If there was one show we would give the “Most Improved Show” award, it would hands down be Legends of Tomorrow, which in just one season has righted the wrongs that plagued it in its debut season. Legends went from a show that got lost in its own narrative — with a non-threatening villain — and became one of the standout shows of the DC universe.
Legends of Tomorrow learned to really embrace what makes it great: The time travel element (and the fun that comes with it), writing to these amazing characters that are the driving force behind this show, and integrating new characters that we actually like.
So it pains us that Legends of Tomorrow season 2 is coming to an end tonight with its jaw-dropping season finale, “Aruba.”
Legends of Tomorrow executive producer Phil Klemmer spoke with EW.com about Tuesday’s season finale, which includes the consequences of interacting with your past selves, the changes for season 3, and “so many deaths!”
Here’s what we can expect from tonight’s season finale:
The Consequences From the Finale Will Carry Over Into Season 3
Tonight’s finale will feature of Legends going back to the past where they will come into contact with themselves. As far as rules of time travel go, that’s a big no-no. So obviously we can expect consequences. But the extent of the consequences from this season finale will carry over into next season.
“Well, it’ll take at least another season to try to, if not fix, mitigate some of the destruction that we inflict on the universe in the finale,” Klemmer told EW. “I just know, as a viewer, I would hate people if they made it too easy. It’s been 33 episodes of us being like, “You can’t do that, you can’t push that button,” so if it were too easy to undo the cataclysm, I would be like, “Oh, come on!” It’s not resolved this season. It basically is the propulsion that will take us into season 3. It will redefine our Legends, who they are and what they do, which is great because it’s always good to make them responsible for the mess. Our Legends provide the best part of the show, which is us trying to clean up our own messes. We make our ultimate mess in Tuesday’s episode.”
Questions Arising From Doomsworld Will Be Answered
The penultimate episode of Legends of Tomorrow‘s second season was one that left our jaws on the ground. And it wasn’t just because of the badass Felicity Smoak cameo we got.
There were several big questions that we were left with after Eobard Thawne dropped the Spear of Destiny into the fire, including whether Amaya will stay dead, if Stein will get his memory back, and if the team can truly trust Mick. So can we expect to have those questions answered?
“We will deal with all of those things in the finale,” Klemmer said. “It’s definitely not a finale you want to turn off in the last couple minutes. There’s a seismic shift in our show, quite literally, that will give you an idea of what season 3 will look like, but also I don’t think anybody will know what it’s going to look like, because frankly, we don’t quite know what it’s going to look like. The show has always been designed to morph. There’s a big morph moment coming.”
Laurel Lance Will Return (But Not Permanently)
Something that hasn’t really been a secret headed into Legends of Tomorrow‘s season finale is that Katie Cassidy would be returning as Laurel Lance. But the secret is: How will she be returning?
Well, Klemmer and star Caity Lotz didn’t give away specifics (obviously), but it sounds like it’s something that’ll arise due to the temptation of wanting to right things that the Legion of Doom have taken from them. But Lotz did signify that however Laurel returns, it’s not permanent. After all, she’ll be a series regular on Arrow next season as her Earth-2 doppleganger Black Siren.
“I don’t want to give anything away, but I don’t want to also toy with the fans’ emotions,” Caity Lotz told EW.com. “It’s not like a full coming back, but it is a really lovely appearance, and I think people will like it a lot.”
Audiences Will Wonder What Season 3 Will Look Like
Legends of Tomorrow’s second season was an entirely different look that actually benefited the show. But it sounds like we can expect season 3 to look different, as well.
If there was one thing this show did right — completely — was how it found its niche in the setup of season 2. So we’re a little nervous about another shift.
“After the finale, people will wonder, ‘What does an episode look like now?'” Klemmer said. “A great thing about our show is that not only do the characters change and the dynamics change, but the engine of the show changes with it.”
There Will Be “So Many Deaths”
So this isn’t a particularly soothing tease — not that any of these teases have been. But this one even more so. This season finale will certainly be a blood bath. And we have to wonder if any of our Legends will be part of the body count, especially with the tease that we’ll have some new members in season 3.
“There will be so many deaths!” Klemmer teased. “It’s just nothing but death. It’s a wall-to-wall carnage. It’s a meat grinder. It’s more people that I’ve probably killed in my entire television career. It’s ridiculous.”
New Members are Coming to the Legends in Season 3
The whole “so many deaths!” tease noted above has us severely worried for our beloved season 2 cast — especially with this tease that season 3 will see some new team members coming to the Waverider.
“It’s something akin to the scale of what we did this season,” Klemmer said. “You will not know who the new characters are [in the finale], you’ll have to wait until next year.”
The Legends of Tomorrow season finale airs tonight at 8/7c on The CW.
