Maybe Shade just really didn’t wanna take any risks in case they would’ve said no, but I could actually still see them helping him even knowing the full truth of restoring the diamond. I don’t think restoring his health would’ve been much of a negative for them, as they’d be desperate for any help they could get in the fight against Eclipso. Plus it legitimately looked like he was dying w/out his powers, and while he’s obviously lived much longer than the average person, I doubt they’d wanna just sit idly by when they could save a life, especially in the wake of the Bruce Gordon reveal. And as far as the reformed diamond summoning him, I feel like they could’ve at least avoided a losing outcome like what actually happened by putting the diamond back together in a big open space or something. By doing that, they’d be able to easily flee as soon as the diamond was restored and avoid a conflict w/ Eclipso before they’re ready. It obviously wouldn’t accomplish as much as they would’ve hoped, but it could still be a step forward. Instead, not only is Courtney trapped in the Shadowlands, but Shade just used up the last bit of trust the JSA was willing to give him. He must be pretty confident that he can still defeat Eclipso on his own, because there’s no way in hell they’ll let themselves be fooled again after this debacle
It’s a definite risk for multiple reasons, but I think it’ll be worth it in the long run. They obviously knew they were gonna have to tell her at some point, but I feel like they might’ve thought that would come later on. Not only is there a bigger risk of Esme accidentally telling someone when she’s still a kid, but there’s also a chance they could worry her even more by telling her they’re actively involved in helping stop the bad guys. But while Esme might still not have that much trust built up w/ Alex and Kelly, she has been saved by Sentinel and Guardian recently, so the fact that that personal connection already existed means she’s more likely to be put at ease by this reveal compared to if they turned out to be heroes she had never seen or even heard of before. And considering they needed a big move to help ease her general fears and anxieties, this seemed like the right call. Hopefully this will help them to bond even more, which will generally make Esme feel more at home and Alex and Kelly feel even more secure about their abilities as parents
As eager as I am to see them go after the Waverider that destroyed theirs and figure out what exactly that was all about, I think being stuck here is also making for some pretty interesting material. I don’t remember the team being dedicated to 1 specific time period for any long duration of time, so seeing them have to rely on their personal skills/abilities instead of their usual tricks feels pretty different in a good way. We’ve already had several seasons where the team needed a specific reason to travel across history, but being stranded to this degree also still works for a time travel show. I’m sure we’ll return to that sort of familiar dynamic before too long, but I’m totally fine to keep them in 1925 for a while longer to see how they manage to creatively get out of this situation. Plus the fact that they’ll still be going to different places in this era will help to make it not feel stale. If everyone was completely confined to Odessa for half the season it’d be a different story, but hopefully New York is just the 2nd of several cities they’ll visit in the Roaring Twenties. We’ve really never spent more than a couple episodes in 1 particular period of time, so I figure getting this extra time in 1925 will help keep things fresh for the show compared the more familiar formula
A big part of that is gonna depend on whether or not she’ll still be able to operate as the same Gideon as before when the team eventually gets the Waverider back. We know Amy Pemberton is gonna be a regular as human Gideon for the whole season, so we’re not gonna see her fully be an AI anytime soon, but whether she reverts back to her original form next season or not, the Legends may still have to learn to operate w/out her even when they get the ship back. If that really is the case, then she’s really gonna have to carve out a purpose for herself on the team. Of course they’ll do everything they can to help her while she’s still on the ship, but if she doesn’t have access to any of her previous abilities, it’ll beg the question of what she has to offer
But whatever that may be, I certainly hope they’re able to figure it out before long because this is a really exciting change for Gideon that I’m looking forward to seeing more of. Pemberton’s voice has always been perfect for this role, and so getting to hear even more of her while also getting to see a ton of Gideon in human form is just fantastic. It also gives the show a chance to really give her an actual sense of character, which is only fitting since she’s technically an OG Legend alongside Sara. I know it might not seem necessary to do so for an AI , but considering this is still a role that Pemberton’s been in since the start of the show, I feel like it only makes sense to do something really new w/ her if she’s still gonna be around. Whatever happens w/ her this season, at least we know for sure that it’s gonna be eventful as opposed to the theories some of us had about “evil Gideon” early last season that never went anywhere
I know they’re gonna find out soon enough, but I actually think Ryan’s decision makes sense, even after she found out Alice was telling the truth. This is an entirely personal decision for her and not something where she could delude herself into thinking she’d be protecting her friends when really it’s something they’d need to know. What she’s really trying to do is protect herself from more hurt, and it makes sense that the hurt of finding the identity of the woman who abandoned her would probably outweigh the positives of satisfying her curiosity. Of course that’s all gonna come tumbling down shortly as Jada Jet makes her presence known (assuming she is in fact Ryan’s birth mother), but given what Ryan knowns now, I can stand by this decision. I think it’s a healthy move for her that reinforces that Luke, Mary and Sophie are all the family she needs right now
Given all the misdirects the Arrowverse has thrown at us in general and just the fact that Alice is still generally crazy, I really should’ve picked up on this sooner. I’ll admit that I actually did believe she was getting letters from Jacob until the reveal, and despite those factors that should’ve told me otherwise (along w/ the fact that prison inmates really shouldn’t have access to postcards), I think there were 2 main factors that helped me buy into this for a little while. First off, the fact that Mary believed it herself really helped sell it for me as well. If she thought Alice was lying then I probably would’ve been at least a little more suspicious, but she really never showed any sign of that. Given how smart she is, I guess I just figured that if the woman about to receive her doctorate thinks it’s true, then it probably is. Additionally, it does make sense to me that Jacob would be trying to make up for all the years he lost w/ Alice/Beth. Sure he still had things to make up for w/ Mary when he got arrested, but that still doesn’t compare to his situation w/ Alice in terms of lost time
Given that discrepancy and the fact that Beth was/is his biological daughter, it made at least some sense to me that he’d be more focused on her given that it hasn’t been that long since his faith in his daughter was restored. But I guess he ultimately hasn’t been reaching out to either of them since he got put in jail, so I have to figure he just isn’t able to at the moment. Maybe he wouldn’t be sending letters to Mary since she’s still able to visit him in person, but I have to figure he would’ve sent something to Alice if he was able to, but perhaps that could still be yet to come
