Now on the run from the dangerous “Hunters” (which by the end of the episode we learn are not really all that scary), the ‘Legends of Tomorrow ‘ team have fled back to a town known as Salvation in the 1870’s, a kind of temporal blind-spot for the Time Masters. The hope is that they can hide out there until Rip comes up with a new plan to take down Savage, and the rest of the team is just fine with that plan. Ray, in particular, loved western movies when he was a kid, so he cannot wait to get off the ship and explore. And as always, against Rip’s better judgement and against his orders to stay on board the Waverider, the entire team debarks for Salvation decked out in old western clothing and carrying good old fashion guns to protect themselves with. Rip elects to stay onboard the ship, which is odd to Stein considering Rip’s coat and gun are clearly signs of his love for this time period.
In town, the Legends, of course, get into trouble, as Snart shoots and kills a man about to kill Stein after losing at cards to the scientist, which starts a bar brawl that is broken up by none other than DC Hero Jonah Hex himself. Hex reveals that he knows Rip and all about time travel, and demands to be taken to the Waverider. Along the way, he explains that Snart killed a member of a dangerous gang back at the bar and that gang will be coming to town for revenge real soon. Hex meets up with Rip, and soon enough we learn their backstory together. Rip had been to the old west before, and loved it, learning a lot from Jonah Hex, even getting the jacket he wears from the old cowboy. However, the time displacement disease affected Rip and he had trouble leaving, and only did so because he knew he had to return to his future wife. We also learn that Rip left town right before a gang came in and destroyed it, and Hex is pissed that Rip left without helping. When asked, Rip admits that he left because he knew the town was going to be destroyed, and as a Time Master (at the time) he could not interfere with history. Hex is not happy, but he does seem to like the attitude of the rest of the Legends, who seem more than happy to help.
So Ray and Hex go to visit the local sheriff, who flees town not wanting to face the gang war, and makes Ray the new sheriff. Ray wastes no time in coming up with a plan with his teammates, and they decide to go raid the gang’s campsite and take the leader to jail, thus ending the threat. The attack goes off just fine (apparently everyone has terrible aim, because while dozens of guns were fired in the “battle” no one got hit, which kind of was ridiculous), and the Legends head back to town with the gang leader, only they lost Jax as they fled, and the man is now being held prisoner by the gang.
Stein meanwhile, encounters a sad woman at the bar, and he learns she has a sick child. After visiting the kid, and learning he has a disease that is easily curable in the future, Stein goes to the Waverider and prepares a vaccine for the family. Rip tries to stop him, pointing out what happened last time future tech was left behind in the past (it was a piece of Ray’s ATOM suit in 1975), but Stein insists on saving the child’s life. He brings the mother the medicine, and she is amazed at how quickly her son recovers. Stein makes her promise to destroy all of the medicine once her son is cured, but I cannot help but feel she will break that promise if the opportunity presents itself. As the son heals, he introduces himself to Stein, and Stein learns the child is actually H.G. Welles, which meant (somehow) that he must have been destined to come back and save the kid.
Kendra meanwhile has a memory flash while running into a woman at the bar, and realizes she knew her in a past life. With Sara tagging along for support, Kendra tracks down the woman, and the two eventually figure out that the woman was not a friend of Kendra’s in a past life, but actually IS Kendra in a past life (I was wondering when Kendra would finally meet herself in the past). The woman is kind enough once she realizes who Kendra is, and gives Kendra a bracelet from their first life that may be used to kill Savage, but also delivers a warning. She tells Kendra that she cannot love any other man but Carter, that every other relationship with any other man in any of their lives has ended in disaster. Kendra is shaken, and Sara manages to get her to talk about it once they return to the Waverider, and Kendra eventually comes around to the idea that her past self may be right, but she wants to figure things out for herself. She tells as much to Ray later when he asks her what is wrong, and she basically says her old self got to live her own life, and she wants the opportunity to do the same.
Back in the main storyline, in order to get Jax back, Ray sets up a duel at high noon between himself and the gang leader, winner take all. It is a dangerous proposition for the scientist as he is not that skilled with a gun, but he sees that he has no other choice. Luckily. Rip steps up and takes on the role of dueler himself, as it is his speciality. High noon approaches, both gunmen get into position, and bang, just like that, the gang leader is dead, Jax is free, and the Legends are congratulating themselves on saving the town. So of course, in that moment, the Hunters arrive and attack.
Fortunately, Rip brought along the ATOM suit and his real guns (one of which he gives to Hex to help them out), and the team takes on the Hunters, killing them relatively easily considering what a threat they were supposed to be. As the group re-boards the Waverider, Rip and Hex say goodbye once more, though Rip does hope they will meet again. Rip then informs the team that the Time Masters have sent out the ultimate kill order on their team, and have unleashed the “Pilgrim” to kill every one of them. While the team feels confident that they can take on any bounty hunter, Rip informs them that the Pilgrim will not be going after their present selves, but rather their past selves.
The last shot of the episode is the Pilgrim in Central City past, holding her gun to who we assume is a young Leonard Snart. She pulls the trigger, and the screen goes black.
THEORIES FOR TOMORROW:
– Is Salvation and the 1870’s, in general, a blind spot for the Time Masters because of the all the time travel activity that takes place there?
– If the Time Masters are truly obsessed with preserving the timeline, would they not be more worried about killing the past versions of the Legends? How many paradoxes occur when you kill a time traveler who has already altered the timeline?
– Why did Kendra’s past life self not recognize her at the bar? Also, when are we going to see another Carter Hall version?
– I love the idea that Rip loved his time in the Old West so much that he named his son after Jonah Hex.
Definitely a fun episode, and it was great not only seeing Jonah Hex but seeing him finally done decently in live action. I loved the theme music for the series done in the western motif, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they deal with the Pilgrim and the time paradox shenanigans that are sure to ensue from her actions. See you back here next week!
Nick is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, who belongs to the privileged few who enjoyed the ending to ‘Lost.’ For more of Nick’s thoughts and articles, follow him on Twitter.
