Adam Tsekhman Picture: Bettina Strauss/The CW
The shows brilliant choice to lean into Behrads mounting issues about Johns unpredictable behavior pays off again and once again, making sure that this Legends romp is always at least a little bit tense and off. As he tells Zari in the films (nearly) ideal last act, he loves John– but Johns in difficulty, and its time other individuals observed.
John hijacks the video game, and then Johns dark side hijacks it some John. Last week John yoinked the ship throughout time and area. This time he yoinks the program from enjoyable romp to disturbing dependency story, and it happens so quickly that most of the characters do not even recognize it.
Episode MVP: Good gravy, Matt Ryan, you are not messing around this season.
Gideon, whats the most meta minute?: Iris and Barry on the D-list. As fellow A.V. Club factor Kate Kulzick observed to me (via text) after the episode concluded, its best that Barry and Iris are to Sara and Ava what Oliver and Felicity are to Barry and Iris.
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I might go at least another 1,000 words on just the concept, and weve yet to really attend to the Constantine/Behrad/Zari stuff, to say absolutely nothing of the B story. Suffice it to say that the episodes significant success springs from the clever writing and instructions, yes, but a lot more so from the thoughtful, uneasy efficiencies of Tala Ashe, Shayan Sobhian, and specifically Matt Ryan, whos so great in the episode that he practically makes the attic confrontation work. No small accomplishment.
Were taking a look at the benefits of a star coping with the very same function for years: he knows Constantine inside and out. I can tell you that this John is disturbingly different from pre-vampire blood cure-all John; the physicality, energy, singing quality, and the characters inner pace are all slightly off, even before Bad!Constantine **** arrives in his afflict doctor mask and dreadful cape.
” Bored On Board Onboard”
A-.
It wasnt hard to anticipate that Kayla would be back and pissed about being left on that world, but I, for one, did not see the Bishop twist coming, simply like Gary didnt see the Lefty twist coming. Its an awesome end to an awesome episode, one that Im sure will only get better with repeat viewings. Lets do it, since Im gon na win his time.
A-.
” Bored On Board Onboard”.
What a creative choice. That, once again, is a best set-up for this show, and particularly for a bottle episode of this show, and especially for a bottle episode in a Covid season of this program. The group is still restricted to the ship, however it doesnt feel or look like it, and due to the fact that John is getting in touch with his own imagination to pull off the feat, it makes ideal sense that the setting for his in-game experience would be his house. Director Harry Jierjian makes the most of the chance; the visual language of the game-within-a-game *** is lively and at the same time moody, goofy and threatening. The hazard and panic develop swiftly, however the absurdity lingers (in an excellent way) until John has his epic, ridiculous Jekyll & & Hyde minute.
This is the type of episode where the remarks are going to be filled with people asking why I didnt mention this scene or that one, so let me just say this prior to we shift to the B story: Yes, that thing you loved is a thing I likewise liked. Just so much space in these reviews.
I was convinced that the killer was Gideon, based partially on the savage Gideon stuff weve been getting this season and partly on the title. A little bummed they didnt include Gideon in some way, to be honest.
I would do anything for Legends, however I will not do that.
Truthfully, that alone is a best Legends set-up. The real stroke of genius comes in the way credited authors Keto Shimizu and Leah Poulliot weave in one of the seasons continuous storylines: Rolling on his unusual blood magic death potion, Constantine chooses to flex his disturbingly crampy skills by inserting the group into the world of the board game, a world in which the spaces are filled by Johns own creativity.
* My well-regarded predecessor, Oliver Sava, also offered numerous As, consisting of the one made by “Here I Go Again,” another top-notch bottle episode. ** Unless, obviously, he is in fact performing that horrible tune. *** If you, like me, just experienced some RuPauls Drag Race All Stars season 6-related anxiety, Im sorry and me too. **** Addiction is a disease, not an ethical stopping working; that, however, is clearly how John sees himself. Im hoping the show continues to treat it as the complicated problem it is, in spite of the seeming reductive binary developed here.
I attempt not to metagame these recaps too much, but Legends sometimes requires otherwise, and this is one such minute. “Bored On Board Onboard” is an episode asking for the rare pure A, a grade that Ive just provided to one Legends episode in the time Ive been summarizing the show *. And considering that grades dont matter, I ought to in theory go ahead and slap that A in the little box below, however I cant do it.
Episode title ranking: 1. Bored On Board Onboard. Meat: The Legends.
Line-reading of the week: “Im a starving artist. Im absolutely nothing but severe.”.
Flannel!Zari and Fancy!Zari. Wonderful.
This ones for Outlander fans: Johns demon-self has big man-in-a-bear-suit energy.
” Bored On Board Onboard” is a top-tier episode of Legends Of Tomorrow. Competently demonstrating nearly all the shows significant strengths with its normal mix of cleverness, stupidity (the excellent kind), and psychological intelligence, its a “timeless Legends romp” that gets hijacked by one characters inner satanic forces, literally and metaphorically. That hijacking is a function, however its also a bug. “Bored On Board Onboard” rises from “yay Legends” to “inner chaos about including a minus indication to the letter A” by virtue of that feature/bug hybrid. No program but this one might pull such a thing off, and it turns out that this one cant pull it off, either– but its a really, extremely near miss.
” Bored” begins with a brilliant bottle episode conceit: Johns drag-the-Waverider-across-time-and-space maneuver from “The Final Frame” damaged the ships jump drive, and since nobody on today roster has actually stepped up to properly fill the mechanic role as soon as held by Jax and after that Flannel!Zari, the Captains are forced to take the long way home, a route that grows longer with every computer game and food fabricator implementation. So the group loses all screen time, thus leaving an opening for Gary to move in with an overachievers preferred celebration recommendation: a parlor game no one understands how to play.
Todays Legends in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend song kind: This does not a lot sum up the episode as it summarizes Gary Greens ambiance:.
Stray observations.
Does Nate utilize his exceptionally helpful superpower in this episode? Steel is not flexible (and also hardly ever steel).
Why the fuck not?: It would be Micks Hair, but … Lefty.
“Bored On Board Onboard” is an episode asking for the uncommon undiluted A, a grade that Ive only given to one Legends episode in the time Ive been wrapping up the show *. That, once again, is a perfect set-up for this program, and especially for a bottle episode of this show, and particularly especially for a bottle episode in a Covid season of this program. John pirates the video game, and then Johns dark side pirates it some John. Suffice it to say that the episodes substantial success springs from the clever writing and direction, yes, but even more so from the thoughtful, uncomfortable efficiencies of Tala Ashe, Shayan Sobhian, and particularly Matt Ryan, whos so excellent in the episode that he nearly makes the attic conflict work. * My prestigious predecessor, Oliver Sava, likewise provided out a number of As, including the one earned by “Here I Go Again,” another superior bottle episode.
