“Fail-Safe” is episode five of season one of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
In the previous episode, “White Knights”, the team realised that Dr Vostok and Savage were making a Soviet Firestorm. The thermocore was stolen but, in the process, Professor Stein, Rory and Ray were all captured.
This episode opens with Stein looking at a board and saying that it is the exact formula needed to create a thermocore to build a new Firestorm. Stein is in S.T.A.R. Labs and he is talking to Cisco. Who looks a little odd. Stein wants to know how Cisco arrived at something that took him decades to produce. Cisco says that it is unstable and Stein says that Dr Wells (it was actually Eobard Thawne, in “The Nuclear Man”) created a quantum splicer to address this problem. Stein says that he is pleased that Cisco is taking an interest in his work. Cisco replies that quantum physics has always been his passion. Calling Stein ‘sir’ as he does.
At this, the professor senses something is off. He tells ‘Cisco’ that the Cisco he knows never dwelt on formality. That this Cisco’s hair is different, his wardrobe is different and his comportment gentlemanly. Cisco replies that he subscribed to GQ. Stein says that the attempt at snide humour is almost Cisco-like. Almost. When the professor if he is implying he says he is stating unequivocally that he is not Cisco, and he is not in S.T.A.R. Labs. And he will never give the formula up.
Cisco slowly claps and the scenery changes. Stein is in a lab, just not at S.T.A.R. Labs, and Cisco is actually Dr Vostok. Stein asks her what cocktail of hallucinogens have done this and she tells him she would never dream of damaging that beautiful mind. When Vostok demands that Stein give her the formula he says he will never give it up. And they cannot kill him as that would destroy any hope of creating a Soviet Firestorm. The professor hasn’t thought about the fact that Rory and Ray are also captive, and they could be used as leverage. He demands a hot shower and a change of clothes. Then Vandal Savage enters.
Savage says that he thought he himself gave a good speech. Stein asks if they have met and Savage tells him yes; Stein purchased a nuclear warhead from him in Norway and then he and his friends tried to kill him. And that, like Savage, Stein has not aged. Stein states he has a good hairdresser. Savage tells him that, over his long life, he has met some of the most skilled interrogators in history. But, seeing as they are in the Soviet Union, he will tell Stein a story about a friend of his. Josef Stalin. Stalin, according to Savage, was quite skilled at breaking a man – and gave Savage the item he is using to demonstrating the places to break on Stein. Stein replies that if it’s to be torture, then get on with it. Savage tells him no, nothing so prosaic. That there are infinite ways to break a man and Savage has an infinite amount of time. And this is going to be so much fun. Well, that’s a matter of opinion.
Jax is hearing Stein in his mind when Kendra enters. He has apparently been unable to sleep for the past two nights and Gideon has given him a mild sedative. It’s not working. Jax tells Kendra that it’s Professor Stein, they’ve started in on him again and he’s scared to death. Kendra says that they will get him back. Jax replies that it’s his fault the professor was captured; he would never have gone in alone if he wasn’t trying to protect Jax. And they don’t know what kind of place he is locked up in.
Gideon tells the others that it’s Labour Camp 54, also called ‘Nightmare Gulag.’ Snart asks her to skip past the Wikipedia stuff and get to the good stuff. Like how to break in. When Gideon does not reply, Sara says that maybe she didn’t understand it was a question. Gideon replies that she did, but in the around 200 years the camp has existed, no-one has every successfully escaped (although they are trying to break in, not out). Snart tells Gideon he has never met a building that he could not break into.
Rip says he hopes Snart is right. Savage knows that Stein helped create Firestorm; they don’t want Savage discovering that the professor is Firestorm. Snart complains that it’s always about Savage with Rip. His partner is in prison too. It’s pointed out that so is Ray. And that Rip didn’t lift a finger to stop it. Rip says that he never intended to get them thrown into a gulag – and it’s not exactly Rory’s first time locked up. Sara cuts in, saying that Rip is right about criminals being comfortable inside. So they key to breaking in is to find someone who has been in and out of Soviet prisons their entire life. When Rip asks who that might be, Sara asks if he has ever heard of the Bratva. The Russian mob, who ruled the criminal underground inside every prison.
It goes to a sauna and Rip is deciphering the tattoos on a man’s back. He says that the man is familiar with the gulag, and they need to break in, to get some friends out. Snart asks that he makes it fast as well, because he’s uncomfortable with the heat. The man – Yuri the Bear – has heard of Savage. He has; Savage does not respect his country’s rich criminal traditions. But the two of them have no tattoos and a man with no life story cannot be trusted. So Yuri calls for two of his men. Who meet Sara. They are detained.
Yuri, on seeing that his men are not coming, says that in this life a man fights for himself. And goes for Rip – Snart declines the honour. Rip and Yuri are fighting when Sara knocks on the glass of the door. When let in, she says that she just took out six men and they cannot even handle one. Yuri asks Sara if she killed his men; she says they are not dead. Yet. And neither is Yuri. If he helps. Yuri’s organisation smuggles black-market goods into the prison. He tells them that this is no place for petty criminals; if their friends are there they must be insane ruthless animals.
