Legends Of Tomorrow Season 2 Episodes 1-12 Reviews: A Swashbuckling Time Romp

I must confess to not watching "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" on a regular basis but I check back in from time to time. As season 2 begins, Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) and Dr Nate Heywood (a historian) find an injured Mick (Heat Wave) in the Waverider at the bottom of the ocean. Gone this year are baddie Vandal Savage and Legends Hawkgirl and Hawkman. This is a good move IMHO since I never bought Vandal as a menacing villain and the Hawks never grew on me.

Oliver and Nate learn the Nazis and Damien Darhk planned to blow up 1942 New York. They travel through time and locate the other Legends--Sara (White Canary), Ray (Atom), Jackson and Martin (Firestorm). Rip Hunter is still MIA. The group encounters the Justice Society of America--or what's left of them. Ecobar Thawne (Reverse Flash, originally on "Flash") makes an appearance. Nate (call him Steel now) and 1940s JSA member Amaya (Vixex) join the time travelers. This Vixen is apparently the grandmother of the Vixen we met in "Arrow".

In episode 7 "Invasion" the team is part of the CW crossover with Supergirl, Flash and Arrow. They work together to successfully keep the Dominators from killing off much of Earth's population (both metahuman and human). That was fun. More crossovers please!

Reverse Flash and Darhk (originally on "Arrow"; also just a reminder that he killed Sara's sister) are joined by Malcolm Merlyn. They found the Legion of Doom and go off in search of the Spear of Destiny. This artifact (the spear that was used to pierce Christ's side on the cross) has unlimited power. If it falls into the wrong hands the world is doomed. They torture Rip Hunter but he has no knowledge of his previous self. We learn that Reverse Flash needs the Spear to keep from being exterminated by Black Flash. He's a dead speedster who is trying to right the timeline. Ecobar's ancestor committed suicide so he should not exist. They eventually trap Black Flash in the bank vault where Rip hid his memories. Rip is brainwashed into joining the Legion. Bad Rip... BAD!

Martin now has a daughter (Lily Stein) due to a time aberration. Mick continues to eat/drink everything in sight, spout funny one liners and occasionally see visions of a verbally abusive Snart (his previous BFF Captain Cold),
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Sara is shot by Bad Rip in Revolutionary Era America and almost dies for umpteenth time. Amaya and Steel have a love connection. Apparently the only cure for hypothermia is skin on skin contact (but only if you're both super hot). Juicy scene. More please.

The Camelot adventure was also a fun one. JSA member StarGirl is moonlighting as Merlin. She explains that in 1956 the Spear of Destiny was broken into four fragments. Each JSA member was sent to a different time to protect it. That's why Dr Midnite was guarding it in the year 3000.

In Camelot the team eventually succeeds in defeating the mind controlled Arthur and assorted knights but Darkhe escapes once again. Evil Rip is captured and taken aboard the Waverider (which, per next week's previews, is bad idea). Sara and Guinevere share a quiet moment and a kiss before leaving. Ray achieves his childhood fantasy of becoming a knight. He will henceforth be known as "Sir Ray of Palms".

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For anyone keeping track, this season the team has time traveled to the following locales:

2016/2017- Central City several times including when Darhk is saved by Ecobar from being killed by Arrow
1942 New York- Nazis and the "A" bomb
1600s Japan
1880s the Civil War and ZOMBIES!
1980s and the Russians
1870s as the West attempts to secede from the US
1950s for the first Dominator invasion
1920s Chicago and Al Capone and Elliot Ness
1960s Los Angeles; hello George Lucas
1770s Revolutionary War- Rip kills Washington in a previous time line. Opps!
3000 Charles McNider (Dr Midnite) is killed for his fragment of the Spear. I wanted to see more. Can they go back?
500s Camelot (England); StarGirl is Merlin
Quick stops in 1600s France and 1400s Puritanical Salem
Let me know if I left any out.

Grade: 4 1/2 Monsters (out of 5). Season 2 sees the Legends swashbuckling their way through time. Anything goes at this point. I also continue to appreciate how the show deals with Sara's bisexuality. No apologies...she loves the ladies. And they present it in fun ways as when she revs up the Queen of France or corrupts the women of Salem. To quote Sara: "In my defense, they were gladly corrupted".

There are 17 episodes total (so 5 more to go). I assume there will be a final showdown between the Legends and the Legion for the Spear? How do you think it will end?