Beware – If you haven’t seen this episode of Legends of Tomorrow, then spoilers are more than likely.
Legends Of Tomorrow: Welcome To The Jungle
As is usual, we have a “Previously….” start to the episode before we are thrown to Vietnam in 1967, as Nate said, the height of the Vietnam war.
The opening took me back to a movie from 1987. Soldiers arrive in the Vietnam jungle are taken by something we don’t see (hell of a Predator feel to it, even Nate says something similar later on the episode).
Back on the Waverider we see Martin take a “mannequin” (not sure what they are actually called sorry) to task in the hope that the sounds may help bring Sara back from her coma.
Nate and Amaya are training (Amaya anyway), with Nate trying to talk to her about what happened with Kuasa. Amaya isn’t much for the chat aside from saying that she is only thinking of stopping her.
So, with Sara in a coma, the Legends need to know where to go next to right any wrong (we all know where as it’s in the first scene). Anyway, it’s left to Jefferson’s index finger to choose and Vietnam 1967 is the choice made.
They go to Vietnam and Amaya, Ray and Zari act as members of the Associated Press, speaking to one of the soldiers witness to the beginnings events who advises them “stay out of the jungle”.
Cut to the jungle where we find Nate and Mick acting as CIA agents. Mick isn’t happy to be there as he knows that, somewhere, his father is there.
When Ray, Zari and Amaya arrived they are being watched by a Vietnamese lady, Anh Ly; they question her and she states that she can show them what is in the jungle and what attacked the American soldiers.
Back to Mick and Nate and Mick confirms worries about bumping up with his dad. Nate assures him that it wouldn’t happen which, not surprisingly, proves unfounded as that’s exactly what they do. Mick to Nate: “You owe me a six-pack”. Speaking to Nate, he confirms that he is responsible for his father dying, letting him burn.
Jefferson finds that, while Martin says otherwise, Martin is unsure on how they can overcome the separation of Firestorm. Martin even takes on advice from Isaac Newton, Galileo and Marie Curie (who is eating his mums made pecan pie). Jefferson tells Martin that he could have just told him he was unsure on how to go about the process.
Any Ly leads Zari, Amaya and Ray into the jungle, stopping as they reach their destination.
Mick and Nate talk about Micks father, just about anyway, as they are interrupted by a number of mindwarped soldiers. As a gun fight breaks out, Dick Rory, saves his future son, before they both use their own weapons to do away with the traitors, burning them to death.
The destination reached by Ray, Zari and Amaya is a cave, where they are introduced to the King of the Kingdom. Who else but Gorilla Grodd.
Mick talks with his father, Dick telling him that he holds a list of the men that he has lost,on the back of a picture of Mick’s mother (who Dick tells him to stop looking at). Dick states he’d like to start a family but hopes that any child of his wouldn’t end up somewhere like where he is now.
Amaya has the idea of shrinking Grodd to enable them to return him to his time (oh yes, Grodd is the anachronism of course)
The team believes that Grodd wants to start WW3.
Carrying on with their plan, Amaya tries to make her way in to Grodds cave, but, Grodd being Grodd, he is aware of her presence and gets in her head, making her smash the shrink ray. He condemns humankind but stops short of telling her his plans himself.
Zari is caught snooping around the office of Anh Ly, finding out the plan of killing the president as she believe what Grodd has told her and that this action will bring peace. Suddenly Grodd takes over her mind and knocks Zari out cold (she gets that once or twice doesn’t she?).
Dick Rory has communication about getting to the camp where the Vietnamese, Amaya, Ray and Zari are. Nate steps in saying that he has received intel that the camp is a no fire zone and that they shouldn’t go there. Dick tricks Nate in to telling his men about the plan and promptly knocks him out, with Mick still agreeing to go.
Amaya, Zari and Ray are taken prisoner by the camp members after being found out not being all they claim to be. Those who reside in the camp all follow Grodd, who appears in front of them all. Amaya tries to reason with him and he senses they are time travellers, refusing to go with them. He asks why he should trust them and Amaya shows him her powers, softening him. Unfortunately, that is short-lived as he hears gunshots, accusing them of betraying him.
Grodd has the idea of then taking over the Waverider, going back in time and ridding the planet of humanity and making it a planet of gorillas (Planet Of The Apes…?).
Jefferson decides to use his own noodle, after talking to a comatose Sara and her own skills without powers. He appears in front of the presidents car, just before going across a minefield. Unfortunately, one of the presidents men doesn’t listen to Jefferson as he tells them not to come closer and meets his demise. The president has touched the wire of a mine Jefferson helps him through that, and through the rest, saving his life.
Grod gets on the Waverider and manages to control Sara with his mind, attacking Martin who is on his own on the ship. Thankfully, Isaac Newton is still on board and knocks out Sara, saving Martin. Grodds attempts to take control on the Waverider fails and he seemingly falls to his death.
Back at the camp and Mick stops his father killing those who are there and they come to a sort of peace.
Returned to the ship, Ray talks to Amaya about her granddaughter, Kuasa. They talk of Grodd being made a monster and believe the same of Kuasa.
Thanks to saving the life of the president, Jefferson, rather than being given a medal, was given a piece of paper, that he shows Martin. On that paper was the recipe for an out of this world Pecan Pie, which the team are all enjoying, just as Sara walks in, recovered from her coma and given the all clear from Gideon.
The final scene shows Grodd falling in to 2017, where Damien Darhk is waiting for him and has a proposal in mind about time travel.
Cheers, John
Love the title of this episode – title of a song from my favourite band.
Enjoyed the episode for the most part, like Grodd as a villain but hope he’s not going to get overly used now, the same with Darhk (sorry).
Loved the scenes withMick and his dad towards the end and that final nod, great touch. Good to see for the character of Mick.
6/10
