Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 16 - Hey, World!

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




Plot

With Neron's true plan revealed and peoples' paranoia of the monsters that might be around them growing, The Legends have to find a way to fight fear itself. There's no logical way to win, so illogical means win out, as the team put on a show after bring Hank Heywood's dream of a magical theme park devoted to magical creatues to life.


Influences

Peter Pan (the fairy is clearly modeled on Tinkerbell, the ending where love and audience participation is used to bring a hero back from the dead), The Hellblazer comics of Jamie Delano (rules of Hell regarding soul trading), the Constantine The Hellblazer series (Neron as the chief villain, Neron's line about "Making Earth Hell Again"), Underworld Unleashed (a con-man beats Neron by getting him to break a deal with a hero), Field of Dreams (fathers and sons bonding theme, Ava and Sara quote "If you build it, they will come.") and The Greatest Showman (general aesthetic of carnival scenes, theme of seeing "freaks" as something wonderful).


Goofs

Is Supergirl really that well known of a figure on Earth 1 that she has fans dressing up like her? (Granting that Kara has helped save Earth 1 on three separate occasions now, she hasn't been that visible doing so.)


Performances

Again, it's hard to single any one actor out. But the most subtle gag of the episode goes to Nick Zano, for his reaction when Mick Rory gives Nate Heywood the diary of Brigid and reveals what he last used it for. He subtly makes a face and tries to rub his hand clean... for all the good it does him.

Tala Ashe has the most emotional performance, with Zari Tomaz sacrificing herself so she can spend one last moment with the man she loves before she forgets him forever and he dies.

Casper Crup manages to redeem his performance as Vandal Savage in Season One with one of the best cameos ever.


Artistry

The special effects budget for the year clearly went into animating the dragons.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

11 year old Zari Tomaz names her baby dragon Mithra. In Persian mythology, Mithra was the god of light and friendship.The name Mithra translates to "friend" in Iranian.

The plot of the episode borrows heavily from Underworld Unleashed - the storyline which introduced the character of Neron. In that story, Neron attempted to take over the world by working his way to where he could acquire the purest soul on Earth - that of Captain Marvel. He was thwarted, strangely enough, by James Jesse, a.k.a. The Trickster, who convinced Captain Marvel to offer his soul up in exchange for Neron undoing every other deal he had made since being resurrected. Neron got greedy and tried to touch Captain Marvel's soul, forgetting that the rules of Hell didn't let him make bargains in exchange for wholly selfless reasons. This caused Neron to lose every sole he had taken control of.


Technobabble/Arcana

Nora is able to use her magic wand as a dousing rod to locate John Constantine in Hell.

Soul tokens are the currency of Hell. While a soul is being tortured, their token (which generally resembles a large coin) is traded around between demons. Whoever holds the token can summon the soul to them, no matter where they are in Heaven or Earth.

Demonic banks store and protect soul tokens. They generally have rules against storing living people or souls without tokens.

John knows a spell that allows him to assume the appearance and voice of another person. He uses this spell to try and trick Astra into thinking he's Neron but she doesn't fall for it. Strangely enough, Neron falls for it when John makes himself and Nate look like one another.

A soul whose body is still alive cannot manifest as anything other than a soul token on Earth so long as their body is still possessed by a demon.

A demon must remain true to their word once they have made a bargain for a soul. If they violate the terms of their deal, they lose the soul and all of the souls they currently own.


Dialogue Triumphs

(John is strapped to a rack, being tortured by Calibraxis. Nora strides into the room with far more confidence than you'd expect for a woman dressed as a fairy godmother.)

Calibraxis: Who the hell are you? 

Nora: Really? The dress doesn't sell it? 

Calibraxis: (mockingly) You didn't tell me you had a Fairy Godmother, John.

Nora: Not his. Gary's.

John: (sympathetically) Ugh. And I thought I was the one being tortured.

Neron: Denizens of Hell! For far too long, we have been forced to live like insects underneath the Earth. Soon, a door will open. Look to the sky and await my signal. With me as your king, we will make Earth Hell again!

(Gary is accompanying Mona as she feeds the magical creatures on the Waverider.)

Mona: Stay calm. They smell fear.
Gary: What if fear is my natural scent?!

Nate: My dad had a dream to build a theme park that people would come to see because of magic. That's what the world needs right now, a place for people to come and see the wonder of these creatures in person!

Zari: What about Brigid's diary? If we put it in Nate's hands, he could just dream us up a theme park.

Sara: Z, you are a genius! The... (stops and makes a face in realization) Ugh. It's in the Time Bureau!

Ava: It's okay, so we just break in, but it's not gonna be easy. Even if it isn't demon central, the vault that it's being held in is practically impenetrable.

Mick: (holding up the diary) Oh, it's penetrable.

Ava: Oh, my God!

(Ava runs over to Mick, hugs him and kisses his cheek.)

Ava: I love you, Rory.

Mick: Mm-hmm. (hands the book to Nate) Give it back when you're done. Buck and Garima's sexual odyssey is far from over.

(John and Nora bust down the door to the torture chamber where Ray is.)

Nora: Ray?!

(Ray looks up from a table where he and another man is stacking several large rectangular blocks.) 

Ray: Nora! John! We're just about to start another game of Giant Jenga. You got to meet my old friend!  Well, technically, my new friend. (grinning) We used to be mortal enemies.

(The other man stands up and turns around. It is Vandal Savage.)
Vandal: Oh, hi, guys. Well, you're just in time for the next round!
(Ray puts an arm around Vandal's shoulders and they both smile.)

(The Legends have just shot a commercial for Heyworld, with Sara as Supergirl, Nate as Green Arrow and Gary as The Flash.)

Zari: Guys, I feel like that would have worked a little bit better with the real Trinity.

Sara: Yeah, well, I asked, and they said hard pass.

Nate: (beat) We should have done the crossover.

Sara: Yeah.

Nate: I can't believe it all comes down to this. After years of anxiety of whether or not I could live up to my dad's expectations, I'm about to bring his crazy dream to life knowing what it could cost me.

Zari: Nate, I'm not going anywhere. You got this.

(The Ogre, The Minotaur and Baba Yaga enter the center ring.)

Nate: Monsters! What do you think, White Canary? Should we show 'em what we got? 

Sara: Wait! Hold on! What if, instead of showing 'em what we got, we ask them what they have?

Nate: Hmm? You mean get to know them? 

Sara: What if, getting to know them, we realize that we have nothing to fear?!

Nate: Minotaur, your passion is music. Why don't you show us what you got?
(Gary runs out with a guitar, which he hands to the Minotaur as the crowd starts booing)

Kid: They said this was a superhero show!

(The crowd begins booing. Mick, who is backstage, growls.)
Mick: These brats don't respect art!

John: (on seeing the portal to Hell open) Oh, it's gonna take more than a musical number to stop this.

(As everyone is holding hands while singing Sweet Baby James.)
Nora: Didn't they do this last year?
Ava: We're part of the circle this time.

Continuity

Nate and Zari go back to retrieve the dragon egg Zari left at her childhood home in 415.

Tabitha says that Charlie is more than just a shape-shifter, but it is never explained what she means by that.

Nora rescues John from being tortured in Hell.

Zari was bullied whens he was 11 and the other kids made fun of her clothes, saying 'Zari, Zari, why's your clothes so sorry?"

The timeline is changed as young Zari took the freshly hatched dragon to school one day and the other kids loved it. It was the first time in her life she ever felt accepted.

Young Zari taught the dragon how to do a little dance on command.

One of Zari's teachers sees Mithra and uses the Eyes app to call in the Time Bureau, who take him away.

Tabitha forces Charlie to take the form of a Senator during a Congressional hearing on the magical monster crisis and forces her to suddenly change into the giant octopus from 405.

John makes a bargain with Astra - help him get into Neron's vault and get Ray's soul token and he'll kill Neron so the Triumvirate can take over Hell again.

Charlie figures out that Tabitha and Neron aren't out to take over Hell and that the souls were just a means to another end - gathering fear energy.

The video of a young Zari and her dancing dragon goes viral, proving that most people can see magical creatures as something besides a threat.

Astra starts pocketing other soul tokens once she is in Neron's vault.

Nate uses Brigid's Diary to finish building Hey-World in a day.

Gideon tells Zari that her future-predicting program has noted a potential change in her personal timeline. Building Hey-World could help to stem people's fears of metahumans and magical creatures, stopping the Anti-Metahuman laws of 2029 from passing and helping to bring about a new era of understanding and tolerance by 2042. Zari's parents would live out the rest of their lives in Seattle in peace and her brother would never die. Of course if the timeline is altered, Zari will also never have a need to avenge her family which means she'll never meet the Legends.

Sara says that Zari can stay on the Waverider in the temporal zone until the new timeline solidifies so she'll be protected from the future changing.

Nora and John find Ray's soul token in Neron's vault but they push Astra to take them to where Ray's soul is in Hell. They find Ray in a torture chamber playing board games with Vandal Savage.

Vandal Savage was last seen in 116.

Sara, Nate and Gary film a commercial for Hey-World while dressed as Supergirl, Green Arrow and The Flash.

The Ogre's name is Fredrick and he dreams of being a singer.

The Minotaur can play guitar.

John learns the terms of Ray's deal with Neron from 413.

John tells Sara and Nate about Ray's deal and how if they could trick Neron into killing Nate, that would free Ray's body and all the souls Neron trapped.

Young Zari and her mother go to Hey-World on its opening day.

Mick writes a stage-show pitting superheroes against a group of monsters, but deciding to talk to them instead of fighting. The crowd does not like the show.

The Monitor shows up as the crowd is booing the Legends. He does not look pleased.

Tabitha arrives with a fully-grown dragon as the crowd is getting ready to leave the show.

