When a series first begins, the main goal is to start off strong, to create a compelling first season that will keep the viewers interested enough to see a second and maybe even third season. Many manage to succeed and yet, there's the rare chance that a show may not hit its stride until the second season.
When CW's Legends of Tomorrow first began, fans seemed to like the idea that the studio was pushing and yet, never got into the show until season two for numerous reasons. Here are ten ways that Legends of Tomorrow got better and better.
Storylines
Now, traveling through time to stop an immortal villain before he can achieve his villainous gains sounds like a cool storyline. However, for one reason or another, season one's story never seemed to pick up, with there being almost too many plot threads and twists.
As the seasons progressed, the stories did as well, become more complex and intriguing, with each season exploring a new story. From villains from the past banding together to fantasy creatures rising up, the show managed to create new and intriguing storylines.
Characters (New & Old)
Traveling along the timeline, there are opportunities for all kinds of different heroes. When the series started, it began with a select group of characters who'd already been established in previous shows like Flash and Arrow.
Then, as the series continued, new and new characters began to pop up, from well-known heroes like John Constantine or the Justice Society to lesser-known ones such as Vixen and Steel. As the new heroes. came in, the old was given a chance to grow over the coming seasons as well.
Villains
To make a great villain is a problem every tv series seems to face. Sometimes, the villain ends up being like Vandal Savage, an amazing idea and a fantastic addition who, over the course of a season, became cliched and predictable as time went on.
When season 2 rolled around, however, the producers seemed to have their villains down, introducing previous Arrowverse villains in their own version of the Legion of Doom, creating formidable foes and interesting characters that broke the typical villain mold.
CGI
CGI in a movie is generally going to be a little more put together or eye-catching than a tv series. Usually, this is because of its budget or studio constraints. Thus, Legends tends to suffer, especially with time-traveling, with CG problems and restrictions.
As the seasons kept coming, though, the effects became better, if anything, more bearable. Whether this was because of the studios shifting the budgeting or just spending more time focusing on the specific effects, the visuals slowly began to pop, despite the restraints.
Emotional Weight
For any show, the emotional weight carried throughout the series, no matter how long it is, is key. If the viewers are invested in the characters, in the emotions carried throughout the show, then they'll keep coming back for more.
Now, with Legends changing its tone for the second season, many would think that the emotional weight would falter as well. However, somehow, Legends managed to keep the emotions going, crafting some great heartfelt moments packed right next to its strange brand of humor.
Tone
Establishing a shows tone is key to every series. If the tone isn't put in place right off the bat, then the series could suffer from multiple issues. So when the first season of Legends ended up being mostly dark and serious, many expected the same.
However, by the time the second season began, Legends made a bold decision and flipped the tone of the series. Going from overly serious, the show resorted to over the top comedy in a move that surprisingly worked, changing the series for the better.
Tribute Episodes
Every now and then, tv shows end up making certain episodes that act as homages to specific movies or even other shows. Usually, these only happen once a season or once every other season.
Yet, over the next few seasons, tribute eps became a larger part of Legends, serving as a big part of the series. From an '80s Halloween themed ep to a riff on Mr.Rogers and even an episode that made an homage of Groundhog Day, tribute eps made the series more enjoyable as time went on.
Locations, Locations, Locations
When your show's setting is the entirety of history, one would think that there would be new locations in each episode. Unfortunately, for some reason, the Legends never went past the 1800s in the first season, limiting themselves immensely.
All that changed after in later seasons, as the team went to new eras. From the dark ages to the golden age of pirates and even the Revolutionary war, each time period managed to make the show more interesting, with viewers wondering which time period the Legends would screw up next.
Beyond Time Travel
Legends Of Tomorrow, from its very first trailer, was teased as a show centered around the concept of heroes traveling through time to stop evil. While a fresh concept, worn out over five seasons, the idea can and did become old.
That was when Legends decided to change things up. While time travel was still a constant throughout the series, other ideas such as magic and greek gods helped to propel the show in a new and more intriguing direction, with their newest tease supposedly being aliens.
Embrace The Crazy
When Legends Of Tomorrow first began, the first season had the potential to be a crazy thrill ride through time. Yet, the first season remained in a bit of grey area, playing to their strengths and never stretching the boundary of how far they could go with the series.
Then, as the show continued on, the ideas became more outlandish, going from time demons to fantasy creatures to historical figures. The show embraced the craziness that had been advertised and became a weirdly wonderful series that stood out.