Entertainment Extra

2 ENTERTAINMENT EXTRA By Rachel Jones TV Media I n a world full of revamped superhero classics and solo- hero origin stories, it's always nice to know that the genre also offers something for fans who enjoy a more playful, irreverent, hilarious, self-satirizing take on the superhero team-up. And when it comes to superhero tele- vision shows, CW has got the market cornered. Fans of the net- work's big-ticket shows such as "Arrow" and "The Flash" — or even just fans of superhero or comedic action genres in general — can feast their eyes on anoth- er hit show hailing from the net- work this month: "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" is back for Season 6 on Sunday, May 2, on CW. Returning for this newest sea- son, "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" brings back its mot- ley assortment of time-travelling heroes as they attempt to rescue one of their own. At the end of Season 5, Sara Lance, a.k.a. White Canary (Caity Lotz, "The Pact," 2012), was seemingly abducted by aliens. No, this isn't quite "The X-Files," but anything can happen in the DC Universe. On her recovery team are nota- ble remaining Legends John Constantine (Matt Ryan, "Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag," 2014), a world-weary occult detective; Mick Rory, a.k.a. Heatwave (Dominic Purcell, "Prison Break," 2005), a career supervillain with a surprising knack for writing; Zari Tarazi (Tala Ashe, "As the World Turns," 2008), a hacker from a dystopian future turned posh socialite; and Nate Heywood, a.k.a. Steel (Nick Zano, "What I Like About You," 2003), a historian with the power to turn his skin into a protective metal alloy. Showrunners Keto Shimizu ("Being Human," 2012) and Phil Klemmer ("Veronica Mars," 2005) have teased that Season 6 will feature an assortment of aliens and significant time spent in space, yet still have an empha- sis on the emotional personal stories of the Legends them- selves. This news may hardly come as a shock for viewers who have become accustomed to the show's ability to oscillate between silliness and heartfelt emotion for the past five sea- sons. In 2012, CW debuted "Arrow," a fresh take on the already well- trodden DC Universe and its heroes. It quickly grew a large following due to its commitment to writing, high production quali- ty and its expert balance of dark, gritty realism with a fresh, youth- ful energy. It was joined in 2014 by the connected show "The Flash," which opted for a more fantastical, comic-influenced tone and similarly grew its own signif- icant following. Since then, the two shows have spawned sever- al other series, all set in the same connected universe called, simply, "the Arrowverse." With the expansion of the Arrowverse, CW essentially created a clean slate upon which to tell new superhe- ro stories — a slate both cun- ning and quirky. Incorporating characters from "Arrow" and "The Flash" while creating unique figures of its own, "Legends of Tomorrow" was created to specifically adhere to its parent universe, but its wacky, unpredictable premise offered a means of escape. As the Legends make their home in a time-travelling ship named "The Waverider," they are tasked with protecting their timeline from multiverse threats and vari- ous time distortions. On any given day, the Legends may find themselves going head-to-head with dragons, demons, kaiju ... even Charles Manson. Due to its alternating timeline, "Legends of Tomorrow" is blissfully indepen- dent of the constraints most shows must contend with; guid- ing forces such as time, space and linear movement don't apply to the Legends in many cases, and the show is better for it. There are multiple cases in which characters encounter other ver- sions of themselves from alter- nate timelines, often resulting in a treasure trove of self-parodying comedy or a unique kind of sin- cerity. It is also necessary to note that this show can make you cry. That's your warning. (Also, con- sider this a spoiler warning for those not yet finished with Season 5.) When Ray Palmer, a.k.a. The Atom (Brandon Routh, "Superman Returns," 2006), left the series in the middle of Season 5, fans were heartbroken — not just due to the disap- pointment of losing a main char- acter but because his departure was just plain emotional. After five seasons of adventures and forged friendships, the character left following a marriage, one final mission and series of heart- wrenching goodbyes. There's a lot of feeling to be felt in "Legends of Tomorrow," not just from character relationships and losses — which the show unfolds frequently and expertly — but also from the unique opportunities the sci-fi concept provides. You can imagine the gamut of raw, existential emo- tion that would come from sce- narios akin to meeting another, more well-adjusted version of yourself in another timeline — a timeline in which a major child- hood trauma had never occurred — or returning from the past to find that you have a daughter you've never met before. YMCA 2 x 2" Pear Tree Gallery 3 x 2" On the Cover Caity Lotz stars in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" 'Legends of Tomorrow' blends action and emotion Chase Center 3 x 2" American Legion Post 60 2 x 3" Thrifty Muffler 2 x 2.5"

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