A Look at the ‘Legends of Tomorrow’ Season 1 Blu-ray

Drew Dietsch
TV Arrowverse
TV Arrowverse DC

The CW’s Arrowverse has been upstaging the DC Extended Universe at nearly every turn. That shared universe has culminated with Legends of Tomorrow, a time traveling team-up show that pulls together a number of heroes and villains from the DC universe. The first season is out on Blu-ray so it’s time to give this show another look.

How’s the Show?

legends of tomorrow blu-ray team

Legends of Tomorrow is the most ambitious of the CW/DC shows. The entire basis of the show rests on the shoulders of its sci-fi premise: a ragtag group jumps across time in order to stop an evil tyrant, Vandal Savage, from taking over the world. More than any other CW/DC show, Legends of Tomorrow pushes its comic book concept to the edge. The show is never afraid to go as big and crazy as it wants. If Legends of Tomorrow had only one thing to recommend, it would be how unabashedly genre it is.

Thankfully, there is plenty more to make the show worth your time. The ensemble cast is uniformly solid, with standouts being Wentworth Miller’s Captain Cold, Brandon Routh’s Atom, and Arthur Darvill’s Rip Hunter. It takes the show a few episodes to really nail down the dynamics between these characters. However, once it does and the story starts throwing some curveballs, the group is just as enjoyable as Team Flash.

Naturally, the time travel setup allows for one-off episodes that can be hit or miss. The western episode that introduces bounty hunter Jonah Hex is a tad one-note, but it’s still in service of a jaunty tale. It’s undeniably fun to see these characters galavant around in the 1970s or visit a possible future where Star City has fallen into chaotic ruin. The show’s gimmick is used appropriately and never feels like a burden on the overall story.

On that point, the arc of season one does fall victim to the inherently convoluted nature of time travel stories. Still, the characters and their overtly cartoonish world continue to keep you engaged. By the season’s end, the story feels adequately resolved and a new adventure is ready to start.

Legends of Tomorrow is the high concept superhero show fans have been waiting for. It has a great cast of characters, propulsive plotting, and embraces its comic book roots like nothing else on TV. The first season had the kind of growing pains you’d expect from most first seasons, but it all comes together in the end and sets up a second season that looks to be utterly astounding.

Best Episode

legends of tomorrow blu-ray leviathan atom

“Leviathan” – In this episode, the team must face Vandal Savage’s ultimate weapon: a giant robot. The Atom takes this opportunity to test out growing large instead of small, and it’s an absolute blast. What’s crazier is that this episode aired a week before Captain America: Civil War did a similar thing with Ant-Man. However, Ant-Man didn’t have to fight someone his own size. The advantage goes to Ray Palmer.

Special Features

  • DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: 2015 Comic-Con Panel – A fun look at Legends of Tomorrow‘s presence at the 2015 Comic-Con
  • Jonah Hex: Hex Marks the Spot – a behind the scenes look at the making of the episode “The Magnificent Eight” and the introduction of Jonah Hex
  • A Fantastic Voyage: Touring the Waverider Set – A cool tour that discusses the history of the Waverider, the team’s time-traveling spaceship, as well as the set’s construction and the VFX work that brings it to life
  • History in the Making – Explore the crossover between fact and fiction, as the Legends team makes contact with a variety of eras thought the series. Time travel with the heroes and villains of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow
  • Gag Reel – The always appreciated blooper reel that shows how much fun these people have making this show

What’s Next for Legends of Tomorrow?

legends of tomorrow blu-ray hourman finale
The JSA member Hourman

If the ending moment of season one is the jumping off point, the team will be meeting some members of the Justice Society of America. Apparently, time travel won’t be the only thing the show focuses on now. Alternate dimensions and realities are coming into play, and that’s going to make things even wackier. Bring it on.

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.