself sane.

Ryan kisses Sophie and they have sex.


The Killing Jokes

Luke, despite being a technical genius who is called upon to analyze alien technology by ARGUS, cannot fix the Joker's joy buzzer.


The Bottom Line

A surprisingly solid episode, with some great witty banter, which minimizes all the most aggravating aspects of the season to date.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 22

In which Elsa comes to our bedroom. Unfortunately, she wants to discuss how her patron Minos is clearly the villain behind everything bad we've been working to avert, which would be really shocking if we hadn't seen the opening movie. This is followed by another day of chatting with everyone in the city about what we should do next to secure Peace with the Atlanteans. We also expose the hidden evils of Science Island which are, for once, not hidden from us.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 21

In which, after an hour of treadmill time to recover some of our lost vitality, we pay a visit to the newly resurrected Erana. While we can't romance her as a thief, Erana will play a major role in our next trial. But first, we must pay another visit to Salim and Julanar to upgrade our Poison Cure Pills and hand over the Lethe Water to treat the sleeping sickness victims. Finally, we complete the Rite of Courage and begin the Rite of Peace

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 7, Episode 11 - Rage Against The Machines

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

Plot

With the unexpected help of Eobard Thawne, the Legends break a fixed point in time as part of a trap for Evil Gideon and her robot Legends. Naturally, things don't go according to plan...

Influences

Doctor Who (the idea of fixed points in time and general tone) and the trope of a bar located outside of normal time and space, perhaps most famously presented by Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.


Performances

Matt Ryan does a fantastic job of making Dr. Davies into more than just a generic religious man or ineffectual academic in this episode, showing the steel that led him to start looking into a way to defy the laws of physics to fulfil his obligations.


Artistry

The "Don't Worry, Be Happy" sequence may be one of the funniest things the show has ever attempted.

The fight between the two Zaris is a nice twist on the usual cliché twin battle. 


Trivia Of Tomorrow

The episode title is a nod to the band Rage Against The Machine.

This episode uses the same special logo card as in 708.

This episode was directed by Jes Macallan, who plays Ava Sharpe.


Technobabble/Arcana

Astra does not know a spell or potion that can make people need to go to the bathroom.

Gary has a food-poisoning potion. The only problem is he isn't sure if it will cause vomiting or loose bowels.

Astra 2.0 tries (and fails) to impersonate her robot counterpart by telling Evil Gideon she needs to bypass her auxiliary matrix in order to directly interface with it.


Dialogue Triumphs

(The Legends are watching the Waverider copy land.)
Gary: (nervous) I wonder who they're copies of. I hope it's not an army of Hoovers.
Astra: Robos are Robos... doesn't matter what they look like. We're taking them down.
Sara: Damn right, Astra. There's no one the Legends can't beat.
(The Evil Legends exit the Waverider. The Legends see they are literally fighting themselves.)
Sara: Son of a..

Nate: Robo-Me is steel with normal skin. And he has giant arms? I mean, come on. Pick one. The ego on me...
Zari 2.0: I mean, he's clearly over-compensating.
Gary: (check out Citizen Steel through his binoculars) Oh, no, no. He's really filling out those pants. 

(Sara is trying to talk reason with the Citizen Steel robot.)
Sara: We had a plan to put history back, which is why you shouldn't have killed Thawne.
Citizen Steel Robot: Well, our orders were to kill all Time Travelers here, including you.
Sara: We don't even wanna be here. We wanna go home. So let's just come to an agreement so no one else has to die.
Citizen Steel Robot: Your lectures are the worst.
Sara: Well, you were modeled after us.
Citizen Steel Robot: We're nothing like you! You guys are pathetic losers who ruin everything.
Sara: Were you programmed to be this annoying, or is that a personal choice?
Citizen Steel Robot: We have one job, and that's to protect the timeline. And kill anyone who messes with it. (beat) So I guess we have two jobs. 

Sara: What are we gonna do? We can't reason with them. We can't fight with them. What am I gonna tell the others?
Gwyn: That you tried to negotiate with them, and that they tried to kill you. That you fought honorably, and they fought dishonorably. And therefore, you were under no obligation to fight with honor.
Sara: Honorably or dishonorably, we still can't beat them.
Gwyn: In war, a soldier is only ever as good as his general. Even in the darkest of times, it is the general's job to be a beacon of light.
Sara: We are the Legends, not the military.
Gwyn: But it's all the same! Don't you see? I was a lost, lonely, and broken man. But with your help, I was able to-to-to rebuild myself back up. We are in the valley of the shadow of death. But we will get through this, and we will defeat those wretched machines. I believe in you, Miss Lance. Like you believed in me. And you will figure out what we ought to do here.
Sara: What would you do?
Gwyn: Who, me? Oh, no, no, no, no, I'm no leader. You are.
Sara: But you were a soldier. With more wartime experience than any of us. So against a dishonorable foe like that, what would you do? 
(Gwyn looks thoughtful.)

(Gwyn is told that they put a man on the Moon in 1969.)
Gwyn: Good God, do we? And what was his crime, I wonder?

Zari 2.0: Oh, thank God. Did you shut down Evil Gidget?
Behrad: Not even close. In fact, the only person allowed access to her is Robo-You.
Zari 2.0: There's a Robo-Me? I'm pretty sure it's impossible to duplicate this perfect bone structure.
Behrad: Sure, but you're still gonna have to impersonate her.
Zari 2.0: Oh. My agents warned me against playing villains. But I will make an exception. What does, um, my Robo-Self look like?
Behrad: Um, a '90s hacker?
Zari 2.0: Hmm, very cliché. But I can work with it. 

Continuity

After word hits The Fixed Point that the Legends successfully averted Archduke Franz Ferdinand's assassination, drinks go on the house.

Knowing the Legends are about to confront an evil Waverider, the rest of the time travelers in the Fixed Point decide to join the fight.

The Legends see that the Waverider is being crewed by a team of robot doppelgangers. Before they can come up with a new plan, the other time travelers attack, which distracts the robots.

Evil Gideon orders the Gary and Spooner robots to hang back and stay on the Waverider, which takes off before the Legends can steal it.

The Evil Legends start killing all the time-travelers.

Ava is shot as the team flees the Evil Legends.

Sara and Nate stay behind to fight the Evil Legends as the rest of the team flees.

The Behard robot follows the blood trail Ava leaves, finding the way into The Fixed Point bar.

The White Canary and Citizen Steel robots quit hunting the Legends to focus on making sure Archduke Ferdinand dies.

Sara goes to warn Thawne about the Evil Legends as Nate tries to catch up to the rest of the team.

Thawne is killed by the White Canary robot.

Astra destroys the Behrad robot with a hex.

Sara finds Thawne's body and is given his time-stopping device.

Gwyn tried to disinfect Ava's wound with vodka but is satisfied she'll recover in time.

All the other time travelers in The Fixed Point are confirmed to be dead.

Sara decides to try and talk to the Evil Legends and try and reason with them, saying they ultimately want the same thing - they're protecting the timeline, the Legends just want to go home.

Gideon wants to go with Sara, but Astra refuses to let her go and tells her to wait in the Manor. Sara agrees that Gideon needs to hold back in case her plan doesn't work.

Gwyn offers to go with Sara as her second, evoking military protocol and the idea that soldiers do not go into danger alone.

Sara hits the Citizen Steel robot in the head. This briefly causes him to start talking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Gwyn has a panic attack as the Citizen Steel robot attacks Sara, but works through his shock to save her.

Gwyn takes charge of the plan to defeat the Evil Legends by fighting dirty and playing to the team's strengths.

Behrad tries to replace his doppelganger, with the goal of shutting down the Evil Gideon once on-board. He carries the key to the Hell Manor with him 

Gwyn tasks Sara, Nate and Spooner (as the most experienced fighters) with heading back into Sarajevo and trying to provoke a paradox that will force the Evil Waverider to return.

Behrad barely bluffs his way past the Robot Spooner and Gary, fumbling when he says he can't remember how many people he's killed. He's told to go see Dr. Sharpe for an upgrade.

Behrad tries to go into the computer room, but is blocked by the Robot Zari, who says only she interfaced with Gideon. She seems astonished Behrad thinks he knows anything about computers.

Gideon offers to help with the plan to poison the Evil Legends, but Astra angrily tells her that she is not leaving the manor.

Sara, Nate and Spooner are unable to provoke a ruckus since their plans to cause a major disruption only leave them looking like raving lunatics. These include doing the Macarena for an hour and trying to introduce the high-five too early.

Eventually, they are able to provoke a riot by planting a singing bass toy in broad daylight, spray painting the secret ending of The Empire Strikes Back on a wall and giving a VR headset to some random peasant.

Behrad tries to sneak onto the Waverider, but is cornered by the Robot Astra and Robot Ava.

Behrad is able to escape by offering to mix them his special "power shot", which includes Gary's food poisoning potion. This leaves them running for the bathroom, where Gary throws them out the manor doors and into Hell.

Gary talks to Gideon as she's taking care of Ava and offers to help. Gideon says it's the only thing she can do without getting yelled at.

Spooner tricks the Robot Gary into thinking the Robot Spooner is her. This leads to the Robot Spooner being eaten and the Robot Gary blowing up when her grenades go off.

Gary confronts Astra about why she's being so mean to Gideon and guesses it is because she sees Gideon as her daughter. Astra denies this.

The Robo Zari finds the entrance into the Hell Manor just as Zari 2.0 emerges in her disguise. The two get into a cat fight, with Astra and Gary unable to figure out which is the real one. Luckily, the real Zari wins out.

Zari attempts to type in a shutdown code to Evil Gideon as Astra and Behrad manually land the Waverider. However, she ultimately just pulls a bunch of wires to shut it down.

Astra and Behrad kiss for the first time after landing the Waverider.

Gwyn is told that he's officially a Legend.

The White Canary and Citizen Steel robots corner the Legends in The Fixed Point.

Sara tells Gwyn, Nate and Spooner about Thawne's time stopper and how she promised to take his place if he died. She tells the rest of the team to tell Ava what happened to her, but they refuse to let her sacrifice herself to try and distract the robots and fix the timeline.

Gideon pretend to be Evil Gideon and gets the White Canary and Citizen Steel robots to shut themselves down.

Nate reactivates the Citizen Steel double and tricks him into taking over the job of being the Guardian of Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

Gideon calls Astra "Mum."

Gideon goes into the hell mansion to tell Ava and Gary it is safe to come in and is seemingly killed by the Astra Robot, who is half-melted.


Location

Sarajevo - June 28, 1914
A bar called The Fixed Point, which exists outside time.

The Bottom Line

A hilarious and heartfelt episode.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 20

In which, after bribing our way into the afterlife, we run around gathering all the mystic water we need and bring an old ally back from the dead. And then, because we haven't suffered enough even after losing half our vitality, we enter a different sort of underworld to catch up with our thiefly contacts.

Superman and Lois: Season 2, Episode 4 - The Inverse Method

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

Plot

Lois and Chrissy go off on a mission to find Lois' estranged sister Lucy, as Jordan and Jonathan become more unsettled by their father's visions and panic attacks. Meanwhile, John Henry and Natalie bond, as Lana and Sarah discuss Kyle's plans for Sarah's quinceanera.


Influences

The Supermen of America series and Euphoria (anti-drug subplot)


Performances

Elizabeth Tulloch and Jenna Dewan have amazing chemistry playing against each other as Lois and Lucy. You truly believe they are estranged sisters.


Artistry

The special effects for the fights with Bizarro are amazing and of cinematic quality.


Super Trivia

This episode marks the first appearance of Lucy Lane in the Arrowverse following Crisis on Infinite Earths. Her last appearance was in S120, where she was also played by Jenna Dewan. This is similar to how Victoria Cartagena, who played Renee Montoya in Gotham, was cast to play a different version of the same character in Batwoman season 3.

The Post-Crisis Lucy Lane is a radically different character than the one Jenna Dewan played on Supergirl, where she was depicted as a daddy's girl who followed in her father's footsteps and enlisted in the military before going on to earn multiple law degrees at Harvard. While she was an antagonist to Kara in both her identities, being a romantic rival for Jimmy Olsen's affections and a foil as the temporary DO head, Lucy was fair-minded and eventually stepped aside when she realized Jimmy's feelings for Kara were stronger. 

The new Lucy Lane's occupation is not detailed, but it seems unlikely she ever served in the military and she isn't a lawyer. Reference is made to her suffering severe mental trauma after losing her job and her fiancé, but the details are not defined. She is also presented as a less honest individual, working to help Ally Allston set up her sister.

Strangely enough, both interpretations of Lucy Lane are true to the comics, depending on the era. More recent Superman comics gave her a military background but made her a subservient follower of her father. Conversely, in the Pre-Crisis comics, Lucy was more independent but fell in with the criminal gang The 100 and helped them with their schemes.

Self-help guru Ally Allston makes her first full appearance in the series, after briefly appearing at the end of the previous episode. The name, plus Lois' reference to her being a parasite, suggest that she's an adaptation of a DC Comics character named Alexandra Allston.

First appearing in Adventures of Superman #630 in September 2004, Alexandra Allston was created by writer Greg Rucka and artist Matthew Clark. One of two new versions of the Parasite created by the villain Ruin, Alexandra and her brother were teenagers who were empowered with the same abilities as Rudy Jones, the first Parasite. Alexandra reveled in her ability to get revenge on her bullies, whereas her brother only agreed to help Ruin in exchange for a cure for his condition. He died while attempting to escape prison, whereas Alexandra went on to join Lex Luthor's new Secret Society of Supervillains.

Bizarro Superman is shown to have flame breath instead of ice breath. This is consistent with the comics, where Bizarro had the exact opposite of many of Superman's powers. 


Technobabble

Natalie says that she'll upgrade the sensors for the Steel suit after she gets home from school.

John Henry doesn't need gauntlet to summon glove, but it does shield his hand.

The drug made from X-Kryptonite is called Yellow Mist. It is delivered through an inhaler and reportedly has different effects on the user apart from inspiring a feeling of euphoria. Most acquire super strength, but one girl reported being able to hear her mother's voice from miles away. In the case of Jonathan Kent, it seems to give him telescopic vision, enabling him to throw more accurately


Dialogue Triumphs

Lois: You should be in prison for the rest of your life.
Ally: You certainly tried to make that happen, didn't you? But your one-sided exposé failed.
Lois: It shut you down.
Ally: Only for a while. I suggest you listen to our podcast tomorrow morning. Who knows? After the world hears what Lucy has to say, maybe you'll be the one who's canceled.
Lois: Whatever I have to do, I am gonna make sure that Lucy and everyone else you have infected sees you for the absolute fraud that you are. And then I'm gonna take you down once and for all.
Ally: I don't respond well to threats, Lois.
Lois: Neither do I.

(A panicked Jordan answers his phone. We alternate between him and Sam Lane, who is on a golf course.)
Jordan: Granddad?
Sam Lane: Why in the hell were you using your cold breath in a quicky mart?
Jordan: Some guys were just trying to steal some booze, and my friend Denise's family just opened up the store and they're already in debt. I was just trying to help.
Sam Lane: You did a noble thing. Dumb as hell, but noble.
Jordan: I actually have the security footage in the back. You need to do something. They're gonna look at the video, like, any second.
Sam Lane: You mean the video I just sent you?
(Jordan checks his messages. Sure enough, there's a scrambled video file.)
Sam Lane: Don't worry. I scrambled the original.
Jordan: How did you...?
Sam Lane: Son, I used to run the United States Department of Defense. Cleaning this up is easier than Candy Crush.
Jordan: Thanks for doing that so fast.
Sam Lane: I'll always help out family, even if I'm playing the round of my life. (chuckles) Two over with three birdies. Look, you shouldn't be using your powers like this, especially not to stop shoplifters. You're not trained.
Jordan: I know. I'm sorry.
Sam Lane: You just have to always be aware of your surroundings. A little to the left, you would have been in a blind spot.
(Jordan looks up and notices what he means.)
Sam Lane: Got to go, kiddo. 

Lois: I messed up. I tried so hard to protect Lucy, and now she does this. No one's ever gonna believe a word I say if Ally goes public with that recording.
Clark: Babe, you don't know that for sure yet.
Lois: Chrissy doesn't, and she's my partner.
Clark: She'll come around, and when she does, the two of you will figure out how to fix this.
Lois: Driving over there today, I honestly thought that I could save her. So stupid.
Clark: My mom always said it's never stupid to try to help someone.
Lois: What if they don't want help? Then what do you do?

Continuity

Five years ago (2017) Lucy Lane was living with Lois and Clark in Metropolis, shortly after she lost her job and her fiancé. 

Lois and Lucy's mother also died during this time. While Lois remained estranged from her, apparently Lucy and her had reconciled. 

Lois leaves the Kent-Lane home to stay with Aly Allston, whom Lois describes as a parasite.

Lucy says that seeing Lois and her perfect life up close is just making her depression worse.

Ally Allston describes her followers as congregants. They are collectively known as the Inverse Society.

Heather Ackerman was the follower of Ally Allston who died under her care, whom Lois mentioned earlier in the season.

Allston claims Ackerman's death was due to a heart condition she didn't disclose and that her methods are usually safe.

Lois' reporting on Ackerman's death and Lucy's experience shut down Allston's group, but only for a while.

Lucy Lane is confirmed to be the surprise guest on Ally's podcast who will testify that Lois Lane altered her account for her story.

Bizarro is shown to also be able to see from Clark's perspective, as he has a vision of Jordan and Jonathan at the breakfast table.

Lois is listening to the podcast in private. Jordan accidentally overhears her and confirms to Jonathan and Clark that it is Aunt Lucy on the podcast.

Lois says she's determined to bring her sister back, whatever the cost.

John Henry's armor is said to be barely function and the hammer barely works.

John Henry says if they can't get the parts to fix it from the Department of Defense, they may have to go to Metropolis to get them.

Emily Phan tells Lana the Mayor is digging up dirt on her family and has been asking about Sarah in specific.

John Henry says he used to live in Washington DC and Metropolis on his Earth and has never known anyplace as peaceful as Smallville.

Clark says that his father, Jonathan Kent, served in the US Army and that he joked it was a nice break from all the work on his farm.

Clark has another vision of Bizarro, just before he arrives at the Kent Farm.

Bizarro is show clearly enough that his costume is revealed to have an inverted House of El shield.

Chrissy Beppo is able to find a lead on Lucy's location after spending a night searching the Dark Web.

Chrissy's alias on-line is Penelope "Penny" Collins, whom she presents as an impressionable young blonde trying to find herself.

"Penny" gets an invite to an Ally Allston event in New Carhage.

Kyle and Lana discuss how to handle Mayor Dean investigating Sarah. They are afraid this may undo all the progress she has made.

Lana refuses to go after Mayor Dean's son in the same way, despite Kyle's urging.

Jordan and Sarah plan to meet at a store run by their friend Denise after school.  Jordan offers to buy her whatever she wants.

Candice sells Jonathan an inhaler of Yellow Mist and tells him Timmy Ryan just bought five of them.

John Henry isolates the energy signature of the item Bizarro wears around his neck. Unfortunately, he thinks tracking it will require the Department of Defense satellite network.

John Henry tells Clark his suit is busted and his hammer cracked, so there's nothing he can do to help Clark if he fights Bizarro again. He suggests working with Lt. Anderson and his steam.

Denise was a cheerleader, but quit to focus on helping her family with their business after school.

Candice is confirmed to be the Captain of Smallville High's cheerleading team and Denise says most of the other girls are acting weird since then.

Jordan stops two other boys from shoplifting liquor from the store, but is caught on camera using his ice-breath to do it.

General Lane reveals that he is watching over Jordan and he had the video footage scrambled. He praises Jordan for his good intentions, but says he can't go playing vigilante.

Chrissy wears a blonde wig to go undercover at the Ally Allston event.

Superman gives his signal device back to Lt. Anderson and gives him the energy signature of Bizarro.

Jonathan uses the Yellow Mist inhaler and develops enhanced vision that lets him throw a football more accurately.

Lucy finds Lois hiding in a car and tells her to meet her at room 452 of the hotel.

Lucy says that Lois' article ruined her life.

Chrissy is recognized by Ally Allston. However, rather than trying to drive her out, she encourages her to stay and learn the real truth about Lois Lane.

It is revealed that there is a hidden camera in Lucy's room, recording her conversation with Lois.

Lucy claims that Lois drove their mother to leave their family. Lois says she was only 8 when it happened.

Lucy claims that Lois altered her account of Ally's treatment and how she honestly did "cross over" as she described after her suicide attempt.

Lois admits to leaving that out of her article because it made Lucy sound crazy.

Lucy reveals that she recorded the conversation and tells Lois to stay out of her life.

It is revealed that the reason why Sarah is in therapy is that she attempted suicide.

Natalie reveals that she knows something is up with Jonathan, who reacts to a bird as if it were closer to him than it was. She suggests he cut back on his new medication and says he's acting like a weed smoker.

The Department of Defense trace Bizarro to Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, which is the world's largest salt flat.

Lt. Anderson sends in his team, which is officially identified as the Supermen of America. However, he does not call Superman.

Superman doesn't find out about Bizarro and the Supermen until he has a vision of two of them dying.

Tag Harris is the only Supermen of America member who gets away. He runs off with Bizarro's necklace, which seems to drain the energy out of Superman.

John Henry tries to help Superman fight Bizarro, despite his suit only having 10% functionality.

John Henry is sent to a secret Army hospital.

Natalie blames Clark for her father's injuries.

Mayor Dean tells Lana he agrees their children should be out of bounds but teases Kyle about his drinking problem.

John Henry is later revealed to be breathing on his own, but is still in bad shape.

Sam Lane lives close to Smallville.

Jordan talks to Sam and asks him to help train him so he can help his father.

Sam agrees, but requires it be kept secret - presumably because he knows how Clark will respond to Jordan training to become a superhero.

Kyle goes to a bar and it is revealed he had an affair with the bartender.

Chrissy calls Ally and asks for truth about Lois.


Location

The flashback that opens the episode is set five years earlier in Metropolis.
New Carthage
Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia


The Bottom Line

Another tense episode, with a firm focus on the whole ensemble.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 19

In which we journey to Delos, so we can dance with the dryads, consult the Sibyl regarding our future, and procure a possible poison cure. We then prepare to go to Hell, literally, as the next Rite will send us into the Underworld...