The Monitor can be seen eating popcorn when the dragon arrives.

Sara is saved from the dragon when young Zari runs up to it and gets it to dance. When it does it's dance, it's tail knocks over Tabitha and makes her drop her staff. The dragon then eats her, which causes it to shrink back to it natural baby size.

Neron uses the staff to open the portal to Hell himself.

Nate and John trick Neron by using John's magic to trade appearances.

Neron snaps Nate's neck, thinking he is John. This causes him to vacate Ray's body, enabling John to work a spell to send him to Hell and seal the portal.

John is able to restore Ray's soul to his body.

Zari leaves the Temporal Zone to be with Nate as he is dying.

Hank Heywood's ghost greets Nate, saying he was waiting around to see Nate and his friends beat Neron before he went to "the Happy Place."

Hank possesses Mick Rory long enough to get the crowd to start singing James Taylor's Sweet Baby James, like he did in 406. This prompts John to use Tabitha's staff and the love the crowd feels to resurrect Nate.

Nora notes this is a lot like the events of 318, where the Legends joined hands and channeled the power of love to slay Mallus.

Zari is replaced by her younger brother, Behrad Tomaz, who wears a bracelet with the Air Totem of Zambesi in it like hers. She seems to share a friendship with Nate similar to the one between him and Ray and Sara addresses all three of them as The Time Bros.

The episode ends with Astra sending the evil soul tokens she was collecting to Earth, to give them a second chance. There are 16 tokens in total. The eight we can read the names on include Mary Tudor, Joseph Stalin, Caligula, Charles Manson, Genghis Khan, Lizzie Borden, John Wayne Gacy, and Rasputin.


Location

Hell - A Torture Chamber
Zari's Elementary School - Washington D.C. - 2019
Capitol Hill - Washington D.C. - 2019
Hell - A bar called The Pit
Hey-World - Somewhere Outside Washington D.C. - 2019


Untelevised Adventures

Mick Rory broke into the Time Bureau at some point to steal the Diary of Brigid.


The Bottom Line

Silly and sappy and altogether perfect. The only bad thing about this episode is we'll have to wait the better part of 7 months to see the next season.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 15 - Terms Of Service

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




Plot

With the Time Bureau now under Gary Green's control, Ava and Sara enact a bold plan to take it back. When the rest of the team winds up at the mercy of Tabitha, Zari and Charlie join forces to figure out what Neron is up to in Ray Palmer's body. And John Constantine faces a difficult choice, as he is given a chance to escape from Hell but can't take everyone he wants to save with him.


Influences

The Collector by John Fowles (lead character a parallel of Gary), the Hellblazer comics of Jamie Delano (the idea of a stock market for souls), Alan Moore's Swamp Thing (the general vision of Hell), Neil Gaiman's The Sandman (the idea of Hell being run by a triumvirate), Secret Origins (vol. 2) #48 (Depicted Hell as being ruled by a triumvirate consisting of Lucifer, Belial and Azazel), King Kong (Mona's transformation spooking the crowd mirrors King Kong going berserk while on display) and the Hellblazer comics of Garth Ennis (the demon Calibraxis,the idea of John Constantine having the three most powerful demons in Hell fighting over his soul)


Goofs

For a strip club in Hell, the dancers in the Flesh Factory are modestly dressed and seem more like contortionists than exotic dancers. (Then again, a strip club where the dancers don't strip or dance provocatively seems wholly appropriate as a place to torment the lustful in Hell.)

Performances

It is hard to single anyone out given how the whole ensemble is utilized. Still, we'll give the MVP award to Adam Tsekhman who somehow manages to make Gary somewhat sympathetic even as he's indulging in some truly petty acts of evil... which makes the reveal that he's intentionally trying to do a bad job of playing the bad guy all the funnier. Even his making Sara and Ava dance for him - something which SHOULD be creepy as Hell (pun intended) - manages to be more comedic than terrifying, as if this truly were the worst thing he could think to do as a bad guy.


Artistry

The set design for Hell is fantastic, as are the camera tricks used to make the whole experience of traversing it and speaking with demons unsettling and unnerving.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

The novel Gary chooses for his book club to read is shown to be The Collector by Neil LaChance. The description of the book, however, seems to match that of The Collector by John Fowles - a novel about a socially awkward butterfly collector who abducts a young woman in the hopes that she will fall in love with him. It seems likely the author of the book was changed due to the characters in the episode who read it saying the book is "not very good."

The Hell of the DC Comics universe is diverse and ever changing. Some aspects of it mirror the traditional view, with pits of fire and many torture chambers. Hell also contains urban areas which mirror places in the real world. The modern vision of Hell in the DC Universe was conceived by Alan Moore and introduced during his run on Swamp Thing. It is said in Neil Gaiman's Sandman that the only people who go to Hell are those who honestly believe they deserve to go there, but this does not seem to be wholly accurate as innocents can be held captive in Hell against their will.

The Arrowverse version of Hell is an urban dystopia where it always night, what light that exists is green and sickly, save for the red fire pits in the distance.

At one point John is menaced by a biker demon with a beard, who he once sent to Hell, named Calibraxis. In Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer, Calibraxis.was the name of a demon who claimed to be responsible for possessing a man and committing the murders later attributed to Jack The Ripper. John was responsible for exorcising Calibraxis from an unnamed member of the British Royal family.

John asks a demon named Masher how Neron's name is trading. The idea of Hell having a stock-market was introduced during the Hellblazer run of Jamie Delano, with mortals being able to bank on better bargains for selling their soul depending on the state of the market. It was also possible for demons to trade souls to one another in exchange for various favors and demons being able to encourage investment in their name as part of various schemes to acquire a mass of souls in exchange for a small initial investment by other demons. This is because souls are also used by demons to power their magic as well as a form of currency and status.

John demands to be taken before a body known as The Triumvirate. In the DC Comics and Vertigo universes, Hell has been depicted as being ruled by a series of triumvirates. The first triumvirate was revealed in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman and consisted of the fallen angel Lucifer, the demon Azazel, and Beelzebub, Lord of Flies.

A separate triumvirate was revealed in Garth Ennis' run on Hellblazer. This was later retconned as being the first triumvirate of Hell.  It consisted of three demonic beings known as the First of the Fallen, the Second of the Fallen and the Third of the Fallen. When Lucifer fell from Heaven, he took over the rulership of Hell from them and served as sole ruler until a civil war in Hell, as seen in the pages of Alan Moore's Swamp Thing. 

For a time following this civl war, Hell was ruled by a Second Triumvirate, which consisted of The Demon Etrigan, Rann Va Dath of the Pit and Abaddon the Destroyer. They acted as an interim government until the establishment of The Third Triumvirate. ruled by Lucifer, Azazel and Beelzebub. After Lucifer abandoned the throne of Hell in the The Sandman: Seasons of Mist, the original First Triumvirate took over the rulership of Hell, even as the day-to-day operations were overseen by the angels Duma and Remiel. This changed leading into the Lucifer monthly comic by Mike Carey, after John Constantine was able to depower the First of the Fallen, who gave up ruling Hell to focus on gaining revenge on John.

To further confuse matters, a Stanley And His Monster story in Secret Origins (vol. 2) #48 (April 1990) revealed another Triumvirate, consisting of Lucifer, Belial and Azazel. It is believed that Belial was used in place of Beelzebub due to a research error.

The Hell of the Arrowverse is revealed to be ruled by three demons - Satan (First of the Fallen), Belial and Beelzebub.All three appear as old men in business suits

The First of the Fallen is considered to be the arch-enemy of John Constantine in the Hellblazer series. It is unclear if the Arrowverse version and John enjoy a totally similar relationship.

In the Hell of the Vertigo universe, Satan is a title rather than an individual demon or fallen angel, the name coming from the Hebrew word for "adversary." While originally bestowed upon the ruler of Hell, the title of Satan now seems to be bestowed upon whichever member of the Triumvirate acts as the official military leader of Hell's armies. Lucifer answered to the title of Satan in several Vertigo comics before he renounced his throne.

The flashback scenes of John losing Astra to a demon as well as the scenes as John is sent to his room in Hell are taken from the original Constantine show, intercut with new footage of the new actress playing Astra as a young girl.

It is revealed that Astra has become a demon in the service of Hell. In the DC Comics cosmology, it is possible for a mortal to become a demon. Typically this happens when an extremely evil human is promoted, having impressed some elder demon into giving a fraction of its power to a particularly inventive mortal sinner. Presumably a mortal who had acquired multiple souls could also gain power through playing the demonic stock market or some other form of gambling.


Technobabble/Arcana

According to Charlie, Ogres are big softies who wouldn't hurt a fly.

Article 27 of the Time Bureau Creed says that no supervisor will show favoritism towards a fellow employee - a statue Gary says Ava violated by starting a book club that he wasn't invited to be a part of.

Hell is ruled by a triumvirate of demons, made up of Satan (First of the Fallen), Belial  and Beelzebub.

The beings known as Fairy Godmothers were all witches who were cursed to only be able to use their magic to do the bidding of others.

A free witch can takeover the curse of a Fairy Godmother by taking her wand.

It is possible for a human to become a demon after having been warped by Hell and embracing their corruption.


Dialogue Triumphs

(The Legends watch Neron's ad for PalmerX 2019)

Nate: I don't care if Neron's wearing my best friend's face. I want to punch him.

Mick: Get in line.

(We see a montage of the various Legends wielding various weapons. The line ends with Zari, distastefully holding a bandoleer of grenades.)
Zari: This seems like overkill.

(Sara tells the rest of the team to execute Plan B over the comms.)
Zari: What's Plan B?
Mick: I only listen for my name.
Nate: I assume it's like Plan A, but, you know, with less people.

