History Notes, Legends of Tomorrow Episode 216, "Doomworld"

I think we can all agree that, for the course of the series, LEGENDS OF TOMORROW has leaned more toward the silly than the serious. That's by design, and it works for this show, but it's certainly had something of an impact on the episode gradings here.

Not this week. For this reviewer, "Doomworld" was firing on all cylinders, and I couldn't be happier with the final product.

The Legion of Doom -- Damien Darhk (NEAL MCDONOUGH), Eobard Thawne (MATT LETSCHER) and Malcolm Merlyn (JOHN BARROWMAN), now joined by a past version of Leonard Snart (WENTWORTH MILLER) and former Legend Mick Rory (DOMINIC PURCELL) -- have used the Spear of Destiny to rewrite reality to their own whim. Thawne himself gives the opening monologue to this episode, which is fitting and sets just the right tone.

In Star City, we see a foot chase: Sara Lance (CAITY LOTZ) and Amaya Jiwe (MAISIE RICHARDSON-SELLERS), both dressed in black leathers, are tacking another female in a mask and a hood. When they capture her, we see that it is Felicity Smoak (EMILY BETT RICKARDS), back to her black locks. She's taken to the mayor of Star City -- Damien Darhk, who casually orders her killed then adds her mask to his growing collection, which includes all of Team Arrow and Team Flash.

In Central City, Eobard Thawne is the man in charge at S.T.A.R. Labs, redesigned to look more like the Hall of Doom from the CHALLENGE OF THE SUPER FRIENDS cartoon series. The Zoom-bie that's been pursuing him is trapped in a cage. Malcolm Merlyn is there as well, and he is not happy. He wants possession of the Spear, but Thawne is its only holder now. He's also the only one who knows how to use it, since he destroyed the "instruction manual" since setting the new reality in place, and even though Merlyn is the one who read the incantations before, Thawne's speedster mind has the advantage of information retention -- and Merlyn doesn't.

Working for Thawne is Jefferson Jackson (FRANZ DRAMEH), and he's a complete slavedriver, particularly over his chief scientist, MARTIN STEIN (Victor Garber). They're both on a deadline to get a dangerous reactor online for Thawne, for reasons only Thawne knows and which even his Legion of Doom cohorts would like to understand.

Elsewhere in Central City, life doesnt' seem much different for partners-in-crime Leonard Snart and Mick Rory. They're robbing a bank, just like the old days, and making their escape. But Mick is taken aback when the police arrive and see that it's them. Or rather, see that it's Leonard Snart. They holster their weapons, apologize, and let him be off. There's no excitement, no getaway, no chase, and this disappoints Mick.

The Rogues are then summoned to Thawne -- something else Mick isn't fond of -- and he tasks them with keeping tabs on Merlyn (after hanging up the phone with "Mister President" and giving his "Best to Mel"). While giving these orders, Nate Heywood (NICK ZANO) bursts in. He's a conspiracy theorist living in his mother's basement, who believes that reality has been operated on -- and he's come to Thawne, the world's smartest man, to help him fix it. So Thawne asks Leonard and Mick to take Nate for a walk -- and kill him.

They take the walk -- but Mick has had enough. Before Leonard can do the killing, Mick turns on his former partner and rescues Nate, going off to find the rest of the Legends. Along the way, he tells Nate what really happened with the Legion of Doom and the Spear of Destiny. "Who even names something 'Legion of Doom'?" Nate asks. He isn't thrilled with the answer.

Their first stop is to find Ray Palmer (BRANDON ROUTH). Ray's playing video games during his off-duty hours as the janitor for S.T.A.R. Labs. But he's also been building something in his spare time, and he doesn't know what it is or why he's building it. It's not an A.T.O.M. suit, however, but a gun that works on the brain, releasing memories. He calls it a "trans-reality multiplexer" because he thinks it sounds cool. That's when Mick picks up the gun and shoots Nate in the head.

Nate's response is to punch Mick in the jaw. "It works," deduces Mick.

By the time Mick gets around to shoot Ray the same way (who also wakes up and belts him), Snart has alerted the LoD to Mick's wandering off the reservation, and Darhk has sent Sara and Amaya after him. (Turns out Snart has a GPS chip planted in his old partner, because he doesn't trust anybody.) The ladies arrive ready to kill all three of the guys, but Sara gets shot with Ray's device and remembers. And, naturally, busts Mick square in the jaw. ("One more person hits me, I'm gonna punch back," he mutters.) Amaya, however, gets away and returns to Darhk.

All this time, Thawne has been developing his reactor for one sole purpose -- to create a fire hot enough to destroy the Spear of Destiny once and for all, locking this reality into place for good. This doesn't set well with the Legion of Doom, and before things come to a final head, the Legends (without any of their powers) and the Legion (<i>with</I> their powers, including Darhk's restored magic) battle Thawne and his henchmen for possession of the Spear. Ultimately, the Spear lands in the hands of Mick Rory. When Snart demands it, Mick gives the Spear to Amaya, who begins the incantation that Nate has managed to piece together.

So Leonard Snart shoots her with his freeze gun, then shatters her frozen form into a million shards.

Cold.

Thawne takes the Spear and, without further delay, throws it into the reactor, where we see it turn to ash. He lets the Legends walk away, as well as his Legion allies, because there's absolutely nothing they can do now.

Except, maybe, time travel. If they had a ship that did such a thing.

And where has Captain Rip Hunter (ARTHUR DARVILL) been all this time?

Stranded in a depowered Waverider. Baking cakes. (And how is this the first time I've noticed the control panel of the Waverider looks so very much like the one inside the TARDIS?)

And where is the Waverider?

You won't believe the answer to that one.