One of which is obtaining a sabre-toothed tiger that has come in the possession of one P.T. Barnum. This seems like a simple fix. In fact, Sara picks it because it ranks as a low level incident that shouldn't cause too much trouble. It has the potential to give the team a confidence boost and show the Time Bureau that the Legends are up to the task.
Suffice it to say, things progressively go from bad to worse. The scale of the threat to the timeline increases as the episode goes on as Barnum tries to wrangle a few members of the team into his show.
Barnum is...an interesting antagonist. Billy Zane is clearly having fun playing the role. He brings the sense of showmanship that you would expect and for a majority of the episode, he doesn't really seem to have any real nefarious intent. Yeah, he kidnaps them, but the episode still manages to make his motivation understandable. In fact, I found it jarring when the episode did finally have him truly grab the villain ball by threatening to shoot Amaya as a way to goad Nate into steeling up. I'm kind of surprised that there weren't more attempts by him to sell them on the idea by promising fame and fortune. In any event, while he doesn't pose a physical threat, he still manages to prove capable by being one step ahead of the team on more than one instance. He may not be a super villain, but he's pretty clever in his own right.
Yes, this episode brings Amaya back into the fold and follows up on the stinger where she appeared to turn heel. Considering that, her content demeanor when Sara attempts to bring her in for a one-off just for old time's sake is somewhat jarring, but it's still pretty heartwarming to see.
Also heartwarming is her reunion with the team. Even Mick is happy to see her and gives her a hug. Nate's the only one who isn't thrilled and it's easy to see why given the way they left things. The two do manage to mend some fences and it gives the episode a more emotional character arc to balance out the lighthearted and silly fun that is prominent throughout the episode.
It seems like the show has found its groove and has managed to strike that balance where there's plenty of room for humor, but isn't brought in at the expense of tension. Things do work out, but there are times where that isn't certain.
We even get a rather impressive fight, as Sara and Agent Sharpe face off. The two are shown to be evenly matched, which is impressive considering one was trained by the league of assassins. Not only does Sharpe hold her own against Sara, but she scoffs at other Legends villains, even going so far as to dismiss Thawne as not much of a threat.
While the two don't get along, there does seem to be a grudging respect growing between the two. After throwing down, they seem to have no problem calling a time out and getting something to drink. I was waiting for that moment when the fight would spontaneously resume, but circumstances keep that from happening.
One neat highlight about this episode is the sheer number of references to the mythos. The more obvious ones like "man of steel" and seeing Mari get mentioned are certainly welcome, but there are other more subtle things like the events of the "Flash" finale being seen on the tv in the background during the flashback and a circus performer who bears a striking resemblance to B'wana Beast. To top it off,not only does Mari get mentioned, but the events of her animated show appear to have an impact on the plot this season. Kuasa makes her live action debut. If you haven't watched the animated micro-series, that scene won't make any sense, which might be a problem, but the good news is that it's incredibly easy to get caught up on that particular branch of the Arrowverse.
As noted, Sharpe does cite prior Legends adventures, but she also lets it slip that something big is on the horizon.
Oddly enough, despite the Legends' reputation as admitted screw ups and misfits, they laugh this off. On the one hand, they have dealt with an evil speedster, an Egyptian immortal tyrant, and an extra-terrestrial invasion so you can see why they'd be a bit cocky; on the other, they broke time. Either way, it'll be interesting to see what the deal is with this new threat.
This was another strong entry for the season. It brought a lot of humor and fun to the table and managed to provide some character growth and story advancement throughout. Also, the tiny Sabre-toothed tiger was pretty adorable.
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