LEGENDS OF TOMORROW Season 2 Episode 7 ' Invasion' Review: If you haven’t been following the DC Week crossover, stop! Do not read anything else! This is the beginning of the end and you’ve been warned! Also maybe a little shamed, because how could you be missing this goodness? Shirk your responsibilities, skip work tomorrow, and catch up immediately!
That said, if you’re still here, I assume you’re ready to discuss the epic conclusion of our first ever four-part crossover that did so many awesome things, like bringing Supergirl into the Arrowverse, letting Mick meet a whole new group of people to nickname (because he’s the best at it), and taught us that literally everything wrong in the galaxy could be blamed on Barry Allen.
The 100th episode of ARROW left us with an emotional hangover, but it also set up the battle for Earth (that’s Earth 1, so we’re clear) that our heroes and Legends would have to fight. With the non-Metas returning from being trapped in the alternate reality delusions created by the Dominators, the team attempts to figure out what the aliens are up to and, how they can be stopped.
For those familiar with the Dominators, this was the moment you began bouncing up and down in your seat at the impending Meta bomb. Not because anyone would want to see our beloved Metas harmed, but because it is such a key part of the Invasion storyline and it was actually happening! Of course, the team seemed a lot less excited about this, but with Stein and Little Stein (can we keep her, please?!) on the case, no alien tech could be too advanced for them.
In order to truly understand who the Dominators are and what they’re up against, the team decides they need to find a Dominator of their own to “communicate” with. Which means they have to go back to the first time Dominators arrived on Earth. With Barry being on time travelling lock down (did I mention everyone blames Barry for literally ALL of this?), who else is going to go back in time without messing things up (yeah, right) but the Legends (no seriously, pot meet kettle).
Nate decides he and Mick will take the Waverider to wrangle up a Dominator. Too stoked to pass up the chance to travel through time and interact with aliens, Cisco and Felicity join the members of the crew travelling back (which thankfully finally includes Amaya). Of course, the second they land they get told they have to stay on the ship, and the newest members of the Legends (and Mick) try to catch a Dominator on their own.
When that fails epically, the techie twosome saves the day. If they ever decide to do buddy comedy one-offs for Cisco and Felicity, we’re there.
Meanwhile, back in the future Hall of Justice…
No, but really isn’t that amazing that the Hall of Justice is part of the Star Labs corporation?
But in less cool moments, back in the present day, the expanded team has just learned the reason the Dominators have returned to Earth is because of Barry and his Meta- mess ups being broadcast through space (#blamebarry), and the only way to save Earth is to sacrifice him to the Dominators. Which, of course, Barry is all too willing to do. But it’s not really Barry’s decision. And his friends, even those who have literally blamed him every step of the way (looking at you, Cisco), finally realize they can’t let Barry give himself over, no matter the cost.
As per usual on Legends of Tomorrow the second the team resolves their problems and is ready to work together, they have to split up to face enemy attacks on multiple fronts. The crossover is no exception, just bigger stakes. Because aliens.
Sara and Cisco hop into The Waverider with the intention of going after the Meta bomb on its way towards Earth. They’re plan is to beam it into the Waverider’s pull and keep it from entering Earth’s atmosphere where all of the Metas will be wiped out. It proves a lot more difficult than they expected, but could anything really be that easy?
Of course not, which is why everyone else on the team is down on Earth fighting against an army of aliens. With the Steins’ super problem solving skills, they develop a device that will weaken the Dominators, causing them immense pain. While the team throws everything they have at them, Barry (and eventually Kara) runs around tagging each of the evil aliens with the device, hoping to slow them down. The entire crossover was a series of epic team ups, mixing new and old members of different groups together, but seeing nearly everyone on that rooftop working as one to destroy the Dominators was quite possibly the most fantastic scene to come to DCTV so far. It was action-packed at every turn, filled with crazy creepy Dominators, and incredibly amazing.
Of course, there was still that whole Meta bomb thing going on.
With Sara and Cisco struggling to pull the bomb away from Earth, Sara calls for help. Breaking away from the battle, Firestorm trans-mutates the bomb, gaining strength from Stein’s realization (and actual admission) of his love for his daughter, Lily, newly created by his time meddling (not Barry’s. Someone didn’t blame him? Shocker, I know).
With the bomb destroyed, and the devices taking out Dominators, the expanded team watches as the aliens flee Earth, the day saved…at least for now.
A four-part crossover demands an extreme wrap up, and we definitely got that. With awards of thanks from the new President, and an actual party where people can enjoy themselves, the heroes and Legends finally get to let off steam. It’s here that the best line of the night gets delivered by Ray with the off-handed comment that Kara looks a lot like his cousin (love those meta jokes). Each of the different goodbyes comes with its own set of emotions, but none as much as Sara and Oliver’s recounting of what they saw on the Dominators’ ship, reliving what could have been. They’ve shared so many losses over the years it’s nice to see them get that moment of closure and peace together. Almost as nice as getting to see Sara destroy Darhk the way she really wants to during that same alternate reality.
And with excitement for crossovers still at its highest, Cisco’s device to help Kara go back and forth between universes was the exact thing we needed to ensure that more awesome, possibly musical, crossovers continue to happen (please bring Winn with you for that one, Kara. All musicals need Jeremy Jordan).
The crossover may have ended on a happy note, but none of our heroes are heading back to sunny days. And with mid-season finales on the horizon, things are definitely going to get darker (darhker?) before they get better. The teaser for next week’s Legends showed growth coming to the Legion of Doom, which generally sparks disaster. But while the rogues are fanning the flames of their anger, next week looks like it might actually get a little Cold.
Written by Shannon Brewer, LoT Beat Writer -- Click to read Shannon's posts
Crossover Event Post Links:
SUPERGIRL
THE FLASH
ARROW