Legends of Tomorrow season 2 explained

Season Number:2
Bgcolour:
  1. 9A3506
Network:The CW
Num Episodes:17
Episode List:List of Legends of Tomorrow episodes

The second season of the American television series Legends of Tomorrow, which is based on characters from DC Comics, premiered on The CW on October 13, 2016, and ran for 17 episodes until April 4, 2017. The season follows the Legends, a dysfunctional team of time-traveling superheroes and anti-heroes, and their mission to correct aberrations in time resulting from their first mission together. It is set in the Arrowverse, sharing continuity with the other television series of the universe, and is a spin-off of Arrow and The Flash. The season is produced by Berlanti Productions, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Entertainment, with Phil Klemmer serving as the showrunner.

The season was ordered in March 2016. Production began that July and ended in February 2017. Principal cast members Victor Garber, Brandon Routh, Arthur Darvill, Caity Lotz, Franz Drameh, Amy Pemberton, and Dominic Purcell return from the previous season, and are joined by new cast members Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Nick Zano, and The Flash alum Matt Letscher.

Episodes

See also: List of Legends of Tomorrow episodes.

Cast and characters

See main article: List of Legends of Tomorrow characters.

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

Development

On March 11, 2016, Legends of Tomorrow was renewed for a second season.[1] After the first season, the producers considered adjusting the Legends team for additional seasons, with Joseph David-Jones' Connor Hawke and Megalyn Echikunwoke's Mari McCabe / Vixen potential additions.[2] [3] For the second season, showrunner Phil Klemmer revealed that Arrow writer Keto Shimizu and The Flash writer Grainne Godfree would be working on Legends in order to "make our stories work in concert" with Arrow and The Flash. Klemmer also noted the challenges of creating more crossover elements, since Arrow's lead actor Stephen Amell and The Flash's lead actor Grant Gustin work full days for their respective shows. In terms of working within the Arrowverse, Klemmer said that the death of Laurel Lance on Arrow would "resonate into Season 2... [since] something that happens on Arrow can create ripples that appear on our show in a huge way. It fundamentally alters the DNA of our series."[4] The second season initially consisted of 13 episodes,[5] with four more ordered in November 2016 to bring the season total to 17.[6]

Teasing the premise of season two in April 2016, Klemmer stated, "We're coming at it from a completely different angle. We're determined to make every part of season two feel like its own show. [The first episode of season two] will very much be a new pilot with new good guys, new bad guys, new stakes, new dynamics, new goals. The team will basically have to find a new purpose. Once you save the world, what do you do then?... The fact that the world was in peril sort of forced our team to fall into its own dysfunctional version of lockstep. Season two, they're no longer going to be hunted by Time Masters. They're no longer going to be burdened with having to save the world. It's no longer going to be about saving Miranda and Jonas. The interesting thing about season two is I think it's going to have a much, much different tone because our Legends are going to have a totally different purpose. They're actually going to have a totally different constitution. There will be new faces and new everything." The season also introduced members of the Justice Society of America.[7] The Society consisted of Hourman, Vixen, Commander Steel, Obsidian, Stargirl and Dr. Mid-Nite.[8] The season also featured a version of the Legion of Doom, composed of Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash, Malcolm Merlyn, Damien Darhk and Leonard Snart / Captain Cold.[9]

Casting

Main cast members Victor Garber, Brandon Routh, Arthur Darvill, Caity Lotz, Franz Drameh, Amy Pemberton, and Dominic Purcell returned from the previous season as Martin Stein, Ray Palmer, Rip Hunter, Sara Lance, Jefferson Jackson, Gideon, and Mick Rory, respectively. They were joined by Matt Letscher, Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Nick Zano, playing Eobard Thawne,[10] Amaya Jiwe,[11] and Nate Heywood, respectively.[12] Letscher reprised his role from The Flash. It was originally intended for Megalyn Echikunwoke, who voices Mari McCabe / Vixen in the animated web series Vixen, to reprise her role in this series, but due to scheduling conflicts for Echikunwoke, the producers instead cast Sellers as Jiwe, McCabe's grandmother and an earlier incarnation of Vixen. This incarnation was an original creation for the series.[13] Darvill was absent for 5 episodes this season due to his commitment to the ITV series Broadchurch.[14] Pemberton physically portrayed Gideon in the episode "Land of the Lost", unlike earlier episodes where she only voiced the character.[15]

