Legends of Tomorrow season 5, episode 4 review: A Head of Her Time

Zari shines in what is another killer offering from DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, suggesting that Season 5 could be the show’s best yet.

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has been on a roll lately. The Arrowverse’s line-up of outcasts and misfits have clearly taken the somewhat divisive response to Season 4 on-board because the show that once knew exactly how to deliver both comedy and drama has once again found the perfect balance.

Following an iffy start to the fifth season, the show has gradually improved with each episode – a trajectory that has once again continued in this week’s hilarious but haunting offering “A Head Of Her Time”.

Learning from each other

We’ve talked before about how Legends of Tomorrow works best when it takes a really heartfelt and serious subject matter and dresses it up in something really silly. It’s a format that has benefited the show since the second season and allows for some of the best material, and it’s a format that worked really well here.

With Sara’s departure to Star City, Ava was tasked with holding down the fort in her temporary absence – something the interim captain had a chance to do when the team discovered an Encore had surfaced in Paris in 1793. Meanwhile, social media superstar Zari – who knew about Ava’s concerns of fitting in as temporary captain – insisted on tagging along because she loved parties and, deep down, wanted to prove that she was so much more than what people thought of her.

While Ava was forced to figure out what worked and what didn’t work when it came to the Legends, Zari had to make mistakes in order to realize what she truly wanted out of life. And both of these conflicting women were given the chance to overcome their physical and mental obstacles in order to prove themselves when they faced off against Marie Antoinette’s plan to kill countless people out of revenge.

Being Legends, Ava was, of course, allowed to succeed just this once with her Time Bureau A.L.O.H.A. philosophy while Zari’s faux self-obsessiveness inadvertently gave her and Ava protection from Marie Antoinette’s popularity perfume.

Zari Is A Queen

It’s clear now that there’s more to this version of Zari than meets the eye (or the phone), but can we just take a moment to talk about how utterly brilliant a character she is. Sure, we know that she’s so much more than anyone was initially willing to give her credit for, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy seeing her relish the perks of her lifestyle.

Legends of Tomorrow is a show that thrives on hilarity, but there’s just something about the way Zari conducts herself that makes her unbelievably funny. The writing for the character is some of the sharpest on the show and Tala Ashe’s almost sarcastic well-time delivery of that material is nothing short of genius.

Zari and Ava as frenemies quickly became this episode’s biggest selling-point and the catty sharp-tongued insults from the former were some of the most effective lines in the episode. We didn’t want to laugh – because we loved Ava – but, wow did Ashe’s effortless delivery force us to.

Managing to defy expectations and get the job done, all while making us laugh endlessly? I mean, what more could you ask for from Queen Zari?!

Gone Too Soon, John

The episode’s other primary arc picked up where last week’s adventure left off, allowing us to catch up with John Constantine, Charlie and Gary as the Master of the Dark Arts attempted to communicate with Astra’s mother. The only problem was that she had become a powerful witchy ghost that wanted to exact revenge on the man who damned her daughter to Hell.

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A redemption arc of sorts, it told us another untold tale from Constantine’s past, allowing viewers to see how he once loved Natalie and how that love and guilt forced him down a path that led to resurrection, and ultimately, Astra’s damnation.

A great exploration of the past, the thing that made this storyline work best was the fact that, as Natalie assisted Constantine in his attempts to save her daughter, it played out parallel to Astra’s attempts to kill the demon hunter from below. And, as a result, John’s lung cancer was forced upon him 10 years earlier, leaving him in Astra’s hellish hands.

John Constantine is such a rich character so any time the show delves into his history, it makes for highly compelling viewing. This was no exception. The only question is: After collapsing in a puddle of blood, does the Master of the Dark Arts have a future left for anyone to delve into?

Legendary Leftovers

“Spray, delay, walk away” is my new mantra in life.
Can we give Courtney Ford another standing ovation, please? After making us all bawl last week, she had us crying with laughter here with her hilarious performance as Marie Antoinette. That accent, though!
“What is zis’a donut?” is a question I never knew I needed in my life.
Ray and Nora declaring their love for one another was such a wholesome moment, and one that they thoroughly deserved.
Awwww, Mick’s developing feelings.
I wonder if “killer headless body runs around the Waverider with a flamethrower” is how they pitched this episode?
So, the Loom of Fate is what can help Astra, and Charlie has destroyed it? Hmm, that’s awkward. But why did she destroy it?

25 most heartbreaking Arrowverse deaths of all-time. dark. Next

DC’s Legends of Tomorrow returns to The CW next Tuesday, Feb. 25., at 9:00 p.m. ET. Did you enjoy this week’s episode? Let us know in the comments below!

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