In Legends of Tomorrow season 1, episode 14, “River of Time,” Vandal Savage does his best Hannibal Lecter impression, getting under the skins of the Legends.
Dr. Lecter Vandal Savage met with several members of the team while locked up, and the masterful way he got under the skins of most of the team in an effort to create fractures so he can escape showed off the characters’ potential that perhaps hasn’t been met up until now. This was the most interesting Savage has been since the character was introduced.
With that in mind, let’s look at three times Savage got under the Legends’ skin and one time he didn’t.
Sara Lance
After the ship malfunctions, Sara makes sure Savage was still locked away in his cell. When she does, he asks about Laurel. (No, I didn’t make a pained sound when that happened. That was your imagination.) Sara, however, is not one to be easily intimidated. But when Savage implies that Rip would give the team up in an instant to save his family, Sara is shaken.
She later confirms this with Rip, thus undermining his power among a certain segment of the crew (read: Mick and Leonard). Sara has her doubts about Rip, but she doesn’t abandon him when Mick and Leonard do. And she even ends up captaining the ship for a time. It will take more than sly words to completely shatter Sara’s faith in those she has come to trust, even if she’s learned to be wary.
Speaking of Sara, we also see a flashback of Sara visiting Nyssa after her soul has been returned to her post-resurrection. Nyssa is thunderstruck by seeing her beloved whole again, and Sara is determined to free Nyssa though Nyssa refuses. The scene is intimate and lovely, as Nyssa encourages Sara to live a life free from her past. It’s proof of how much she truly loves Sara.
Ray Palmer
Ray visits Savage twice, first to find out how to free Carter’s mind and second to face off against the man. The first time, Ray is stinging because Kendra is determined to rescue Carter’s mind, and it’s clear that her feelings are stronger for Carter than for Ray. (Side note: Don’t get too attached to this Carter, Kendra. There is a Kendra in 2166 that is missing her soul mate.)
In this conversation, Savage tells Ray that in Kendra’s first reincarnation, they fell in love; he draws parallels between Ray and himself, which haunts Ray. By the second meeting, Kendra and Ray have broken up because Ray has realized he’s only a placeholder for Carter. When he confronts Savage, Savage presses the right buttons until Ray opens the cell and attacks. However, Ray’s a scientist and businessman, not a fighter, so Savage quickly gets the upper hand and escapes.
Ray has consistently been portrayed as a more sensitive character who doesn’t need to prove his masculinity. He is who he is, and he’s comfortable with that. It’s been refreshing to have that character, so I was disappointed to see Ray snap like this.
Like Sara, Ray also gets a flashback to prior to his departure. Felicity, still in her wheelchair, catches Ray leaving her a note about leaving. She knows about the mission from Oliver and encourages him. It’s a sweet moment; they were good together and I hope when Ray returns from time traveling, they can develop their friendship more.
Rip Hunter
Rip has two interactions with Savage in this episode. First, he gets Savage to confess that he has been time traveling as well. He got the idea from Rip, so well done there, Time Master. But this is information Rip needs to condemn Savage in the eyes of the Time Masters. Rip feels like he’s in charge of the situation, but Savage has been playing the long game all along — which, to be fair, he does warn Rip about.
Rip brings Savage in front of the Time Masters, but Druce orders Savage be set free. He’s been working with Savage all along. Thus, Savage is loose and Rip locked up in a cell. And Rip can only scream helplessly as Savage promises to meet Rip’s wife and son. Outplayed yet again, Mr. Hunter. But at this point, that’s to be expected; Rip has not proven himself the most capable of Time Masters.
Martin Stein
Unlike his companions, Stein is a match for Savage. He goes to Savage with a question about how he shared his immortality with his followers after Carter’s death because Jax is dying after radiation exposure. While Savage tries to play mind games with Stein, he’s unable to get under Stein’s skin; instead Stein gets an idea of how to save Jax’s life. Seeing Stein leave Savage behind is quite satisfying.
Stein ends up sending Jax in the jump ship back to 2016, hoping the trip will save his life. Because science. He has to drug Jax to do it, and I’m getting uncomfortable with Stein’s willingness to do that to his young partner.
Stein also gets a flashback to prior to his departure. His wife visits him at S.T.A.R. Labs and he declines a lunch invitation, saying he has a meeting with colleagues about a time travel project. However, he’ll be back before Clarissa knows it. It’s bittersweet, as we know Stein regrets leaving his wife without a proper goodbye — and with Jax gone, Stein’s condition will deteriorate.
Jax also gets a flashback, as we see him and his mother. He made plans with her for family dinner but was going to visit Stein first — and that’s when he was drugged and kidnapped. Sigh.
So, with two episodes left in season 1, Vandal Savage is still loose and much of the team has been captured by the Time Masters. How will they get out of this?
Watch a promo for the next episode