Wentworth Miller, who portrayed Leonard Snart / Captain Cold as a regular in season one, signed a contract with Warner Bros. TV to continue portraying Snart simultaneously on multiple shows in the Arrowverse, including Legends of Tomorrow.[16] John Barrowman and Katie Cassidy, who portrayed Malcolm Merlyn and Laurel Lance respectively on Arrow, signed a similar contract that allowed them to continue being a series regular on Arrow as well as the other Arrowverse shows, including The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.[17] Neal McDonough, who recurred as Damien Darhk on Arrow and made a guest appearance in season one of Legends of Tomorrow, returned to the series in a recurring capacity. Ciara Renée and Falk Hentschel, who starred as Kendra Saunders / Hawkgirl and Carter Hall / Hawkman respectively in the first season, did not return for the second, with Legends of Tomorrow co-creator Marc Guggenheim saying the writers could not find a suitable story for their characters set after the first season, adding, "The bow was tied so tightly and neatly with their story in the finale, that everything we thought of felt very forced. After 4000 years, they were no longer under the specter of Vandal [Savage], and we felt they need some time off." He added that bringing the duo back at the very beginning of the second season felt "premature."[18]

Filming

Shooting for the season began in July 2016 at Vancouver,[19] and ended in February 2017.[20]

Arrowverse tie-ins

In November 2016, the cast of Legends of Tomorrow appeared on The Flash and Arrow as part of the three-part "Invasion!" crossover event; the crossover episodes also featured appearances by Melissa Benoist, reprising her role as Kara Danvers / Supergirl from the TV series Supergirl.[21]

Release

Broadcast

The season began airing on October 13, 2016, on The CW in the United States, and concluded on April 4, 2017.

Home media

The season was made available for streaming on Netflix in late April 2017, soon after the season finale aired.[22] It was later released on Blu-ray on August 15, 2017.[23]

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes gave the season an 88% approval rating, with an average rating of 6.97/10 based on 10 reviews. The website's consensus reads: "Though the narrative remains too ambitious, DC's Legends of Tomorrow enjoys a freer creative arc with the removal of problem characters."[24] Jesse Schedeen of IGN called it a significant improvement over the first season, saying it reduced "most of what didn't work about Season 1 and added several worthy new characters to the mix." He noted that while the season was "crammed full of compelling character arcs and plot twists", it thrived simply by "offering a sense of whimsical adventure and comedy that be frustratingly hard to find in other live-action DC projects."[25] Caitlin Kelly of Hypable wrote that the reasons Season 2 works so well are because of its new roster, the evolving dynamics of its main characters, great villains, and the fun, which made it easier to not care about plot holes.[26] Several years later, Matthew Sonnack of CBR called Season 2 the best of Legends of Tomorrow, "with the perfect balance of action, humor, drama, and heart."[27]

Accolades

|-! scope="row" rowspan="4" | 2017| rowspan="3" | Leo Awards| Best Direction in a Dramatic Series| David Geddes| | [28] |-| Best Visual Effects in a Dramatic Series| Armen V. Kevorkian, Meagan Condito, Rick Ramirez, Andranik Taranyan, James Rorick| | |-| Best Sound in a Dramatic Series| Kristian Bailey| | |-| Teen Choice Awards| Choice TV Actress: Action| Caity Lotz| | [29] |}

References

General references

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'The Flash', 'The 100' and even 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' renewed: All 11 CW series picked up for 2016–17 . Porter . Rick . March 11, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160312010604/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/03/11/the-flash-the-100-and-even-crazy-ex-girlfriend-renewed-all-11-cw-series-picked-up-for-2016-17/ . March 12, 2016 . dead . March 11, 2016 .
  2. Web site: DAVID-JONES DISCUSSES CONNOR HAWKE'S POSSIBLE RETURN TO "LEGENDS OF TOMORROW" . Gallaway . Lauren . March 2, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304032603/http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/david-jones-discusses-connor-hawkes-possible-return-to-legends-of-tomorrow . March 4, 2016 . live . March 3, 2016.
  3. Web site: VIXEN ANIMATED SERIES RENEWED FOR SEASON 2; CW PONDERS MORE IN LIVE-ACTION . Goldman . Eric . January 10, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160110191531/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/01/10/vixen-animated-series-renewed-for-season-2-cw-ponders-more-in-live-action . January 10, 2016 . live . January 10, 2016.
  4. Web site: DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW: PHIL KLEMMER ON ARROW CROSSOVER, SEASON 2 VILLAINS . Schwartz . Terri . . April 27, 2016 . April 28, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160429113929/http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/27/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-phil-klemmer-on-arrow-crossover-season-2-villains . April 29, 2016 .
  5. Web site: CW Boss on Fifth Superhero Night, Supergirl Predictions, Episode Counts, Little Women Status and More . Mitovitch . Matt Webb . August 11, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160812004007/http://tvline.com/2016/08/11/the-cw-new-superhero-series-arrow-spinoff-2017/ . August 12, 2016 . live . August 11, 2016.
  6. Web site: The CW Orders More 'Legends of Tomorrow' . O'Connell . Michael . November 9, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20161110115451/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cw-orders-more-legends-tomorrow-945991 . November 10, 2016 . live . November 9, 2016.
  7. Legends of Tomorrow to introduce Justice Society of America in season 2 . Abrams . Natalie . May 19, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160523063024/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/05/19/legends-tomorrow-justice-society-season-2 . May 23, 2016 . live . May 19, 2016.
  8. Meet the Justice Society of America in new Legends of Tomorrow photos . Agard . Chancellor . September 30, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20161001164638/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/09/30/legends-tomorrow-justice-society-photos . October 1, 2016 . live . October 1, 2016.
  9. Web site: SDCC: "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" Welcomes the Justice Society of America & More . Danmore . Meghan . July 23, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160725151151/http://www.comicbookresources.com/article/sdcc-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-welcome-the-justice-society-of-america-more . July 25, 2016 . live . July 23, 2016.
  10. Web site: 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow': Matt Letscher Joins Cast; Obsidian, Stargirl & Dr. Mid-Nite Coming in Season 2 – Comic-Con . Patten . Dominic . July 24, 2016 . . July 15, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180623061238/https://deadline.com/2016/07/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-matt-letscher-reverse-flash-obsidian-stargirl-dr-mid-nite-1201791459/ . June 23, 2018 .
  11. Web site: 'Legends of Tomorrow' Lands Its New Vixen: Maisie Richardson-Sellers To Play Animal-Powered Heroine On CW Show . Lincoln . Ross A. . June 23, 2016 . . July 15, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171218144739/http://deadline.com/2016/06/legends-of-tomorrow-lands-its-new-vixen-maisie-richardson-sellers-to-play-animal-powered-heroine-on-cw-show-1201778402/ . December 18, 2017 .
  12. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow': Nick Zano Joins As New Hero With Steel Pedigree . . July 15, 2018 . June 15, 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180623112912/https://deadline.com/2016/06/nick-zano-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-season-2-steel-nate-heywood-1201773397/ . June 23, 2018 .
  13. News: 'LoT's New Vixen WillI Inspire Future Generations . Hawkins . Kayla . October 28, 2016 . . July 18, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180616130613/https://www.bustle.com/articles/191489-who-is-amaya-on-legends-of-tomorrow-the-new-vixen-should-inspire-future-generations . June 16, 2018 .
