Synopsis of 1×7: The Legends receive a distress call from a stranded time vessel. Space pirates and betrayal ensue.
Rating: ★★★★☆
A well-crafted plotline performs miracles. It’s emotionally resonant and exciting. It elevates its cohorts. It plays on the past but can stand on its own. They are based in character. They are why we watch television.
You just have to sit through a lot of flashbacks to get to it.
*Notice how “Marooned” set this episode on three identical spaceships?
This forces the creative team into a position to base their stories on character. Your cast has no way out and has to confront each other emotionally. Old grudges boil up. Plotlines are brought to a head. And hopefully it’s not all caused by a storm or a blackout. Because that’s just lazy.
It knows that Ray is a real charmer. It knows that giving Stein a nice little running joke is enough because Victor Garber can spin gold from pig slop. It knows not to give too much of the weight to Jax or Kendra. It doesn’t know that we don’t care about Rip or Savage. Maybe it will learn.
Whether Mick is really dead will be revealed soon, but for now we are left with the emotional heft of that ending. Special props to the Legends editing team tonight. The match cuts in the fights scenes were remarkably clever and fun. Even if it all ends with an ice beam of betrayal…