Being a part of a team changes you. It gives you a sense of belonging, yet it also teaches you about your own self. Teammates over time become friends, and that in turn helps you grow. In “Here I Go Again,” Zari learns the meaning of this through time loops, Groundhog Day references and erotica.
Also, a old friend lets us meet a new friend that is sure to shake up the status quo.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM AND SO ON AND SO ON
Zari has been a member of the Legends all season and it’s felt like she is still a outsider this whole time, hasn’t it? Now, I know this is supposed to be how Zari feels too, but I just haven’t gotten that connection with her. Now after this episode, I understand and more importantly, enjoy Zari a lot more.
“Here I Go Again” starts off with the team returning from a mission and after Zari has knocked Gideon offline thanks to a simulation gone bad, Sara and Zari get into a argument. This leads to Zari getting ready to leave, but before she knows it, the Waverider go boom!!
Only Zari is back on the bridge wondering what is going on. Now, most shows when they do a episode like this, show maybe 3-4 of the attempts to get everything back to normal. Well, Legends of Tomorrow goes full-Groundhog Day and we get to see MULTIPLE attempts as Zari tries to, unsuccessfully, stop the time-loop.
Tala Ashe did a wonderful job of conveying so many emotions in this episode, and all the different attempts highlight this. From exasperation in her first few attempts to convince Nate to help her, to happiness when Nate convinces her to use a few time-loops to enjoy herself, to despair as she repeatedly fails to stop it.
Through all these attempts we get to see Zari connect with her teammates and through them, she connects with us. The spark in her eyes as Nate calls her his friend shows us the heart truly inside of Zari. It shows her that she has people that care about her and that truly touches her deeply.
As we go further and further along in Zari’s attempts, we learn more about our team as well
-Nate and Amaya still have the hots for each other and have sex during missions (Well, just this mission, but there’ll be more). Unlike Zari, I don’t mind this relationship this time around, as it feels more earned, especially on Nate’s side.
(Sidenote: This was one of those rare episodes where Nate didn’t make me mad or annoy me. I actually loved him in this episode. WTF is going on? Am I in a weird time loop?)
-Ray feels nervous around Sara after the whole “Constantine told you to murder Sara if she’s possessed by Mallus.” Ray’s got a kind soul, but I would listen to the magic man if I were him.
-Mick is secretly writing some weird erotica. All I will say to this is: Mick, the best site to post it on is Archive Of Our Own.
-Sara is feeling the stress of leadership and goes to unwind with a little talk flirt in the jumpship with Ava. No matter how you feel about the pairing, the show is pushing full speed ahead.
OH, WHAT A TWIST
So after what is probably thousands of attempts, Zari is able to convince the team that they are all in a time-loop. With a little help from Mick and beer, they check the recycle unit and hey, it’s our old friend Gary!! Gary has a device with him that gets destroyed (Not pointing fingers…Mick.). However, this device is what is keeping Zari in these time-loops. Without it they are screwed big-time. Now they only have 5 minutes to find the bomb? Will they??
Yes, of course they will. Thanks to Mick getting a song stuck in his head, they find the bomb in some 8-track looking player. Oh Damien Darhk, you jerk!
Now, as they try to figure out what to do, Zari comes up with a idea: Sacrifice herself for the team. As she does this through a force-field, she also tells the team how much they mean to her and what they mean to each other. It’s something that could have been cheesy but instead, thanks to Tala’s performance the scene is really heartwarming. Except it’s not real as the boom leads to Zari all alone on the bridge except for, once again, the human Gideon showing up.
Now I can understand why some would feel this is a cheap way out of this. Having it be all “Gideon simulation inside Zari’s head” does feel a little too easy, but it works here. These type of stories are really hard to stick the landing on. Legends does as damn good a job as you can for this type of story. Also it brings back Amy Pemberton and that’s never not a bad thing.
So Zari wakes up and we find out that all the stuff Zari saw among her teammates is real (via Gideon being a snoop). A team that is united together as not only teammates and friends but as a family. Zari joined the Legends in attempt to save, family but instead she gained one.
So that’s it..Nothing more left to….OH WAIT..
Hi, Kid Flash! 👋 Thanks for watching DC’s #LegendsOfTomorrow! pic.twitter.com/mVng3vycv4
— DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (@TheCW_Legends) February 20, 2018
We have one more scene left in the episode as we flash to China circa 2018 as Wally West is in deep meditation. He’s interrupted by our old Captain Rip Hunter (Missed you Arthur Darvill!) as he is here to have Wally join him in helping to save the universe!
I’m really excited for this, as Wally was being wasted on The Flash, to say the least and Legends is the perfect place for the speedster. If you are a fan of Legends of Tomorrow, “Here I Go Again” has got you excited for what lays ahead.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Ratings of everyone in their Disco attire : Sara >>>>>>>>everyone else
- I still want Rip and human Gideon to have one more meeting together.
- Nate and Zari bonding was something I didn’t know I needed but loved.
- Ray and Zari – still on that ship.
Legends of Tomorrow airs on Mondays at 8 pm on The CW.