  14. News: Here's why Rip Hunter vanished from Legends of Tomorrow . Jeffrey . Morgan . November 22, 2016 . . July 14, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180715060138/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/news/a814841/heres-the-real-reason-why-rip-hunter-disappeared-from-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow/ . July 15, 2018 .
  15. Web site: DC'S Legends of Tomorrow: "Land of the Lost" Review . Schedeen . Jesse . March 7, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170308073446/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/03/08/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-land-of-the-lost-review . March 8, 2017 . live . July 15, 2017.
  16. Web site: 'DC's Legends of Tomorrow': Wentworth Miller Exits As Regular, Becomes Regular in the Berlanti Universe. Andreeva. Nellie. May 12, 2016. Deadline Hollywood. https://web.archive.org/web/20171219084243/http://deadline.com/2016/05/legends-of-tomorrow-wentworth-miller-exits-regular-berlanti-universe-1201751213/. December 19, 2017. live. July 15, 2018.
  17. Web site: Arrow's John Barrowman Now a Series Regular Across All CW/DC Shows . Mitovich . Matt Webb . July 8, 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160709135600/http://tvline.com/2016/07/08/arrow-john-barrowman-series-regular-flash-legends-of-tomorrow/ . July 9, 2016 . live . July 15, 2018.
  18. Web site: 'DC's Legends Of Tomorrow': Ciara Renée To Depart . Andreeva . Nellie . 20 May 2016 . . live . 23 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180623034845/https://deadline.com/2016/05/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-ciara-renee-departs-hawkgirl-1201754078/ . June 23, 2018 . mdy-all .
  19. Web site: Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 Begins Filming . Freeman . Molly . July 19, 2016 . . live . July 15, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160926050647/http://screenrant.com/legends-of-tomorrow-season-2-filming/ . September 26, 2016 .
  20. Web site: Legends of Tomorrow Season 2 Wraps Filming . Donn . Emily . February 28, 2017 . . live . July 15, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171024141147/http://screenrant.com/legends-tomorrow-season-2-filming-done-cast/ . October 24, 2017 .
  21. Web site: 'Legends of Tomorrow', "Invasion!", and the Pros and Cons of Crossovers . Keene . Allison . December 2, 2016 . . July 16, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161206001656/http://collider.com/legends-of-tomorrow-recap-invasion-crossover/ . December 6, 2016 . live .
  22. Web site: 'Legends of Tomorrow' Season 2 Starts Streaming on Netflix, Uh, Tomorrow. Francisco. Eric. April 12, 2017. Inverse. July 15, 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170524223342/https://www.inverse.com/article/30228-legends-of-tomorrow-season-2-netflix-streaming-available. May 24, 2017.
  23. Web site: DC's Legends of Tomorrow: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray . August 15, 2017 . Blu-ray.com . July 15, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20171210044024/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/DCs-Legends-of-Tomorrow-The-Complete-Second-Season-Blu-ray/171076/ . December 10, 2017 .
  24. Web site: DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2 (2016) . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180716033822/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/dc_s_legends_of_tomorrow/s02/ . July 16, 2018 . December 8, 2019.
  25. Web site: DC's Legends of Tomorrow: Season 2 Review . Schedeen . Jesse . April 12, 2017 . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180725170402/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/12/dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-season-2-review . July 25, 2018 . July 25, 2018.
  26. Web site: Kelly . Caitlin . 2017-04-06 . 'Legends of Tomorrow' season 2 review: The best of the best . 2022-03-24 . Hypable . en-US.
  27. Web site: 2021-10-05 . Why Legends of Tomorrow's Second Season Is Still the Best . 2022-03-24 . CBR . en-US.
  28. Web site: Leo Awards, 2017 Winners by Name . www.leoawards.com . 7 June 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170608101713/http://www.leoawards.com/2017/winners/by_name.php . June 8, 2017 .
  29. Web site: Teen Choice Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List . Vulpo . Mike . August 13, 2017 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20170814105131/http://www.eonline.com/news/873075/teen-choice-awards-2017-winners-the-complete-list . August 14, 2017 . live . June 19, 2019.

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