Legends of Tomorrow S3 Ep. 17 ‘Guest Starring John Noble’ Review
A lot is going on in this weeks episode of Legends, but everything fits together nicely. We finally get our first look at Mallus and it’s definitely something to see.
Spoilers Ahead
We left last week with Amaya returning to her home country of Zambezi 1992 before her village is destroyed by mercenaries. Nate and Wally are sent to find and bring her back on board, but Nate is so deeply in love with Amaya, that he stands by her in changing history by saving her village. Wally, having experience with Flashpoint, is strongly against it and returns to the rest of the team. While I enjoy the character Nate, the character Amaya really brings him down and he’s constantly doing the same things for her. Like Sara said, he’s ‘whipped’ and they should change that.
Meanwhile, Damien Darhk is switching sides. He see’s a glimpse of Mallus true form and realizes that he will lose the only person he loves, his daughter. So he snatches the Water Totem and goes to the Waverider to make a truce with the Legends. You already know how that goes and it’s delightful. Damien Darhk has been one of the standouts this season and his growth and development this season is better than some of the Legends.
So while Nate and Wally are with Amaya, the rest of the Legends, along with Rip Hunter, go to 1979 where they save a young Barack Obama’s from Gorilla Grodd which would be the last anachronism to free Mallus.
The Legends are successful but events from the last episode still linger as Ava and Sara are still adrift from one another. Ava confronts Rip about her being a clone and it goes as you might expect it. Rip this season has been rather annoying, he seems to be more of a nuisance to our heroes than an ally for most of the time.
Now my favorite part of the episode is exactly why I enjoy the series is because of their completely unorthodox approach to things. Sara is having problems so she confesses to a young Obama for help, and then Ray gets the idea to shrink into Nora’s ear and pretend to be the voice of Mallus and life her into the Waverider for a trap. But who can voice Mallus? While none other than the actual actor who voices him, John Noble. John Noble appears in this episode as himself from the set of The Lord of the Rings (a real meta moment) and it’s one of the reasons that makes you appreciate the series as a whole.
The episode ends with us finally getting a glimpse of what Mallus looks like and it’s a giant, winged, demon-like gargoyle. I’m serious. The effects on the show have never been the best and I don’t fault that, but Mallus seemed a little too much. Legends have that ‘B’ level quality that makes it what it is, so maybe my opinion will turn on Mallus next episode. Regardless, it’s a very different villain from what we’re used to in the Arrowverse, but Legends has proven to be its own thing and the blend of fantasy and as Sci-fi, this season has been nothing short of great.
I can’t believe the season is coming to an end already but I can’t wait for next week! But what did you think of this week’s episode? The Season Finale of Legends of Tomorrow airs Monday, April 9 at 8:00pm EST on the CW.
