Advance Review: 'Legends of Tomorrow' Returns To Tell a Story of Trust, Love, and Family

Ahead of tonight's midseason finale for DC's Legends of Tomorrow, The CW has released the next three episodes to the press, giving us the opportunity to assemble a non-spoiler review of the next chunk of the season. The themes that resonate the most clearly are those of trust, love, and family -- all things that have played a role on many of he Arrowverse shows over the years, but which are particularly suited to this season of Legends, as Nate struggles with not just working directly for his domineering father, but doing so in a situation where Hank is up to something nefarious.

The Nate/Hank relationship is one of a few stand-out dynamics that shape the next few episodes. There are also a few new (or rapidly-changing) relationships to explore, and the dynamics of some well-entrenched relationships are starting to evolve. A favorite to watch for is the back and forth between John Constantine and Mick Rory, which is one that Constantine actor Matt Ryan has been teasing since Comic Con. There are also some fun revelations to come, although nothing that will shake the show to its core the way the Neron reveal did right before the midseason break.

Tonally, it seems like the episodes will be of a piece with the Neron reveal and the government conspiracy stuff; while the first half of Legends of Tomorrow's fourth season has earned fan and critical acclaim in part by embracing the irreverence and insanity of the characters, there are some real stakes at play, and even though they are approached with a sense of playfulness, nobody is walking through the episodes without getting touched by the shrapnel flying around. It is a minor, and largely satisfying, tweak to the formula -- one which addresses the occasional criticism that Legends can sometimes feel like it's in an entirely different universe to the rest of the Arrowverse series.

The upcoming episodes continue, as this season has done more or less all along, to play out as a kind of "monster of the week" series -- sometimes literally, depending on what the magical fugitive of the episode is. They skillfully weave those stand-alone stories into a larger, connected narrative going back to the start of the season and beyond. Stand-out performances are the rule rather than the exception on Legends, which is maybe the Arrowverse's most perfectly-cast show (thanks in no small part to the fact that so many of the characters were chosen with care for previous shows). Still, there are some performances that deserve particular notice, including Courtney Ford, who plays Nora Darhk; Nick Zano, who plays Nate Heywood and has maybe his best performance of the series so far in the early episodes of 4B; and Tala Ashe, who has become so relentlessly good as Zari that any time she is in danger it inherently ups the stakes.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow airs on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT, before episodes of Arrow on The CW. "Lucha De Apuestas" premieres tonight.

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