Shakespeare says he's encountered writer's block and can't figure out how to finish his latest play, Romeo And Juliet. His producer, Philip Henslowe, threatened to chop off his hands unless he finished the play quickly, so he gave him the ring in order to buy more time.
Back on the Waverider, the gals hold one last Book Club for Nora. They invite Zari 2.0, but she says she's doesn't have time for reading. They assure her they never talk about books, but instead drink wine, eat snacks and talk about their problems. She decides to join them after all.
In the pub, the guys try to figure out how to get the ring back. Steel and Atom come up with an epic but preposterous plan, involving rappelling from the ceiling while everyone uses their powers. Just then Charlie walks up with the ring, and says she simply stole it from Henslowe while they were all jawing. Atom's sad his last mission is over already. Steel realizes he never threw him a bachelor party, and says now's a good a time as any.
On the ship, Zari 2.0 suggests they throw a bachelorette party for Nora. Canary calls Steel to ask how the mission's going, and he lies and says they're still working on it so they can stay in London longer.
Meanwhile in Hell, Astra visits the Coin Maker and tells her Constantine is going to restore her family. This upsets the Coin Maker, who's been a mother to Astra ever since she found her in the gutters of Hell. She tells Astra she doesn't trust Constantine, and suggests they use magic to spy on him and find out what he's up to. The Coin Maker fills a magic basin, which acts as a link to the real world.
At the bachelor party, the guys drink and give speeches to Atom. Heat Wave admits to the others he has a kid, and can't stop thinking about her. On the ship, the women have scooter races through the corridors, and order a male stripper dressed as a fireman.
In Hell, Astra listens in on the guys in the pub. Constantine immediately senses her eavesdropping, and walks around the place demanding to know who's spying on him. He bumps into another patron, which causes a fight to break out. The guys all use their powers to stop the fight, as Heat Wave blasts the crowd with his heat gun, Steel "steel's up" and Behrad blows them back with the Air Totem. Atom then drops his miniaturized suit, which expands and flies around the room before he manages to catch it. Constantine manages to block Astra's snooping, which knocks her across the Coin Master's room.
Shakespeare watches all this activity in amazement, and begins busily writing it all down.
Back on the Waverider, Nora notices her copy of Romeo And Juliet has now changed to Romeo V. Juliet: Dawn Of Justness. Even worse, the cover features Heat Wave and the other guys using their various powers. She reads a few passages, and realizes something's gone very wrong. The Male Stripper says that Shakespeare writing superhero plays is a problem.
The guys return to the ship, where Canary scolds them for not only lying to her, but screwing up history. She then privately asks Atom why he still hasn't told Steel he's leaving. He says when he does it'll all become real to him. She embraces him and says she's going to miss him. And to hurry up and tell him or else.
The guys (and Charlie) go back to try and convince Shakespeare to stop writing superhero plays and go back to drama and comedies. The Legends find the actors rehearsing the new Dawn Of Justness play, and tell them to scram as they've all been replaced. Their plan is to perform the REAL Romeo And Juliet to the crowd, hoping that'll restore history.
Atom finds Shakespeare touching up his script. He explains to Atom that he's planning to have Romeo and Juliet form a team consisting of all his other characters to fight Richard III, ala the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Atom realizes Shakespeare's in love with his characters and can't bear to write an ending for them. He says endings are painful, but they're necessary for growth. He tells Shakespeare that he's speaking from experience, and that once this mission is done, he and Nora are leaving. Shakespeare admits Atom's right, and says he'll give his characters a proper ending. Of course Steel overhears this entire exchange and leaves.
Back on the ship, Steel confronts Atom and says he knows he's leaving. He asks why he didn't just tell him, and Atom says he didn't want to upset him. Steel says if he'd known he could have made their last mission something special, but now it's just over. He says he can't believe he was the last to know.
Gideon announces that history hasn't been restored— in fact it's now worse as there's no record of Romeo And Juliet at all in Shakespeare's works. Atom says he and Steel can go try to fix things again. Steel tells him the team will handle it and to just go.
