TV REVIEWS: FTN Reviews Legends Of Tomorrow Season 02 Episode 03: Shogun

After a fun start to the season, things took an even bigger turn in “Shogun”. As though it started out as a “typical” episode, it soon became ripe with new developments.

First, Nate now has superpowers, and has become Citizen Steel (or just Steel for now…I hope John Henry Irons doesn’t show up to rain on his parade…). This is very cool, and it helped set up an impromptu journey to Feudal Japan. What Legends gets to do over other CW shows in the DCTV universe is have fun with the time periods, and they totally did that here. Yes, some of it was very, VERY, cliche, but it worked more than it didn’t.

From Nate and Ray having very different greetings, to Ray’s armor getting taken by an actual Shogun, to Sara and Vixen showing their skills, getting the reveal of Mick’s obsession with ninjas, and more, it was fun all around. It also had some really great action, and great character moments. Nate started off hot with his powers, but then couldn’t get them to work. Ray lost his suit, and realized the only way to save the day was to destroy it.

This last part is especially key, as it leaves Ray to do…well…who knows? Maybe he’ll make a new, better, Atom suit. One that maybe resembles more of his comic book self, the sky is the limit now. And with the hopeful new self confidence he got by donning Samurai armor and saving the day, he won’t go through the “slump” most heroes would go through after “losing their powers”

I do appreciate how Vixen got to join the team, showing off why she can “kick your butt like a woman” as her eventual granddaughter would say. Her systematic takeover of the ship and the beating of the crew was very well done. And for Mick and Nate to be the ones to beat her was hilarious.

Now, the “love” story between Nate and Masako was easily a downpoint. Yes, Masako herself wasn’t bad, and her story wasn’t bad either, but like I said earlier, it was cliche. We knew the Shogun would die and her life would be spared, and that Nate would have to leave her…so why do that?

An interesting sidequest of sorts was Stein and Jax finding the “secret compartment” of Rip, complete with secret message from Barry Allen in 2056!!!!! Whatever they (and Rip) heard, it’s bad, very bad. But what is it? And when are we going to hear it? Hopefully its soon.

With everything saved, the Legends went back into the timestream, while “Shogun” wasn’t as good as meeting the JSA, it did set up some very fun dynamics and potential storylines. Let’s hope they all get time to shine.

Oh, and the clan they saved? Yamashiro? I think Tatsu is smiling right now.