DC TV Weekly #41

Wow, only two DC Shows to talk about this week. CW has always had weird scheduling, but this is quite in consistent and confusing, certainly makes these reviews harder to keep track of.

Legends of Tomorrow 'Necromancing The Stone' Review
Well hey, guess John Constantine had more to offer than just a one episode stint. Unfortunately I'd say this is a waste of a Constantine usage. Don't get me wrong, Matt Ryan is amazing as always, it's just that now that it's been announced he'll be joining the show as a series regular next season, I'd say there are other things that could have been done with him. What we got felt far too similar to his prior appearance, I'd have liked to see him interact with other members of the crew and create a rapport with them, establish more of his dynamic amongst the crew. We've seen him with Sara and Mallus before, and I feel the main plot of the episode didn't need him, Ava & Mick could have taken down Demon Sara without him. Speaking of, let's actually discuss Demon Sara, a story that allowed for more development for one of the main characters who so far this season has seemed emotionally in control of everything, also allowing the show to play around with tone and attempt a more horror-themed episode. Whether it worked or not being a horror episode is dubious, but no one expected the show to be capable of going full horror, it still gets points for effort. 7/10.

Black Lightning 'The Book of Little Black Lies' Review
Now this is more of what I would have expected behind the whole 'finding out your loved one had powers' storyline. Jennifer learning the truth about her family and of course is very upset, but they actually make it more interesting here. The focus isn't just on the family lying to her, but it's also on her new found responsibilities. Jennifer doesn't want to become a superhero, she wants to be normal, and now with powers, whether she uses them or not, it has severely stricken her chances of just being normal. I also appreciate the fact that every member of the family has a different conversation with her, showing different perspectives. Something I haven't praised this show for is how natural a lot of the dialogue is, characters talk like real people, meanwhile in other DC Shows whenever people sit down to have a dramatic conversation, the whole thing always feels staged. I think the best way to enjoy this show is to focus on the familiar elements reflecting reality, because they really are the stand out moments. Jefferson as a principal and as a father are far more interesting than Black Lightning as a superhero, so an episode that mostly focuses on those aspects often means a better episode overall. Unfortunately those superhero fight scenes are still here, and they're not getting any better. Thankfully they weren't the focus of this episode so they didn't drag it down too much. 7/10.