Demon: You're dead, demon hunter!
John: I was going to be a demon proctologist, but the pay wasn't as good.

John: I invoke a parlay. I demand to speak to the Triumvirate!

Calibraxis: I'm a demon, not a pirate, John. I thought you understood the rules.

John: Well, you little maggot, as long as I'm alive, then the Triumvirate can pass me around like a little sparrow amongst the cats. But as soon as I die, you dim-witted dick, then my soul belongs to Neron, and then the Triumvirate lose out on all the tasty little bits of torture that they've got planned for me. So you've got two choices: You can either kill me and royally piss off the old bags that run this place, or take me to speak with the Triumvirate.

Ava: You know what, Gary? It's a little hard to feel sorry for you when you're holding us all hostage.

Gary: You're not getting it. This whole time Tabitha has been trying to use me to hurt you.

(sadly) All I wished was for us to hang out! I was trying to protect you. (shrugs) I get it. I'm not cool.

But I don't deserve to be treated like a joke. (voice becoming more sinister) So, now... now the joke's on you.

Charlie: If I die, I'm going to come back and haunt you!

Zari: I would love a ghost friend.

(Charlie, disguised as a Time Bureau Agent, escorts a cuffed Zari into the Bureau.)
Zari: Stick to the plan, Charlie.

Charlie: You mean the plan where I need to rely on my shoddy shape-shifting to portal creatures one by one out of their cells and on to the Waverider, where Gary may or may not wish them to Kingdom Com?

Zari: Yep. That plan.

Sara: Gary, when Rip first recruited the Legends, he picked the people that were insignificant to history - the original losers. You don't have to be cool to be a Legend. And maybe we forgot that somewhere along the way, but...you are one of us.

(Charlie shapeshifts into Tabitha and makes a break down the hallway. Unfortunately, Neron sees her.)
Neron: Oh, my love! My love!

(Charlie stops and laughs with Neron.)
Neron: Uh, still no luck with Nora?

Charlie: (sadly) No.

Neron: Oh. Well, she'll take your curse soon. After all, you are very convincing.

(Neron leans in for a kiss, but Charlie leans backwards to avoid it.)

Charlie: Well, I better head back. Evil deeds to do and all that.

(As Charlie hurries off Neron exhales into his hand and smells his breath, shuddering a bit.)

Neron: Hmm. No.

Nora: (as she is sucked into the portal to Hell) Gary, you dick!

Continuity

A young Zari is revealed to still be living just outside Washington DC in the year 2019, as in 401. Her mother is currently pregnant with her younger brother, Behrad.

Neron, as Ray Palmer, informs people of the existence of monsters through televised ads promoting a technology conference called PalmerX 2019, where he promises to unveil a solution to the monster problem.

Nora Darhk is still inside Time Bureau HQ, fighting her way through the brainwashed Time Agents while hiding in the ducts.

Gary has used Tabitha's powers to redecorate his office and give himself three nipples.

According to Tabitha, John Constantine has banished thousands of demons back to Hell in his life.

Neron tells Mona of his intent to give her a special role in his plan.

Gary complains that the Legends never invited him to their pizza parties or their Dungeons and Dragons games.

Gary wishes to be part of Ava, Nora and Sara's book club, magically teleporting them into his office.

The book Gary selects for his book club is The Collector by Neil LaChance.

Gary wishes for the rest of the book club to be forced to read the book super quickly so they can discuss it.

Without Sara and Ava, the rest of the Legends decide to infiltrate PalmerX 2019 and figure out Neron's plan.

John finds out that half the demons in Hell have found out he's been sent to Hell and are looking for him.

Gary wishes to be Captain of the Waverider. Tabitha sends him, Ava and Sara to the ship.

Tabitha allows Nora to remain with her, saying she has no quarrel with Nora as she wasn't part of the group of people who sent her to Hell.

Tabitha was in Hell for 327 years.

Tabitha says that Neron rescued her in Hell and won her heart.

Tabitha says that Neron is much older than her.

Tabitha says that she thinks she and Nora might have been friends in another life.

Tabitha sends Nora to PalmerX 2019 in a fancy gown to act as "Ray's" armcandy.

Neron threatens to kill Mona if Nora turns on him.

Neron tells Nora that her father is going stark raving mad in the deepest pits of Hell.

Neron says that he's keeping Nora around as his "girlfriend" because he figured the best revenge possible for her trying to kill him was to give her a front-row seat to everything he's about to do while wearing the body of the man she loves.

Neron, posing as Ray, claims to have spent the last two years hunting magical creatures around the world and developing an exoskeleton that will let him fight them. He also unveils an app he calls Eyes, which will allow people to report monster sightings to him in real time.

John goes to a demonic strip club called the Flesh Factory in search of a soul broker called Masher.

Masher says that Neron's stock is about to rise, due to a highly anticipated acquirement of a massive soul collection on Earth.  This suggests that Neron is about to make a power play for the throne of Hell.

Masher was sent back to Hell by John, but is far more forgiving about it than most demons.

John is confronted by a demon named Calibraxis, whom he convinces to take him before the Triumvirate that rules Hell.

Neron angers Mona, forcing Wolfie to come out before a crowd, revealing the world's first real werewolf.

Mick and Nate are teleported back to the Waverider to be part of Gary's new crew of Legends.

Zari uses her wind bracelet to save herself from the mob, leading to Neron calling her a witch.

Gary starts wearing Nate's old costume, which he calls the Kid Steel suit.

Only 2000 people signup for the Eyes App after PalmerX 2019. It is flushed out of the news cycle by Kanye West releasing a surprise album and a video of a cat getting a bath.

Neron plans to arrange a monster attack on the Capitol.

Tabitha places Nora in the same sell as a wounded Mona.

Tabitha tells Nora that she thinks they can help each other - something she wants to do as a fellow witch.

Zari takes Charlie to her childhood home to hideout.

According to Zari, ARGUS institutes a fascist government in the United States in 2021 to better control metahumans.

Zari discovers that the Terms of Service for the Eyes app contain a clause that give Neron the soul of anyone who downloads and uses the app.

After the Legends annoy him by condescending to him, Gary wishes for Mick to be turned into a big baby, Nate to be forced to relive Gary's high-school years (with braces, acne and a frizzy mullet) and for Sara and Ava to be forced to dance for his amusement.

Zari accidentally leaves the backpack containing the dragon egg in her childhood home when she and Charlie leave. It is found by her younger self.

John bargains with the Triumvirate that rules Hell, promising them that he will stop Neron's plans to take over Hell in exchange for their letting him leave Hell with Ray's soul.

The Triumvirate forces John to make a choice between Ray and Astra - the girl he accidentally condemned to Hell. John chooses Astra.

Gary is a fan of the game Settlers of Cattan.

Tabitha tells Nora that she'd be able to heal the dying Mona with her powers and that all she has to do is take Tabitha's wand.

This is revealed to be a trick, freeing Tabitha of her curse and trapping Nora as Gary's fairy godmother.

Zari and Charlie enter into the Time Bureau, with Zari posing as a prisoner and Charlie as a time agent.

Charlie's cover is blown when the witchy Tabitha finds Neron just a few minutes after Neron saw Charlie disguised as fairy godmother Tabitha.

Zari opens all the cells in the Time Bureau as Charlie sets a Time Corridor portal into the Waverider at the end of the detention level's main hallway.

Gary wishes for his fairy godmother to rescue John and Ray from Hell, not knowing that Nora is now his fairy godmother.

Charlie is able to free all of the magical creatures and rescue Mona, though she's left trapped in Mona's cell.

Neron wants to kill Charlie but Tabitha says they can use Charlie's powers to create whatever magical monsters they want for his attack on the Capitol.

John discovers that Astra's time in Hell has turned her into a demon. She refuses to go back to Earth, breaking John's deal with the Triumvirate, who decided it is more fun to torture John and that they can deal with Neron themselves.

When we last see John, he is trapped in a cell, with Calibraxis advancing on him with a curved blade. We hear the sound of flesh being cut and a scream after things go to black.

It is revealed that the dragon egg is hatching in a young Zari's bedroom.


Location

Zari Tomaz's Childhood Home - Outside Washington DC - 2019
Hell
Time Bureau HQ - Washington DC - 2019
PalmerX 2019 - Washington DC - 2019


Untelevised Adventures

Gary leads his team of Legends in stopping a fairy from disrupting an episode of The Great British Bake Off.


The Bottom Line

A decent but not great episode which sets the stage for the season finale well enough. It seems like the whole cast is stretched too thin, but there are about a dozen players to keep track of. Still, there's a lot of solid ideas here and the show moves between them quickly enough that it doesn't seem overwhelming.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 14 - Nip/Stuck

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




Plot

A wedge is driven between the team after Mick makes a tough call when Sara hesitates and the team is trapped in the Ice Age as a result. While Neron takes John Constantine back to the Dark Ages in a bid to win his assistance, Zari and Nate try to hatch their dragon egg as Mona and Nora fight to retake the Time Bureau from a power-mad Gary Green.


Influences

Nip/Tuck (the title), The Hitchhiker's Guide The The Galaxy (the gag in Ray's survival guide about how to survive an avalanche), The Empire Strikes Back (Sara and Gideon have a tribute to the "Never tell me the odds." scene.) and Hellblazer Annual #1 (character of King Kon-Sten-Tyn. )


Goofs

It was previously said that demons cannot survive long on Earth without a host body yet Neron wants to open a two-way portal so that Tabitha can come to Earth without needing a host. (Either that rule only applies to summoned demons or the rule doesn't apply to Tabitha, who isn't a proper demon.)


Performances

Once again, Matt Ryan delivers a masterful performance - both as King Konstentyn playing against himself and as John Constantine, with the moment where John realizes that the Puca healing him means.