At the pub, Steel and Zari 2.0 meet with Shakespeare. He says Harlowe thinks he stole his ring back, and canceled his financing. Now he has no actors, no theater and no career.
On the ship, Atom packs his things. He picks up a photo of himself and Steel in happier times and sadly stares at it. He places it back on the shelf as Nora comes in. She says they can wait till the gang returns to say goodbye, but he says they've already stuck around too long.
Canary enters the pub and sees Steel and Zari 2.0 moping. Steel says they've singlehandedly destroyed storytelling forever. She asks if he's just going to give up and be miserable now that Atom's gone. She admits she doesn't know what they'll do with out his "stupid plans" that always work out, which of course leads to an epiphany. She contacts the team and tells them all to meet in the pub.
Sometime later Canary tells the Legends they're going to perform the real version of Romeo And Juliet the the pub patrons in order to restore history. They don the appropriate costumes, while Gideon feeds them their lines over their earpieces. The play begins, and the crowd is instantly entranced. Shakespeare & Charlie watch from the balcony, and he realizes his work has worth after all.
Per the tradition of the time, Steel portrays the part of Juliet, as Constantine plays Romeo. During the balcony scene, Juliet's words hit a little too close to home, echoing Steel's relationship with Atom. He says he can't go on and runs off stage.
Zari 2.0 then reveals that she's a classically trained actress, and takes over the part. She wows the crowd as Juliet, turning in a powerful performance.
On the Waverider, Atom says goodbye to Gideon. He then uses a time courier to open a portal to a suburban street. He and Nora look at one another, then hold hands as they step through.
Just then Steel arrives on the ship, and realizes he just missed Atom. He sits on the Bridge with his head in his hands. Suddenly Atom returns. The two embrace, as they both admit that change sucks, but they love one another.
Back at the play, Zari 2.0/Juliet kisses Constantine/Romeo (which doesn't happen in the play) and the crowd goes crazy. History is restored!
During the wrap up, Canary tells Steel she'll miss Atom too, and offers him a bro-hug. Mona tells Heat Wave she's leaving, and says she's better for having him in her life. She urges him to contact his daughter. Charlie tells Constantine and Canary she can use the ring to find the other pieces of the Loom Of Fate.
In Hell, the Coin Maker asks Astra what she saw in the pub. She says Constantine's looking for the Loom, in order to fix her life. The devious Coin Maker asks if she really wants a screw-up like Constantine messing with her fate?
On the Waverider, the gang can't sleep, and one by one all filter into the Galley. They toast Atom with his "green juice," then begin retching on the vile liquid and all run to the ship's one bathroom.
Thoughts:
• As the episode begins, we see Atom in his quarters, wistfully looking at mementos from past missions.
First up is a videotape of Singin' In The Rain, which comes from Season 3's Phone Home. In that episode, a young Atom accidentally discovers a baby Dominator and befriends it. He brings the tiny alien to his house and hides him in his room. There the two watch Atom's all-time favorite movie: Singin' In The Rain.
I'm not sure what episode the dinosaur skull (or whatever it's supposed to be) is from. Same goes with what appears to be a glove at the left. Maybe it's a gauntlet from his A.T.O.M. suit? If anyone has any ideas about what these two items are, leave a comment below.
Atom also glances at a moon rock in a protective case. He apparently picked it up from the surface of the actual Moon in Season 2's Moonshot.
In that episode, the Legends are desperately trying to keep the last piece of the Spear Of Destiny out of the hands of the Legion Of Doom. They discover the piece is hidden in the flag placed on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Unfortunately Eobard Thawne finds out and hijacks the Apollo 13 ship to recover it. Atom stows away onboard, incapacitates Thawne and lands the craft on the Moon. He then steps out, recovers the shard and returns to Earth.
We then see a copy of Rock N Roll Rag's Punk Issue, featuring The Smell on the cover. This is a reference to Season 4's Dancing Queen.
In that episode, the Legends travel to 1977 London to find out why the Queen's been partying at clubs around town. Atom gets involved with a punk band called The Smell, whose lead singer is none other than Charlie. For some reason the band accepts Atom as one of their own.
