History Notes: Legends of Tomorrow Episode 303, "Zari"

In Seattle 2042, Time Bureau agent Gary (ADAM TSEKHMAN) sends out a distress call when he fails to stop an assassination. That call gets intercepted and answered by the Legends.

In this time period, ARGUS has tossed away their covert nature and taken over, turning the country into a police state. Metahumans are outlawed, as is religion. The guards were trying to take Zari Adrianna Tomaz (TALA ASHE) to their prison, when the transport was interrupted by Kuasa (TRACY IFEACHOR), a metahuman who can transform her body into water. Zari gets away, but is tracked down by the Legends for protection -- which she rejects.

But Captain Sara Lance (CAITY LOTZ) is nothing if not persistent, and she gets assistance from Mick (DOMINIC PURCELL) in how to locate someone in Zari's fugitive state, which leads him to a bar. The team manages to convince Zari to follow them back to their ship, where Gary spills the beans that it's a time ship. Zari explains that she will help the team if they help rescue her brother from ARGUS. "Prison break? I'm in!" Mick heartily agrees. (And we all get a hearty chuckle from the broken fourth wall again.)

However, Zari lied. It's not a breakout, it's a heist. She's there to steal an amulet that her brother wore that gave him metahuman powers. It's all that's left of him after ARGUS murdered him. But it's still a prison break after Jefferson (FRANZ DRAMEH) and Ray (BRANDON ROUTH) see the experiments happening to young metahumans at the facility.

Meanwhile, Amaya (MAISIE RICHARDSON-SELLERS) continues to have issues with her powers. While Professor Stein (VICTOR GARBER) tries to find a scientific explanation, Nate (NICK ZANO) accepts that they are mystical in nature, and proposes a vision quest using a hallucinogenic root used by Amaya's people. This puts Nick in a psychedelic state for the remainder of the episode, tripping out at every little thing.

The episode has some interesting plot points to think on. When Amaya ultimately confronts Kuasa, Kuasa recognizes the power of her totem, and says, "I'd kill you, but I'd only be killing myself." Are we to believe that Kuasa is Amaya's future daughter? Or perhaps Vixen's future daughter? Also, eagle-eyed viewers will recognize Zari's amulet as that of Isis, but given today's political climate don't expect her to pick up that particular codename.

The episode ends with another little vignette in the past -- 1988 Ivy Town, to be precise, which any good geek knows is the home town to Ray Palmer. And we meet Ray -- played here by JACK FISHER -- on the run from bullies. But who he meets in dark little hiding spot is a mystery that will have to wait until next week.