It's a simple premise and it works extraordinarily well. The dark atmosphere lends the necessary creepy atmosphere, Sara is shown to be more than capable of besting pretty much the entire team in hand to hand combat, and the episode actually provides quite a bit of character development.
A lot of it comes from the developing romance between Ava and Sara. The two continue to be quite adorable together. Not only does it give the episode some more lighthearted, tender moments; but it also adds to the stakes, as it enhances the tension that comes from the possibility that Sara's soul will be lost.
The other legends also get to confront their own demons that come via apparitions of people from their past. It gives Violet Beane a chance to make a quick cameo, which is always a plus; but both Zari and Nate are also confronted by their own respective hauntings. It's strange as almost every character that comes across this acknowledges it as a ploy and an attempt at psychological warfare on Mallus' part, but they all seem to succumb to it in fairly short order. I guess it makes sense, the death totem did bring back ghosts before, so it would stand to reason that it could do so here, albeit under a more specific circumstance.
With ghosts and demons afoot, it's only natural that the team call on John Constantine for help. Bringing him into the Arrowverse really was a stroke of genius. I know I've praised his performance before, but he really does earn every ounce of it. Every scene he's in is just a highlight.
The faux-rivalry with Ava was also an entertaining twist. Ava's naturally a bit jealous, but the episode plays it up more for laughs than anything else. Neither Sara or John himself paint the fling as anything more than a one-off, so there really isn't a whole lot of angsty love triangle shenanigans going on. It's a nice subversion of the usual formula.
On a similar note, we learn about the dark secret that was supposed to threaten her relationship. It was...Sara's past as an assassin. You'd think that it would make sense, but Ava flat out says that she read Sara's file and already knows all that. This makes Rip's earlier line seem a bit odd and it also makes Sara's decision to end things by episode's end a peculiar one.
It was sad, don't get me wrong. The two had great chemistry before and this episode really sells the bond; making the breakup rather poignant. It just seems like there were other paths that the characters could have gone down. I suppose it's possible the two reunite later, but for now we have to just wait to see how things play out.
In closing, it does need to be brought up, but Gary is revealed to be a D&D player. That's awesome. It's especially impressive as it isn't really brought up to his detriment. At one point, Ava remarks that no one cares, but Constantine seems interested. The snarky, cynical warlock even agrees to play (though the scene also bends the fourth wall by paralleling Constantine's own joining the Legends in facing Mallus). When Gary is making the offer, you can tell he's really into it. You get the impression that he would be a great DM. I'd play.
In any event,this episode was a blast. It was a simple premise that managed to bring a lot to the table. There were highlights aplenty (Mick wielding the fire totem for example) and while this works as a sort of one-off, it does have lasting consequences for the team going forward.
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