Don’t Burn the Witch (Venom)

 

Legends of Tomorrow seems to be intent on upping the ridiculous on a weekly basis and this week was no exception.  Unicorns last week, to the Fairy Godmother this. Complete and utter cobblers yes, but it does make you need to watch the whole thing.

This week, despite his reservations, Constantine agrees to join the team, with conditions as you’d expect. He certainly made a point of “not wearing any bloody costumes!”

This week, the Legends were up against a Fairy Godmother, the monsters of Salem, Massachusetts and the closure of the Time Bureau. Where to start…?

As mentioned, JC has agreed to join the team and it’s not long before they are called in to action, making their way to Salem and the witch trials. In a way, this still happens in today’s world, people being persecuted for their beliefs. It makes this part of the story relevant today and Legends of Tomorrow does a good job of portraying it here. A woman, Jane Hawthorne, is accused of witchcraft and is, very quickly, arrested. This is all too familiar to Zari who has seen first-hand this type of persecution. So much so, that she finds herself willing to kill in order to save Jane from being sentenced to burn. She uses her totem to stop the trial, she releases so much pent up anger that she does almost kill. However, she soon realises that finding herself willing to kill makes her no better and she backs down. Here, she is released and both Jane and Zari are arrested and sentenced, without trial.

During this part of the episode we have also met Prudence, Jane’s daughter, obviously distressed at what is happening to her mother. She requests the help from her Fairy Godmother and she wants revenge on those who have wronged her and her mother, almost putting paid to some of our Legends. While the FG will do as she is asked by Prudence, it does appear that she has her own reasons for wanting revenge on humans who trapped her. Zari and Jane are tied up, ready to burn, but Prudence has them released thanks to the Fairy Godmother. However, Prudence, angry at what these villagers have done, wants revenge and wants the FG to kill them all. Zari, despite her own anger at what she has seen, manages to talk her down with a great speech about people still being monsters but that they mustn’t become monsters too. You’ll have to see it to appreciate it (although if you’re reading this, you will have already seen it). A fine moment and fine performance from Tala Ashe. While the other Legends do have some part in this, it’s only Sara who really does anything of note here, kicking ass in a super fight scene.

After a face to face with the Fairy Godmother who he captures and takes away, Constantine banishes her to hell; but not after she gives him warning about he/her/it/they who is coming after him.

Oh, please note that at one point, Prudence is kept on the Waverider for her protection. Fairy Godmother summoned, Mick and Ray are turned in to pigs and Constantine has his mouth shut up so he can’t cast any spells to try and stop her.

Nate, after having dinner with Biff his father, finds that he doesn’t have the funds to pay for it, his dad standing in. We also find out that Nate has been staying at the Bureau as he is caught by Ava, in his dressing gown, brushing teeth and conditioning his hair (with a tip that Ava likes the sound of). This brings us nicely on to the other part of this week’s episode, which is taken up by the goings on at the Time Bureau and their preparations to ensure a future budget from the Department of Defence. Very handily, the main man that decides on budgets is Director Heywood, Nate’s father. Explaining that, after they saved the world from Mallus et al, Ava attempts to put her case forward to ensure their budget and that they can carry on. However, Gary, the man with only one nipple, jumps in and makes a mess of things as he starts to talk of magic. Dir Heywood doesn’t believe in any of this and, without any proof, he makes the decision to shut down the Time Bureau. Ava asks for Nate to step in and help but is reluctant due to his history with his father. However, he makes the decision to try, wanting to prove that magic exists. He needs something to help so pops aboard the Waverider for Ray. As mentioned earlier, he’s been turned in to a pig, which Nate realises and understands every snort he hears. Taking Ray to the Bureau, he confronts his dad and, after an amount of time that comes to nothing, the magic that gave us Pig-Ray wears off, turning him back and Nate steels up. Mr Heywood then agrees to 4.2 billion dollars a year funding. Not bad at all.

Thanks to what Nate achieved, Ava offers him a job with the Time Bureau.

Ok, so again, the crazy is upped in this episode. Never thought I’d see a Fairy Godmother in a CW show but, there you go. While the episode was fun, I did find that the more serious nature of the episode far outweighed the crazy. Constantine’s story is intriguing and I look forward to seeing who is after him, we could be going to some dark places. Nate’s issues with his father are also very well played and it’s great to see some of this from the Legends, personal issues that affect them daily. Finally, Zari – wonderful from Tala Ashe and a cracking story for her to take centre stage in. It’s very relevant to the world we are in today and not something that should be taken lightly.

Matt Ryan, who continues to impress, Tala Ashe who stood out by a mile here and Nick Zano are putting in performances that give so much more to the show than just the comedy elements that it seems more well known for. There are so many stories to tell here and that’s without Ray, Sara, Mick being all that involved. An interesting season ahead I think.

Thanks for reading and it is lways good to hear thoughts from readers so please feel free to do so below or on Twitter.

Cheers, John