“Pilot: Part 1” is episode one of season one of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
This Arrowverse series begins in the future. London, 2166. Which is wreathed in flames and energy weapons are being fired by flying craft at the ground. The Second Blitz. Armoured soldiers are shooting any that try to stop them. A man says that Vandal Savage, an evil dictator blessed with immortality, has achieved what no-one in history has ever done before. Conquered the entire planet. On the ground, Savage approaches a woman and a boy, escorted by soldiers. The woman stands up and a soldier kills her. Savage kneels before the boy and asks him what his name is. The boy replies ‘Jonas’ and Savage says that his mother was brave. And his father foolish. And which Jonas is. Jonas spits in Savage’s face. Savage stands and turns away, saying that Jonas takes after his mother now. Then turns and says ‘Or not’ and takes out a gun and shoots him.
The man who was speaking continues, only now we see him. He says Caesar, Hitler and some other guy, they were all rank amateurs compared to Savage. The man is standing before the Time Masters Council. He continues, saying that Savage’s forces have already claimed billions of lives, and if they possess the means to stop him, and again do nothing, their blood is on their hands.
Another voice addresses the speaker. He says that as a Time Master of long standing, has the speaker forgotten that their responsibility is to protect the timeline, not humanity. That he wants to engage in the very sort of manipulation of time they are sworn to prevent (so where were they when the Flash and the Reverse-Flash were mucking up the timeline?). The speaker replies, asking if they allow humanity to perish before such evil, what sort of universe are they custodians of. Another responds, saying if they stop Savage, might they not make the universe vulnerable to a more terrible despot. That they are not warriors, addressing the speaker as Captain Hunter, and they possess no army.
Hunter responds, saying he isn’t asking for an army. Just for a single timeship and the permission to change history before Savage puts an end to it He is not appealing to them as Time Masters, but as humans. Hunter asks that they grant him the authority to change the timeline just this once.
Hunter is next seen striding into a ship. An unseen speaker asks him how the council meeting went. Hunter replies that it went exactly as expected, addressing the speaker as Gideon – who appears to be an AI. Gideon asks if they are proceeding and Hunter says they are. To prepare the Waverider for takeoff. Their destination is the United States, January, 2016. Gideon replies the 21st century, the heyday of gasoline engines, online pornography and those silly little smartphones. Not really what you want the present to be remembered for. Gideon asks what they are going to retrieve and Hunter replies not what, but who. Eight men and women who will be joining them on their little crusade. Gideon says she thought Hunter prefers to work alone; he says that this time they will need a team.
The first is Dr Raymond Palmer, the Atom. Palmer is currently miniaturised and inside some electronics. He is talking to Oliver Queen, and tells him that someone has removed the CPU. Oliver asks if he’s sure and Palmer replies that he designed it. So yes, pretty sure. Oliver says that Hive would only remove it if they knew Palmer could shrink down and invade it. Palmer says that his night is going to take a turn for the worse. Oliver is watching men approach and he tells Palmer he can take them. He has a super suit; they only have guns. Ray increases in size and defeats them, and Hunter claps. Hunter tells Ray that he isn’t one of his adversaries. Then flashes him with something.
The next stop is Tibet. Sara Lance, a former member of the League of Assassins. Also formerly dead. She got better. Sara is inside a bar when a man grabs another girl. Sara tells him to let her go. The man asks or what. Sara demonstrates. He should have just done as she asked. Hunter zaps Sara as well.
Pittsburgh, and Firestorm, the merged superform of Jefferson Jackson and Professor Martin Stein. Who are currently flying over a plant as someone shoots at them and Stein gives Jefferson advice on not blowing up the plant. Afterwards, Professor Stein asks Jackson what’s the use of sharing his intelligence if Jackson doesn’t listen. Hunter, at this point, says excuse me. And zaps them.
In St Roch, Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall, the latest reincarnations of Hawkgirl and Hawkman are arguing as they save someone. Hunter suggests couple’s counselling. He hears it’s all the rage in this time. And zaps them both.
Central City, and Gideon asks Hunter if there is an error. For these candidates, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory, are criminals. Who currently appear to be stealing diapers. Hunter says there is no error, and appears in the road in front of the pair as they flee.
All of them come to, and Snart asks what happened. Stein, who recognises him, says that for once he is ignorant as Snart. Another suggests asking the British guy who zapped them with the flashy thing. Hunter introduces himself as Rip Hunter, from East London. And the future. Mick grabs his gun but Hunter apologises and says that, whilst they were incapacitated, he tampered with their weapons. He needs their help, as the future world is in peril. From a man named Vandal Savage.
Carter and Kendra say that cannot be, for they destroyed Savage (in “Legends of Yesterday”) and Green Arrow and the Flash helped. Hunter replies that is the problem; unless one of them kills him, Savage can be restored from a single cell. Now, that’s healing. When asked what they are talking about, Carter replies that Vandal is immortal and he and Kendra reincarnate. Sara comments that she’s done that. When Hunter is asked what it has to do with them, he replies that, in the future, Savage uses the evil and power he has amassed over his very long life to conquer the world. Hunter has been tasked to assemble an elite team to stop Savage, to travel through time and capture him before he grows into a monster.