The Legends discover that Charlie is a magical shapeshifter and plan on sending her to Hell. Atom, who's gotten to know Charlie, protects her from the other Legends. Constantine says he's not letting a shapeshifter onboard the ship, so he casts a spell to remove Charlie's powers (which ultimately doesn't work).
Lastly we see an illuminated manuscript featuring Atom being knighted by Queen Guinevere. This is from Season 2's Camelot 3000. In that episode, an adult Stargirl hides a piece of the Spear Of Destiny in Medieval England. While there, she decides to form the Knights Of The Round Table, complete with King Arthur (!).
The Legends travel to England to retrieve the Spear fragment, but discover Damien Darhk's there as well. He corrupts Arthur into assembling an army he can control. Guinevere forms her own force to fight back against Darhk and Arthur. Atom, always a fan of Arthurian tales, asks to join Guinevere's army to fulfill his childhood dream. She agrees and dubs him Sir Ray Of The Palms.
Meanwhile Steel worries about his pal, as his big book of Arthurian tales contains an illustration of a dead knight that looks surprisingly like Atom. Fortunately Atom takes the appropriate precautions and doesn't die, and Steel's book changes to show Sir Ray being knighted.
By the way, I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't point out that the illustration of Sir Ray in Steel's book (seen here) doesn't look anything like the one Atom gazes at in this episode. I suppose it's possible that the guys simply own two different books?
• Seriously, there's only ONE bathroom on the Waverider? That seems like a pretty major design flaw. Especially since the ship's seems similar to a TARDIS, and contains far more interior than exterior.
Actually this isn't the first time the issue of the ship's single restroom has come up. It was first mentioned back in Season 3's Phone Home. In that episode, Atom suggests a team-building episode so everyone can get acquainted. Jackson says, "We're stuck on a ship with one bathroom, we know each other well enough.
• Last week I noted that the Legends were keeping Encore Marie Antoinette locked up on the Waverider till they could figure out what to do with her. Since Marie was also played by actress Courtney Ford and this is her final episode, I wondered if they'd have Canary "kill" her with the Hell Sword while we weren't looking.
Well... not quite. At one point Atom notices that both Marie and the bottled remains of Rasputin are gone, and asks Canary where they went. She says Astra must have somehow recalled them to Hell. So I was right that they'd have to abruptly dispose of Marie, I just got the method wrong.
• What's with all the sudden references to Wild Dog (of Arrow fame)? Last week Canary got an offer to come work for him in Star City. Then this week Steel mentions him completely out of the blue, saying, "And then we go to Star City, we pick up Wild Dog, and we..." before he's interrupted.
Seems odd that they'd mention Wild Dog of all people two weeks in a row. He's actually been on the show before, appearing a couple months ago in Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part Five. Is it possible the Legends producers were impressed with him, and are slowly paving the way for him to join the team at some point?
Please tell me they're not planning on replacing Atom with Wild Dog...
• Speaking of replacements, back in Crisis On Infinite Earths, Ryan Choi made his debut in the Arrowverse. I could swear I read an article or interview with the Legends producers, who said they planned to add Ryan to the show as a possible replacement for Atom.
In fact in Crisis On Infinite Earths, Part Three Ryan meets Atom and gushes, "Dr. Ray Palmer! O, M, Gosh! I'm Ryan Choi. It's so wonderful to meet you. Your second paper on subatomic density manipulation was the foundation for my work on miniaturization!"
So he's a fan of Atom, has studied his work and devoted his own life to the science of miniaturization. That would seem to all but confirm his addition to the team.
And yet, there hasn't been so much as a glimpse or even a mention of Ryan since the Crisis. Not that I'm complaining mind you, as I thought Ryan was pretty underwhelming as a character. But what the hell was the point of creating him in the first place if they weren't going to add him to the Legends team?
• When the guys go to 1584 London, Constantine dons the appropriate attire as he poses as a constable.
A bit later he wears another costume when he performs in Romeo And Juliet.
This is actually a big deal, as the only other time he's ever ditched his trademark trench coat and maroon tie was in Season 4's Wet Hot American Bummer.
