What I’m Watching: Legends of Tomorrow

Legends of Tomorrow: Season 3, Episode 2 “Freakshow” (B)

It’s fitting for many reasons that the legends would have a run-in with the circus where they would end up taken captive and conscripted for mandatory entertainment service due to their special abilities. It turns out that this show’s version of P.T. Barnum, as portrayed by Billy Zane of “Titanic” fame, was a pretty terrible person, and he just wanted the show to go on, no matter how little some of his performers wanted to be part of the troupe. I was sure that Nate navigating the dating app on his phone in the middle of the bar while drinking heavily would be enough to inspire a technological anachronism, but all it did was enabled his poor buddies Jax and Ray to get captured and forcing Stein to dress up as a clown so that he could get close enough to infiltrate the circus and merge with Jax, creating yet another spectacular display of entertainment for Barnum to celebrate. I’m glad that Amaya’s back, and it’s good that she’s acknowledging to the team that the animal is starting to take over when she uses her powers. Mick was spectacularly bad at watching the shrunken tiger, letting it out almost immediately, as if that wasn’t a bad enough problem already. Sara and Agent Sharpe had a pretty solid fight, and I’m sure they’re going to continue to clash as they meet throughout time. The news that Rip has been hiding something that even the Time Bureau is afraid of is miserable since it’s even worse than the neverending legacy of the first season: an actual witch who was able to create some sort of being from the water, both off-putting and creepy. Let’s hope that doesn’t take center stage – I’m really not excited by it.