It's something of a tradition that when two superheroes (or teams of superheroes) initially meet, they have to fight each other first. I'm not sure why that is; I guess it's just an extension of the long standing geek habit of debating who would win. Such is the case when the legends meet the Justice Society of America.
Credit to the legends, they take great efforts to keep things calm by being reassuring and diplomatic, but the JSA doesn't have any of it.
I'm not sure the legends would have lost as badly as they did here, but it is chalked up to the fact that the other team is more organized. Though, again, it seems like the legends should be much further along by this point than they are on that front. Sadly, the coordination is about the only asset the JSA has, as they seem to be superheroes of the 'Man of Steel' mold. They're very cold and aloof. It doesn't seem like their hearts are in it and they come off as oddly clinical as a result. Heck, Commander Steele flat out says that he doesn't want people to look up to him because he'd rather stew in his martyr complex. I guess it's nice that they take it seriously, but you'd think that in such dark times that they'd want to be sources of hope and inspiration. Even at least showing some concern every once in a while would be nice. They do warm up a little eventually, but it's pretty sad when the Arrow did a better job of relating to people.
It isn't helped by the fact that the JSA members don't really get much chance to show any personality. It's only natural, there's only an hour and we're talking about juggling two superhero teams. We get a good sense of their powers, but personalities are still a question mark for half of them. Rex Tyler and Commander Steele are the only two who are given anything to really make them stand out as characters. Even Stargirl sort of falls into the background and new/old Vixen feels a bit bland, especially in comparison to Mari. Speaking of, there's no mention of the current Vixen. Considering Firestorm appeared and Atom is set to appear in the second season of 'Vixen' and the animated show lags behind the main roster in terms of the overall timeline, you'd think one of them would say something when Amaya uses her powers or states her field name.
While the JSA falls short, the episode still delivers on several fronts. Having two teams gives the episode some extra momentum in terms of tension and stakes. The Nazis still make great adversaries, though their main motivation is mcguffin heavy, wanting both a serum of Thawne's design and an artifact that is never really elaborated on.
Said serum does provide the team a challenge as one of the generals turns into an unstoppable rage monster as a result of its use. It was a credible physical threat, but the CGI was somewhat lacking, which undercut the tension somewhat. Still, the action was solid, as it usually is. All in all, the villain served his purpose. It also looks like said serum will give Nate powers, so there is some lasting impact on that front.
The legends also pick up the slack for the JSA in the fun department. The infiltration of the bar and the inevitable collapse of their cover was entertaining and we got a chance to see another superhero show off their singing skills. Considering an upcoming Flash/Supergirl episode is set to be a musical, I wonder if Firestorm will make an appearance so that Garber can once again work his magic. He brought the nazi general to tears with his performance, that's no mean feat.
The ending is a bit of a doozy, as Reverse Flash kills Rex, specifically to keep him from warning the legends about traveling back to 1942. This is said to be the reason why he disappeared during the aforementioned warning. The thing is, if he was killed before he went, wouldn't that mean that they would have never seen him in the first place? Time travel never ceases to be a headache inducing nuisance.
Overall, the episode is a mixed bag. There's a lot to like, but at the same time, it bit off more than it could chew in many respects. If you're a huge fan of the JSA, this might be a bit of a disappointment, but if you're looking to see two teams of superheroes in action, this will make for a fun episode. It's a solid follow up to the premiere and it leaves just enough plot threads open that you're not frustrated, but still want to tune in next time to see where the show is going with this arc.
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