• Looks like guyliner was a thing in Elizabethan England!
• Writing sci-fi can be hard, especially when a show features futuristic tech that can get the characters out of virtually any jam.
Case in point: This week Shakespeare sees the Legends using their powers, and changes Romeo & Juliet into a superhero story. The episode would have been ten minutes long if the Legends has simply used their mind-wipe device to erase his memory of them.
They couldn't very well have that though, so the writes got around the tech by having Steel goof up the process and mind-wipe the Legends instead!
• I wasn't crazy about seeing Mona return for this episode, but she managed to not be too awfully annoying this week.
• When the women explain Book Club to Zari 2.0, they tell her it's really just an excuse to sit around and talk about their problems while drinking heavily.
A bit later we see the ladies hittin' the sauce. Amazingly it looks like Zari 2.0's joining in!
Woah, woah, woah! Wait just a minute here! A few episodes back in A Head Of Her Time, Zari 2.0 scolded a mind-controlled Behrad for almost taking a drink of alcohol. Such an indulgence is verboten in their religion, but yet here we see her seemingly boozing it up with the rest of Book Club!
I suppose it's possible she could be drinking tea or juice or something non-alcoholic. Let's hope so, else she be branded a huge hypocrite.
• In order to find out what Constantine's up to, the Coin Maker fills a magic basin with water so Astra can spy on him. Apparently the basin can see through time as well as space, as Astra's able to eavesdrop on Constantine even though he's currently in the year 1584.
On a similar note, during Atom's Elizabethan bachelor party, the guys also get drunk. If you look closely though, there's no mug in front of Behrad. He's practicing what his sister preached, and skipping the mead or whatever they're drinking.
Oddly enough though, we Behrad speaks he sounds like he's trying to "act drunk." When the other guys raise their mugs for a toast, Behrad holds up what looks like a lozenge and clinks it against them. We then see him eat the lozenge, with an unmistakably high look on his face.
Is this lozenge some sort of marijuana edible? We've seen him smokin' a bong before, so it's entirely possible. So Islam forbids drinking alcohol, but pot's OK?
• During Nora's bachelorette party, the gals race Genghis Khan's scooters around the Waverider, ride cutesy stuffed animals and even order a male stripper. As a final gift, they present Nora with her very own pony!
This is of course a reference to the fact that every kid Nora's ever Fairy Godmothered has asked for a pony. Apparently in this scene she finally learns the appeal.
OK, I get all that. But my question is... where the hell did the others get the pony? They obviously didn't have Nora conjure it up with her wand. And I doubt Gideon replicated it, unless she can create life. I guess at one point one of them left the ship, found a farm and brought back a real, live little horse?
• Constantine accidentally starts a fight in the pub, and the guys all end up using their powers to defend themselves. In particular, Heat Wave fires an impressive blast from his flame gun.
Shakespeare witnesses this amazing display, and revises Romeo And Juliet to incorporate superheroes! He even writes in a Heat Wave lookalike who wields a prop flamethrower!
We then get a glimpse at what the new version of the play's like:
Behrad Lookalike: Back, foul villain! (makes a whooshing sound with his mouth)
Atom Lookalike: "Take to the skies, brethren! For tonight there will be justice!"
Heat Wave Lookalike: "Behold! What worthy hero faces me?"
Steel Lookalike: "My face is silver, fists like thunder strikes!"
Atom Lookalike: "We must collect the gems to save the world!"
Steel Lookalike: "While learning how to work more as a team!"
A bit later, Atom tries to talk Shakespeare into changing the play back to the way it was. He refuses, saying, "Look, I have a plan. Romeo and Juliet will form a team, and I will henceforth introduce the allies Hamlet, Viola and Puck, who will join forces to face Richard the Third!"
So basically Shakespeare created the Marvel Cinematic Universe five hundred years early, as well as writing the plot of Avengers: Infinity War!
• HARDCORE NITPICKING ALERT! OK, about Shakespeare's idea to team up Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Viola and Puck in a crossover to fight Richard III. The minute he said it, my nitpicking sense began tingling. It's a funny idea, but unfortunately it just isn't possible in reality.