Well, maybe not, given that Ray is currently chatting to everyone he and Rory meet. Rory does not think this is a good idea. He tells Ray that the only thing he should think about is lasting the night. The two get shown into a cell and Ray says that Professor Stein is in real trouble. Rory tells Ray that they are too.
Rip is explaining to Snart and Sara how Yuri’s men get inside the gulag when Kendra and Jax enter. They want to know how they can help; Rip tells the two they can help by staying. Between them they are one half of what savage needs to win the Cold War and the only person who can kill him. So Rip isn’t going to gift-wrap the two people the world needs most. Afterwards, Rip asks Sara to come aside, as he has something that might help with the mission. Sara realises that it’s nothing of the sort and Rip asks Gideon to show a projection of what will happen in 2016 if the rescue mission fails. Multiple Firestorms are cruising through a burning city. Rip corrects Sara as well; that isn’t Russia but Star City, and the rest of the world isn’t much better. If they don’t get Stein back before Vostok breaks him, Rip wants a contingency plan. Given that he is talking to the trained assassin, the plan is to kill Stein.
Snart comes across Sara as she is outfitting for the mission. When Ray is mentioned, Snart says of course he will save Raymond – so that he can beat some sense into him. He asks what about Sara, as Snart is clearly not the only one with a side mission. Snart has figured out that Rip wants Sara to kill Stein. It’s the obvious play – and also heartless. Sara says that Rip has shown her what happens if they fail. Snart tells her that he has never killed one of his own on a heist. Rip left Snart’s partner and now he wants Stein killing; they are all just pawns.
At the gulag, Ray and Rory are getting food. Ray says it’s just like scout camp – the food was terrible there. When Ray gets his food who goes over to an old man and holds out his hand to shake. Rory tells Ray to put his hand down and shut up and eat. He doesn’t. He asks the old man where their friends might be and says there is a place that, once sent there, people never come back. You can hear the screams all night. A rather large prisoner comes over and knocks the old man’s plate out of his hands, asking who said he could eat. Ray tells the man he is sure they can handle it like adults. He is wrong.
Vostok tells Stein that she has brought him something to eat. Stein tells her if it’s a bribe he will politely decline. Stein mentions the thermocore, and says it should only take her 8-10 years to build another. Vostok tells him that his friends acted as if stealing the thermocore would save the world. As if she would build only one – and a box containing another is brought in. They are so close, they only need to stabilise the thermocore. Stein tells Vostok that if they launch a Soviet Firestorm the U.S. will retaliate. Vostok replies that they will rise from the ashes stronger, just as they did from the Nazis. America will not, because they are weak. The professor replies that Savage doesn’t care about the Cold War; he is using them. Vostok slaps the professor; clearly she did not like the professor talking badly about Savage.
Back on the Waverider, Jax tells Kendra that the professor thinks they have abandoned him. Jax feels helpless, just like when he blew out his knee. Jax wishes there was something they could do and Kendra asks if the connection works both ways. Jax confirms that it does, so Kendra wants to know if they can use it to send Stein a signal. Jax remembers something Stein told him about how he and Ronnie communicated once – and asks Kendra to get a knife, as she needs to cut him. Which sounds like a totally bizarre request. Vostok is currently showing Stein a syringe; she tells him that the toxin is not lethal, the professor will only wish it was. Stein clutches his arm and pulls back the sleeve when Vostok turns away. The method of communication that Jax was referring to was from “Fallout” – when one part of Firestorm was cut, it appeared on the other. Stein now has the message ‘We’re coming’ on his arm.
Outside, a rather battered Ray comes to and one guard says to another that he’s alive and that they lose. They had a bet on it. When Ray is taken back to the cell, Rory is watching a flame from a lighter he took during Ray’s pounding. Rory said he didn’t intervene because it was none of his business. Ray tells him that they are supposed to be a team; the only team Rory recognises is him and Snart. Besides, Rory believes Ray had that beatdown coming.
Rip takes a trip to the gulag and gives some money to a guard, telling him that Yuri the Bear sent him. Snart and Sara jump out of the rear once inside; Snart is wearing a guard’s uniform. He gives some advice to Sara on the best way to kill Stein – he isn’t really telling her how, more like encouraging her not to. Inside, Savage tells Stein that Valentina has failed, so it’s his turn. His turn is the expected one; Ray and Rory are dangling by their arms with electrodes attached to them. Colonel Arkadin is wearing an apron – never the most promising of signs – and has an array of tools to help. He starts with electricity. Of course, they are going to torture Ray and Rory until Stein breaks. The bad future is getting closer and rather more set. Which is going to put Sara in an uncomfortable position – kill Stein to prevent it or don’t and hope for the best.
A bit of a cliff-hanger ending leading into “Star City 2046”.