The Geekcap: Legends of Tomorrow "Last Refuge"

At the Time Masters Council, the Time Masters execute a prisoner for time piracy. To do this, they send the Pilgrim to make contact with his past self, and the prisoner is evaporated from existence. They then send the Pilgrim to take out the Legends from their past selves. In 1985, the team rescue a young Rory after a fire kills his family. Ray blasts back the Pilgrim and takes the young Rory onboard the Waverider, telling him that they are members of an organization called ARGUS. Meanwhile, Sara and Kendra spar and discuss Kendra’s decision to stay with Ray against the advice of her older self. Although it was Sara’s idea, she questions why Kendra doesn’t tell Ray. In addition, Rory refuses to speak with his younger self.

Rip and Rory begin to track the Pilgrim, explaining that the Pilgrim can only take out their past selves at particular moments in order to preserve the larger timeline. In this case, they track her to Starling City in 2007 where she targets a young Sara Lance. She sits with her father at the station being handcuffed to a table when the place is attacked. The Pilgrim blasts Lance aside and corners the young Sara before being saved by her future self. Rory blasts her with his gun, and the group escapes, keeping young Sara with young Rory.

Sara: My God, she’s…
Heatwave: Quite the badass!

Unfortunately, Rip finds that he can no longer track the Pilgrim’s movements which leads them vulnerable at any point in their time. However, he states, Kendra is immune dues to her reincarnation, and Rip is off the table due to his experience as a Time Master. From that exception, Snart questions why they know so little about Rip’s past, but the argument is cut short when Sara notices her younger self fighting with a young Rory. Sara quickly breaks the two apart, though the younger Sara is curious about why they were taken. The older Sara assures her that they will be fine and that she will return her to her father soon. Kendra then talks goes to talk with Ray who is unusually nervous about his possible vanishing from existence. Thinking back in time, he can only think about the two years they spent together in the 1950’s when he was going to ask her something important. Suddenly, he begins convulsing in pain, and large welts begin to form on his body. Rip discovers that Ray is being attacked in 2014 and suffering from the injuries. He and Firestorm quickly arrive to protect younger Ray, using Ray’s developing ATOM technology to blast the Pilgrim. In the midst of Ray’s pain, Kendra admits to Ray that she wants to spend her time with him for as long as she can. At that moment, he drops the ring to the floor, revealing it to Kendra.

With the team still unable to track the Pilgrim’s movement, they then plan to kidnap the infant versions of themselves in order to preserve themselves at other time periods. Kendra then reveals to Sara that she is engaged to Ray. While she was happy to say yes to Ray, she is unsure about their future together. Sara then requests Kendra to help her secure the infants. The two prepare to leave, not knowing that Ray was listening in the back.

Sara and Kendra take a surprisingly cute baby Snart from 1972 Central City and leave him to young Rory and Sara to tend to, since Sara knows that her younger self used to babysit. Rory then chides his younger self to look after his future crime partner. Rip and Rory secure the infant Stein in 1950 Ivy Town while Stein, Ray, and Jax arrive in 1993 Central City to find an infant Jax. However, their mission is interrupted when Stein sees Jax’s father who had been stationed in Somalia that day and died two weeks later. Stein lets Jax have a moment with his father. His father tells Jax how excited he was to see his son and asks Jax to tell the nurse that he will return from his station as soon as possible. Despite knowing the future, Jax lets his father leave. The Pilgrim arrives only to find an empty infant holder with the message “Missed Me” on the bed.

Rip then surprises the group by taking them to his foster mother’s house, a place in an undetermined place and time. His mother, revealing that Rip’s real name is Michael, states that she’s worked with the Time Masters, and that they would not think to look in a refuge. She offers the group pies and agrees to protect the younger selves. Rory, meanwhile, warns his younger self against tempting himself with flames. The younger Rory refuses to listen to the man’s advice. Rip’s mother speaks to Rip, reassuring him that she knows he is meant for good things. However, she rushes them out, reminding him that she has to care for the younger children.

Heatwave: You’d better not drop my future criminal partner.

Stein then confronts Jax on seeing his father for the first time. Jax admits that he was tempted to tell his father about the future because he states that he always wondered what his father would think of the things he had done. In the meantime, Ray also confronts Kendra on her conversation with Sara. She reveals to him the advice given to her by her older self, stating that a relationship outside her one with Carter is doomed. Ray merely states that when she makes her decision, he will listen.

Rip then reveals to the team a message from the Pilgrim who has threatened the loved ones of the team, including Lance, Clarissa, Anna, and Jax’s father. With these people in danger, Rip offers himself to the Pilgrim, or rather, a younger version of himself to be killed. Without him, the team would never have been formed in the first place. She agrees to the terms, and the team head to an abandoned Time Masters outpost.

At the outpost, Rip’s mother brings a young Rip for exchange while the Pilgrim offers Jax’s father. Once the exchange is completed, the rest of the team arrives and attacks, but the Pilgrim is prepared and freezes everyone on sight. However, she is surprised when the young Rip stabs her in the stomach, weakening her to the others’ attacks. Back at the Waverider, Rip admits that prior to being a Time Master, he was a wandering urchin whole stole and starved for a living. Snart remarks that at least Rip did not forget his roots for the mission. Rip’s mother agrees to take care of their younger selves, remarking on her taking care of a younger Rip when he stole her purse. Rory finally reveals his true identity to his younger self, reminding him that the fire was not his fault. While the younger Rory still feels guilty for starting the fire that killed his family, the older Rory advises him to be a better man in the future.

The rest of the team assures their loved ones, except for Stein realizing that his wife does not recognize him. Sara speaks to her father and offers him an amnesia pill to erase his memories of the event. While Lance takes the pills, he remarks that he always knew that she would help people. Jax speaks to his father after revealing his identity. He says to his son that he was never as scared as the day when Jax was born, so Jax offers him advice on his station in Somalia. After speaking with his former fiancé, Ray goes back to Kendra. From that situation, he apologizes for springing a proposal at her, but Kendra, realizing there’s no perfect time, tells Ray that she wants to marry him. Jax and Rory admit to Rip about advising their former selves, but Rip admits that he is fine with those changes as part of their choices. Stein, however, is concerned about his wife not remembering him as he did not say goodbye to her before he left. Rip ultimately admits that unless they stop Savage in the limited time they have left, removing themselves from history will erase their histories as well. With no choice, they must confront Savage in the only time they can find him: 2166, the height of his power in the future.

Notes of Tomorrow

• Jax brings up the organization ARGUS which, in the Arrowverse, stands for the Advanced Research Group United Support and is currently headed by Lyla Diggle, John Diggle's wife.
• Rip Hunter's real name is revealed to be Michael. Could it possibly be related to Michael Jon Carter, the real name behind notable time-travelling hero Booster Gold?
• For those of you keeping track of the timeline, 2007 Sara takes place right before she took the boat trip with Oliver Queen, and 2014 Ray takes place before the creation of his ATOM suit.
• It is revealed that Rip keeps an entire supply of vintage cereals aboard the Waverider.