See, all but one of these characters were created AFTER he wrote Romeo And Juliet in 1595. Hamlet wasn't written until four years later in 1599. Viola comes from the play Twelfth Night, written in 1601. Puck is from A Midsummer Night's Dream, written in directly after Romeo and Juliet in 1595.
The only character who could possibly appear in this crossover is Richard III, whose eponymous play was written shortly before Romeo And Juliet.
Shakespeare can't very well team up characters who haven't been created yet, so his idea of a shared universe just isn't possible at the time of this episode. I guess we could be generous and say that maybe he'd already came up with the concepts for these other characters, but just hadn't gotten around to writing their plays yet. The trouble with that though is it makes the idea of a crossover moot. Who cares if Romeo & Juliet team up with characters the audience hasn't met yet?
• After the guys end up changing history, Romeo And Juliet becomes significantly altered as well. It does my heart good to see the show throwing shade at DC's terrible Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice movie here.
• Atom finds Shakespeare in the pub, and tries to convince him to ditch his new superhero version of Romeo And Juliet, and return to the original. Atom realizes Shakespeare changed the play not because he was impressed by the Legends' heroics, but because he's become too attached to his characters:
Atom: "You don't want Romeo and Juliet's story to end."
Shakespeare: "Exactly! I love the characters, so why say good-bye?"
Atom: "Well, if you truly love the characters, don't they deserve a great ending?"
Shakespeare: "I have always known how to finish their story. If I let them go, I'm unsure what happens next."
Atom: "I understand, but... endings are necessary for growth. No matter how... painful they may be."
Shakespeare: "You speak quite wisely."
Atom: "I'm speaking from experience. I find myself in a similar situation. When I'm done here, I'm leaving my team for a new adventure, and ending our journey has proven more heartbreaking than I can bear. And while I can't imagine saying goodbye, I know that I must."
Gosh, what are the producers trying to say here? Why, it's almost like they're using this scene to justify their decision to write Atom off the show, It felt like a huge middle finger to fans like myself who feel it's a stupid and shortsighted decision. Way to troll your audience, guys!
I actually felt bad for Brandon Routh in this scene. He clearly doesn't want to leave the series, but was forced to say these asinine words that were a little too on the nose. Ever the professional though, he played along and somehow got through it.
• In order to try and restore history, the Legends perform the real Romeo And Juliet for an appreciative crowd. To the gang's surprise, Zari 2.0 reveals that she's a classically trained actress, and takes the part of Juliet.
Wait a minute... in Shakespeare's day, it was actually against the law for women to appear onstage (!). Acting troupes generally used pre-pubescent boys for all the female roles. Women weren't allowed to act until 1661, a whopping seventy seven years after this episode takes place!
Instead of cheering Zari 2.0 as Juliet, the crowd should have been calling for her immediate arrest!
• Zari 2.0 wows the crowd with her performance as Juliet during the balcony scene. At the end of it, Constantine, who's playing Romeo, climbs the balcony and she plants a big wet passionate kiss on his lips.
Yeah, about that... there's no kiss at the end of that scene. I guess she wasn't lying when she told "Gidget" she was going "off book."
• After Atom leaves, Gideon's holographic head sheds a small digital tear for him. Awwww...
There's some obvious manipulation and trickery going on in this scene. Normally Gideon's just a disembodied voice on the ship, and rarely makes herself visible. Of course she just happens to show up as Atom's leaving the ship, so they can have a heartfelt goodbye and we can see her sniffling.
• At the end of the episode, Atom and Steel share a tearful and heartfelt goodbye. According to actor Brandon Routh, the tears shed by him and Nick Zano in this scene were real, as were their unscripted "This sucks" lines.
• Kudos to actress Sarah Strange as the Coin Maker in this episode. The minute that Astra excitedly says Constantine's going to restore her family and change her life, the Coin Maker goes all Wormtongue and starts laying a manipulative guilt trip on her.
She reminds Astra that she pulled her out of the gutters of Hell and became a mother to her, and accuses her of tossing her aside once something better comes along. It's a devious and conniving performance, and Strange pulls it off effortlessly. Well done!
• Astra uses a spell to find out how Constantine plans to restore her life, and discovers he's searching for the Loom Of Fate. The second the Coin Maker hears about the Loom, her ears perk up and she urges Astra to find it for herself.
The Coin Maker is totally another of the three Fates, isn't she? I'd bet your money on it! She has to be, right? Otherwise why would she be so interested in the Loom, and instantly start manipulating Astra into seeking it?
In Greek mythology, the three Fates were Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos. We already know that Charlie is Clotho. So if the Coin Master really is a Fate, which of the other two is she?
Obviously she's Lachesis The Allotter. According to legend, Lachesis was sometimes called the apportioner, and decided how much life each person was allowed. That sounds a LOT like what the Coin Maker does, what with her little watch-work coins that determine the lifespan of the people they represent. Stay tuned to see if I'm right.
• This Week's Best Lines:
Nora: "Morning, babe."
Atom: "Hey."
Nora: "You okay?"
Atom: "Actually, I was thinking about your dad."
Nora: (sarcastically) "That's romantic."
Atom: "Okay, well, uh, this is the perfect time, now that we're all here, to let you know that Nora and I... "
Heat Wave: "You're moving out."
Charlie: "Hmm?"
Nora: "How'd you know that?"Heat Wave: "Well, you got married. Next logical step in a relationship... and by the way, I heard you two going at it like jackrabbits last night."
Atom: "Of course, she means, Sara, please give us one of those terrific period-specific send-offs."
Canary: "Fine. (in a terrible English accent) Enjoy the jolly old London, ya blokes!"
Steel: "That was... that was bad."
Constantine: (glaring at her) "And frankly offensive."
Steel: "You didn't tell me you were friends with the real William Shakespeare!"
Charlie: "Well, I didn't wanna name drop."
Sharpe: "You know the other thing about Book Club is, it can help you figure out where your true path is supposed to be:"
Zari 2.0: "Oh, so this is a cult."
Sharpe: "No. No, no, no. We don't... we don't use certain C-words. Cult, clone..."
Nora: "I would know, because Book Club helped me move forward after my time in a real cult."
Canary: "Look, I get your reservations. The last 'club' I joined programmed me to be an assassin. But Book Club is helping me be a real person."
Mona: "And I killed a federal agent. I meant to lead with, 'I'm a Kaupe... it's like a Hawaiian Werewolf.' Book club helped me cope with that."
Zari 2.0: (staring in disbelief) "That's also a lot. Okay."
(The guys mess up the mission and alter history, which causes the cover of Romeo & Juliet to change. The Book Club notes the change.)
Canary: "Is that Mick?"
Sharpe: "What's Romeo v. Juliet?"
Mona: "Shakespeare is writing superhero plays?"
Charlie: "Une question, Le Capitaine?"
Canary: "What?"
Canary: "Are you sloshed?"
Steel: "Follow up question: why is there glitter on your face?"
(The male stripper, dressed like a fireman, enters the bridge.)Male Stripper: "Uh, looks like your tachyon scrubber needs to be replaced. Whatever that means."
Shakespeare: "Just leave me be. I've seen your help in action, and it is anything but!"
Steel: "So you're just gonna give up?"
Shakespeare: "It's like the tall one said, all things must cease. And this is the end of William Shakespeare!"
(He storms off.)
Steel: "He is so dramatic."
(Heat Wave leafs through the script for Romeo & Juliet.)
Heat Wave: "'My bounty is as boundless as the sea.' That's crap!"
(Steel embraces Atom before he leaves.)
Steel: "This sucks. But I love you."
Atom: "This totally sucks. But I love you too."
(The Legends gather in the kitchen and toast the departed Atom.)
Steel: "To Ray, who taught me how to be a better friend by being a better friend than I deserved."
Charlie: "He told me that if you're dumb enough to expect good from the world, the world might just live up to your expectations"
Canary: "And who showed us that there's never a problem so big it can't be solved with a smile."
Steel: "To the big guy."
