With Rip turned dark (and god, do I love evil Rip), the locations of the Spear of Destiny fragments are in danger. And while the team discovers the first missing piece is in Detroit in the year 3000 (cue the Jonas Brothers song here), Rip not only recovers the fragment but also leaves a statement behind in his wake. The death of Doctor Midnight.
Amaya’s anger at the death of her former teammate puts her on edge towards everyone on the Waverider, though the tension between her and Nate is epically high. Does she not remember those fantastic Ruby Slippers he just gave her?
Thankfully, the team’s argument (which is mostly Amaya blaming Sara for letting Rip go), is interrupted by Gideon who explains she has found another shard of the Spear on the island of Brittania.
Ray instantly turns on the fanboy signal and knights up for the occasion, spouting all the tales of Camelot he loved as a kid. Nate continuously explains to him (and everyone else) that Camelot was a legend not history, but if anyone is going to believe anything is possible it should be the people travelling through time in an attempt to stop the rewriting of reality.
When they are led to Camelot (which seems real) by Lady Guinevere, the Legends are told they will be brought before Merlin. Who turns out to be Stargirl?!
Finally we find out what happened to the remaining members of the JSA after their sudden disappearance. Turns out they had one final mission: to protect the Spear of Destiny on Rip’s orders. But after learning how much power it contained the team decided to split the Spear into pieces and spread it and themselves throughout time.
Stargirl did what I think we’d all do. When she arrived to the time period she was to wait in and found it not quite what she expected, she used the reality altering powers of the Spear and created the fairytale Camelot (don’t judge, you know you’d do the same thing).
The usual hijinks ensue: Ray fanboys over the knights, Sara hits on Guinevere, and a member of the team finds a way to severely mess things up.
I’m giving that credit to Rip this time, even though his allegiance has switched (did I mention I love evil Rip?).
When Damien shows up as the Black Knight of legend to fight King Arthur, Rip swoops in and affixes a mind control device to Arthur. The pair uses this to get into the castle and threaten Stargirl, demanding that if she doesn’t return the Spear fragment, not only will Arthur die but so will the entire kingdom.
Amaya tries to get Stargirl to turn over the fragment to them, but Stargirl points out they failed to protect Doctor Midnight and the other fragment (she’s not wrong), and refuses. Amaya gets mad, even though at the beginning of the episode she was the one who said the team loses most of their fights (she also isn’t wrong). But the team has heart and passion and the willingness to fight no matter how stupid the odds against them are. Something Sara tries to pass on to Guinevere as she finds herself leading her kingdom into battle.
Meanwhile, Stein and Rory stayed behind on the ship to play with the toy Stein stole from the future. In the not surprising twist of the night, it’s the transmitter for the mind control device that Rip is using on Arthur and his troops. All Stein has to do is figure out how to work it. Shouldn’t be too hard for a genius, right?
When Amaya and Sara find the Spear fragment and convince Stargirl (who has fallen in love with the kingdom she’s created…and maybe the King), they should be allowed to take it, the team heads back to the ship to leave Camelot to its own fate. Except Ray, who has fully given into his childhood dream come to life.
This is the part that reminds me why I watch Legends with such passion. Those moments when the team speaks beyond their situation and gives us something to cling to in our own battles. Today that was, “It’s about one noble idea. That we can stand up for what’s right, no matter what.” That even when you know you probably won’t win the battle and you might not even survive, that you stand and you fight for what you believe in.
Amaya realizes, as the team fights over whether or not to go after Ray, that the sacrifices you make to stay together are more important than the mission, and the team goes back to stand beside their recently knighted buddy.
Rory and Stein figure out that Rory’s mind actually works on the mind control devices, not Stein’s and they manage to short circuit the system. Arthur and his men turn on Rip. So does Damien, ever the model of “live to fight another day.”
Ray goes after Damien, in a scene reminiscent of The Force Awakens, and ends up getting shot by a red laser gun wielding Damien. Nate finds him and discovers his suit hidden beneath his armor so he’s fine, and the team (physically and pridefully injured Rip included) return to the Waverider.
Everything wraps up as it always does. Stargirl tells Amaya she should realize she’s found a new team and a home (and there’s no place like home, Amaya). Nate concedes that history and legend aren’t so different after all. And of course, Sara gets the girl.
But not all things are wrapped up with that perfect bow. Rip is imprisoned on the ship (in the glass prison, because duh), and as the episode comes to an end Evil (read perfect) Rip calls for Gideon who tells him she’s there, and in his most menacing voice Rip reminds us that she always is.
With Gideon responding to Rip, there’s not much hope for the crew of the Waverider. When you’re flying through time on a ship that’s computer is against you things are going to get dangerous. Obviously, the prison won’t hold Rip, but the question is will he be able to get away? Will he get the Spear fragment they just recovered? Or is it possible, that Gideon will somehow help us finally get our Captain back?
As much as I love Evil Rip, I’m getting anxious for the endgame here. And I can’t wait for the epic showdown this slow build is definitely going to lead us to.
Written by Shannon Brewer, LoT Beat Writer -- Click to read Shannon's posts
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