Caity Lotz and Dominic Purcell get a nice moment together as they are searching Ray's room and reflecting on how, if Ray is gone, then they are the only two original Legends left.


Artistry

The script has a nice metaphor at its core, with King Konstentyn exploiting the fear of his people to gain literal magic power in the same way certain real world politicians exploit people's fear of the unknown to secure their own power.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

This is the first episode in which Ray Palmer does not appear as a character, though Brandon Routh appears, playing Neron in Ray's body. With this episode, this makes Caity Lotz the only actor who has appeared in every episode of Legends of Tomorrow playing the same character and Sara Lance the only character to appear in every episode.

Matt Ryan has a dual role in this episode, playing both John Constantine and his ancestor King Konstentyn.

King Kon-Sten-Tyn first appeared in Hellblazer Annual #1 in 1989, where he was revealed to be the last of the pagan kings of England and the first to follow Arthur after the fall of Camelot.

The Arrowverse version is just about as big a bastard as his comic book counterpart, who sacrificed his two sons to extend his own life and conned the Christians invading England by pretending to convert to Christianity and building temples that were truly devoted to the Pagan gods disguised as Christian churches, all while building his own magical power.

John cuts off King Konstentyn's right hand. In the comics, King Kon-Sten-Tyn lost his arm, but had it replaced with one made of enchanted metal.


Technobabble/Arcana

Demons do not need a host body to come to Earth if they are able to access Earth directly through a portal.

Demons cannot fashion portals in and out of Hell on their own and require a mortal magic user to open the gates for them.

Gideon is able to tune the magic-o-meter on the Waverider to John's specific magical frequency. It will enable Gideon to find him as soon as he casts a spell, no matter where or when he is.

Dragon eggs must be kept at a constant warm temperature underneath the mother dragon.

The primary temporal delineator of the Waverider is rendered nonfunctional due to the extreme weather of the Ice Age.

The portals to Hell John fashions are strictly one-way and are designed to draw people in by force.

John admits he doesn't have the power to create a stable two-way vortex between Earth and Hell.

It is explained that Mick can't use his heat wave gun because it will burn up all the oxygen they have left under the ice before they can begin to melt a way out.

A puca is a nature spirit in Celtic mythology. It is not evil, but can become fearsome as it reflects the nature of the people around it. It will bite and snap at wicked people but be kind and helpful to good souls.

A magician can use the emotional energy of other people to empower their own magic. In this case, King Konstentyn boosts his spells with the power of fear. John learns the same trick by watching him in action, finding the energy to stabilize a portal to Hell into a two-way door.

Dialogue Triumphs

(Gideon explains how she plans to track John down.)

Nate: And what do we do till then?

Zari: Stress eat.

Mick: Drink.

Charlie: Yeah, how'd you lot survive until now? 

Mona: Ava, are you sure this is the best time for performance reviews? 

Ava: There's no better time to assess the performance of our operation.

Mona: But are you sure Gary's qualified for... responsibilities? 

Ava: Of course, Mona.Gary Green is all the man we need.

(Upon locating John Constantine)

Gideon: He's in the part of North America that would come to be known as the Donner Pass, named after a doomed group of settlers in the 1800s who resorted to cannibalism after their food supplies ran out.

Sara: There is such thing as too much exposition, Gideon.

Mick: No one's turning me into beef jerky!

Sara: Gideon, how long until the ice thaws? 

Gideon: The Ice Age ends in 11,121 years.

Charlie: All right, who are we eating first? 'Cause shotgun, not.

(Mona persuades Nora to help her figure out what's going on with Gary.)

Nora: Okay, I will check on Gary, and you contact the Waverider and see if Sara knows anything.

Mona: Mm-hmm.

Nora: And then we're gonna find out what form 37-C is.

Mona: Okay.

Sara: Look, I'm pissed at you because that - wasn't your call to make!

Mick: Someone had to make it. It was our only chance to take out Neron. I made the call you should have!

Charlie: All right, guys, come on. Just pick away, will you? 

Sara: No, this is good. All of a sudden, now, you care about the mission? Where were you when Neron took Ray in the first place? 

Mick: Oh, you're gonna put that on me as well?! 

Charlie: All right, as much as I wanna watch you guys duke it out, lets save it for when we're not freezing to death?

Sara: You know what? Both of you off scamming people at some book convention while there is a demon on our ship!

Mick: Mm, let me get this straight, Captain? You're the only one that can have fun outside of this rusted bucket of bolts? All you do is spend time with the girlfriend and nothing's ever, ever your fault! 

Sara: You know what? You have all the answers? (Sara drops the ice axe) You get us out of here.

(Mick and Sara are digging through Ray's room.)

Sara: (holding up a box) "Cards to Save the Timeline: a team-building card game by Ray Palmer?"

Mick: (grunts) I miss hating him.

Sara: You remember that night when we all met, standing up on that rooftop, and Rip told us that we were gonna be legends? 

Mick: Mm-hmm, embarrassing. (pauses in realization) You know what? We're the last of the originals.

Sara: Weird.

Mick: Yeah, weird.

(Sara picks up a photo of the team from where they first went back to the Old West.)

Sara: Legends were different back then.We were different back then. (pauses) Look, I know that book convention was important to you. And I'm really glad that you got to go.

Mick: (nodding) I'm glad you have Ava.

Sara: Thanks.

(Mick grunts as he moves to another pile of books.)

Sara: Guess we're growing up and hopefully not growing apart.

Mick: Ah! Here we are.

Sara: What is it? 

Mick: (holding up a book) "Ray Palmer's Survival Guide." 

Sara: Let me see this. (starts flipping through the book)  Oh! Hey! "What to do if you're caught in an avalanche."

Mick: Uh-huh, what does it say? 

Sara: Yeah, we've already tried all of these..."If all fails, remember you still have each other... So enjoy that as long as it lasts."

Mick: Ah. We're dead.

(Mona is locked in a cell in the Time Bureau.)

Mona: Who's gonna bring me food if I'm stuck in here? This is how I'm gonna die, isn't it? Without any books or laughter... in the basement of a government building?! 

John: You know, to tell you the truth, I'm bloody well terrified.

(The puca purrs at John.)

John: No. It's not the eternity of torture or the people who are after my head, no. It's that I'll have to watch Raymond and Astra and all the others I've failed be tortured along with me. Even led the Legends to their death. And you're next in line.

(The puca snarls.)

John: Yeah, that's right.You sense the rottenness inside me, don't you? No better than the bloody king.

(The puca reaches up and touches the wound on John's head. It heals instantly.)

John: (confused) Why would you heal a bastard like me?

(The puca purrs at John and he smiles - an honest smile - as he realizes why.)

Wolfie: (To Gary) You will do no more harm with your nipple!

(Ava enters through a Time Corridor onto the deck of the Waverider.) 

Sara: Ava? You okay?

Ava:  It's a long story, but Gary took over the Bureau. He nip-notized everyone.

Nate: Yeah, you're gonna have to explain that.

(John looks at the landscape around him - an urban dystopia darkened by factory smoke, with a fiery volcano in the background.)

John: Bloody Hell.

Continuity

Neron tells John that he needs him to open a portal to Hell so that his beloved Tabitha can join him on Earth.

Nora gets her photo taken for her official Time Bureau agent ID. Mona is placed in charge of her orientation.

Gary speaks with Ava in private. Afterward, she declares that Gary will be in charge of administering this year's performance evaluations.

Nate sets up an incubator for the dragon egg in the Waverider's lab after finding a book about dragons among Constantine's collection.

Neron set a trap for the Legends at Donner Pass in the Ice Age. When Mick fires the Waverider's weapons, Neron just teleports himself and John away. The weapons trigger an avalanche that traps the Waverider under tons of glacial ice.

Neron takes John to Ancient England, where his ancestor was a Celtic king called Konstentyn and the first great mage of the Constantine bloodline.

It's revealed that Len Snart had several fur-lined hooded jackets in the same style, which the Legends use to stay warm. According to Charlie, they all smell like sandalwood.

King Konstentyn is revealed as the one who originally drove a wedge between magical creatures and humanity, by exploiting the fear of his people of what lived out in the woods to increase his own magical power.

King Konstentyn plans to open a portal to Hell and send a puca there.

Nate names the dragon egg Wickstable, because that was the name he gave the dragon in the imaginary theme park he created as a kid.

Zari puts the egg under her shirt after she reads that skin-to-skin contact is needed to hatch a dragon egg.

Charlie changes into Mick in a bid to try and get him and Sara to start working together again by apologizing to Sara as Mick. When that doesn't work, she tells them Ray wouldn't be wasting time arguing with his friends.  Mick and Sara agree and realize that as prepared as Ray was for every disaster, he may have had a plan for what to do if the Waverider was trapped in an avalanche.

Nora is brainwashed by Gary Green.

John tries to talk to his ancestor, but is knocked out on suspicion of being a face-stealer and is sentenced to be sent to Hell with the puca.

Sara orders Gideon to turn up the heat and make hot cocoa and S'mores so that everyone can be comfortable and enjoy themselves if they are going to die.

We see the Legends play two rounds of Ray's "Cards To Save The Timeline" game. The cards make reference to the events of 209 (lethal Star Wars homage), 411 (escape via musical number), every time a member of the team betrayed them to the bad guys and every time the Legends snuck into a party in period-appropriate clothing.

John cuts off King Konstentyn's right hand and stabilizes the portal to Hell that he made, freeing the puca in the process.

Gary Green is revealed to have acquired a hypnotic eye where his left nipple once was.

Mona's Wolfie form is revealed to be a separate personality, who takes control after Gary tries to forcibly hypnotize Mona.

Wolfie is able to literally break Gary's control on Ava and Nora by banging their heads together.