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 18

In which we start the Rite of Destiny and discover that whoever is poisoning the heroes of Silmaria has struck down Erasumus. This ill news and some magic seeds are all that we gain as we seek a path to the distant island of Delos. Luckily, we've already done most of what we need to do to secure a new vehicle now that we've had our wings clipped.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 17

In which we start the Rite of Valor, which means another round of talking to everyone about everything after checking in on our poisoned friends. It will take a flight of fancy to get us to the island so we can face the Hydra, but we'll get by with a little help from Elsa and get another chance to impress the former bandit queen.

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 16

In which, after saving Ugarte's life as he tries to deliver some painfully obvious information, we finally rent Andre's boat and go off in search of the secret mercenary fortress and General Claudius. The good news is we can sneak most of the way through this one. The bad news is we still have to fight a centaur wizard and Claudius himself.

Batwoman Episode Guide: Season 3, Episode 10 - Toxic

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

Plot

Batwoman's hands are full as she juggles Jada Jet's demands, Poison Mary's ever-increasing power and a new romantic entanglement. Loyalties are tested and motives come into question as Batwoman races against the clock to once again save Gotham City from a newly awakened Poison Ivy.


Influences

Various classic Batman comics with a villain trying to destroy a dam.


Performances

Bridget Regan is far better as Poison Ivy than this show deserves.


Artistry

The special effects work for Poison Ivy's plants is solid.

The sequence in which Ryan jumps onto a moving ambulance is fantastic.


Bat Trivia

This was the highest rated episode of Batwoman ever on IMDB, with a 7.8.


Technobabble

Gotham Dam provides power to half the industry in Gotham City and is responsible for the death of one species of fish.

Sporeling transference is the process by which Ivy was able to rejuvenate herself through Mary. Despite seemingly being a parasitic transfer of life energy, Montoya insists that Ivy really does care for Mary. This suggests a symbiotic bond, like when basil plants and tomato plants thrive together.

Renee Montoya developed a pheromone blocker that negated Poison Ivy's ability to control her. Giving this formula to Mary enables her to weaken Poison Ivy when she tries to tap Mary's energy.


Dialogue Triumphs

Ivy: That was epic. Did you rehearse that?
Mary: Ohh. I've been dealing with the horrors of the Gotham healthcare system for a while now, but I think that you just unlocked something.
Ivy: You found your calling, Doc.
Mary: I get it now. Justice, using this gift to level the playing field.
Ivy: Now the press is gonna label you a villain, they're gonna call you unhinged, use way too many puns, but if you just do what feels right, they can't stop you.
Mary: Yeah. Pam... Your nose. It's happening again.

Alice: (To Montoya) Let's cut to the chase. You are going to tell us what Pam did with Mary. Or this psycho killer is going to show you what she can do with a lemon zester.
(Alice smiles as she brandishes the tool.)
Alice: Trust me. I've done worse with less.

Batwoman: (over radio) I'm getting Mary back, but I'm gonna need help.
Sophie: Batwoman, I'm here. What do you need?
Batwoman: Tell Alice to stop drinking.
(Alice belches.)

(Alice and Ryan overhear Montoya telling Sophie it's obvious she has a crush on Ryan.)
Alice: She has a good point.
Ryan: Whatever.
Alice:"Whatever"? That's a big deal. Sophie likes you back.
Ryan: "Back"? Who said I liked Sophie?
Alice: Uh... all the girls on the playground. Come on. It's obvious. You're avoiding your feelings for Sophie, which is why you asked me to be your wheel woman and not her. You and I are the same, Batty. We pretend like we don't care, but it's only because when we get something good, we know we're gonna screw it up. 

Alice: You're a portable battery, Mary, and you're all out of charge, so listen to a Kelly Clarkson song and move on.
Mary: What are you doing here?
Ryan: Who do you think told us about Pam?
(Alice actually looks ashamed about this.)
Mary: Wow. You know... Guess you were right. Guess I am the crazy one. Says the Arkham inmate still pretending she's stuck in a children's fairy tale and a grown woman dressed like a flying rodent.
Luke: Okay. You made your point.
Mary: (gesturing at Luke and Sophie) You know what? Don't even get me started on daddy's little Robocop or the Queen of Unemployment.
Sophie: (defensive) I didn't say anything.
Mary: Yeah, but you're here, aren't you? Part of this friend-tervention or whatever this is? But if you were all actually my friends, then you'd respect my wish when I said to leave me alone! 

(Montoya has opened the cargo bay doors of the private plane she and Ivy are on.)
Ivy: What the hell am I supposed to do, jump?
Montoya: Why is that crazier than anything you've done before?
Ivy:  I'll 100% die.
Montoya: Then stay! I didn't sell you out, Pam. I negotiated a deal for your freedom. No running, no rules, but it means doing things my way for once. So what's it gonna be? 
Ivy: Close the damn door.
(Montoya does so.)
Ivy: Where are we going?
Montoya: Sophie Moore told me about an off-the-grid island where plants are worshipped and industry doesn't exist.
Ivy: Sounds like a fantasy.
Montoya: Close. It's called Coryana.

Continuity

As the episode opens, Ivy is training Mary in the use of her powers.

The man Ivy and Mary have taken captive is Harold Marlowe, CEO of Gotham United Healthcare.

Mary kills Harold, because his company denied the insurance claims of thousands of people to line his own pockets.

Ivy's nose begins dripping blood. Mary notes that it is doing it "again," suggesting this has happened at least once before. 

Ivy is able to heal herself by drawing off of Mary - a process that is painful to her but does not seem to be hurting her yet.

Alice tracks down the Bat-Team at the Hold Up and informs them that Ivy was able to reach out to Mary all the way in Metropolis.

Alice says their best chance of dealing with Ivy is to go after Renee Montoya.

Ryan asks why Alice came back to Gotham to tell them all this, since her immunity deal with Montoya is null and void, which makes her a wanted fugitive in Gotham City.

Ivy sympathizes with Mary's desire to go after the people who are ruining the health care system, revealing that her younger brother had severe asthma growing up and that he died when he was 12. Her interest in plants was fueled by her mother's search for herbal remedies since they didn't have the money to get him medicine.

Later, Ivy learned that her brother's asthma was caused by tainted water from the factory up the hill from their home.

Ryan catches Montoya as she's trying to skip town on an airplane.

Luke calls Sophie in to help. Ryan says this is fine, but she's clearly still upset at Sophie.

Luke reports that the Bat-Signal is lit.

Ryan investigates the signal and finds Jada Jet is there. 

Jada reveals that she has Joker's joy buzzer and demands that Batwoman hand over Marquis immediately.

Batwoman asks to get take the joy buzzer and get it repaired first. Jada agrees, but says she wants Marquis back by midnight or there will hell to pay.

Ivy asks Mary to help her with her plan to destroy Gotham Dam.

Mary says she would like to help and thinks she owes Ivy, but that she doesn't need the heat that comes with having destroyed half the city.

Ivy says she respects Mary's wishes and can go it alone without her... after draining her strength one more time.

Mary is found unconscious by some of the dam workers.

Sophie realizes that Ryan didn't tell Luke about her kissing her in 309.

Gotham Dam is revealed to be 18 miles east of the city.

Route 99 runs west to east from Gotham Dam to Gotham City.

Ryan takes Alice with her in the Batmobile instead of Sophie to help her stop the ambulance carrying Mary.

Ryan and Alice overhear Montoya and Sophie talking about their one night stand from 307.

Montoya says that it's clear that Sophie only slept with her because her first choice wasn't available and it's pretty clear Sophie has a crush on Ryan because Sophie spent most of their night together talking about Ryan.

Alice tells Ryan that it's clear she also has a thing for Sophie, because there's no other reason Ryan would ask Alice to come with her on a mission instead of Sophie unless there was something going on with Sophie she was trying to avoid dealing with right now.

Ryan jumps onto the ambulance to get them to stop.

Alice tells Ryan about the hunter that Mary killed in 309.

Montoya recognizes the symptoms Mary is undergoing, which include blood in her nose and ears.

Montoya tells the team that Ivy is going to destroy the Gotham Dam, which was her plan 10 years ago before Batman and Montoya stopped her.

Montoya says they will need Mary's cooperation to stop Ivy at this point.

Mary is told that she killed an innocent hunter, but she doesn't believe Ryan.

Mary still agrees to help stop Ivy because she doesn't want innocent people to get hurt.

Montoya comes up with a plan to use Mary as a Trojan Horse to weaken Poison Ivy. This will also likely break Ivy's control of Mary, assuming it doesn't kill her first.

Luke goes to the damn and uses the Batwing suit to take control of the dam's systems that Poison Ivy hacked. 

Ryan is able to beat Poison Ivy in a fight after Mary weakens her.

Mary is said to have brown eyes once Poison Ivy's control is broken.

Everyone on Team Bat apologizes for taking Mary for granted.

Mary feels guilty because she killed someone, but everyone insists that it was Poison Ivy who did it, not her.

Ryan tells Alice that she figured out that she came back to Gotham because she honestly cares about Mary.

Alice says she still isn't going to help Alice cut a deal for her freedom.

Alice reminds Ryan that she was so busy dealing with Poiosn Ivy that she missed Jada Jet's deadline.

Montoya negotiated a deal for Poison Ivy's freedom and takes her to the island of Coryana. 

Luke is said to be working on repairing the joy buzzer but Jada isn't answering her phone.

Ryan says that Sophie kissing her did not get her out of her head. It's just making her think about them kissing more.

Jada Jet is revealed to be on TV, calling a press conference revealing the existence of the Bat-Trophies to the public and blaming Batwoman for their release.

It is revealed that while Luke was able to stop the dam from breaking, there was still some mass flooding throughout the city, including the area where Mary's clinic was located.

The last shot of the episode shows water leaking into Mary's lab and dripping onto Marquis' body.


Location

A cargo plane somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean.


The Killing Jokes

It should be noted that, once again, all the heroic action in the episode is facilitated by Alice and Montoya with Team Bat being stuck in a supporting role in what is nominally their show.

It should also be noted that Team Bat, after promising to take Mary more seriously, continue to treat her with kid gloves and insist that she's this pure-hearted innocent even as she tries to cope with the revelation that she killed at least one man. (Probably two if you include the insurance company CEO.)


The Bottom Line

One of the best episode's of the series to date, with some great effects and stunt sequences. Had this been the season finale and ended five minutes sooner, it would be perfect. Unfortunately, we have to get that twist about Jada Jet being the real big bad and Marquis escaping for more new Joker shenanigans. . 

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 15

In which, having maxed out Defense and finally grinding all our stats up to the highest level possible without magic items, we try to free the final fishing village through sneaky means, only to hack our way through it like a common fighter anyway. This leads us to the second Rite of Rulership, the Rite of Conquest, and the hunt for the mercenary leader Claudius. But first we're going to talk to everyone in town a bit and take some time to woo Elsa, who is NOT happy after we won the first Rite. Perhaps a few gifts will improve her mood?

Starman Plays Quest For Glory 5, The Thief Path - Part 14

In which we free more of the fishing villages from mercenaries and I try to take out some of them using the traditional thief methods. By which I mean sneak in to town in the middle of the night and blackjack everyone. Unfortunately, the programmers seem determined to make us hack and slash our way to victory in this instance...

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 7, Episode 10 - The Fixed Point

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

Plot

Tired of being chased around time by Evil Gideon and her team, the Legends embark on a mad plan to confront their dark doppelgangers by creating an huge paradox around a fixed point that will give them a home field advantage. This leads them to a bar for time-travelers and the revelation that their plan is doomed to fail and leaves Spooner and Zari awkwardly interacting as Ava advises Gwyn on his plan to save his lost love.

Influences

Doctor Who (the idea of fixed points in time and general tone), The Three Stooges (the slapstick of how the threats to the fixed point are fixed), The Marx Brothers (Gideon's joke about getting two beers and then asking Gary if he wants anything is from A Night At The Opera) and the trope of a bar located outside of normal time and space, perhaps most famously presented by Spider Robinson's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon.


Goofs

While the idea of the Time Wraiths redeeming rogue speedsters is a cool one, it does retroactively make all the kevetching about the Reverse-Flash dying when he is erased from reality in F805 completely pointless.


Performances

Tala Ashe and Lisseth Chavez do a fantastic job playing off each other as the two Legends with the least amount in common, forced to have a conversation for the first time in two seasons as their usual dialog partners are busy talking to each other.

Matt Ryan gets some nice moments selling Gwyn's faith and his internal conflict regarding what his heart wants and what his honor demands.

Jes Macallan also gets one powerful speech regarding Ava's belief in love, even though she's not sure she believes in God, like Gwyn.

Nick Zano and Caity Lotz also get some great moments playing the two most senior Legends, looking back on their journeys and how they got to this point.


Artistry

The comedic timing of this episode is fantastic, as is the blocking of the many slapstick fixes.

Setting the Legends against the background of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is a brilliant conceit on the part of the writers, given that the real world event was so chaotic and zany (apart from the deaths) it played out like a Legends of Tomorrow episode in real life.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

This episode was directed by Maisie Richardson-Sellers, who played Vixen and Charlie in earlier seasons.

Spooner Cruz is the first confirmed asexual hero in the Arrowverse.

Matt Letscher's appearance was meant to be a surprise, but was leaked on-line before the episode aired.


Technobabble/Arcana

Fixed points are moments in time that are so pivotal to history that no time travel is allowed on or near it, by edict of the Time Masters. However, unbeknownst to Gideon, some force protects fixed points from being influenced by time travelers and resets the day after each attempt to alter it is thwarted.

Astra uses her magic to change Gwyn's time machine into a cassette tape copy of ELO's "Time" concept album. (This was Behrad's idea.)

The live fed on the monitors in The Fixed Point is taken from archival film taken by bystanders pieced together to form a view of the whole motorcade. The film updates each time an attempt becomes history itself. 

Gideon uses the CR-055 superconductor from Gwyn's time machine to build an anti-time manipulator.

The anti-time manipulator only has enough power to cover one person, one time, if time is stopped in its vicinity. 

Rather than destroying the rogue speedsters they capture, the Time Wraiths now reeducate them and put them to work policing Fixed Points. This may be a new policy brought about by the kinder, gentler, more social Speed Force that took the form of Barry Allen's mother in The Flash season 7.

The wrist-mounted device which Eobard Thawne wears keeps him anchored to a single day in time. It also gives him the power to stop time at any point during that day. However, once the day is over, he goes back to the start of the day and keeps reliving the same day over and over.


Dialogue Triumphs

Gideon: Time is killing people? I don't even understand how time can have this power. But I suppose I've never questioned what made a fixed point fixed. Who knew time travel could be this complicated? I don't know how you've wrapped your human brains around it all these years. (pause) Oh, wait. Yes, I do. I need a drink.

(Gideon and Gary approach the bar.)
Gideon: Two stouts, please. (To Gary) Anything for you? 

(Nate is describing his plan to Sara.)
Nate: Three assassins fan out.
Sara: I follow the guy with the grenade.
Nate: Then here, I untie the dog that's tied to the lamp pole...
Sara: ... And it knocks off the steak from the table at the corner café?
Nate: Exactly, and then I use that...
Sara: ... As a distraction to steal the bike?
Nate: Yeah, you got it. How do you know this?
Sara: He's doing it right now. 
(Sara gestures to a monitor.)
Nate: Okay, well, whatever, because my plan has a second steak that I will slip into the assassin's pocket... and that's exactly what he's doing?! 

Gwyn: My sorry fate... it isn't just a solve for the paradox, you see. It's what I deserve... For loving Alun in the first place.
Ava: (sighs) Gwyn... there's nothing wrong with you loving another man.
Gwyn: Now, that might be easy for you to say, Miss Sharp.
Ava: But it's true. It's true. Listen, I'm so, so sorry that you have had to live your life hiding who you really are. But I... I promise you that there are places where you can feel safe to be yourself where people will accept you...
Gwyn: It is not about the people. It doesn't matter if I'm accepted by others, you see. I will never be accepted by God. You see, my love for Alun, it, uh... it goes against who God wants me to be. (sighs) It may be my divine mission to save Alun, but it must also be my divine punishment to live without him. And that's the plan, okay?

(Sara is dejected after repeated failures to break the fixed point.)
Nate: Sara, we got this far.
Sara: Yeah, and where are we? Seriously, where are we? Running for our lives with no home, with no plan? I feel like I used to always know what the next move was, and now it's like... I don't know. Nothing... nothing's working.
Nate: Look, we got this far because of you. And if it weren't for you, we'd still be in Odessa making headlines while the FBI shuts down our circus.
Sara: Would have been a good circus.
Nate: Would have been a great circus.
Sara: Yeah.
Nate: But you know what? It's not all on you. Yeah, I mean, you may be indestructible, but don't mean you got to go it alone.

