“Night of the Hawk” is episode eight of season one of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
In the previous episode, “Marooned”, after Rory betrayed the others to the time pirates (Rip insulting him and saying that the only reason Mick was along was to bring Snart probably didn’t help; Rip could do with some lessons in diplomacy), Snart said he would deal with him, as they couldn’t keep him in the brig long-term nor could they let him run around in Star City in 2016. So Snart dragged Rory out into the forest and apparently shot him with his cold gun. Whether or not Snart killed him wasn’t seen.
This episode opens at night in 1958 in Harmony Falls. There are two cars pulling up next to each other on a road. In one there is a teenage boy and girl; in the other two teenage boys. The girl addresses the boy as Tommy and tells him not to go too fast. As it looks like they are about to have a race, going fast is likely an integral part of what’s planned. Tommy is also drinking (so is his girlfriend but she isn’t driving). Both cars set off and Tommy takes the lead when a tyre blows. The rubber is quickly stripped and his car goes off the road.
This is well before such niceties as seatbelts, airbags or ABS yet when Tommy’s car crashes both are miraculously not only alive but, in Tommy’s case, practically uninjured. The girl looks a little woozy but that’s all. Tommy has crashed next to a rock with blue-glowing veins. Which is not normal. The other two come over to see if they are okay and one asks Tommy what that is. Tommy thinks it’s a comet but at this point Vandal Savage appears and, with an American accent, tells them it is actually a meteorite. He was drawn to it too. Savage tells them that their presence is unexpected. Or perhaps that is another word for destiny.
The Waverider arrives and Stein hopes he is not the only one with a blurry left eye and Jax asks if seeing three of everything is normal. Rip replies that he mentioned that the effect that time travel has on the human body increases with the length of each jaunt. Well, that might explain why they have been tooling around the 20th century, but not why the jump to 2046 didn’t have such an effect. Rip says that according to Captain Baxter’s intel Vandal Savage is currently in Harmony Falls, Oregon. Jax asks just what Savage is doing in Pleasantville. Rip replies murder, apparently, as several members of Harmony Falls have been murdered and others are missing. It looks as if the killer was expert with knives. Sara replies that sounds like Savage’s MO but Ray comments that serial killing isn’t. It seems a bit small-time for someone who had coffee with Hitler. Rip tells them that Savage will not be expecting them – this is prior to revealing themselves to Savage in Norway in “Pilot: Part 2”.
Kendra says that Savage is good at hiding, even in a small town, so how are they going to find him. Rip replies by investigating the murders to see if they have a common link. The first was a piano teacher, killed in their own home, a home which is now on the market. Which is where Ray and Kendra go. The woman showing them around says that there is a small place above the garage that is ideal for the live-in help. Clearly meaning Kendra. Who replies that they don’t need a maid – she and her husband can get on just fine. The woman then suggests a lovely Tudor-style house that’s for sale. In another town. One that is more accepting and forward-thinking. Kendra tells her this one is fine – she likes her towns backward.
The second victim is a doctor who was murdered on the grounds of the asylum where he worked. The sanatorium needs a replacement. Which is Professor Stein, accompanied by Sara. Stein is telling the doctor he is speaking to that his doctoral thesis was on socio-pathology and its relationship to serial murder. The doctor says that this will be handy, as they are short staffed following the late doctor’s sudden demise. Stein says he couldn’t accept the position without his faithful nurse slash assistant. The doctor, carefully eying Sara from head to toe, says she looks as if she will fit right in.
Jefferson is apparently the perfect age to see if he can find out the facts related to the disappearances of the three teenagers who went missing a week before the murders started. Three, not four. So Snart asks where that leaves him. It’s not a great surprise when Snart and Rip arrive at the sheriff’s posing as feds. What else would you have a thief do than impersonate law enforcement? They tell the sheriff that they are special agents from the Bureau here to investigate the serial murders that have plagued his sleepy old town. The sheriff tells them that all they have are some unexplained accidents. Snart asks for the case files so that they can decide for themselves. Or they can come back with a court order and a really nasty disposition.
Jax, Stein and Sara are in a diner and Stein is waxing nostalgic. Sara is feeling nauseated by the town. Stein tells her she cannot deny how idyllic this time was. Jax replies sure. If you’re white. Sara continues with and a man, and straight and… at which point Stein admits he gets the point. Jax finds it creepy as hell as well, as he used to watch old horror movies with his mother and they all started off in places like this. Perhaps because they were horror films, and places like this were supposed to be perfect so that the horror was all the more disturbing.
Jax notices a girl at the counter, saying it’s the girl from the accident, he recognises her from the news articles. Indeed, it’s Tommy’s girlfriend. Sara mentions that an unhappy cheerleader is disturbing. Jax wonders if she might know something and Stein suggests he talk to her. Then tells Sara that there lunch hour is nearly over and to come along nurse. Sara replies that Ra’s al Ghul taught her how to kill someone slowly. Over the course of says. After they leave, Jax asks if there’s anyone next to the girl and sits down. Getting stares and resulting in him asking her what’s wrong with them. She replies they haven’t seen anyone and Jax cuts in saying dip their fries in a milkshake. And does just that.
The girl introduces herself as Betty. Two teenagers come over and tell Betty that just because her boyfriend is missing she doesn’t have to slum it with this loser. Jax tells the kid, calling him Biff, to keep walking before he embarrasses himself. When Jax stands up and asks if the kid wants to take a swing, the man behind the counter shakes his head and the two leave. Jax takes his seat again, apologising to Betty, but she says it was amazing and asks if he wants to hang out tonight.