John enters the portal to Hell, intending to save Ray.

Neron uses the portal to summon Tabitha, who is revealed to be the Fairy Godmother from 402 and Neron's lover.

Wolfie bites off Gary's evil nipple.

Tabitha binds herself to Gary and starts granting his wishes, saving him from Wolfie, Ava and Nora.

The episode ends with John in Hell.


Location

What Will Be Northern California - Donner Pass - Ice Age, Three Million Years Ago
Washington DC - Time Bureau HQ - 2019 AD
England, Near Stonehenge - Celtic Village - 55 BC.


The Bottom Line

A solid, fun and funny episode that also has a few sweet and touching moments. 

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 13 - Egg MacGuffin

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



Plot

With Nora in a coma, Ray isn't in a good state of mind even before he learns he's become Neron's latest host. Meanwhile, Sara tries to stoke the romance between Nate and Zari by sending them off on an allegedly easy mission alone, as Mick and Charlie discover an interesting offer that could make them both a bit of money.



Influences

The Evil Dead movies (Ray struggling with his evil hand, his parodying Ash's "groovy" catch-phrase, the severed nipple moving on its own), Raiders of the Lost Ark (Zari and Nate's costumes and aliases, the red-line showing their journey on the map during the travel segues, the "where does it hurt?" scene.) and the movie Entrapment (Nate's going through the trip-wires is a parody of a scene from this movie.)


Performances

Brandon Routh does a phenomenal job of simultaneously playing up the humor and the horror of his possession.

Adam Tsekhman does a phenomenal job with Gary's "turn."


Artistry

The music does a perfect job of emulating the John Williams score from the Indiana Jones movies.

Props to the costume department for perfectly mimicking Marion's dress and Indy's suit for Zari and Nate's "date" clothes.

The show's script and editing are great, subtly hinting at the end with the way the segues overlap (i.e. Sara's talking about the villain being the put-upon assistant as we cut to Gary.)


Trivia Of Tomorrow

The title of the episode comes from two sources - the popular McDonald's breakfast sandwich and the technical fiction writing term MacGuffin.

In fiction writing, a MacGuffin is the term for any object, unimportant to the audience, which sets the action of the story in motion. MacGuffins are frequently left unidentified, the better to keep the audience speculating as to what exactly they are, even though the exact details are not important to the story. Prime examples of MacGuffins include the statue from The Maltese Falcon, the glowing suitcase in Pulp Fiction, the Necronomicon in the Evil Dead movies, the contents of the Arc of the Covenant in Raiders of the Lost Ark and the meaning of the word "Rosebud" in Citizen Kane.

Most of the sequences involving Ray being possessed pay tribute to the Evil Dead movies, which saw the hero struggling with a demonically possessed hand.

By the same token, the Adventurer's Club scenes pay tribute to the Indian Jones movies, particularly Raiders of the Lost Ark. So do Ava's whip tricks during the fight with the Nazis and the recreation of the "Where does it hurt?" scene that closes the episode.

Nate's journey through the trip-wires is a parody of a similar scene in the movie Entrapment, which seemingly existed just to get actress Catherine Zeta-Jones to crawl and suggestively stretch in such a manner as to satisfy the male-gaze of the camera.


Technobabble/Arcana

According to Neron, a demon can take control of a person's soul if that person kills someone they truly love while demonically possessed.

A possessed person cannot tell other people that they are possessed.

The spell that John uses to heal Nora requires the tail-feather of a phoenix. These are quite difficult to come by.

Demons cannot back out of a promise once it is made. This is why Neron cannot harm Nate once Ray agrees to become his host in exchange for a promise not to harm Nate.

John learned a spell from Marie Laveau that lets him bind a demon while it is still inside its host.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Zari is unsure how to take the next step with Nate.)
Sara: I will help you.
Zari: Please don't.
Sara: (knowingly) Relationship. Expert.
(Sara walks off as Zari looks pained, knowing something of Sara's previous relationships.)

(Ray looks down at his demonically possessed hand, horrified.)
Ray: Not groovy. Not groovy at all.

Zari: I - I know these costumes are totally ridiculous.
Nate: You- you-  you look absolutely, um... Yeah, ridiculous.
Zari: Uh, apparently it's all part of a cover story Sara gave me. I'm someone named Marion Ravenwood.
(Nate blinks at this, instantly recognizing the name.)
Nate: Wait...Wait a second.
(Nate fumbles with his wallet to find his fake ID - a membership card with The Adventurer's Club.)
Nate: Huh. Well, it says here I am Dr. Henry Jones Jr. Professor of Archaeology, expert in the occult, and how does one say this? Obtainer of rare antiquities.
(Zari .)
Nate: It's Indiana Jones! (pauses) Yeah.
Zari: (nodding in understanding) Sara set us up.
Nate: What's that?
Zari: Adventurers' Society, everyone else unavailable for the mission, dressing up... like your favorite movie - it's all a set up to send us on the perfect date.
(Nate swallows nervously as the "D" word is said.)
Zari: I totally get if you wanna go back to the ship.
Nate: Or we can see where this mission takes us?
(Nate gestures for Zari to move before him into the club and she does so.)

(Sara is settling down with the trashy novel for book club.)
Sara: Okay, page one.
(Sara looks at the page and then turns to the camera, as if addressing the audience.)
Sara: Is this on audiobook?
(Cut to Sara on a treadmill, listening to the book as she runs.)

Zari: We are crushing this mission, by the way. No classic Legends mishaps. And only one historically insignificant nobody received blunt-force trauma to the head.And now we get our prize.
(Zari moves forward toward the egg but Nate stops her.)
Nate: Wait. Trip wires.
(Nate points out the thin, near invisible wires set up in a mesh around the egg.)
Nate: This is gonna require one of us to squeeze through these trip wires, maneuvering our bodies in unexpected ways.
Zari: (deadpan) Are you asking me to do that?
Nate: No, I'm asking you to hold my coat.

(Charlie still isn't convincingly playing Rebecca's character.)
Mick: You still don't know Rebecca.
Charlie: Well, I know you and you're Rebecca. Your primary mode of communication is grunting like a caveman.
(Mick grunts disapprovingly.)
Charlie: Besides, I mean, Rebecca Silver is whoever we want her to be. These people, they don't know anything about her.
Mick: What are you talking about? They read her books! They read her letters!
Charlie: Her letters? Do you answer your fan mail?
(Mick just stares at her as if to say "Why wouldn't I?")
Charlie: (sighs) I just thought all this was a big laugh at their expense.
Mick: (evenly) Well, it's not.

(Ray is trying to explain that he is possessed.)
Gary: Come on, tell the Garebear what ails ya.
Ray: I- I don't know how to explain it, but it feels like like there's something inside of me.
Gary: Oh, yeah,. You know, there's a beautiful singer inside of me,. But no one's ever gonna meet her.

Nate: Um - I'm sorry that our first date got ruined by Nazis.
Zari: (soft smile) Who says it's ruined?

(Gary locks himself inside the Waverider's brig as Ray advances on him.)
Gary: Ray, Ray? Remember, if you kill a loved one, Neron will take over!
Ray: Oh. Well, here's the thing, Gary. I-I like you, but... (hesitates)
Gary: Oh.
(There is a sight pause as Gary puts on a faked smile.)
Gary:Yeah, got it. Ol' Gare. (sadly) Not loved by the Legends. Bottom of the pecking order at the Bureau. Constantine's plant sitter. Always the butt of the joke.
Ray: Gary, it's not like that...
(Ray's hand shoots up and a monitor comes towards him. Neron, in the form of Ray, appears on the screen.)
Neron: It is like that, Gary. No one appreciates you. They all think you're a fool that they can use whenever it's convenient for them. But I respect you, and I see your potential.
Gary: Neron?
Ray: Gary, don't listen to him. He's trying to trick you!
Neron: A demon can't renege on the deals they make. So you can believe me when I say I can make you whole again.
Gary: Whole?

(Mick takes a microphone from a flailing Charlie.)
Mick: Nasgowa chased Cash for one reason. It's the same reason humans have gotten together since the dawn of time. It's why people like you come to conventions and dress up as your favorite characters. Why a man sits behind a desk, typing, pouring out his heart. Why... an author, a writer, replies to fans. It's connection. Human connection. - I am Rebecca Silver.
(The crowd gasps) 
Mona: You.. ARE Rebecca Silver! I'd recognize that wisdom anywhere!
(The crowd cheers and applauds as Mick looks vaguely uncomfortable at the attention.)

Ray: I'm Ray! The wrist of me isn't!

(After the fight with the Nazis)
Ava: See them whip skills?
Sara: Yeah. It gave me an idea for date night.


Continuity

In 1933, an expedition uncovers a golden egg buried in the Arctic ice.

Sara says that capturing the magical fugitives has been much easier since Neron was apparently defeated last week.

Ava has joined a book club (made up of herself, Nora and Mona) and is trying to get Sara involved in it. Sara isn't that enthused, but is committed to reading some 500 page trashy novel for Ava's sake.

Sara offers to help Zari with getting set up with Nate.

Mona is reading the book club book to Nora.

Ray hasn't been sleeping well due to weird dreams.

Nora hasn't improved since last week, but she hasn't gotten worse either.

John is apparently off researching a way to bring Nora back.

Ray tries to smother Nora with a pillow one-handed. He has to struggle to stop himself.

Neron speaks to Ray through his reflection, threatening to kill Nora if Ray doesn't give up control of his body to Neron.

The men's room on the containment level of the Time Bureau is Gary Green's secret spot to cry.

Mick gets an invitation to appear at a romance novel convention. Despite being offered $20,000, he refuses on the grounds that he does not look like a romance novel writer.

