‘Legends of Tomorrow’ S3E12 Recap: “The Curse of the Earth Totem”

Last week on Legends of Tomorrow, we got a Zari-centric episode.  It’s a good thing too because of all the Legends, she was the one who we really haven’t spent the most time with.  Being the new girl, she’s the one that had to fit in with a group of characters that we already have gotten to know for three seasons.  Giving Zari, her own episode (and doing a great rendition of Groundhog Day), allowed us to see where she fits in with the crew.  While it was a fake out that the entire episode was a computer simulation by Gideon to help her grow, mission accomplished!  It was a welcome change of place, allowing a specific member of the Legends the chance to shine.

And it looks like it is a trend that Legends of Tomorrow is trying to continue.  This week, the focus is on Amaya as she is in a bit of a rut, knowing that her path is already predestined.  After all, she should be living as a member of the Justice Society in the 1940s and ultimately will be the grandmother of the current timeline’s Vixen Mari.  This means that she will eventually have to leave her life as a time-traveling superhero, go back to the Zambesi Village in Africa, get married and pass on her totem (and the role of Vixen) to her future generations.  That’s enough of a mind job to make anyone feel a little down.  This week’s episode, she gets to let her hair loose and throw caution to the wind as she and the Legends go on an adventure looking for one of the totems that will be able to stop Mallus.

The team heads to the 1717 Bahamas in search of the Earth Totem.  Of course, during this time, it’s a pirate world, and the totem is in the possession of Blackbeard.  The only one who doesn’t go out on this adventure is Sara, who instead goes on a date with Ava from the Time Bureau.  The two had danced around the issue for quite some time (even to have Sara hook up with John Constantine), but they decided to at least give it a try and go on a date.  They had all the awkwardness that everyone has for a first date.

Meanwhile, in pirate times, Mick tells Amaya to let loose while they hang in a pirate bar.  To help her loosen up, they begin telling the tale of the “Pirate Queen Jiwe.”  And since pirate love to gossip, this attracts Blackbeard, who has never heard of a female pirate in charge.  As they are trying to talk with the dreaded pirate captain, the Royal Navy arrives to arrest Blackbeard.  Of course, one of the high ranking admirals is none other than Damien Darhk.  Everyone is arrested and about to be sentenced to death.  He even uses his magic to incapacitate Amaya and steal her totem, rendering her powerless.  Right on cue, the Legends spring into action and easily escape their beheading, but not before Darhk knows where the hidden Earth Totem is (which Blackbeard, who is revealed to be a coward, believes is cursed).

Last week also marked the return of Wally to the Arrowverse.  Last we saw him, he left Team Flash as he did not really fit in.  Going on a sabbatical in China, Rip Hunter (who fled the Time Bureau’s custody) managed to track down Wally and is now enlisting him for help.  While we don’t know Rip’s true end game right now, he and Wally go on a little mini adventure.  He requests Wally use his speed powers to steal a time travel device from Gary (everyone’s favorite whipping boy at this point) as well as Rip’s signature coat.  What do they do next?  Well, travel to a karaoke bar in 1992 Tokyo, get wasted off of Cisco’s “Rocket Fuel” cocktail (the only drink that can get a speedster drunk) and sing their hearts out.  The next morning, Rip officially requests Wally help him save the world and fight Mallus.

Because the team is in the Bermuda Triangle, or the “Devil’s Triangle,” this causes the Wave Rider to have all sorts of problems.  Gideon goes offline, and the ship can barely stay afloat.  To make matters worse, Damien Darhk has the navy shoot cannonballs at the ship.  With no choice, they have to time jump back to 2018, leaving Rory and Amaya stuck in 1717.  The ship manages to crash into the water in 2018, just as Sara’s date isn’t going as planned.  She then leaves Ava (who also needed to walk away to deal with Gary).  Sara is a little upset that the team went on this adventure without her knowledge, but there’s little they can do to get them out of 1717 with the ship in disarray, so they are on their own.

However, Amaya is in Pirate Queen mode and is able to handle things herself.  She manages to rouse up the pirates to take over Blackbeard’s ship, and Blackbeard even joins them under her leadership as they go off to find Damien Darhk and the Earth Totem.  When they arrive at the burial site, it’s revealed that Blackbeard’s former girlfriend was some sort of undead Earth Totem zombie, who uses its powers to do her best Poison Ivy rendition and attack everyone.  Amaya appeals to what is left of the woman to stop fighting everyone, only for Darhk to kill her.  Just as it looks like Darhk (who is now joined by his daughter) has won, the other Legends arrive (thanks to the Time Bureau’s time traveling device) to even the odds.  After gaining the upper hand, Nora is just about to kill Amaya when Ray uses the nanite gun on her, rendering her Mallus powers ineffective, but also the nanites are killing her.  This allows the Legends to escape.

Blackbeard tried to seize the Wave Rider, but Ava and Sara show the pirate what they are all about and easily dispatch his crew.  Amaya spares the pirate who is thankful.  She leaves such a lasting impression in 1717 that the timeline has been changed and a rum is named after her.  Meanwhile, Ray is feeling guilty for shooting Nora and goes to offer a cure in exchange for Amaya’s totem.  Damien Darhk willingly gives it, but once Nora is brought back to life, she attacks Ray, only for Damien to tell her to stop as they now have a hostage.

Next week, Ray is held prisoner, and it’s up to the Legends to save him.