Ray and Kendra have moved in. Kendra says that yesterday they kissed and today they are married. Ray replies that if it seems as if they are moving fast, it’s all pretend. Soon they can get a divorce and then start figuring ‘us’ out.
Sara thinks that they are wasting time in the asylum but Stein believes it’s fertile ground for clues. He wants to start reviewing the files of patients with a history of violence. And asks Sara to get them. She replies literally days and leaves. Sara smiles at the nurse in the room with the files, then starts looking. A doctor comes in and starts coming onto the nurse rather aggressively until Sara accidentally hits him with a drawer and he spills his coffee. The nurse, Lindsay, thanks Sara and she says that maybe next time the doctor will take no for an answer. Only it’s not just him; most of the doctors are looking for a good time and most of the nurses are looking to get married and say yes. Lindsay is not really looking for a husband and asks Sara if she would like a tour. They go, leaving Stein in their wake, but there is one ward Lindsay can’t show her. Hall H, a restricted ward of violent psychotics under the care of Dr Knox. Whose photo is on the wall. Guess who?
There is a knock on Kendra and Ray’s door and Kendra answers it to a neighbour who welcomes them to the neighbourhood. She is Gail Knox, and introduces her husband, Curtis. Yes, it’s him. Awkward. Elsewhere, a man is changing a tyre when a big flying thing attacks him. Gail and Curtis have brought tuna surprise and Ray is saying he loves tuna surprise when he sees who it is and stops mid-sentence. ‘Curtis’ and Gail live across the street and are having a soiree tonight. Come over any time after eight; don’t bother ringing the bell. Just come in. It’s that kind of neighbourhood.
On the Waverider, Kendra tells them that Savage doesn’t think she recognised him, and won’t try and kill her because he can’t steal Kendra’s powers before she has them. Ray is eating the casserole and says that you can say what you like about Savage, he makes a hell of a casserole. Snart and Rip have been analysing the files and, according to Snart, have learned nothing other than Savage is very good at making people disappear. Jax says that is something Snart and Savage have in common. Jax wants to know if they are just going to pretend nothing happened. If Snart can ice his best friend, Jax hates to think what he would do to the rest of them.
Sara is in Knox’s office looking through his files when Lindsay enters and tells her is Sara is looking for booze, Knox doesn’t drink. But she knows where another doctor keeps the good stuff. Ray and Kendra arrive at Savage’s soiree and a woman asks Kendra to get her a glass of champagne. She just assumed. Ray tells Kendra, when she mentions people staring, let them stare as he has the most beautiful woman on his arm. Savage agrees and says he is glad they attended. Ray tells Savage his house is normal and, afterwards, Kendra suggests they split up and Ray take the rear. She’s sure she’s safe from Savage as he is unlikely to kill her next to the canapés.
Sara and Lindsay are talking; she is a bit envious it seems as Sara as been to a lot of places and Lindsay has never left Harmony Falls. Sara tells her that’s a mistake, as it sucks. And asks if she has a girlfriend, because she’s obviously not into guys. Sara is rather more open than anyone Lindsay has met before. Stein interrupts and gets Sara to come with him. He asks her about seducing Lindsay and Sara replies she is liberating her. With an option to seduce her later. Stein mentions that Sara will leave and Lindsay will be stuck in the rather less open 1950s; she says that she would love someone to drop into her life and tell her the future is a better place. Then an alarm goes off. Trouble in Hall H.
With Ray elsewhere, Savage is talking to Kendra asking if she believes in past lives. Ray is currently staring at a metal door with a padlock. Now, that’s not normal. Savage is talking about fate and destiny when his phone rigs; it’s the asylum. At the asylum, Savage tells Tommy that they had an understanding. He and his cohorts would have the freedom to run free and feed their thirst. Tommy is not human any longer; he and the others have wings, and odd complexion and sharp pointy teeth.
Ray is explaining the concept of a man cave to Rip, a place in the basement where a dude watches football. Or, in Savage’s case, where he kills people. Jax appears, rather well dressed. Rip tells him to be careful in public as he’s going to be with a white girl in a very unenlightened community. Ray comments that with immortal psychopaths and racists, he’s liking Harmony Falls less and less. The next day, Kendra is watching Savage’s house as Ray shrinks and goes under the metal door. Into a room that is, well, ordinary. He does find something in a wooden box, though, but Kendra tells him to get out of there as Savage is back and is already inside. What Ray has found is the dagger that can kill Savage.
Sara is talking to Lindsay, asking if the asylum ever freaks her out. Lindsay says freaked out, no. Lonely, yes. One place scares her and that’s Knox’s restricted wing. Lindsay doesn’t know what he is doing in there. Then she kisses Sara, and Sara kind of freaks out and leaves. Jax and Betty are in her car when she proves to be rather forward as well. Jax wants to get to know her better first, and asks about Tommy. Betty is telling him then the two from the diner show and start making trouble. Then get snatched by Tommy and the others – and Betty recognises Tommy.
In the process of her and Jax escaping Betty gets hurt – a rag top doesn’t stop man-sized predatory winged creatures with big claws very well. Her throat has been sliced open quite badly, and Jax is taking her to Gideon when a cop car appears behind. Betty tells Jax to pull over, and he does, even though he is concerned about being a black kid in a small town with a white girl bleeding all over the seat. It’s the sheriff, and he is questioning Jax on what he is doing with a white girl down Lover’s Lane. This seems like pretty standard prejudice. Jax tells him there are others injured and he is taking Betty to the hospital. He turns and the sheriff knocks him out. This also looks like prejudice – but the sheriff drags Jax away, leaving Betty behind. Now, that’s definitely not normal.
Another thread left hanging at the end, leading into the next episode, “Left Behind”.