Charlie discovers the invitation and says she can pose as Rebecca Silver for Mick and they can split the money.

Ava tracks a new fugitive to New York City in 1933 at a meeting of the Adventurer's Society.

Nate is familiar with The Adventurer's Society of 1933 and describes it as the coolest place ever.

Sara sends Nate and Zari off on the mission to investigate the Adventure's Society together.

Ava bets Sara $20 that Nate and Zari won't hook up on the mission.

Charlie puts together a costume with frizzy hair, glasses, a zebra-skin blazer and short black skirt to pose as Rebecca Silver. Mick approves of the outfit, apart from switching out the glasses for a pair with cats-eye style red frames.

Ray refuses to go on the mission because he's working on something for "N-" Nate assumes he means Nora, but he can't say the name Neron.

Charlie and Mick refuse to go on the mission because they are going to the convention. This leaves Zari and Nate alone.

Sara sets Nate and Zari up with costumes based on Raiders of the Lost Ark. Their fake IDs identify them as Dr. Henry Jones Jr. and Marion Ravenwood.

Sara gives up on reading the book for book club and listens to the audio book, at 4x speed, while jogging on the treadmill.

The big ceremony at the Adventurer's Society is to honor an explorer named Gordon Gilchrist, whose flag is being retired after he discovered the Golden Egg in the arctic wastes.

In truth, all of the discovery was done by Gilchrist's assistant, Vincent.

Ray has no luck creating a scientific vaccine to neutralize Neron.

Constantine's last known whereabouts were in 2019 with Gary Green.

Neron short-circuits Gideon so Ray can't have her call Constantine for help.

Ray tries to call Gary to get John for him, but Gary comes over to the Waverider instead.

Zari and Nate knock out Vincent in order to get to the egg.

Mick takes the people who like his work seriously and doesn't see his writing as a way to scam money. This stuns Charlie, who thought the whole thing was just a joke.

The Golden Egg turns out to be paper mache, suggesting someone already switched the real egg for the fake one.

Mona doesn't know that Mick is Rebecca Silver.

Mona abandons book club night to go go to the romance novel convention after getting a message from a friend that Rebecca Silver will be appearing there in person and revealing herself to the world for the first time.

Ava admits that she doesn't read the books for book club either. She just goes to drink wine and let her brain shut off for a bit while Mona does most of the talking.

Ava is impressed and touched that Sara really did read the book so they could try and do something non-work related together.

John Constantine let Gary study his spellbooks in exchange for watering his plants while he was away finding a cure for Nora.

Gary refers to himself as an "Intern of the Dark Arts."

Nate and Zari are approached by two Nazis who are after the Golden Egg. They think the Nazis are actors hired by Sara to make the date adventure even more exciting.

Sara and Ava show up to rescue Nate and Zari after they call in to "congratulate" her on the well-played fake adventure.

Nate and Zari were able to free themselves first.

Nate goes back to check on Ray while the ladies retrieve the egg.

Mona recognizes Charlie and nearly ruins the event by asking a question that the real Rebecca Silver should have known but Charlie doesn't.

Mick reveals himself as the real Rebecca Silver to answer Mona's question and is beloved by the crowd.

Ava is a surprisingly skilled whip fighter, using a whip to disarm a Nazi with a machine gun.

Sara is apparently curious about BDSM and playing a submissive role.

Ray agrees to willingly host Neron if he promises not to harm Nate.

Neron gives Gary back his nipple, making him whole, in exchange for his service.

Ray, Gary and the unconscious John teleport away with the time stone.

Ava makes Nora Darhk an official Time Bureau agent.

Zari and Nate finally kiss for the first time, for real.

Zari and Nate discover the Golden Egg is a dragon egg.


Location

Arctic Wastelands- 1933
New York City - The Adventurer's Society - 1933
Seattle - RomantiCon - 2019


Untelevised Adventures

Sara and Zari had some kind of adventure where they had to capture a mummy.

John is away for most of the episode doing the research to save Nora and trying to acquire the tail feather of a phoenix. He has apparently been time-traveling while doing this (using Damien Darhk's time stone) and went back to learn a demon-binding spell from Marie Laveau.


The Bottom Line

A definite contender for the top five best episodes list. The writing is smart, the entire ensemble is utilized perfectly and the ending is powerful.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 12 - The Eggplant, The Witch & The Wardrobe

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




Plot

 As Nora Darhk and John Constantine reluctantly join forces to combat Neron, Sara must save Ava from her own personal purgatory while battling her own inner demons. Meanwhile, as Ray and Nate go to investigate Hank's "special project," Zari gets unsolicited advice from everyone regarding her feelings for Nate... even Mick!


Influences

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (title), Jurassic Park (Nate calls his father's idea for a magical theme park Jur-Magic Park) and What Dreams May Come (the hero going into Hell to rescue the person they love).


Goofs

Shouldn't there be someone besides Ray in the Comms room watching the prisoners?


Performances

It's a brief moment, but the scene near the end with John and Ray watching over an unconscious Nora is a good bit of silent acting for Brandon Routh and Matt Ryan, where a lot is said without anything being said based on the pauses and body language.


Artistry

The design of Ava's purgatory and all the various doll boxes is nice.


Trivia Of Tomorrow

The realm in which Ava is trapped is described as a purgatory and not part of Hell. In some Christian traditions, Purgatory is a realm reserved for sinners who aspired to Heaven but did not repent before death. They are allowed to work off their sins by suffering for a time before being allowed admission to Heaven.

Purgatory, it should be noted, is different from the state of Limbo, which is typically reserved for innocents who were unworthy of Heaven due to a lack of faith.


Technobabble/Arcana

Nora Darhk can track a person's whereabouts with a sample of their blood.

According to John, demons require a mortal vessel in order to operate on Earth. Typically they possess a willing host (i.e. a magician who bargains for power in exchange for letting the demon take control for a time)

If the soul attached to a mortal body is not willing to let the demon inside, it has to force its way in, sending the soul into a purgatory of sorts. The purgatory is made up of the worst fears and nightmares of the soul, wearing it down until it gives in to the invading demon or becomes lost. Typically, the soul only has a certain amount of time to escape this purgatory.

It is possible for a magician to send another person into this purgatory, but there is nothing they can do to protect that person once they are there. The ritual John uses to do this requires that he make a circle around Sara and Ava using some sort of ash and a chant in Latin.

Nora uses the word limbo to describe the dimension that Sara and Ava are in. This suggests that this state is different from Limbo and Purgatory which are specific realms referred to by various religious denominations.

John has a charm that can prevent Neron from speaking. Combined with the right chant, it crates a golden ball of light that can knock Neron out.

Sula the Wolf Witch spoke of how it was possible to smother a demon by freeing them from its earthly vessel, like a fish out of water.

Dogs can sense the presence of a demon possessing someone and will react violently in their presence.


Dialogue Triumphs

(Nora offers to help Sara track Ava through her connection with Neron.)
John: Demons communicate. He'll know your past. How susceptible you are. You're a liability.
Ray: She's not a liability! She's a survivor. Unlike you, she's turned her dark experiences into a  source of strength! Not an excuse for alcoholism or chain smoking! She also saved your life.
(There's a pause as John rolls his eyes and Ray realizes he might be white-knighting a bit too hard.)
Ray: Sorry. Would you like to add anything?
Nora: No. That about covers it.

Nate: My dad made a deal with a demon to open a theme park?!

Sara: I've died, lost my soul and escaped a demon realm. I'm pretty sure I can handle Ava's purgatory.

Mick: Where's Sara?
Zari: She's with Constantine and Nora trying to find Ava.
Gideon: Actually, they've just returned and Mr. Constantine has called a team meeting in the lab.
Charlie: He can do that?
Mick: No.
Zari: (sighing) Let's go, dummies.
(Zari leaves the room with Charlie and Mona following behind her. Mick sits down and begins eating Zari's abandoned meal.)

Ava: Look, you're allowed to want things sometimes, Sara.
Sara: But what if I can't be the person that you need?
Ava: Let's be honest - neither of us needs anybody, right? But you are who I want.

(Mona is trying to get Zari to send Nate a sexy text with Emojis. Zari is reluctant. Mick is at his typewriter working while this is going on. Suddenly, Mick pulls out a page.)
Mick: Here. Use words.  It's erotic but vulnerable.
(Zari looks hesitantly at the typewritten page.)
Zari: Okay. Let me see it.
(Zari takes the page and reads it.)
Zari: (To Mick, coolly) I am not saying "bulge."

(Nora gets shaken as Neron talks directly into her head again.)
John: (suspiciously) You alright there, love?
Nora: Yeah. I just need some coffee. I'm fine.
(Nora gets up and moves past John to the next room.)
John: And I'm sober.
(John take a pull from his whiskey.)

Neron: (describing John Constantine) Cocky cowboy wearing his hangover like a ten-gallon hat.

(As Ava and Sara take their leave of the Emoji conversation, as Zari fights Charlie and Mona for her phone.)
Ava: You know, we should probably talk about whether or not we want kids.
Sara: Eh - let's wait until the other eight are old enough to handle it.

John: I'm not asking for forgiveness, Des.
Desmond: (coldly) Good.
John: (moving to cut him off as he tries to walk away) Just wait... wait, Des.
Desmond: You saved me, Johnny. I'm grateful for that. But it doesn't change anything.
John: I know. (holds up a mind eraser) You know I can make it all go away, Des. Make you forget.
(Desmond just look at John.)
Desmond: No. You sent me to Hell. (pauses) That's something we're both going to have to live with.
(Desmond walks to the Time Bureau exit and doesn't look back, as John just stands there.)

