Legends of Tomorrow 1.08 “Night of the Hawk”

In this episode, the Legends, hot on the trail of Vandal Savage, find themselves in Harmony Falls, OR in 1958 where several murders are being attributed to a serial killer who slashes his victims. The team begins to investigate by getting close to the scenes of some of the murders. Ray and Kendra pose as a married couple and move into the house of a piano teacher who was one of the victims (and lo and behold, Savage just happens to be their neighbor); Stein applies at the local psychiatric  hospital to replace a doctor that was found murdered on the grounds (and it just so happens that Savage is the administrator there); Sara poses as Stein’s nurse and begins to have feelings for  young woman at the hospital, Nurse Carlisle (Ali Liebert) and Jackson gets close to Betty Seaver (Melissa Roxbough), the girlfriend of a missing teenager that happens to be one of three hawk-like monsters, created by exposure to an Nth metal in a meteor they found at the same time Savage came across the rock, and now under the immortal fiend’s control.

I really, REALLY wanted to like this episode. I mean, it’s an homage to 50’s sci-fi and horror films and it is directed by the legendary Joe Dante of The Howling and Gremlins fame. This man does old school horror better than anyone out there. And yet, somehow, this episode just seems off kilter. It has a great idea, and the episode attempts to address some serious issues like racism and the plight of gays and lesbians in a time when their sexual identities had to be kept secret, and perhaps that is the greatest weakness. It tries to do too much in the span of 42 minutes and it just isn’t enough time. This is one episode that really should have been expanded to two parts, and given the cliffhanger it ends on (more on that in a moment), that wouldn’t have been impossible to do. As it is, sadly, this is the weakest episode of the series so far.

That isn’t to say there isn’t a lot to like here. While the story never quite gels as well as one would hope, it is delightful watching Brandon Rough and Ciara Renée as a couple. These two really have some nice chemistry and their relationship is a nice surprise. Also, it is nice to see the more tender side of Sara Lance. Caity Lotz and Ali Liebert also have great chemistry as well and this is one of the story elements that could have benefited from this story being a two-parter.

Also at the heart of this episode is the elephant in the room: just what did Snart do to Rory in the previous episode? Is Heat Wave dead or did Captain Cold merely put him on ice? Snart ain’t talking and no one is asking, although you can tell it is on everyone’s mind.

Finally, the episode does end on one heck of a great WTH!? moment as Chronos attacks the Waverider while Ray, Kendra and Sara are making their way to the ship. Hunter is forced to take off and seemingly abandons the trio in 1958 as he and the others are forced to deal with the time traveling mercenary. I’m really excited to see what they do with this scenario when the show returns from its short hiatus. When it does come back with new episodes, I’m sure they will get things back on track (the preview trailer for the rest of the season looks amazing). As it is, I give this episode 3 stars.