Having enjoyed "The Flash" and "Arrow" for the last few years, I had high hopes for the CW’s latest superhero show: "Legends of Tomorrow." The show debuted after months of hype, but it fell short. There are a handful of issues plaguing this first episode which come from the network’s current model for creating shows.
Like "The Flash," "Legends of Tomorrow" is a spin-off and the main characters were introduced on a separate show before receiving their own. This worked for "The Flash" because the audience got to meet the hero, Barry Allen, over the span of the two episodes in which he appeared. The CW tried to replicate this by introducing most of the members of this superhero team in "The Flash" and "Arrow." While the characters received the at least the same amount of exposition prior to the show’s premier, it was not as effective as it was with "The Flash."
I believe that part of this shortcoming comes from the actual characters that they decided to use. The introduction of The Flash was far more brief than that of The Atom or Firestorm. Each of these characters was able to develop over the better part of a season, but The Flash only needed two episodes. The casual fan can immerse themselves in the world of The Flash because he is one of the most iconic superheroes of all time, which means that the general population has at least a basic idea of who the character is. The exact opposite happens in "Legends of Tomorrow." While The Flash, and The Green Arrow to a lesser extent, are well known characters in the DC universe, the heroes in "Legends of Tomorrow" are relatively unknown. They are the heroes that are sent to put out a fire when the core members of the Justice League (Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, etc.) are dealing with larger threats to the planet. Characters like Hawkman and Hawkgirl need more exposition than they received in order to be compelling.
As far as actual content goes, the pilot left a lot to be desired. The first ten minutes reiterate everything that was seen in the trailers that played for the last three months. No additional information is learned. Everything about the episode felt unoriginal to me. The chain of events is sparked by a time-traveling British guy in a trench coat (Rip Tailor) with a base of operations that looks an awful lot like the inside of Dr. Who’s Tardis. The one villain with whom the characters interact appears to be ripped straight from a late '90s episode of "Power Rangers." Even the cinematography looked like it was commandeered from a greater work. Many shots just show the team lined up while Rip gives yet another talk about why he’s gathered them altogether. The show appeared to have potential, but it will likely only re-hash the same sci-fi plots that audiences have been seeing for years.
Like the other aspects, the special effects on the show also fell short. Special effects can usually save an otherwise mediocre piece of science fiction, but they felt cheesy and overdone. They try to do too much with a small budget, so none of the effects feel right. Where "Arrow" and "The Flash" rely on subtlety in their effects, "Legends of Tomorrow" piles them on in excess. More than once I found myself saying, “this so bad.”
While I’m disappointed in "Legends of Tomorrow" thus far, I cannot fault the show makers entirely. It seems like they wanted to try something different, even though we are saturated with superhero shows and movies. Good intentions aside, the show could have been better. I only hope that I will be proven wrong in my assessment in the weeks to come.