(Ray and John are watching over an unconscious Nora)
Ray: I couldn't let her get hurt again.
John: Oh yeah, well, you just rolled straight in there like a knight in shining armor, and nearly got her killed.
Ray: (quietly) I didn't mean to.
(There's a long pause. It's clear John is thinking about Desmond and his own actions trying to save his boyfriend.)
John: (commiserating) Yeah, I know.


Continuity

Sara finds her and Ava's apartment ransacked.

John confirms that Nora Darhk didn't kill Hank - it was Neron.

Nora says that she developed a connection to Neron she can use to track him.

John does not trust Nora because he thinks shes susceptible to being influenced by demons after being a host for Mallus.

Nora does not trust John because he abandoned her to the Order of the Shrouded Compass in 310.

John, Nora and Sara determine that Ava was kidnapped two weeks ago.

Nora is able to sense that Ava was thrown against a mirror, which broke, before being strangled.

Nate has Gary help him start shredding all the documents involving Hank's plays for Heyworld.

Gary says he feels like Erin Brockovich, though Nate rightly points out that they are the bad guys attempting a cover-up in this scenario.

Ray tells Gary and Nate that Ava is missing

Gary is confirmed to be Jewish, as he makes reference to having a dream about Ava driving him to Schul.

Gary goes off to take care of Ava.

Ray tells Nate about Hank's deal with Neron.

Nate tells Ray about the plan for Heyworld.

Nate gets a phone call from a man named Mikey T. who is overseeing the construction of the theme-park at Buckwood Downs.

Nora tracks Ava to a cheap motel called The Sleepaway Inn. She's alive but non-responsive.

John guesses that Neron is preparing Ava to become a demonic vessel - either a replacement for his current body or someone else.

John sends Sara into Ava's personal purgatory.

Ava's personal purgatory resembles an IKEA-like store called MegaStör.

Mona declares that Zari and Nate's couple's name should be Natari.

Gary says he will watch after Sara and Ava while the rest of the Legends are dealing with John, Charlie and Nora go after Neron.

Mikey T. recognizes Nate as he shares his dad's jawline. He says Hank talked about how great Nate was all the time.

The construction team is currently working on a dragon's lair and a unicorn rodeo/jousting arena.

Nate tells Mikey T. to start tearing down the whole park.

After Gary starts taking care of Ava and talking out-loud about how he is there for her, Gary appears in Ava's purgatory as one of the employees.

Gary in Purgatory suggests that Ava and Sara check out the wardrobe department.

Sara and Ava have to put together a wardrobe in order to make a doorway out. The wardrobe falls apart when Sara just tries to put it together intuitively. Ava insists on using the directions but they wind up having pieces left over. Eventually the door opens when they agree that what they made together doesn't have to be perfect to work.

Neron whistles "Pop Goes The Weasel" as a continual tick.

Charlie, Nora and John are able to trap Neron by having Charlie pose as Ava.

Nora and John lock Neron up in a cell at the Time Bureau and within a magic circle.

Neron tells Nora and John that all he's doing is fanning the flames of what mortals do to themselves when Nora asks if he's trying to inflict fear and anger on humanity.

Gary in Purgatory tells Ava and Sara they have to choose the right mattress to move on. He also says they have to get out of the store before Tabitha shows up.

Sitting on the mattresses ages Sara and Ava . The two wind up arguing over price vs. reliability and the test ultimately leads the two to discuss that they aren't afraid of committing to each other or growing old with each other but that Sara has issues with planning for the future and Ava can't face the future blind. They pass on when they agree they don't need each other but they do want to be with each other, no matter what.

Sara and Ava once went on a date to an escape room together.

When Nate learns that Neron has been captured, he locks himself in the cell with him.

Neron tells Nate that Hank was an unfortunate snag in his plans. He had no interest in building a theme park - that was all Hank's idea.

Neron gave Hank power in exchange for access to an army of nightmarish creatures that could terrorize people into giving up their souls.

Ray just barely stops Nate from breaking the circle around Neron. Nate snaps out of his rage when he punches Ray and realizes he's being manipulated.

Sara and Ava wind up in a mock-up of their kitchen where the realities of real life (washing dishes, garbage,light fixtures breaking, bills to sort through) keep piling up and threatening to overwhelm them. Ava disappears after Sara dismisses her declaration that she wants a life with Sara and to have hobbies and something outside her job as a "time-traveling superhero" even if that means dealing with the boring stuff. Sara refuses to go to the suburbs and recycle until she dies.

Sara escapes into an aisle full of Ava clones, all set up in boxes like Barbie dolls. The variants include Sexy Ava (low-cut dress), Healthy Ava (aerobics outfit), Fun Ava, Exploring Ava (astronaut), Luxurious Ava (sunglasses and fancy dress) and Assertive Ava (soldier).

Mona tries to get Zari to compose a sexy emoji message to send Nate.

Mick writes a romantic message for Zari to text Nate.

Nora goes to Neron, apparently ready to make a deal.

Neron claims to be capable of bringing Nora's dad back from the dead. He confirms that Damien Darhk is in Hell and that he misses his daughter.

Neron makes reference to his Tabitha being on Earth soon and how they'll put John away for good. It was his intention to make Ava into a vessel for Tabitha.

Ray convinces Nate that he should be proud of the man he helped Hank to become in all the time they spent together at the end. This inspires Nate to stop the Heyworld from being destroyed.

Nora seemingly turns on John and gets ready to free Neron.

Sara flees the aisle and, once the lights are out and she's refused to pic one of the other Avas, she goes into the As-Is section of the store. It is here she finds the real Ava. This test was born over Ava's anxieties over being a clone and how Sara could have any other woman, so why would she want her when she's nothing special?

This revelation - that Sara sees her as someone unique - gets Sara and Ava out of the purgatory.

The alarms go off as Neron leaves Desmond's body, as Neron prepares to enter Nora. Ray sees this from the comms room.

In his natural form, Neron looks like a black smokey clowd with glowing red eyes and a red heart.

It's at this point we realize this was a planned trap and that Constantine was playing possum.

Together, Nora and John attempt to hold Neron in place. Unfortunately, Ray charges into the room, distracting John, which breaks the spell.

Nora releases a blast of violet energy that seems to drive Neron off but also knocks her unconscious.

Zari ultimately decides to just ask Nate out for a date directly. She regrets this immediately.

Nate changes into his Steel form to stop a wrecking ball from destroying the dragon lair. Unfortunately, his phone is destroyed in the process, so he doesn't get Zari's message.

Zari chickens out on asking Nate out after she goes to ask him about the text.

Desmond says he wants nothing to do with John and nothing from him.

Desmond also refuses John's offer to erase his memory of all the time he spent in Hell.

Nora is stable but unresponsive after the battle with Neron.

John promises the unconscious Nora that he won't abandon her this time.

Neron is revealed to have taken refuge in Ray's body, as he begins whistling "Pop Goes The Weasel."


Location

Ava's Apartment - Washington DC - 2019
The Sleepaway Inn - Washington DC - 2019
The future site of Heyworld - Washington DC - 2019
Time Bureau HQ - Washington DC - 2019


The Bottom Line

A bit of a waste of most of the cast, who have nothing better to do than harass Zari about her love life. The purgatory scenes also fall flat due to the erratic pacing and the unnecessary (for once) addition of Gary adding levity where it really should be tenser. The bits with John and Nora almost make-up for it. As it is, this episode is far from bad, but it's not as great as the rest of the season so far.

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 4, Episode 11 - Séance and Sensibility

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




Plot

When Mona discovers that her favorite writer of all time, Jane Austen, is at the center of a potential magical catastrophe, she takes Sara, Zari and Charlie with her on a mission to 1809. Back in the present, Constantine and Mick look into the supernatural weirdness around Hank Heywood's wake, as Ray and Nora wind up in close quarters, when Ray decides to hide Nora in his room while trying to prove her innocence.


Influences

The novels of Jane Austen. The Incredible Hulk (Mona now has a seperate personality when she transforms who thinks Mona is weak) Bollywood musicals. Jurassic World (Hank's ill-advised plan for a monster theme park.)


Performances

Who knew Tala Ashe could sing so well?

It's hard to pick one great moment from this, but Brandon Routh and Courtney Ford's non-singing duet and dance was my favorite.


Artistry

The script is full of a rare degree of wit, with some clever segues between the scenes and some truly amusing dialogue.

The whole musical number is beautiful. The lyrics. The dancing. The costumes. And it's funny to boot!


Trivia Of Tomorrow

When Ray realizes Sara is taking a call about a mission, he says :"Legends Assemble!"  This is a clear nod to the catch-phrase of Marvel Comics' Avengers.

Zari makes mention of the Bechdel Test as the other ladies on the team are giving her a hard time about Nate. The Bechdel Test is named for cartoonist Allison Bechdel, whose comic Dykes To Watch Out For first suggested that one could determine if a film was sexist or not based on three criteria - it must have at least two female characters, it must have a scene where these two characters talk to each other and this conversation must be about something besides men.


Technobabble/Arcana

John notes that one of the prayers Nate's aunt is reciting is specifically meant to ward off evil spirits during a wake.

John also notes that Nate's family observes the custom of covering mirrors during a time of mourning. There are many superstitions in many cultures for why this is done, from denying entry to evil spirits to preventing the mirror from becoming cursed should it catch an image of the deceased once the body is moved. Practically, it is done so that the mourners will not be concerned about their appearance and preen when they should be thinking of the deceased.

Kamadeva (or simply Kama) is the Hindu God of Love. In this case, Love meaning lust or desire rather than chaste, romantic love.

As Mona notes, the Kama Sutra (an ancient Hindu text on finding love and maintaining a successful romantic life) is named after Kamadeva, though the book is better remembered today for its sexual instructions than for its spiritual instruction on achieving oneness with another soul through true love.

