'Legends of Tomorrow' Recap: Giant Robots! Giant Robots! Giant Robots!

Warning: This recap for the “Leviathan” episode of Legends of Tomorrow contains spoilers.

There are two types of people in this world: People who were immediately sold on Legends of Tomorrow as soon as they saw that giant robot in the first trailer and people who aren’t currently reading this recap. For that first group of people, even the slightly silly, ‘80s Tron graphics fulfills the promise of the show, which is everybody having a fun time while good guys and bad guys punch the hell out of each other.

Related: Catch Up on ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ With Our Recaps

The Plot

The Legends show up in 2166 as Vandal Savage is at the height of his powers. They make contact with a refugee encampment and infiltrate Savage’s base. Kendra recognizes her own bracelet on the wrist of Savage’s lieutenant. They kidnap her when they learn she’s actually his daughter, Cassandra (Jessica Sipos). Savage comes after her with a giant robot, threatening the encampment. Stein gets the refugees aboard the Waverider, just in time for the robot to cripple it. Ray figures out how to reverse his shrinkage and goes toe-to-toe with the robot. Meanwhile, Snart convinces Cassandra to turn on her father. Kendra melts the bracelet and pours it over Carter’s mace. She defeats Savage with it, but discovers that he’s captured Carter and wiped his mind; if she kills him, she may never see Carter again. They lock him in the Waverider’s brig instead.

Reverse the Polarity

Everything’s goofy about this episode: The Leviathan, coating medieval weapons with magic bracelets, and, of course, Ray’s plan to “reverse the polarity of the dwarf star matrix. It’s a level of techno-babble that hasn’t been seen since the heyday of Star Trek: The Next Generation. But if you buy into the idea of a bunch of superheroes (and villains) crammed into a time-traveling space ship to kill an immortal baddie, then that’s not a negative: It’s pure brain candy.

Get Carter

It’s about time Falk Hentschel shows back up. The reveal of his face as Kendra’s about to bash his brains in is the most comic-booky thing in an episode full of comic-booky things. It set up a great split-second decision: Kill Savage and lose your soulmate or don’t kill Savage and your friend loses his family. Add to that the “talk” that Ray and Kendra are about to have — which surprisingly was avoided when Ray’s fiancée was on board last episode. It’s a pulpy, over-the-top angst that’s miles away from the handwringing of its parent show, Arrow.

Dad Talk

Yes, Snart swaying Cassandra with a few crying children and ten seconds of easily-faked video footage was an unreasonably quick change of heart, but the core of his argument was much more interesting. “When it comes to crap fathers, there is no deep down.” There isn’t nearly enough time on this show to delve into the damage that bad parents do, but they hint at the interesting depths the show could delve into if they’re able to slow down in the second season.

Legendary Thoughts

* All kidding aside, though: His ultimate weapon is a giant robot? Have you ever tried to get rid of ants? Which works better? Stomping on them or nuking them from space/with a can of Raid?

* That being said, if you didn’t cheer when Ray punched through the head of the Leviathan, then why are you even watching this show?

* How are we not done with the glass of water shaking to signify giant dinosaur/robot/monster of the week yet? Have we not developed the technology to just look out a window?

* Heat Wave’s gun can make a wall of flame? Wouldn’t that have been useful pretty much every single episode before this one too?

* Um… if Rip’s family is already dead at this point in the timeline, then none of this is going to bring his family, right?

* Sorry, Carter. Twitter confirms it: You’re lousy at giving anniversary gifts.

aaaaa

Legends of Tomorrow airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on The CW.