Last Refuge (Legends of Tomorrow)
The Pilgrim hunts the Legends' younger selves through time.
In the twelfth episode of Legends of Tomorrow's first season, the time-traveling team battles an assassin called the Pilgrim, who hunts their younger selves across history. Chris Fedak and Matthew Maala wrote the installment, with Rachel Talalay directing.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Legends of Tomorrow
- Director
- Rachel Talalay
- Writer
- Chris Fedak; Matthew Maala
- Air date
- 21 April 2016
Facts from the source article.
Plot
The Time Masters dispatch an assassin called the Pilgrim to eliminate the Legends by killing their younger selves. In 1990 Central City, the team protects a young Mick Rory and barely defeats the Pilgrim. Gideon uses the Pilgrim's temporal distortions to predict her next move, and after rescuing Sara Lance's younger self, Gideon loses track of the Pilgrim. Rip Hunter explains that the Pilgrim has only one chance to kill each Legend, and Ray Palmer suddenly begins bleeding internally. Kendra stays with Ray while the others travel to 2014 Starling City, where the dying Ray proposes to Kendra and she accepts. The Legends again barely defeat the Pilgrim. Rip then abducts the team's infant selves to keep them safe, bringing them to his adoptive mother. The Pilgrim kidnaps the Legends' loved ones and threatens to kill them unless the team surrenders. Rip agrees to trade his younger self for everyone's safety. At an abandoned Time Master base, the Legends hand over young Rip but then attack the Pilgrim, who freezes them in time. Young Rip stabs the Pilgrim to death. Rip reveals the Legends have one more chance to stop Vandal Savage in 2166.
Production
"Last Refuge" was written by executive producer Chris Fedak and Matthew Maala, marking Maala's first television writing credit. Rachel Talalay directed the episode. The plot draws inspiration from the 1984 science fiction film The Terminator, which is directly referenced in the episode. It is one of several first-season episodes featuring kidnapping-related storylines. The episode stars Arthur Darvill, Caity Lotz, Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Franz Drameh, and Ciara Renée. Mitchell Kumman and Aiden Longworth portray younger versions of Mick and Rip, while Lotz and Routh play younger versions of Sara and Ray. Faye Kingslee guest stars as the Pilgrim. Arrow star Paul Blackthorne appears as Quentin Lance, and Celia Imrie and Eli Goree play Rip's mother Mary Xavier and Jax's father James Jackson, respectively.
Release
"Last Refuge" aired on The CW on April 21, 2016, drawing 1.78 million live viewers with a 0.6/2 share of adults 18–49. It was the lowest viewed broadcast in its timeslot, behind The Big Bang Theory, Grey's Anatomy, Bones, and Strong, and the second least viewed on The CW and the night overall, ahead of The 100. Viewership dropped about 200,000 from the previous episode, "The Magnificent Eight", and was roughly 4,000 less than the following episode, "Leviathan". With seven-day DVR viewing, the episode reached 3 million viewers, making it the second lowest viewed episode of the season, ahead of "River of Time". Critical reception was negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, 57% of 14 critics' reviews were positive, with an average rating of 6.92/10; the consensus stated that the episode presents a formidable adversary only to disarm her and undermine the episode. The romantic subplot between Kendra and Ray was heavily disliked, though guest stars received some praise. Comic Book Resources' Dan Caffrey found the main story premise good but subplots boring, except for Mick's. Nerdist's Blair Marnell called the Pilgrim the series' best villain so far but still generic, and criticized subplots like Jax's father missing his birth. Den of Geek's Rob Leane rated it 2.5/5, praising the acting. Vulture's Angelica Jade Bastién disliked the episode's logic. The A.V. Club's Oliver Sava gave a "D+", the site's lowest score for the series, criticizing stakes and internal logic; his line about lazy design was later quoted in the season four episode "Wet Hot American Bummer".
More in Legends of Tomorrow Episodes
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced