I'm about eight minutes into this week's LoT, and I'm suddenly struck with an overwhelming nostalgia for what this show could have been.
So much wasted potential.
Let's pretend, for a moment, that we're starting this show from the beginning. We start right away by establishing a slightly firmer concept of time and it's possibilities. Establish that reality is fluid, and debunk the idea that the fourth dimension makes time immutable. Establish some basic ground rules for how Rip Hunter--who was, after all, trained by the Time Lords--allows the team to interact with the past. No crossing their own paths. No careless time alterations. They either sneak through the past or plan each expedition with thorough care, so as to keep their impact to a minimum. Tech is only allowed off the ship if they're planning on direct conflict with Savage.
Suddenly, the show becomes MUCH more interesting. We understand why the team isn't going to Central City, because Kendra was there and she CANNOT cross her time-line, and she HAS to be present in order for them to kill Savage. Of course, it also means that they would have had to nix the whole "Stein as a student" plot, or change it vastly, but that would have been okay. A lot about the show would change. There would be more detecting and less random running around getting in trouble. Everyone would be called on to use their actual skills--instead of silly clothing and future tech--in order to find out what they needed to know.
What would this show be like if the script treated the effects of their
fuck-ups as real and lasting? The long term fall-out might change them
as the show goes on. For instance, Snart could have successfully
dissuaded his father from being a terrible person, and then he gets back
on the ship and his personality
fundamentally changes, because
some of the events that caused him to be so bitter NEVER HAPPENED.
Wouldn't that be amazing? And, not coincidentally, explain why he so
rapidly is becoming a team player? What if Stein had actually lost his
wife due to their interference, and therefore became a more cynical,
less hopeful version of himself, because it turns out that she was what
kept his genius grounded in humanity?
And, with a grounding in reality and the potential consequences that the show currently lacks, it would become much darker. I love a good laugh, but I cannot deny that the darkest of comics are generally the most compelling, because they aren't afraid to really lay the human psyche bare.
What do we do when our heroes die?
Worse, what do we do when they fall?
It would be great. Dark,but epic.
They could wrestle with REAL morality. Real consequences, ones which they suffer along with the rest of the world. Times where they have to consider the future, and the impact of each one of their actions, large or small. Which brings us to this episode. Savage is raising a blood-thirsty despot who is going to kill millions if not billions of people. Does it really matter that he's a kid? Or should they just save hundreds of millions of lives by killing him now?
Lennie isn't scared to call it like it is.
Maybe, maybe not. But that's an
interesting question. It's one worth watching a show about.
I've paused the episode while I write this. I haven't heard anything after Snart's line. But I'm sure that they won't kill the kid. In fact, I'm positive that most of the rest of the team will be horrified, and they'll come up with some Hail Mary way to try to change things without having to kill him. And it's possible it will be mildly entertaining.
But it won't be nearly as good as What Might Have Been.
Now, back to what is.
Tiny Hitler and his Six Fearsome Goons.
omg. This is the worst abduction plan ever.
Allow me to ennumerate all the reasons it sucks:
1) There are armed robots flying around shooting purse snatchers. I think they'll notice Sarah plugging someone.
2) Did you just KILL A GUY to keep from killing someone else? DOES THAT MAKE SOME SORT OF SENSE THAT I DON'T GET?
3) Oh, sure, no one is going to notice one of the scary men in black keeling over. I'm sure all those people on the street just failed to see that.
4) Are we assuming the guards don't know each other? Cause, you know, I'm not great with names, but if I was in a group of six people and one of them disappeared and got replaced by a bearded ginger, I WOULD NOTICE.
KAYLEE!!! KAYLEEE!!!! OH MY GOD IT'S KAYLEEE!!!!!!
I officially no longer care about anything else in this episode.
Ray, literature exists through time. Using a famous character from a book that's a couple hundred years old is NOT a good way to throw off suspicion. I mean, you'd double take if someone introduced themselves as Dr Frankenstein, right?
The face you make when you think you're a great-great-great-great grandfather.
Ummm... if removing the kid from the time-line won't stop things, then killing him won't stop it, either. Like, that's just logic. So, why are we back to plan A?
Seriously? You couldn't wait until you were ON the train to explain? Because you JUST SAID you were gonna miss the train. And, you know, there's that psycho that's hunting you.
Way to goad the tyrannical despot, team.
These are the most incompetent time travelers EVER. EV-ARH. Of course they made things worse. They ALWAYS make things worse. But, more significantly, they don't seem to have any concept of making a viable plan and thoroughly vetting it before carrying it through. THEY HAVE A TIME SHIP. IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE IN A RUSH!!!
They should rename this show
Legends of Incompetence.
