As the team goes back to the future, they are almost immediately placed in a variation of the prisoner's dilemma. According to Rip, there's a young boy who has become something of a protege for Savage. In a few years, he'll unleash a deadly virus that will make it all too easy for Savage to achieve his rise to power.
This episode is actually pretty good at answering some of the questions that would inevitably pop up in the viewer's mind. For example, why does an immortal need a protege? Well, the kid's more of a pawn that Savage will eventually kill when said protege is no longer of use. The team also brings up the idea of simply kidnapping the boy and removing him from the timeline, in lieu of outright murder, in order to avert the catastrophe. They do this, but it doesn't achieve the desired result. It's actually not clear why it doesn't work. Rip says that time doesn't want to be changed, but how the kid can release a virus when he's not actually there remains a mystery.
The debates are appropriately dramatic and each character brings a unique perspective to the issue. Heck, even the imprisoned Mick gets to throw in his two cents and remind Sara that child killing isn't exactly heroic. Speaking of, Sara seems to take the issue to heart the hardest given her background. She even manages to tie it into the dilemma they have with Mick, as she suggests that rehabilitation is an option. The argument being that with a proper upbringing, the kid could be OK.
Parenthood is actually a running theme of the episode. Not only is the kid a spiritual son for Vandal, but Kendra has flashbacks to her past life raising a son with Carter. Ray also discovers that he has descendants when he runs into one over the course of the episode. I'm not sure why he jumps to the conclusion that the kid was conceived before he left. It seems incredibly likely that the kid hasn't been born yet. As such, his angst about not being there really doesn't make any sense.
Also odd is the fact that Ray's tech leads to the development of a robot army and a statue (seemingly) built in his honor. Considering the team was collected based on the fact that they had no noticeable impact on the timeline, this seems like proof to the contrary. Even the reveal that Ray's heretofore unmentioned brother was the one who eventually turned the tech dark (not to mention fathered the child) doesn't really change the fact that Ray had a profound impact on the timeline via his technology. Now that I think about it, Ray says that his brother took over the company in 2016, but clearly that hasn't happened. Then again with Felicity's recent ousting on "Arrow" it could be going in that direction, so I guess we'll see.
Once again, the show thrives on a big, action driven climax. Considering this is a TV show budget, it's actually pretty impressive. Some people are worried about the budget cut that "Supergirl" is going to have to take with its recent network switch, but if this is any indicator, I don't think we'll really notice a difference in terms of special effects.
While you kind of knew that the team's attempts to fix the kid weren't going to work, the ending still makes the revelation feel like a real wham moment. Not only did they fail to avert the crisis, but they sped it up. It really cements the moral ambiguity of the whole thing as Rip actually wonders if he did the right thing by not committing the murder.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Mick explains that they have a new problem, the Time Masters, who are now sending a new team to hunt down Mick for failing to bring the rest of the team in. It makes for a solid plot sequel hook, but it also gives Mick a reason to rejoin the team. He's not completely redeemed, but pragmatism trumps grudges in this case.
Odd as it sounds, the show really thrives on the endings. In a way, it hearkens back to the old Adam West "Batman" show, where the episode would often end with a tease for the next villain. Granted, this is done much better as there is an actual flow and progression to it. By and large, the threats don't come out of nowhere; rather, they're the result of prior events. It allows for stand alone episodes that make for a bigger story (not unlike a comic book.) More importantly, it piques your interest and makes you excited to see where the next episode goes, which is generally the point.
Once again, we had a really strong entry. These last two episodes have done a great job washing the taste of "Night of the Hawk" out of my mouth. It is also the most successful episode so far in showing Vandal as a scheming and ruthless man bent on taking power. Considering he's been fairly lacking so far, it's good to see that he's taking steps towards becoming the grave threat that Rip described way back in the pilot. It will make the conclusion, which is drawing ever closer, that much more exciting as things really seem to be kicking into high gear.
Click here to join our Patreon
No comments:
Post a Comment