Snart starts walking away, stating – not for the first time – that hero isn’t on his resume. Rory agrees but Hunter tells them that, hard to fathom as it may be, where he’s from, when he’s from, they are not just considered heroes – they are legends. Professor Stein buts in at this point with a query – namely, doesn’t a legend have to be dead? Which is considered to be a deal breaker. Hunter replies that each of them is destined for greatness. If they don’t help, Hunter continues, activating some type of projector, this is what lies in store for their world 1560 years from now. Displaying a city turned into burning ruins. He tells them that, if their answer is yes, to meet him at an address in 36 hours.
So everyone splits up to discuss things. Oliver is fighting some people when Ray knocks them all down. Oliver says that he could have handled it; Ray says that, as fun as it is watching Oliver beating up bad guys, he wants a bit of his time. Although Hunter told them that they would be returned the moment they left, Ray wanted someone to know he’d gone. Oliver asks Ray just what he knows of this Hunter; he replies that Hunter is a Time Master from the 22nd century. Which is difficult to Google. Oliver thinks that Ray is too trusting; Ray says that, when he died, nothing happened. The world didn’t care. His life didn’t matter. This is his chance to save the world.
Kendra is not convinced and is packing. Carter tells her that Savage has killed them 206 times; she replies she doesn’t want to make it 207. He tells her that they should settle it as warriors, even if Kendra hasn’t regained her memories yet. So if Kendra beats Carter, Carter will give up his plan to join Hunter.
Sara is sparring with Laurel. Despite it involving time travel, Laurel thinks Sara should go. She talks about being the Black Canary, and how it helped. Sara is not convinced that will help her. So her sisters tells Sara to do what Oliver is doing. To be a hero in the light now. Be the White Canary – and shows her a costume. Sara asks where Laurel got it; Laurel replies she has a resourceful friend named Cisco. Sara asks where the mask is. Laurel replies that she doesn’t need it anymore. She has lived in the shadows for long enough.
Rory isn’t convinced either so Snart mentions that they are travelling across time. Before things like DNA and fingerprints. He asks Rory why they became criminals in the first place; Rory replies because they hate working and love money. Snart says that they can steal the most valuable items in history.
Professor Stein is telling Jefferson that they must remain together for their powers to work. He says this is an extraordinary opportunity; Jefferson agrees – an opportunity to be murdered by an immortal psychopath. He isn’t keen. Jefferson says that he is a 20 year old auto mechanic and the world is better off without him trying to save it. The professor replies that he doesn’t understand his decision, but will accept it He will try to convince Hunter that his mind is enough. And suggests a toast to his grand solo adventure. Stein pours two drinks, handing Jefferson one. Jefferson drinks his off, and tells the professor to knock himself out. Stein replies that Jefferson took the words out of his mouth. As the latter collapses to the floor.
Professor Stein arrives at the address Hunter gave with an unconscious Jefferson in the passenger seat. There is nothing here. The others arrive and, when it’s stated that Jefferson through himself a heck of a going away party, Stein replies that he drank something that didn’t agree with him. Then Hunter appears, and says that they will be on their way. When asked where his ship is, Hunter replies that the first rule is to do no damage to the timeline. Imagine what a timeship would look like in Victorian England. The ship is hidden by a hologram.
Hunter welcomes them aboard the Waverider, saying that she’s been his ship for over a decade. Ray is talking to professor Stein, asking the latter if he remembers a paper that Palmer wrote on the subject when he was his student. Stein doesn’t even remember Ray. Carter responds to the comment that they have never seen anything like it before by saying neither has he – and he has 4000 years of memories. There is no crew, as none is needed; Gideon, the AI, handles that. Hunter has had Gideon locating Savage. When it’s pointed out that they know where he is in the 22nd century, professor Stein suggests that engaging Savage at the height of his powers may not be the best strategy. Hunter says that Savage has hidden throughout history, and not even Gideon knows where and when he is. However, she has found the man who can. Dr Aldus Boardman, the world’s leading, in fact only, authority on Vandal Savage. So they are going to St Roch in 1975. Hunter warns them that they may experience some discomfort from travelling through time. Such as bleeding from the eyeballs.
Boardman is going to be dead shortly, which is why Hunter has picked this time to visit him. There’s a bit of a surprise to some when they visit Boardman. The talents of Rory, Snart and Sara are not needed – so they decide to head out and end up in a bar fight. Hunter may not have been entirely honest to everyone either. He told Gideon that the council meeting went exactly as expected; he didn’t say whether that was good or bad. Given that an individual named Chronos, wearing armour and a gun, popped up just after the Waverider departed, contacting command sand saying he was closing in – and killed two people who saw him when he determined that they were historically irrelevant – it seems the meeting may have gone badly. So the mission may not be such.
With this being the pilot, this is a getting-to-know you episode in many ways, although all of the eight people Hunter recruits have appeared in Arrow and The Flash. Arthur Darvill – Captain Rip Hunter – is travelling in time once again, as he did as Rory. Only this time, unlike in Doctor Who, he is the one in command. If Darvill appears in a third time travel series or film, it will be evidence of being typecast.