DC’s Legends of Tomorrow has actually misplaced its thoughts in one of the simplest ways. Tuesday’s episode of the zany CW sequence delivered an unforgettable hour that additionally served as a candy encore for 2 beloved characters.
“Mr. Parker’s Cul-de-Sac” marked the second-to-last episode for Ray Palmer (Brandon Routh) and Nora Darhk (Courtney Ford), who will soon depart as regulars on the Waverider to start out a brand new chapter of their lives. (Showrunner Phil Klemmer previously told TV Guide the transfer is sensible for the couple since they’ve hit a gentle groove of their relationship and have primarily outgrown their time-traveling gig.)
The episode noticed Ray coordinate a candy date evening with Nora that will have culminated with a romantic proposal. Nevertheless, his plans got here to a screeching halt when Nora arrived together with her younger cost, who hadn’t fairly discovered her coronary heart’s need, in tow.
Courtney Ford Opens Up About Leaving DC’s Legends of Tomorrow: ‘It’s Been Very Emotional’
Issues received much more difficult with the arrival of Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough), who confirmed up on their doorstep unannounced after being briefly launched from hell. Afraid of what her father would consider her new life, like her present gig as a Fairy Godmother and her healthful, completely not evil boyfriend Ray Palmer, Nora selected to lie. Sara and Ava turned her henchwomen, whereas Constantine pretended to be her boyfriend. Cue the awkward, however wildly entertaining dinner, as Nora and her mates to maintain up their elaborate charade in entrance of Nora’s evil mastermind of a father.
“I used to be actually enthusiastic about that half,” Courtney Ford advised TV Information. “It was a beautiful factor to have the ability to give attention to since there have been a whole lot of issues occurring mentally and emotionally [regarding her departure from the series]. I do know the intention was to have sort of a Father of the Bride side however after I learn it, the very first thing that popped into my thoughts was The Chicken Cage, which is one in all my favourite films.”
The 1996 comedy starring Robin Williams centered on a homosexual man pretending to be his son’s girlfriend’s boyfriend for a dinner together with her ultra-conservative dad and mom whereas his precise boyfriend masqueraded as the lady’s uncle. Similarly, Legends delivered its personal calamitous dinner as roles had been reversed and the gang struggled to maintain the lie going. In keeping with Ford, that standout second was simply as enjoyable to movie because it was for these watching alongside.
“We may barely get via a few of these scenes at dinner due to Neil [McDonough]. A number of the improv he was doing… We simply could not hold from breaking, so we sort of ruined the shot. I needed to do it time and again,” Ford defined.
The scene took a weird flip when Nora got here clear to her father about her relationship with Ray, which result in everybody arguing and her fed up cost transporting the bickering gang into an episode of the youngsters’s sequence Mr. Parker’s Cul-de-Sac. Hilarity ensued in the course of the madcap homage to Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, as Nora and Damien resolved their argument, whereas Ava and Sara, and Constantine and Charlie additionally sorted out their interpersonal points. The comical phase proved to be an excessive amount of for Nora’s cost, who realized her household wasn’t practically as bizarre as this motley crew and determined to return dwelling. With the child drawback solved and Damien lastly giving Nora and Ray his blessing, there was time for one very last thing: a marriage!
In one of many present’s most touching scenes, Ray and Nora exchanged heartfelt vows whereas their mates and family members, together with a beaming Damien Darhk, regarded on. Although becoming, the second got here as a shock to Ford and her real-life husband Routh, who weren’t anticipating such a fast turnaround for the ceremony.
“In actual life, Brandon and I knew one another for 4 years earlier than we had a marriage. So on a private degree, we had been like, ‘Wait a minute, did not we simply say ‘I like you’ for the primary time this final episode? What’s occurring?’ We’re extra sensible,” the actress revealed. “We’re like, ‘Wait a minute! The place’s the premarital counseling? Should not you go on a street journey first to actually be certain?’ We’re like, ‘Maintain on, maintain on. This can be a little quick.’ However you recognize, it is Legends.”
Ray and Nora’s wedding ceremony caps off an thrilling journey for the pair, who began out as defacto enemies — she was evil, in any case — earlier than forming a powerful bond that will change each characters for the higher.
“I believe that they each meant so much to one another so far as having the ability to reside a extra properly rounded life. Ray and Nora are on the floor two utterly totally different individuals, however if you happen to look nearer, each these characters had very, very lonely childhoods. They simply handled that ache and loneliness in two other ways. Ray actually works exhausting to solely see the great in every little thing, partly as a result of that is who he’s, however partly as a result of he would not wish to really feel any ache. It is a protection mechanism,” Ford defined.
She continued: “And for Nora, she’s coping with the identical emotions, however she’s taking the other tack the place she is saying, ‘The world is harmful, individuals aren’t reliable, every little thing is dangerous. So I’m going to wall off my coronary heart and never let any goodness in as a result of when you let that in, there may be the chance for individuals to disappoint you. You’ve the [ability] to lose it and that is painful.’ So that they’re each defending themselves from ache simply in completely other ways. They’ve had an incredible impression on one another as a result of they’ve allowed one another to open up and know what it’s to be a human on this world.”
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With Ray and Nora formally wed, “Mr. Parker’s Cul-de-Sac” offered a stunning sense of closure for each characters. The episode additionally delivered a seemingly last send-off for Damien, who slipped away from the celebration to wipe out his existence with the Hell sword as an alternative of returning to hell to be tortured for eternity.
Damien is likely to be gone however Ray and Nora nonetheless have yet another episode left. The pair will ring out their last journey on Legends with respective bachelor and bachelorette bashes. Off display, Legends commemorated the event with a going away celebration for Nora.
“They gifted me my fairy godmother wand,” Ford stated. “So, I’ve that right here in the home they usually printed out this big card and all people signed it. I received to perform a little speech and provides all of the hugs and all of the tears and all the issues. It is three seasons for me and 6 seasons for Brandon [as Ray Palmer]. So, we weren’t identical to, ‘Bye!’ There have been a whole lot of feelings there.”
Whether or not or not Nora will return to the sequence stays to be seen however Ford hasn’t dominated out the chance. “I believe I am going to need to cross that bridge if it is ever in entrance of me,” she stated.
Legends of Tomorrow airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on the CW.
Courtney Ford and Neal McDonough, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow