“Raiders of the Lost Art” is episode nine of season two of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
At the end of the previous episode, “The Chicago Way”, Eobard Thawne assembled the two amulets into something that projected an image. He said it was a compass, that shows how to find the Spear of Destiny. Which can be used to rewrite reality. Just what you want in Thawne’s hands. They also needed Rip Hunter. Rip was then seen for the first time since his holographic appearance in “The Justice Society of America” and actual appearance in “Out of Time” (Arthur Darvill had a scheduling conflict with Broadchurch). Rip appeared to be producing a film in 1967.
This episode opens in New York, 6 months ago – or six months from the point of view of the Legends, for it’s also 1941. The Waverider has been hit by the nuke and Gideon tells Rip that the ship has surprisingly not been destroyed. Thank you, Captain Obvious. It’s a condition that may not be permanent and it will take 15 years to make repairs. Rip opens a compartment in his parlour and removes a broken piece of wood. Gideon asks what it is and Rip replies that there are some things he can’t even tell her. He orders Gideon to start repairs then shuts her down. He then opens the cover to the time drive, mutters a prayer and then touches it.
On the Waverider in the Legends’ present, Professor Stein overhears Mick talking to someone. Mick, on questioning, explains he was talking to Snart. That he’s been seeing him. And if Stein tells anyone, Mick will kill him. The professor believes Mick. Mick wants Stein to fix him – he’s a doctor after all. Of nuclear physics. The same thing, as far as Mick is concerned. Well, no. Fix Mick and don’t tell anyone.
Nate is in the library listening to music and reading. Amaya and Ray come in – it’s 3 AM and the music is a tad loud. Mate is trying to figure out what the Legion of Doom wants with the amulets. The one that Sara took from Darhk in “Compromised” dates to 30 AD. It’s bronze. Nate cannot find either artefact. Amaya looks at the drawings of the amulets and superimposes them, asking what if they were a single artefact. Which Nate recognises – the Medallion of Longinus.
With the others assembled, more is explained. Longinus was the centurion who stuck a spear into the side of Christ. The blood cured his blindness and embodied the medallion and spear with magical powers. The medallion points to the spear. Sara thinks this sounds like an Indiana Jones movie; Nate comments that Raiders of the Lost Ark was why he became a historian. The spear can rewrite history. Unlike what they, or other time travellers, might do, where their changes to history cause timequakes that can be undone, the changes the spear makes to reality are permanent. That sounds bad.
Darhk and Malcolm are in Los Angeles in 1967. Malcolm isn’t impressed with the medallion’s directional abilities. He also wants to see Frank Sinatra’s star on the Walk of Fame when they are finished. And he’s tired of walking. Darhk agrees that they need some transportation. And two men on motorbikes try to rob them in an alley.
On the Waverider, the two bikers are dead – one was supposed to create a new motorcycle carburettor. Not a big deal, but both were killed with techniques that Sara recognises as having come from the League of Assassins. Both Malcolm and Darhk are former members. The Spear of Destiny is also called the Holy Lance; Sara tells Nate she prefers the latter.
In LA, 1967, the professor is doing something with Mick and the others are working out where to go. Jax asks if they are supposed to walk around until they find a sign that says ‘This Way.’ Sara has found one – is has the word ‘Legends’ with an arrow. Rip is on the set of a film directing two people who are supposed to be him and Vandal Savage. Rip tells his friend that he isn’t impressed with the actor playing Vandal, and wants to recast. Apparently, there isn’t time – Rip’s film thesis is due in less than a month.
Outside, Malcolm and Darhk accost the two. Rip doesn’t seem to know who they are. Plus, he claims that Captain Hunter is a character in his film, not him. The Legends arrive and Rip doesn’t recognise them either. There’s a firefight, Rip’s friend bolts saying that no film is worth dying for and the police arrive and arrest Rip – as he’s the only one still there. On the Waverider, the Legends realise that Rip must have the Spear of Destiny and wonder if he has suffered time drift. Mick is treating Stein as a shrink when Sara enters and says she needs them both to break Rip out of jail. She3 wants the professor to play a shrink.
So, Professor Stein is the shrink, Sara his nurse and Mick an orderly. They head to the precinct and Stein claims that Rip – not currently known by that name – is his patient. Rip is still not cooperative and Mick has to knock him out. The three wheel him outside as Malcolm and Darhk enter the precinct. Rip awakens on the roof and starts panicking, claiming that there are no such things as timeships. Cue the Waverider appearing.
On the Waverider, Gideon says that Rip’s neural architecture has been completely rewritten. He has a new personality. Ray says that the tech needed to do that doesn’t exist. And seems to be struggling for words. He heads to find Amaya and Nate and Nate is also having problems. Both have been struggling since the film set. They have a clapper board and, other than Rip’s name, there is a G. Lucas. George Lucas.
George Lucas becomes an insurance salesman, winning salesman of the year in 1977, 1980 and 1983 (and if those dates seem familiar, there’s a reason for that). Neither Ray nor Nate think that’s correct. So, they have Amaya check. It seems the Legion of Doom scared Lucas into quitting film school. Nate mentioned Raiders of the Lost Ark being his inspiration; Star Wars was, of course, Ray’s. So, instead of having a historian and an inventor, Sara has a yoga instructor and a heart surgeon. Lucas has already quit film school.
So, they need to convince George Lucas to go back to film school – which involves a very familiar-looking scene – try to get Rip to regain his memories and personality and find the Spear of Destiny. Mick wants Stein to scan his head, and the professor does find something in it – which leads to a question from Sara, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ and Stein’s answer, ‘Brain surgery. What does it look like?’