Ava: Look, I understand that you have a deep faith in God. I do, and I don't know what that feels like, okay? But I do know that if... if there is a God, he or she or they... or whatever pronoun they prefer... would... would want you to experience love, you know, and to feel acceptance loving whoever it is you choose, Gwyn, because love is love is love is love is love is love is love.
Gwyn: That was profoundly beautiful, Miss Sharpe. I didn't know you're a poet.
Ava: No, I'm not actually. That... that last part is Lin-Manuel Miranda
Gwyn: I don't know him.
Ava: What I'm trying to say is that you deserve love, Gwyn. You are a good man, okay? Now that you have the Legends behind you, I promise you we will do whatever it takes to make sure that you can be with Alun.
Gwyn: It moves me to know that. What moves me even more is... your unrelenting belief that there is a way.
Ava: Always. 

(Sara recognizes the man in the top hat as Eobard Thawne.)
Sara: Thawne?
Thawne: Big twist, I know. Who would have thought me of all people would be here protecting the timeline? How the hell are you not frozen?
Sara: (laughs) I'm sorry. I can't take you seriously in that hat. You look like a railroad villain.
Thawne: Ah, yeah, well, can a railroad villain do this?
(Thawne charges Sara and the two begin to fight.)

Continuity

Gideon's plan is to try and alter the Fixed Point centered around June 28, 1914 and the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria - an event in which two different assassins tried to kill the Archduke, only to have their efforts thwarted by dumb luck. Eventually, luck led to the Archduke being evacuated past the café where Gavrilo Princip was waiting, having given up on the plan, only to find himself with a perfect opportunity to finish the job. The Archduke's death is widely credited with starting World War I.

Nate notes the assassination attempts were a famous fiasco, so he drew a flew chart to try and explain it to the other Legends. Unfortunately, Nate is a terrible artist, and his diagram only confuses everyone more.

The plan is to grab the three assassins at the Cosic Tavern, where they met on the morning of the assassination before moving out along the parade route.

The Legends are spotted by a mysterious man identified as the Time Authority, who recognizes them as time-travelers and guides them into a hidden space in the Cosid Tavern. This leads them to The Fixed Point - a bar between time zones, which the Time Authority runs as a watering hole for those who want to try and avert  World War I and those who want to gamble on the fixers.

Gideon notes that she knew nothing about this Fixed Point or that there are apparently several taverns like it scattered through time.

The Time Authority explains that, usually, those who try to change fixed poinst get killed in the process. It is believed that Time itself protects the Fixed points.

Ava agrees too help Gwyn plot out a way to prevent the death of his friend, Alun.

Constantine had a collection of toy soldiers in the attic of the Hell mansion.

As they are discussing how to save Alun, Ava realizes that if Alun doesn't die, Gwyn will never be inspired to discover time travel. 

Alun says he has accounted for that and said that he intends to save Alun but make sure his past self doesn't find out, even though this means he will die alone.

Gideon starts drinking heavily at the implications of Time being sentient and protecting itself, as this makes her life's work as a time-ship AI completely pointless.

Astra and Behrad check out the gaming tables together, leaving Spooner and Zari to try and make small-talk together. Unfortunately, Zari can't think of anything Spooner likes but guns and Spooner can't think of anything Zari can talk about but makeup.

Nate and Sara are recognized (and mocked) by a group of young time-travelers.

Sara's first attempt is thwarted after she runs into a ladder, Three Stooges style.

Gwyn says he believes that it is his fate to live without Alun as punishment for being attracted to men.

Zari and Spooner bond over their mutual hatred of macho men and their both being abducted by time-travelers they later befriended.

Zari and Spooner both admit to finding the other one intimidating. 

Sara makes multiple attempts to change the past, getting a little further each time.

Sara's attempts including swapping the grenade with an apple (which gets her blown up), getting hit by a car after blocking one assassin's throwing knife, Sara trying to shoot the assassin only to find the gun she took from a different assassin isn't loaded, trying to poison the assassin only to have the poison dust blow back into her mouth, accidentally swallowing a poison dart while using a blowgun, being hit by a ricochet bullet and being shot by the Archduke's bodyguards after stopping the assassin with a gun, but being left holding the murder weapon.

Spooner realizes she is asexual after Zari suggests they play Smash/Marry/Kill and Spooner says she isn't really excited by Nate, Gwyn, Gary, Sara, Ava or Astra.

When Spooner asks Astra what her type is, besides broody wizards, she nods toward a man in a top hat who suddenly vanishes before Spooner can look at him. However, something about where he was standing set off her sixth sense, which she now calls "bad guy radar."

Watching the video of the feed, the man in the top hat only appears for a single frame. This leads the Legends to conclude that he's responsible for fixing the Fixed Point and has the power to freeze time.

Gideon knows how to build a device that can make someone immune to time manipulation, but they have to take apart Gwyn's time machine to get the parts they need.

Ava doesn't subscribe to any system of faith, but refuses to believe that any God would make Gwyn fall in love only so he could suffer.

Ava has become a hugger.

The young time travelers who made fun of the Legends give them their last ticket to try and change the timeline and a set of coms.

Sara discovers that the man in the top hat is Eobard Thawne - specifically, the time remnant that was apparently killed in 217.

Thawne explains that he was rehabilitated by the Time Wraiths and given a chance to make amends for his crimes.

Thawne agrees to help the Legends out, given the threat posed by Evil Gideon, by letting the Archduke die 40 minutes early on the first attempt. That will give the Legends enough time, hopefully, to steal the Waverider containing Evil Gideon. However, he insists that Sara promise that she will replace him if he dies fighting the Legends, as he can't hold back once the timeline is set to reset.

Gideon and Gwyn stay behind in The Fixed Point, as the other Legends go into the past one more time and set a trap for the Waverider.


Location

Sarajevo - June 28, 1914
A bar called The Fixed Point, which exists outside time.


The Bottom Line

A fantastic episode, heart-felt and hilarious in equal measure.