There have been many things the Legends have had to face in their time together: Alternate Realities, Super Villains, Monsters, and Aliens. But NOTHING could prepare this group for the challenge of.....Summer Camp. It is here that we join our wayward time travelling heroes as they drop in on 1995 to rescue young campers from a monster terrorizing them. To quote the 80's band, The Smiths: Stop me if you think you've heard this one before...
We begin this little tale where we join Sara and Ava enjoying a rare date night at Ava's watching a horror movie called...wait for it....Swamp Thaaaang (more on this later). Somehow, when chatting about horror movies, and the weirdness of the title, it causes Sara to contact Gideon, and inquire about any incidents at a summer camp with a weird monster, and---wouldn't you know it---they get a hit! Sara convinces Ava to join her on this mission (leaving Nate and Gary in charge at the Bureau---why do I have a feeling THAT doesn't go over well?). Anyway, they head to Maine where they hear the story about a swamp monster plaguing the campers there. Leave it to John to throw in the comment about knowing a swamp creature himself, but this creature would never have been spotted in upstate Maine (I'll reiterate more later, but suffice to say: EASTER EGG!). Ray, of course, is all to excited about the mission, since it gives him a chance to flex his camper skills. They all pose as camp counselors to investigate. I should note that it's quite comical to see this cast all dressed up a camp counselors, complete with matching shirts and shorts. They meet the head of the camp, who has a very Kathy Bates like personality---meaning about a charming as a garden snake, and one of the other counselors, a dashing young chap who seems to take a shine to the group. Seeing Constantine in these digs is just hilarious in and of itself.
We move along, where John is using baking powder or some substance to put a wall of protection around the camp, ensuring that monsters can't get in, while Ray, Ava, and Sara all try to talk to the campers, and find out what's going on. It's apparent that Ava, because she's a clone, has never had a childhood, so her interaction with kids is---less than exemplary. While Sara, who DID spend time at a summer camp in her youth, is more robust and enthusiastic. Ava comes off like a strict disciplinarian, to which Sara tries to ease her mind about it. At one point during the night, while they take watch, two of the kids sneak out and meet at a secret location....a boy and girl, who're about to have their first kiss, when suddenly, they're snatched away and disappear. The team tries to get answers out of the kids, but to no avail. Ava especially goes about it the wrong way. One of the girls DOES give out information as to where the two missing kids MIGHT be---and she speaks of some kind of swamp monster. The team heads out at night to face off with the creature when---all of the sudden---Ava gets dragged into the water. Turns out, the kids punked the team,and Ava is made fun of in the process. Desperate to find answers, the team does the Scooby Doo split up---with John and Ray trying to find the kids by searching the forest, while Ava and Sara try to talk to the kids. In hoping to relate to them, Sara gets the idea that if they thought like the kids, they'd get an answer. John gives them a potion that will make them girls for a short time.
Meanwhile, back on the Waverider, Zari is keeping tabs on the fake Maya (who we know as Charlie from last episode). They know they're not getting answers out of her about this monster, so Charlie fakes getting hurt, which prompts Zari to check it out. Zari falls for the oldest trick in the book, and gets locked on the energy cell. Charlie's efforts to get off the ship is wasted when she bumps into Mick. Her and Mick have a heart to heart about their lives, comparing the time they spent in prisons. Mick manages to convince her to stick around and help out. Charlie DOES manage to give enough info on this creature, who is called a Strigga. The monster apparently sucks the life force out of the kids.
As Ava and Sara, now as young girls, try to bond with the other girls and get some answers, Ray and John continue their seach, with Ray trying to bond with John (and doing a lousy job of it). John goes on to remind Ray what a fool he was to let Nora Dhark go. They stumble upon a decrepit cabin, where they discover cages with the kids in them. They let Ava and Sara know, just as the girls get info on where the make out spot is. Turns out, according to Charlie, that while they THOUGHT the Strigga was the head of the camp, turns out that Charlie says this one she met was a man. They figure out that it's the male counselor all along, and they do battle. They manage to defeat the monster, and all the lifeforce he took from the missing kids, with the help of John, flow back into them...except one. John has to cast another spell, using his own energy to revive one last boy.
Later, we see everyone back aboard the Waverider, as Sara has given Ava a better understanding of what life was like as a kid. And they have John in the medbay getting looked at, but he's weak. Charlie gives herself a new makeover, and decides to stick around to help the team, as long as she gets kept out of hell.
At the end of our little tale, we see Nora Dhark, concocting a potion that turns out be....soup. Turns out, Nora seems powerless, and is stuck at a Renissaince Faire of all places.
This episode wasn't my favorite of the season...was hoping for something a LITTLE more Friday the 13th, but with it's usual flare for the comic fun that we've grown to have in this season thus far. Was hoping that the 90's setting would've given it a more 90's feel and pop references, but it didn't. This one might've been better served as the pre-Halloween episode. There was some humor in it, but some if it fell a little flat to me. I DID enjoy the Swamp Thing reference by John...harkening back to the Hellblazer and Swamp Thing comics that John Constantine has been featured in. Outside of that, the show didn't provide much in the way of character development, aside from John's issues with his personal demons, which we've already been made aware of, and Ava's lack of a family since she's a clone, which we already had established. Mick bonding with "bad girl monster" Charlie (now looking like Maya), isn't a stretch, and you kind of knew she'd stick around, for "redemption" purposes. But outside of that, it seemed like a one-off episode, with nothing of substance to provide us outside of Nora's whereabouts. If there's going to be an episode where they fall short of the mark---this one is it. Just lacked the wacky spirit and slapstick fun we've had with the first few episodes. This one just wasn't it for me. Hopefully, this is just an aberration, and they're back on track next week. Oh...and one last note: nice of them to title the episode after the hit comedy movie Wet Hot American Summer.
That's all for this week, and hey...check out all my other blogs. I thank you all for viewing. Comments would be cool too.
Same time, next week!
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