The ashes of Kamadeva have the power to inspire a person to act on their existing desire. If they are asleep, this will result in their having an erotic dream. Based on the fact that Sara dreams of Ava and Mona of the Kaupe, it seems these dreams are inclined to be based on whoever that person is most devoted to emotionally. Otherwise, they will dream of someone they are attracted to, as with Charlie's dream of David Bowie. If they are with the object of their affection (as in the case of Ray and Nora) they will act upon the impulse.

Sanjay speaks of having gathered up Kamadeva's ashes after he was immolated by Shiva. This is a reference to one of the key legends regarding Kamadeva, who it is said allowed himself to be consumed by Shiva's anger after awakening Shiva from his meditations. This is said to have spread love throughout all living things as Kamadeva's physical essence was destroyed and this, in turn, inspired Shiva to mate with the goddess Pravati, resulting in the birth of a prophecized god who was able to slay the demon Tarakasura, who it was said could only die at the hands of a son of Shiva. It is later said that Kamadeva was reincarnated as Pradyumna - another son of Shiva and one of the four avatars of Vishnu.

John knows a seance spell that allows him to summon a spirit into a living human body. In this case, he summons Hank Heywood into Mick Rory's body.


Dialogue Triumphs

John: You feel the energy in this room? It's like sitting on a keg of dynamite. You see, wakes are notorious soft spots where the supernatural meets the living world. See Nate's aunt? (gestures to a woman sitting by the casket) That particular prayer is to ward off evil spirits. And they've covered the mirrors, so the bad lads can't get in.
Ray: Well, that's creepy.
John: Yeah, well, creepy is my business.
(Suddenly, the lamp next to the covered mirror begins to flicker and an electric buzzing can be heard.)
John: (worried) And it looks like business is good.

(Nora contacts Ray through a mirror at the Heywood home during the wake.)
Ray: Nora? How how are you doing that?
Nora: It's a reflection spell. I can't hold it much longer.
Ray: (firmly) Well, good, because there's nothing you could possibly say that would make any difference. This time there will be no more second chances!
Nora: Ray! I didn't kill Nate's dad!
Ray: (breaking down instantly) Oh, thank God, you're innocent!
(Nora, despite herself, rolls her eyes.)

(Zari and Kamadeva are making out in the brig of the Waverider.  Suddenly, Nate is behind Zari, kissing the back of her neck as Kamadeva kisses the side of her face. Zari seems to enjoy it for a moment before looking up at the audience.)
Zari: Damn it. This is definitely a dream.

Zari: You shouldn't mess with people's dreams.
Sanjay: My powers don't create passion out of thin air. Whomever you dreamt about, you truly desire.
Zari: It doesn't mean I have to act on it. It's called impulse control.
Sanjay: You sound like a woman who has never let herself fall in love.
Zari: Where I'm from, love is a liability.
Sanjay: And yet a life without love is no life at all.

Jane Austen: (To Mona) May I offer you a bit of advice? My books advocate a partnership based on love and mutual respect, not on losing control.
(Cut To: Zari and Sanjay, spinning around in a courtyard, clearly losing control.)

Honestly, the whole musical number. But especially...

Nora: Ray, this music, - I think it's magical.
Ray: You're right. I want to express my feelings to you in verse.
Nora: Is that really necessary?
Ray: I had a dirty dream of you.
Nora: I'll bet mine was dirtier.
Nora: Why didn't you go and make a move?
Ray: I would have, if you'd been flirtier.
Ray: Okay. It's just complicated. If Nate knew, he'd be enraged.
Nora: I know, and I'm sorry, but my desire's been uncaged. Don't let this moment pass us by. It could be our only chance.
Ray: You're right. I need you now. Sorry, Nate and Captain Lance.


Dialogue Disasters

Wolfie: Mona is weak! Wolfie is strong!


Continuity

Sara, Mick, John and Ray show up for Hank's funeral.

Zari says she can keep pretending to be Nate's girlfriend for however long it takes since Nate is afraid that the news of them fake-breaking up will upset his mother even more.

Ray feels strange about seeing Nate, since he and Nora were pen-pals and Nora has been blamed for Hank's death.

Nora contacts Ray through a mirror and tells her she is innocent.

Mona is now calling her beast-form Wolfie.

Charlie tries to trigger Mona's transformations using meat. She encourages Mona to embrace her new poer but Mona is trying to maintain her humanity.

Mona is still a vegetarian, despite her new power.

Mona and Charlie realize something happened to Jane Austen because the names of her heroines are disappearing from Mona's T-Shirt, which reads "Elinor & Elizabeth & Jane & Emma." By the time she calls Sara, everyone but Emma has disappeared.

Gideon confirms this means that some magical fugitive had gotten to Jane Austen while she was attending a wedding in Bath in 1802 and that as a result she never wrote Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice.

Ray, Zari and Sara leave the wake early.

Ray says he will quarterback the mission from his bedroom.

Mona has developed an enhanced sense of smell because of her new powers. She claims to be able to smell Nate on Zari as well as her arousal.

Sara tells Zari about how Nate confessed his love for her after swallowing the truth bug in 410.

Zari is saved from being run over by a horse trying to retrieve Mona's bonnet by a handsome coachman.

Zari, Sara, Mona and Charlie wind up seating behind Jane Austen at the wedding. To Mona's horror, Jane is cynical about love and declares that the groom is desirable because of his wealth.

The wedding breaks down after the bride confessed her love for a scullery maid and the groom confesses his love for the bride's mother. The entire party erupts into an orgy as various people begin kissing regardless of propriety, age or gender.

Ray sneaks Mona onto the Waverider and plots to hide her in his room.

Charlie determines that the wedding was the second of two lust-outbreaks in Bath in 1802.

Mona and Sara go to interview Jane Austen, figuring if anyone noticed a newcomer to town it would be here, as Zari goes to chat with the coachman and see if he or any servants have noticed anything amiss.

Jane Austen says that everyone in Bath has been acting strangely since the arrival of Lord Remmington a week earlier.

John has a vision of Hank's soul screaming after he touches a mirror.

Sara and Mona determine that Lord Remmington is a drunken lout and that the man all the young ladies are swooning over is his coachman.

The coachman claims to be Kamadeva - The Hindu God of Love.

Zari is the first woman to ever resist Kamadeva's advances, according to Kamadeva This makes him more enamored of her.

By the time "Kamadeva" is locked up on the ship, the name "Emma" has disappeared completely from Mona's T-shirt.

Ray has a miniature castle with toy knights in his bedroom.

Nora has no problem with stripping down in front of Ray.

Ray is scared to so much as touch Nora.

Ray apparently has the ability to sleep anywhere and snores.

Nate attends to use his toast to burn his father as the liar and thief that he apparently was.

John says that Hank's spirit is desperately trying to stay attached to the mortal realm and he wants Nate to help him hold a seance to see what he has to say.  Nate refuses, saying he has no interest in anything Hank has to say at this point.

"Kamadeva" is able to use his influence to influence to push Ray to try and seduce Nora.

Sara has an erotic dream of Ava.

Charlie has an erotic dream about David Bowie.

Mona dreams of the Kaupe, but her expression suggests nothing sexual happened.

Zari has a dream about Kamadeva and Nate at the same time.

Mona changes into Wolfie after she becomes upset when Zari says that romance isn't real and Mona takes it as another insult of her romantic nature.

Wolfie changes back to Mona when Jane Austen says she does believe in love - so much so that she refused the only proposal she ever got because the man was a simpleton who didn't read anything but sermons.

Kamadeva reveals himself to be Sanjay - a mortal man who gathered up the ashes of Kamadeva after he was immolated by Shiva. He says the ashes gave him powers beyond imagining apart from inspiring lust, including some degree of eternal youth and immortality.

Zari decides to give herself over completely to Sanjay's powers.

Nate doesn't quite unload on Hank in his toast but he does say he was a workaholic who never took a day off, so he could finally rest in peace.

Nate's mom tells a story about how they planned for a year to go to Disney World as a family when Nate was a kid, but now Nate had to go to the hospital because of his hemophilia. Hank responded to this by renting a Mickey Mouse costume, going to the hospital to visit Nate and then visiting every other sick kid there and giving them a personal visit from Mickey Mouse. She says that Nate was not perfect but that at his best he could make people believe in magic.

Jane Austen explains to Mona that she decided to stop writing because her work was meant to satirize the manners of her society. What that society having lost all sense of decorum, coupled with a steady stream of rejection letters, she's decided there's no point in continuing.

Sanjay admits to having married 1000 times since he go Kamadeva's powers.

John performs a seance and channels Hank Heywood into Mick Rory's body to ask why he's so upset.

Hank tells John about how he made a mistake and made a bargain with a man - unlimited funding and all he had to do was give him access to the magical creatures in the Time Bureau. He didn't realize the man was a demon until after his death. He tells John the demon's name is Neron.

Nate discovers a secret passageway in his father's house, triggered by pulling a book on Disneyland. This leads into a secret study full of various files and a video camera, containing a file of Hank asking for investors to help him create a theme park full of magical creatures like the one Nate made a drawing of when he was a kid, called Heyworld.

Nate realizes his father wasn't involved in torturing the magical creatures - he was trying to make his son's childhood dream come true to make up for all the time he lost with Nate.

Neron reveals himself to John and taunts him - first as John's reflection and then as Desmond and then in his true form.



Location

Washington DC - 2018
Bath, England - 1802


The Bottom Line

Honestly, the story is all over the place and the important plot details with Hank and John all get rushed in the final segment. The resolution with Jane Austen is a bit pat (all it takes to restore the timeline is one werewolf fangirl telling Jane she'll be a success) and we never to find out what the Legends do with Sanjay. Still, for that musical number and all the comedy bits that work... all is forgiven.