Legends of Tomorrow: Amazing Grace
March 13, 2018 4:59 AM - Season 3, Episode 14 - Subscribe

When the Legends learn that a mysterious tragedy destroyed Memphis in 1954, thus eradicating the birthplace of rock and roll, they discover the sixth and final totem, the Death Totem. Meanwhile, Zari helps their newest member try to adjust to the team.
posted by oh yeah! (9 comments total)
 
There’s been some grumbling about this episode online, but I loved it. I mean, Elvis with a haunted guitar versus ghosts and the spiritual successor to the preacher from Footloose? That’s at the top of the list.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:19 AM on March 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I think I’m in Camp Grumble on this one. Considering how much of the ‘rock and roll is the devil’s music’ movement was racism-based, the preacher’s change of heart, and everyone being hunky-dory with Nate and Amaya kissing in the church just felt disrespectful of history, considering that ‘it promotes miscegenation!’ was one of the anti-rock rally points. Not that I expect historical accuracy from Legends, or for the POC characters to be put in miserable situations every week, but whitewashing is no good either.

I did love all the Axl stuff though, the In Memoriam closer was a nice touch.
posted by oh yeah! at 9:02 AM on March 13, 2018 [4 favorites]


the preacher’s change of heart

That was the one thing that bothered me about the preacher. I fully expected him to snap the record in half after Wally made the appeal to him.
posted by Servo5678 at 9:19 AM on March 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


I channel surfed to the middle and was wondering if there was some obscure crossover with dementors and horcruxes.
posted by sammyo at 3:58 PM on March 13, 2018


I enjoyed it, weird as it was.

The Axl thing was hilarious (rat funeral! giant rat ghost! the end memorial! Ray!), though I kind of wonder as that reviewer did if Dominic Purcell is difficult to work with. I'd bet so. Probably in Adam Baldwin-y ways.

I do concur with oh yeah! that every time the Legends go to a time period where interracial dating Would Be A Problem they usually just try to ignore it. And I agree with Servo5678 that I thought the preacher would snap the record too.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:34 PM on March 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


Not only would he have snapped the record in half, he would have been overbearing when Elvis proved his point: rock and roll conjured the spirits, but a hymn settled their souls. If it were just the acknowledgment of their presence, Elvis could have just sung the same song that the radio played that awakened the spirits to put them back to sleep, but no apparently it doesn't work that way. The good hymn settled their restlessness and the evil rock animated them. (Although how the preacher would be able to reconcile the presence of ghosts with his belief that departed souls belong in heaven or hell, I can't even fathom.)

Amaya won the bad wig event of the episode. The Axl and Mick plot was the only redeeming feature this week. And has Zari always looked that awkward when using her powers?
posted by sardonyx at 7:55 PM on March 13, 2018 [1 favorite]


We all expect back-from-the-dead Sara to be the one to wield the death totem, right?
posted by sardonyx at 7:56 PM on March 13, 2018 [3 favorites]


Yeah I was wondering about that when she was staring at it near the end.

I liked it ok, I think they could've used a less complex subject as Elvis and the roots of rock-and-roll to reveal the Death Totem. Over-simplifying how it came out of black music clubs and how preachers railed against it because of racism felt like a letdown. And Amaya and Wally freely wondering around those parts of Memphis with no trouble? That was disingenuous.

The best parts were what everyone else said. But I did enjoy Wally pointing out "hey I could just use my speed and solve this whole thing for us really fast", like fans have stated, and Zari countering with them needing to be like a scalpel. My argument, though, is that nothing is better as a scalpel than a speeder that could literally run fast enough that everyone looks like they're standing still going in and just fixing all this stuff they need to.

I have no hope but I wish the showdown is basically Wally just running at the Darhks and just take the totems they have and then tie them up.
posted by numaner at 12:56 PM on March 14, 2018 [3 favorites]


I had some issues as well with the whole "there is no rock and roll without Elvis," given, as many above have pointed out, rock and roll was already around, Elvis just put a white face on it. Of course, apparently there's no scientific curiosity without George Lucas, so causality in this setting is weird.
posted by Karmakaze at 10:05 AM on March 15, 2018 [1 favorite]


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