Arrow Review: Legends of Yesterday

Arrow picks up this week where The Flash, but with tighter plotting, and the fate of more than just the Hawks at stake.

Title: “Legends of Yesterday”

Director: Thor Freudenthal
Writers: Marc Guggenheim, Brian Ford Sullivan, Greg Berlanti

Stephen Amell as Oliver Queen / Green Arrow
Grant Gustin as Barry Allen / The Flash
Casper Crump as Vandal Savage
Ciara Reneeas Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl/ ChayAra
Falk Hentschel as Carter Hall / Hawkman / Khufu
Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon
Katie Cassidy as Dinah “Laurel” Lance / Black Canary
Danielle Panabaker as Caitlin Snow
Willa Holland as Thea Queen / Speedy
David Ramsey as John Diggle
John Barrowman as Malcolm Merlyn
Anna Hopkins as Sandra Hawke
Michael Tiernan as Rameses II
Peter Francis James as Dr. Aldus Boardman / Guy who would have a Youtube channel today

Premise

The Green Arrow, the Flash, and their associates join forces to save the Hawks from Vandal Savage.

Ollie takes time off to learn the truth about another Hawke.

High Point

This week featured some excellent chemistry and witty banter.

Low Point

A couple of questions:
-When the Flash travels back in time, why aren’t there two of him until he reaches his point of departure?
-Did they have a Betamax? Because without one, I don’t see how they could be watching that grainy videotape. Even a conversion (which, like a DNA test, takes time) would require a device capable of playing a Beta tape.

The Scores:

Originality: 3/6 At least they hung a lampshade on the farm.

Effects: 4/6 The effects range from effective to stylized, but I wasn’t bothered by any of them.

Acting: 5/6

Story: 4/6 The story was stronger and tighter in the second half, and less bogged down in stupid decisions and unnecessary silliness.

Emotional Response: 5/6

Production: 5/6

Overall: 5/6

In total, “Legends of Yesterday” receives 31/42

2 replies on “Arrow Review: Legends of Yesterday”

  1. Did anyone catch how they lampshaded the lax security of their hideouts?

    I know it’s funny to focus on such weird things but it’s also worth noting that the date on the tape was April ’75 and Betamax wasn’t even introduced in Japan until May ’75 and the US in November, though I suppose it could have been transferred to Betamax later. Or maybe the conspiracy guy got his hands on one sooner.

    As for converting it, that was awful fast, but it’s FeliciGyver we’re talking about, she could probably build a Betamax player out of spare cell phone parts or something else handwavy.

    I also wondered about the two flashes thing, didn’t he have to avoid himself last time? They were spread across two cities in this episode and he was (mostly) in different places each time, and perhaps at the meeting with Savage both times we actually were seeing the post-time-travel Barry.

    Otherwise, taken together, I thought it was a good team-up crossover and set a good stage for Legends of Tomorrow as well. I don’t recall ever hearing of Casper Crump before but after this I don’t have any doubt he could carry being a “Big Bad” for at least a season of LoT.

    The drama/secret-keeping with Oliver and the kid seems to be overdone though, no way that doesn’t get out and no way that doesn’t blow up huge, seems very unnecessary like everyone involved should know better. The liberal way they handle secret identities and security on the show I don’t doubt the kid will wander into Star Labs and bump into the flash before long.

    • The two Flashes in the one space should have been dealt with better. Its not like he didn’t see himself coming but this was in keeping with the original time travel shadow that they setup in Flash’s last season.

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